"Bao Ling, did you hear? The Buzhou Immortal Sect is going through some troubled times. So much for the so-called inheritors of the Immortal Court."
The speaker was a man appearing to be in his mid-twenties, wearing the disciple robes of the Numinous Sword Sect of the Numinous Realm. The Numinous Realm was the only other immortal rank realm in the Three Thousand Immortal Realms System. Unlike the Buzhou Immortal Sect of the Huang Realm, the Numinous Sword Sect had already conquered the whole Numinous Realm, becoming the sole hegemonic force.
"Are you ignoring me?" The Numinous Sword Sect disciple asked, displeasure coloring his voice as he stomped towards a man appearing to be in his early twenties sitting in a lotus position atop a mountain peak with a plain sword on his lap.
"Stop ignoring me." The man reached out to grab Bao Ling's shoulder, but when he was a mere touch away, he felt a murderous sword intent engulf him.
The sky disappeared, the ground collapsed, and all that surrounded the man was a vortex of sword-light. A mere touch could eviscerate his soul and send him to the Nether Realm. When the world reappeared again, the man discovered he had collapsed onto his knees, and sweat drenched his back.
Bao Ling, whose eyes had been closed, opened his eyes. He was a human, but others who looked at him couldn't help but be reminded of a sword. Everything on him resembled a drawn sword, from his sword-like brows to his steely eyes and his straight spine.
He reclosed his eyes and opened them again. His sword aura disappeared as if it had been sheathed. If it weren't for the sweat coating his back, the gasping man might have thought it was an illusion.
Without paying attention to the kneeling man, Bao Ling walked past him and continued towards his master's residence atop Immortal Slaying Sword Peak.
Just as the Buzhou Immortal Sect claimed to be the orthodox lineage of the Immortal Court and Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning, the Numinous Sword Sect claimed to be the orthodox lineage of the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasures.
As such, the Numinous Sword Sect had five holy peaks. The first peak was named after the Heavenly Lord's Qingping Sword, so it was called Qingping Sword Peak, and the sect master resided there.
The other four holy peaks were named after each sword in Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure's Immortal Extermination Sword Formation: Immortal Confining Sword Peak, Immortal Slaying Sword Peak, Immortal Ending Sword Peak, and Immortal Slaughtering Sword Peak. The Immortal Extermination Sword Formation was known as the universe's strongest formation.
Bao Ling's master, Sword Emperor Yanxu, lived atop Immortal Ending Sword Peak. When he entered the main hall, he saw his master sitting in a lotus position atop a prayer mat with a plain sword like Bao Ling's on his lap.
"You're here, Bao Ling," Sword Emperor Yanxu said. His hair and beard were as white as his robes, and his aged visage revealed the long passage of time he experienced.
"Disciple greets Master," Bao Ling said as he cupped his fist and bowed.
"Not bad. It seems you made some gains during your retreat. How confident are you in transcending your Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation?" Sword Emperor Yanxu asked.
"Disciple has ninety percent confidence in succeeding and becoming an immortal," Bao Ling said.
"Don't be in such a rush to transcend. Have you heard about the turmoil in the Huang Realm?"
Bao Ling nodded. "Two of the three continents are becoming embroiled in war. The only one at peace is the Mortal Continent ruled by Lao Tzu of the Saintly Scholar School."
"This is our chance. Whenever we want to explore the Broken Primordial World, the Buzhou Immortal Sect always interferes. Now that their attention is directed elsewhere, it's our chance. With your current cultivation base, you can enter many places immortal can't." Sword Emperor Yanxu said.
Although both the Huang and Numinous Realm were immortal rank realms, the Huang Realm had greater size and resources. Compared to the Huang Realm's three great continents, the Numinous Realm only had two great continents. Still, this might have been a blessing in disguise as it allowed the Numinous Sword Sect to unite the realm under them.
"Disciple understands."
"This will likely be your last battle as a mortal, so you don't have to worry about hiding your Sword Dao Bone and Sword Dao Soul Physiques anymore. Once you come back and ascend to the Immortal Realm, you will immediately have the strength of an immortal monarch. Few can threaten you in the Numinous Realm." Sword Emperor Yanxu said.
"What about the Cultivator Alliance?" Bao Ling asked.
Even though the Numinous Sword Sect had united the realm under their power, they still couldn't stamp out every resistance. Chief among the resistance was an organization known as the Cultivator Alliance.
"Those pests? Ignore them."
"Disciple heard that there is also a Cultivator Alliance in the Huang Realm. Do you think the two are related?" Bao Ling asked.
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"Unlikely," Sword Emperor Yanxu said. "Although the Buzhou Immortal Sect isn't a complete hegemon of the Huang Realm, they've been able to secure the dimensional boundaries. All the immortals who exit through a dimensional rift will be hunted and killed by them. The name should just be a coincidence."
"Disciple feels that the Cultivator Alliance isn't simple. It's strange that the orthodox lineage of the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning and Numinous Treasures have shown themselves, but there is no word of the lineage of the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue. Disciple suspects the Cultivator Alliance is the orthodox lineage of the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue."
A serious expression appeared on Sword Emperor Yanxu's face. He stroked his long beard and said, "Your words aren't without merit. If the Cultivator Alliance is related to the one in the Huang Realm, then even if they aren't related to the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue, they can't be underestimated."
"Leave this to your master. It would be best if you focused on preparing for the expedition to the Broken Primordial World. The sect will leave within a year to strike before the Buzhou Immortal Sect takes notice. We aren't afraid of them, but we won't underestimate them either."
