Pure and Immaculate, Master of the Mò Chà Pearl

The moment the Shushan Sword Light appeared, Hetu, who had just startled True Lord Lieyang into stillness with his attack, felt his heart pound wildly and pressed down on his flying sword.

All flying swords under heaven came from Shushan!

The power of the Shushan Flying Sword Cultivation Art was universally acknowledged as the greatest under heaven. As early as seventeen years ago, Hetu had witnessed an unknown Shushan master battling someone. His sword light had been like thunder from the Ninth Heaven, changing without end, and in the blink of an eye, he had slain his opponent.

White robes whiter than snow, Sword Qi soaring into the clouds!

Upon seeing Shushan Sword Light again, Hetu could not help recalling the figure of that unknown Shushan master he had seen seventeen years ago.

The sword lights swept and searched through the skies. Their speed was such that they crossed a hundred li in an instant; merely watching that speed made one hold one's breath in concentration.

Yet at this moment, Shui Wuyue and Ao Ming, who had merely happened to be passing by with Songhezi and still did not understand what was happening, could no longer restrain themselves. They quietly sent Songhezi a voice transmission. "Senior Brother, what sort of treasure is that Mò Chà Pearl?"

"The Mò Chà Pearl is not some magical treasure." Hearing Shui Wuyue and Ao Ming ask, Songhezi's gaze once more irresistibly settled upon the pearl in the youth's hand, which radiated waves of blue light. What surprised Songhezi was that only now did he notice that although the ragged youth's face was pale and his entire body trembled faintly without stop, he was still standing. If it had been an ordinary mountain youth, witnessing such a battle of arts would likely have frightened him out of his wits and made him faint long ago.

This youth has such courage! But how did the Mò Chà Pearl come into his hands? As Songhezi thought this, Shui Wuyue and Ao Ming grew even more curious. "It is not a magical treasure?! Then why were you so shocked upon seeing it? Why do they value it so greatly?"

Songhezi nodded. "That is right. The Mò Chà Pearl itself is merely a pearl borne by an aquatic tree. Wearing it only drives away dampness and odors. But it is Yuan Tianyi's token. It is said that someone showed him great kindness in his early years, and he repaid them with the Mò Chà Pearl, saying that whoever brought it to him in the future and placed it in his hand could make him do one thing. No matter how difficult or perilous, he would surely do his utmost to accomplish it."

Yuan Tianyi's token?!

Before Songhezi had even finished, Shui Wuyue and Ao Ming were already horrified, nearly crying out.

Southern Luofu, Northern Chì Lè. Luofu and Chì Lè, one located in the southern frontier and the other in the northern regions, were the two most mysterious sects of the mortal world. For centuries, their disciples had rarely traveled outside, yet whenever they appeared, their cultivation was invariably profound enough to shock the world.

Yuan Tianyi was the current Sect Master of the Luofu Sect.

Fifty years ago, the Yinshan Sect had somehow become enemies with Yuan Tianyi. They gathered all their experts to besiege and kill him, even committing a heaven-shaking slaughter by using the blood and souls of three hundred virgin boys and girls as the catalyst to lay down the Yellow Springs Underworld Formation against Yuan Tianyi. Yet after that battle, Yuan Tianyi had emerged utterly unharmed and drifted away, while eight out of ten of the Yinshan Sect's many experts, who had once been enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the great sects, perished. The sect never recovered, and even its mountain gate and cave estate were seized by others.

Thirty years ago, Shuli, an extraordinary figure of Emei, achieved mastery of the Golden Lock Flowing Pearl Incantation. He debated the Dao and fought the Emei Sect Master atop Golden Summit, ending without a victor. Flushed with success, he later encountered Yuan Tianyi by the Yellow Sea. When their words failed to agree, he fought Yuan Tianyi, only to have his Primordial Spirit completely destroyed.

Thus, legends said Yuan Tianyi was both righteous and wicked, acting entirely according to his own likes and dislikes, with grievous slaughter on his hands. Yet his cultivation had truly reached a level beyond imagination.

Like those figures of Kunlun said to have cultivated bodies that neither died nor perished, Yuan Tianyi was reportedly just one step away from reaching the realm of transcending tribulation and ascending, a realm no one had attained in a thousand years.

Driving away dampness and odors could be accomplished by a tiny ordinary formation. Yet with this pearl, one could ask Yuan Tianyi for a formidable magical treasure or a profound cultivation art. It could likely alter the fate of a person—or an entire sect—in an instant.

Ao Ming was naturally honest and kind, while Shui Wuyue was naturally detached. They had known from the start that this pearl was no ordinary object, but neither had harbored greed. Yet now, both their gazes involuntarily gathered upon the Mò Chà Pearl in the youth's hand.

