Chapter 369: Canglan Hall (Requesting Subscription)

But there seems to be no need… After all, I'm a direct disciple of the Soul Sword Sect, and the array spirit is one of us—turning it into an enemy brings no benefit.

Even if I shattered the great array, it would only benefit the cultivators outside, and worse yet, a few Shenhuan elders might storm in to seize the treasures and opportunities for themselves…

Fang Xing glanced at the remaining three cultivators.

Rather than compete with the late-stage Shenhuan cultivators outside, it's far simpler and easier to fight these three useless fools.

As for cultivation talent, I reached Nascent Soul mid-stage before a hundred years; as for sword realm, I can cheat; as for combat power, I have my Second Nascent Soul, and can even summon my true self… It feels a bit too much like bullying.

At that moment, the divine consciousness of Tai Bai Sword Immortal echoed in his ear:

"Comrade Mingkun, the Feixian lineage has long betrayed our sect—they are our three greatest enemies. No matter the trials ahead, you must unite and drive Gong Feiyun out!"

Tai Bai Sword Immortal wasn't a fool; though he regarded Fang Xing as a rival in his heart, outwardly he still had to unite with fellow sect disciples against outsiders.

"Hmph!"

Gong Feiyun didn't know what these three were plotting, but he could guess—his mind sneered inwardly.

Even though he had allied with the Piaomiao Immortal Palace, his lineage remained pure sword cultivators.

Had the array spirit not been here, he would have drawn his sword and slaughtered all three without hesitation.

Sword cultivators always settle matters with their blades!

…

"Your time is running short."

The handsome middle-aged array spirit sighed and spoke: "The sect's greatest treasure lies within the Sword Realm—a self-contained world. Even I can only observe it; I cannot open it… Only by gathering five 'Black Iron Sword Tokens,' or holding the Sect Master's token or the Supreme Elder's token, can it be opened… or if it is broken from within."

"What do you mean 'broken from within'? Is there something alive inside the Sword Realm?"

Fang Xing frowned slightly.

But the array spirit said no more—only waved his hand.

A screen of light appeared, showing a gaunt, long-haired old man in black robes, his cold expression as he unleashed a thousand bronze demonic lamps to assault a white radiance barrier.

Around him, countless Nascent Soul true cultivators bowed in obedience, clad in black spiritual armor, fearless and relentless.

"Wuji Palace's Meng Tianzun?"

Gong Feiyun's face turned pale upon seeing him.

And Meng Tianzun seemed to sense the array spirit's gaze—he flicked his finger.

His nails were long, painted purple; a streak of violet light flashed, and the screen vanished instantly.

"Each of you carries one Black Iron Sword Token—the final one is in this man's possession…"

The array spirit sighed: "In my prime, I could forcibly relocate the tokens—but now, I cannot."

Upon hearing this, Tai Bai Sword Immortal and Gong Feiyun both felt despair.

The final Black Iron Sword Token was in the hands of a late-stage Shenhuan demonic Tianzun—they couldn't possibly seize it even if they died trying.

"Originally… when that ancient demon attacked the sect, the Sect Master and Supreme Elders suspected Wuji Palace's involvement… but the sect fell, its disciples perished—there's no way to confirm now."

The handsome middle-aged one gazed at Fang Xing and the other three: "Whoever inherits the Sword Sect's legacy must make the destruction of Wuji Palace your ultimate goal! But I don't demand you swear oaths—any oath can be broken… yet Wuji Palace will never let you live in peace. That alone is enough."

The Piaomiao Immortal Palace still shelters the Flying Sword lineage, but Wuji Palace's forces exterminate the Thunder Sword lineage on sight—their stance is obvious.

We who have already cultivated the Soul Sword Sect's methods and formed Nascent Souls can only hope to live openly by destroying Wuji Palace!

"May I ask, array spirit, does our sect possess any 'Immortal Mansion Treasures'? If so, where are they stored?"

Gong Feiyun stepped forward and asked directly.

Sword cultivators are like this—no roundaboutness at all.

