Chapter 593: Sword Qi suppresses the Great River

Swish, swish, swish!

More and more figures appeared.

The dark-colored Daoist robes almost merged with the darkness.

Mingshanzi had changed his attire by this time. His dark blue crane cloak was embroidered with the Seven Luminaries of the Big Dipper. He carried a long sword on his back, and bamboo talismans were inserted into a specially made leather pouch at his waist. Coupled with his crane-like lean figure, his momentum was vastly different.

Previously, he had the air of an immortal, but now he was filled with chilling intent.

The few people beside him all looked extraordinary.

There was an old Daoist with white hair, tall and large, his face covered in scars. He did not carry a sword on his back, but his right hand gripped an old jujube wood Dharma seal. His knuckles were covered in patterns stained with cinnabar—this was the mark left by thirty years of cultivating thunder techniques...

There was also a female Daoist, nearly thirty years of age, who did not smile easily. Her thick black hair was secured with a green bamboo hairpin. One could vaguely see thirty-six gold needles inserted into her hair bun, and under her Daoist robe, one could vaguely see leg wraps covered in talismans...

These experts, a small portion came from the Cheng family, and the majority came from Mount Qingcheng. They rarely appeared on ordinary days and were specifically responsible for slaughter and combat.

Li Yan recognized the leader of the Qingcheng side; it was Ling Yunzi, who had led them on a tour of Mount Qingcheng before. He had now officially become the leader of external operations from his position as a guest-welcoming Daoist.

Whether it was Mingshanzi or Ling Yunzi, although they could not be considered the masters of the house, they were already top-tier among their respective middle ranks.

But the two stood respectfully to the sides, their attitudes deferential.

Standing in the center was a blind old Daoist, his Daoist robes tattered, his withered hair hunched, his face covered in age spots—a picture of someone nearing the end of their life.

It was Cheng Jianxin, one of the ten great masters of the Divine Land.

His cultivation had declined, and coupled with the injuries he had sustained previously, his state was very poor. His eyes were turbid, and his aura had become weak.

However, no one dared to underestimate him.

They even secretly sized him up with gazes of worship.

There was no other reason: Cheng Jianxin's prestige was simply too great. He had suppressed the Shu region for decades with his own strength, causing Mount Qingcheng's reputation to surpass that of Mount Emei.

Whether it was the Cheng family or the Daoists of Mount Qingcheng, in their eyes, Cheng Jianxin was undoubtedly a god-like existence.

A god who had descended from the mountain was still a god!

And standing beside Cheng Jianxin was a youth holding a sword; it was Chang Gousheng, who had challenged Li Yan back then.

Unlike the others, the youth was still covered in dust and dirt, his eyes bloodshot and filled with tears, his gaze evasive, looking toward the side from time to time.

Cheng Jianxin did not pay him any mind, facing the river surface in the distance, carefully sensing the aura.

At this moment, on the river surface, the bright moon was like frost, covering the Fish Mouth diversion levee.

More than thirty grain transport ships were linked stem to stern, all hanging huge red lanterns, dyeing the surrounding river surface the color of blood.

It was not yet past the first lunar month, and the night river wind was bone-chilling, but those boatmen were all bare-chested, revealing knotted muscles.

"Heave! The Three Stars shine on the Water Mansion—"

"Heave! The Five Giants open the Mountain Gate—"

They shouted ancient Sichuan river chants, and hemp ropes as thick as arms turned on the keel pulleys, sinking basalt rocks, each a zhang square, into the heart of the river.

These basalt rocks were all carved with numerous grooves and poured with black glaze, forming huge talismans.

One could vaguely see that they formed the appearance of a vertical eye.

These were boatmen sent by the Salt Gang to help. They were accustomed to heavy labor and had seen their fair share of bloody business on ordinary days, but at this moment, no one dared to ask too many questions about what they were doing.

The last person who had been curious was already buried in the belly of a fish.

On the ships, there were not only these Salt Gang men but also many soldiers in black armor and black cloaks; they were the Black Feather Guards, the personal army of the Prince of Shu, numbering at least one hundred. All held divine fire guns, looking vigilantly in all directions.

Besides this, there were also some monks, Daoists, and laypeople dressed in strange attire.

