Xuanjian: I am the Sun Sword Immortal

The dwarf pines in the yard are much taller than they were ten years ago.

When Lou Linxian awoke from his meditation, the first thing he saw was that short pine tree. Its gnarled branches and canopy had already reached over the courtyard wall, and its needles, a dark, inky green in the morning light, contrasted sharply with the reddish moss on the wall. He had lived in this small courtyard for almost twelve years, and this short pine tree had been with him for nearly twelve years as well. When he first moved in, the pine tree was only level with his eyebrows; now he had to look up to see it completely.

He slowly withdrew the surging magical power within his body. The Xuanjing Wheel in his Qi Sea, after ten years of nurturing, had transformed from its initial pale gold to a rich golden hue. As the wheel rotated, six nested halos were faintly visible. After consuming the Yangling Yaozhen and entering the Qi Refining stage, he could now extract the purest solar power from the solar spiritual energy and transform it into Yangling True Essence. Now, his body was filled with pure Yangling True Essence, and he was only one step away from Foundation Establishment.

He stood up and stretched his limbs, which had become slightly stiff from sitting for so long. The seventeen-year-old boy had grown quite a bit, taller than his peers, and although his shoulders and back still retained a youthful thinness, they already showed signs of becoming more upright. His eyebrows and eyes had matured somewhat since childhood, no longer resembling a chubby child, but the pale gold mark between his brows remained unchanged, shining slightly in the morning light, like a brand that would never fade.

These past ten years have been both monotonous and fulfilling.

Besides gathering qi and practicing cultivation techniques, he also began to practice the "Sermons on the Manifestation and Transmission of the Secret Teachings of the Sun," starting from the third level of qi cultivation. He would set aside half an hour every day to practice swordsmanship.

He had practiced the introductory sword techniques of the Nine Luminaries Sword Manual thousands of times.

Over the past decade, his understanding of this sword manual has deepened considerably compared to his childhood. The *Nine Luminaries Sword Manual* is structured around the nine luminaries, each corresponding to a unique sword technique. The Sun Luminaries' sword techniques are majestic and upright, the Moon Luminaries' sword techniques are unpredictable and elusive, and the Five Stars' sword techniques each possess distinct characteristics. The introductory sword technique, "Radiant Light," is the foundation of all the Nine Luminaries' sword techniques—it condenses the sun's mystical light with one's own magical power, transforming the light into a sword; it is the purest and most fundamental sword technique. This is the one he practices.

He had practiced "Radiant Light" thousands of times, and the sword moves were already deeply ingrained in his mind. He could even execute the sword move perfectly in a half-dreaming, half-awake state. His magical power surged from his dantian, flowing through his meridians to his fingertips, transforming into a pale golden sword light—a process he had repeated countless times, becoming so proficient that it was almost instinctive.

But he could never quite grasp the essence of swordsmanship.

This isn't just a matter of timing. Sword intent is honed in the face of life and death, it's something you can truly grasp in the moment of battle, in the desperate situation when your magic power is almost exhausted, in the moment when there's no way to retreat but to wield your sword. The dwarf pines in the courtyard won't fight back, the firelight won't dodge, and the moss on the stone steps won't reveal any flaws. He has always practiced the empty sword, and you can't cultivate sword intent with the empty sword.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go out. The North Sea was different from the South. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was violent and chaotic. The fire element spiritual energy and the cold air from the depths of the North Sea tore each other apart, forming countless turbulent currents invisible to the naked eye. If a Qi Refining cultivator stayed in the wasteland for a long time, he would have to spend most of his mana just dealing with these turbulent currents, not to mention the demonic beasts lurking deep in the rock layers.

Once outside the Purple Mansion Grand Array of Qiyan City and Binghong Gate, even Foundation Establishment cultivators, let alone those at the Qi Refining stage, must tread carefully when traversing the wasteland. This place is truly desolate. Qiyan City is surrounded by uninhabited land. A thousand miles to the east lies the North Sea, filled with glaciers. Further east, nearly ten thousand miles away, one finally finds inhabited islands near Cangzhou. Two thousand miles to the west, there are scattered settlements where humans and demons live together, but they are extremely hot and inhabited by several demon kings, making them far from benevolent places.

Therefore, he has never left the sect's grand formation in the past ten years.

