Chapter 607: A Fortunate Misstep

Inside the quiet room used for secluded cultivation, Mu Wanxuan sat on the Wind and Fire Cushion and placed the cyan lamp before her. Yin-yang qi surrounded her as she quietly cultivated in seclusion.

These two treasures were extremely timely for Mu Wanxuan. After all, they allowed her to become an immortal more quickly.

Wang Sheng sat beside his senior sister and placed the silver-white Great Dao sword case before him. He could also sense the cyan lamp's faint Dao Rhythm, making it extremely easy for him to enter a state of Dao comprehension. Such treasures had been exceedingly rare during the Primal Era, and many great divine-ability practitioners had attached great importance to them.

Chun Yangzi hadn't been stingy toward his two great-grand disciples; he bestowed them the cyan lamp, the cushion, and the Great Dao sword case all at once. These would inevitably have a significant impact on Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan's future cultivation paths.

The forefather was, after all, the forefather. He always had to act a bit like a true expert.

Wang Sheng lightly slid his fingers over the scabbard. He found himself becoming increasingly fond of its wondrous texture, similar to metal yet distinct from it.

Right now, he had only two matters in mind, one of which was whether he should launch a surprise attack on the Celestial Wind Sect. At present, it was locked in fierce combat against the Fengli Sect. Many of the Celestial Wind Sect's old members, who had long remained in seclusion, had begun to come out. If he could kill even just two of its Heavenly Immortals, its overall strength would inevitably suffer a heavy blow.

However, the Celestial Wind Sect had the North-River Sword Sect backing it. He had already taken this into consideration before. If he couldn't straight-up kill them in one strike, it would be very easy for them to retaliate.

Moreover, if the Celestial Wind Sect was weakened, the Fengli Sect could turn around and attack the Xinghai Sect instead. It could even form an alliance with the Celestial Wind Sect. After all, Lishang and Wang Sheng's potential posed a huge threat to the two factions, and the two still had unidentified forces behind them.

The second matter was something Wang Sheng had been thinking about for a long time: he wanted to establish an intelligence system. Ancient military texts said that provisions moved before armies did, but modern military strategists placed even greater emphasis on the importance of information.

When everyone had discussed plans earlier, Wang Sheng had brought up the idea again. In the end, Zhang Zikuang suggested that the Special Warfare Unit select a group of elite soldiers and capable generals to establish a preliminary intelligence network on the thirteen qi planets. However, that presented the problem of transmitting information on time.

Within the thirteen qi planets, electromagnetic waves could be used for transmission for as long as the ancient battlefield was avoided. They had no means of communication past that range, though. After all, the distance between celestial bodies had to be measured in light-years. Cultivators traveling through primal qi passages were hundreds of times faster than direct electromagnetic transmission.

These issues can be tackled little by little. I can just leave professional matters to professionals and focus on being a sharp spearhead.

Wang Sheng laughed softly, then resumed sitting in a daze. He remembered that the Small Nether Realm's reincarnation records had noted that in her previous life, Mu Wanxuan was Hua Qing, a disciple of the Eastern Pole's Great Emperor Qinghua.

Qinghua and Ziwei were part of the Four Heavenly Ministers. Hence, Mu Wanxuan could be considered a noble of the Heavenly Court. Moreover, her origins in her past life seemed somewhat unusual. She appeared to have once been a primordial divine spirit of some tribe, yet she had only been a little over seven hundred thousand years old.

Had most of Mu Wanxuan's past life actually been spent as a tree?

The forefather also explained in detail that as long as she could become a True Immortal, she would be able to sense her missing true spirit's location. At that time, they would likely have to venture out to investigate. He would have to make preparations in advance, even though Mu Wanxuan had only undergone her tribulation a few years ago and was still far from becoming a True Immortal.

Alright, time to cultivate.

Becoming stronger was his top priority. Once he became a Heavenly Immortal, he would be able to resolve the situation involving the Xinghai Sect's two opponents in one hit.

"I really should ask the forefather to deal with the North-River Sword Sect,"

Wang Sheng concluded. He had thought as much during his meeting with Chun Yangzi, but before he could open it, the forefather had already disappeared.

The Eastern Sky Region's top ten sects couldn't be underestimated.

Shouldering the Great Dao sword case, Wang Sheng closed his eyes and focused. Silver-white clouds once again appeared around him. Guided by sword intent, his Primordial Spirit entered the misty, illusory realm and faced the towering pagoda that rose into the clouds.

His Primordial Spirit flew forward and soon stood right before the pagoda. In front of the entrance was a stone stele, upon which a complex Dao inscription was carved.

After gazing at the Dao inscription for a while, three words popped into Wang Sheng's mind.

Sword-Forging Tower.

"How do I interpret 'sword-forging' in this context?"

Wang Sheng recalled the day when Yuan Pu Zhenren had explained the Dao of the Sword to him. Yuan Pu Zhenren also mentioned the Realm of Sword Forging back then, but he actually only described the Human Dao of the Sword. The Heavenly Dao and Earth Dao of the Sword were different.

This place was named "the Great Dao sword case," and the tower was called the "Sword-Forging Tower." There ought to be a deeper meaning behind it.

Wang Sheng walked past the stone stele and took two steps forward, causing immortal light to gather ahead. An old man in a silver-white Daoist robe appeared before the entrance, then made a somewhat peculiar Daoist salute toward Wang Sheng. He had an unidentifiable accent, and he didn't speak any of the common languages in the Three Realms. Rather, it seemed even more ancient.

The old man spoke a few sentences, then realized that Wang Sheng could not quite understand him. He raised his hand and pointed at the Primordial Spirit, causing echoes to immediately reverberate in Wang Sheng's mind.

Now, he could finally understand the old man.

