World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 605: Might Descends Upon the North-River Sword Sect!

Chapter 605: Might Descends Upon the North-River Sword Sect!

Celestial Wind Sect?

In the vast stretch of space between the Celestial Wind Solar System and the ancient battlefield, Chun Yangzi stood quietly, seemingly hesitating.

He raised his left hand with his palm facing the sun at the center of the sect's qi planets. Still hesitant, he slowly lowered his arm.

It truly was too risky. Erasing a few celestial bodies would be easy, but if the yin souls[1] caught even the slightest trace of it, Yaoyun and the others would face endless troubles.

Forget it. Thirteenth can laugh at me as much as she wants.

Just as the white-robed figure was about to will himself away, he felt as though he heard something. He pressed his thumb against his other fingers toward the Celestial Wind Sect's three qi planets as he made some calculations.

At that moment, ripples seemingly spread throughout the area. Chun Yangzi appeared to have come to a realization, yet a trace of confusion showed on his expression.

"North-River Sword Sect? One of the Eastern Sky Region's ten great sects? How dare this jumping clown come here and bully an heir of my Pure Yang heritage!"

He took a step forward, and space itself seemed to open an invisible gateway. When he reappeared, the Celestial Wind Sect's planets and the ancient battlefield were already far behind him. With each step, he moved forward as though strolling between celestial bodies, making the starry sky look like a curtain being constantly tugged back. The scenery changed countless times in the blink of an eye.

Nevertheless, Chun Yangzi just appeared to be on a leisurely walk. He didn't even leave the slightest trace of aura.

No one knew how long he walked or how vast the distance he crossed. When he finally stopped, he stood before a massive reddish-brown sun with his hands clasped behind his back.

What lay before him was certainly a rare sight.

Six planets of similar size followed their own respective orbits around the sun. However, above each one floated a black, mountain-sized giant sword, looking as though they could fall at any moment and pierce straight through the planets beneath them.

An invisible array enveloped the entire solar system. The primal qi passages on all six planets were also completely sealed, allowing only primal qi to come and go.

Six stone steles stood upright along the edge of the solar system, instantly drawing the attention of anyone passing by. Not only did they radiate a profound Dao Rhythm, but they were also engraved with only two Great Dao characters. Those who had reached at least the True Immortal Realm could comprehend the same intent from them.

North-River Sword Sect.

"Quite imposing."

Chun Yangzi laughed coldly. What sounded like shackles shattering rang out from all over his body, and visible wrinkles appeared in the surrounding space.

He remained perfectly still. The moment he fully unleashed his aura, a sharp glint simply flashed in his eyes, and the six celestial bodies ahead seemingly stopped simultaneously. The several hundred thousand sword cultivators cultivating on them also spat out mouthfuls of blood!

Those below the True Immortal Realm merely felt stifled and short of breath. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Immortals felt their Great Dao trembling beyond control, as though their very Dao was wailing in grief.

The one or two Golden Immortals on each celestial body turned deathly pale and convulsed uncontrollably. It didn't even matter what Dao they followed—be it the Dao of the Primordial Spirit or the Dao of the Flesh.

At that moment, a massive individual who looked like a middle-aged scholar slowly rose on the planet closest to the sun. Instead of glaring or shouting, he simply gazed toward where Chun Yangzi stood.

In front of the North-River Sword Sect's several hundred thousand cultivators, the sect's founding forefather and former sect master respectfully performed a Dao salute toward him.

"I don't believe we've met, Senior. If you were met with any discourtesy while you were passing by our humble abode, I ask that you forgive us."

Chun Yangzi calmly responded from space, "Who is your master?"

"My master is Huang Xu Zhenren."

The white-robed figure raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You're that yellow eel's disciple?"

The middle-aged scholar looked somewhat embarrassed. However, due to the crushing pressure threatening to tear him apart at any moment, he could only lower his head. "Did some blind disciple of ours offend you, Senior? I will make sure to punish them severely!"

The white-robed figure let out a deep "Hmm."

A disciple of that old eel, huh? Well, I can't just kill him. We did run wild together for tens of thousands of years back in the day. Our friendship goes way back.

He couldn't simply say that he came because of the Celestial Wind Sect, either. After all, that would be far too undignified—ahem. It would also expose Yaoyun and Hua Qing's existence, which would put them in a tough situation.

Pressing his thumb against his fingers to calculate, Chun Yangzi gazed at the North-River Sword Sect's third planet. He swept out his left hand, causing his sleeve to shake. All six celestial bodies trembled, and the six gigantic swords above them shattered almost simultaneously.

At that moment, the so-called Six-Peak Master and Eight-Sword Elder, a total of eighteen experts at the Golden Immortal Realm or approaching it, stared in horror as they realized that their Great Dao's paths had collapsed along with the stone swords. The door to further advancement in their cultivation had been completely sealed shut!

On top of a mountain on the third celestial body, Li Tianyao turned deathly pale. He clutched his chest over his gray Daoist robe and spat out a mouthful of blood. Like air leaking from a punctured balloon, his cultivation realm was drained away wildly.

"I'm sealing your cultivation for a hundred thousand years. Since you're the disciple of an old friend, I'll spare you from further punishment."

Chun Yangzi brushed his sleeve, turned around, and flew back into space.

The North-River Sword Sect's forefather looked bitter. The cultivation of all the experts within the sect had been sealed for a hundred thousand years, completely locking them out of their future realms. During that span of time, they wouldn't gain even the slightest insight or make even the smallest advancement.

