"We aren't done with our chat. Don't be in such a rush to leave."
When the black-robed elder heard that, he fled even faster.
Sou!
The black mist flew away in panic.
"You truly do not know when to give up." Qin Yun flicked his sleeve as a flying sword that resembled a green leaf streaked across the sky. It flashed, and left a thin trajectory across the sky before rapidly catching up to the fleeing black mist.
"Those three Essence Souls wouldn't dare to kill me but that mortal is not restrained by the Heavenly Dao," The black-robed elder cursed silently while he fled. "Darn it, his Dao domain is already fifteen kilometers, more than sufficient for him to reach the second Firmament Essence Soul realm. Yet, he still stays at the Connate Golden Core realm? For me to encounter a Connate Golden Core of such strength and patience, this luck of mine…"
"Oh no!"
The elder was also keeping an eye what was happening behind him. His expression changed when he saw the Green Leaf Flying Sword closing in on him. "His flying sword Dharma treasure is this fast, even faster than my flying speed?"
"What a fast flying sword."
"This speed…"
The three Essence Souls from the Scenic Jade Palace were astounded when they saw the scene playing out before their very eyes.
"Normal cultivators will express the charms of a Dharma treasure when they control one. This flying sword appears to be even more agile and ingenious under this Qin Yun's control. It even flies this fast!" The man thought to himself. "Could he be of the sword immortal lineage?"
Those that used flying swords… were not necessarily sword immortals.
But swords under the control of sword immortals were at their most agile!
Only under the control of a sword immortal would a flying sword have the qualification to be described as 'a single sword destroying all Dharma.'
"So what if your Dao domain is powerful? Do you think you can take me down with a mere flying sword?" The elder's angry voice boomed. Black mist gathered around his body as he shook the gonfalon in his hand. Immediately, eighty fiends flew out of it as they were naturally formed by an array formation. As soon as they appeared, they surged towards the incoming Green Leaf Flying Sword.
"Roar——!"
The eighty fiends attacked in a swarm as they opened their mouths wide, readying to intercept the sword.
"Whoosh—" The fiends spewed out strong winds that formed blade winds under the array formation. Thousand of blade winds seemed to surge at the Green Leaf Flying Sword like a rapturous tidal wave.
"Swoosh!"
The Green Leaf Flying Sword gently vibrated and tore through the blade winds like a fish in water. Pew! Pew! Pew! It easily penetrated the layers of blade winds and, followed by a flash, pierced through the eighty fiend shadows.
The fiend shadows completely dissipated but immediately gathered together once again. However, they were clearly lost some of their size.
"Whoosh." The Green Leaf Flying Sword carved out a curved trajectory and circled to a spot in front of the black-robed elder. Stopping in midair, it had its tip pointed at him, causing him to freeze in fear.
The eight fiends that had formed an array formation had failed to put up a resistance, so naturally, he did not dare to test the sword with his own body.
"Return all of you." The black-robed elder looked at the thinned fiend shadows with a pained heart. With a flick of the gonfalon, the fiend shadows all flew back into it.
"A flying sword is able to crack my fiend weapon. To be able to control a flying sword with such prowess, are you a legendary sword immortal?" The black-robed elder turned to look at the distant Qin Yun with gonfalon in hand. Black mist emanated from his body as he constantly watched the Green Leaf Flying Sword. He was prepared to activate the Transference Token to leave at any time.
"Sword immortal?" Qin Yun was slightly taken aback but he did explain a thing.
According to what he knew, the Effulgent Great World had so many cultivation sects that the 'sword immortal' lineage which could only cultivate to a maximum of the Connate Golden Core lacked any extensive ownership of lands. After all, a sect without even an Essence Soul realm wasn't able to establish itself in the Effulgent Great World!
"Hand over two transcendent-grade Dharma treasures and I'll let you off," said Qin Yun. "If not, I can only attack. You should know by now that those fiend weapons of yours won't be able to stop me."
"Two transcendent-grade Dharma treasures?" The elder said with an angry glare, "I only tried to extort one from you. Now, you are extorting two from me?"
"From the way you tried to rob me, it's probably not the first or second time you are doing such a deed," said Qin Yun. "It should not be an unreasonable request to demand two transcendent-grade Dharma treasures from you."
"Hmph!"
The elder grunted angrily, "That's too much. One transcendent-grade Dharma treasure. Take that and spare me or I'd rather activate my Transference Token! I've spent enough time in the Ancient Augury World after all!"
"Two," said Qin Yun indifferently.
"One! You will get nothing if I leave," said the elder hoarsely.
