Embers of Sword

Chapter 673 The blue sea subdues the gods
Two years later, the Great Sui Sword Palace reopened its doors, inviting cultivators from all over the world.

In front of the Lotus Peak Dojo, there was a huge crowd, but it was not noisy. Thousands of cultivators from all over the world sat on the ground, silently listening to the profound sounds of the Great Dao echoing above the Dojo.

Dressed in black, he stood beneath the Lotus Peak Waterfall.

Xie Xuanyi opened the altar to preach.

This sermon will last for three days, with only one hour each day.

Before dawn, the area in front of Lotus Peak Dojo was already packed with people... Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the Sword Immortal and hear the ultimate explanation of the sword path.

The list of the top ten heroes in the world has been released.

Xie Xuanyi then stood at the same height as the "Mountain Peak Yang God".

In the past, other holy sites also had special occasions for opening ceremonies and giving teachings... but most of them were sermons and teachings given by Venerables of the Yin Spirit Realm.

It is rare for a powerful figure at the Yangshen Realm to do this.

It's not selfishness.

Rather, after condensing the Dao, the understanding of the "Great Dao" by cultivators in the Yangshen Realm is beyond what ordinary mortals can comprehend. Even if someone were to teach them, ordinary people would not be able to understand it.

Arrive at this place.

Those born with a special celestial aura can freely project their energy outwards, their every move capable of moving mountains and overturning seas; they have transcended the realm of the "mortal."

In a sense.

The Yang Shen had already taken the final step before "ascending to immortality".

He possesses all sorts of supernatural abilities with ease.

Invincible in physical form, able to traverse the void.

Even if one preaches for a year, outsiders still cannot learn these techniques.

But this time, Xie Xuanyi's "preaching" was different.

He struck the bell three times with the aura of his sword.

They preached to cultivators of the three realms respectively.

Foundation building, Qi control, Grotto-heaven.

These three realm cultivators are the most numerous disciples of various holy lands and aristocratic families, and are the future "backbone".

It's impossible for everyone in Da Chu to be a sword immortal.

Of the thousands of cultivators in the world, only a handful can condense the Dao and reach the pinnacle.

More people are at the foot of the mountain.

Those who have come to listen to the sermon with sincerity are all cultivators who have been trapped in this situation for a long time and are hoping to one day be able to make further progress and stand halfway up the mountain.

These people are undeniably hardworking.

It's just a matter of talent, background, and luck...

Various restrictions have led to our current situation.

For most of the cultivators among them, Xie Xuanyi's "sermon" was the greatest "opportunity" of their lives.

Although the three-day lecture lasted only an hour, no one left the Lotus Dojo after the sword energy and bell-ringing sound ended. Almost all the listeners were immersed in the artistic conception of the Great Dao's evolution, and many people broke through the "Foundation Building Bottleneck" that had bound them for many years and became Qi Controlling cultivators.

Those who can control their Qi to break through to a higher realm and create a grotto-heaven are extremely rare.

As for those who broke through the grotto-heaven realm and became Yin gods... there was only one. He was a rogue cultivator from the mountains of the western region of Da Chu who had participated in the battle of drinking poison and had been trapped in this realm for sixty years. Today, he sat cross-legged in front of the Lotus Dojo, silently listening to the Dao for three days, and finally broke through the realm. Immediately, tears streamed down his face.

Many of the monks from the holy land who participated in the sermon showed goodwill towards this newly promoted Venerable One who broke through to a higher realm in the midst of battle.

But this hermit monk refused them all.

He earnestly requested Xie Xuanyi to leave a residence on Zhenyin Peak, promising never to wander again and willing to serve as an inner sect guest elder at Da Sui Sword Palace.

A Venerable of the Yin Spirit Realm is worthy of being treated as an honored guest wherever he goes.

Xie Xuanyi naturally did not refuse.

After three days of preaching.

No one left their seat in the temple... Hearing the teachings is easy, but understanding them is difficult.

Si Qi led the disciples of Zhenyin Peak to form an array in front of Lotus Peak, allowing those seeking enlightenment to immerse themselves in the understanding of the Dao.

Xie Xuanyi did not leave either.

He sat quietly in the center of the Lotus Peak Dojo, waiting.

The sermon has ended.

However, there is still one last step in this ceremony—

According to the rules, whether they are disciples of the Holy Mountain or independent cultivators from the mountains, they all have the opportunity to ask questions on stage before leaving their seats.

Xie Xuanyi will personally answer his questions.

……

……

The first to take the stage was a junior member of the Jiang family from Qingzhou.

This junior was quite lucky; he was one of the very few who advanced to the Cave Heaven realm during this lecture. After his enlightenment, he was selected by True Hidden Peak... He nervously and anxiously asked his question, and Xie Xuanyi gently guided him. The whole process took no more than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

Then came the second person to take the stage, a middle-aged rogue cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Xie Xuanyi did not show any disrespect to him because of his status or age.

After answering questions and resolving doubts.

The middle-aged rogue monk bowed deeply.

An hour later... Xie Xuanyi finally saw the people he had been waiting for.

