Chapter 389: The Shu Sword Sect's Request

"

Qing Feng? Qing Feng Sun-Moon Transformation?

"

Yaoyun seemed to be recalling which Heavenly Court immortal once used that name.

Wang Sheng sighed shallowly in relief. If he had not stopped Yaoyun earlier, Spiritless would have likely already flown out to shatter the formation.

Wang Sheng added, "The Shu Sword Sect's Grandmaster, Qing Feng Zhenren, seemed to have had good ties with my sect's forefather."

"

Lu Dongbin had good ties with everyone.

"

Yaoyun snorted softly. "

Otherwise, no one would've pleaded on his behalf whenever he violated the laws of heaven. How else could he have remained so smug for so long?

"

Wang Sheng could only force a sheepish smile.

Though the others could hear Wang Sheng, they couldn't hear Yaoyun. They were naturally puzzled.

Wang Sheng briefly shared their conversation with his senior sister and Fei Lianzi. The fairy perched on his shoulder blinked lightly, then switched from telepathy to speaking out loud.

Yaoyun had long been accustomed to conversing with Wang Sheng through thought alone. Since she had fully adapted to the modern language by now, talking normally posed no problem.

After pondering for a moment, Yaoyun seemed to sense the familiar aura more closely. Before long, she concluded, "I remember whose aura this is now. Qing Feng Zhenren... He's the only one who would use such an alias."

"Qing Feng Zhenren is an alias? What's his real name, then?" Wang Sheng asked casually, and the others leaned in to listen.

"He's a divine general who served Great Emperor Ziwei as closely as an arm at his side. He usually served in the Northern Region, though he often visited the Heavenly Court.

"Of the Big Dipper stars, he held the position of Tianquan. He also served as the Heavenly Court's Wenqu Star[1] Official, but that was only nominal. In truth, he was considered one of Emperor Ziwei's trusted subordinates."

The group was somewhat stunned.

Xiaomiao reacted the fastest. She asked softly, "Wasn't the immortal who founded the Shu Sword Sect... the son of Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen[2]?"

Those about to speak immediately fell speechless. The girl's train of thought was truly bizarre.

"That is only a tale," Wang Sheng said. "It praises a love that was beautiful yet forbidden since it crossed the boundary of species. Do not confuse it with history. Just how much time have you wasted stuffing your head with useless trivia?"

"

Hehe,

please stop scolding me, Big Brother. Oh, right." Xiaomiao stepped forward and bowed to the fairy on Wang Sheng's shoulder. "I apologize for not greeting you sooner, Master. Please forgive me."

The little fairy flew straight onto Wang Xiaomiao's shoulder and whispered a few words of encouragement.

Wang Sheng coughed softly, then voiced the question in his and Fei Lianzi's hearts. "The Wenqu Star presides over culture and writing. How could he have left behind a Daoist heritage?"

"Does being a civil official mean they're a weak cultivator?" Yaoyun countered, once again silencing the group. Gently, she added, "In the Heavenly Court's golden age, those with lower cultivation realm served as heavenly generals. They led armies into battle and suppressed fiends and rebels, earning merit and fortune. That was how they advanced in rank and gathered immortal fate.

"Taibai Jinxing[3], who was associated with war and punishment, and the other true experts were among the Heavenly Court's highest-ranking civil ministers, yet he was a gentle and benevolent elder. Hua Qing is another example."

Yaoyun looked at Mu Wanxuan and respectfully bowed to her. Mu Wanxuan quickly returned the courtesy with a cultivator's bow.

Yaoyun said, "Fairy Hua Qing was also a civil official in her day, yet she went to war, slew enemies, and earned many victories. Aside from the Four Heavenly Ministers, heavenly generals mostly served to awe and suppress the foreign races. The true foundation of the Heavenly Court was the civil officials who appeared unremarkable yet upheld the order of the Three Realms alongside my father."

