Chapter 219
Chapter 219
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Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Soul Lamp Extinguished
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Inside Dragon-Slicing Pass.
In the previous great battle, the foul blood qi that Perfected Being Yin Shan had sent into the formation using Qi Refining cultivators had been completely cleared away. The formation had returned to its perfect state.
Thanks to this, the moods of the various Perfected Beings had improved considerably.
Except for Many Treasures Child.
At this moment, he had been subtly isolated. Although the Five Elements Perfected Being said nothing, he clearly still suspected him of being a Demon Sect spy deep down.
This left Many Treasures Child with a belly full of stifled anger and nowhere to vent it. He admitted Dragon-Fishing Old Man's death had a little to do with him, but wasn't that because the Demon Sect was cunning and he had fallen for their scheme in a moment of carelessness? How could he possibly be a spy? The Demon Sect had robbed him back in the day! He bore a blood-deep grudge against the Demon Sect!
Everyone understood the reasoning.
Yet preconceived notions in the human heart were like a towering mountain. Once a fixed impression took root, no amount of explanation could dislodge it.
In his frustration, he had no choice but to seek out the Profound Iron Sword Master.
After all, among the Perfected Beings present, only the Profound Iron Sword Master was a newcomer. He held no prejudices against him, wouldn't shun him, and they could at least exchange a few words.
As for dealing with sword cultivators, Many Treasures Child was plenty experienced.
Just praise their sword.
“Fellow Daoist, may I touch your sword?”
Many Treasures Child cut straight to the chase, then expressed a few words of admiration for the Upper Profound Sword Sect. Before long, he and the Profound Iron Sword Master had warmed up to each other.
“Actually, I thought the Five Elements Fellow Daoist's words earlier were a bit biased.”
Many Treasures Child smiled.
“That Yuantu may be formidable, but he's not invincible. With your strength as a sword cultivator, Fellow Daoist, even if you might not defeat him outright, holding out for a hundred exchanges or so would be no issue.”
These words immediately hit the Profound Iron Sword Master's sweet spot.
After all, the Five Elements Perfected Being's earlier remarks had left him speechless. Now, hearing this “fair comment” at last, how could he not be pleased?
In that instant, he felt a surge of goodwill toward Many Treasures Child.
“Fellow Daoist overpraises me.”
The Profound Iron Sword Master waved his hand.
“If that fiend is truly as the Five Elements Fellow Daoist described, then I'm afraid only our sect master could stand against him in my Sword Sect.”
“Perfected Being Shangxuan?”
Many Treasures Child's eyes lit up at the words. He lavished more praise, then continued,
“Speaking of which, I heard Perfected Being Shangxuan is attempting a breakthrough to the late stage this time.”
“This endeavor is far too perilous—the heavenly thunder tribulation is no easy pass. Aren't you worried, Fellow Daoist?”
“Hahaha!”
The Profound Iron Sword Master burst into laughter.
“The so-called late-stage breakthrough is mere false news we deliberately spread. How could our sect master be so reckless?”
“This time, our sect master received funding from the Sword Pavilion to refine a supreme spirit sword. Once it's complete, he will rush here immediately to aid us. That's why I wasn't concerned about sneak attacks on Mysterious Sword Mountain earlier—our sect master isn't in deadly seclusion for a breakthrough. He can strike at any moment if a crisis arises!”
“In a pinch, I can still contact the sect master.”
With that, the Profound Iron Sword Master produced a lamp from his sleeve.
“Before I left, the sect master specially refined this soul lamp and entrusted it to me.”
“Within the lamp is a strand of the sect master's divine sense.”
“With the divine sense link, I can contact the sect master anytime through the soul lamp and learn the latest from Mysterious Sword Mountain. What worry is there?”
As the Profound Iron Sword Master spoke, he sensed something amiss.
For some reason, Many Treasures Child's face before him had turned deathly pale, his mouth twitching madly, one finger trembling as it pointed at him.
“Fellow Daoist?”
The Profound Iron Sword Master paused, glanced at himself—his robes intact, the lamp extinguished, his spirit sword undamaged. No issues. What was wrong?
“. . . Hm?”
The Profound Iron Sword Master froze.
The next second, he blinked. Then, this mid-Foundation Establishment Perfected Being, untouched by dust or grime, even wiped his eyes—an unprecedented act.
No mistake. It was extinguished.
Extinguished!?
Clang!