They were likewise evil Daoists of the Southwest gathered by the Prince of Shu. Although their numbers were not large, they were all the people the Prince of Shu trusted most.

The leader was an old man in green robes.

He wore Confucian robes, his features were square, his white hair and black hair were intertwined, and his temperament was elegant. But standing there, he inexplicably gave people the feeling of a divine weapon stuck on the ship.

Boom!

The giant rock fell into the water, splashing huge waves.

Whenever this happened, there were sorcerers who grabbed powder mixed with cinnabar and chicken blood, throwing it into the river while pinching seals and chanting incantations.

The surrounding Yin wind howled, and black shadows vaguely wandered under the water, but they were all driven away.

"Sure enough, they are playing tricks."

Although Cheng Jianxin's eyes were blind and his cultivation had declined, his divine abilities remained. He could still sense all of this.

He sighed slightly, his expression calm, his voice pale: "Many years ago, this old man investigated this place and found nothing."

"It seems I was careless... Investigate!"

With an order, the few people around immediately became busy.

"Yes, Ancestor."

The female Daoist from before bowed deeply, her voice heavy.

Although she was a woman, she was clearly the main force among these experts. Her demeanor was quite majestic. While responding, she began to pinch seals with both hands.

Hum, hum, hum!

The thirty-six gold needles inserted into the hair bun on top of her head suddenly trembled, changing with the Dharma seals, rhythmic and paced.

At the same time, her ears also moved slightly.

She closed her eyes, the night wind blowing through the tips of her hair, and the sounds in the distance were infinitely amplified, echoing in her mind.

This was a special type of spell, specifically used to enhance ear divine abilities. Cultivation was extremely difficult and would cause damage. For example, those gold needle Dharma artifacts had to be inserted into the scalp year-round to be nurtured with one's own Qi and blood.

However, once successful, it was similar to the "Thousand-Mile Ear."

Unlike Li Yan, who could hear the language of ghosts and gods, the ear divine ability awakened by this female Daoist could hear the sound of the flow of Gang and Sha Qi to conduct investigations.

Listening to the sounds in her ears, she finally opened her eyes, took a compass from her bosom, pinched a seal, grabbed toward the air, and pointed at the compass.

The compass needle jumped instantly, spinning crazily.

"Change in the Kan position!"

Her expression grew solemn as she looked to the side. "Qingxuan, they are setting up a formation under the water. The formation eye is in the Kan position. There is something there."

"Yes, Master."

Behind her, a young Daoist stepped forward and bowed.

This young Daoist was born with the double-pupil anomaly; he was clearly also a top talent among the younger generation of Mount Qingcheng. He likewise pinched a Yang seal, then wiped his sword finger across his brow, also using an investigative secret method.

His double pupils seemed to flash with essence, the whites of his eyes suddenly bloodshot, and blue veins popped out on his forehead as he also used an investigative secret method.

This was the foundation of a great Mystic Sect.

They not only had ancient inheritances, but the accumulation of genius after genius also left behind many marvelous arts. Perhaps some were unorthodox, but they were absolutely full of power.

Just like this pair of master and disciple, who specifically studied investigative arts; no matter what the operation, they were absolutely the main force.

The others were already accustomed to this and waited with peace of mind.

But they soon discovered something was wrong.

This double-pupil disciple seemed to have seen something terrifying; a look of horror appeared in his eyes, his whole body trembled, but he could not move.

This was a nightmare affliction, a manifestation of being struck by a spell!

Slap!

The female Daoist behind him immediately pinched a seal and slapped the back of his head, simultaneously scolding: "Close your eyes!"

This strike was like a great bell or a resonant chime.

The double-pupil disciple immediately regained consciousness, closing his eyes and not daring to look again. After a long while, he finally recovered. The others were not worried.

In spell combat, missing a beat was a common occurrence.

They were experienced and had handled it immediately, so there was no major harm.

Sure enough, before long, the double-pupil disciple's breathing became steady, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Qingxuan, what did you see?"

Mingshanzi hurriedly asked.

"A vertical eye..."

The double-pupil disciple frowned and said: "It doesn't look like a human eye, more like a bronze artifact."

As he spoke, he picked up a wooden stick and began to draw on the ground.

