Chapter 558: Intercepting Disaster, Forging a Flying Sword

Twelve days after Wang Sheng and Lishang departed, Yao Xingzi sat on a meditation cushion by the window of his small tower and stared at several jade slips forming a hexagram on the floor. His already aged, deeply lined face was now drawn tight.

Glimmers flickered across the jade slips, which were tinged with a pale-red glow.

The hexagram was still inauspicious.

Yao Xingzi muttered, "It shows an inevitable calamity arising from within the walls, manifesting through external enemies."

With a heavily worried expression, he formed hand signs and calculated for a while longer. He then rose and slowly walked to the window. From where he stood, he could see most of the Xinghai Sect.

The sunset covered the horizon in blazing clouds. Several groups of celestial birds circled the mountains as they prepared to return to their nests.

A sweep of flowing light suddenly shot out from the edge of the sect's grand array. Before it even arrived, Linyuan, who was in a Daoist robe, leaped out and rushed toward the window of the small tower. His old face was filled with panic.

"Sect Master! Lishang and Kachew—"

Yao Xingzi raised a hand, gesturing for him to quiet down. He then signaled him to enter through the window.

"Sect Master..." Seeing the tortoise shell and jade slips on the ground, as well as the faint worry on Yao Xingzi's face, realization dawned upon Linyuan. "Lishang, she..."

"I've instructed Elder Pi to escort her back to her homeland."

Yao Xingzi's calm words struck Linyuan like a thunderbolt.

The True Immortal staggered back two steps as his eyes filled with helplessness and confusion. In the end, he could only sigh deeply.

The two martial brothers stood in silence. Linyuan appeared utterly dispirited, while Yao Xingzi showed no emotion.

After some time, Linyuan sat down cross-legged nearby. "Sect Master, why did you not inform me of this matter? These old bones of mine are already half buried, yet I still dragged Kachew into this for nothing!"

"You can stop her for a time, but you can't hold her back forever, Junior Brother."

"But if Lishang goes and learns of what happened back then—

aish!

" Tangled emotions filled Linyuan's eyes. He sighed once more. "I have wronged Lishang. After years of making amends, I thought my heart could finally find peace while waiting for the end. Yet even now, a heart devil still has me trapped. The very master who raised her was the one who killed her mother. It must've been tormenting to live here all these years!"

"We ultimately share this mistake, Junior Brother Linyuan!"

"What does this have to do with you, Sect Master?"

"I was the one who located the homeland of Empress Nuwa's descendants for you. Over the years, watching Lishang grow, I considered many ways yet never did figure out how to resolve such enmity."

Linyuan was at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, he said in a trembling voice, "Then I should accompany Lishang there. Once she returns to her homeland, I will end myself before her to help her dissolve this resentment."

"One's death alone cannot resolve this matter. You and I both know how Lishang is. Once she learns of the past and recalls ten thousand years of affection, will she kill you, or spare you?"

Linyuan again had no answer. He simply stared blankly.

Yao Xingzi glanced at him. Coldly, he said, "It is human nature for one to only consider themselves, never what the others involved truly feel. For ten thousand years, you cared for Lishang with the intent of atoning for your sins. To her, you are her master and father figure.

"Now, you're just looking for a way out. You wish to die before her to bring peace to your Dao Heart. In all these thoughts, the only one you ever consider is yourself. To you, Lishang is nothing more than an artifact used to stabilize your Dao Heart."

"No, that's not..."

Linyuan didn't know how to refute it. In the end, his mind only grew more chaotic.

Yao Xingzi slowly shook his head. Instead of lecturing her further, he shifted the topic.

"I arranged for Elder Pi to escort Lishang back to her homeland because the hexagrams indicate that he's her fated protector."

"Protector?"

Yao Xingzi nodded. "After several calculations, I determined that Lishang's return to her homeland was a calamity that would kill her. But over the past two years, it has undergone slight changes. Her death no longer seems unavoidable.

"Perhaps this is her only hope of returning safely. I had to give it a shot."

Linyuan shakily asked, "Doesn't that still mean that Kachew was dragged into this for nothing?"

"It's not that simple." Yao Xingzi turned back to the meditation mat and slowly sat down. "I saw some things within the hexagrams that I can't tell others. What I can say now is that Elder Pi isn't destined to remain in one place. The Xinghai Sect is merely a temporary stop for him. If Lishang can borrow his fortune, she'll have a higher chance of turning danger into safety."

"Sect Master." Linyuan stood up and faced Yao Xingzi. "If anything, I'm the one who should face calamity, not any of them. Kachew has always been an outsider. Relying solely on hexagrams to decide that he can help Lishang turn danger around, even if it meant letting him fall into peril, truly cannot be justified.

"Grand Martial Uncle once had a way to divert disaster and transfer calamity by borrowing a life. Please redirect Lishang's calamity onto me! I beg of you!"

Yao Xingzi frowned deeply and replied in a low tone, "Junior Brother, you're already near the end of your life. How much calamity can you block for her? It would be better to remain cultivating in the mountains and wait for Elder Pi to return."

"Martial Brother!" Linyuan knelt before Yao Xingzi. The long sleeves of his Daoist robe fluttered as he kowtowed deeply. "Please grant me this request! Lishang sees me as her father figure, and I see her as no different from my own child. Kachew was never involved in this matter to begin with. No matter how great his abilities are, he should not be dragged into this for no reason!

