The Mount Shu Sword Sect was the number one sect of sword cultivation, and its disciples were all sword cultivators. They did not practice spells nor did they craft magic items – they engaged in their battles of the world with a simple longsword. The sharpness of their attacks and the ferocity of their battles were renowned across the world.
There was saying amongst the Divine Lands with a decent popularity: The Mount Shu cultivators were a class above. What it meant was that, in terms of battle prowess, any Mount Shu sword cultivator could engage in battle with cultivators at least one level of mastery above them.
They were very different from the Great Void Sect, who were generally reclusive and kept to themselves. When the Mount Shu Sword Sect was expanding the influence of their sect, they brought together the other sword sects – the Heavenly Master Sword Sect, the Great Barren sword Sect, the Sword of Radiance Sect, the Intense Flaming Sword Sect and the other main sword sects of the world – to form the Nine Heavenly Sword Alliance. They became a force to be reckoned with, and one that even the Great Void Sect had to pay attention to.
However, there was infighting and internal conflict within the Nine Heavenly Sword Alliance. Whether it was the Great Void Sect, the Great Zhou Empire or the Great Qin Empire or the other powers of the world, all of them did not wish to see a unified Nine Heavenly Sword Alliance with the Mount Shu Sword Sect as its core.
Due to the unique characteristics of sword cultivation, the sword cultivators of Mount Shu hard-edged and their attitudes were generally more overbearing and unscrupulous.
The unifying factor of Mount Shu cultivators was that the sheath of the sword they carry around all had carvings of landscape inscriptions.
The two great sword cultivators that appeared in front of Lin Feng both did not have a sword with them. However, the aura of the sword that came out from them were head-turning. The sword aura and the air of hostility that came from of them seemed to be subtly directed towards Lin Feng.
Lin Feng’s expression was plain as per normal. He watched the other guy in silence. He was a middle-aged man with three strands of beard on his chin, a talon-like nose and two eyes that had sharp and piercing qualities. He wore a flamboyant robe, and his whole body exuded a ferocious sword aura – one could tell that he made no effort to hide it.
Typically, the mana and aura of cultivators that had reached the immortal soul stage would not be so easily exposed. This was not a deliberate attempt at hiding it, rather it was because they were complementary to the world and were one with Heaven and Earth.
Only when they made a move or unleashed their attacks did they depart from this state and formed their own personality.
This middle-aged man with the talon-like nose was completely different from the rest. He was just standing there but it felt like he was entirely dissimilar from the world’s fate and destinies – something was just not right.
When Lin Feng looked at him,, he felt like he was watching a sharp-edged sword. It was upside-down, and the tip of the sword was pointing towards the vast universe.
The spirit and energy of Mount Shu Sword Sect cultivators were completely exposed. They made no attempt to hide it, and it seemed as if the higher the level of mastery, the more conspicuous this state became.
Lin Feng had witnessed great sword cultivators of the immortal soul stage like the Supreme Radiance Swordmaster and the Sun Radiance Swordmaster before. They were like sheathed longswords and were unaffected by the tides of time. Only when their swords left the sheathes did they display their otherworldly glory and brilliance.
Yet, the man with the talon-like nose in front of him seemed like he did not need a sheath at all. He seemed to use all beings under the Heavens and everything he could come into contact with to sharpen the edge of his sword. There was a very boastful and domineering air about him.
Lin Feng had a realization. "This person’s sword cultivation should be the Shaoshang Sword, one of the Mount Shu Six Passages of the Sword, and also the most ferocious and domineering one."
"But by observing his level of mastery, he’s only the first level of the immortal soul stage. Then, he’s not the Shaoshang Swordmaster."
From his knowledge, the Mount Shu Sword Sect was under the leadership of one leader. Under the great leader, there were six swordmasters that headed the respective Six Passages of the Sword.
All of this head swordmasters were second-level immortal soul stage cultivators. Besides them, there were some sword cultivators of the first-level immortal soul stage.
The strength of the Mount Shu Sword Sect was indeed a class above the rest.
The talon-nosed man in front of him should be of the Shaoshang Sword. He was probably one of the immortal soul stage Elders under the head swordmaster.
"As for the other one…" Lin Feng shifted his gaze from the talon-nosed man to the elderly figure beside him. Beside his domineering and flamboyant companion, not only did this old man’s existence not feel any weaker, it seemed to be even stronger.