If Li Yan were here, he would discover that this bronze vertical eye was extremely similar to the one he had seen before in the Ghost Qiang ancient village.

!

"What is this object?"

The others were somewhat puzzled.

Only Cheng Jianxin was lost in thought: "This old man has seen this object. Years ago, a group of treasure-hunters from the 'Exploring the Hidden' lineage collectively suffered from an evil curse. Scars of this eye appeared on their bodies, and they all fell into madness."

"Their leader carried this object on his head. This old man shattered this object, and only then did they regain consciousness, but they were left with only a breath of life. When they were dying, they said this object was stolen by them from the tomb of a Pre-Qin alchemist and seemed to be related to Ancient Shu, known as the 'Eye of Ancient Shu'."

"Eye of Ancient Shu?"

When the others heard this, they looked at each other in dismay.

Although this was the Shu region, this thing was buried deep underground, and those who knew of it or had seen it were few and far between, let alone knowing its function.

"Even if we don't know, we must strike!"

Cheng Jianxin turned his head to look at the surroundings and said in a deep voice: "According to what the Li lad said, that evil person is the alchemist Lu Sheng, and he has many connections with the Ghost Sect, hiding in the human world for a thousand years without being known to anyone."

"Now that he has appeared, his decades of planning are not small. Perhaps it is related to ascending to godhood and becoming an immortal, which is why this old man kept it hidden from those old ghosts in the mountains."

"Those who ascend to godhood only seek their own transcendence; if they encounter this matter, accidents will inevitably occur. But we are the orthodox Mystic Sect, enjoying the fortune of one region, and we must also protect the peace of one region."

"Act now, set up the sword formation, leave no one alive!"

With an order, the people around immediately became busy.

Many relatively young Daoists had Dharma flags on their backs, wrapped in oilcloth, as if they were carrying long spears.

They were well-trained, all holding compasses, running in all directions while checking, quickly finding their respective positions, and tugging on the cloth ropes behind them with a shake.

Rattle~

Instantly, one hundred and eight Dharma flags fluttered in the wind.

The positions where the flags were inserted looked messy, but in reality, they formed inner and outer circles. The thirty-six flags inside matched the art of the Heavenly Stems, and the seventy-two flags outside corresponded to the number of Earthly Branches.

And Mingshanzi also took out seven ancient bronze lamps from the package behind him. The lamp bases were engraved with the seal script "Yang Bin Shi Du Gong," and he arranged them in a Big Dipper shape on the ground.

Afterward, he pinched a seal and wiped his fingers across the lamp wicks. The candle flames ignited out of thin air, and he simultaneously chanted: "Heavenly lamps illuminate the Netherworld, Earthly lamps lock the Sha Qi, Human lamps fix the divine soul—The Three Talents return to their positions!"

The seven people including Ling Yunzi of Mount Qingcheng all had wooden boxes placed at their feet.

Hum, hum, hum!

Once the formation was set, sword humming sounds immediately came from within.

They simultaneously pinched sword seals with their left hands and spat out a breath of Bai Qi, which shot into the boxes under the guidance of the sword seals. This was precisely the secret art of Mount Emei, the Heavenly Stem Finger Qi Technique.

Li Yan had dealt with several Daoists from Mount Emei and Mount Qingcheng and had seen them use this technique.

This spell could augment the attack of a Dharma sword and was quite powerful, but its true function was still to lay the foundation for the Cheng Jianxian technique.

Clearly, what these Daoists were using was the orthodox method.

The sword humming grew louder and louder, and the wooden boxes trembled accordingly.

Clang!

Finally, the lids of all the wooden boxes were suddenly flipped open, and seven streams of Bai Qi surged out, rotating in the air and inserting themselves before the seven bronze oil lamps.

In a short time, a Dharma altar had already been set up.

But this Dharma altar was different from ordinary Dharma altars; it was a Sword Altar.

It was the same principle as Li Yan's "Divine Transformation Method." No matter how high a cultivator's cultivation was, they were still flesh and blood.

And any spell with powerful might could not do without manipulating a massive scale of innate Gang and Sha Qi. The human body simply could not withstand it and had to rely on Dharma artifacts or Dharma altars to contain it.