"I've nearly exhausted all of my years, and a breakthrough has long been out of reach. Even if I go on living, this old life of mine has little value left. If it can be exchanged for Lishang and Kachew's safety, then my heart can rest without regret."

Yao Xingzi remained silent. Linyuan raised his head and then kowtowed again.

"Alright, fine."

Yao Xingzi sighed slowly and raised his hand, lightly touching Linyuan's forehead. A sweep of faint light flashed past. "I've sent the location of Lishang's homeland to your mind. Go and see if you can find them. I will perform the rite here and see if I can draw part of Lishang's calamity onto you. However, this matter is ultimately somewhat symbolic. Do not place too much hope in it."

"Thank you, Martial Brother!"

Yao Xingzi waved his hand. Linyuan immediately sprang up and turned to rush toward the window.

"Wait!"

"Yes, Martial Brother?"

"Remember to change your appearance and disguise yourself. Don't be the reason their trail is exposed!"

Linyuan nodded at once and forced a somewhat ugly smile. "Martial Brother, I have traveled the Eastern Sky Region for many years. I'm well aware of things like that."

Yao Xingzi nodded slowly. Linyuan gave another Daoist salute and then leaped straight out the window, transforming into a streak of light and flying back to his abode.

Meanwhile, the sect master beckoned toward a corner. A mahogany sword and two candle stands slowly flew over. He then set up a simple ritual altar.

***

Wang Sheng and Lishang exited the deep primal qi passage and slowly drifted out of its thin membrane. Having arrived on a distant qi planet far removed from the ancient battlefield, they swiftly fled into the endless space.

They had not expected that after drifting in the passage for only twelve or thirteen days, they would already be in a completely unfamiliar part of the universe. Looking up, the surrounding stars felt unfamiliar, though their general orientation could still be discerned.

Wang Sheng took out a jade talisman engraved with a star map. He studied it briefly, quickly determining that they had arrived at their first stop.

Entering the Shadowless Shuttle, Wang Sheng piloted it toward a nearby planet, where they would enter the second primal qi passage. They expected to reach it in over a month.

Recalling the way they drifted earlier, Wang Sheng smiled. "Primal qi passages are truly marvelous. We were only floating inside one for less than half a month, yet we've crossed such an immense distance. It would have taken at least thousands of times longer to cover such a distance by flying alone."

Lishang replied, "

Mm.

"

She removed her cloak and veil, then gazed absentmindedly at the starry expanse outside the window.

Letting her be, Wang Sheng took out the materials that he had obtained from the Xinghai Sect. It was not exactly freeloading. After all, he was an elder. It was completely reasonable for him to take some resources from the sect and forge a few flying swords.

The flying sword that Wang Sheng was forging at this time would be of slightly better quality than Flying Haze.

Strictly speaking, an Ascended Immortal from the Shu Mountains had forged Flying Haze and left it in the sect. The Wenqu Star didn't craft it himself. That was why the old sword spirit had handed it over to him so casually back then.

Speaking of Nameless, Huai Jing had mentioned to him that the senior had come along as well.

Wang Sheng had simply arrived at a bad time. Seeking a breakthrough in its own talent, the sword spirit had enlisted Huai Jing and the others to help gather a large number of celestial materials. It then went into seclusion in a storage artifact, giving it no time to catch up with Wang Sheng.

Regardless, Flying Haze was still his first sword. Wang Sheng had a unique attachment to it. Moreover, at critical moments, Flying Haze could be used to conceal the Qiankun Ring. It still had its own special utility.

Wang Sheng soon stopped letting his thoughts wander. Now that a flying sword was already slowly taking shape between his palms, he had to do the painstaking process of repeated refinement.

Lishang asked, "You are forging a sword? Is the treasured sword from earlier not suitable?"

Wang Sheng smiled. "That's not it. I'm making flying swords and nurturing them with my own essence to complement a certain special sword art. As long as my immortal perception can reach the area, they can easily take the head of an enemy. I consider them a hidden trump card that I've never used."

Hidden trump card?

In truth, he generally relied on the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art in slightly more intense battles. The Sword-Controlling Art was mostly used for ambushes.

Observing from the side for a while, Lishang couldn't help but find that Wang Sheng's methods of forging and nurturing swords were quite extraordinary.

Wang Sheng actually had other intentions in refining flying swords now.

The first flying sword gradually took form over the span of three days. From the mass of Chaos Dawnlight floating above his qi sea, Wang Sheng then drew out a strand thinner than a hair and guided it to his fingertip by instinct.

Ziwei's Dao traces had once said that this was a supreme treasure for artifact crafting, capable of enhancing celestial-grade swords.

Since his cultivation was still too shallow, and the flying swords were only meant for temporary use, he didn't wish to waste too much of his Dawnlight. On the other hand, he still wanted to verify whether it was truly powerful despite appearing to have no special traits.

With a tap of his finger, the strand slowly flowed onto the spine of the flying sword and gradually seeped inside.

Then... nothing.

Wang Sheng felt slightly puzzled. "Did I use too little?"

Just as he was about to inspect the flying sword's composition with his immortal perception, he heard a sword hum. The sword in front of him then unleashed an extremely dense immortal light.

It nearly blinded him.