This time, it wasn't just one person taking the stage.

Seven people in total.

The leader was quite old, with graying temples.

Behind him were six followers, who all appeared to have cultivated for at least sixty years.

Of these seven people, four were at the peak of the Cave Heaven Realm, while the remaining three were at the Yin Spirit Realm.

The leader had even cultivated to the seventeenth level of Yin Spirit.

"I've seen you."

Xie Xuanyi looked at the white-haired old man in front of him, smiled and said, "You are from the Li Kingdom."

This time, the Da Sui Jian Palace is holding a sermon, and everyone can participate.

People from other countries... are no exception.

Chen Jingxuan had already deployed the Black Scale Guards on the border for surveillance purposes.

Every monk who left the country to participate in this sermon was recorded by the library.

Everything noteworthy was compiled by Chen Jingxuan, who then sent a copy to Lotus Peak.

This matter was handled very thoroughly, very cautiously, and very much in the style of Chen Jingxuan.

but……

Xie Xuanyi didn't read a single word of the case files sent by the library.

He was too lazy to look, and disdained to look.

"Thank you for your good memory, Lord Xie."

The white-haired old man also sat down, smiling as he said, "Fifteen years ago, we met once... At that time, Master Xie was traveling in Li Kingdom and passed by 'Chaoyin Pavilion,' where he entered the pavilion and exchanged blows with one of my disciples. I never expected that so many years later, we would meet again."

Chaoyin Pavilion, located in the eastern part of Li Kingdom, is the most famous cultivation holy land on the coast of the Great Li Dynasty.

Back then, Xie Xuanyi traveled all over the four realms to seek swordsmanship, so naturally he would not miss the Chaoyin Pavilion.

The reason he remembered the white-haired old man in front of him was...

It's not just because of its striking facial features.

"Actually, at that time, I didn't want to fight with the young cultivators of Chaoyin Pavilion."

Xie Xuanyi smiled and said, "They are really too weak... Back then, I actually wanted to fight you. Your strength is not bad."

"???"

This statement came out.

The white-haired old man's expression suddenly turned strange.

The disciples behind him also looked at Xie Xuanyi with hostility.

However, due to the reputation of "Da Sui Sword Palace" and "Ten Heroes of the World", they were unable to retaliate.

"Master Xie is indeed a man of extraordinary talent."

The white-haired old man took a deep breath and smiled as he said, "I have been stuck at the seventeenth realm for many years and feel that my chances of reaching the pinnacle of Dao Condensation in this lifetime are slim... But what if I can have an epiphany? Today I come up on stage in the hope of fulfilling my greatest wish in this life with Lord Xie and seeing clearly the gap between myself and a 'Dao Condensation Master'."

These words are quite intriguing.

Those who condense the Dao are all Yang Spirits.

But Xie Xuanyi was the only exception. As an elder of the Chaoyin Pavilion, the white-haired old man had certainly witnessed the terror of the Yang God, and he knew the gap between himself and the Yang God... but if it came to challenging Xie Xuanyi, who was in the Yin God realm, he didn't think so.

He didn't believe that there were truly Yin gods in the world, who could rival Yang gods.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi remained silent, simply watching the person before him as he continued his performance.

The white-haired old man said in a deep voice, "This old man wishes to fight Lord Xie!"

The words fell.

The once quiet lotus ceremonial ground suddenly became noisy!

After three days of preaching, fewer and fewer practitioners attained enlightenment...

At this moment, most of the cultivators had already "woke up".

The appearance of these cultivators from Chaoyin Pavilion immediately attracted everyone's attention.

They came up on stage not to ask for advice, but to seek it out!

"Seventeen realms, that's far too far off."

Xie Xuanyi smiled and shook his head, saying, "Although the old gentleman is old, his cultivation level is too low... Was it a bit inconsiderate of the Li Kingdom to send you to cause trouble?"

"..."

After saying what he had just said, the white-haired old man fell silent.

He seemed to be waiting for this very sentence.

Upon hearing this response, the white-haired elder immediately spoke up, "Since Master Xie also believes that the strength of the two sides in this battle is vastly different, may I lead my disciples... to form a battle formation here?"

Chaoyin Pavilion excels at forming formations and playing chess.

If supported by a top-tier grand formation—

Even though this white-haired old man only has the cultivation level of the seventeenth level of Yin Spirit, he can still exert the strength of the twentieth level, or even the "Great Perfection".

Regarding the request from Chaoyin Pavilion.

Xie Xuanyi simply waved his sleeve and calmly uttered a single word.

"please."

The words had barely left his lips when a sharp glint flashed in the white-haired old man's eyes. He slightly turned his head, casting a glance at them, and his six disciples quickly scattered throughout the training ground, scattering handfuls of talismans—

Wow!
All of a sudden.

The sound of the tide echoed from the Lotus Dojo, and the talisman covered an area of ​​a hundred feet in radius, where a blue water barrier rose from the ground.

The white-haired old man in the center of the barrier no longer concealed his aura; he was not at the seventeenth realm at all… A wisp of brilliant divine thought surged up from the crown of his head, and a magnificent Dharma image faintly appeared above the Azure Water Barrier. Under the impact of this Dharma image's aura, the entire Lotus Dojo erupted with waves of shock.