The Cheng Jianxian method was the same, divided into Heaven, Earth, and Human swords.

Outside the Wu Hou Shrine, there were Qingcheng cultivators who set up an altar, using a flying sword to attack the Prince of Shu to lure the snake out of its hole; what they used was the Human Sword, which could be controlled by a single person on a single horse.

And what they were setting up now was the Earth Sword.

When setting up the formation, Cheng Jianxin did not participate, instead standing to the side with Chang Gousheng to watch, explaining in a low voice: "All paths of spells emphasize Heaven's timing, Earth's advantage, and Human harmony. Like the thunder technique of Mount Long Hu, if Heaven's timing is not granted, no matter how much effort is spent, it is useless."

"My Qingcheng disciples have shuttled through the Shu region for generations, offering sacrifices to the mountains and rivers, only then can the Dharma flags arrive, drawing the Gang and Sha Qi of the Shu mountains and rivers to transform into sword qi to eliminate demons. But once they leave the Sichuan-Shu region, it is not so effective, and they can only use the Human Sword, which is why the Cheng Jianxian rumors are only famous in the Shu region..."

"When this old man was young, I vowed to create a secret method to change this situation, but I lived a mediocre life and did not succeed. In the future, perhaps it will have to rely on you..."

"Master!"

The youth holding the sword, Chang Gousheng, was already weeping uncontrollably by this time.

He had already learned of Cheng Jianxin's identity, and coupled with his successive duels with others, except for Li Yan, he had been undefeated, thus producing a slight sense of pride.

Previously, he had been intercepted by the Blood Nuo Master, thinking he could block it, and did not follow the command to escape, resulting in the master and disciple falling into danger.

Although they escaped, Cheng Jianxin was already at the end of his rope.

The youth Chang Gousheng was also filled with guilt because of this, not even daring to look at Cheng Jianxin, wishing he could stab himself to death with one sword.

"You dog thing!"

Seeing him in this state, Cheng Jianxin, who had been calm just a moment ago, immediately became annoyed. "What is there to fear about making a mistake? Young people are supposed to make mistakes. This old man did many absurd things when I was young, and I wronged many people; what does this count as?"

"Everyone must walk this path. We sword practitioners are not afraid of making mistakes. If you lose your sharpness because of this, then this old man saved the wrong person!"

Chang Gousheng gritted his teeth and nodded, tears falling to the ground.

On the other side, led by Mingshanzi, all the Qingcheng cultivators drew their swords in unison, walking the pace of the Big Dipper, pointing toward the firmament, and chanting: "Heaven's essence and Earth's marrow, obeying the command to communicate with the spirit, the sword knocks on the Dragon Gate, the mountains and rivers respond—"

This was the "Qingcheng Jade Chamber Formula," the Dharma incantation to open the Sword Altar.

Whoosh~

Once the Sword Altar opened, the surroundings immediately howled with wild winds.

One hundred and eight Dharma flags fluttered wildly, the flames of the seven bronze lamps soared, and the seven Dharma swords inserted before the lamps hummed and vibrated.

Gradually, they formed a resonance.

Clang!

The sword humming was like a dragon's roar, resounding through the night sky.

The sound seemed to awaken the spirits between the heaven and earth of this Shu region. The leaves in the distance rustled, flocks of birds flew up in alarm, wild beasts galloped, and visible white mist rose from the ground, converging toward the Sword Altar...

This was the true method of the Qingcheng Cheng Jianxian.

In the "Zhuangzi: Miscellaneous Chapters: On Swords," there is mention of the Son of Heaven's sword, the feudal lords' sword, and the commoner's sword, and the Cheng Jianxian technique also has another saying.

The Human Sword uses sword intent as the edge, the divine soul as the guard, sincerity as the spine, and life as the pommel, containing the seven emotions within and absorbing the six qi without...

The Earth Sword uses mountains and rivers as the edge, rivers as the guard, the Five Sacred Mountains as the spine, and the Four Great Rivers as the pommel. When it moves, mountains collapse and seas roar; when it is still, it travels through the earth's veins.

Once this sword vibrates, grass and trees become soldiers, sand and stone become formations, and the Nine Springs and Yellow Springs all obey the command!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 594 =====