Chapter 209: The Avici Sword

As the saying goes:

A new Son of Heaven brings new ministers; each generation is fresh, each generation grows old.

Although Master Junyao certainly faked his death to escape, using the pretext of sitting in meditation until his lifespan ended to conceal the true matter of his journey beyond the heavens to seek out Mei Mei Gongxing, the Grand Historian of the Dao Court.

But in the eyes of the rest of the world, who are unaware of the internal circumstances,

they would inevitably conclude that he had truly perished and no longer existed in this world.

And the several Ancestors of the Yu Yuchen Sect, whether to cover things up or for the grand strategy of the sect, would inevitably have to select the next Dao Son from among the many true disciples to inherit the supreme position.

Since the ascension of the new Dao Son has already become a settled fact, destined to be unchangeable,

then exactly who this next Dao Son is becomes the matter of utmost importance!

There is an unspoken rule that the Southern Court does not employ ministers of the Northern Court.

The Dun Dun Jiesuo has lived for countless years, truly becoming wise with age; regarding this, he naturally understood it clearly and thoroughly.

Regardless of willingness, after the new Dao Son ascends, he will inevitably purge the connections and forces left behind by Master Junyao, install his own trusted hands, and expand his own influence within the sect.

This is yet another round of reshuffling powers and dividing interests.

Under this majestic general trend, no one can resist it!

For tens of millions of years,

it has always been so without exception!

And Chen Heng's relationship with Master Junyao, seen by many in the Yu Yuchen Sect, naturally leads them to identify Chen Heng as someone of Master Junyao's faction.

If the one succeeding as Dao Son were a pure gentleman like Ji Zhang Taichu, then naturally, things would still be manageable.

This person, Ji Zhang Taichu, is the eldest disciple of Fire Dragon True Person, the Hall Master of the Dao Record Hall.

His conduct possesses the legacy of ancient sages; he has few desires, a rectified heart, and an inherently bright nature, displaying the full bearing of a true cultivator of the Dao, revered by all disciples, second only to Master Junyao.

The Dun Dun Jiesuo also heard that this person was once sent by the Yu Yuchen Sect to govern a chaotic land beyond the heavens in Xu Capital.

In merely a short period of sixty years, everything above and below, in all four directions, every moving and still thing, every spirit great or small, wherever the sun and moon shone, all were stabilized and all submitted; since then, the world has been peaceful and without incident!

Thus, although Ji Zhang Taichu and Master Junyao had conflicts while competing for the position of Dao Son, that was merely a contest between gentlemen and did not hinder their friendship.

After Master Junyao ascended, precisely because of Ji Zhang Taichu's good governance, he even went against the opinions of many to entrust the heavy responsibility of the Shifangdian to him; one could say there was a debt of patronage.

If Ji Zhang Taichu were to ascend to the supreme position and take charge of Zhou Xingdian,

then Chen Heng would naturally be safe, and everything would be easily resolved!

But if the one ascending were Zhang Shou or Fu Fu Yankang and their ilk,

then the development of events...

Thinking thus, the Dun Dun Jiesuo suddenly felt a chill surge through his heart; he bowed his body, lowered his head even further, his throat dry, and merely waited in silent reverence for Master Junyao's reply.

"After I leave my position, the seat of the Dao Son will not belong to Zhang Taichu..."

After a moment of silence,

Master Junyao's voice came faintly.

Before the Dun Dun Jiesuo could even react with shock and furrow his brows, that voice continued:

"As for the likes of Fu Fu Yankang and Zhang Shou, neither possesses the capability to sit securely in this position."

Hearing this, the Dun Dun Jiesuo was stunned, falling into deep thought, silent for a long while.

After Master Junyao leaves his position, a next Dao Son will inevitably be selected to take charge of Zhou Xingdian; this is a certainty.

But if that person is neither Ji Zhang Taichu, who has the loudest support in the sect, nor Zhang Shou or Fu Fu Yankang, then who could it possibly be?

Could it be that there is some unknown True Person in the Yu Yuchen Sect, whose fame is not prominent in the Nine Provinces but whose divine powers are remarkable, who has been recommended by the several Ancestors of Yu Yuchen to ascend?

Just as the Dun Dun Jiesuo's thoughts were chaotic and his mind in turmoil,

Master Junyao glanced at him, shook his head, and said:

"You are a person of wide knowledge and experience; have you ever heard of a person named Ji Fa?"

