Legend held that Mount Qitian lay incredibly far from the Three Kingdoms of the Southern Territory, situated squarely in the continent's midsection. It was whispered that Mount Qitian split the very earth in two and cleaved the sky apart—a single mountain effectively dividing the entire world into two separate domains, a testament to its sheer, unimaginable height.
The tallest peak in the Southern Territory, however, belonged to the Great Qin Kingdom: Mount Tianshan.
Mount Tianshan—The Mountain in the Heavens.
One of the four great Immortal Sects of the Great Qin Kingdom, the Carefree Immortal Sect (Xiaoyao Xianmen), resided upon Mount Tianshan. Among the four, the Carefree Immortal Sect was the smallest and the most mysterious. It stood in stark contrast to the others; if the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect represented the extreme in population size, the Carefree Immortal Sect embodied the extreme in scarcity.
It was said that the Carefree Immortal Sect accepted only True Disciples each generation, utterly foregoing any ordinary disciples. They nurtured only a handful of these chosen few. As for common disciples? That concept simply did not exist for them. Consequently, every True Disciple emerging from the Carefree Immortal Sect was a person of unparalleled genius. Take Ye Xiangzhi, who appeared at the Fire Sword Tower; in the Carefree Immortal Sect, her status was Elder—yet this rank was not achieved through the usual promotion from common ranks, but rather earned from a position as a mere attendant.
With such a sparse population, how could the Carefree Immortal Sect possibly occupy the vastness of Mount Tianshan?
It was rumored that each Sword Immortal of the sect resided, deep in meditation, upon a separate peak of the mountain.
Well then, back to the main thread.
Not long ago, amidst the peaks of Mount Tianshan—including Thunderclap Peak, Five Sons Peak, Azure Eagle Peak, Five Linked Peaks, Five Sons Peak again, Buddha Worship Peak, and Sky Stabbing Peak—a total of thirty mountain peaks collapsed.
This event sent shockwaves throughout the land. One had to remember that the peaks of Mount Tianshan were said to have been blessed and reinforced by the ancestors of the Carefree Immortal Sect, making them hundreds, even thousands, of times sturdier than ordinary mountains. They were not structures meant to crumble easily. Even legendary cultivators would struggle to shatter a single peak of Mount Tianshan, yet thirty peaks had fallen in succession.
The incident was so profound that even those living below Mount Tianshan heard rumors, though none dared investigate as it was the domain of the Carefree Immortal Sect, leaving them to stew in unanswered questions. Some even whispered that they had witnessed a streak of sword energy so powerful it nearly split the heavens in half.
Of course, such accounts were generally dismissed as gross exaggerations, and few truly believed them; it seemed the truth often defied easy acceptance.
There were also reports of a tear appearing in the sky, which was likewise chalked up to embellishment, though this description was, in fact, remarkably close to reality.
Half a month later!
On a snowy expanse atop one of Mount Tianshan’s peaks, there rested a figure shaped out of ice and snow. This spot was far removed from any habitation, and no members of the Carefree Immortal Sect seemed to reside here. It was a puzzle who could have constructed such a snowman, yet it seemed impossible that it had formed naturally; the world does not spontaneously assemble a snowman.
After an unknown passage of time, there came a sharp crack. The snow on the figure exploded outward, revealing a person beneath.
Examining the figure closely, one saw a man in his early twenties. While not classically handsome with "sword-like brows and star-like eyes," he possessed a refined air, clad in simple blue robes. The young man in blue raised his hand, pulled out a wineskin, and took a long draft. The liquid brought a welcome warmth to his core. Lu Yuan shrugged; he must have been frozen in the snow for quite some time.
It all traced back to a month prior. A month ago, he had finally mastered the Five Elements Reincarnation Sword Dao. Though it remained far from the Five Emperors Reincarnation Sword Dao, it was still a significant achievement, having inherited this specific path from Ancestor Yan.
