World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 634: The Forefather Starts Stirring Up Trouble

The last time Wang Sheng went on a long journey with Lishang, he spent his time in space either refining flying swords or comprehending sword intent. Even when they talked, it was only about the universe and their ambitions.

In this journey, Wang Sheng either stared at his senior sister in a daze or watched her with a foolish grin. When they passed through the primal qi passages, they even shared a few intimate moments every now and then.

It was as though he were living two completely different lives!

Of course, no matter how much it felt like a honeymoon, they still couldn't neglect their objectives.

After leaving the first primal qi passage, Wang Sheng brought his senior sister into space, awakened Yaoyun, and had her arrange a formation to strengthen their sensory perception. He then asked his senior sister to detect the divine tree once more.

Mu Wanxuan concentrated for twelve full days before she finally raised one of her slender, jade-like fingers and pointed toward a direction that was clearly different from the one she had indicated on Fengmo.

Wang Sheng took out the star map and made a series of calculations, quickly determining the intersection of the two trajectories. With the destination confirmed, the remaining steps became much simpler. All they had to do now was locate successive primal qi passages along the route.

The Old Man of Xinghai had truly been a tremendous help.

Their destination lay in the northwest of the Eastern Sky Region. From their position, they would have to pass through twelve primal qi passages to reach it, which made the journey extremely long. The one-way trip would already take roughly two to three years.

Yet when Wang Sheng thought about spending at least five or six years traveling back and forth alone with his senior sister, he felt no sense of hardship at all. He only found the nights far too short.

Ahem.

More importantly, he was somewhat worried about whether any unforeseen changes could occur on the thirteen qi planets.

With the cyan lamp that their forefather had bestowed, Mu Wanxuan's cultivation became smooth and stable. She no longer struggled to enter meditation due to impatience, nor did she risk harming her state of mind through forced seclusion.

Wang Sheng did not feel lonely either. Each day, he pondered a philosophical question that he had never managed to resolve.

Why am I cultivating?

There was no fixed answer to this. Wang Sheng could easily brush it aside with excuses like "to protect" or "freedom," but he did not. After months of contemplation, he set the question aside, intending to search for his own answer when he reached a higher Daoist realm.

The driving force behind cultivation was nothing more than growing stronger and attaining immortality. By becoming stronger, he could protect his senior sister, master, younger sister, parents, and friends. It would also allow him to shoulder the responsibility of Earth's cultivation world.

But his purpose wouldn't end there. The universe was profound and endless.

The Great Dao was unfathomably mysterious, filled with wonders before and after the primordial chaos.

Wang Sheng possessed both curiosity and a desire to explore. He wanted to probe the essence of the Great Dao, uncover the secrets of this universe, and search for the hidden truths buried within the universe's immortal history.

Only such a life could truly be called interesting.

How many people truly knew what they wanted? How many simply set a random goal and struggled toward it?

Often, what mattered was not the goal itself, but having the concept of a goal, and the sense of fulfillment gained from striving for it[1]. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Senior Sister, is there anything you really want to do?" Wang Sheng asked.

"Mm..."

Mu Wanxuan thought for a while. A small lightbulb then lit up beside her ear. Using enchanted power, she wrote out a passage of words.

Become an Ascended Immortal, then a True Immortal, then live forever together. Take good care of our master and martial juniors. Protect Big Sister and Little Miaomiao. Protect our homeland. Also enjoy delicious food, keep up with endless anime and manga, and raise a few adorable little babies in the future.

By the time she finished writing, her cheeks had turned red. She looked at Wang Sheng with a hint of embarrassment.

Wang Sheng was already smiling broadly. He leaned closer and, in his deepest tone, whispered into her ear, "Such a great dream. Should we start working toward it now?"

Mu Wanxuan's face instantly flushed crimson. Red also tinged the pale skin of her neck.

She turned, fled from him, and sat in a corner with her back turned to him. Her voice trembled slightly as she exclaimed, "Seclusion!"

Wang Sheng could not help but laugh. Whenever Mu Wanxuan became shy, she was simply far too tempting to tease.

Just as he prepared to press his advantage, he heard a telepathic mutter.

"You are starting to resemble your forefather more and more."

Wang Sheng replied calmly, "We are not the same."

"How are you two any different?"

"Forefather flirts with more than one person. I only want to stay with my senior sister for the rest of my life." Wang Sheng chuckled mentally. "Thirteenth Princess, shouldn't you enter seclusion for a while? Have you recovered the spiritual power you spent when we subdued Long Liekong? In a couple of years, we could end up facing another battle."

Yaoyun just snorted softly.

Wang Sheng steeled his heart. At worst, it would simply mean having one more spectator.

When daughters from wealthy families married in ancient times, a personal maid or two often accompanied them. Those maids handled everything, even standing by during intimate moments. They even lent a hand sometimes.

As for my sword spirit... Forget it.

Wang Sheng feared that if he and his senior sister grew too affectionate, his sword spirit would poke a few holes into him.

***

Two figures sat atop a glacier of the Northern Sky Region, drinking together.

The glacier appeared to have been formed through Daoist arts. Its overall shape resembled a towering pagoda, its height beyond measure. Looking out from its summit, the surrounding mountain ranges seemed no more than faint wrinkles upon the vast land.

