Chapter 630: The Sword of Shu Mountain Guards the Celestial Gate

When they sobered up, Gao Shixing and Fei Lianzi stayed behind to watch the house. The rest slipped quietly out of Fengmo under the cover of night, boarded a Shadowless Shuttle, and sailed through the vast space.

Inside, Qinglin explained sword-controlling techniques to Wang Sheng. He already knew by now that Wang Sheng was not a "pure" disciple of the Shu Sword Sect, yet he still didn't hold himself back from sharing all his insights into the Sword-Controlling Art.

Qinglin had once received personal guidance from Qing Feng, the Shu Sword Sect's forefather and the Wenqu Star. His interpretation of the Sword-Controlling Art brought Wang Sheng tremendous benefit.

Nearby, Mu Wanxuan sat with Fan Tuantuan. The two female cultivators were in flowing immortal robes and bright skirts, heads bent together as they played an online game on their phones.

Qinglin showed little interest in such novelties. Possessing an uncommon devotion to cultivation, he preferred to speak with Wang Sheng about the sword and the path of cultivation.

Wang Sheng smiled. "Our homeland has changed a great deal since your era, Senior. Are you sure you don't want to return to the Shu Mountains and take a look? You might find yourself fond of what it has become."

"Since the day I left the Shu Mountains, I have thought of returning at every moment," Qinglin replied. His eyes were filled with recollection, as though he was reliving a carefree stretch of years spent in the mountains. He sighed softly. "But I'm no longer dignified enough to show my face around there."

Zhang Zikuang whispered, "Daoist Master, you carry too heavy a burden in your heart."

Qinglin only smiled. He lowered his gaze to the prints on his palm, a trace of melancholy lingering in his eyes.

After two days skirting the edge of the ancient battlefield, the Shadowless Shuttle arrived near the giant Buddha statue. Its surroundings were still deserted. Even now, unaffiliated cultivators rarely explored this remote corner.

In just a few short days, Qinglin had already mastered the ability to conceal his aura completely.

From here on, he would guard the interior of the Buddha statue and protect the gate leading to Earth. Nameless would stay with him, continuing his secluded cultivation and striving to refine himself further.

Wang Sheng had briefly considered inviting Long Liekong and his disciple to stay here as companions for Qinglin, but after some thought, he decided against it.

Long Liekong used to own the fiend power that Qinglin now wielded. It would be cruel to force the victim to be stuck with the one who had benefited from him.

Qinglin also had a matter to confront alone.

His Daoist realm and his Primordial Spirit were his own. He had already broken through to the Heavenly Immortal Realm, which meant his lifespan was no longer a concern either. However, the fiend power within him was foreign. If it ran out of control, it could erupt violently and drive him into devilish deviation.

Qinglin faced only two paths. He could abandon the Daoist heritage of the Shu Sword Sect and walk the path of a fiend cultivator, comprehending a new Dao born from the fusion of his own nature and fiend power. Or he could accept the risks and attempt to transform that fiend power into something aligned with the Daoist heritage of his sect.

In simple terms, he could either allow the fiend power to assimilate him and become a true fiend cultivator, or he could tame it and carve out an entirely new road.

Qinglin never told Wang Sheng which path he intended to take. Still, judging from what Wang Sheng could discern, he would likely choose the latter.

At the toe of the Buddha statue, Wang Sheng used a Flying Cloud to cut open the passage he often used. Once everyone had bent down and slipped inside, he carefully sealed it shut again.

Qinglin pressed his left palm against the stone wall as he murmured, "This Buddha statue seems to be made of rather ordinary material."

Beside him, Huai Jing chuckled. "Back then, a whole mountain was moved and shaped into this giant Buddha statue. A trace of Buddhist wrath was infused into it, so living beings instinctively would avoid the place. If there had been even the faintest hint of treasure light within, cultivators would have hollowed it out long ago."

Qinglin nodded and smiled. "You do have a point, Buddhist Master."

