"Senior Brother, wait a moment!"
Composing herself, the young woman flew swiftly to Venerable Cangyang's side. Using sword qi as needles, she sealed his acupoints, then produced a small, bright mirror within which stood a sword gate. The gate bore a singular shape: a single mountain split in two with an entryway standing between them, as if a sky-propping titan had cleaved the great peak with a peerless sword!
At the center of the sword gate in the mirror, sword qi materialized and shot forth. *Clang, clang, clang!* Three streaks of sword qi flew out and drove into the back of Venerable Cangyang's head at the Yuzhen, his spine at the Jiaji, and his coccyx at the Weilu, sealing his three passes shut!
Xu Ying was visibly moved. The three passes—Weilu, Jiaji, and Yuzhen—were the channels connecting heaven and earth within the human body. Above the Yuzhen lay the internal ascension site; above the Jiaji stood the Twelve-Storyed Mansions, where the Primordial Spirit was forged; and above the Weilu sat the elixir cauldron where water and fire were tempered and the Golden Core was born!
Bone marrow fluid was the Heavenly River within the human body, while the thirty-three vertebrae of the spine and neck formed the inner Heavenly Mountain, representing the Thirty-Three Heavens.
The three passes guarded three vital nexuses. Opening them to ascend the Thirty-Three Heavens was a path to heaven—a journey from mortal to immortal!
By using the sword qi of the sword gate to close Venerable Cangyang's three passes, the young woman returned him to the mortal state and sealed away his cultivation. Even with power that could reach the heavens, he could no longer muster a single shred of it.
Such a sealing art was nothing short of miraculous.
After sealing Venerable Cangyang, she expressed her gratitude to Xu Ying. "Senior Brother, please recall your magical treasures."
Xu Ying put away his Mountain-River Bright Moon Pearls.
Stowing her mirror, the young woman raised her wrist to brush back a stray strand of hair by her temple. The golden bell on her fair wrist chimed crisp and clear. "I am the current sect master of the Mount Shu Sword Sect. My surname is Shi, and my given name is Yuqing. May I ask your name, Senior Brother?"
Xu Ying looked impressed and replied solemnly, "I am Xu Ying. Lady Shi, to already be the sect master of your generation at such a tender age is truly admirable."
Shi Yuqing giggled. "I'm not young at all! I'm over three thousand years old—much older than you!"
Xu Ying said in surprise, "You clearly look barely in your teens, pretty and charming enough for anyone to take an immediate liking to. How could you be over three thousand years old?"
Shi Yuqing could not help chuckling. "How old are you, then?"
"Probably over twenty thousand years old," Xu Ying answered.
Shi Yuqing stared at him with wide eyes, then burst into laughter. "I really am over three thousand years old, I'm not lying! Ah, never mind that—my experiences are too bizarre. If I told you, no one would believe it!"
Xu Ying felt the exact same way.
"Outside the Wangxiang Platform, I saw several dead ghosts. Was that your handiwork, Lady Yuqing?" Xu Ying inquired.
Shi Yuqing had delicate, beautiful features and carried an aura as elegant as an orchid. "I saw them eating people outside, so I got rid of them. If you are heading for the Nai River Bridge, Senior Brother Xu, why not travel together with me? The Wangxiang Platform is rife with danger, and the geography is terribly confusing. Even if I gave you directions, you would probably just get lost again in no time. By the way, seeing as you're quite capable, why don't you join my Mount Shu Sword Sect? I'll make you a Venerable!"
Xu Ying glanced around. The azure mist still lingered behind him, trailing him neither too far nor too close. The sight of it made him uneasy.
Under such circumstances, not knowing the way could easily land him in grave peril!
Xu Ying did not take the bait regarding joining the sect, asking instead, "When do you plan to head for the Nai River Bridge, Lady Yuqing?"
Shi Yuqing pressed her index and middle fingers together into a sword gesture, swiftly tracing a bizarre rune in midair before striking it into the center of Venerable Cangyang's brow. "Wait a moment, Senior Brother. Let me first see what on earth happened to Martial Uncle Cangyang."