"Ji Fa..."

The Dun Dun Jiesuo raised his head, an expression of troubled contemplation appearing on his aged face.

After a long while,

he seemed to recall something; his two gray eyebrows furrowed deeply as he exclaimed:

"Wait, could it be that Ji Fa of the Ji clan? But is this person not—"

"He did not die at the hands of the Crown Prince of Chongyu; on the contrary, that Crown Prince of Chongyu overreached and was caught off guard by Ji Fa, killed unexpectedly. It is said that even several gourds of Blood Lake Pills were seized by Ji Fa."

"Dare I ask, Dao Son... could it be that Ji Fa has returned to the Yu Yuchen Sect?" the Dun Dun Jiesuo asked in a deep voice.

"Precisely."

Master Junyao nodded slightly and said.

"No wonder, no wonder Ji Zhang Taichu could not succeed as Dao Son! No wonder Zhang Shou and Fu Fu Yankang could not ascend! It turns out Ji Fa has returned to Yu Yuchen; he actually made it back from Chongyu Heaven to Xu Capital, surviving from under the hands of the Crown Prince of Chongyu..."

The Dun Dun Jiesuo was slightly dazed, muttering to himself:

"So that is how it is, so that is how it is; no wonder, no wonder!"

Ji Fa was born into the Lechen Ji clan and is a figure of the same generation as Master Junyao, Ji Zhang Taichu, and Zhang Shou.

Naturally,

during the initial competition for the Dao Son, Ji Fa was also one of the contenders.

However, that members of aristocratic families are difficult to employ heavily within the Bapailiu Sect has long been an unspoken regulation; even if Ji Fa possessed overflowing talent and was extraordinarily supreme, he ultimately could not be an exception.

Furthermore, after Master Junyao emerged suddenly and defeated Ji Fa three times in three battles,

the last trace of extravagant hope in Ji Fa's heart regarding the supreme position of Dao Son was thoroughly extinguished.

And according to what the Dun Dun Jiesuo heard, ever since Master Junyao became the Dao Son and took charge of Zhou Xingdian, Ji Fa traveled far away beyond the heavens; later, due to a fortune from the ancient Dao Court era, he entered into a dispute with the Crown Prince of Chongyu, was captured by numerous Heavenly Demons, and imprisoned within Chongyu Heaven.

Although the true master of Suiyu Heaven, the Suiyu Demon God, has long been missing, Suiyu Heaven, guarded by numerous great Heavenly Demons and suppressed by the Jiran Heavenly Palace, is by no means a benign place; it can be described as extraordinarily perilous!

Once captured and dragged inside, hoping to escape danger and survive would be a thousand times difficult, no different from a mortal ascending to heaven!

After Ji Fa was captured and taken into Suiyu Heaven, no further news of him ever arrived.

Everyone in the world assumed this person had been corrupted by demons, becoming a member of the Wang Zu, or perhaps directly swallowed and consumed by the Crown Prince of Suiyu, refined into a human pill; one could never know for certain.

But who would have expected that Ji Fa would actually escape from Suiyu Heaven.

According to Master Junyao's words, he even seized several gourds of Blood Lake Pills, causing the Crown Prince of Suiyu to suffer a hidden loss.

Such actions, if spread abroad, would truly leave people dumbfounded.

And since Ji Fa has returned to the Yu Yuchen Sect.

That position of Dao Son...

Thinking of this, Dun Dun Jiesuo unconsciously shook his head in silence, for a moment unsure of what to say.

"The Dao Son is not merely the hall master of Zhou Xingdian within the Yuchenjiudian, but also the future supreme sect master, overseeing both internal and external affairs; his status is extraordinary, and one who holds this position must at least be capable of consistently suppressing the geniuses of his own generation."

At this moment.

Master Junyao looked toward Chen Heng and spoke slowly:

"And this person Ji Fa is indeed extraordinary; his Shen Tong Dao Fa is second only to mine. While it is not difficult for me to defeat him, if Zhang Taichu were to face him, I fear that out of ten battles, he would struggle to win even three. As for Fu Fu Yankang, Zhang Shou, and others of their ilk, they would likely fare no better."

"However, it is difficult for those from noble families to receive important appointments within the sect; even if Ji Fa has returned to the Yu Yuchen Sect, I fear it will be difficult for him to become the Dao Son."