"If it is a pearl borne by an aquatic tree, how do we know this is his particular one?" Shui Wuyue could not help asking Songhezi again.

"That aquatic tree is called Jīng Tú. It exists only in Luofu, flowering once every hundred years and bearing fruit once every thousand. Legend has it that the sole Jīng Tú tree withered long ago. Therefore, beneath all heaven, this Mò Chà Pearl may well be the only one."

As they spoke, those several sword lights that flashed back and forth at incredible speed swept across the area within a hundred li several times. Seemingly finding nothing, they abruptly vanished into the night sky.

The vital energy of heaven and earth must have changed at the site of such a battle of arts. How could those Shushan disciples fail to detect it?

Could they merely be ordinary mountain-patrolling disciples with meager cultivation?

As the sword lights vanished, everyone present had their own thoughts. They checked and restrained one another, all standing motionless.

The pitch-black Mass Grave Hill and distant Shushan were like two utterly different worlds.

Hetu stared deeply at the Mò Chà Pearl in the youth's hand, then suddenly smiled. "I presume everyone is well aware of the origins of this Mò Chà Pearl."

True Lord Lieyang, Songhezi, and the others had not expected Hetu to say such a thing so suddenly. For a moment, no one spoke, unable to understand his meaning.

But Hetu continued. "Right now, I fear none of us has the ability to swallow this prize alone. The people of Shushan have already taken notice. If we make another great commotion, none of us can even dream of obtaining the Mò Chà Pearl. The master of the Mò Chà Pearl keeps his word without fail. Why not go to Luofu together? Whatever benefits we gain, we divide equally. What do you say?"

"Pah! You want me to wallow in the same mire as you? Dream on!" The instant Hetu finished speaking, True Lord Lieyang roared in fury.

"And what can you do? With my martial brothers and me joining forces, even if we are no match for you, escaping unscathed will hardly be difficult." Hetu said, "Everyone knows how formidable the master of the Mò Chà Pearl is. With this pearl, asking for a cultivation scripture for all of us to study should not be difficult."

The moment Hetu spoke those words, not only the three from Kunlun, but even True Lord Lieyang felt his heart and mind stir violently.

Cultivators all spoke of fortuitous opportunities. Given everyone's talent, their sects' cultivation methods, and diligent practice, their accomplishments were largely already set. But Yuan Tianyi's cultivation had reached such an unimaginable level; the arts he cultivated surely could not be compared with ordinary cultivation arts. This Mò Chà Pearl was an exceedingly rare fortuitous opportunity.

It was an opportunity that would allow them, when they saw Shushan Sword Light in the future, to no longer be as constrained as rats afraid to break a vase as they were today!

Hetu watched their expressions and saw that True Lord Lieyang had already been moved. He continued, "True Lord Lieyang, we cultivators need not put on false airs. If we fight today, no one will gain anything. If you insist on avenging Kongtong, wait until after we have visited Luofu. What do you say?"

True Lord Lieyang hesitated briefly, then finally gritted his teeth and nodded heavily. "Fine!"

"Songhezi, what about you?"

Hetu smiled at the three from Qingcheng. The smile of this cold-faced man in black robes made True Lord Lieyang inwardly sigh that the two disciples Daoist Yinxiao had taken in would surely become formidable tyrants in the future. For a moment, he wondered whether he truly ought to remain enemies with them.

Songhezi, Ao Ming, and Shui Wuyue exchanged glances and were just about to nod when, all at once, the expressions of everyone present changed.

"Who is it?"

Someone emerged from the faint night mist, appearing before everyone's eyes without any warning.

A man of peerless beauty.

Ordinarily, beauty was not a word one used to describe a man. Yet upon seeing this man, the only word that arose in Shui Wuyue's mind was beautiful.

For this young man's face was more exquisite and lovely than that of most women, his skin like carved jade, gleaming with a soft luster.

He had the features of a woman, yet did not make one feel he was effeminate.

This man's attire could be called simple to the extreme: a long robe of moon-white coarse linen, without a single embellishment. Moreover, the man's black hair hung loose and he was barefoot, giving people the impression that this was simply how he ought to be, untouched by the dust and smoke of the mortal world.

"What do you want?" The man's steps seemed neither swift nor slow, yet with only one step, he had already arrived before the Young Beggar. Hetu's entire attention had been fixed upon the Mò Chà Pearl in the Young Beggar's hand. Seeing the man suddenly standing before him, he was instantly struck dumb with shock. But before his cry had even faded, Sword Qi crisscrossed, and three sword lights—black, red, and white—were already winding toward the man.