He gathered his thoughts and pushed open the courtyard gate. Today he planned to go home and see his parents. In recent years, he had been immersed in cultivation and rarely returned home to visit his mother. He could occasionally run into his father within the sect, and each time his father would pull him aside to ask about his cultivation progress, his brows furrowed with undisguised satisfaction and pride.

Now that he has reached the peak of Qi Refining, he is about to go into seclusion to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. He wants to visit his mother one last time before going into seclusion.

The earth lamps lining the stone path appeared somewhat dim in the morning light; their flames, which burned day and night, had dimmed in the daytime, leaving only faint red outlines. He walked down the stone steps, turned past that familiar rock corner, and the stone pavilion came into view.

A person was sitting in the pavilion.

Yu Jiuyuan had grown considerably since ten years ago. She must be almost twenty this year, her delicate features now bearing a touch of heroism. Her ponytail was still neatly tied, and her crimson Taoist robe was slightly faded from washing, with the cuffs rolled up twice, revealing her slender yet strong wrists. She leaned against a stone pillar, holding a spiritual fruit she loved to eat in her hand, but she didn't peel it, instead gazing absently at the distant horizon.

Lou Linxian paused, which was immediately noticed by Yu Jiuyuan. She turned her head, her gaze sweeping over him before settling on the pale gold mark between his brows, which gleamed faintly in the morning light.

"Wow, you've reached the ninth level of Qi Refining."

Lou Linxian nodded, walked into the stone pavilion, and sat down opposite her. After ten years of getting along, there was no need for formalities between them.

"When did this happen?"

"I had a sudden inspiration yesterday, and that's how I broke through."

Yu Jiuyuan tossed the spiritual fruit in her hand onto the stone table, making a crisp, light sound. She looked him up and down, then suddenly smiled.

"What did I say again?" She reached out and lightly tapped his brow, "The potential for a Purple Mansion."

"You're not slow either," Lou Linxian said, looking at her. Yu Jiuyuan's aura was faintly boiling, her magical power like boiling water suppressed beneath the surface, ready to break through the invisible barrier at any moment. This was a sign of reaching the peak of Qi Refining and about to forge an immortal foundation, a sign he was very familiar with.

Yu Jiuyuan did not deny it. She had broken through to the ninth level of Qi Refining two years ago, and in the past two years she had been honing her magical power and consolidating her foundation, waiting for the best opportunity to break through to Foundation Establishment. In terms of cultivation speed, she was not as fast as Lou Linxian, but among the true disciples of Binghong Sect, she was already among the top group.

Binghong Sect is not large. Besides Lou Linxian, True Person Binghong has four direct disciples, each occupying a peak. These four disciples, in turn, have taken in eleven apprentices, who are the sect's true disciples. In addition, the sect has several late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators who have joined the sect, each occupying several peaks. Xia Yuanming is the third among True Person's four disciples and is in charge of Hongliao Peak, where Lou Linxian currently resides. Yu Jiuyuan, among the six of similar age from the four lineages, is the only one with the potential to reach the Purple Mansion stage.

"I'm still missing a crucial opportunity," she said. "I've accumulated enough magical power and my foundation is solid, but I always feel like I'm missing that final push."

Lou Linxian remained silent. He understood this feeling. Foundation Establishment was not simply about accumulating magical power, but rather the condensation of one's immortal foundation, the convergence of one's destiny, and the transformation of one's soul. After Foundation Establishment, a cultivator had already transcended the realm of mortals.

Yu Jiuyuan spoke again.

"Something has happened at the spirit stone mine in the west."

Lou Linxian raised his head.

"The mines in the west of the sect have been quite unsettled lately." Yu Jiuyuan's tone changed from casual to serious. "First, several Nascent Soul disciples who were mining went missing. The mine's stewards didn't take it seriously at first—in the North Sea, it's not uncommon for a few Nascent Soul disciples to go missing. Later, a steward at the fifth level of Qi Refining went to check, but he also disappeared without a trace."

What's the arrangement inside the door?

"Master suspects it's a demonic beast, or perhaps an evil cultivator." Yu Jiuyuan picked up a spiritual fruit from the stone table and twirled it in her hand. "Deep within the mine is a source of subterranean fire, and some demonic beasts love to nest near such fires. If it's an evil cultivator, it'll be even more troublesome. Evil cultivators who can survive in this area are at least in the late Qi Refining stage, and most likely at the Foundation Establishment stage."

She paused, then looked at Lou Linxian.

"Master has asked me to go investigate with the steward of the Pingliao Temple. Would you like to come along?"

