Chapter 387: True Person of the Hundred Birds

After torturing Huogong Toutuo for a while and training him like a dog, Xu Jia said to the two of them: "You two need not be alarmed. Now that your flying swords have fallen into my hands, you cannot stir up any trouble. There are only two choices now: first, leave behind your inherited sword formulas, and I shall let you go; second, write a family letter requesting a ransom. Until the ransom is delivered, you shall work here alongside Huogong Toutuo."

"Senior, this junior is the daughter of the master of the Tianquan Sword from the Sword Casting Villa. I accidentally offended you just now and am filled with trepidation. I shall write a family letter immediately, asking my family to bring gifts and visit in person to apologize."

That He Yu Langjun did not have much of a background; he was the pride of a martial arts sect. Reaching his current level of cultivation was already the result of generations of the sect's accumulation. His Heyu Immortal Sword was also obtained from the Dongfu of a predecessor. If not for his handsome appearance and some reputation as a hero, it would have been difficult for him to stand out.

At this moment, he wore a troubled expression and looked toward Gongye Lingxue as if seeking help. Gongye Lingxue was also from a righteous sect, but this matter was not hers to decide. She was also a Mud Bodhisattva herself, so she advised: "Young Master He, although I have the intention to help you, my father most dislikes the 'mad bees and butterflies' who are intimate with me. Although you are not a frivolous person, I fear it will be difficult to gain my father's favor."

The Sword Casting Villa possesses seven top-tier flying swords in the world, which are considered superior among first-class flying swords, especially since they are a matched set. They can be arranged into a North Star Sword Array. The seven sword masters are all at the Earth Immortal level. In the cultivation world, they are a first-class power with a great number of disciples. They also have sword-casting industries, claiming to have one hundred thousand Post-Heaven Realm outer disciples and three thousand Pre-Heaven Realm inner disciples.

He Yu Langjun also understood this result, but he still felt unwilling.

He said: "I will never make things difficult for the Fairy, but Senior, your Yellow Lotus Sect is already hated by everyone; please do not push things too far!"

Having said this, he handed over a scroll of the Crane Form Sword Scripture.

Xu Jia did not make things difficult for him and returned his flying sword, not worried that the Crane Form Sword Scripture he gave was fake.

Although He Yu Langjun could leave, he did not, saying: "Fairy, I shall wait here until your family arrives."

Gongye Lingxue had seen sycophants before, but this could truly be considered "seeing true feelings in adversity." That He Yu Langjun could act like this made him a "true gentleman."

Huogong Toutuo, however, felt that letting the other party go like this was a completely different treatment from his own, and resentment grew in his heart: "This really is a world that looks at faces. Just because I don't look as pleasing as others, I deserve to be this old demon's slave, while because he looks better, he is let go so simply and easily?"

He looked at He Yu Langjun with a malicious expression: "The master let you go, but there is still Cause and Effect between us that hasn't been settled."

He Yu Langjun sneered: "I am at your disposal at any time."

Xu Jia ignored them entirely. He read through the Crane Form Sword Scripture once, and his mind was already made up; a crane appeared in his mind, dancing, calling, and leaping.

The Crane Form Sword Scripture takes the lightness and agility of a crane, excelling in soaring and wading; the sword moves imitate a crane's beak catching food, the flapping of crane wings...

From martial arts to immortality, one can cultivate all the way to the Earth Immortal realm. The sword scripture points out that it is best to raise a spirit crane and observe it day and night.

This sword scripture, although similar to "Form-Intention Boxing," places more importance on the "spirit"—that is, visualizing the spirit of the crane. The postures of the sword scripture are also best suited to the agility of a crane.

To be fair, Xu Jia did not know much about cranes. Although there were a few pairs of cranes raised for viewing on Sanqing Mountain, they were merely "birds in a cage" and lacked the carefree artistic conception of a crane.

However, even so, his understanding was deeper than that of the half-baked He Yu Langjun.

He directly used Gongye Lingxue's "Xiaoyue Sword" to practice the sword scripture. He was "cuckolding" the owner right in front of her. In an instant, the sword dance cast clear shadows, with graceful crane cries and cold, sorrowful moonlight—what an imagery.

Just like that, He Yu Langjun's Dao heart collapsed: "Impossible, impossible."

Xu Jia had already reached the extremely high sword cultivation realm of "Sword Intent taking form, Sword Intent having spirit."

"What is the relationship between Senior and Baiqin Zhenren?" He Yu Langjun finally thought of a possibility himself.

Xu Jia was confused: "What does Baiqin Zhenren have to do with this sword scripture?"

Gongye Lingxue said: "Baiqin Zhenren was a remarkable person five hundred years ago. He came from the Imperial Hundred Birds Garden, where he raised all kinds of rare beasts. Later, he obtained the art of observing celestial phenomena from the Imperial Observatory, observing the Twenty-Eight Mansions of the heavens, which was called the Great Evolution Bird Divination Technique. He eventually became a Grandmaster of his generation and left behind the 'Hundred Birds True Explanation.' Inside, there is the Hundred Birds Play, an advanced version of the Five Animals Play, which is a secret technique for body refinement, and the Bird Evolution Sword Technique, a superior sword art in the world. I thought the Crane Form Sword Scripture was so elegant that it couldn't be without a source; so it is the orthodoxy of Baiqin Zhenren."

Xu Jia heard this and said: "Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao. For him to observe a hundred birds and examine celestial phenomena to achieve such an accomplishment, he is also a person who has Didao. If there is a chance, I would be willing to exchange ideas with him."

Hearing Xu Jia's self-important reply, viewing himself as an equal to Baiqin Zhenren without any sense of reverence, they all fell silent.

"Baiqin Zhenren ascended in the daytime three hundred years ago."

"A pity, a pity." Xu Jia sighed a few times, then asked: "You just mentioned Dutian Liehuo Zushi. Since this person calls himself an Ancestor, could it be that he also ascended?"

"Dutian Liehuo Zushi was an ancestor of the heterodox path," Gongye Lingxue explained to Xu Jia: "Although he was heterodox, he had unique achievements in Fire Method. He was skilled in the 'Bird Taming' of the Seventy-two Earthly Fiend Minor Divine Abilities. By refining them with true fire, he turned various spirit birds into Fire Crows. The Fire Crows could turn into Fire Crow Clouds, flying and hiding, and could evolve into the Fire Crow Great Array. For a time, he could even refine enemies in an instant. The fire birds would feed their cultivation back to him, turning into Dutian Fierce Fire True Qi, so that for a time, he was hated by everyone."

"Later, he established a sect on Huashan and gathered disciples, which is how he got the name Ancestor of Fierce Fire."

"The Dutian Liehuo Sword and the Dutian Liehuo Dazhen were both means he created by gathering his own learning when he became the leader of the heterodox path."

Gongye Lingxue said: "However, Dutian Liehuo Zushi was ultimately heterodox, and his cultivation failed in the end. The fierce fire burned his Spirit Embryo, and he turned into a Golden Crow and flew toward the sun. The Huashan Sect then fell apart."

"If our Sword Casting Villa could obtain the fire method inheritance of Dutian Liehuo Zushi, we might be able to go a step further and forge top-grade flying swords that surpass first-class ones. Those kinds of flying swords are used by the ancestor-level figures of various sects, or are even relics from ancient times."

Gongye Lingxue was filled with emotion.

Xu Jia had a thought and immediately said: "Since you want it, just take it. It's just that I am also interested in the sword-casting techniques of your Sword Casting Villa. Never mind, I'm afraid you can't make the decision on this. When your father comes, I will just ask him."

(End of chapter)