Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 263 Compassion for All Living Beings, the Influence of the Three Swords of Xuan Yang
"This happened hundreds of years ago. Even those ancient and powerful forces probably only recorded it on bamboo slips, and no one has read it for many years, let alone spread it."

And things that even they don't know, someone like you with no connections or income, is even less likely to know.

Lu Xiaofeng ignored the evaluation of the three-no person and looked at the Thunder Sword on his back.

“Destiny… It was said before that the Seven Swords possessed Destiny, but I haven’t seen the other Seven Swords in a while. Now, another Heavenly Crystal has appeared with Destiny. This Destiny doesn’t sound very precious.”

Zhou Ming said, "The other seven swords... you just haven't encountered them, right? I do know of a few. As for the concept of destiny, although it is vague and ethereal, it does make some sense when applied to the Heavenly Crystal."

"Oh?"

"Leaving aside the origin of the Heavenly Crystal, it is a fact that King Wu of Zhou used it to unify the world. However, the secrets hidden within this object are too obscure and difficult to understand. Even if an ordinary person obtains the Heavenly Crystal, they will not be able to use it at all."

However, the energy box you mentioned can channel the energy of the Heavenly Crystal for other uses. Although there are some conditions for its use, they are nothing compared to the difficulty of comprehending the Heavenly Crystal.

"I'm afraid it won't be long before those who possess Heavenly Crystals start popping up one by one."

Lu Xiaofeng shook his head: "What kind of destiny is this? It's just human greed."

Zhou Ming said meaningfully, "Sometimes there is no difference between human nature and destiny."

Lu Xiaofeng thought about it and realized it made sense.

The influence that people can have varies depending on their social status.

Jade Rakshasa's conspiracy could stir up the martial arts world of both the Ming and Yuan dynasties, creating countless storms.

He was merely a dominant force in the Western Regions.

If it were a monarch of a country, a single thought in his mind could change the weather above the heads of all people.

If such a person were to become greedy for Tianjing, wouldn't that be fate?

"Would those monarchs be interested in the Heavenly Crystal?"

"If it were just pure celestial crystal, I doubt it would be so, but if it's celestial crystal combined with an energy box, I believe no monarch could ignore that power..."

The Heavenly Crystal is actually a martial arts manual.

However, few monarchs of a country practice martial arts.

Moreover, the martial arts within the Heavenly Crystal have high requirements for aptitude.

Becoming a monarch is a matter of being born into a good family; it doesn't necessarily mean they are exceptionally gifted.

You might go through all that trouble to snatch the Tianjing, only to find you can't learn how to use it at all.

However, the Heavenly Crystal combined with an energy box that can fully unleash its power is a different story.

A primordial being, using this set of treasures, was actually able to kill the Jade Rakshasa who had gathered three flowers at the top of her head.

Naturally, some people would wonder what would happen if a Grandmaster, or even a Three Flowers Grandmaster, used this set of treasures?

Can I defeat... a Grandmaster?

If this guess is correct, then as long as one obtains the Heavenly Crystal and the Energy Box, it would be equivalent to having a Grandmaster.

However, there are a total of ten Heavenly Crystals!

It should be noted that even in the Qin state, which has the deepest foundation, the number of experts at the Grandmaster level is limited.

A country like the Ming Dynasty, with its shallow foundation, only has one Grandmaster on the surface, who obeys orders but not summons.

Even the emperor had to bow respectfully when he saw them.

If you obtain ten Heavenly Crystals, you can upgrade a Three-Flower or even Two-Flower Grandmaster to a Grandmaster.

Those are ten grandmasters.

Moreover, the power gained through treasures is clearly inferior to genuine martial arts cultivation.

The emperor naturally had ways to restrict it.

Just thinking about it like that would probably tempt any emperor with even a little ambition.

As for whether this guess is correct... why not just snatch it and try it out?

Lu Xiaofeng had no choice but to remain silent.

At that moment, he suddenly felt the same way as the three Blue brothers.

Knows everything.

Learn everything.

But they lacked the power to intervene and could only watch helplessly as the world turned into the very thing they least wanted to see.

"When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer. When a dynasty falls, the people suffer."

Lu Xiaofeng looked up at the sky and couldn't help but sigh.

Zhou Ming was taken aback.

Of course, it wasn't because of Lu Xiaofeng's words, but because the Sword of All Living Beings in the Sword Realm was suddenly stirred by those words.

That's right.

Don't be fooled by Zhou Ming's daily fishing trips; he's actually quite busy.

Research on the God of War.

Organizational development.

The Heavenly Mirror.

The Twelve Profound Yin Swords and the Three Profound Yang Swords in the Sword World.

He has to care about everything.