Huai Jing, Zhang Zikuang, and Fan Tuantuan flew straight toward the entrance to the Realm of Exiled Immortals. Wang Sheng remained at the base of the Buddha statue with Mu Wanxuan and Qinglin, continuing their discussion of Daoist arts.

The friendship of gentlemen was like clear water; the friendship of cultivators was found in quiet discussions of the Dao. Instead of dwelling on past affairs of the Heavenly Court or prying into each other's private matters, they simply exchanged their understanding of the Dao.

Since she wasn't a sword cultivator, Mu Wanxuan could not join their discussion. She just sat quietly at the side with her eyes closed, focusing on meditation. She had yet to tell Wang Sheng about her past life as a divine tree.

Because time flowed differently inside and outside the Realm of Exiled Immortals' gate, Wang Sheng had to wait outside for most of the day. As their discussion grew more lively, he and Qinglin rose to their feet. Each holding a Flying Cloud, they started to spar using only sword techniques; they didn't unleash immortal power.

Although the Shu Sword Sect was famed for the Sword-Controlling Art, its Earth Dao of the Sword was by no means inferior to that of the North-River Sword Sect.

When Qinglin executed the Qing Feng Sun-Moon Transformation, Wang Sheng experienced it in an entirely different way. The strike resonated faintly with the Great Dao of the Sword that Wang Sheng himself had forged.

After several rounds, Qinglin spoke highly of Wang Sheng's Dao of the Sword. Though not one for lavish praise, he still remarked that the young sword cultivator's sword was like a celestial body and that he could be the next Ziwei. The compliments left Wang Sheng feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Wang Sheng's mind then stirred. He gathered the Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent he had recently obtained at his fingertips and examined it with Qinglin.

Qinglin contemplated it quietly for a time, his expression growing solemn. "You didn't create this sword intent, did you? It seems to be a complete and extremely profound sword intent that has already reached a very high realm. I believe it's already very close to the most primal Great Dao of the Sword and the Great Dao of Slaughter.

"Ordinarily, one wouldn't benefit from borrowing such a sword intent. However, if its original master has already perished, then it may be considered a treasure in its own right, much like a treasured artifact."

Wang Sheng said, "I used it once before. My Dao Heart showed signs of losing control."

"Your cultivation realm is still far below the realm of this sword intent," Qinglin warned. "It would be best to wait until you become a Golden Immortal before you attempt to fully refine it.

"The Dao of Slaughter is not a devilish path, yet it is extremely difficult to cultivate. All living beings are born through the workings of creation. To walk the Dao of Slaughter, one must possess a great aspiration that transcends the limits of living beings, which is difficult to achieve. It would be better for you to advance steadily.

"You carry the inheritance of the Emperor. In the future, you will not fall short of the Dao of Slaughter. Moreover, excessive killing karma will greatly affect your own fate."

Wang Sheng nodded slowly and seriously, committing Qinglin's words to memory.

Although he did not fully agree with every viewpoint that Qinglin expressed, he would always benefit from listening and reflecting.

Roughly an entire day later, Huai Jing and the other two flew out of the wormhole and reported that everything had been arranged. They had sent a "work report" back to their homeland and had specifically mentioned that Wang Sheng had asked Xi Lian to come here.

To surprise Xi Lian, Huai Jing and the others deliberately avoided any mention of Qinglin. They only said that the outside world urgently needed a fox immortal who could shoulder half the sky, someone just like Xi Lian.

Wang Sheng awakened Mu Wanxuan from her meditation. He and Qinglin would have to part for now, but they found no reason to be sad about it. Qinglin would cultivate here while guarding the gate of the Realm of Exiled Immortals. Whenever Wang Sheng wished to discuss the Dao with him, he could return at any time.

He took out a jade thumb ring and silently handed it to Qinglin, who accepted it and smiled bitterly.

The former sect master remarked, "I have lived in vain for a hundred thousand years. Not only can I give you nothing, but I also have to rely on your support now."

