Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 230 The Story of the General Who Commanded Guanzhong

……

"As mentioned last time, Jiang Shangweng offered up the Immortal Pill, and the sword light went straight for the evil dragon."

"This sword strike, seemingly ordinary, actually caused the world to change color."

"The water split in two, revealing the ravines at the bottom of the river! The aftershocks of the sword energy reverberated, and the clouds in the sky surged outwards in an instant!"

"The sword light weaved and danced around the evil dragon, slashing from its crown to its tail. The dragon's skin was torn open, and its demonic blood condensed into red lotuses in the air, drifting and falling back into the river."

"By the time everyone came to their senses, the small boat and the old man had already vanished without a trace. Only the bloody light of the great demon on the river and the illusory array in the sky remained, lingering for dozens of days."

The storyteller opened a folding fan to cover his face and spoke in a low voice.

“From that day on, cultivators from Chu flocked to it, and even many cultivators from other countries came here because of its reputation.”

"In the cultivation world of Chu, there are many different opinions about the old man in the straw raincoat on the river."

"Some say he was a powerful rogue cultivator who crossed the sea from the Eastern Sea Immortal Island and was playing in the mortal world."

"Some speculate that he was an old ancestor from one of the six major sects who traveled the world and happened to return to the Chu Kingdom to save him."

"However, the six major sects at that time searched through all kinds of ancient books and secret records at home, but they could not find the slightest clue."

"Later, more and more independent cultivators came to this place. Cultivators who came from afar built huts and lived there, all wanting to find any trace of the 'immortal' left behind and comprehend the Dao of Sword Qi and the true secrets of illusion."

"Over time, more and more cultivators settling down here have established cave dwellings, and many cultivation families have emerged from this, and the development momentum of Jiangxian Pass has grown stronger and stronger."

“Back then, when the Later Chu moved its capital to Yingjing, Jiangxian Pass had already begun to take shape.”

"The current layout of Jiangxian Pass has undergone many changes. The first person to establish rules and regulations and govern this place was the Nangong Ancestor, who was just a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who stood on the riverbank and watched the battle from a distance when Jiang Shangweng was performing his sword ceremony."

"Later, he also broke through the Golden Core realm and became one of the leaders of the Chu Kingdom's rogue cultivators at that time."

"Legend has it that where the dragon's head fell, there was a remnant of sword energy that remained in the Immortal Descending Tower. After Ancestor Nangong broke through to the Golden Core stage, he tried to comprehend it, but he was almost devoured by the sword energy, which damaged his meridians."

"Let me tell you all, this sword energy has lingered for a thousand years and has not yet dissipated. You tell me, what kind of extraordinary abilities did that old man on the river possess back then?"

Snapped.

The folding fan closed, and the gavel slammed down.

"That's exactly it..."

"A single sword strikes across the river, a feat that will last a thousand years; where in the mortal world can one find traces of this immortal?"

"Your swordsmanship is now complete; take it and slay any dragon that dares to slay it!"

……

Song Yan picked up the teacup of spiritual tea, took a sip, and immediately felt refreshed and invigorated, with a lingering aftertaste.

The surrounding cultivators also stood up and chatted about their positions.

Jiangxian Pass truly lives up to its name as the City in the Clouds.

The monks living here also have the same special experiences as ordinary people.

For example, listening to audiobooks.

"Is that person really that powerful?" Xiao He sat cross-legged on the chair, seemingly very dissatisfied with how quickly the evil dragon senior lost in the story.

She thought to herself, "It must have been made by a person."

Xiao Ju was lost in thought, seemingly pondering something.

Song Yan pondered, a vague idea forming in his mind.

The old man in the straw raincoat...

Its origins are unknown.

The immortal pill transformed into a sword.

All these descriptions and legends reminded him of the old man in the straw raincoat in Wushan Valley.

Could it be him?

That was probably the only senior he had ever met who had any connection with the Sword Sect.

If this senior was already here before the Sword Sect Master left, does that mean that he has been staying here all these thousands of years since the sword cultivators disappeared?

A lifespan of thousands of years...

"Nascent Soul?"

No, not enough.

Song Yan took a deep breath.

The Nascent Soul realm...

It's so far, so far away from me.

The story has ended, and most of the monks who had been listening to the story have already left the teahouse.

Song Yan then got up and left.

Although Xiao He is a demon, firstly, she is only a late-stage first-order demon, and secondly, it is not difficult for a cultivator to bring her into the Immortal Descent Pass as a spirit pet.

As soon as I stepped out of the teahouse, a wave of noise surged towards me.

Song Yan walked down the street with Xiao Ju and Xiao He. The street was lined with shops selling magical artifacts, pills, and talismans, as well as restaurants that provided spiritual food for cultivators.

"Let's get rid of those things we don't need first," Song Yan pondered, his several Qiankun bags filled with sorted-out odds and ends ready to be sold.

