Near the Soaring Sword Tower, Jian Wenhao’s heart blazed with fury. He was already planning to find his elder brother; he needed to break through the Sixth Pass immediately, become a core disciple at once, and then compete with Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan, you are destined to die by my hand, Jian Wenhao thought with terrifying malice. So what if you have a Supreme being as your master? Behind me stands the Son of the Sword, a figure destined to become the next Sword Gate Master.
Meanwhile, Shi Feixian, Huo Yibu, and the others privately acknowledged that the strongest among them had only passed the Second Pass and failed at the Third. Looking at the situation now, they knew they had to strive harder. Otherwise, even if they entered the Central Celestial Dynasty alongside Lu Yuan, wouldn't they ultimately fall far short of him? These individuals were all geniuses, and none were willing to concede defeat so easily; they were all secretly spurring themselves on.
At this moment, Lu Yuan was following the fair-skinned, red-lipped Daoist boy deeper into the Mountain of the Void.
Upon entering the Mountain of the Void, Lu Yuan felt a strange illusion.
How could he pass one peak in the blink of an eye, yet take half an hour to cross the next? It was a sensation of spatial dislocation, intensely unsettling. Fortunately, a colossal palace soon appeared ahead.
Although this palace was immense, upon drawing closer, it wasn't opulent but could only be described as simple. The nearer he got, the stronger the sense of spatial distortion became, as if his surroundings were constantly shifting. The fair-skinned, red-lipped Daoist boy smiled faintly: “This is the Supreme Lord’s grand spatial formation, used to temper the cultivation of core disciples. You’ll get used to it.”
They landed before the palace. The entire structure was forged from Celestial Crystal Stone, rendering it almost completely white.
It was a simplicity imbued with profound elegance, utterly devoid of luxury, yet possessing an almost innate, natural aura.
The person capable of crafting such a palace must be an extraordinary figure, Lu Yuan mused to himself. The fair-skinned, red-lipped Daoist boy stopped before the entrance and announced: “Supreme Lord, Lu Yuan has arrived.”
“Then bid him enter,” came a voice, calm and detached.
Based on that voice alone, Lu Yuan found himself developing a favorable impression. The red-lipped Daoist boy did not step into the palace, but instead pointed his hand: “Senior Brother Lu, please.”
Lu Yuan stepped forward and entered the palace.
The moment he crossed the threshold, Lu Yuan was truly shaken. This…
Really, before entering, he could never have imagined the scene awaiting him inside.
It was a vast hall, also predominantly white, but lining the perimeter were various shelves stacked high with countless bottles of wine—clearly different vintages. The great hall also contained a significant number of tables, each equally adorned with various wine bottles.
An old man with a long, snow-white beard sat squarely, with an air of boldness. Though his hair was white, he showed little sign of true age. In his hand, he was savoring a bottle of spirits.
Hiss, hiss… He clearly found the taste exquisite.
A drunkard! This was Lu Yuan’s first impression of the legendary Grand Tutor Supreme, Taishi Kong—a bold and unrestrained old man! This was his second impression.
A very fine old fellow! This was Lu Yuan’s third impression of the legendary Grand Tutor Supreme, Taishi Kong.
When one drunkard meets another, the impression is bound to be good.
Taishi Kong laughed heartily: “So you are Lu Yuan, that little fellow from the Jin Kingdom.”
Lu Yuan nodded: “Yes.”
“Quite an interesting little fellow. Judging by your appearance, you must enjoy wine.” With a wave of his hand, he tossed an unopened bottle to Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan caught it easily. Seeing that the Supreme Lord was not a particularly constrained person, Lu Yuan felt at ease. He raised his hand, broke the clay seal, and took a large swig.
This wine was potent.
It was far stronger than any he had ever tasted, like fire burning through his entire body.
But the sensation was incredibly exhilarating: “Good wine!”
Taishi Kong smiled faintly: “You are not bad. Better than your Shizu.”
“My Shizu?” Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned.
“The Shizu you had in the Jin Kingdom, Yan Cangtian. Ah, you might not know the name of my fifteenth disciple, but my eldest disciple is named Yan Cangtian, who is your ancestor master at Mount Hua.”
Lu Yuan was utterly dumbfounded. This man was his ancestor master’s master. Wouldn’t this mess up the lineage terribly? His ancestor master was this old man’s fifteenth disciple, and he himself had taken refuge under that ancestor master. How should he calculate his generation? Taishi Kong chuckled: “It’s not that complicated. In the Central Celestial Dynasty, you follow the Central Celestial Dynasty’s method. If you wish to keep your original calculation in the Jin Kingdom, that’s fine too.”
“By the way, I heard that in your Jin Kingdom, a generation is calculated roughly every five hundred years, whereas our custom in the Central Celestial Dynasty is a generation every five thousand years. Therefore, you and Yan Cangtian are only separated by about a thousand years—you are essentially contemporaries. You don’t need to feel too awkward about it.”