The Immortal Mansion Treasures were his greatest goal—he asked outright.

"Yes!"

The handsome middle-aged array spirit smiled: "They lie within the Sword Realm…"

"As I suspected!"

Gong Feiyun had already guessed this—he merely nodded: "So… it's impossible to obtain them early. Only when Yu Tianzun arrives and negotiates with Meng Tianzun can we gather all five Black Iron Sword Tokens to open the Sword Realm, then each rely on our own strength."

"May I ask, array spirit, where is the 'Spirit Void Sword Scripture'?"

Fang Xing spoke up as well, asking about the transcendence-level inheritance he cared most about.

Well…

With the Great Xia world's source cultivation system, reaching the tenth realm might not be the only path.

But Fang Xing had no intention of abandoning the Immortal Martial path.

Moreover, according to his estimation, achieving breakthroughs simultaneously in the upper, middle, and lower dantian palaces is the most perfect form of 'immortality.'

At that time, he might need the aid of 'Immortal and Martial Convergence.'

The "Spirit Void Sword Scripture" is an inheritance from a higher realm, stored on the sixth floor of Canglan Hall... If you can pass the five trials of Canglan Hall and reach the sixth floor, you may study it yourself.

The array spirit raised his hand and released a map—the mountain gate of the Soul Sword Sect.

One by one, glowing dots lit up.

Sword Polishing Cliff, Canglan Hall, Scripture Repository, Demon Forging Hall, Sword Casting Peak, Spirit Herb Garden, Dingling Hall…

"Each of these places holds opportunities—go explore them yourselves… As long as you pass the trials, you'll gain treasures and techniques… But remember, your time is limited."

The array spirit reminded them once more, then waved his hand—everyone was instantly teleported out of the stone hall.

The handsome middle-aged array spirit watched the scene, his expression momentarily distant: "I've done my best to protect the Sword Sect's disciples… Now, whether we can defeat that ancient demon remains to be seen. If we fail, I'll have no choice but to let those Shenhuan elders in…"

Even if he refused, the many Shenhuan cultivators led by the two Tianzuns would forcibly break through the array.

If the array spirit and the invaders were mutually destroyed, the ultimate beneficiary would still be the ancient demon breaking free!

Thus, this array spirit held flexible boundaries.

"As long as the most important treasures don't fall into Wuji Palace's hands, I can accept anything…"

"And the ancient demon must be destroyed—to avenge the sect."

The array spirit's eyes were deep.

…

A flash of silver light.

Huolong Zhenren arrived before a towering edifice. "Is this the sect's Scripture Repository?"

Huolong Zhenren's eyes gleamed.

He knew his limits—he couldn't compete with the three Nascent Soul true cultivators. His goal today was merely to scavenge any treasures, pills, or techniques the true cultivators overlooked.

He hadn't expected the array spirit to assign them all to different zones.

Everything within this zone was open for exploration.

His expression changed instantly—he spotted a corpse!

The corpse wore the Soul Sword Sect's disciple robes, gripping an ancient sword, moving stiffly.

"A zombie formed from a dead cultivator?"

"No… a demonic corpse?!"

Huolong Zhenren sensed a trace of demonic energy—his face paled as his Fire Dragon Sword shot out, transforming into a roaring, blazing crimson dragon!

The demonic corpse roared, wielding its corrupted flying sword, shooting forward as a streak of black light.

Even faintly, it carried the memory of its former sword techniques!

"Defeating this demonic corpse… is this the array spirit's trial?"

"Good, good—the array spirit doesn't intend to kill me. This demonic corpse should be only third-rank…"

Huolong Zhenren calmed.

But the next instant, the clash of sword sounds echoed far and wide, awakening countless other energies.

"Third-rank demonic corpses… so many?!"

Huolong Zhenren's face truly paled.

…

Spirit Herb Garden.

Tai Bai Sword's light flashed, slicing through a phantom shadow.

