Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword

"One-sided testimony is insufficient as proof." Su Wenjin remained expressionless. "Go to the Earth-Fire Abyss and stand guard for one month. We shall reach a verdict once the matter is investigated."

The Earth-Fire Abyss! Yu Xiu was not surprised.

After all, he had slaughtered nine Inner Court disciples. While the Law Enforcement Hall might be secretly biased in his favor, they still had to go through the motions for the sake of appearances.

Everyone knew the score.

Of course, the main reason was that Fang Jiming and his cohorts were not clean themselves; otherwise, the Law Enforcement Hall would never have leaned toward Yu Xiu.

"Because of this disciple's error, several senior brothers have lost their lives. I am willing to accept the punishment." Yu Xiu obediently accepted the order.

Still putting on a show? Su Wenjin let the words go in one ear and out the other, choosing to ignore Yu Xiu's performance.

After all, everyone was acting; it was just a matter of following procedure.

Seeing Yu Xiu turn to leave, Su Wenjin spoke lightly: "Stop."

Yu Xiu halted his steps.

"You have now entered the first of the Four Great Passes, the Five Viscera realm, yet you must still guard the Earth-Fire Abyss for a month. Once the deaths of Fang Jiming and the others are clarified, you will also be required to handle the aftermath.

"More importantly, to ascend to the Main Sect, one must have merit."

Su Wenjin rose slowly. "With these trivial matters, going back and forth, I fear half a year will pass, and even then, it may not be over.

"Your aptitude and comprehension are high. In just over two months, you have broken through the Qi Sea and Life Spring passes, crossing the Inner Court stage. Now..."

He looked at Yu Xiu. "...you are to be stalled at the first of the Four Great Passes, the Five Viscera realm, for half a year without access to subsequent cultivation techniques. Are you truly content with this?"

Yu Xiu's heart stirred. Is this... a chance to take a shortcut?

If he could obtain the cultivation methods for the Four Great Passes early, that would be excellent.

But there would undoubtedly be conditions.

"Please, Hall Master, enlighten me!" Yu Xiu bowed, his movements smooth and practiced.

Hm? Su Wenjin was surprised.

A flexible, slippery one, indeed.

From the moment Yu Xiu claimed that Fang Jiming, Zhao Zheng, and the other seven had died at the hands of a Shadow Demon, it was clear he was a slippery character. Everyone knew the truth, yet he insisted on telling lies with his eyes wide open.

Yet, it had to be said this way. If he were a fool who admitted to killing nine inner disciples, it would be quite troublesome for the Law Enforcement Hall to show bias.

"Since you sincerely ask, it is not impossible to guide you." Su Wenjin sat back down at his desk, and the atmosphere relaxed, the previous pressure vanishing entirely.

"As you are about to enter the Main Sect, you should know that it is divided into ten peaks and ten lineages. Which lineage do you favor?"

He looked at Yu Xiu with interest, waiting for the answer.

Because while the Main Sect had ten peaks, there was only one correct answer.

The ten peaks of the Main Sect! Yu Xiu felt a moment of realization.

When first joining the Qingwei Sword Sect, every disciple imagined what it would be like to become a true successor of the Sword Sect after entering the Main Sect.

Yu Xiu naturally knew this as well.

In the past, his preference was no different from most disciples: the Tianque Peak, which belonged to the Sect Master's lineage and held the promise of inheriting the position of Sect Master one day.

Later, he realized how difficult cultivation was and understood how naive it was to think he could enter Tianque Peak.

So, at that time, he thought that entering Jinding Peak or Powang Peak—which focused on the Sword-in-Hand—would be excellent.

Later still, he awakened memories of his past life and the Fate: God-Communicating, which allowed him to infinitely stack comprehension and lifespan.

Thus, among the ten main peaks, the one most suitable for him was Wen Dao Peak. This lineage specialized in the study of Sword-in-Hand techniques and swordsmanship.

With his infinitely stackable comprehension, once he entered this peak, he could master all its techniques and swordsmanship, while also collaborating with fellow disciples to create new arts and become self-sufficient.