Lou Linxian did not answer immediately.

For the first time in ten years, someone had invited him to leave the sect, and to investigate a mine where several people had gone missing. Reason told him this mission was risky; the situation deep within the mine was unknown, and among the missing were even cultivators at the fifth level of Qi Refining. Although the three traveled together, the risks remained.

But at the same time, he thought of something else.

Ten years ago, Master Binghong summoned him to the Buzao Hall, bestowed upon him the Yangling Yaozhen title, and publicly announced that he had accepted him as a disciple. For the past ten years, Xia Yuanming had come to guide his cultivation every so often. Whatever resources he needed, he only needed to say so, and someone would bring them within a few days. He had lived in this sect for almost twelve years, eating, living, and using the sect's resources, and apart from cultivation, he had done almost nothing for the sect.

It's not too much to help the sect solve its problems once, is it?

Moreover, he truly needed some experience. The sword intent of the Nine Luminaries Sword Manual couldn't be gleaned from dwarf pines and earth fire lamps; without actual combat, how could he comprehend it? Yu Jiuyuan said she lacked a catalyst, and so did he.

"When are you leaving?"

Yu Jiuyuan seemed to have expected him to agree. She tossed the spirit fruit into her mouth, stood up, and patted her clothes.

"Now, Steward Pingliao has already left the city. Let's go to the mine together to meet him."

The two went down the mountain together.

Passing through the layered stone steps of Binghong Gate, the ground lanterns on both sides gradually become denser and then sparser again. The large gate, cast in red bronze, gleams with a dark luster in the morning light, and the four ancient seal characters "Binghong Buzao" on the lintel have become more rounded with the passage of time.

After leaving the mountain gate, we passed through Qiyan City. This city of cultivators remained unchanged for ten years, with stalls along the street still hawking the same few local specialties, all familiar faces like the Desert Wind Spirit Grass.

Thirty miles outside Qiyan City, we were out of the range covered by the sect's grand formation, and the cold wind of the North Sea Wasteland rushed towards us.

Dry, biting, and carrying an indescribable desolation. The earth exposed reddish-brown rock layers, weathered gravel filling the field of vision, crunching softly underfoot. As far as the eye could see, there was no greenery, no villages, no smoke from chimneys, only an endless, reddish-brown wasteland. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth here became violent and chaotic; the fire elemental energy and the icy aura emanating from the frosty stones tore at each other, forming invisible turbulent currents of spiritual energy. Lou Linxian could feel the slight stinging sensation as these turbulent currents brushed against his skin. Although his magical protection made the stinging momentary, if a Nascent Soul cultivator were here, these turbulent currents alone would be enough to cause them suffering.

This was the first time in eleven years that he had truly stepped outside the boundaries of Qiyan City.

After the two set out, they boarded the standard flying shuttle provided by the sect for its disciples. She was quite familiar with the terrain of the North Sea Wasteland, and led Lou Linxian northward along a dry riverbed. The rock strata on both sides of the riverbed were eroded by the water, creating layers upon layers of patterns, like huge pages of a book, recording the history of rivers flowing here countless millennia ago.

"The mine is located four hundred miles west of Qiyan City," Yu Jiuyuan said as they walked. "It's the smallest spirit stone mine in the sect, with a low output, but it's stable. The spirit stones mined are of good quality, more than enough for the cultivation of the sect's lower-level disciples. There are usually a few Qi Refining deacons and twenty-seven or twenty-eight Nascent Soul stage miners stationed at the mine."

"The missing steward was named Fang Yuan. He was at the fifth level of Qi Refining and had been in the sect for over twenty years. His cultivation wasn't high, but he was a very steady person. When the incident at the mine occurred, his first action wasn't to report it, but to go down and investigate himself. And then he disappeared."

"Then the deacon in charge of the mine rushed back to report the situation, and the gatekeeper sent the two of us to check it out."

The two flew along the dry riverbed for about two hours. The sun gradually moved from sunrise to zenith, but the temperature on the wasteland didn't rise much. The chill of the North Sea was omnipresent; even at midday, the wind still carried a biting cold on the face. Lou Linxian circulated his magic to dispel the chill, his eyes constantly watching the surroundings. This was his first time stepping into the North Sea wilderness, and every strangely shaped rock, every unusual fluctuation of spiritual energy, made his nerves tense.

Yu Jiuyuan suddenly stopped the shuttle.

"arrive."