Chapter 659: The Rotting Scent From the Depths of the Soul

Unknowingly,

the years Jiang Ding wandered within the territory of the Great Sun Qingse Jianzong finally brought him close to the ruling core of the Great Sun Qingse Jianzong.

The Great Sun Qingse Jianzong is a relatively traditional sect.

Its lands are situated deep in the mountains where no human treads; it does not coexist with the mundane world and forbids outsiders from breaking into the sect, with violators to be killed without mercy.

Similarly, as a major power in the region, complete seclusion is impossible.

The Great Sun Qingse Jianzong possesses a core Immortal City for frequent exchange of information and supplies with the outside world, situated on a Grade Four Upper Spirit Vein, gathering scattered cultivators from all sides, envoys from various powers, spies, merchants, artifact refiners, spirit plant cultivators, alchemists, and so on.

This core Immortal City is named Great Sun Sword City.

According to intelligence, Great Sun Sword City has no city walls, no defensive arrays; anyone and any power may enter or leave freely, provided they obey the laws of Great Sun Sword City—extremely strict, even harsh laws, specially designed so that a slight carelessness easily leads to violation.

Those who violate have two choices.

First, pay a massive fine, enough to instantly bankrupt a cultivator of that realm.

Second, ascend the Dueling Sword Platform and survive; aside from crimes involving core disciples of the Great Sun Qingse Jianzong, any and all charges will be cleared.

The Great Sun Qingse Jianzong,

treats its core disciples who comprehend the Sword Intent with special favor.

It has quite the feeling of "punishment does not reach the scholar-officials."

All kinds of heavenly treasures, earthly herbs, and elixirs are provided as much as possible; they also help care for family members, and cultivators within the sect show great mutual affection and support one another.

For example, in the past, Fang Master Dinghai Zhenjun was willing to place himself in danger just to save the Fiery Sun Sword Disciple.

One must know that at that time, if he had merely feigned weakness to get by, no one would have known; even the Great Sun Qingse Jianzong's Supreme Elders could not have reproached him.

Tian Hua Master Dinghai Zhenjun of the Liu Dao Sect did exactly that.

Looking only at the core disciples and above, this sect is simply the most typical great righteous sect: elders show care, juniors show trust, and the human warmth is extremely thick.

Even if you grow weary of killing and no longer wish to practice the sword, the elders will still offer earnest instruction and gentle persuasion; if it fails, they merely sigh deeply, feel heartbroken, and are helpless.

There is nothing like sudden betrayal or acting differently in public versus behind one's back to chill the heart; such things rarely occur.

—Provided that the Sword Intent is not lost.

Sword Intent is the dividing line between human and non-human within the Great Sun Qingse Jianzong.

Of course, generally speaking, no matter what, the Sword Intent will not regress; once comprehended, it is comprehended and will not change.

If one of their own who has comprehended the Sword Intent makes a mistake or fails, that is normal.

The Great Sun Qingse Jianzong has very high tolerance.

There is none of the coldness and ruthlessness of sword cultivators; its internal cohesion is far stronger than that of other sects.

In these years, Jiang Ding did not merely travel and journey.

He expended considerable effort to set up multiple ultra-long-range teleportation arrays in various hidden locations to serve as escape routes and mobile support.

Relatively simple, it did not require much effort.

These teleportation arrays are products of the Immortal Gate's Immortal Dao industry; they only needed installation, and an array-crafting level of Grade Four Mid, on the verge of entering Grade Four Upper, was entirely sufficient.

As for maintenance, since the teleportation arrays are rarely used, maintenance work is needed only once every few decades; if one truly breaks, one can simply run to an Immortal Gate and replace an array part; the difficulty is not high.

This is the benefit of relying on a powerful Immortal cultivation industrial system; spending money can solve most things.

As he approached Great Sun Sword City,

some of Jiang Ding's previous judgments were overturned and corrected again.

Here, near the center of the Northern Plains, major spirit veins converge; the overflowing spiritual qi, even without being situated on any spirit vein and without any Spirit Gathering Array in the wilderness, is almost as concentrated as a Grade One spirit vein, dozens of times that of the Three Kingdoms region, and the abundance of heavenly treasures and earthly herbs is likewise.

Throughout history, the heroes and champions who have dominated the winds and clouds of the Northern Plains all came from here, precisely because of this material foundation.

Similarly, for this reason, a vast number of scattered cultivators were born here.

They are unrestrained, accepting no direct control from any power; their Fa Qi Fa are bizarre and varied: flying daggers, hammer heads, bronze men, stone blocks, shields, and so on, covering everything.

These people are allowed to use defensive Fa Qi Fa treasures.

The Great Sun Qingse Jianzong imposes no such restrictions on scattered cultivators; only its subordinate powers are required to do so.

Due to the prevailing atmosphere and habits, using defensive Fa Qi Fa within the territory of the Great Sun Qingse Jianzong is an act looked down upon by others.

Scattered cultivators clearly do not care; they follow their own path.

