Chapter 204: A Subtle Rise in Combat Awareness

Hearing Jun Laoye's faint call, Nantian Yijian quickly grabbed his hand, paying close attention to make sure to catch every word. "Little Jun, what are you saying? If you can hear me, respond!"

"Little Jian... Second Uncle is still waiting for me to take the next step. This is my final chance to help him... how can I just lie here..."

Unable to make out even a single word clearly, Nantian Yijian grew frantic. He dodged a streak of lightning and knelt beside him, feeding him two Heaven Restoration Pills.

"Lord Wind Dragon, Little Jun is still awake, but he seems on the verge of losing his consciousness. Should I start playing now?"

Wind Dragon paused at the mention of Jun Laoye. "He's still awake? Then play. Play with everything you've got."

He extended his divine sense. Sensing the weak rhythm of Jun Laoye's breathing, he chuckled. "The lightning is too overwhelming... I hadn't even realized the boy was still awake. The willpower and obsession Jun Wudi instilled in him are extraordinarily strong.

"Nantian brat, start playing! Your music is the only thing keeping him together now."

Wind Dragon sent Lu Chen a voice transmission. "Little Lu, lend me some of your strength. I need it now."

Hearing this, Lu Chen opened a pathway for their spirit qi to flow, and Wind Dragon channeled it immediately.

In just three breaths, Wind Dragon's cultivation soared, ascending into the Core Breakthrough Realm. His colossal body, already coiling around the lightning giant, expanded once more, forming a complete shield over Nantian Yijian and Jun Laoye.

At the sight, Nantian Yijian fell silent. He sat cross-legged at a safe distance of about three meters from Jun Laoye and resumed playing

Lone Venture into the Western Mountain.

"Rejoice, commoners! What a touching bond between uncle and nephew! Throughout history, how many would sacrifice their cultivation for their nephews, and how many would surrender their divine powers for their uncles? Rejoice, and let us celebrate this immortal bond!"

Nantian Yijian roared, his voice echoing across the distance. He poured his fury and hope into the music, giving Jun Laoye strength.

Even with his limited cultivation and comprehension, Nantian Yijian could see from Jun Laoye's condition that he had reached a critical moment. Understanding this, Nantian Yijian plucked the strings faster and roared even more fiercely. Even as lightning scarred him and the strings cut his fingers, he didn't miss a single note, nor soften a single shout.

When the piece ended, Jun Laoye's aura had strengthened only slightly, and he was still lying face down on the giant's palm. Trembling, Nantian Yijian coughed up a mouthful of blood, which arced through the air, splattering onto the giant's palm and seeping in, spreading through it.

Nantian Yijian's robe was tattered, each tear revealing burn marks scorched by lightning, some exposing faintly charred bone. The Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin was smeared with blood. Gritting his teeth, Nantian Yijian wiped the strings with his shredded sleeves.

With his limited cultivation, he didn't know whether to continue.

He glanced around. By now, Wind Dragon had completely enveloped the giant's palm, leaving only flickers of lightning visible in the surrounding darkness.

Nantian Yijian called out twice but received no response. At that moment, a lightning sphere charged toward him.

Caught off guard, he was blasted to the ground. Struggling to rise, he grabbed the sword guqin and coughed harshly. The cough tore open his wounds, and deep crimson blood dripped from his mouth. Dark, foul blood oozed from his injuries, flowing down his neck, chest, and arms, eventually soaking into the sword guqin.

The mingled blood spread across the guqin, seeping through its crevices and into the guqin case. The thirty-six flying swords reacted, and thirty-six sword cries rang out as the swords flew out of the case, circling Nantian Yijian to block the lightning strikes.

Seeing the flying swords, Nantian Yijian steeled himself, grabbing one to shield Jun Laoye.

Unfortunately, with his cultivation only at the Qi Regulation Realm, even if the lightning sphere didn't strike him directly, the residual energy could still severely injure him.

Unsure if he should continue playing, Nantian Yijian remained a living shield before Jun Laoye, constantly clashing with the lightning sphere.

Fortunately, Lu Chen had quietly distributed spatial rings stocked with abundant cultivation resources back when they were on the Sky-Pillar Airship. Originally meant to spare them from gathering materials, these resources had now become critical support for Nantian Yijian's survival.

Time and again, he rose from the repeated lightning strikes, determined to protect Jun Laoye.

Each time he stood, he reached into his spatial ring, grabbed a handful of pills regardless of their ingredients, and swallowed them immediately. Once his injuries healed, he resumed facing the lightning spheres.