Songhezi and the other two had originally surrounded the Young Beggar in a triangular formation. Yet this suddenly appearing young man had directly closed in before the Young Beggar. Since they had cultivated flying swords, they had never experienced anyone drawing this close without their awareness. Their Primordial Spirits naturally sensed extreme danger, and they released their flying swords. Thus, their response was even faster than Hetu's first reaction.

The three stood only a little over a zhang from the Young Beggar, and their flying swords responded to their Primordial Spirits, bursting forth of their own accord. Thus, in the flash between lightning and flint, before the three had time to react, their sword lights had already enveloped the young man.

A waterfall of flowing light erupted. Without the loose-haired, barefoot young man making any movement at all, Songhezi and the other two were struck by violent tremors in their Primordial Spirits and sent flying backward together with their sword lights.

Miro stared with eyes wide open, unable to believe that someone in this world could shatter Songhezi and the others' flying swords in an instant. Then he saw a black radiance twisting through the air toward the young man's head. Hetu had released his flying sword as well. But with a clang, the man did not even look at it. Golden light flashed from his hand, as though a tiny golden lotus had bloomed, and Hetu's flying sword suddenly turned to ash. His life-bound flying sword destroyed, Hetu immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, fell backward, and fainted. At that moment, Miro saw the young man silently standing with his hands hanging at his sides, quietly gazing at the Mò Chà Pearl in the youth's hand as if recalling something. Miro suddenly thought of someone and blurted out, "You are the master of this Mò Chà Pearl, the Luofu Sect Master Yuan Tianyi?!"

"That is it!" Seeing the young man gaze at the Mò Chà Pearl with an expression of reflection and remembrance, then seeing the night wind stir his casually hanging black hair, making him seem to merge with all heaven and earth until neither could be distinguished from the other, True Lord Lieyang's mind boomed. His whole body shook as though struck by lightning. "Pure and Immaculate, Unity of Heaven and Man—under all heaven, other than Yuan Tianyi, Sect Master of Luofu, who could instantly break the combined flying-sword attack of Songhezi and the other two, then casually destroy Hetu's flying sword?"

"Yuan Tianyi shook the world fifty years ago. Who would have thought his face would still look like that of a young man in his twenties!" Songhezi, Ao Ming, and Shui Wuyue, standing not far away with flying swords in hand and trembling uncontrollably, saw Hetu faint and only then realized he had shown mercy just now. They immediately clasped their hands and bowed. "May we ask if you are Senior Yuan Tianyi? We have offended you just now. Thank you, Senior, for showing mercy."

Ripples faintly stirred in the eyes of the white-robed man with loose hair and bare feet, as if he had only just awakened from deep thought. After slowly nodding, he waved his hand. "Leave."

Seeing that he seemed born to look down upon all living beings, and seeing him nod, True Lord Lieyang and the three from Qingcheng no longer had any doubts. They did not dare show the slightest defiance. After exchanging glances, they prepared to each ride away on their sword lights. But at that moment, Miro suddenly shouted, "It is said throughout the world that Senior never breaks his word. Whoever brings this Mò Chà Pearl before you may ask one request of you. Is that true?"

Yuan Tianyi nodded. "It is true."

Miro immediately pointed at the youth and shouted, "Then, with this youth holding the Mò Chà Pearl, can he make you grant him one request?"

Yuan Tianyi gave Miro an indifferent glance. "Naturally."

Miro instantly shouted, "Boy, did you hear that? This Senior is the Sect Master of Luofu, one of the foremost figures under heaven. Why do you not quickly ask him to teach us—" Before he could finish, golden light filled the land. His entire body and Primordial Spirit seemed about to melt at once. Terror seized his heart, and he could not speak another word.

"Insolence! How can I permit you to prattle nonsense before me!" Only after the sensation that both body and Primordial Spirit were melting faded did Miro hear Yuan Tianyi's voice. Before him was still the Mass Grave Hill beneath the shroud of night. True Lord Lieyang, Songhezi, and the others stood as pale-faced as he was, but Yuan Tianyi and the Young Beggar had already vanished.

When Miro spoke to the Young Beggar, he had unleashed the pressure of his Primordial Spirit, intending to make the Young Beggar lose focus and, following his words, ask Yuan Tianyi to teach them a powerful cultivation art. But Yuan Tianyi had seen through his intent the instant he opened his mouth. That golden light filling the land had been Yuan Tianyi exerting the pressure of his Primordial Spirit. Yuan Tianyi and the Young Beggar had now disappeared, but recalling how, with but a thought from Yuan Tianyi, his body and Primordial Spirit had seemed to bathe beneath that pressure and melt away, Miro felt that compared to Yuan Tianyi, he was truly no more than a single grain of millet in the vast sea. Cold sweat rolled down in torrents.