Chapter 1000: Troublesome

In the instant the Sword Spirit of the fourth Master of Tai Chu Palace took up residence in the mortal world, Wei Yuan felt that the Master of Jiangong and the Zhao-Li Immortals had shrunk several inches, no longer as towering as before.

It was no illusion; Wei Yuan simply felt they were no longer that tall, no matter how he looked.

Wei Yuan did not know what had gone wrong and was struggling to adjust, when suddenly the girl’s voice, cold as a sword’s edge, echoed in his heart: “These so-called Immortals are merely those who were born earlier and took a step ahead. Now that I am here, from this day forward, whether facing Immortal Sovereigns above or common folk below, you need only meet them as equals.”

Wei Yuan was utterly stunned—meeting Immortals as equals? Such an act of supreme heresy, he had only ever dared to think of it in secret, and never acted upon it.

The girl added: “I am Xihe. You may call me by my name; no need to address me as Senior. Tai Chu Palace’s fourth Master is me, but I am not the fourth Master. Hmm, your surroundings are cluttered with all sorts of nonsense—I’ll clean it up for you shortly.”

A strong sense of dread rose in Wei Yuan’s heart, yet his spiritual sense swept through the mortal world and found not a trace of the fourth Master’s Sword Spirit.

Around the nascent fourth Heavenly Realm, Han Li, Jun Weizhi, Fuyao, and Lei Ling stood silently, gazing upward at the colossal sword that continuously radiated unspeakable terror.

These four, having endured hardship and supported one another, had barely managed to fly near the fourth Heavenly Realm to observe up close this sword, suspended between the True Tribulation Blade and the First Stroke of the Sword Dao. At this moment, the Sword Dao had lifted its veil just slightly, revealing only a shadow of its face.

The sword’s edge constantly shifted between destruction and rebirth, demonstrating the great Dao of annihilation and renewal. The four watched, entranced, until their magic power was exhausted and the void began to erode them, forcing them to return to the mortal world.

On the return journey, all four remained silent, none in the mood to speak. Only when they stepped into the Dou Zhan Holy Hall did Han Li say: “Beyond the void, there truly is great terror. With our current strength, can we truly fly beyond the sky and draw near the true meaning of the Sword Dao?”

Jun Weizhi’s gaze sharpened: “You mean—”

Han Li looked toward the sky: “The Creation Immortal Sovereign must have lent us a hand, or we could never have drawn near the true meaning of the Sword Dao.”

Jun Weizhi’s expression grew complex as he slowly said: “The Immortal Sovereign has truly gone to great lengths to nurture us.”

Fuyao suddenly spoke: “Could it be that the Immortal Sovereign merely wanted us to see how powerful he is?”

Everyone froze, lost in thought, and strangely, this possibility seemed unexpectedly plausible.

At that moment, Du Gu Cangqiong ran over—he had overheard their conversation and asked: “Did the Creation Immortal Sovereign lift you up? I was right there with you near the sky—why didn’t he lend me a hand?”

Seeing his earnest expression, the four silently swallowed their answer: You’re not worthy.

Outside the mortal world, the wealthy merchant looked at Wei Yuan with a complex gaze.

The Zhao-Li Immortal walked over and let out a deep sigh: “Old Bai, really—you’re something else! I just don’t get it—how dare you? If I were from Jiangong, I’d never—”

A brilliant blade of sword qi halted before the Zhao-Li Immortal’s lips, its threat unmistakable. Then the wealthy merchant extended his hand: “Hand it over!”

“What?” The Zhao-Li Immortal looked baffled.

The Master of Jiangong barked: “I dare to love, dare to hate, dare to cry, dare to laugh! Today, after holding back these words for a thousand years, I fear no ridicule from the world, nor do I have regrets. But I will not allow those with ill intent to run rampant! Give me the recording sphere!”

The Zhao-Li Immortal snorted: “What recording sphere? I don’t have one!”

The Master of Jiangong sneered: “Little Li—”

The Zhao-Li Immortal gasped as a brilliant aura of fortune sealed the Master’s mouth!

The wealthy merchant snatched the aura of fortune, crushed it into a jade pendant, and tossed it to Zhang Sheng: “Made from a million units of fortune—wear it. It will shield you from one calamity.”

Then he fixed his gaze on the Zhao-Li Immortal: “That’s not enough. Hand over the recording spheres, then perform the Xuanji Refining Heaven Technique yourself—or I’ll broadcast your true name to the entire world.”

The Zhao-Li Immortal’s face twisted: “You’re destroying my Dao path!”

“Who made you tamper with my Dao heart first?”

“You knew it wasn’t her, yet you still spoke it aloud. Besides, what your Jiangong did back then… never mind. But even though I admire your courage, I must ask—do you still have a Dao heart at all?”

The Master of Jiangong glared: “You don’t understand!”

The Zhao-Li Immortal suddenly sighed: “I truly don’t understand—if only I had understood back then…”

Then he swept his sleeve, spilling out seventy or eighty recording spheres, all of which he handed to the Master of Jiangong.