As the sword rune entered his body, Venerable Cangyang shuddered, and his Realm of Xiyi manifested.
Shi Yuqing stepped into his Realm of Xiyi. Suddenly sensing something, she looked back to see Xu Ying following close behind. She said, "Martial Uncle Cangyang is a man of great perseverance and wisdom. For him to become like this, something must have polluted his body and mind!"
Xu Ying surveyed the surroundings closely. Slimy, bright-green mucus coated this realm everywhere, clinging even to the Dao images. The two flew upward side by side in search of Venerable Cangyang's Primordial Spirit. Venerable Cangyang's Realm of Xiyi was structurally intact and undamaged; his Heavenly River and Heavenly Mountain ran in parallel, stringing together his various realms.
At the lowest reach of the Heavenly River lay the Weilu mystic pass, connecting to the land and mountains of the Realm of Xiyi, above which floated immortal mountains and various Dao images.
Following the Heavenly River up tier after tier of the Heavenly Mountain brought them to the place of water-and-fire tempering. There, the Samadhi true fire formed a sea of flames, while the Samadhi divine water formed a vast ocean, swirling between them to shape a Taiji diagram. A Qi Refiner's Golden Core would pass through the Taiji, plunge into the sea of fire, and then rise again from the ocean.
Ascending further brought them to the second pass, the Jiaji mystic pass. Beyond the Jiaji mystic pass stood the Twelve-Storyed Mansions, inside of which the Primordial Spirit was born.
Going higher still led to the Jade Pool and the God Bridge, where the sun and moon could be seen in their courses.
Arriving at the third mystic pass, the Yuzhen Pass, one could look back and faintly discern a field of immortal light shimmering on the other shore—hazy and indistinct, appearing as though it were the Immortal Realm itself.
The journey toward the Immortal Realm was the Ascension stage.
However, Venerable Cangyang's Realm of Xiyi had been tainted. His immortal mountains dripped with bright-green slime, and the waters of his Heavenly River reeked foully.
Even the sea of Samadhi true fire and the ocean of Samadhi divine water had lost their purity.
"Even the Samadhi true fire and Samadhi divine water have been polluted!"
Xu Ying was filled with shock and suspicion. The corrupting power of the Wangxiang Platform was truly terrifying. Samadhi true fire could incinerate all things, and Samadhi divine water could dissolve all matter. These two divine elements were used to temper the Golden Core and were indispensable tools for slaying foes, burning corpses, and destroying all traces of evidence; they were almost impossible to corrode!
Yet Venerable Cangyang had succumbed to corrosion. This proved that an extraordinarily sinister force truly existed in the Wangxiang Platform, one against which nothing could remain immortal and indestructible!
*Those who took refuge here in search of immortality are probably doomed as well!* Xu Ying suddenly thought of Yuan Tiangang and felt a faint stir of unease. *Yuan Tiangang is also hiding in the Wangxiang Platform. Could he have been corrupted by it as well?*
After searching for a while, the two found Venerable Cangyang's Primordial Spirit inside the Twelve-Storyed Mansions.
The Twelve-Storyed Mansions were entangled with green slime and fibrous strips of flesh. Venerable Cangyang's Primordial Spirit resided inside the pavilions, but it had undergone a horrifying mutation.
Tentacle-like cords of green flesh grew from the structures, piercing into his Primordial Spirit and suspending him in midair, neither touching the heavens nor resting upon the earth. Strangely still, his eyes were no longer eyes, but sword hilts.
Two swords had been driven into his eye sockets, leaving only the hilts protruding. Two more swords were thrust into his ears, their hilts likewise sticking out.
The wings of his nose were sealed shut, leaving no nostrils. His mouth was the same; his upper and lower lips had grown completely together into a seamless seam.
Above his head hung a treasured sword, tip pointing down. Rust-pitted and wrapped in green flesh, it was aimed squarely at his Baihui point.