Following this, Ancestor Yan made his way directly to Mount Tianshan.
This was to be the decisive confrontation between Yan Cangtian, the foremost Grandmaster of the Great Jin Kingdom, and Xiaoyaozi, the foremost Grandmaster of the Great Qin Kingdom. As each was the strongest in their respective nations, the battle was naturally slated to take place high in the heavens. Thus, Mount Tianshan was chosen as the designated arena, and the shattering of those thirty peaks was the direct result of that single engagement.
And the sword strike that nearly cleaved the sky in two? That too, transpired during that battle.
The fight half a month ago between Ancestor Yan and Xiaoyaozi was utterly breathtaking. Both Grandmasters had reached the absolute zenith of their power; every stance, every strike, seemed to exhaust the myriad transformations available in the cosmos.
Ancestor Yan’s swordsmanship plumbed the depths of heavenly change, aiming directly at the essential truth of the Great Dao: the Five Emperors Reincarnation—eternal recurrence, the ceaseless ebb and flow of all things—all were encapsulated within the Five Emperors Reincarnation Sword Dao, admitting no exception.
Xiaoyaozi, meanwhile, unleashed the supreme martial arts of the Carefree Immortal Sect: the South Nether Magic that siphoned vital energy; the Minor Formless Skill that mimicked any technique under heaven; the Eternal Spring Creation Art that seized the bounty of heaven and earth; the Luoshen Ethereal Steps, renowned for the fastest movement; the Nine Yang Supreme Art, the most potent offensive method; and finally, the Tianshan Heaven-Folding Hand, which incorporated every known strike into a single form. Though the Carefree Immortal Sect’s ultimate skills were fewer in number than those of the Great Dharma Temple, their depth and subtlety surpassed them.
The outcome of this clash between two peerless Grandmasters was that both shattered the void and ascended.
For the past fortnight, Lu Yuan had found a remote spot to sit in quiet contemplation of the battle he had witnessed.
That battle had been an unparalleled spectacle, with countless exquisite maneuvers flashing through his mind. To begin the process of analyzing and absorbing the benefits gained from spectating that fight, he entered meditation. This deep contemplation lasted for half a month.
This time was spent merely recalling the techniques utilized by Ancestor Yan and Xiaoyaozi during that battle.
Lu Yuan stretched his limbs. Strapped to his back were not one, but two swords. One was his usual Mustard Seed Sword (Jiejin Jian); the other was Ancestor Yan’s Flying Swallow Immortal Sword (Feiyan Xianjian). When Ancestor Yan shattered the void and stepped into immortality, this sword had been left behind.
Of course, this Flying Swallow Immortal Sword had not been bequeathed to Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan certainly had no intention of claiming it. If word spread that Ancestor Yan had passed the sword to him, his ancestor’s opponent would likely hunt Lu Yuan across the entire world. Furthermore, given Lu Yuan’s current ability, he was indeed unworthy of the Flying Swallow Immortal Sword; should it fall into his hands now, it would surely be stolen by others. A commoner is innocent, but possessing a treasure invites disaster.
Lu Yuan’s purpose was to carry Ancestor Yan’s Flying Swallow Immortal Sword back to Mount Hua, to be enshrined within the sect’s ancestral hall.
The Lu Yuan of today was drastically different from the Lu Yuan of a year ago.
A year ago, Lu Yuan was merely a prodigious talent with the sword—it was difficult to claim he had reached any profound level. But the present Lu Yuan, while possessing roughly the same level of spiritual power, now had a model for his swordsmanship, an outline structured by the Three Thousand Sword Intents. The entire world of the Dao of the Sword had flung wide its gates to him.
Moreover, having been baptized by witnessing the battle between Ancestor Yan and Xiaoyaozi firsthand, countless subtle and profound sword techniques now resided within his mind. Compared to the past, Lu Yuan had undergone a complete metamorphosis.
Time to depart!
