Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 334 Zhou Tian Xing Chen
……

Sword Sect, the residence of outer disciples.

Zhong Min sat cross-legged in the courtyard, a moon-white flying sword lying across his lap.

Not long ago, I bid farewell to my mother outside the mountain gate and officially entered the Sword Sect for cultivation. This sword was made especially for me by my mother, who poured a lot of effort into it.

Looking back now, Chung Min still feels a sense of dreamlike wonder.

There are countless sects in the world that are named after a certain sword school or a certain sword sect.

But there is only one Sword Sect.

More than 21,000 years ago, Sword Ancestor Zheng Tianqi founded the Sword Sect and became its first sect leader.

Eighteen thousand years ago, Zheng Tianqi opened the Heavenly Gate with his sword and ascended to the Immortal Realm.

He became the only person in this mortal realm in recent history to ascend to immortality.

And now, he has actually become an outer disciple of the Sword Sect.

In the past, this would have been something I would never have dared to imagine.

I don't know what Sect Leader Ye meant by "fate"...

"Fellow Daoist! Are you also a newly recruited disciple?"

Just as I was pondering this, a hearty laugh came from the side.

Zhong Min glanced sideways and saw that the newcomer was a handsome young man.

"Haha, my name is Pei Bu'er, and I'm also a new disciple this year. Since you arrived at this residence before me, I'll call you senior brother."

"If your swordsmanship improves to the point where it doesn't match mine in the future, then it's not too late to call me junior brother!"

Pei Bu'er laughed heartily, and Zhong Min had no idea what he was laughing about.

However, the smile was so infectious that even Zhong Min couldn't help but smile back: "Okay, my name is Zhong Min."

Just then, another quiet figure arrived at the scene.

Are you also a new disciple living here?

Pei Bu'er looked at the somewhat delicate and taciturn figure and asked, "Come on, come on, the three of us were neighbors before we entered the inner sect."

The outer disciples' residence consists of three cave dwellings sharing one courtyard, meaning they see each other all the time.

"Ah good."

The man seemed a little shy, but remembering his elders' words, he braced himself and walked over.

"My name is Pei Bu'er, his name is Zhong Min, what's your name?"

“I…I am called Shen.”

"Ok?"

Zhong Min and Pei Bu'er both looked at them with astonishment: "Kidney?"

"Yes, I am a monster."

Although Shen was somewhat timid, under the tutelage of that senior demon cultivator, he was very honest and did not hide his demon identity.

"I come from the mountains and the sea."

Pei Bu'er and Zhong Min looked at each other in bewilderment.

The three new disciples of the Sword Sect sat in the courtyard, chatting about all sorts of things.

"Where is the area between mountains and seas?" Pei Bu'er asked.

This wasn't the first time they'd heard of the existence of the mountains and seas, but it was so mysterious that most human cultivators knew nothing about it.

Zhong Min couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "The Sword Sect truly lives up to its reputation as a great sect, even managing to recruit demon cultivators from the mountains and seas as disciples."

"I can't say that."

Shen shook his head: "The mountains and seas are the homeland of all monsters, and also their final destination."

"Once its location is discovered, it will move."

"Oh...I see."

Pei Bu'er seemed to be a very outgoing person. He was very interested in the identities and backgrounds of Zhong Min and Shen, and without being offensive, he asked probing questions: "How did you both join the Sword Sect?"

Zhong Min looked at him strangely, and after thinking for a while, he said, "He was brought back by the sect leader."

Shen nodded: "Me too."

"There is a senior demon cultivator who travels among humans year-round and is acquainted with the sect leader."

"I'm quite interested in the swordsmanship of the human race, so I came here."

"you……"

Pei Bu'er paused for a long time before asking, "What kind of high-ranking officials and nobles are you all?!"

The laughter and chatter of the three people echoed throughout the courtyard.

……

Yellow dust and clear water beneath the three mountains, a thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye.

A thousand years have passed, and who could have imagined that the greenhorn Zhong Min, who was just starting out, would now become the sect leader of the Sword Sect?

"Grandma Jiang!"

Two boys and a girl were outside an elegant cave dwelling, where the girl was calling out to an elder.

"Grandma Jiang, Senior Brother Su Yuan from the Dan Sect has arrived."

"Okay, I'm coming, I'm coming."

Jiang Youxuan's voice came from inside the cave.

One of the young men outside the door was somewhat taken aback and whispered to his two friends from the Sword Sect, "Dongcheng, Xiangqing, the Sect Master's mother, doesn't she have any servants to attend to her?"

Si Xiangqing replied, "The sect leader had arranged similar things for her before, but she wasn't used to it."

After listening, Su Yuan nodded and didn't say anything more.

Although the mother of the Sword Sect Master was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she was already over a thousand years old.