Shi Yuqing tried to approach. Suddenly, the sword burst with brilliant radiance. The sword light swept the green flesh from its blade and shot straight toward her!
A bright moon manifested behind Shi Yuqing. Sword light danced and surged from within the moon.
Only then did Xu Ying realize that the bright moon was actually a magical treasure, albeit distinct from ordinary ones. Vast sword qi and sword intent resided within it, packing immense power!
Shi Yuqing controlled streams of sword qi to parry the strikes from the sword in the pavilion as she fought her way inside. However, that sword belonged to Venerable Cangyang himself; before sealing himself away, he had laid down formidable restrictions so that any intruder would trigger an automatic attack! Unable to break into the pavilion, Shi Yuqing found herself in growing peril!
Right then, sword qi surged beside her. Xu Ying wielded his sword qi, unleashing the Thirteen Heavenly Sword Forms. His sword qi was free-spirited and sweeping, harmonizing seamlessly with hers to deflect every attack coming from the pavilion!
Both surprised and delighted, Shi Yuqing looked at the youth beside her and thought, *Did the patriarchs of my sword sect arrange for him to come help me?*
Joining their swords, the two finally fought their way into the first tier of the Twelve-Storyed Mansions!
Xu Ying summoned a Mountain-River Bright Moon Pearl to anchor the first tier before charging up to the second with Shi Yuqing.
Though this was their first time joining forces, their coordination felt as natural as if they had practiced it countless times. Whenever their sword qi touched, their sword intent surged and their power multiplied. They swept forward with crushing momentum, not only fending off the sword qi raining from the top tier, but also obliterating the bizarre flesh within the pavilion!
Strangely, however, once destroyed, the flesh regenerated endlessly!
Xu Ying left pearl after pearl to suppress each floor of the Twelve-Storyed Mansions until they finally reached the top tier.
Shi Yuqing rushed forward. Looking at Venerable Cangyang's four-zhang-tall Primordial Spirit, her heart trembled. "Martial Uncle Cangyang, who wounded you like this?"
She channeled sword qi to sever the grotesque flesh piercing his Primordial Spirit.
Yet the flesh could not be destroyed; the moment she cut it, it reconnected, continuing to burrow into Cangyang's body!
Xu Ying summoned his remaining bright moon pearls to suppress Venerable Cangyang's rusted sword, saying, "Yuqing, I don't think someone else did this to him. He inflicted these wounds upon himself."
Shi Yuqing looked at him in confusion. Xu Ying floated upward to examine the two swords driven into the Primordial Spirit's eyes. "He destroyed his own vision so that he could not see. He was afraid that if his eyes saw a certain thing, his Primordial Spirit would be controlled or polluted."
Shi Yuqing floated up to Cangyang's ears. "You mean he destroyed his own ears because he didn't want to hear some sound capable of polluting his Primordial Spirit?"
Xu Ying nodded gently. "He sealed his mouth and nose so he could neither smell nor taste, all out of fear of being tainted by something from outside."
Shi Yuqing flew above Cangyang's head and looked down at the rusted sword. "Then what is the meaning of this sword?"
Landing beside her, Xu Ying carefully inspected the suppressed sword. A thought struck him, and he began retrieving his Mountain-River Bright Moon Pearls one by one.
He retrieved them slowly, testing them one after another. As the suppression waned, the rust-covered sword began to sink downward, slowly nearing Cangyang's Baihui point!
Shi Yuqing cried out in alarm and hurriedly grabbed the rusted blade.
"This sword was his final resort—suicide," Xu Ying said, summoning the pearls once more to pin the rusted sword in place. "He feared being completely polluted, so he left this sword to slay his own Primordial Spirit before he lost control entirely, preventing himself from wreaking havoc!"
Shi Yuqing listened with a racing heart and murmured, "Just what did Martial Uncle Cangyang encounter to treat himself so cruelly?"