After traveling several days and crossing thousands of kilometers,

in the distance, a vast Immortal City of immense scale, with spiritual light flashing everywhere, appeared before his eyes.

Just as the intelligence stated, there were no city walls, free entry and exit; within, various tall buildings, gardens, shops, and cave dwellings stretched for over a hundred kilometers, a spectacle far surpassing General General Heishi's Tushan Xiancheng; the two cannot be compared.

Among the cultivators coming and going, Foundation Establishment cultivators were common sights, nothing at all remarkable; Jin Dan cultivators were seen from time to time, and the people around acted as if it were an everyday occurrence, without the manner of many cultivators elsewhere paying respects and respectfully calling someone "Ancestor."

This is one of the most prosperous Immortal Cities of the Northern Plains,

Great Sun Sword City!

The cultivators appearing within mostly carry swords; their auras are sharp and high-spirited, clearly possessing no small attainment in sword techniques.

Sword techniques, sword Dao Gong Fa, and flying swords here are cheaper and of higher quality compared to other places; even without any mandatory orders, cultivators using flying swords are not few.

"So many auras of Sword Intent..."

Jiang Ding extended his divine sense, his heart stirring slightly.

Instinctively, a desire for killing arose within him; he wanted to destroy all sword Dao cultivators before him who refused to submit, casting aside all concerns, and engage them in a life-and-death exchange of sword Dao.

Now, he had transformed into a cultivator in a gray robe with an ordinary face, a long sword at his waist; here, he was utterly ordinary, vanishing into a crowd with a single step.

Clang!

Within his soul, the Annihilating Sword Intent hummed lightly, sweeping away the restlessness in his heart.

No one asked, no one registered.

He simply stepped casually into Great Sun Sword City; vaguely, he felt an invisible wave sweep over him, then vanish, with nothing else following.

Ding ding ding ding...

As soon as he entered the city, before he could even take in his surroundings, his ears were filled with the urgent hum of swords.

He focused his gaze.

On a duel platform over ten miles wide, two Jin Dan cultivators wielded flying swords in mortal combat, while numerous Jin Dan and Foundation Establishment cultivators around them watched in solemn silence, daring not to disturb even slightly.

"Such a grand gesture—arriving here and immediately witnessing a Jin Dan cultivator's life-or-death duel."

Jiang Ding glanced, and inwardly winced.

Jin Dan cultivators were by no means weak—they could dominate regional affairs—but here in the Great Sun Sword City, they were merely objects of mortal combat, sacrificed not for strategy, but purely for internal strife.

And judging by the expressions of those around him, this was no extraordinary event—just ordinary daily fare.

"The 'Fengfeng Sword' True Person has again defaulted on his tribute to the Great Sun Qingse Jianzong; now he's back on the duel platform—wonder if this time he'll die at the hands of a Great Sun Qingse Jianzong inner sect elder…"

"Inner sect elder? The Fengfeng True Person has already slain three Great Sun Qingse Jianzong inner sect elders on this very platform. I'd say he's the one we should be worried about."

"True enough—we dare not enter the Great Sun Qingse Jianzong's inner sect, though the benefits are lavish and envy-inducing, yet people die here constantly…"

Jiang Ding's spiritual sense caught the murmurs of the surrounding cultivators, and he turned his gaze to the duel platform.

A dashing middle-aged swordsman wielded a white-gold flying sword artifact, matching evenly with an elderly Jin Dan Late-stage cultivator before him, both at Jin Dan Mid-stage realm.

Time and again, he evaded sword qi strikes with swift sword-dashing maneuvers, effortlessly, drawing admiring glances from many cultivators.

"This man…"

Jiang Ding stared at the middle-aged swordsman.

The man was ordinary—Jin Dan Mid-stage cultivation, decent sword technique, unfamiliar to him, appearing no different from the many Jin Dan cultivators he'd encountered before.

Yet somehow,

Jiang Ding's nose suddenly caught a stench of decay—not a physical odor, but a scent originating from the soul.

Like flesh that had rotted and fermented for centuries, liquefied, teeming with maggots—faint, yet seeping into the marrow, forever inescapable.

This sensation came without cause.

It came from, the intuition of a Dao Heir.

"This feeling…"

Jiang Ding's expression gradually grew solemn.

Whatever triggered his intuition was certainly no ordinary threat.

After all, even the Flame Sun Sword Heir and the Six Paths Holy Heir had failed to stir even a whisper of reaction—even if they had both ascended to Soul Transformation, they could not have moved his intuition at all.

At the same time,

The dashing swordsman on the duel platform also sensed something, and turned his gaze downward.

A youth in a gray robe.

Ordinary face, ordinary aura, his appearance temporarily altered—even a Soul Transformation True Lord or Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun here could not pierce the illusion.

"Him!"

"No… impossible!"

The dashing middle-aged swordsman's pupils shrank sharply, his heart churning like a storm-tossed sea.

"…Great Sun… Sword Lord…"

(End of Chapter)