At this very moment, he was fishing while simultaneously comprehending the Twelve Profound Yin Swords in the Sword Realm.

After all, fishing is something that's busy at the beginning and later when you catch fish, but in the middle you just sit here and wait.

It's normal to get distracted and do something else.

Moreover, because Zhou Ming had always wanted to comprehend the Xuan Yang Three Swords through persistent practice, he was currently deep within the Sword Pool.

The Twelve Xuan Yin Swords gathered around him.

The Three Swords of Xuan Yang floated not far away, motionless.

As for his insights... aside from the Guardian Sword, which did loosen somewhat after his long period of contemplation, the other two swords showed no reaction whatsoever.

But unexpectedly, because of Lu Xiaofeng's words, the Sword of All Living Beings was slightly moved.

However, it was only a tiny bit.

Even so, because of this slight touch, the Sword of All Living Beings also revealed a bit of its mystery.

Zhou Ming, who was nearby, naturally kept all these mysteries in mind.

Although it's only a tiny bit, it's already a huge step forward.

Zhou Ming quickly figured out the reason.

The concept of 'approaching' is mutual. When Zhou Ming approached the Xuan Yang Three Swords, the distance between the Xuan Yang Three Swords and Zhou Ming was also extremely close.

Furthermore, the interconnectedness between the original body and the projection allowed the Guardian Sword to sense, through Zhou Ming, the compassion for all living beings that Lu Xiaofeng exuded at that moment.

This touched the sword of the common people.

However, this fleeting thought alone was not enough to make the Sword of All Living Beings recognize its master.

Therefore, the Sword of All Living Beings immediately returned to its original state.

But then again, even if it wanted to acknowledge Lu Xiaofeng as its master, it probably wouldn't be able to get out at all.

There's a world separating us, after all. How could a mere wisp of sword energy possibly break through that barrier?
Lu Xiaofeng's feelings were only temporary.

He quickly composed himself and started talking about other things.

The group chatted and laughed, enjoying a meal at Zhou Ming's place. They lingered until the afternoon before Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou finally left.

"interesting……"

Zhou Ming was pondering the events of the morning.

The Three Swords of Xuan Yang were actually affected by the thoughts of others. Although this was mainly due to the connection between Zhou Ming himself and the projection, it was indeed a rather mysterious thing.

If Zhou Ming's own body stayed in the Sword Realm, and the projection was placed on another person's body.

When this person evokes a thought that corresponds to the Three Swords of Xuan Yang, will it also trigger the Three Swords of Xuan Yang's influence?

You should know that the moment the Guardian Sword was touched, it revealed some of its secrets.

If Zhou Ming's conjecture is true, then he can use this method to continuously activate the Xuan Yang Three Swords, thereby constantly perceiving more mysteries.

"Perhaps it's worth a try..."

just.

People like that are probably hard to find.

It is not only necessary to conform to the concepts represented by the three swords of Xuan Yang, but also to have a deep understanding of these three concepts.

During his journey, Lu Xiaofeng traveled throughout the Ming and Yuan dynasties, witnessing firsthand how hundreds of martial artists were tricked and lost their lives because of a token.

Then, thinking about the potential upheaval that might occur once the Tianjing affair spread throughout the world, he uttered that poignant remark.

This single remark only slightly stirred the Sword of All Living Beings among the Three Swords of Xuan Yang.

It's hard to imagine what kind of person could possibly earn the three swords' loyalty.

After much deliberation, Zhou Ming concluded that he probably couldn't find such a person within the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

The Song Kingdom... perhaps Guo Jing could.

In other countries, however, you can't find many people like this.

As for the Central Plains, Xiao Sanxiao might be able to do it.

Anonymous is barely acceptable.

"Oh right, and them too!"

Zhou Ming suddenly thought of two people who should also meet the criteria.

In the Central Plains, there have always been folk songs.

Atop the Southern Mountain stands the Fiery Scale Sword, while deep within the Northern Sea, it drinks the chill of snow.

This refers to two martial arts families in the Central Plains, though not numerous, with a long and distinguished history.

The Duan family, the Nie family.

The two families are famous because they have passed down divine weapons through generations.

The Duan family's Fire Kirin Sword and the Nie family's Snow Drinking Saber are both rare divine weapons.

Many years ago, the descendants of the two families appeared in the world, one being the Duan family's Duan Shuai and the other the Nie family's Nie Renwang.

Both of them were renowned masters in Zhongzhou at the time.

Later, for some reason, Nie Renwang challenged Duan Shuai to a duel, and the two fought in front of Lingyun Cave.

This Lingyun Cave is a portal above the knee of the Leshan Giant Buddha, connecting to countless complex underground labyrinths, where the infamous ferocious beast, the Fire Qilin, dwells.