Xu Ying's heart stirred. "He was sealing himself away. If we cut his mouth open so he can speak, we will know what happened to him!"
Shi Yuqing calmed herself. "Martial Uncle Cangyang sealed himself to avoid being polluted. If we cut his mouth open and cause him to be corrupted, wouldn't we be harming him?"
Xu Ying nodded slightly. "You have a point. So, should we cut his mouth open or not?"
The two exchanged a look.
Shi Yuqing reached into the bright moon disc behind her and drew out an iron sword. "I'll do it myself. Even if something goes wrong, it will have nothing to do with you."
With a gentle flick of the iron sword, a thin line appeared across the blank flesh of Venerable Cangyang's mouth.
Shi Yuqing took a step back, watching him tensely. The mouth of Cangyang's Primordial Spirit slowly parted. Suddenly, an extraordinary sound emerged from his lips—strange, mysterious, and obscure. At first, it sounded harmless, but after just a few phrases, Shi Yuqing felt a warm sensation in her nostrils. She raised a hand to touch her face, only to find her fingers coated in blood.
Her eyes abruptly turned blood-red, and two trails of bloody tears streamed down her cheeks! Her ears buzzed deafeningly, bleeding without pause!
Shi Yuqing panicked and raised her hand to seal the Primordial Spirit's mouth, but the yuan qi, divine sense, and Dao images within her all fell into disarray!
Right then, Cangyang's voice stopped abruptly, and his mouth closed once more.
As if relieved of an immense burden, Shi Yuqing broke out in a drenching sweat, panting heavily. She cried in shock, "His Primordial Spirit has already been polluted! Martial Uncle Cangyang didn't seal himself to keep the corruption out—he sealed the pollution inside his Primordial Spirit to keep it from spreading!"
Xu Ying's expression was grave. "What afflicted him is Immortal Dao pollution."
Shi Yuqing froze, looking back at him. "Immortal Dao pollution?"
Only then did she notice that Xu Ying's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose showed not the slightest trace of blood. Earlier, when Cangyang had uttered that immortal Dao sound, even she had been unable to withstand it, her Dao techniques and divine abilities throwing her inner cultivation into chaos. Yet Xu Ying stood there as if nothing had happened at all!
Xu Ying explained, "When mortals hear the Heavenly Dao, they lose their minds because they cannot comprehend it. Wherever the Heavenly Dao brings pollution, living beings fall into madness and slaughter one another. The Immortal Dao is on an even higher level. Forget ordinary mortals—even the mightiest Qi Refiners can neither comprehend nor decipher it."
With a solemn face, he flew back outside and surveyed his surroundings. "Deep within the Wangxiang Platform, there must be Immortal Dao pollution affecting the entire area, causing the experts hiding here to mutate!"
Shi Yuqing flew out after him, hovering before her bright moon. "How is it that you aren't affected by Immortal Dao pollution?"
"I've heard immortal Dao sounds before," Xu Ying answered after a moment's thought. "Perhaps I've heard them so many times that I've become somewhat desensitized."
Shi Yuqing smiled. "If you join the sword sect, how about I make you an elder?"
Xu Ying shook his head.
Shi Yuqing tried to tempt him. "An elder is beneath only one person and second only to the sect master! Imagine how glorious it would sound to go around calling yourself an elder of the Mount Shu Sword Sect. Won't you reconsider?"
Xu Ying sneered. "You're the only person in the entire Mount Shu Sword Sect! If I become an elder beneath only one person, that means I'm beneath you! You just want someone around to order about!"
Shi Yuqing jumped in surprise. "How did you know?" Rolling her eyes playfully, she grinned. "How about this, then? I'll grant you the title of Grand Supreme Elder, so you can stand above me!"
Xu Ying was sorely tempted. "Well... if you put it that way, it's not entirely out of the question..."
*He took the bait!* Shi Yuqing cheered inward. *Once you become Grand Supreme Elder, could you really stand by when trouble strikes the sect? In the end, you'll still be working for me like a beast of burden!*
Chapter 208