Tai Bai Sword Immortal slowly sheathed his sword, gazing at the numerous barriers surrounding the Spirit Herb Garden: "Is breaking through all these barriers the trial?"

"The array spirit clearly knows the secret passed down orally in my Killing Sword lineage…"

"When all five Black Iron Sword Tokens are united, their authority within the Soul Sword Sect rivals even the Sect Master or Supreme Elder…"

"A single token can still open certain secret places… This garden should contain a fifth-rank 'Holy Awakening Fruit,' nearly ten thousand years old. If one obtains its jade fruit, a Great True Cultivator's Nascent Soul can attain sudden enlightenment, briefly entering the Soul Realm… Gaining early insight into the Soul's mysteries greatly aids breakthrough to Shenhuan—even if it's still inferior to the sect's secret 'Shenhuan Spirit Ointment'…"

The Soul Sword Sect's Shenhuan opportunities were not limited to one!

Tai Bai Sword Immortal immediately threw out his Black Iron Sword Token, channeling waves of killing sword qi into it.

The Black Iron Sword Token roared, and streams of black light descended.

Though the barriers surrounding the Spirit Herb Garden didn't collapse immediately, their glow dimmed drastically.

…

"Canglan Hall?!"

Fang Xing looked up at the six-story building before him.

Its architectural style was simple, yet its surface was densely covered in barriers—so complex that even a Shenhuan elder would struggle to break through in a short time.

"If I reach the sixth floor, I'll receive the 'Spirit Void Sword Scripture'?"

"The array spirit truly looks out for us—he assigned us to zones containing precisely what we seek."

Of course, turning away to scavenge elsewhere was also permitted.

But for Fang Xing, this place was unquestionably the most important.

After obtaining the Spirit Void Sword Scripture, just check the medicinal pill storage warehouse to see if there are any fifth-rank pills—that will be enough.

He extended both hands and pushed open the gates of Canglan Hall.

A flash of silver light, and Fang Xing appeared inside a wooden pavilion on the first floor.

Directly ahead of him was a staircase, ascending endlessly.

"The passage to the second floor?"

"Yes, there's a space-restricting array that forbids flight."

Fang Xing lifted his foot and stepped onto the wooden stairs.

In the next instant, a hallucination enveloped him—in it stood a young swordsman, thrusting forward with his sword, his sword qi so icy it could wither a hundred flowers.

"The Five Realms of Sword Dao—Qi, Gang, Yi, Shi, and Breaking All Methods!"

"Must one fully comprehend the condensation of sword qi in one realm to ascend to the second floor?"

Fang Xing smiled faintly, slashed with his Great Freedom Golden Sword Qi, shattered the illusion, and ascended to the second floor.

The second floor tested the refinement of sword into gang—there was absolutely no obstacle; he passed directly.

Then came sword yi, and even sword shi…

Soon, he reached the fifth floor.

"Such intense suppression and restrictions… a normal Nascent Soul Great True Lord probably couldn't force his way up these stairs."

"Only a genius Nascent Soul True Lord who comprehends 'One Sword Breaks All Methods' may enter the sixth floor… to achieve this means becoming a core disciple of the Nascent Soul Sword Sect, someone destined to become its sect master."

Fang Xing chuckled softly and stepped onto the stairs.

The illusion enveloped him once more.

This time, it was a Nascent Soul cultivator of the same level as himself.

His opponent's face was strikingly handsome, faintly resembling the Array Spirit, and he slashed directly with a spiritual treasure flying sword!

The condensed sword light carried an ultimate sharpness, capable of piercing all spells, treasures, and divine arts!

This was the swordsman's 'One Sword Breaks All Methods!'

A peerless sword art of the Divine Transformation realm!

Generally, only a Divine Transformation swordsman could wield it.

If a Nascent Soul cultivator could wield One Sword Breaks All Methods, he was a Divine Transformation seed, a direct heir of the Sword Sect, eligible to receive the Void Refinement inheritance!

Puff!

Without doubt, Fang Xing was slashed backward, his entire body tumbling down from the stairs!

(End of Chapter)