The punishment was certainly severe. Still, it was better than the alternative; the mighty figure could have just as easily wiped out all eighteen experts, the sect master included. That would have caused the North-River Sword Sect to fall apart in a few hundred years.

Such were the rules of the endless space. The strong ruled supreme. Even after being cursed without explanation and having their cultivations sealed, the sect's forefather still bowed respectfully and said, "Farewell, Senior."

At that moment, Chun Yangzi telepathically told him, "That eel may have a terrible temper, but he excels at self-preservation. You are his disciple, yet you didn't learn any of that. Can't you just mind your business and cultivate obediently? If you still refuse to repent, the next person who comes to your sect may not be as patient as I am."

"May I ask for your honored title, Senior? I would like to offer incense and pray day and night to you."

"I am Chun Yangzi."

Pure Yang? The Heavenly Court's Lu Dongbin?!

Shock filled the middle-aged scholar's face. Before he could respond, several overwhelming pressures surged from deep within space.

Nearly all of the North-River Sword Sect's hundreds of thousands of cultivators were simultaneously pressed flat to the ground. The sources of the terrifying pressure shot past overhead, heading straight toward where Chun Yangzi had departed.

Heaven and earth trembled. In the distant space, a patch of starlight flickered and went dark. Strands of Great Dao interwoven through space were plucked like a zither's strings.

However, all that rang out was the sharp clangor of slaughter!

Moments later, a Golden Crow cried out. A streak of flames pierced through the starry skies and instantly vanished.

Following the Great Dao's meridian itself, an enraged woman furiously cursed deep within space, "Lu Dongbin, you heartless and faithless man! I will bind you and refine you into a medicinal cocoon!"

This "enemy of the Heavenly Court" was truly terrifying.

At the North-River Sword Sect, the middle-aged scholar standing atop the mountain peak smiled bitterly. His projection remained standing on the celestial body, maintaining a Daoist salute.

When great powers fought, even bystanders suffered. Their small sword sect could only wait obediently for judgment.

Finally, once the later waves of aura also vanished, the middle-aged scholar slowly breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Peak masters, elders, and inner disciples, come to the main peak at once! We have matters to discuss!"

***

At the boundary between the Eastern and Northern Sky Regions.

In a boundless stretch of space devoid of any celestial bodies, a Golden Crow appeared out of thin air. Its aura quickly retracted as it transformed into a handsome immortal clad in white.

Moments later, he started looking exceedingly aged. His cultivation realm was perfectly concealed.

Chun Yangzi lowered his head and looked at his left hand, on the palm of which floated a bronze square box. He seemingly gazed through the box and onto the severed finger within.

Softly, he murmured, "How... did it turn into that?" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

He once again bizarrely vanished, leaving not even the slightest ripple.

***

A few days earlier, in the private courtyard of Earth's cultivators in Xinghai City.

A group of people sat around a stone table, all examining the wine cup on it.

Zhang Zikuang whispered, "This... should count as an antique, right?"

"Pfft." Fan Tuantuan rolled her eyes. "Senior Fei Yu's forefather just used that. How does that make it antique?!"

Huai Jing muttered, "Chun Yangzi found this place? Why not ask him to wipe out the Celestial Wind Sect?"

Wang Sheng smiled. "Our forefather is currently evading pursuit from certain enemies of the Heavenly Court, which makes it inconvenient for him to show himself. Otherwise, he might end up implicating us."

Huai Jing looked as though he had come to a realization.

Off to the side, Yaoyun had been staring blankly at the jade disk in her hands. She irritably questioned, "Of all the old members of the Heavenly Court, why is he the only one being hunted down? I doubt this matter is as simple as enmity for the Heavenly Court."

Wang Sheng exchanged a glance with his senior sister.

Yaoyun had harbored resentment toward their forefather for a long time. Whatever was going on between them was not something they dared ask about or claimed to understand.

"Should we invite a few Heavenly Court experts to come help us?" Yaoyun shook the jade disk in her hand. "Chun Yangzi still helped us, at least. There is quite a lot of information on many of our experts' movements in here."

Though Wang Sheng was tempted, Huai Jing replied, "We shouldn't act rashly."

"Why?"

Huai Jing smiled. "Getting help from an expert or two may seem like it would resolve an urgent crisis, but it would be equivalent to exposing Earth to all the other races' experts. Since we're not in critical danger right now, we just have to be patient and, more importantly, avoid being associated with the Heavenly Court's counteroffensive from over a hundred thousand years ago.

"The counterattack put the hundred races in great disarray at first. However, once the Heavenly Court showed signs of revival, the forces that had destroyed it before felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. They once again set aside their internal conflicts and joined forces, which ultimately led to Emperor Ziwei's death. "The principle of slowly boiling a frog applies here as well[2]."

The others nodded in unison. "That makes sense."

Yaoyun tossed the jade disk into Wang Sheng's hands. "Did your forefather leave you anything good?"

Wang Sheng smiled faintly and took out the jade thumb ring.

There were quite a few items inside, but... none of them were particularly useful.

1. The Chinese equivalent of dark/evil spirits. ☜

2. A frog dropped into boiling water will immediately jump out. However, if it's placed in cold water and the water is slowly heated up, the frog will boil to death before it can perceive the gradual change. It means that people will fail to recognize a slow, incremental threat until it's already too late to escape. ☜