Following the map of Jiangxian Pass, Song Yan headed towards Jubao Pavilion.

The name Jubaoge is quite well-known in the cultivation world of Chu, and it is relatively trustworthy.

"Fellow Daoist, this fellow Daoist?"

A deep voice came from behind, and Song Yan glanced to the side.

Below a pavilion stood a cultivator who appeared to be about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, with an extremely upright posture.

Why do we say he is upright? This man has a very imposing presence. He has a fair complexion and no beard. His Taoist robe has intricate black and white patterns, and he has a whisk draped over his arm.

Having reached the pinnacle of Qi Refining, he looked at Song Yan with a smile.

"What's the matter?"

Song Yan remained expressionless, but her response was merely polite.

"Hehe, fellow Daoist, please forgive my abruptness." He stepped forward and gave a slight bow.

"To be honest, my name is Qin Yicao."

Song Yan nodded, but did not reveal his name.

The other person paused slightly, but continued speaking.

"I previously informed a few fellow Daoists that I had organized an exchange event."

"However, one of my fellow Daoists had to leave Xin'an Prefecture due to unforeseen circumstances."

"Judging from your unhurried pace and your attire, you seem to be a local rogue cultivator. You must be new to this place."

"If you have nothing to do, why not join our little barter gathering?"

"Of course, it's alright if you don't want to, fellow Daoist. I was just asking casually."

After listening, Song Yan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately declined.

He has always believed that such barter fairs and auctions are a waste of time unless one knows in advance that there are treasures or spiritual items that one wants.

Some common spiritual items can be easily and quickly cleared out directly from the Treasure Pavilion.

Auctions or barter fairs are usually held to find treasures that are not available in ordinary general stores.

However, as a sword cultivator, many of the so-called treasures are actually completely useless to me.

This results in relatively low efficiency in participating in the process.

It's not that he doesn't participate in these things at all, but his primary goal right now is to establish his foundation, and he has already obtained the most precious spiritual items he needs.

If one were to say that the water element is spiritual, in his view it would only be icing on the cake; it would be best to have it, but it wouldn't matter if it weren't there.

There's no need to waste your energy and time on things that are dispensable.

Upon hearing Song Yan's refusal, Qin Yicao gave an awkward laugh, then cupped his hands in greeting: "I apologize for the intrusion, I shall take my leave now."

"it is good."

It was just a minor incident, and Song Yan continued on her way to her original destination.

Before long, they found the location of the Treasure Pavilion. The manager was a middle-aged cultivator with a goatee. Seeing Song Yan's extraordinary demeanor, he quickly came to greet him.

"Fellow Daoist, is there anything you wish to purchase from our shop, or something you wish to sell?"

Without wasting any words, Song Yan took out all the unused magical artifacts and materials one by one.

After careful inspection, the shopkeeper gave a reasonably fair price.

"Three hundred and twenty-five magical artifacts and talismans, and two hundred and three pills and other odds and ends, totaling five hundred and twenty-eight spirit stones. How about I round it up to five hundred and thirty spirit stones?"

Song Yan raised an eyebrow: "Deal."

The price was even better than he had expected.

Perhaps because many things are not very useful to them, they will naturally lower the estimated price.

After leaving Jubaoge, I went to several other pill shops and bought all the other auxiliary materials needed to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill, as well as some pills to restore spiritual power.

"what?"

Song Yan was paying the bill at the medicine shop when he heard faint whispers behind him. The whispers were undisguised and had a probing tone.

After collecting the spirit stones, he turned around and met two familiar faces.

"Wow, Lao Song, it really is you."

Li Qingfeng looked delighted and quickly stepped forward.

“See, I knew it was Senior Brother Song. With such an otherworldly air, how could I mistake him?” Cen Qinghe smiled beside her. “Senior Brother Song, I really didn’t expect to meet you here.”

"Oh? It's been a few months since we last met, and your skills have improved quite a bit."

Song Yan clicked his tongue twice. Li Qingfeng's cultivation level had now reached the seventh level of Qi Refining, officially becoming a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Furthermore, with abundant spiritual energy, and with the aid of elixirs, breaking through to the eighth level of Qi Refining should be within this timeframe.

Cen Qinghe has already reached the sixth level of Qi Refining, just one step away from the late stage of Qi Refining.

Facing the cultivators from the Dongyuan Sect, Xiao Ju was still somewhat unfamiliar with them and took a slight step back.

Unexpectedly, Li Qingfeng waved to her in a very friendly manner and greeted her.

"This young lady looks somewhat familiar."

Song Yan nodded: "Ju Luyi, as I told you, is a skilled tailor who will be traveling with me this time."

"Oh, oh." Li Qingfeng remembered: "I was wondering where I'd seen him before."

Xiao Ju bowed to the two of them, feeling somewhat guilty.

In reality, few people would travel down the mountain in groups.

You have your path, and I have my destiny; this is the original intention of my travels.