Wen Dao Peak was perfect for him!

But right now, Su Wenjin, the Master of the Inner Court Law Enforcement Hall, had offered him a back-door opportunity...

Therefore, there was actually only one answer.

"This disciple wishes to enter Dragon-Slaying Peak," Yu Xiu said without a moment's hesitation.

Dragon-Slaying Peak belonged to the Law Enforcement Hall lineage, holding the iron laws of the sect.

Any disciple who violated the rules, harmed their peers, or colluded with demons could be executed.

But precisely because of this, the reputation of the Dragon-Slaying Peak lineage within the Qingwei Sword Sect was not exactly stellar. Most disciples kept their distance from the Law Enforcement Hall, terrified of being targeted.

A clever one, indeed. Su Wenjin's eyes brightened, though his tone remained measured. "Dragon-Slaying Peak, is it?

"Then, with your current realm and strength, you can be considered half a disciple of Dragon-Slaying Peak. Come to think of it, I should call you Junior Brother."

Yu Xiu understood and immediately cupped his hands. "Yu Xiu greets Senior Brother Su."

Su Wenjin smiled. "Junior Brother, no need for such formalities. In times of urgency, we must act with expediency. I shall now pass on the teachings to you. I hope you will cultivate diligently and not grow lax."

As he spoke, Su Wenjin produced a jade slip, pressed it against Yu Xiu's brow, and tapped it with a finger.

Instantly, Yu Xiu felt a torrent of information surging into his mind from the jade slip.

It was a cultivation technique and sword manual called the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword, though it only contained the twenty chapters pertaining to the first of the Four Great Passes, the Five Viscera realm.

"Junior brother may not know this, but once one reaches the Four Great Passes, cultivation techniques are no longer divided into one per realm, but rather form a complete, cohesive whole, just like this Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword." Su Wenjin slowly put away the jade slip in his hand and spoke to Yu Xiu.

There was a hidden meaning behind these words.

That is, once one cultivates the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword, one can no longer enter the other nine main peaks; only the path of Dragon-Slaying Peak remains.

Because the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword is exclusive to Dragon-Slaying Peak.

Yu Xiu naturally did not care about such things. As long as his strength was sufficient, he could easily read through the entire library of the Qingwei Sword Sect in the future; there was no need to insist on entering Wen Dao Peak.

The most urgent priority was to increase his strength and develop his foundation.

"Since we are all our own people, there is no need to beat around the bush." Su Wenjin smiled. "Sending you to guard the Earth-Fire Abyss for a month may seem like a minor punishment, but it is actually a hidden opportunity."

"Beneath the Earth-Fire Abyss lies an underground fire vein. Earth fire erupts from time to time, and occasionally fire demons may emerge, though their appearance is so rare it can be ignored."

"Aside from the harsh environment, the benefits are actually quite significant."

"Not only can you collect Earth Fire Essence to sell to the sect in exchange for contribution points, but there is also the Abyss-Suppressing Sword, carved by the hand of 'Ancestor Linyuan' a thousand years ago. The sword intent left upon it has not dissipated in a millennium, making it perfect for someone with your exceptional comprehension to contemplate."

He patted Yu Xiu on the shoulder. "Opportunities like this do not come often."

"The one guarding there is also from our Dragon-Slaying Peak, Senior Brother Yuan Tiankuo; he will look after you."

"During this period, any Earth Fire Essence you collect does not need to be handed over; it all belongs to you. If you do not wish to refine Earth Fire Essence, you may contemplate the sword intent on the Abyss-Suppressing Sword."

"Furthermore, while it is said you are to guard the Earth-Fire Abyss for a month, once the matters in Donghe Prefecture and Guiping County are fully investigated, you might be sent directly to compete for the qualification to ascend to the Main Sect. It certainly won't take a full month—perhaps not even half a month!"

Tsk, having connections really makes things easier! Yu Xiu marveled inwardly.

The difference in attitude from this Hall Master Su Wenjin compared to before was truly significant!