Many years ago, the current sect leader of the Sword Sect, Zhong Min, obtained a spiritual object called the Thousand-Year Azure Sky.

This item is extremely special. After using it, a cultivator's cultivation level will be unable to advance any further, but it can directly extend a cultivator's lifespan by a thousand years.

He obtained this item for his mother, and every few years, he would invite cultivators from the Dan Sect to examine her health.

That year, the person who came from the Pill Sect was none other than Su Yuan, the personal disciple of the Pill Sect Master.

The consultation ended quickly, and there was nothing seriously wrong.

Jiang Youxuan personally got up and saw the three young people off.

Looking at their backs, I seemed to see my son as a teenager.

As a son, Jong Min is filial.

When he was at the Golden Core stage, he ventured deep into the secret realm and dangerous places to retrieve spiritual objects, which extended his life by a thousand years for him, a cultivator who had no hope of reaching the Golden Core stage.

I want to spend another thousand years with him.

They watched him grow from a novice to a powerful cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm, eventually becoming the master of the Sword Sect.

After that, he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage and advanced to the Void Refinement stage.

To be honest, Jiang Youxuan herself was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and she had no concept of the realms above Nascent Soul.

All he knew was that his son was now a powerful figure in the cultivation world.

Whenever she thinks of this, Jiang Youxuan feels proud, but at the same time, she also feels regret.

It's a pity that the child's father wasn't fortunate enough to live to see this day.

……

The atmosphere within the Sword Sect has been somewhat off these past few days.

In the mountains, Zhong Min, dressed in black, slowly walked towards his mother's elegant residence.

He didn't use a single trace of spiritual power or sword energy, and walked very slowly, with a lingering gloom between his brows.

Even the current leader of the Sword Sect seems to have some difficult choices to make.

However, the road itself wasn't far, and he still stood outside his mother's residence.

The door was open, and he went straight in to see his mother.

"Mother, what do you want with me?"

Jiang Youxuan was tending to some rare and exotic flowers and herbs in the forest: "Look at what you're saying. If there's nothing wrong, can't your mother see you?"

“You’re the Grand Master now, you’re usually very busy.” Normally, Zhong Min would still act like a child and bicker with Jiang Youxuan, but this time, he remained silent.

Jiang Youxuan suddenly said, "That boy, Bu Er, has already told me everything."

"..."

"Don't blame him, I forced him to say it."

"..."

Zhong Min remained silent, and the only sound in the courtyard was Jiang Youxuan tending to the flowers and plants.

At one point, she stopped what she was doing.

Why hide something like this?

"Are you worried that your mother will be too soft-hearted and not let you go, or are you worried that your mother will be so grief-stricken that she will die?"

Jiang Youxuan's originally gentle face was now filled with deep sorrow.

"Xiangqing, Dongcheng, and Su Yuan from the Dan Sect."

"They are all good kids."

"They have been with me for hundreds of years, and I have long regarded them as my grandchildren."

A hint of murderous intent crept into her voice.

"They shouldn't have ended up like this."

"Min'er, your mother's lifespan is short, you don't need to worry about me."

Jiang Youxuan raised her eyes and, for the first time, uttered something uncouth in front of the son who had been her pride her whole life:

"Go find those damn immortals yourself..."

"Let's wipe them out!"

……

Late spring, Luoyang, the capital of China.

The bell rang at Tiangong Temple.

Zhong Min, dressed in white mourning clothes, knelt on a prayer mat, with his mother Jiang Youxuan's memorial tablet in front of him.

A jade tablet was engraved with the words, "The Position of the Loving Mother Jiang Youxuan".

A moon-white flying sword lay horizontally beside it.

There were no candles inside the hall, only a thin ray of light seeping in from the windows.

One hundred days have passed since my mother, Jiang, passed away.

Even with countless spiritual objects extending lifespan, a lifespan of a thousand years is almost the limit that a Foundation Establishment cultivator can withstand.

Ultimately, one cannot defy fate.

Outside the side hall, many disciples of the Sword Sect, grateful for the care and help their sect leader's mother had given them in the past, spontaneously dressed in plain clothes and waited outside the side hall.

The presence of these sword cultivators added a touch of coldness to the Heavenly Palace Temple.

Coincidentally.

At that time, the painting master Wu Daoxuan was invited by the Tang court to paint murals here.

It is unclear where the news started, but three of the world's top cultivators—Sword Sect Master Zhong Min, Painting Sage Wu Daoxuan, and Calligraphy Master Zhang Bogao—have gathered at the Divine Capital Heavenly Palace Temple.

The news spread like wildfire, attracting countless cultivators to the scene.

Various colored lights streaked across the sky above Tiangong Temple from time to time. Some rode magical treasures, while others rode spirit birds. Cultivators from all over the world, from all sects and factions, came to Tiangong Temple with reverence or a desire to make friends.

On this day, Wu Daoxuan strolled to the side hall corridor and found his friend.