This Buddha statue is not a good place either. It is located at the confluence of three rivers. Whenever the water level rises, the river water submerges the Buddha's knees and pours into Lingyun Cave, which will disturb the fire qilin, causing it to angrily rush out of Lingyun Cave and wreak havoc in the surrounding area.

The two fought during the rainy season, and they encountered a fire qilin that rushed out of Lingyun Cave. The fire qilin grabbed them and dragged them deep into Lingyun Cave.

After the two worked together to defeat the fire qilin, they explored the Lingyun Cave and unexpectedly discovered that deep within the cave lay the remains of the former human emperor, Xuanyuan.

It also hides a dragon vein that is related to the fate of the Nine Provinces.

If the dragon vein is lost, the entire land will be thrown into turmoil.

The infamous fire qilin is actually the guardian of the dragon vein.

But for some unknown reason, he became possessed by a demon, becoming not only ferocious and tyrannical, but also prone to causing chaos every now and then.

The two discussed the matter and felt that with the Fire Qilin transformed into its current form, the safety of the dragon vein could not be guaranteed. Therefore, they decided to stay inside the Lingyun Cave to protect the dragon vein.

Twelve years later, when someone invaded Lingyun Cave, the two reappeared.

It can be said that the reason why the two made this decision was entirely due to their desire to protect all living beings.

You should know that they are not ordinary people, but martial arts families with a history of hundreds of years.

My own strength is also extremely high.

If they wanted, they could easily dominate the martial arts world and enjoy a level of glory and wealth that ordinary people could only dream of.

Yet they were willing to give up everything and stay in that hellish place, Lingyun Cave, where they had to face the crazed fire qilin from time to time, all to protect the dragon vein.

He has been guarding this place for more than ten years.

There are many people in the world who have good intentions and are willing to sacrifice for the common people.

However, there are very few people who can actually put it into practice like these two.

If these two people do not meet the standards of the Xuan Yang Three Swords, then there are probably very few people in this world who can make the Xuan Yang Three Swords recognize them as their masters.

"To be honest, I've been quite busy lately and have almost forgotten about Lingyun Cave, such a precious place."

The Lingyun Cave is not just home to these two experts, the Fire Qilin, and the Dragon Vein.

There is also the legacy left by Blood Bodhi and Wu Wudi, one of the ten most famous martial artists of the past.

The remains of the Yellow Emperor are probably a treasure as well.

Not to mention the Xuanyuan Sword... although rationally speaking, that Xuanyuan Sword was probably just a replica made specifically for burial purposes.

Even if it's a replica, it must have been made by those immortals in ancient times. Even if it can't compare to the real Xuanyuan Sword, it must still be a rare treasure.

Having so many treasures all in one place is truly enticing.

However, Lingyun Cave is not that simple. In addition to the guardian fire qilin, it has countless passages inside, making it a natural maze. Finding the correct path to the dragon vein in these countless passages is not easy.

Zhou Ming didn't have the ability before.

Having gained the ability, I also became very busy and for a while I forgot about this matter.

I only just remembered.

"In that case, let Ai use her projection to go there and unlock the entire Lingyun Cave directly."

With Ai's memory and calculation abilities, even using the most basic method, navigating step by step, it would probably only take her a few days to crack the entire Lingyun Cave maze and find a path leading to its depths.

Once he finds Nie Renwang and Duan Shuai, he will probably be able to comprehend the Sword of Guardianship and the Sword of All Living Beings.

However, that sword of justice...

Compared to 'protecting' and 'the common people', the concept of 'justice' is more abstract, and it is difficult to say that any behavior is completely in line with justice.

Even figures like Guo Jing, Nie Renwang, and Duan Shuai did indeed prioritize protecting the common people.

As for justice... it is certainly very just, but to call it pure justice would probably not be accurate.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that among the three swords of Xuan Yang, the most troublesome is the sword of justice.

However, it's not like there's absolutely no way out.

Zhou Ming realized that Lu Xiaofeng's momentary pity for the common people had triggered the Sword of the Common People.

And the sword of justice could probably be operated in the same way.

There is probably no one in the world whose actions can fully conform to the concept of justice.

But if it's just a fleeting thought, or even a momentary one, then it must exist.

In this way, one should also be able to comprehend the sword of justice.

The only problem is that such an opportunity is probably not easy to seize.

However, Zhou Ming then thought that Lu Xiaofeng was able to have that feeling of compassion for the common people because he had seen all of the Ming and Yuan dynasties during this period, coupled with his worries about the future.

So, could we use a similar method to let others experience similar things, thereby arousing their sense of justice?

"Perhaps it's worth a try..."

(End of this chapter)