At the peak of the glacier were many delicate ice sculptures, yet the air here was surprisingly warm. Looking down, one would faintly see a massive city buried inside the ice, within which countless figures lay or sat in silence. Streams of primal qi gathered from every direction, passing through the glacier before flowing into their bodies.

Of the two who were drinking, one was in white robes and had an aged face. He appeared to possess no cultivation at all, yet he also seemed perfectly fused with heaven and earth. He was none other than Chun Yangzi, looking exactly as he had when he once met Wang Sheng.

Seated across from him was a black-robed cultivator with graying hair. His face was as sharp as a blade, his eyes as fierce as those of a hawk. He was so thin that his skin clung tightly to his bones, yet an indescribable ferocity radiated from him.

A patch of rot marred his forehead, and his left arm had been severed cleanly at the wrist.

Anyone able to sit and drink with Chun Yangzi was certainly no ordinary being. Yet this man allowed his Dao Body to remain damaged, either because he chose not to restore it or because it could not be repaired.

No one knew how long the two had been drinking and conversing. After a long silence, Chun Yangzi smiled warmly and passed on some recent news.

Emotion stirred within the eyes of the man across from him. "The Thirteenth Princess still lives? You saw her with your own eyes?"

"I didn't just see her; I spoke with her." Chun Yangzi sighed. "Of all the members of the Immortal Emperor's bloodline, Her Highness is the only one we've managed to find. She has also become a sword spirit and now accompanies one of my Pure Yang disciples."

The gaunt old man's eyes flared, as though about to devour someone alive. "Outrageous! A dignified princess of the Heavenly Court, reduced to a disciple's sword spirit?! Lu Dongbin, what crime should you answer for?!"

"Hey, please calm yourself, Brother Wang," Chun Yangzi said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "I never schemed for this. It was entirely my disciple's own fate. Besides, Princess Yaoyun and my disciple are companions, not master and servant. Why don't you guess who else stands by my disciple's side?"

"Hmph. Stop speaking in riddles and just tell me."

"Hua Qing, the divine maiden. She is now his senior sister. The two are deeply in love, bound by childhood affection and growing closer by the day. By the time I see him again, they may already have children."

"Oh? You have found traces of Emperor Qinghua?"

"Not exactly. The divine maiden died following Emperor Ziwei into battle. All that remains of her is the reincarnation of a mere remnant soul, unable to retrieve memories of her previous life." Chun Yangzi sighed and downed his cup. "So many immortals of the Heavenly Court now wander the starry skies in fragments, hiding and fleeing like lost dogs. How can one accept such a fate?"

The gaunt old man merely nodded faintly, the turbulence in his gaze gradually settling. "What is your disciple's Daoist name?"

Chun Yangzi smiled. "Fei Yu. He shares your surname as well. Why do you ask? As the head of the Five Hundred Divine Guardians[2], are you thinking of bestowing him with a bit of fortune?"

"I cannot leave this place." Wang Shan lowered his gaze toward the glacier beneath his feet, watching the countless figures buried within the great city below. "If Emperor Qinghua could be found, then with his divine ability of rebirth, he could surely save these old friends... Did you truly come here just to boast that your lineage has produced a promising successor?"

"How could I possibly have such leisure?" Chun Yangzi's smile gradually faded. "I came to ask whether the matter you investigated before has reached a conclusion."

"It has. The one who shattered the Eastern Heavenly Gate back then was the Black Emperor. He has since carved out a territory in the Immortal Realm, and he seems to have repeatedly grown stronger since."

Chun Yangzi frowned. "News of the Black Emperor has already spread widely. What else?"

"It seems the Red Emperor also conspired with him. The celestial body he guarded vanished without a trace, along with the million elite troops stationed there." Wang Shan paused briefly. "In the Nether Realm, there is a region perpetually engulfed in true fire, which seems to be the territory that the Red Emperor has claimed."

"The Red Emperor..." Chun Yangzi slowly nodded. "Any other news?"

Wang Shan shook his head. "My movements here are restricted, so I cannot gather much information. You would be better off investigating personally in the Immortal Realm."

Chun Yangzi smiled bitterly. "What makes you think I'll be able to return if I go?"

"Why are you so unwilling to yield even a little to those women?"

"It's a long story..."

Wang Shan shook his head slightly and took a sip of wine. He then asked, "How about you remain here in my stead and guard this place for a thousand years? I will go to the Immortal Realm and the four sky regions to search. There are matters that I feel uneasy leaving unanswered."

"This place of yours is rather remote," Chun Yangzi replied, agreeing without much hesitation. "Travel safely."

Wang Shan answered affirmatively, yet he was already fading. A warm breeze swept past, and he scattered with the wind.

Chun Yangzi sat for a short while longer. His eyebrows then lifted as he smiled faintly. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist going to look for Little Thirteenth. Did you really think I would travel all the way to this place just to drink and chat with you?"

As he spoke, he rose and walked toward a nearby ice cavern, where a passage sloped downward. In his hand was the severed finger that he had taken from the bronze box.

Descending slowly, he entered the frozen city. He then paused repeatedly before the sleeping figures. Threads of faint light emerged from their foreheads, flowing steadily into his palm.

1. Damn, this hits close to home. ☜

2. A group of five hundred guardian deities from Daoist mythology, led by Wang Shan. ☜