It was for this reason that after the decisive sword fight, Song Yan did not choose to travel with Li Qingfeng or Gu Qingqing, but set off on his own.

However, it is not uncommon for people to meet by chance during their travels and agree to travel together.

For example, Li Qingfeng and Cen Qinghe are such a case.

In a private room of a restaurant, three people chatted idly.

Li Qingfeng said, "We haven't been here long, and we're just about to leave."

"That's really unfortunate." Song Yan was somewhat surprised.

"During this journey, Junior Sister Qinghe had some extraordinary encounters, and her cultivation has now reached the sixth level of Qi Refining," Li Qingfeng explained.

“She previously exchanged a Breakthrough Pill in Changping. This time, I escorted her back to the sect for her secluded cultivation breakthrough.”

"Coincidentally, I was also planning to go back, so we agreed to travel together."

"Mm." Song Yan nodded.

He also briefly talked about his recent situation. When he mentioned that he had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining and was even preparing to go into seclusion to cultivate and establish his foundation in one breath, a look of surprise and envy flashed in the eyes of the two of them.

Build the foundation.

These two simple words have kept countless cultivators of mediocre talent and lacking resources out of the world.

They cannot live forever.

How old is Song Yan now? In her early twenties.

If one truly establishes a foundation for the Dao, even three years later, one will truly be among the top geniuses of the sect.

Li Qingfeng's initial sense of pride from breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining vanished in an instant.

He always felt that he had a special opportunity and the so-called Heaven-Devouring Inheritance. As long as he cultivated steadily, he would surely be able to make a name for himself in the world of cultivation in the future.

This state of mind reached its peak when he broke through to the late stage of Qi Refining.

But now, encountering Song Yan again has served as a wake-up call for him. He realized that the cultivation world is full of hidden talents, and he had underestimated others.

"Did you hear any news about Senior Brother Li Yi during your trip?" Song Yan asked.

When the sect tested their swords back then, Li Yi already possessed the strength of the Qi Refining Perfection stage, and now almost a year has passed.

With his talent, he should be able to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm after taking the Foundation Establishment Pill issued by the sect.

“Actually, Senior Brother Li Yi just left Yingjing.” Li Qingfeng’s expression was strange. “He left no sooner than you arrived.”

In Song Yan's view, he had only met two acquaintances by chance.

However, from Li Qingfeng and Cen Qinghe's perspective, the coming and going of these two familiar sect friends was more of a coincidence.

"General Xiao Ming of Chu, also known as Old Master Xiao, has been very kind to Senior Brother Li."

Li Qingfeng said, "His trip down the mountain was to see this old general. This is a hurdle in his heart, and it is precisely because of this that he has not yet established his foundation."

Song Yan suddenly realized.

He had heard the legend of General Xiao Ming subduing the tiger when he was in Feng'an City.

They also learned that before Li Yi entered the Daoist path, he was originally this old general's subordinate.

He also greatly admired this person.

"How has the old general been lately?" he asked casually.

At this point, Li Qingfeng's expression darkened slightly: "General Xiao Ming passed away peacefully half a month ago."

"..."

Song Yan was slightly taken aback. Xiao Ming was a famous general of the Chu Kingdom. His death should have been a national tragedy.

But there seemed to be no word of his passing at all.

Perhaps it's because I've been out of touch with the world lately and neglected worldly matters?

The streets outside the window were still bustling with people, but the atmosphere inside the room fell silent for a moment.

Even Xiaohe, who had been stuffing herself with food, slowed down.

"Life and death are common occurrences in this world. The old man passed away at the age of ninety-three, which can be considered a happy passing." Li Qingfeng waved his hand: "By the way, since you are about to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, is there anything I can help you with?"

Song Yan shook his head: "No need, it's almost ready."

"That's good." Li Qingfeng glanced at the sky. "It's getting late, we still have to get going. We'll catch up properly when you get back to your sect."

"must."

After a brief farewell, Li Qingfeng and Cen Qinghe quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Song Yan stood there, gazing in the direction they had gone, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Although he was also leaving Jiangxian Pass, it wasn't time for him to return to his sect yet.

Let alone the fact that his cultivation level is not yet ready for a breakthrough, he should at least return to Lanxi Cave and return the flying magic weapon, the Red Dust Battle.

"Senior Song..." Xiao Ju called softly.

Song Yan snapped out of his daze and nodded: "Let's go too, let's buy some more things, and then go back to Lanxi Cave."

Ok?
Beside them, an elderly monk wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat passed by.

He carried an empty fish basket in his left hand and a long fishing rod on his right, swaying back and forth while humming a fisherman's song with a strange accent.

"The waters of the Wujiang River are crystal clear, and even the smallest crabs roam freely."

"The knife fish is long-bodied and skilled with a sword; it's righteous and chivalrous, always ready to fight injustice!"

(End of this chapter)