"Then, go ahead and leave the Ancient Augury World," scoffed Qin Yun.
The elder was slightly taken aback. He obviously did not wish to leave the Ancient Augury World so easily. He had only been there for a year. There were still two more years to go! Even if he searched slowly over the next two years, it would not be difficult for him to amass one transcendent-grade Dharma treasure even if his luck was bad. If he had good luck, he might even reap a huge harvest!
"One and a half! That is my limit," said the elder in a deep voice. "Even if I stayed here for a while longer, it might not be possible for me to obtain another two transcendent-grade Dharma treasures."
Qin Yun looked straight into his eyes and nodded slightly. "Fine, we shall each take one step back. One and a half transcendent-grade Dharma treasures."
After coming to an agreement, the elder handed over a pile of fragmentary treasures. They were barely worth one and a half transcendent-grade Dharma treasures.
Qin Yun spared him in exchange.
"Right. Since he has handed over the treasures obediently, you should keep your promise." The handsome youth nodded when he saw that. "By going back on your word, you would sully our Scenic Jade Palace's reputation. Even I would step in at that point."
"Since I entered as a representative of the Scenic Jade Palace, I naturally won't tarnish the Scenic Jade Palace's reputation," said Qin Yun with a smile.
"That flying sword is so powerful in your hands." The man said out of curiosity. "Greetings Brother Qin Yun, I'm Lu Fan. Might I ask if you cultivate in the sword immortal lineage?"
Qin Yun hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying with a smile, "Yes, I cultivate in the sword immortal lineage."
It did not matter if he revealed it at this point.
"Sword immortal lineage?" exclaimed the white-dressed woman. "How is it possible… Our Effulgent Great World… should not have a sect with such a powerful sword immortal lineage."
"There is no sword immortal lineage among the big sects I know of!" The handsome youth nodded.
"No, it's actually quite common to see one cultivate a sword immortal lineage Dharmic formulation to the Connate Golden Core realm. Even our Scenic Jade Palace has a few such manuals in its collection," said the man.
"Just to cultivate to the Connate Golden Core realm? That's a mortal-level Dharmic formulation, isn't that so? It's not considered an immortal cultivation Dharmic formulation," said the white-dressed woman without much concern.
Qin Yun was taken aback.
What she said did sound very reasonable.
The limit was the Connate Golden Core! Indeed, it was only a mortal-level maximum. He himself was also only a mortal.
The handsome youth could not help but comment, "I have never heard of anyone in our Scenic Jade Palace cultivate in such Dharmic formulations. Our Scenic Jade Palace, do we actually collect such manuals?"
"Yes, I once saw them back when I read through many manuals. They were in the corners where no one goes to. After all, our Scenic Jade Palace has so many cultivation Dharmic formulations. People naturally avoid the sword immortal Dharmic formulation because it's unable to condense an Essence Soul. In immortal cultivation, the goal is to gain eternal life after all." The man smiled as he looked at Qin Yun. "For Brother Qin to be able to join us on this trial, he must have quite an extraordinary background. Since he cultivated in the sword immortal lineage, he naturally would not cultivate to be a sword immortal that is limited to the Connate Golden Core realm."
"Am I right?" The man smiled as he looked at Qin Yun. "Brother Qin Yun, you must be from from the direct sword cultivation line of the Grand Supreme lineage, isn't that so?"
"Direct sword cultivation line of the Grand Supreme lineage?" Qin Yun was taken aback.
The man was filled with confidence initially, but when he saw Qin Yun's shocked expression, he could not help but ask, "Aren't you aware of it yourself?"
"Aware of what?" asked Qin Yun.
"Although the Three Realms are endless in space, the sword cultivation lineage was created by the Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor," explained the man. "A true sword immortal is one that is from the direct sword cultivation line of the Grand Supreme lineage. In contrast, the relatively common sword immortal Dharmic formulations that can only reach the Connate Golden Core realm are those created by mighty figures."
"Mighty figures are not sword immortals themselves. Therefore, they can only figure the formulations out up to the mortal level," said the man. "They are too common and lack potential for the future. With your talent, I doubt you would cultivate in such a Dharmic formulation, right?"
Qin Yun was enlightened.
Created by the Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor of the Three Pure Ones? Direct sword cultivation line?
It was no wonder there were Dharma treasures such as the Grotto-heaven Sword Calabash that only sword immortals could use.
"Brother Lu, to be honest," said Qin Yun frankly. "I do cultivate in one of the mortal-level sword immortal Dharmic formulations that you mentioned. Therefore, I'm also just a mortal sword immortal!"