Lu Yuan tidied himself slightly and began the journey back toward Mount Hua. This return journey involved frequent stops. As he walked, if a subtle variation in an intricate technique occurred to him, he would pause to ponder it. The sword styles of Mount Hua, the techniques of the Carefree Immortal Sect—an endless stream of sublime maneuvers flashed through his mind.
Pausing and walking by turns, Mount Hua grew ever nearer.
Mount Hua Immortal Sect had recently been embroiled in turbulence. According to reliable intelligence, Yan Cangtian, the previous Sect Master of Mount Hua, had ascended! Finally, the peerless Sword Saint who had suppressed all dissent in the Great Jin Kingdom, kept the underground demons in check, forced the mysterious organization 'Tiandao Alliance' to scurry like rats, and confined evil sects like the Blood Sword Gate to a corner, had finally ascended.
This news spread across the world like wildfire!
Instantly, the entire realm was shaken!
Yan Cangtian had finally ascended! Many had waited for this news for an age. The implications of this news would be earth-shattering, though for the moment, the immediate changes stemming from Yan Cangtian's ascension were not yet apparent; transformations always unfolded gradually, not in sudden cataclysms.
Within the Mount Hua Immortal Sect itself, the current priority was the ceremony to escort Yan Cangtian’s Flying Swallow Immortal Sword into the Mount Hua Ancestral Court.
The Mount Hua Ancestral Court was where the relics of past Sect Masters were kept.
There, swords predominated.
Swords of every description.
Spirit Swords and Immortal Swords alike.
Several of these blades had once reigned supreme across the world; the Cloud-Emerging Immortal Sword (Chuyun Xianjian) of the Second Ancestor, for instance, was unrivaled in its time. Now, the Flying Swallow Immortal Sword was added to their number. Surely, the Flying Swallow Immortal Sword would not be lonely here, surrounded by so many divine weapons and Immortal Swords.
Lu Yuan followed behind Elder Yuanyuan, participating in the ceremony. He watched personally as the Flying Swallow Immortal Sword was placed within the Ancestral Court, simultaneously sensing the solemn, profound atmosphere of the hall. He paid particular attention to the Second Ancestor’s Cloud-Emerging Immortal Sword—a celestial weapon that shimmered like white clouds—and for some inexplicable reason, found himself gazing at it longer than usual.
In the days that followed, Lu Yuan settled into a remarkably simple routine: returning to his life on the North Peak—practicing the sword, drinking wine, and sleeping. However, his sword practice now consumed far more time than before. He couldn't help it; the exquisite techniques gleaned from the final battle were still being processed in his mind, compelling him to the blade. Unsurprisingly, no one noticed Lu Yuan’s astonishing transformation, save for Elder Yuanyuan, the only one privy to the full story.
During this period, the surface of the Mount Hua Immortal Sect appeared utterly tranquil, mirroring the calm that prevailed when Yan Cangtian was present. Yet beneath the surface, undercurrents of turmoil surged. To mention just one issue: the succession of the next Sect Master—which peak would claim the honor? The Sword Sect desired it, the Qi Sect also coveted it, while the Sword-Qi Sect lacked the necessary strength to even contend. Beyond the succession struggle, other issues loomed.
Externally, across the Great Jin Kingdom, the realm appeared superficially peaceful, but it too was rife with hidden tensions. A single major event could be enough to disrupt the current era of prosperity.
As the clouds first gather, the pavilion sinks with the sun; the mountain rain is about to fall, and the wind fills the tower.
In summation, this moment marked the end of one age and the beginning of a new one.
Perhaps this next era would also be one of splendor, but it would be a splendor unlike the current one.
The world, once dominated by a single superpower, might well devolve into a multipolar world.
(Because I fear being accused of padding the chapter, I have deliberately avoided depicting the actual contest between Yan Cangtian and Xiaoyaozi, choosing instead to describe it only through implication.)