Chapter 76: 76. Chapter 76

76. Chapter 76

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Bai Tian sat up abruptly from her bed. She had not dreamed of this scene for many years; it was likely because she had heard too much news about the Immortal-Seeking Way yesterday, which stirred up long-buried memories.

Wiping the cold sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, she did not intend to go back to sleep. She jumped off the bed, picked up the silk skirt from the rack to change into, then used a hair ribbon to tie up her long hair. Atian brought along the Wanjie she had placed at the head of the bed, pushed open the door, and walked out of the room.

At this moment, the first rays of morning glow had not yet pierced through the clouds, and the surroundings were enveloped in a hazy sense of neither light nor dark. She stood alone on the twenty-story high platform, gazing at the Floating Island covered by a thin layer of mist. The slightly briny sea breeze stirred the loose hair at her temples. Atian lifted the sword in her hand, threw it toward the ground, and at the same time, lightly tapped her toes, swooping down following the trail of the sword.

The image of other disciples leaping between the courtyards played in her mind; every landing spot coincided with her memories. Atian rose and fell as if dancing, and finally, with a forceful push, she leaped high into the air, her wide skirt transforming into a peony blooming in mid-air.

"Who is it, so early..."

Hearing the sound, Song Zhicheng pushed open his door, his eyes still heavy with sleep, and saw Bai Tian's gracefully drifting figure landing right on the Wanjie that had pierced into the soil. He was just about to call out a greeting when he saw the young girl lightly jump off the sword hilt and lift the black longsword. The golden morning light hit her profile, plating her with a layer of gentle, delicate makeup.

Song Zhicheng froze, his mouth opening subconsciously, but until the former's back disappeared from his sight, the words "Junior Sister Bai" remained stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.

After leaving the courtyard, Atian went straight to the cafeteria. The head cook of the Beihai Sword Sect was a middle-aged woman dressed in gaudy jewelry, with so many rings on her fingers they were impossible to count. She was long accustomed to disciples rising early; seeing Atian, she gave her a large bowl of porridge and a few steamed buns. The latter did not complain after receiving them, found a place to sit, and began to wolf down the food.

Today would be an exceptionally difficult day; she had to consume enough energy in a short time.

The first technique Atian learned at the Beihai Sword Sect was the Sword Control Art. Saying she "learned" it was not entirely accurate; it was just like her sword moves, contained within her bones. It only needed a little stimulation to emerge in her mind.

Unlike the Duan Yue Sword, which threw tantrums all day and tripped Zhao Kuo, Wanjie could be described as "handy" when driven. It was just like Atian herself, wrapping a lethal interior in a docile appearance. Yet, even so, she almost crashed into the ground while climbing the suspended Martial Arts Arena, making those who saw it break into a cold sweat for her.

The person who saw this was naturally Luo Li, who had come to the Martial Arts Arena early to strike a pose. She was wearing men's clothing, draped in a moon-white outer robe, and with her tall stature and ear-length short hair, if one ignored the scar on her face, she really looked like a dashing young gentleman at first glance.

In fact, there was a reason for Luo Li to dress this way. The number of Elders in the Beihai Sword Sect was pitifully small, so none could be wasted; each had to be used where it counted most—such as the Sect Master Duan Xuan, who served as the face of the sect; Tan Tianming, who was responsible for external affairs; Guo Huai, who managed internal affairs; Li Ke, who provided a sense of deterrence; and Luo Li, who acted as the muscle.

Luo Li was the Law Enforcement Elder of the Beihai Sword Sect and also their sharp blade for external matters. Judging by how she had directly attacked the gates of the Immortal-Seeking Way the moment the "Heartless Dao" incident broke out, she had always played the role of the "unreasonable" one, and over time, she had become what she was today.

"Young people these days..." Her face wrinkled into a ball, and she shook her head in disapproval, looking exactly like Old Granny Wang at the village entrance. This was perhaps a common ailment of those who had aged.

Atian put Wanjie back on her back, trotted to Luo Li, covered half her face with her sleeve, revealing a pair of bright, sparkling eyes, and softly called out, "Good morning, Junior Uncle Luo Li."

It feels so good to have a little sister!

Luo Li was almost moved to tears internally, but on the surface, she remained calm. She spat out the dogtail grass she was chewing, nodded at Bai Tian, and dropped a "Follow me" before turning and walking toward the depths of the Martial Arts Arena.

The Beihai Sword Sect itself was a massive Floating Island, and the Martial Arts Arena was a floating city upon that island. It was not a simple, crude, vast square, but a rather spectacular floating hill. The bottom-most platform was where Qi Refining disciples practiced their swordsmanship; the stone huts scattered on the mountain body were built specifically for seclusion, while the remaining forests and mountain body were the true training grounds for the disciples.

"Our Beihai Sword Sect is located above the North Sea and is always mocked by those guys who occupy mountains and rivers as being a small, cramped place. But so what? If there's no back mountain, why not just build one yourself?"

