Chapter 114: The Hidden Pawn, Lu Yang

Jiang Min asked curiously, "Fragments of a grotto-heaven world? Are they like the ancient battlefield at the Ten Thousand Sword Sect?"

True Monarch Guanqi nodded and explained patiently, "The ancient battlefield of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect is actually one of the ruins of the ancient Ziyin Sword Sect. However, much of the legacy within it has been destroyed, and the ancient methods of sword forging have been almost entirely lost."

"If you could find the original sword-forging techniques of the ancient Ziyin Sword Sect, that would naturally be ideal. But no one knows where the other grotto-heaven fragments are scattered, whether they still exist, or when they might reappear. Therefore, you must pin your hopes on the Nine Sects Palace."

Jiang Min suddenly understood. So, that ancient battlefield was indeed, as the rumors suggested, the site of an ancient sword sect. She keenly noticed something and asked hesitantly, "Ziyang, Ziyin... is there a connection between these two immortal sects?"

Hearing Jiang Min’s confusion, True Monarch Guanqi merely smiled without answering. Instead, he shifted the topic, saying, "You only need to know that although the ancient battlefield lies within the territory of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect, it is considered a shared domain of the Nine Sects. The Ten Thousand Sword Sect must grant unconditional access to sword cultivators from the other eight sects."

"When you have time, have your eldest senior brother take you to the Ten Thousand Sword Sect to get acquainted with the people there. That way, whenever you want to visit the battlefield in the future, you can simply go."

The intention of True Monarch Guanqi was clear. As his disciple, she only needed to show her face to gain future access to the battlefield. Jiang Min was pleasantly surprised; this was something she would never have dared to imagine before.

"Returning to your question, why is the legacy of the Nine Sects Palace the best?" True Monarch Guanqi looked somewhat sentimental. "Because the path to immortality has been severed."

"Once the path to immortality is broken, the cultivation methods of later generations can no longer touch upon true immortality; they are merely derivatives of the ancient legacy. No matter how you look at it, they cannot compare to the legacies found within these relics of the immortal path."

"Therefore, you must give your all in the Taiji Martial Tournament and the Nine Sects Discourse eight years from now. Only by securing a spot in the Nine Sects Discourse can you enter the Nine Sects Palace and obtain its legacy."

True Monarch Guanqi’s expression was slightly solemn. For the current Jiang Min, entering the Nine Sects Palace was asking a lot of her. Her opponents in the Nine Sects Discourse would almost all be geniuses at the peak or completion of the Foundation Establishment stage—the strongest Foundation Establishment cultivators of each sect. She, having only just reached Foundation Establishment, how could she catch up to others who had spent decades or even a century in cultivation within a mere eight years?

However, even if Jiang Min failed to earn a spot through the Nine Sects Discourse, True Monarch Guanqi had a backup plan. There were plenty of ways to get her into the Nine Sects Palace, though there was no need to tell her that. Giving her some pressure to motivate her cultivation was not a bad thing.

"This disciple understands," Jiang Min nodded firmly.

Although the news that the path to immortality had been severed shocked her, it felt too distant. For now, she only cared about the immortal legacy within the Nine Sects Palace. Whether it was cultivation techniques or the methods for forging a life-bound treasure, since the Nine Sects Palace held the best, she was determined to win the qualification for that secret realm in the Nine Sects Discourse eight years later.

To reach the Nine Sects Discourse, she first had to win the qualification at the Taiji Mountain’s Taiji Martial Tournament. "There is no doubt my opponents will be formidable. I must seize every moment to elevate both my cultivation and my mastery of the sword." Even if the odds were slim, she would give it her all.

...

Time flowed by like water.

Yushuang Kingdom, Taiji Mountain, Jade Sword Peak.

In a stone chamber deep within a hidden cave dwelling, Jiang Min, dressed in black and white robes, sat cross-legged on a spirit-gathering cushion, spiritual energy circulating through her body. At a certain moment, she slowly opened her eyes and finished her session.

"The yang energy is rising; it is dawn, time to practice the sword."

In the blink of an eye, it had been half a year since she arrived at Jade Sword Peak on Taiji Mountain. During these six months, she kept a low profile. After completing the rites of apprenticeship, she excavated a cave dwelling on Jade Sword Peak and threw herself into a simple routine: cultivating at night and practicing the sword by day.

Of course, she was not completely cut off from the world. She had inquired thoroughly about the situation at Taiji Mountain and Jade Sword Peak. Unlike the Eastern Spirit Sect, Taiji Mountain had no distinction between inner and outer gates. Instead, they operated a Taiji Academy at the foot of the mountain, from which they selected disciples to enter the mountain itself.

Jade Sword Peak was the peak where True Monarch Guanqi resided. Before Jiang Min arrived, only two people lived there: the True Monarch and his eldest disciple. As for the True Monarch’s other four disciples, two had passed away, and the remaining two were constantly traveling and rarely returned to the mountain.

Jiang Min rose from the cushion, walked through the layered mechanisms of the stone chamber, and emerged outside. The sky was still dusky. Outside the cave, a vast sea of clouds stretched out before her. At the edge of the clouds, the golden sun was casting an orange glow, about to rise from the horizon.

"My ability to predict the time by the yang energy is getting more accurate. I’ve caught the sunrise just in time."

Looking at the vast sea of clouds, Jiang Min felt quite content. Or rather, walking out of the cave every day to see the magnificent sight of the sunrise always made one’s heart feel open and expansive. As she strolled along the stone path, she headed toward the sword-practice platform.

Whoosh!

In the distance, a black speck darted across the sea of clouds. It was a cultivator flying on a sword, dressed in the unique black and white robes of Taiji Mountain, heading toward Jade Sword Peak. The cultivator was initially flying toward True Monarch Guanqi’s "Sitting in Seclusion" cave, but upon seeing Jiang Min, he changed course, flew toward her, landed on the cliffside, and bowed.

"Could you be Junior Sister Yuyao of Jade Sword Peak?"

The visitor looked young and refined, with an approachable, friendly demeanor. The smile on his face was kind and honest, giving one a sense of trust.

Jiang Min stopped and looked at his features. A ripple stirred in her heart, but her face remained unchanged. She bowed back in surprise and asked, "I am. And you are, Senior Brother?"

"I am Yongwen, the seventh disciple under True Monarch Yinyue of Xuanzhu Peak. I am here on my master’s orders to deliver some items to True Monarch Guanqi," Yongwen said with a smile.

Jiang Min returned the courtesy with warm enthusiasm. "So it is Senior Brother Yongwen. I have long heard of your name. Please, go attend to your business. If there is a chance in the future, I will certainly visit Xuanzhu Peak to pay my respects to all the senior brothers and sisters."

"Junior Sister has been so immersed in cultivation that you rarely come out. Besides me, the brothers and sisters at Xuanzhu Peak are all very curious about you. If you have the time, you must come visit us, and we will be sure to host you properly."

True Monarch Guanqi’s Taoist name was originally Yinhua; he and True Monarch Yinyue were fellow apprentices and very close friends. Thus, Jade Sword Peak and Xuanzhu Peak were quite intimate. Yongwen was very enthusiastic, and only after extending the invitation did he say, "Then I shall go deliver these items to True Monarch Guanqi."

After Yongwen left, Jiang Min stood still, watching his receding figure. The polite smile on her face gradually deepened, carrying a hint of profound meaning. Regarding this person, she had indeed "long heard of his name."

"Finally, I have seen you."

"Lu Yang, the adopted son and the hidden pawn planted by Jia Fugui at Taiji Mountain."