"Observing the celestial phenomena, I see that the clouds are dense and the stars are indistinct, which makes my inspiration to paint stagnate and I am unable to put pen to paper."

"Sect Leader Zhong, would you be willing to use your sword to draw the wind and dispel this gloom for me?"

Zhong Min slowly raised his head and looked at the flying sword that his mother had forged for him in the past, and slowly said, "My mother respected heaven and had compassion for people all her life. If dancing with the sword can inspire painting ideas, it may add an auspicious touch."

"It would also add a bit of good karma to my deceased mother's rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

After speaking, he took off his plain white mourning clothes, revealing the black sword armor underneath.

The surrounding area was ancient and desolate, the sword intent was sorrowful, and suddenly a sharp edge emerged.

As Zhong Min stepped out of the side hall courtyard, countless eyes, both openly and secretly, turned to look in his direction.

He pointed his finger and gestured, and Jin Guiren emitted a clear, melodious sword sound, immediately rising into the air.

A powerful sword intent suddenly awakened on the sword.

Zhong Min whispered sharply, "Go."

But everyone saw a moon-white sword beam shoot into the sky, followed by a surge of sword energy.

In an instant, within a radius of hundreds of miles around Tiangong Temple, countless flying swords buzzed and moved. Countless cultivators were astonished to discover that the flying swords in the Qiankun Bag had broken free of the restrictions on their own and flew out together, soaring into the sky.

Countless swords came whistling from all directions, swirling and circling around the moon-white flying sword.

Countless flying swords, each with its own unique aura, were divided into three sword formations of varying sizes.

Like the bright sun, shining brightly across the land.

Like a solitary, lofty moon, cold and pure.

Like endless stars, twinkling across the sky.

In an instant, the three sword formations that had been suspended in mid-air slowly rose, their sword light sinking and overlapping, eventually merging into a single sword formation.

On the square outside the temple, the Sword Sect disciples who were observing mourning changed their expressions drastically, gazing at the sky. They were the first to sense this supreme sword intent.

Among the cultivators who came upon hearing the news, cries of alarm and horror rose and fell.

"The sword intent is divine, and ten thousand swords come to pay homage. The sword path of the sect leader is probably beyond the realm of mortals."

On this day, a powerful sword intent rose from Tiangong Temple and swept across Luoyang.

Jin Guiren stood at the very center of the entire Zhou Tian Xing Chen sword formation, imbued with a sense of sorrow and aloofness that seemed to have seen through life and death, like a compassionate deity looking down upon the human world.

Zhong Min suddenly said in a loud voice, "My mother loved peace and quiet when she was alive. Fellow Daoists, if you have nothing urgent to attend to, please return."

Having said that, he flicked his sword finger, and the countless flying swords in the sky scattered and disappeared, flying back to their original positions on their own.

Only now did the sky-covering, sun-obscuring galaxy of sword energy slowly recede like a tide.

The sword's cry subsided, and the sunlight once again bathed the world in its glow.

The cultivators who had come from the surrounding area, having heard the news, dared not linger there any longer. They all apologized and left Tiangong Temple.

Jin Guiren slowly descended and hovered in front of Zhong Min.

He gently stroked the sword and put it away.

The overwhelming sword intent surrounding him slowly receded, returning to a state of grief.

He put on his plain white mourning clothes again and walked back to the side hall step by step.

……

The scene before my eyes dissipated like ink.

The Yin and Yang energies surged from Jin Guiren's sword body and merged into the sky within the Endless Hidden Realm.

The Observing Void Sword Eye activated on its own, and a wisp of inexplicable spiritual energy slowly drifted down from the sky, landing on one of the petals of the Sword Lotus.

hum-

Faintly, Song Yan sensed that the seed of his original killing intent was beginning to grow wildly under this inexplicable spiritual force.

Within the present world, a cold and murderous aura surged within the cave, even startling Xiao He from her cultivation, causing her to shiver.

After an unknown amount of time, the feeling of sword intent growing slowly disappeared.

However, Song Yan did not stop immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes tightly, drew lines with his fingertips, and dozens of sword lights formed from sword energy swirled and flowed around his body.

He kept recalling the scene above Tiangong Temple, where the three sword formations of the sun, moon, and stars were naturally and perfectly integrated in Zhong Min's hands.

Many of the previously obscure and difficult points regarding the fusion of sword formations suddenly became clear.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Song Yan continued to experiment with various variations of the sword formation fusion.

A thought lingered in his mind, telling him that the greatest gain from this trip to the Daoist's Hometown in the Central Region was probably not the bamboo rice of the sword bamboo, but this flying sword.

The speed of the sword energy surged faster and faster, and the small sword formations swirling around it gradually became smoother and more natural.

Until a certain moment, the two sword formations overlapped and merged into one.

(End of this chapter)