When Su Wenjin finished speaking, a disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall arrived to lead Yu Xiu toward the Earth-Fire Abyss.

"There is an underground fire vein in the Earth-Fire Abyss. If your strength is insufficient, you are prone to contracting fire poison. To be safe, Brother Yu might want to prepare some 'Ice-Melting Pills' to dispel it." The leading disciple was quite courteous and began explaining techniques for staying in the Earth-Fire Abyss to Yu Xiu.

Su Wenjin never mentioned this to me.

Yu Xiu's heart stirred. "What level of strength is required to ignore the fire poison?"

The young disciple replied, "From the first pass of the Four Great Passes, one can generally become immune to fire poison, but if you stay in the Earth-Fire Abyss for more than half a month, there is still a risk of contracting it."

"Only upon reaching the second pass of the Four Great Passes can one truly disregard the intrusion of fire poison."

Half a month!

This timeframe matched exactly what Su Wenjin had said.

But there was no guarantee it wouldn't exceed half a month; to be safe, it was better to have the Ice-Melting Pills on hand.

"These Ice-Melting Pills..." Yu Xiu began, hesitating.

Before he could finish, the disciple smiled. "Coincidentally, I have some on me. It would be no trouble to give Brother Yu two."

He took out a wooden bottle and pressed it into Yu Xiu's hand. "This humble one is Wei Ling. If Brother Yu thinks highly of me, let us consider this the start of a friendship."

Yu Xiu squeezed the wooden bottle in his hand, suddenly realizing.

This was an attempt to curry favor!

It seemed that reaching the first pass of the Four Great Passes in three years was considered extremely rare, even within the Qingwei Sword Sect!

He cupped his hands and called out, "Brother Wei."

Wei Ling returned the gesture and smiled, "Brother Yu."

It was worth preparing in advance. Wei Ling rejoiced inwardly.

Hall Master Su had told him that Yu Xiu possessed extremely high aptitude and might rise rapidly on Dragon-Slaying Peak to become a true heavyweight in the Qingwei Sword Sect, instructing him to cultivate a good relationship with him.

Looking at it now, Hall Master Su must have intentionally left this opportunity for him by not telling Yu Xiu about the fire poison.

By taking the initiative to provide the Ice-Melting Pills, he had perfectly compensated for Yu Xiu's lack of preparation.

Following the narrow path down the mountain and into the abyss, the temperature rose sharply, and flashes of flame could be seen flickering in the air from time to time.

There were caves in the stone walls leading deeper into the earth, and Yu Xiu saw the figures of Inner Court disciples appearing and disappearing within them.

They were likely disciples who had committed offenses, serving their punishment here while collecting Earth Fire Essence.

The Earth-Fire Abyss had arrived.

Aside from the caves in the stone walls, the first thing that caught Yu Xiu's attention was a giant sword thrust horizontally into the ground.

To be precise, it was a stone sword; it must have been a massive boulder that was later carved into the shape of a sword.

The Abyss-Suppressing Sword! Without needing anyone to introduce it, Yu Xiu knew that this massive stone sword, resembling a mountain peak, must be the Abyss-Suppressing Sword carved by the hand of Ancestor Linyuan a thousand years ago.

Because its sword intent was vast and majestic—though it did not manifest actively, to Yu Xiu, who possessed a Sword Heart, it was incredibly striking.

If I contemplate the sword intent before this blade, my Sword Heart should see significant improvement. Yu Xiu could hardly sit still.

He saw a young figure sitting cross-legged and motionless like a stone statue beside the Abyss-Suppressing Sword.

But his first impression was, Is this person a man or a woman?

If one were to call her a woman, there were no feminine features visible on her chest.

If one were to call him a man, he possessed a woman's face, with fair skin and a very delicate, refined appearance.

Before Yu Xiu could distinguish the situation, Wei Ling stepped forward to greet the man: "Senior Brother Yuan, I have brought Brother Yu here to stand guard at the Earth-Fire Abyss."

So he is Yuan Tiankuo. It seems he is a man after all.

A man born with the face of a woman.