He had a frail and plain face, and his eyes were stoic. His whole being resembled a stone statue, as if nothing in the world could rouse his interest. Yet, at the same time, nothing in the world could cause him to falter and move.
His sword aura seemed solemn, quaint and rustic yet even more vigorous. The level of vigor felt even greater than that of the domineering Shaoshang Sword beside him.
Even though the talon-nosed man of the first-level immortal soul stage walked in front of this elderly figure, there was a subtle feeling that he was taking point and clearing the path for the latter.
When she faced this elderly figure, Yan Mingyue’s expression was serious and solemn as she greeted him. "The Guanchong Swordmaster has arrived personally. You have my humble greetings."
The Stellar Holy Man also wore a respectful expression and made a greeting himself.
Prince Anliang Shi Zongyue also said slowly, "The Guanchong Swordmaster – long time no see."
Lin Feng smiled. This elderly man was indeed the Head of the Guanchong Sword of the Mount Shu Sword Sect – the Guanchong Swordmaster.
The Mount Shu Six Passages of the Sword differed in their masteries and the secrets of their craft. Every passage studied one particular aspect of the way of the sword to the pinnacle.
The Shaoyang Sword was upright and peaceful, and its masteries were the hardest to master. However, once it had been mastered, it was perfect, whole, benevolently invincible and had no weaknesses. It was the consensually recognized as the leader of the Six Passages of the Sword.
The Shaoshang Sword was the most ferocious and overbearing. They seemed all-conquering and had the ability to cleave anything in the world in two.
The Grand Moon Sword was the most mutable and feminine. The changes were unpredictable, and their swords were like the clouds and the mist; there was no fixed form or shape, yet that did not affect the strength and lethality of their attacks.
It was different from the Radiant Clouds Sword Technique of the Sword of Radiance Sect. The transformations of the sword Qi and sword auras were the salient features Radiant Clouds Sword Technique, along with the variability of the sword Qi and the acuteness of the sword radiances. On the other hand, the Mount Shu Grand Moon Sword combined the unpredictable changes of technique with formidable lethality.
The Shaoze Sword was the most agile and the speediest. They could pierce through the void and seemed to reach the ends of the Earth like it was an inch. They could bend space-time to decimate their opponents.
This way of the sword was one of the few Passages in the Grand Celestial World that aurous core stage cultivators could practice. The great abhijna of piercing space-time could only be used from the nascent soul stage onwards. If an immortal soul stage cultivator used it, there was yet another dimension of profound formidability.
The Lixiong Sword: Usually, all the sword Qi was hidden within the bodies of Lixiong sword cultivators. They had to endure pain much like the slashing of a thousand blades on their own bodies. Before they could hurt their enemies, they had to hurt themselves.
However, once the sword was unleashed, the sword Qi that was contained within the body of the cultivator would be explosively released along with the sword. The Lixiong Sword was the most insidious and the sharpest of the Six Passages of the Sword, and their force of attack was focused on a single point. They were also known as the number one of the Mount Shu Six Passages of the Sword.
The Guanchong Sword was the most unassuming and low-profile of the Six Passages of the Sword. This was because their masteries focused on unleashing the full potential of the rustic and dignified nature of swordplay.
It seemed cumbersome, but it was counter-intuitively nimble and creative. The force and strength were not usually obvious when the cultivator’s mastery was low. However, as they advanced through the levels of mastery and as they attained ever deeper understanding of this particular way of the sword, the force of their swordplay became stronger and stronger – almost to the point where they could rival the Shaoyang Sword. On a certain level, they were counters to the Shaoshang, Grand Moon, Shaoze and the Lixiong Sword.
The Guanchong Swordmaster in front of Lin Feng at this moment was, undoubtedly, was a great sword cultivator that had practiced the Guanchong Sword to an infinitely high level.
Lin Feng looked at the Guanchong Swordmaster calmly and said, "A head swordmaster from the Mount Shu – Your reputation precedes you."
The Guanchong Swordmaster stoically returned the greetings from Yan Mingyue and the others. As his gaze shifted to Lin Feng, he paused for a moment longer but said nothing.
His seemingly dead eyes regained a little vitality as they were trained on Lin Feng.
Yet, at the same time, the rustic quality of this sword aura became sharper and more serious.