Chen Heng remained silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and asked respectfully:

"Yet the Dao Son must at least consistently suppress his peers; if that is the case..."

"Ji Fa cannot ascend to the position, and whether it is Zhang Taichu, Zhang Shou, or Fu Fu Yankang who ascends, none can convince the masses; the several Ancestors within Xu Du Heaven would absolutely not tolerate a new Yu Yuchen Dao Son who cannot defeat someone from a noble family."

Master Junyao shook his head and said:

"Barring any unexpected developments, the position of Dao Son will likely remain vacant for a long time; within a hundred years, at least until the Ancestors find a Xie Fa, no one will ascend to the position again."

As soon as these words were spoken.

The scene fell into a brief silence.

Dun Dun Jiesuo sighed lightly, his expression somewhat complex and inexplicable.

It seemed as if he had breathed a sigh of relief, yet also as if he had become slightly more troubled...

"Chen Heng, today's meeting is not only to discuss future events with you; I also have an item to give you."

"This sword was occasionally obtained by me from outer space beyond the heavens; although it is now incomplete and far from its whole form, its grade is nonetheless not inferior to ordinary magical treasures, and in certain aspects, it even slightly surpasses them; however, its nature of killing is profound, so when you wield it, you must be extremely cautious."

At this moment, Master Junyao suddenly spoke.

The Killing Sword is said to originate from the deepest depths of the Gate of All Wonders.

Since the time it was excavated, it was never whole, possessing only sixty percent of its form and substance; it was obtained by a great Heavenly Official of the Dao Court to serve as his personal sidearm.

Later, when the Dao Court collapsed, the Killing Sword, which was already incomplete in form and dim in spirituality, was shattered by several great Immortal True Gods using supreme divine powers, splitting it further into several pieces.

And Master Junyao, through a combination of chance and opportunity, happened to obtain one of these fragments...

Hearing these words.

Chen Heng's eyes narrowed sharply; before he could even speak.

Master Junyao had already raised his sleeve, pointing slightly with his finger; a beam of crimson light instantly drilled into Chen Heng's brow, landing within his Purple Palace.

Even though that Killing Sword lacked evident spiritual wisdom and had not, like an Xian Dao Fa magical treasure, given birth to its own true consciousness.

Yet, for a moment, a towering, biting intent to kill fiercely enveloped and swept over him!

Within the Purple Palace—

The seawater churned wildly, the wind and waves suddenly grew urgent!

Amidst the surging, booming giant waves.

Chen Heng felt a chill rise fiercely from his spine, cold as bone, making his entire body feel as though it had fallen into an ice cave; every pore transmitted a sharp sensation of pain, as if pierced by ten thousand needles.

And at the same time.

Chen Heng's mind was also chaotic and distressed.

Out of the void, it seemed a voice constantly rang out, calling and urging him to take up the sword in his hand and slaughter all things and beings in this world!

Only by killing until heaven and earth overturned, until emptiness and form were extinguished, would the universe be purified and the Dao become perfect!

Chen Heng frowned slightly, merely guarding his mind firmly, treating those shouts in his ears like floating smoke and autumn wind, paying them no heed.

Finally.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, all the strange noises vanished.

At this moment, he turned his gaze inward to inspect.

He saw that within his own Purple Palace, a cluster of grim crimson light suddenly occupied half the region, currently standing in equal opposition to the formless boundary sword cave's entry token, neither yielding to the other.

It had even imbued the deep seawater below, originally interwoven with gold and red hues, with a sharp and unparalleled intent to kill!

And when he raised his thought to touch upon that cluster of grim crimson light, a piece of information instantly appeared in his brain.

"..."

After fully digesting it, even with Chen Heng's current cultivation in nurturing his qi, his heart could not help but leap in shock as he looked toward Master Junyao.

"The path of the Great Dao is truly difficult to traverse, and the union of Immortal Karma with Truth is even harder to expect; I only hope this sword can help you cut away some of the thorns and weeds on your journey."

Master Junyao spoke gently, reaching out to pat Chen Heng on the shoulder, smiling peacefully as he said:

"I take my leave... I hope you strive hard, strive hard!"

As soon as the words finished.

His figure was no longer present in the original spot; only his voice still lingered in the ears...

Seeing this, Dun Dun Jiesuo standing nearby was startled; even with his spiritual sense, he had not detected when Master Junyao disappeared, and several parts of clear horror appeared in his gaze.