Wang Sheng nodded slowly. "I see."

Fei Lianzi then pressed her with questions about the Shu Sword Sect's forefathers. Fortunately, Yaoyun seemed to enjoy recalling the Heavenly Court's glory. She gave detailed, unreserved answers.

During her time in the Heavenly Court, she cultivated within the Jade Pool for the most part, which only a few were allowed to enter freely since it was the Queen Mother's domain. Still, she had met the Wenqu Star a few times, mostly during the Peach Banquets. Who would have thought that Qing Feng Zhenren was Ziwei's Wenqu Star, deeply trusted and famed for his strategy and planning?

Aside from his official rank, though, the man was also a sword cultivator stronger than even Golden Immortals. He left his Daoist heritage on Earth, where it endured the test of time.

The Shu Mountains' Sword-Controlling Art... Qing Feng Sun-Moon Transformation....

Fei Lianzi showed them an image of Qing Feng Zhenren on his phone. In ancient times, he appeared as a white-haired elder, which vastly differed from the elegant and scholarly Wenqu Star.

Fei Lianzi sighed. "I wonder if Forefather is still well."

Yaoyun's mood, which had been bright, suddenly turned cold. Her beautiful face returned to its usual aloofness, and a faint helplessness flickered in her gaze.

Noticing her reaction, Wang Sheng steered the conversation back to the Seventy-Two Swords.

"Yaoyun, is there a way for me to get in and meet the formation spirit without damaging the formation?" He smiled. "He's the sword spirit of Qing Feng Zhenren's sword, which he had left here. He once guided me, and it's been so long since we last met."

Yaoyun nodded gently. "Every formation has an eye, gates, form, veins, principles, and foundation. However intricate this one may be, it will still have a way in and out, and that passage should be at the mountain's peak."

Wang Sheng's eyes lit up as he remembered the scene that had greeted him when he had come out of the Seventy-Two Swords before. He was about to call his senior sister and younger sister to search the mountain peak for the entrance when Fei Lianzi stopped him with a hesitant look.

"Forgive my boldness." Fei Lianzi bowed deeply to Yaoyun. "May I ask, Senior, if it's possible to completely break this grand formation?"

Wang Sheng was surprised.

Slightly confused, Yaoyun answered, "Of course, but is this not your sect's blessed ground? Why would you wish to destroy it?"

"That's...

Uh,

it's difficult to explain." Fei Lianzi sighed. "Senior, Fei Yu, please wait a moment. I have to call the sect master and the elders. Breaking this formation would be a great blessing for our sect."

Wang Sheng and his senior sister exchanged a look, then turned to Wang Xiaomiao and Yaoyun. Yaoyun just nodded slowly to show that she was willing to help.

Qing Long, who had just entered seclusion, was summoned once again.

While waiting for him and the elders, Fei Lianzi gave the group a rough explanation.

"As everyone already knows, the Small Nether Realm suffered a sudden upheaval fifteen years ago, and fifteen ancient cultivators were brought back. They were all at the Rebirth Realm at least. Though the Celestial Master put seals on them, many sects still worry that they would one day disrupt the balance of the cultivation world.

"Among them, not one belonged to the Shu Sword Sect. Naturally, our sect fears that our standing in the cultivation world would fall if they one day broke free of their seals and returned to their sects. These days, Daoist heritages rely on sect status to gain many benefits and subsidies from the authorities. It's been affecting us heavily."

Years ago, the Shu Sword Sect had already tried to invite the formation spirit out of the Seventy-Two Swords, hoping to offset the pressure of the fifteen grand elders. Some younger disciples even conveyed the sect's request to him while undergoing trials in the formation.

The formation spirit refused at first, but a personal letter from Qing Long later persuaded him. The spirit was meant to be the sect's guardian; he wasn't bound to be hidden away forever. Once the formation was broken and its restrictions lifted, it could train young disciples better, and the spirit could step outside and roam freely.