Through this brutal, passive struggle, Nantian Yijian’s combat sense and physical strength grew rapidly. Over time, he gradually learned to dodge the incoming lightning spheres.

***

High above, dozens of eyes were fixed on the events unfolding below. Some nodded subtly, some brimmed with confidence, while others wore expressions of concern, perhaps out of fear for Ancestor Suitian or for other reasons. Nevertheless, not a single person dared intervene to help Nantian Yijian.

Little Pup stood beside Blindman Lu, speaking respectfully. "My lord, that boy... he bears a strong resemblance to you, and he seems to be wielding your guqin. At first, I wasn't certain and thought it was merely a replica.

"But now, seeing all thirty-six flying swords emerge together, I can say for sure that it is the Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin. The guqin seems to acknowledge him as its master, yet the sword case still carries your killing intent. How did he manage to command the flying swords?"

He asked cautiously, "My lord, were you behind this? I recall that when the plan started, you left the guqin for the young master. Could it be that the Cosmic Sword Guqin wasn't your life-bound enchanted weapon?"

"I didn't do it," Blindman Lu replied. "The Cosmic Sword Guqin was left as a legacy thirty thousand years ago when I departed the continent. That he could obtain it and have it recognize him as master proves at least that he has experiences similar to mine, and perhaps the same potential."

Blindman Lu's gaze fell on Nantian Yijian. "The sword case contains my life's worth of spells and arts. It's just that he hasn't fully grasped them yet. The guqin I left for Little Lu was formed from the Cosmic Sword Guqin's weapon spirit and my killing intent. Only when the two guqins are combined does it become the true Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin."

Purple light flickered in Little Pup's eyes as he looked at Nantian Yijian. "My lord, shall I retrieve the guqin? It seems a waste to leave such a treasure with him."

"No need. The fact that he could obtain it and earn its recognition makes him precisely the disciple I’ve been waiting for. His karmic destiny is now intertwined with Little Lu's. Consider the sword guqin a gift for apprenticeship. I have no need for it here."

Blindman Lu paused in thought, then continued, "He isn't yet strong enough to unleash the true power of the sword guqin, nor has he comprehended the use of Wish Power. If the opportunity arises, I will guide him in his cultivation. For now, awakening the giant remains our top priority."

"Understood, my lord. Those Venerables have blocked the fog, fulfilling the first condition. Shall we awaken the giant now, or wait for the young master to finish?"

"We'll wait until Little Lu finishes."

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Blindman Lu's gaze shifted to his lower right, where another group floated hidden in the mist, unaware of being observed. They were clad in black robes and wearing masks, each bearing a two-sided token engraved with "Nine Streams" and "Heaven and Earth" at their waists. "As for those below, assess their strength. If suitable, leave them as sparring partners for Little Lu. But if they're too strong... execute without mercy."[1]

"Yes, my lord. I'll depart immediately," Little Pup responded, shooting off as a streak of purple light.

On either side above Blindman Lu, other groups remained hidden. One consisted of the green-robed Daoist, observing the energy spreading from Lu Chen and nodding in satisfaction, clearly pleased with the turn of events.

Another was a cultivator shrouded in black mist, glaring fiercely at Lu Chen and the others below, radiating an otherworldly aura.

The remaining were cultivators stationed at key points around the Scripture Hall. Dressed in uniform robes, they bore high-level tokens of the Heavenly Mandate Hall at their waists, inscribed with the characters for "Mountain Ocean," "Earth Ocean," "Heaven Ocean," and "Heavenly Mandate."[2]

This group maintained the sacrificial formation, keeping watch over Nantian Yijian while monitoring the outside world for intruders. On the surface, they acted as official representatives of the Heavenly Mandate Hall, bound by a centuries-old agreement with the venerables and Men of Heaven to grant access to the secret realm. In return, the venerables would provide the Hall with top-tier resources once the secret realm concluded.

At the same time, they were Ancestor Suitian's loyal agents, positioned strategically across the Three Peaks and Six Academies. Their task was to manage the Heavenly Mandate Hall according to the Ancestor's orders while periodically informing outsiders of the secret realm to ensure there were sufficient sacrifices for awakening the giant.

1. In the raw, the characters are 天地 (Heaven and Earth) and 九流 (Nine Streams). "Nine Streams" refers to all social classes or societal divisions, while "Heaven and Earth" represents the world. Together, they form the name World Unbound Sect. ☜

2. In the raw, the inscriptions are 山海 (Mountain Ocean), 地海 (Earth Ocean), 天海 (Heaven Ocean), and 奉天 (Heavenly Mandate). ☜