Chapter 423
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Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Piercing Earth Abyss
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Jiangnan Sword Pavilion, Piercing Earth Abyss.
As the name implied, this place stood at one end of the spectrum opposite the Extreme Heaven Cliff. One soared straight into the clouds, linking to the walls of the azure heavens, while the other plunged deep into the earth's crust, forming a chasm of阴煞 energies.
Yet precisely because of this, it was also an excellent cultivation ground. Deep within, one refined swords with earthly baleful fire and tempered them against阴诡 demon heads, equivalent to ceaseless day-and-night combat. Fail, and death followed. Without Foundation Establishment, one couldn't even withstand the baleful fire and阴魔, let alone qualify to enter.
As for the deepest part of the Piercing Earth Abyss, it had once been a dao arena for a Sword Pavilion Perfected Being, just like the peak of Extreme Heaven Cliff.
After the various Perfected Beings went into seclusion, while Perfected Being Demon-Quelling took charge of Extreme Heaven Cliff, the Piercing Earth Abyss gained a new master: Sword Pavilion's Perfected Being Yexie.
Boom rumble!
At this moment, within the Piercing Earth Abyss, rolling baleful fires gathered, birthing thunder from the flames. Thunder and fire intertwined, illuminating the dim chasm as bright as day.
Deafening blasts echoed without end.
After a long while like this, a figure in青衣 finally emerged from the layered thunder and fire. His angular face was filled with solemnity.
He wore no lavish adornments from head to toe, not even a spirit treasure. Only by observing with divine sense could one see the soaring sword intent on his body subtly resonating with the Piercing Earth Abyss. At a glance, it seemed not a man standing there, but a treasure sword forged from flowing fire!
"Amitabha."
At that instant, a resonant Buddha's proclamation rang out from the baleful fires. Then, a globe of Buddha light scattered the阴魔, and out stepped a novice monk.
Guangming Buddha Child!
This was still not his true body, far inferior even to his overseas avatar—just a mind-shadow incarnation. He smiled at Perfected Being Yexie.
"Congratulations, Benefactor Yexie. Your sword intent has advanced another step."
".Still not enough."
Perfected Being Yexie shook his head at the Guangming Buddha Child's praise.
"My [sword intent] remains unable to reach perfection. How exactly did he achieve it?"
The Guangming Buddha Child knew well that this "he" referred to Perfected Being Demon-Quelling. Sword Pavilion had countless sword cultivators across generations, yet only Demon-Quelling Perfected Being prefixed his [sword intent] with "Non-Killing." Only those who truly understood the depths of the sword path knew how astonishing that was.
"The foundation of the sword path was personally established by the patriarch."
"Later, [Rigid Form Preaching True Lord] presided over it, naming the method of honing soul, mind, and will to the extreme as [sword intent], thus fixing its title."
Don't think it was just a title.
In truth, it was also a symbol, bestowed by a late Golden Core grand Perfected Being, giving the name [sword intent] the weight of Mount Tai from then on.
Otherwise, with sword intent in existence, why no other intents in the world?
Blade intent, spear intent, arrow intent... They were merely different weapons; the essence was the same. Yet ever since the title of [sword intent] was set,
all other intents vanished.
From then on, every sword cultivator's insights in this path were forever confined within the framework of [sword intent], like chess pieces on a board, circling endlessly within it, unable to become true players. In the end, they only added bricks and tiles to the formation of the [Sword Path Fruit Position].
Perfected Being Demon-Quelling was the exception.
Though he hadn't broken free of the [sword intent] framework either, he innovated upon it, transforming it into [Non-Killing Sword Intent] and forging his own path.
Without that, how could Sword Pavilion have favored him?
"Benefactor need not worry."
Seeing this, the Guangming Buddha Child chuckled lightly.
"This monk came precisely to congratulate Benefactor, resolving that long-standing worry of yours."
"Oh?"
Perfected Being Yexie raised an eyebrow at the words, then pinched his fingers to divine. He instantly grasped the cause and effect.