What made the Seventy-Two Swords truly exceptional was the spirit's ability to instruct challengers in the Dao of the Sword using power equal to their realm. Even without the formation's restriction, he could still do the same.

The impact wouldn't be too great since the sect would control who entered. Hence, the formation spirit agreed to emerge and serve as a guardian for the Shu Sword Sect.

However, a problem arose: they learned that the formation spirit could not break the formation himself. Nascent Soul or Heavenly Abode Realm cultivators couldn't undo the formation either, even with his permission. The matter was inevitably put on hold.

Now that Yaoyun had come, the sect had finally found a chance to break the formation. Before long, the Shu Sword Sect elders gathered once more, and Qing Long descended from the sky.

Xiaomiao tugged at her brother's sleeve and whispered, "The Shu Sword Sect's naming is so strange. Their Forefather's Daoist name was Qing Feng, the current sect master is Qing Long, and the one Big Sister longs for is Qing Lin. Are they not out of generational order[4]?"

Wang Sheng sternly scolded, "Mind the sect's rules. Do not speak carelessly."

The fairy on Wang Xiaomiao's shoulder softly said, "I heard many fairies say that the Wenqu Star had a free spirit and often acted unconventionally. If you asked the Heavenly Court which male immortals the fairies admired the most back then, they'd say your sect's forefather and the Wenqu Star."

"Master, who was the most admired female immortal?"

"Taiyin Xingjun[5], the most outstanding among the maidens of the Moon Palace and hailed as the greatest beauty of the Three Realms. Her cultivation was also unfathomably deep."

"Wow. What about the most handsome male immortal?"

"There was no unanimous answer. In my eyes, though, Zhenjun Qingyuan Miaodao was most pleasing. You know him as Erlang Shen[6], Yang Jian."

"Master, Master..."

Listening to the two chatter about Heavenly Court gossip, Wang Sheng found himself at a loss for words.

Soon, Qing Long approached and bowed to Yaoyun. With sincere respect, he asked her to help break the Seventy-Two Swords.

Yaoyun replied, "If Fei Yu agrees, I'll do it."

"Thank you so much, Fairy!"

She snorted quietly, showing some displeasure. "Don't thank me. Thank Fei Yu. I am but his sword spirit."

Yaoyun then turned into strands of immortal light and entered Spiritless, which was in Wang Sheng's hand. She then began to guide him on what to do.

The elders couldn't hide their envy. While watching Wang Sheng ascend on Flying Haze, their thoughts turned to his accomplishments.

He was a peerless expert, ranked among the top five on the Heavenly Rankings and recognized as the leading sword cultivator of the era. Moreover, he was from the younger generation, making him even more daunting. Those alone would've been understandable since one could only succeed in cultivation through their own effort.

However, he also had a sword with an immortal as its spirit.

Fei Lianzi sighed. "Zi Ling, go down the mountain and buy a few hundred pounds of lemons. Give our disciples a pound each."

The elders chuckled.

Is it not joyful to learn and practice? Is it not sour to have friends come from afar

[7]

? The master didn't deceive us, after all.

1. Wenqu Star is the deity of literary talent, scholarly success, and examination fortune. It is also known as Tianquan. ☜

2. Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen are the main characters of

The Legend of the White Snake,

one of China's most famous legends. Bai Suzhen is a white snake spirit who cultivated for centuries and transformed into a beautiful woman. Xu Xian is a kind but ordinary scholar/physician. ☜

3. Often depicted as an old immortal envoy of the Jade Emperor. ☜

4. A common character marks each generation of a sect. For example, "Fei Yu" and "Bu Yu" have the same "Yu" character, which implies they are from the same generation of disciples. Meanwhile, these three characters share the same "Qing" despite belonging to different generations. ☜

5. The moon deity. ☜

6. The famous three-eyed god. ☜

7. This is a joke on the lemons/about them being envious of Wang Sheng. ☜