The lamp crashed to the ground and shattered. The divine sense and magic power that had sustained it had utterly dissipated.
In that moment, the Profound Iron Sword Master almost wished Perfected Being Shangxuan truly was attempting a late-stage breakthrough in seclusion. At least then he could console himself that the sect master had failed the breakthrough, extinguishing the soul lamp. But now, he could not deceive himself. There was only one possibility for Perfected Being Shangxuan's soul lamp to extinguish:
Upper Profound Sword Sect was no more!
“Impossible! Impossible!!!”
The Profound Iron Sword Master's vision darkened. He muttered lowly, sword qi erupting wildly from his body—his sword heart had faltered!
Yet the next second—
“Pa!”
A full-force slap landed squarely on the Profound Iron Sword Master's face, jolting him awake. He stared blankly at his assailant.
It was Many Treasures Child.
Many Treasures Child's face was twisted in terror, yet his eyes gleamed with clarity—calm to the extreme.
“Fellow Daoist, don't panic.”
Many Treasures Child said gravely.
“I've already sealed the qi fluctuations. No one knows about Upper Profound Sword Sect yet. This is our chance! Use this window to slip away. There's no point defending Dragon-Slicing Pass anymore!”
Many Treasures Child saw it clearly.
With Upper Profound Sword Sect's overnight destruction, [Qing Kingdom]'s strongest reinforcements were gone. Dragon-Slicing Pass had become rootless water!
By contrast, the Demon Sect's morale soared.
What was left to fight for?
“Staying at Dragon-Slicing Pass is just waiting to die. Now it's either find a new backer or run. Or does Fellow Daoist Profound Iron wish to reincarnate?”
Life and death on the line, the Profound Iron Sword Master came to his senses.
“Fellow Daoist . . . you're right!”
After Upper Profound Sword Sect's fall, Dragon-Slicing Pass was a tomb. Fail to flee now, and once the Demon Sect pushed south, escape would be impossible!
But soon despondency returned.
“Even if we flee, where to?”
South? Sword Pavilion lay south—they had funded Upper Profound Sword Sect precisely for desperate battle now. How could they tolerate desertion?
East? [Qing Kingdom] would make examples of them.
North? Defect to Primal Saint Sect?
At the thought, the Profound Iron Sword Master's gaze toward Many Treasures Child sharpened.
You brat . . . you aren't truly a Demon Sect—no, Saint Sect—spy, are you?
At the same time, Many Treasures Child caught the half-suspicious, half-eager look in the Profound Iron Sword Master's eyes and grasped the unspoken meaning.
“I truly am not!”
Many Treasures Child looked helpless. Truth be told, he now wished he were a Saint Sect spy—but he bore no ties whatsoever to those northern beasts.
“I mean west. Join the Buddhists!”
With that, Many Treasures Child reached into his robes and produced an emerald-carved Buddha statue.
“To be frank, the Pure Land has approached me.”
He truly was no Saint Sect spy.
He was a Pure Land plant!
“The Pure Land's Great Arhat promised me: pull people into the Pure Land during this great war, and the more temples I establish there later, the higher my status.”
Many Treasures Child spoke lowly.
“And Fellow Daoist Profound Iron—you're the first Perfected Being I've recruited. Joining the Pure Land now reaps the greatest rewards. You can recruit too. The more we bring in, the greater our provisions for cultivation after entering the Pure Land—fuel for our future paths.”
“. . .”
The Profound Iron Sword Master fell silent briefly. But with his Sword Sect gone, what hesitation remained? He gritted his teeth.
“How do we do it?”
Many Treasures Child beamed.
“Just place your hand on the Buddha statue.”
The Profound Iron Sword Master complied at once.
The next instant, a Buddhist light bloomed in his knowledge sea—like a blazing sun rising slowly, illuminating his thoughts in a flash.
Then, amid the light materialized a white lotus pedestal. Seated upon it was a dharma body with the thirty-two perfect aspects: flesh topknot, ritual implements in hand, radiant glow emanating, a compassionate smile on its face, every gesture exuding transcendence beyond ordinary Foundation Establishment Perfected Beings.
“Amitabha.”
The four-word invocation emerged from the dharma body, instantly soothing the Profound Iron Sword Master's recent panic and terror. Serenity and calm settled over his features.
Then, he too pressed his palms together and sighed.
“Alas, only today do I know I am myself!”
“Amitabha!”