Black Tortoise Mountain.
The sword practice grounds atop the eastern peak.
This was where the disciples of the Taiyi Gate practiced their swordsmanship. Normally, at this hour, shouts would have filled the air and sword light would have flowed like water.
But now, more than thirty disciples had gathered beneath the Sword Comprehension Stone at the highest point of the grounds, staring at a rusty sword embedded in it.
More than half the blade was buried in the stone. Covered in rust, it had seemed nothing remarkable.
Yet just moments ago, a patch of rust had inexplicably fallen away, exposing an ice-blue edge that radiated cold!
Only then did everyone realize that, despite centuries of wind and rain, the blade beneath the rust had remained completely intact!
"Unbelievable! How many years has that sword been here?" one disciple asked in amazement.
"According to the sect's records, our founding master comprehended a peerless sword move on the day he died. He deliberately carved those sword marks, then thrust the sword into the stone. That was... at least three or four hundred years ago."
"That long? Then the rust must be centuries old too. I always thought it was just a piece of scrap iron. Who knew the rust would actually fall off?"
"I've heard spirit-grade weapons have a will of their own. Could this be what the storybooks call 'a spiritual treasure concealing its brilliance'?"
"Could be, could be! Has it sensed a new master? Come on, who wants to try pulling it out?"
"Stop making fools of yourselves. How long have we been practicing here? If we could pull it out, we'd have done it ages ago..."
As everyone chattered, someone suddenly called out, "Master's here!"
The disciples hurriedly scattered.
A stern-faced middle-aged man approached, dressed entirely in black, his presence cold and imposing. He was Pei Yangchun, the master of the Taiyi Gate. His eldest disciple, Xia Zheng, followed behind him.
"With a formidable enemy at our doorstep, you still make no effort to improve..."
Pei Yangchun swept a cold glance over the disciples and barked, "Get back to your sword practice!"
"Yes, Master..."
Like plants wilted by frost, the disciples slunk back to their places on the practice grounds and resumed their sword drills.
Although the Taiyi Gate's signature art, the Dark Yin Sword Technique, was only upper seventh grade, it wielded considerable power when paired with the sect's sixth-grade internal cultivation art, the Cold-Restraint Scripture.
The disciples performed their drills competently enough.
Only then did Pei Yangchun withdraw his gaze and look at the Sword Comprehension Stone and its rusty sword, surprise evident in his eyes as well.
"Master, this sword is...?"
Xia Zheng was curious too. If a precious sword lay hidden beneath the rust, why had his master never had anyone draw it out all these years?
"This sword is called [Snow Soul]. It ranks at middle fifth grade and possesses an exceptionally strong spirit."
Reminiscence flickered in Pei Yangchun's eyes as he sighed. "...Three hundred years ago, our founding master, Li Mingyuan, wielded it to sweep through both banks of the Yellow River. It is the divine weapon best suited to our Dark Yin Sword Technique! The technique's ultimate move, [Draw Water, Carve Ice], was created around this very sword..."
"So that's it."
Understanding dawned on Xia Zheng. "No wonder that move always felt strange to me, as though it lacked power. So the problem wasn't us-it was the sword!"
"..."
Pei Yangchun shot him a sidelong glance and sneered. "[Snow Soul] merely enhances what is already there. If your move lacks power, it means your understanding is insufficient! And you still dare spout nonsense!"
"Ahem!"
Embarrassed, Xia Zheng hastily bowed his head. "I was wrong, Master..."
"Add four hours to your evening practice."
"Yes, Master..."
Xia Zheng's face fell.
"This sword was forged from Kunlun Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron and has highly unusual properties. It contains unparalleled yin energy. Once drawn, it blankets the ground in frost and sends bitter winds swirling. Paired with the Dark Yin Sword Technique, its power is tremendous! Unfortunately..."
Pei Yangchun shook his head and sighed. "...Unfortunately, while our founding master was a heaven-born genius, his successors were mediocre. Even with a divine weapon at hand, not one could wield it! Anyone who forced themselves to hold it would be injured by the yin energy within..."
"What?"
Xia Zheng gaped in shock.
"With no other choice, our founding master carved his lifetime's insights into swordsmanship onto the Sword Comprehension Stone and sealed the sword within it. He hoped that some brilliantly gifted successor would restore the Taiyi Gate's supreme art, but..."
Pei Yangchun looked up at the sky and let out another long sigh. "Three hundred years, and we descendants have failed him! Not only have we failed to comprehend the ultimate technique or draw [Snow Soul], even the original Sixth-Rank Spiritual Martial Art has lost much of its power because its legacy is incomplete. And now we have sunk so low that villains from an evil sect can bully us..."