Not far from the temple.

"A cultivator at the nineteenth realm..."

Qi Lie stood with his hands behind his back, his face expressionless, and said, "This Yin God of Chaoyin Pavilion is quite well hidden."

Xie Xuanyi didn't read a single word of the case files sent from the library.

Qi Lie, however, didn't miss a single word.

The intelligence report mentioned that a guest elder from the Chaoyin Pavilion, at the seventeenth realm, traveled north across the river to listen to a lecture at the Da Sui Sword Palace, and there was a high probability that he was going to "cause a scene".

This intelligence forecast is very accurate.

However, there was a misjudgment regarding the guest elder's strength.

Si Qi frowned and said, "Is this old man deliberately putting pressure on us? Is he afraid that Senior Brother won't agree to the duel?"

"Azure Sea Subduing God Formation".

Qi Lie said quietly, "I heard that this great formation is one of the top five combat power enhancement formations in the Li Kingdom... The formation core is extremely difficult to set up, but this old man is well prepared. With the enhancement of this formation, his cultivation at the nineteenth realm can probably advance two more realms."

"Nineteen realms...and advance two more realms?"

Si Qi was taken aback for a moment.

There are only twenty realms in total for the Yin Spirit. If you advance two more realms, what level would you need to reach?
Si Qi had a headache.

This was the first time he had ever felt such intense resentment towards himself for not being diligent in his daily practice.

Last time, during the great calamity at the Sword Palace, I couldn't help at all... Now, an uninvited guest has come to challenge my senior brother at my doorstep, and I have no idea how to assess the situation.

"What kind of Divine Subduing Formation is this? Is it really that powerful...?"

Si Qi looked at Qi Lie with concern and asked cautiously, "Senior brother... are you in danger?"

Qi Lie, who always thought of things in the worst possible light, couldn't help but chuckle softly upon hearing this.

"Danger?"

Qi Lie asked sarcastically, "Is there a danger of accidentally killing someone?"

……

……

The Azure Sea Divine Subduing Array was completed within ten breaths.

A magnificent, square body of water rises abruptly from the ground, almost covering the entire Lotus Temple!
Enveloped in a vast expanse of water vapor, the withered figure of the white-haired old man suddenly appeared tall. He took out a pill from his pocket, swallowed it, and the decay in his eyes vanished. His back straightened, and the golden light in his eyes seemed about to shoot out.

"The Azure Abyss Longevity Pill from Chaoyin Pavilion..."

Xie Xuanyi watched this scene and said with a smile, "I heard that taking this pill will shorten your life by ten years."

"If we can win this battle... even if it means living ten years less, so what?"

The white-haired old man smiled as well.

After consuming the golden pill, his aura surged once again, and with a rather domineering attitude, he broke through the nineteenth realm and reached the twentieth realm.

This is the true state of perfect Yin spirit.

Xie Xuanyi gave the other party ample time.

The grand formation was complete, and the golden core took effect.

The aura emanating from the white-haired old man surged and surged before finally stabilizing.

Above the Azure Sea Subduing God Formation, the towering Dharma image that had been condensed was already making everyone in the temple breathless.

Xie Xuanyi, however, remained seated on the ground.

He rested his chin on his hand and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"...?"

The white-haired old man paused for a moment, then, realizing that Xie Xuanyi was asking him if he had any other methods, he laughed out of anger.

"Thank you, Lord Mountain Master, please!"

The white-haired old man spoke with a confident and deep voice, his voice brimming with aura.

With the blessing of the Azure Sea Barrier, the sound was like thunder, spreading for miles and inspiring fear in all who heard it.

"it is good."

Xie Xuanyi was only one word.

The young sword immortal in black, who was sitting on the ground, slowly raised his head and looked up at the imposing Dharma image above him, which seemed to be descending from the heavens.

The white-haired old man sneered and silently recited a hand seal.

The majestic Dharma image slowly descended from above the azure sea barrier, truly like a god descending to earth, stretching out its arm towards Xie Xuanyi, as if to crush this "black ant" directly—

Countless clouds shattered.

The downward palm cast a shadow on the ground, which grew larger and larger.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi made no movement, simply placing his hands on his knees.

He looked up and met the gaze of the twenty realms of Dharma.

next moment.

A wisp of golden sword energy shot out from between Xie Xuanyi's eyebrows.

The speed of that sword energy was too fast.

It was so fast that no one could see its trajectory.

But everyone saw clearly the broken arm of the burly Dharma image.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed from the sky—

The nearly hundred-foot-long arm that the Dharma Image extended was shattered inch by inch, pierced by the golden light, and exploded in a devastating manner!
The entire Azure Sea Divine Subduing Formation was instantly pierced!
Thousands of talismans shattered simultaneously in an instant!

The immense pressure that had previously enveloped and suppressed the Lotus Dojo dissipated completely in an instant, like mercury spilling onto the ground.

……

……

(There will be one more update tonight.)
(End of this chapter)