Wang Sheng simply smiled. Inside the ring, he had placed a large number of top-tier Spirit Stones, celestial pills, and precious materials used for forging flying swords. There were enough supplies in it for Qinglin to cultivate here for a thousand years and forge dozens of flying swords.

This expense did not amount to even one percent of what Long Liekong had casually taken from the Celestial Wind Sect, though. If conditions allowed, Wang Sheng could now rely purely on his financial resources to recruit one or two Heavenly Immortals to work for him. He could then gather Lishang, Qinglin, and Long Liekong and march straight to the Celestial Wind Sect.

Naturally, he only came up with the idea as a joke. The Celestial Wind Sect had withdrawn from Fengli Star earlier only because many of its members were seriously wounded. It was still extremely formidable.

In particular, its vast number of True Immortals amounted to highly terrifying combat power.

Wang Sheng solemnly said, "Senior, there are two communication jade talismans in that ring. If any danger arises here, or if you need to summon us, please don't hesitate to use them. The green one contacts Buddhist Master Huai Jing, and the blue one contacts me."

Huai Jing curled his lips and muttered, "Why is the one for me green?"

Zhang Zikuang grinned mischievously. "

Hehe.

You're a monk, yet you still care about such things? Shall we change it to orange for you?"

"

Amitabha.

Benefactor Zhang, if you keep this up, it will be very easy for a roof beam to fall on you during cultivation and leave you half paralyzed."

Zhang Zikuang shuddered, while Fan Tuantuan laughed nonstop beside him.

Qinglin could not quite understand their exchange. He simply watched with a faint smile as Wang Sheng and the others departed from the great Buddha statue, repaired the opening, and entered the Shadowless Shuttle.

Once they were far enough away, a clear sword cry sounded from within Qinglin's sleeve. The old sword spirit said, "Call for me if anything happens. I will return to secluded cultivation."

Qinglin replied gently, "Please do as you wish, Senior."

He then looked around, found an inconspicuous corner, and sat down cross-legged. His gaze lingered for a moment on the outer space within the wormhole, his thoughts drifting slightly.

Soon afterward, he spread out his fiendish consciousness to monitor all directions, then sank most of his focus into cultivation. He began to contemplate the path he would walk from this point onward. In the end, he was unwilling to remain a fiend; he wished to forge a completely different path.

Inside the Shadowless Shuttle, Wang Sheng stood by the observation window and looked toward the great Buddha statue.

Mu Wanxuan held his arm and sighed softly. "That's great..."

"What is?"

Mu Wanxuan murmured, "Big Sister."

Raising her head, she noticed the bitter smile at the corner of Wang Sheng's lips.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. Let's wait until Big Sister arrives before we talk about this. As Daoist Master Qinglin said, who can predict what lies ahead?"

A strand of immortal light flew out from the Qiankun Ring. Yaoyun transformed into a tiny fairy that was only three

cun

tall and floated beside Wang Sheng. She whispered, "Why didn't you give Nameless a strand of Dawnlight?"

Wang Sheng replied gently, "I've considered this earlier. Due to his sword's material composition, he would only gain about thirty percent of the benefit from Dawnlight, not even half. It would also push him to his absolute limit. His sword's quality would never surpass Flying Cloud or even Flying Haze. Would that truly be a good thing for him? If I said nothing, he could at least hold on to that hope and have something to believe in."

Yaoyun nodded softly, then watched Wang Sheng's profile. She suddenly recalled the Golden Core Realm sword cultivator who had once leaped down beside the Earth Qi Immortal Spring. Looking again at the man standing before her now, he seemed unchanged in some ways, yet in other ways, he had greatly transformed.

"If you're stingy, then so be it. No need to make such a reasonable excuse." Yaoyun snorted lightly, turned into a streak of immortal light, and flew back into the Qiankun Ring. "I'll go into seclusion to recover my spiritual power. Call for me again when you fight."

Wang Sheng felt somewhat puzzled.

Am I imagining things?

Ever since the princess had changed from a sword spirit into a sword person, her temperament seemed to have... grown less mature.