Bao Ling nodded and bid farewell. He retreated to his own abode on Immortal Slaying Sword Peak. Unlike Immortal Ending Peak, there was no peak master because the position was reserved for him. When Bao Ling entered the Immortal realm, he would automatically be conferred the title of Immortal Slaying Sword Peak Master.
Once inside his estate, he sat on a prayer mat like his master's. The prayer mat wasn't a regular item but an artifact. It had no offensive, defensive, or fleeing features, and it only had one feature, but it was worth over a hundred other immortal artifacts. Its sole effect was to allow the user to gain a clearer feeling for the laws of the world.
In the Numinous Sword Sect, there were only give such prayer mats, one for each holy peak. So it could be seen how valued Bao Ling was. It also attracted the jealousy of numerous disciples and some elders, but so what? If Bao Ling were to reveal his Sword Dao Bone and Sword Dao Soul physique, ninety percent of the voices would shut up.
Bao Ling took out the sword from before and placed it on his lamp. His aura and the sword began to merge as a dense killing intent permeated the room. Simultaneously, his bone and soul began to resonate with the screeching noise emitted by the sword.
As his bones and soul resonated, his mind began to resonate as well. Bao Ling wasn't just born with the Sword Dao Bone and Sword Dao Soul Physique, but the Sword Daoheart Physique as well, but no one knew because the Sword Daoheart Physique wasn't physical and was closer to an innate ability or talent.
Any one of the previous physiques would allow a cultivator to become a peerless sword immortal, but together? It was the birth of a sword god. That is, if Bao Ling reached his potential. A dead genius is no genius, after all.
The killing intent permeating the hall slowly changed until it was a deathly aura. Although the aura was invisible, the hall seemed to be encased in miasma and would make anyone who entered fearful. If a mortal or core formation master were to enter, they would likely die from the aura alone.
When Bao Ling opened his eyes, they were pitch black like death itself. A blink later, they returned to their former silver color.
"I'm only a hair's breadth away from fully comprehending the Law of Death."
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"Master, Master, I broke that giant rock like you told me to. What's next?" Ming Xingyun asked, her doe-like eyes blinking innocently.
Having already apprenticed under Tianyi and gotten the complete Earth Book of the Five Element Method, Ming Xingyun had already reached the fourth stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, astonishing progress for a year.
If Ming Xingyun's spiritual cultivation speed was fast, her martial cultivation broke the sound barrier. True, Tianyi did prepare many medicinal and elixir baths to make her path smoother, but reaching the Bone Refinement Stage in a year could not be explained with mere resources.
Tianyi nodded sagely. "As expected of my strongest disciple."
"Ehehe," Ming Xingyun and held her flushed cheeks.
Off to the side, Ba Shifang had a more deadpan expression. 'That's because she's your only disciple.'
"Now show me your attainment in the Sky Splitting Ax Art," Tianyi said.
"Um!" Ming Xingyun nodded and grabbed the ax Tianyi prepared for her. The artifact, simply named Giant's Ax, had been originally prepared for Daoyi.
The ax handle was almost as tall as Tianyi's disciple, and she could comfortably lay atop the ax blade in a fetal position. All in all, it looked horribly out of place on the seven-year-old girl.
The Sky Splitter Ax Art was created by one of the titans to emulate the act of Pangu splitting chaos to create the world. The ax art was split into levels: Air Splitter Ax, Stone Splitter Ax, Sea Splitter Ax, Earth Splitter Ax, Cloud Splitter Ax, and Sky Splitter Ax.
Ming Xingyun raised the ax high into the sky and brought it down. The sound of the air splitting could be compared to a sword's.
"Wrong. You're focusing too much on speed. The essence of the Sky Splitting Ax Art is gathering power and force. Swing it slower and accumulate energy to release at the right moment," Tianyi said.
"Okay, Master!"
Ming Xingyun raised her ax again and brought it down, only to be criticized by Tianyi. If Tianyi hadn't known that his disciple was only seven years old, he would have thought that she was deliberately messing up just so that he would scold her.
Off by the side, Ming Yayun watched the scene anxiously. Thanks to Mengfei, she was able to stay at Jade Peak as a servant-disciple. She had already acquired the lowest version of the Five Element Method but only cultivated to the first stage in a year.
Her worry wasn't her cultivation but the way Tianyi taught her sister. 'Ah, I know I shouldn't be speaking badly of Young Master Xi, but that's not how you raise a girl! How do you expect her to get married in the future? Will you take responsibility?! Ahhh!!!'
Ignorant of Ming Yayun's worries, Tianyi happily taught Ming Xingyun. He continued to teach until Su Bojing arrived.
Tianyi had sent Su Bojing back to inform the sect during the Xi Empire incident, but he had mysteriously disappeared. However, his life lamp wasn't extinguished, so it went unnoticed. Thankfully, Mengfei found him after saving Tianyi and Daoyi.
However, as a result, Su Bojing's left arm was severed. His soul had been injured at the same time, so the usual methods to heal his arm didn't work.
"Young Master, Grand Elder said it's time to leave."
The relaxed expression turned solemn, and he nodded. He glanced at Ba Shifang, who nodded and moved to instruct Ming Xingyun while he left with Su Bojing.
Along the way, Tianyi glanced at Su Bojing's arm. "Do you want me to refine an arm-shaped artifact for you when I ascend to the Immortal Realm? It'll have awesome features like rocket punch."
Su Bojing looked at Tianyi with confusion. He didn't know what type of technique a rocket punch was, but he had a feeling he didn't want to know. "I don't dare to ask Young Master to refine an artifact for me. I'll be happy as long as I can get my arm back."