The old man said, "Greetings. I am the sword case's spirit, responsible for guarding the Sword-Forging Tower. Considering you have obtained the sword case, you must be a fated one, Young Master. You may enter the tower to undergo trials and cultivate. However, there are several matters that I have to explain to you first."

Wang Sheng kept a straight expression. "I am all ears."

The old man smiled somewhat stiffly. "You should be cautious about entering the tower if your sword intent is too weak, or if your understanding of the Dao of the Sword is not yet sufficiently profound. Should your sword break here, I fear your Primordial Spirit would suffer severe injuries that would require at least one or two thousand years of recuperation."

With a self-assuring gaze, Wang Sheng calmly replied, "I have a measure of confidence in my Dao of the Sword."

The old man's smile softened somewhat. "You will face stronger guardians the higher you climb. Even if you can cut through all obstacles, it would still be best not to ascend too high.

"This place exists to temper your Dao of the Sword, but your own strength is a significant factor in there. If you find yourself barely making it through the trials, please retreat in time."

Wang Sheng nodded solemnly.

"The tower has a total of forty-nine floors, corresponding to the Great Dao's number," the old man added. "Whoever can clear it will have the fated opportunity to inherit the master's legacy."

Wang Sheng was momentarily stunned. He had thought that this place was merely for tempering the Dao of the Sword, yet it turned out to be a "tool" left behind by some senior expert to pass down their heritage.

He sighed lightly to himself. With the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art and the Pure Yang Sword Song, he truly had little interest in other Daoist heritage. Even if the creator of this sword case were a Grand Dao Golden Immortal, Ziwei's Daoist heritage still wouldn't be inferior.

Seemingly noticing Wang Sheng's lack of interest, the old man said sternly, "The master's sword once swept across the Immortal Saint Realm, cutting down countless great powers. The master's Human Dao of the Sword once stood at the Great Dao's very peak."

Wang Sheng cupped his hands. "I mean no disrespect. It is just that there are too many Daoist heritages, and I cannot learn them all."

"Then attempt the trials."

The tower spirit vanished. He seemed displeased.

Wang Sheng surveyed his surroundings and sensed the changes within the illusory realm before stepping through the tower's bottom gate. Mist churned before him, and the tower's interior transformed into a world of its own.

A perfectly square arena appeared before his eyes. Wang Sheng stood at its edge, while an immortal sword hung upside down directly ahead.

As he stepped forward, a faint figure appeared beneath the immortal sword. Seemingly made of mist, it had dim features and a red mark at the center of its brow.

The tower spirit appeared at the arena's edge. Seated on a stone chair, he gently explained, "That is the Yanluo Sword Servant. It contains a complete sword intent, and the red mark on its forehead is its only weakness. On each floor, its weakness appears in a different location, so please pay close attention, Young Master."

Although Wang Sheng's earlier remarks had displeased him, the old man still dutifully fulfilled his role as a guide.

Wang Sheng cupped his hands toward the tower spirit in thanks. He rested his left hand behind his back, then grasped the empty air beside him with his right hand. The several strands of sword intent that had been circling him trembled in unison.

To be safe, Wang Sheng grabbed the Astral Sword Intent, making the other strands immediately settle down. With the Seven-Star Footwork reflected in his mind, he unleashed the myriad transformations of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art.

Wang Sheng charged forward with sword in hand, and the Yanluo Sword Servant met him head-on. It looked as though it had simply swung its sword, yet it brought forth a profound sword phantasm.

***

Sect master's bedroom, Tianfeng.

Li Tianyao spoke to his father with growing enthusiasm, even going as far as gesturing animatedly. He looked exactly like a foolish youth who had just met the girl of his dreams.

Li Tianyao wasn't a fool, yet his claims now caused the sect master to frown deeply.

The more the sect master heard, the more baffled he was. "What do you mean your master is bringing two of your martial uncles to stay here temporarily?"

Li Tianyao smiled. "Father, my master and the others are already on their way. Soon, we'll have five additional Heavenly Immortals in the sect. It won't be long before we pacify and unite the thirteen qi stars!"

The sect master whispered, "Why are they suddenly coming over? Do they have some hidden motive?"

Li Tianyao looked troubled. "That's..."

"Tianyao." The sect master sighed. "Do you no longer trust even your father?"

Li Tianyao whispered, "Father, please don't blame me. I don't want to hide things from you, but my master repeatedly warned me, and I only really know bits and pieces. It is closely related to the sect's Six-Peak Master selection.

"Some time ago, an unrivaled great power suddenly appeared outside the North-River Sword Sect. His presence alone caused everyone within the sect to tremble in fear. The founding forefather personally appeared to welcome him, showing utmost respect.

"We don't know who among the sect offended that unrivaled being, but he came to punish it. With just a wave of his sleeve, he sealed the cultivation of more than ten Golden Immortal Realm, Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm, and other experts who were close to breaking through to the Golden Immortal Realm. Now, they have to wait a hundred thousand years before they can make even just an inch of progress again."

The sect master couldn't help but inhale sharply. "Continue."

Li Tianyao lowered his voice. "That powerful being weakened even my master. After he left, my master's cultivation realm fell from the early stage of the Golden Immortal Realm down to the late stage of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. The gap between these is truly enormous.

"The Six-Peak Master competition is in a thousand years. Unwilling to accept his fate, my master concealed his injuries, managing to deceive the sect master and the other elders during the sect assembly.

"However, my master didn't dare remain within the sword sect for long. I took the initiative to invite him to our sect to relax and secretly recover. He then invited two close martial uncles and two of my senior brothers with the highest cultivation. In total, five Heavenly Immortals will be coming!"

The Celestial Wind Sect's sect master had already risen and begun pacing back and forth. His eyes shone brilliantly.

"Heaven is aiding me! It really is aiding me!"