Chen Heng fell silent for a long while, heaved a deep sigh in his heart, bowed toward the east with a deep kowtow that touched the ground, and said:

"This humble one respectfully sees off the Daoist Son!"

The cold moon hung low, cold mist drifted east and west—

And when Chen Heng finally raised his head, his gaze shifted.

He caught sight of the small table within the pavilion, upon which, at some unknown moment, had appeared three pieces of yellowed talisman paper cut into the shape of small swords, alongside a sky-blue dragon-headed small seal.

"Are these... the three sword talismans that True Person Master Qiao gave me back at Jin Drum Cave?"

Chen Heng stepped forward, thinking to himself.

When Hou Wen brought him from the Southern Region to the Xiaoming Great Marsh, all his belongings had been taken away; these three sword talismans, capable of killing even those at the Primordial Spirit Returning to Void stage, were no exception.

Although Elder Mi Mi Jingshi had later secretly returned Chen Heng's Qiankun Bag, these three sword talismans remained missing, their whereabouts unknown.

To lose them and then regain them now was truly an unexpected joy!

These three sword talismans were personally refined by a pure Yang Great True Person using supreme divine abilities; once unleashed, even those of the Immortal Dao's True Person rank would absolutely not escape unscathed, losing both body and soul!

With such a lethal weapon for protection,

whether heading to the Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian or to the Eastern Sea,

Chen Heng felt three parts more confidence swell in his heart!

As for the sky-blue dragon-headed small seal beside the sword talismans...

"This thing is called the Total Truth Seal; it can assist one in refining magical treasures. Your brother-in-law is indeed worthy of being the Daoist Son, to actually find such an object; he is truly formidable!"

At this moment,

the Dun Dun Jiesuo stepped forward, took one look, clicked its tongue in wonder, and said to Chen Heng:

"By the way, you kid should strike while the iron is hot tonight; use this Total Truth Seal to refine me. Otherwise, I fear my very life will be in danger."

"Life in danger?"

Chen Heng asked.

The Dun Dun Jiesuo shook its head and sighed:

"Master Junyao is your brother-in-law; he treats you as one of his own, so naturally he knows all and tells all. But what about me? That is far from certain! Whether his faked death to escape, or Ji Fa's escape from Suiyu Heaven and return to the Yu Yuchen Sect, these are heaven-shaking secrets; how could an ordinary person know them?

If you do not refine me, I'm afraid this little life of mine will be hard to preserve!"

"I understand."

Chen Heng stored away the sword talismans and the Total Truth Seal, nodding his head.

After glancing at Chen Heng several times from the side, the Dun Dun Jiesuo could finally no longer contain its curiosity and asked with a smile:

"Kid Chen Heng, before leaving, your brother-in-law left you a sword; from the tone of his words, it seems extremely extraordinary. I wonder what its origin is; could you let this old one broaden its horizons?"

"Weapons and magical treasures must eventually be used, inevitably revealing themselves before others. Since you, Senior, ask so directly, I have nothing to hide."

Chen Heng said.

"Really?"

The Dun Dun Jiesuo's eyes lit up, and it hurriedly asked, "What exactly is the origin of that sword?"

"Abi, the Abi Sword..."

After a moment of silence,

Chen Heng slowly raised his hand to touch the Purple Palace between his eyebrows, his expression unreadable, and said:

"This sword is named Abi!"

Clouds pressed down on the void railings, green vanished from the distant mountains—

At this moment,

high above the utmost heavens, Master Junyao's expression shifted slightly; suddenly focusing his gaze, he looked intently.

He saw the scenery before his eyes suddenly change; the dense stars filling the sky and the bright moonlight were now nowhere to be seen. Looking around, he saw only countless towering ancient trees, lush and verdant, with mountains and rivers stretching continuously, lofty and Cui Wei, seeming to writhe like dragons and snakes.

And not far away, atop a large green rock, sat a short, stout old man dressed as a woodcutter, legs spread, smiling warmly as he looked toward him.

"So it is indeed so."

A faint glimmer flashed in Master Junyao's eyes; he showed no surprise, as if he had long anticipated today's scene.

He stepped forward several paces, stopping only when he neared the large green rock, then bowed deeply and spoke solemnly:

"Disciple Master Junyao pays respects to Ancestor Master Master Tongxuan!"

(End of Chapter)