Chapter 671: Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun

Stepping on layer upon layer of corpses and white bones, he climbed the mountain peak one step at a time, passing through tier upon tier of blood-soaked, terrifying prohibitions.

At the summit,

a withered, emaciated old man sat cross-legged on the ground, his sharp, fierce aura entirely concealed. Seeing him come up, the old man pulled at his facial skin and revealed a kindly smile.

"Greetings, Master!"

Blood Bone True Person kowtowed in salute.

"No need for such ceremony, disciple."

"How has your cultivation been in recent years? Any difficulties?"

Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun asked in a gentle tone.

"Yes, Master. While practicing the Blood Bone Sword Art, this disciple had some things he did not understand…"

Blood Bone True Person's spirit lifted, and he hurriedly laid out, one by one, all the questions he had accumulated over the years, awaiting his master's answers.

In the past, such an opportunity was rare.

Usually getting a chance to ask questions once every twenty or thirty years was already quite good, and it still depended on his master's recent mood. If he happened to rub the wrong way, he would often get a beating that left his skin torn and flesh split open.

"The Blood Bone Sword Art leans toward ferocity and killing, refined through the blood of living beings. It is best to grow on the battlefield. Dayan Jianzi's side is quite suitable — once you finish the matters here, you may go serve under Dayan Jianzi.

You should temper and advance your Dao through the blood of your foes. This is the fate of us sword cultivators. If you wish to advance your cultivation, go and slaughter…"

Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun carefully and patiently explained the difficulties for his disciple, answering questions from time to time.

"Exactly."

Suddenly, his words paused, and he sighed softly.

"Well, you might die."

Blood Bone True Person also seemed to recall something, fell silent, and listened respectfully.

For more than ten days running, the hoarse, dry voice answering his disciple's questions echoed through the mountain of corpses and sea of bodies, giving a rough explanation of everything once.

Whether they could understand

depended on the disciple's fortune — everyone had come through it this way.

"How are the matters progressing?"

Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun asked in a hoarse voice.

"Reporting to Master."

Blood Bone True Person said respectfully: "Among the one hundred and thirty-seven sword sprouts, there are sixty-seven lower-grade, forty-two mid-grade, twenty-seven upper-grade, and three supreme-grade sword sprouts.

Among them, one supreme-grade sword sprout is exceptionally outstanding and has already been planted. It is expected to bear fruit in just over twenty years."

"Oh, an exceptionally outstanding supreme-grade sword sprout?"

Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun felt a touch of joy in his heart.

"Yes, Master."

Blood Bone True Person explained: "This supreme-grade sword sprout slew the upper-grade sword sprout Guo Kai along with over thirty Jin Dan cultivators, sustaining only minor injuries. Its strength is nearly comparable to a Sword Intent sword cultivator. By this disciple's estimate, it is only one kick away, so I plan to rank it as a super-grade sword sprout."

"It slew Guo Kai and over thirty Jin Dan cultivators without even comprehending Sword Intent?"

"Not bad. It truly is a super-grade sword sprout. Your plan is not wrong."

Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun was very satisfied and offered encouragement: "Disciple, take good care of our sword sprouts. Every martial uncle in the sect is watching. We will not treat you poorly.

The upper-grade Nascent Soul opportunity has already been prepared. Just wait until your cultivation is ripe enough, and you may use it. Do not worry about anything."

"Thank you, Master!"

Blood Bone True Person was overjoyed, then said with some worry: "Master, the core disciples of Fang Master Dinghai Zhenjun's side, such as Xu Ling True Person, often obstruct us. This disciple has truly been running himself ragged of late…"

Fang Master Dinghai Zhenjun was the leader of the Master-Disciple Faction.

As for late-stage Nascent Soul and peak Nascent Soul cultivators, they sat high above the clouds. No matter how dire the situation within the sect, they would never lack for anything. They had no need to enter the fray to compete — whatever they needed was delivered right to their door.

"Fang Master Dinghai Zhenjun?"

Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun snorted coldly and said disdainfully: "That man is pedantic and cannot win people's hearts. Someone will soon counsel his disciples. You need not worry — just focus on cultivating sword sprouts for the sect."

"This alone is already a great merit. You need not worry about anything else."

"Yes, this disciple understands!"

Blood Bone True Person's heart was put at ease.

Seeing that his master had no further questions, he once again bowed respectfully and slowly took his leave.