Luo Li led Bai Tian through the forest. Her steps were light and nimble, as if walking on flat ground, yet she did not deliberately speed up; instead, she slowed her pace slightly to chat with the young girl behind her.

Calling it a chat, it was actually Luo Li rambling unilaterally.

"Tan Tianming says your Sword Bone contains Demonic Thought and is a Demonic Sword. This is actually a lingering poison he contracted during his early years at the Taixuan Sect. Although he was sent here as soon as his Sword Bone awakened and he abolished all his cultivation to start over, some habits are just impossible to correct."

As she spoke, she raised her hand to push aside a branch.

"For us Sword Cultivators, what is this talk of Demonic Thought or no Demonic Thought? In this world, there are swords that destroy the world and swords that save it. The Sword Heart of a Sword Cultivator is strange and varied, and their Sword Intent is also different, but no matter how they change, one thing will never change—they are all swords for killing."

"A sword is a lethal weapon."

"Those who are weak of heart cannot lift it; those who are compassionate cannot swing it; those who lack the intent to kill cannot thrust it."

Perhaps because it was located above the sea, the soil in the mountain forest was soft, and there was even a freshness unique to the aftermath of rain. Atian reached out to steady herself against a towering tree, and Luo Li also stopped and turned to look at her.

"But a sword is also a gentleman."

"Those with ulterior motives are not worthy of holding it; those who are hypocritical and falsely kind are not worthy of swinging it; those who are bloodthirsty and cruel are not worthy of using it."

"If there is even a hint of hesitation regarding the above, do not draw your sword; that will only bring shame to your blade."

Luo Li's eyes were like a sword that could pierce the heavens, stabbing straight into Atian's soul.

"However, in the final analysis, the one who uses the sword is still a person."

"A Sword Cultivator's moves come from their Life-bound Sword, a Sword Cultivator's Sword Heart comes from their Sword Bone, and a Sword Cultivator's Sword Bone comes from the Sword Cultivator themselves."

"If you are at a loss without your sword, how are you any different from a puppet controlled by a sword? If everything is controlled by the sword, then is it you swinging the sword, or is it the sword swinging you?"

Luo Li turned around, her moon-white outer robe drawing an arc in the air, and she began to stride into the forest.

"Remember! You and it are both half-selves and enemies!"

"You must listen to it, understand it, and probe it, pursuing together the ultimate truth bestowed upon you by the heavens, while also suppressing it, subduing it, and driving it! Let it know who the master is!"

This time, Luo Li did not wait for her. Atian began to run, not caring about the mud staining her shoes, her eyes fixed only on the moon-white hem fluttering in her sight.

She did not know how long they had walked before Luo Li stopped at the edge of a cliff. Bai Tian walked over to look, only to discover that this was not a cliff, but a rather spectacular sinkhole.

Having grown up in a small town, Atian had never seen such a magnificent sight. This sinkhole was over a hundred meters deep; as far as the eye could see, there were swirling clouds and vines clinging to the steep stone walls. The mouth of the pit was so large that, from a distance, it looked like a circular piece of the sky.

"The Sect Master asked me to teach you how to retract and release power. However, one must first learn to wield a weapon before one can stop the conflict. To learn how to forge a sword sheath, one must first know how to release power."

"Let me see what kind of ability you have, you who can give birth to the Sword of Desolate Night."

Luo Li's voice rang out unexpectedly by Atian's ear. Such close proximity immediately filled her with a sense of foreboding. Sure enough, a force came from behind, and before she could twist her waist to dodge, she was kicked directly off the cliff!

Bai Tian's first reaction was to call for Wanjie, but the black sword remained motionless on her back. The mountain wind carried her as she plummeted rapidly, soon disappearing from the mouth of the sinkhole.

"Work hard! I've already made an agreement with them; if you succeed, I'll bring you along."

As Luo Li spoke, she looked through the layers of the mountain forest toward the Yishi Dian in the distance. In front of the Yishi Dian standing in the center of the Floating Island, two figures were waiting quietly at the door.

"Elder Li, Senior Brother Bai," the Sword Attendant Boy pushed open the door and bowed to the two, "The Sect Leader invites you in."

Just as they were about to enter the great hall, a gust of sea breeze blew their robes, making them rustle. A letter slipped quietly from Li Ke's sleeve, spinning in the air and flying further away. On the half-open paper, one could vaguely see the character "Qing".

Atian was falling.

She closed her eyes, feeling the weightlessness of her body. As she was about to reach the bottom, she thrust her sword out. The tip of the sword pointed directly at the ground, and the originally rigid blade bent into an arc. Relying on this elasticity, she stayed suspended in the air for a few seconds, head-down. The longsword rotated with her body, dancing a clean sword flourish in the air. As the sensation of cutting into flesh traveled from the hilt, Atian landed lightly on one knee, and some liquid splashed onto her face.

In the pitch-black world, pairs of scarlet eyes suddenly lit up.