Yu Xiu followed suit and called out, "Senior Brother Yuan."

Yuan Tiankuo opened his eyes...

He looked even more like a woman, and more beautiful than many women at that!

"Senior Brother Su has already given instructions. Since you have entered my Dragon-Slaying Peak, you shall cultivate well here!" Yuan Tiankuo's gaze lingered on Yu Xiu's face for a fleeting moment before he quickly closed his eyes again.

As for Wei Ling standing to the side, Yuan Tiankuo did not even spare him a glance, merely nodding once to acknowledge his presence.

Wei Ling gave Yu Xiu a subtle look, and Yu Xiu understood, following him away.

Then, he heard Wei Ling secretly transmit his voice: "This Senior Brother Yuan has a feminine appearance and is very sensitive about people bringing it up. Brother Yu, you must never commit that taboo."

"Furthermore, even within Dragon-Slaying Peak, Senior Brother Yuan is considered a genius with formidable strength. He simply dislikes talking. If you have any questions regarding your cultivation, you can seek his guidance..."

After a pause, Wei Ling stole a glance at Yuan Tiankuo. Seeing that he remained with his eyes closed, he cautiously transmitted again: "Although Senior Brother Yuan dislikes being told he looks like a woman, he actually prioritizes looks when making friends."

"Those senior brothers and sisters on Dragon-Slaying Peak who aren't particularly good-looking can't befriend him, but those with handsome features, regardless of their strength, can at least exchange a few words with him even if they don't become friends."

As he spoke, Wei Ling couldn't help but look at Yu Xiu's face, saying nothing more.

Leaving behind only a "farewell," he departed from the Earth-Fire Abyss.

So he's a face-value addict. Yu Xiu looked at Yuan Tiankuo, who was sitting in meditation, and did not approach him.

He simply sat down on the other side of the Abyss-Suppressing Sword.

As for collecting Earth Fire Essence, that was a task for disciples sent here for punishment; he was only here to go through the motions and had no need to perform such menial labor.

Besides, this Senior Brother Yuan Tiankuo had no intention of teaching him how to collect Earth Fire Essence.

Sword Intent!

He gathered his focus, casting his thoughts upon the massive stone sword before him.

In an instant, his Sword Heart resonated, and everything before his eyes seemed to transform.

The heavens and earth changed!

The Earth-Fire Abyss was gone, replaced by a towering figure who had transformed his own body into a sword, descending from the blue heavens to strike deep into the earth.

What kind of sword was that?

It was as if it had been forged by the communion of heaven and earth; its sword radiance eclipsed the light of the sun, tearing the air and causing the very void to crumble as it struck the mortal realm and plunged into the earth.

Both the mortal realm and the earth beneath were held fast under this single strike.

No demons could approach the mortal realm, and no demons could draw near beneath the earth.

This strike suppressed the underground fire veins and the fire demons that might dwell within them—and it had remained so for a thousand years!

Ancestor Linyuan, what kind of realm is he in? Yu Xiu felt a tremor in his heart.

This was carved a thousand years ago; if a thousand years have passed, what unimaginable realm has Ancestor Linyuan reached now?

I fear it is already beyond anything one could conceive!

His thoughts surged until, after a long while, he finally regained his composure.

When he first entered the Inner Court, Hao Yuan had taken Yu Xiu, Zhao Hong, and the others to see the Sword Severed Cliff. That was a strike delivered by the true disciple Qi Wendao three hundred years ago, and the Sword Intent remained to this day; many Inner Court disciples went there to comprehend it.

But that kind of Sword Intent was of no use to Yu Xiu.

However, the Abyss-Suppressing Sword carved by Ancestor Linyuan was different. Such vast and boundless Sword Intent could resonate with the Sword Heart. If one comprehended it carefully, it could not only elevate one's own Sword Intent but also refine the Sword Heart itself!

This was the first time Yu Xiu had seen a method that could directly improve the Sword Heart, aside from practicing sword cultivation techniques and sword arts!

The realm of Ancestor Linyuan is truly terrifying!