After Blood Bone True Person departed, the place returned to dead silence, without a trace of life.

The mountain wind blew,

carrying the stench of rotting corpses and the smell of blood — a graveyard of living beings in the truest sense, unfit for human habitation.

"Hehehehe…"

Accompanied by a laugh as unpleasant as a bird's cry, a dovel-faced old man appeared opposite Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun and laughed: "Ran Gu, is this the scapegoat you've found for yourself?"

"If Chun Jian Yang Master Dinghai Zhenjun comes out of seclusion, he will surely be furious, but he cannot kill a sect Nascent Soul cultivator. As for these disciples, each and every one of them is doomed."

"Your chief disciple is called Ran Chun Jian?"

"He is very fortunate, serving at Dayan Jianzi's side, untainted by all this. His future Dao is infinitely bright — enviable. Not like this poor wretch."

"Scapegoat?"

"Not to that extent."

Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun was not at all surprised by the appearance of the man before him and said calmly: "In recent years his cultivation has advanced rapidly, and his Sword Intent is even more refined and vicious — stronger than many sword cultivators fighting on the front lines. What a tremendous benefit that is.

Some risk is only to be expected."

"As for you, Yin Jiu — why not go back and be a good dog for the Yin family of Liu Dao Sect? What are you doing here?"

He sneered: "I recall that a few hundred years ago, when you joined Dari Sect, the Yin family slaughtered your parents, younger sister, younger brother, children, and every relative you had. A branch line committing a crime against its superiors — utterly unforgivable, of course."

"And yet you still had the nerve to go crawling back. Heh, has your Sword Heart wavered?"

He sneered.

"Though we have ties—you saved my life—it's already settled."

"I think your head might fetch me a Breakthrough Pill."

The haggard old man before him was none other than Yinjiu Master Dinghai Zhenjun, born of the Yin family's collateral line, who joined the Dari Sect, rose to Nascent Soul through bloody battles, drenched his hands in the blood of countless clan cultivators, personally slaughtered multiple Northern Plain clans, then betrayed the Dari Qingse Jianzong and returned to the Yin family of the Liu Dao Sect!

His head carried a hefty bounty within the Dari Qingse Jianzong.

"Be a dog? Not likely."

Yinjiu Master Dinghai Zhenjun paid no mind to Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun's mockery: "No one would give a dog vast Nascent Soul-tier resources to help it break through to Nascent Soul Mid-Stage."

"If such a dog existed, I'd be willing to be it."

Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun fell silent.

"Ran Gu."

"We're neither of us in a position to mock the other."

Yinjiu Master Dinghai Zhenjun said calmly: "If the Sword Son were still alive, your current actions would have seen you killed on the spot."

"He didn't care whether you were Nascent Soul or not—he never compromised, unlike Master Dinghai Zhenjun Chun Jian Yang, who was so easygoing."

"Even if your entire sect turned traitor, he'd still draw his sword and slaughter them clean, then cultivate a new Dari Qingse Jianzong without hesitation."

"The Sword Son…"

Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun's heart turned cold.

The Sword Son they spoke of was certainly not the Flame Sun Sword Son.

Even though he had ascended to Nascent Soul and his strength surpassed theirs, he was still not qualified to be their master.

"Enough. Let's stop exposing each other's flaws."

Having gained a slight verbal edge, Yinjiu Master Dinghai Zhenjun cut off the topic and turned to the matter at hand: "You want sword cultivator shen hun? The Liu Dao Sect and the Zhengmo Alliance have them—even Nascent Soul-tier sword cultivator shen hun. They also possess secret techniques to refine collateral bloodlines and advance cultivation further."

"Our ancestor was invincible in his time; his legacy bloodline is no ordinary thing. The Sword Son's disappearance over two thousand years ago may even be tied to our ancestor's methods."

"All of this is negotiable."

"This is precisely why those dog-like bastards of the Zhengmo Alliance forced me here—so stingy, just because I slaughtered a few clans? I haven't even settled accounts for them killing my parents."

"Alright, now that I've said all that—do you still intend to kill me?"

Yinjiu Master Dinghai Zhenjun adopted a defiant stance: "In this stronghold, I'm no match for you. All I'll say is this: I've set self-destruct seals on my shen hun and my treasure pouch. No one can take anything from my corpse. I will never let anyone kill me and claim such a great prize."

"Never."

"You've known me for all these years—I've always been this way."

Three

(Chapter End)