At that thought, conflicting emotions welled up inside Pei Yangchun. Feeling deeply ashamed before the sect's ancestors, he could not keep his eyes from moistening.
Seeing his master so distressed made Xia Zheng feel even worse. He said quietly, "It's my poor aptitude that has let down all the effort you put into teaching me..."
"No."
Pei Yangchun smiled bitterly and patted his shoulder. "It has nothing to do with you. The Taiyi Gate has fallen this far because of my incompetence. Now that this divine weapon has revealed its edge again, I can only hope it brings fortune rather than disaster..."
The martial world had seen far too many murders over treasures.
A sword was an instrument of violence.
[Snow Soul] had slumbered for centuries. Though no one in the Taiyi Gate could wield it, its sealed state had also spared it from covetous eyes, allowing them to coexist in peace.
Now that it had revealed its might again, perhaps it had finally found its destined wielder. Or perhaps it could no longer suppress its killing intent and wished to nourish its edge with blood...
If it was the latter, the person it had chosen might well be a vicious monster. For the Taiyi Gate in its current state, that would only compound its misery.
"Master! Master!"
Two sudden cries interrupted their thoughts. They turned to see a disciple running up in a panic. "Black Tortoise Cave... something's happened at Black Tortoise Cave!"
Pei Yangchun's expression shifted. "What happened?"
The disciple cried in alarm, "Snakes! So many snakes! Those people from the Ten-Thousand Snakes Cave are herding snakes again, and this time they're sending them into the cave!"
"Damn them!"
Pei Yangchun cursed under his breath and immediately used his lightness skill to fly down the mountain, with Xia Zheng close behind.
Black Tortoise Cave lay halfway up the eastern peak, directly opposite Coiled Snake Cave on the western peak. Black Tortoise Mountain took its name from these two caves, the tortoise and the snake.
Pei Yangchun led Xia Zheng swiftly downhill. Before they arrived, they could already hear the faint, intermittent sound of a flute.
Shrill and piercing!
They had heard that sound countless times over the past two months. Pei Yangchun gritted his teeth in hatred, yet there was nothing he could do.
When they arrived, they saw thousands upon thousands of brightly colored venomous snakes surging up from below, surrounding the cave entrance and pouring inside wave after wave.
The faster the flute played, the fiercer the snakes' assault became!
More than a dozen disciples scattered realgar powder and splashed tung oil, but they still could not stop the snakes' suicidal charge. Terrified, they retreated again and again.
The cave entrance had become a sea of fire.
The smell of medicine, of burning flesh, of blood...
Enraged, Pei Yangchun drew his sword in midair and slashed horizontally.
Frost-cold sword energy swept out, instantly chilling the ground. More than a hundred venomous snakes were cut in two, while several hundred more froze stiff where they lay.
The assault weakened, and the flute fell silent.
"Hahahaha!"
Wild laughter drifted out of the woods. "The Dark Yin Sword Technique certainly lives up to its reputation. Too bad one man can't hold everything together. You think you can stop us with this pack of little good-for-nothings? Dream on! Unless you stand guard here day and night without rest, hehehe... Black Tortoise Cave will belong to Yang sooner or later..."
The flute sounded again.
The snake tide that had been charging forward moments earlier swiftly retreated, obeying orders as precisely as hardened soldiers on a battlefield. Only devastation remained.
Pei Yangchun was already used to it.
Ever since Yang Wanli of the Ten-Thousand Snakes Cave had returned from studying at the Five Poisons Cult two months ago, such attacks and taunts had come several times.
Though exhausted in body and spirit, as the sect master he had to hold firm. If the man at the helm fell, the Taiyi Gate would immediately fall apart.
"Is anyone hurt?" Pei Yangchun turned and asked.
The disciples shook their heads, looking dejected.
Pei Yangchun knew what they were thinking, but he no longer had the heart to comfort them.
These ordinary snakes were far from all Yang Wanli possessed. Judging by the time, that enormous creature would soon be leaving its cave too...
Pei Yangchun fretted inwardly. Why hasn't he arrived yet?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, he caught a streak of lightning racing along the mountain path out of the corner of his eye. It darted and shifted, climbing three or four hundred meters in just a few breaths!
"The Lightning Movement Step?"
Pei Yangchun was widely experienced, yet such speed still shocked him deeply. "A seventh-grade supreme art can wield such power? Even the master of the Thieves' Gate couldn't manage this!"
He was about to order everyone on guard when the newcomer came into view. Pei Yangchun immediately spotted the Flying Fish Uniform showing beneath his black cloak.
He's finally here.
Relief settled over Pei Yangchun's heart. For the first time in two months, he smiled and instructed his disciples, "Tell the kitchen to prepare a feast. We have an honored guest from the capital!"