The talon-nosed middle-aged man beside the Guanchong Swordmaster glanced at Lin Feng out of the corner of his eye and asked, "So you are Lin Feng, the leader of the Celestial Sect of Wonders?"
Lin Feng replied calmly, "How do I address you?"
Yan Mingyue explained from the side. "This is the Mountain-Breaking Swordmaster, Ning Lang of the Shaoshang Sword."
Ning Lang watched Lin Feng and suddenly spoke. "You can leave behind the talisman for our trip towards the middle world where the Qiong Qi are residing in, then you can leave."
Lin Feng’s expression remained unchanged. He looked at Ning Lang and the corners of his mouth seemed to curl into a smile. "Oh?"
Ning Lang took a step forward, and the his fierce and domineering aura immediately surged towards Lin Feng. His tone was plain, as if he was simply saying something entirely normal. "Leave the talisman behind, then piss off."
"The Mount Shu Sword Sect did not interfere with the Secret Treasure of Kun Peng – that is your reward. A person needs to know when to proceed and when to retreat, and to know their graces and the reality of outcomes."
Ning Lang said plainly, "If not for this fact, did you really think that you could obtained half of the Kun Peng’s remains with your own abilities? Now that I think of it, the bunch of you were really useless. You all just let the demon tribe bring back half the Kun Peng’s remains back to the Barren Expanses."
"If we were there, we would have completely decimated the Kun Peng. How could we let it escape back to the demon world?"
His tone was extremely casual. However, he seemed to drag in the Great Qin Empire that Shi Zongyue and the Stellar Holy Man represented. This was because the Vivant Joy Holy Man was still nursing his heavy injuries from that day till now back at the capital of the Great Qin Empire, Xiling City.
However, Shi Zongyue and the Stellar Holy Man said nothing in response. It was not a bad thing for the Great Qin Empire if the Mount Shu Sword Sect and the Celestial Sect of Wonders sparked a conflict. They were not prepared to enter the fray.
Lin Feng listened to the end but did not grow furious or upset. He turned to Yan Mingyue beside him and said, "What does the Great Void Sect think?"
Without waiting for Yan Mingyue’s response, Ning Lang opened his mouth. "Enough nonsense. The Great Void Sect can protect you once but not a second time."
"At the battle of Mount Kunlun half a year ago, if not for the fact that the Great Void Sect stopped the Lixiong Swordmaster on your behalf, you would have perished long ago."
Lin Feng watched him with mild amusement. "Oh? Are you sure?"
Ning Lang’s tone was still plain and indifferent. "I know you rely on that magical Mount Yujing. I cannot deny that that magical mountain is indeed powerful, but…"
His eyelids opened a little more, and his gaze shot towards Lin Feng like two streaks of cold lightning. He took another step towards Lin Feng, and the sword aura around him had completely materialized into solid form. The sharp and domineering sword aura pierced the space around him as he looked at Lin Feng with contempt.
"Even though my sword is not as fast as the Shaoze Sword, but there are not more than give steps between you and me at this moment. At such a short distance, I can murder you with one stab – do you think you have the chance to call Mount Yujing to pulverize me?"
Ning Lang said quietly, "Or is it that strange black parasol of yours? That’s just a turtle shell – it can only defend but it cannot attack. How can you fight Mount Shu?"
He surveyed the surrounding barren mountain ranges. "This is indeed a great place. The Great Thunderclap Temple, the old monk temples – oh how glorious were they? Yet in the end this was their fate. How do you think the Celestial Sect of Wonders compares to the Great Thunderclap Temple?"
From the beginning to the end, Lin Feng’s expression was calm as usual. He did not look at Ning Lang anymore and turned towards the Guanchong Swordmaster. "Are his words representative of himself, or of the entire Mount Shu?"
The Guanchong Swordmaster watched Lin Feng but remained silent as if he was thinking.
Ning Lang took yet another step forward. The sharp and overbearing sword aura was almost completely enveloping Lin Feng as he said slowly, "I will say it one last time. Leave the talisman behind, and run as far as you can. The Qiong Qi conquest is not something that you can participate in."
"If you are not going to leave, then you will never leave!"
Lin Feng shifted the entirety of his focus back towards Ning Lang. He watched the great sword cultivator that was right in front of him, and a wide smile appeared on his face.