Taishi Kong took a sip of wine: “Among my disciples, Yan Cangtian was the most outstanding. He is a figure who surpassed his teacher. In the future, his strength will likely surpass mine. I am old now, I’m fading. However, Yan Cangtian had a character flaw you don’t: he was too serious. He didn't drink. How can someone who doesn't drink understand the joys found within wine?”
“If I hadn’t been drinking, how could I have felt the world spinning and space shifting while intoxicated, leading me to comprehend Space, one of the Ten Iron Laws?” Taishi Kong said nonchalantly.
One of the Ten Iron Laws is Space!
Of the Ten Iron Laws, one of them is Space? So far, all Lu Yuan knew were Yin-Yang and Samsara. Now, it seemed Space needed to be added. Taishi Kong stated calmly: “The so-called Ten Iron Laws are the ten most fundamental forces that no living or non-living thing between heaven and earth can escape. Space is one of them.”
Lu Yuan couldn’t help but ask: “What are the Ten Iron Laws?”
“I won’t tell you yet. We’ll discuss it later,” Taishi Kong replied. “Telling you too much too early isn’t necessarily beneficial for your growth.”
“Very well, you are now joining my fold, becoming my thirty-first disciple.” Taishi Kong straightened his posture slightly: “The Sword Gate is a great sect, and we have certain rules you must adhere to.”
“The first precept of our sect: Never deceive your master or destroy your ancestors.”
“The second precept of our sect: Never associate with the Demonic Path.”
“The third precept of our sect: Never harm fellow disciples.”
“The fourth precept of our sect: Never slaughter the innocent indiscriminately.”
“The fifth precept of our sect: Never betray the sect.”
“Actually, you absolutely must obey the first, fourth, and fifth precepts. The second and third are nonsense. The Demonic Path is defined by the Five Great Ancient Civilizations; perhaps one day our Sword Gate will be classified as Demonic Path. Heh, that talk is pure rubbish. And never harming fellow disciples is even more absurd. The Sword Gate is vast, filled with all manner of people. If you don't harm others, others might harm you. As long as you have a just reason, and someone else strikes first, what if you end up harming a fellow disciple? I will support you.” As Taishi Kong spoke, his dominance radiated outward.
What a declaration—kill if you must be killed.
What a promise—if you are not in the wrong, I will back you.
Such a master was truly worth having.
“From now on, you will cultivate under me. Your spiritual power seems somewhat low, but that’s understandable, considering you hail from an Outer Domain minor nation. It would be strange if your power were high,” Taishi Kong remarked calmly. “It seems that while following me, you will need to focus heavily on cultivating your spiritual power.”
“Right, how is your swordsmanship? The records suggest your skill is quite good.”
Taishi Kong laughed heartily: “Why don’t we spar, Master and Disciple? Don't worry, I won't use my full sword mastery.” Although Taishi Kong had access to some data on Lu Yuan, it was superficial. He hadn't meticulously studied his files; he accepted him because he belonged to Yan Cangtian’s faction. Anyone talented enough to reach the Central Celestial Dynasty is decent, and Yan Cangtian was his most favored disciple, bar none. For that sake alone, he would certainly accept him. Now, he wished to gauge Lu Yuan’s current level. This youngster should be at the Sword Marquis realm, or perhaps even the Sword King realm, otherwise, his swordsmanship wouldn't be considered impressive.
“Very well,” Lu Yuan nodded. Sparring with a formidable swordsman always brought excitement.
“Hey, Taishi, I heard you took in a promising disciple. He won against the Star of the Sword in a duel, a newcomer from the Outer Domains, and managed to break through six passes within twelve hours.” A hearty laugh rang out as a tall, thin old man walked in. As this tall, thin old man moved, it seemed heaven and earth rippled in response to his fluctuations. Upon stepping inside, one noticed that the old man’s eyebrows pierced straight toward the heavens—what terrifying majesty.
This was Xiahou Shang, the Xiahou Supreme, another of the nine Sovereigns of the Sword Gate.
“You take in a good disciple but don't invite me for a drink. That’s too much,” Xiahou Shang remarked as he surveyed Lu Yuan upon entering.
Taishi Kong laughed: “You can drink any common wine you like, but don’t even dream about touching my Three Supreme Wines. Ah, since you are here, it’s good timing. I was just about to test my new disciple’s swordsmanship. Watch nearby, and if you could offer a word or two of guidance, that should be infinitely beneficial for the young man.”
Xiahou Shang and Taishi Kong shared an excellent relationship among the Sovereigns. Hearing this, Xiahou Shang nodded: “Alright. I am curious about your disciple. Although the Star of the Sword is merely trash relying on his brother, the Son of the Sword, any minor display from the Son of the Sword would be enough to make the Star of the Sword seem formidable. To think he actually managed to defeat him—not bad, not bad.”
Taishi Kong settled onto his chair, resting a hand on his sword hilt: “Oh, this is my Immortal Sword. I forgot; Immortal Swords are too sharp. However, I will control its edge to be equivalent to a Spirit Sword. Now, attack me. If you can force me to move a single step, you succeed. Disciple, let me see just how good your swordsmanship is.”
Is he a Sword Marquis? Or perhaps a Sword King?
This disciple from the Outer Domains.