"Yun Qingchuan... he actually succeeded in returning?"
Yun Qingchuan, the Yun family ancestor.
Earlier, on the Guangming Buddha Child's guidance, he had sent him to the Law Refining Secret Realm to seek Innate Perfected Being Mu Changsheng for the method of stripping consciousness.
The next instant, the Guangming Buddha Child beckoned casually, and a newborn infant appeared in his palm, shrouded head to toe in spirit light. Though an infant, it showed the weariness of ages—it was unmistakably the Yun family ancestor, whose fetal enigma had been awakened.
"Greetings, Perfected Being."
The Yun family ancestor looked expectant, then refined his divine sense and transformed it into a dao scripture, presenting it to Perfected Being Yexie.
"This old man has not failed you."
"Well done."
Perfected Being Yexie took it calmly, but didn't rush to open it. Instead, he looked to the Guangming Buddha Child.
"Master, you know what I seek is not this."
With Perfected Being Demon-Quelling guarding Jiangnan, the Guangming Buddha Child's true body dared not enter, yet he met him in secret. Was it merely for a consciousness-stripping method?
What he wanted was the Guangming Buddha Child's "Buddha affinity"!
White Wax Gold was a dead end; he sought to seize a chance at metal attainment through this!
Just like Administration Commission Commissioner Wu Tai'an of the Dao Court.
Thus, since their first meeting, he had hinted more than once to the Guangming Buddha Child, expressing willingness to become his chosen disciple in Jiangnan.
Yet the Guangming Buddha Child had always feigned ignorance.
This time was no different. Meeting Perfected Being Yexie's gaze, the Guangming Buddha Child pressed his palms together.
"Buddha affinity is fated. Benefactor, do not force it."
*'Joking, are you even worthy?'*
A cultivator of [White Wax Gold], whose path was severed by Angxiao due to Chen soil—a cripple—daring to become my disciple? Pure delusion!
".Very well."
Perfected Being Yexie sighed, clearly aware of his precarious position, and shifted his mind to the consciousness-stripping method before him.
"This item... no rush to use it yet."
"If Master is willing to assist, I wish to strive once more."
With that, Perfected Being Yexie suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing through layers of obstruction to land on Extreme Heaven Cliff, though he dared not look directly at the figure atop it.
*'Demon-Quelling... how many more days can you suppress it?'*
Both at peak Foundation Establishment, Perfected Being Yexie could likewise see Demon-Quelling Perfected Being's current fortune. In his view, Demon-Quelling was on the verge of metal attainment in mere days.
He had no choice in this.
The consciousness-stripping method was merely a backup.
After all, using it meant utterly abandoning this golden era of metal-seeking. Unless utterly desperate, how could he accept that?
*'Moreover, the [Sword Path Fruit Position]... I still have a chance!'*
*'With my sword intent, converting to a great sword cultivator holds promise! As long as Demon-Quelling sacrifices to manifest it—he must manifest it!'*
Watching Perfected Being Yexie's shifting expression, the Guangming Buddha Child recited a Buddha's proclamation softly.
At this point, he needed say no more.
Human desires were like boulders rolling down a mountain—once started, they could not stop. He need only give a gentle push, then sit back for the show.
Extreme Heaven Cliff.
Lu Yang controlled his sword path avatar to exit the ancestral hall. Through the Yun family ancestor, Guangming Buddha Child, and Perfected Being Yexie's schemes, he had grasped it all.
*'So that's how it is!'*
*'Not just Angxiao's plot, but Guangming Buddha Child's scheme too—they've colluded with Sword Pavilion Perfected Beings to strike at Demon-Quelling Perfected Being!'*
At the thought, Lu Yang immediately summoned escape light and flew straight toward the peak of Extreme Heaven Cliff, Demon-Quelling Perfected Being's seclusion grounds.
Master! I have a report to make!
There are bad guys in Sword Pavilion!