Chapter 226: Fortune and Timing

Before his eyes, everything suddenly blurred; after a familiar sensation of the earth turning and the heavens spinning—

When he opened his eyes again, the light shining directly upon him was exceedingly soft and gentle...

A thought stirred in Chen Heng's heart; turning his gaze, he saw that this Square Territory possessed mountains and waters, the realm being so vast that one glance could hardly reach its boundaries.

Vines and trees obscured the view, tall trees coiled in the sky, casting shadows like curtains, deep forests dense and shadowy, exhibiting an utmost trend of seclusion and steepness reaching the clouds.

The sound of water echoed from between the bamboo valleys, its momentum extremely urgent, surging and turbulent.

Viewing from afar, it was as if strands of crystal-white silk flew from the corner of the sky, spray curling back, jade shards and pearls leaping...

Gazing at this scene from afar, Chen Heng felt a slight shock in his heart and could not help but clap his hands in praise.

Whether the vegetation, hills, or these clouds, mist, and streams, even the various shrieks and calls of gibbons were not natural phenomena, but merely transformations of sword intent.

Yet in Chen Heng's eyes, all of this seemed utterly real and false at once.

It differed not at all from the various scenes of the present world.

And whether one could still rely on today's small fortune to retreat into a layer of the Sword Cave suitable for comprehension remained unknown.

Groups of peaks rose in a ring, straight up to the cloudy sky, while the towering shape of the sheer cliffs and sharp ridges resembled the form of a pagoda.

And because the seven courtyards of Yu Yu Yuchen had gathered together, Crane He Ming Shan had long been enclosed, with several great clans residing here sending people day and night to patrol and stand guard, to prevent idlers from retreating inside and performing acts of flattery or malice that would disturb the tranquility of the several lower masters.

I raised my eyes to look, slightly arched an eyebrow, merely laughed once, yet remained fixed in place, making no rash move.

All could be obtained by bending down!

Unable to distinguish any abnormality...

Various kinds of divine marvels.

In the green cliffs, springs poured down like silk, numbering several dozen; from a hundred zhang below upwards, water light and cloud qi mixed together, ethereal and hazy, vast and void, transcending the mundane, a truly otherworldly scene that made one feel as if situated in an immortal blessed land, the mind at ease and leisurely.

Master Qiao Rui put away the Huai Xu token tablet and spoke.

For Master Qiao Rui to be in this place, apart from inevitably suffering some pain, wishing to gain some realization or inspiration from it was actually far too simple, not an easy matter at all!

And Chen Heng likewise took out the token tablet of the White Commerce Courtyard.

"Differing by one layer, one can indeed comprehend the wonders of the Sword Dao from within; as for that suffering, you can also endure it, but who knows what would happen if the difference were two layers? It seems that today's fortune is not bad..."

But after less than half an incense stick's worth of regulating breath, he also calmed his mind, flicked his sleeves and rose, a slight smile on his face, joy also in his heart.

Only upon cultivating to the Seventh Realm can one truly solidify the title of Sword Cultivator!

It has been merely ten thousand years of time passing.

"Xiao Xiao Shixiong..."

Chen Heng turned his head, looking toward Master Qiao Rui.

Not to say making them owe some favor, but at least recognizing a familiar face is also good...

"Greetings to the two Daoist friends; I wonder if you have come here for travel or to visit friends? This humble one is a member of the Zheng clan of Crane He Ming Shan; now that this place has undergone the mountain enclosure, to avoid misunderstanding, if the two Daoist friends have no business here, it would be better for you to depart."

Its speed was incomparably fast; in the world, it is difficult to find an equal!

In merely the short time of a few breaths, a red-crowned crane emerged from the sea of clouds, let out a clear cry, and then flew toward this place.

At the same time, rows of ferocious sword marks appeared on Master Qiao Rui's body, flesh and blood blurred.

This place is the fourth layer of the Formless Lie Sword Cave, corresponding to the fourth realm of the present-world Sword Dao—Body and Sword as One!

Hearing this, Zheng He paused, carefully took the two token tablets, examined them thoroughly, then respectfully handed them back, the smile on his face growing even brighter.

Therefore, I chose a technique called 'Thunderclap Flying Thunder Escape Method' to make up for my deficiencies in escape methods.

Amidst this loud laughter, vegetation shook, mountains roared and valleys responded, as if a thunderclap had exploded on flat ground, causing surrounding objects to rumble loudly.

For Master Qiao Rui, the benefit was indeed not small!

At the time of exit, he was also much more respectful.

However, the Seventh Realm, 'Body and Sword as One,' was vastly different.

And after cultivating the Sword Dao to the Seventh Realm, once the transformation of 'Body and Sword as One' is proven, one can then independently comprehend the method of Sword Escape from within it.

This place was originally the mountain gate and dojo personally surveyed by Fuchan Fuchan Laozu; the scenery was not mundane, and he had specifically planted several spiritual veins beneath the ground to nurture the spiritual beauty of the mountains and waters, creating nature through transformation.

All of the past has scattered like wind and clouds.

"And since there is this treasure to assist, why worry that your Dao will not be achieved?!"

Chen Heng, holding a small wooden box in his arms, gazed at that small courtyard; his eyes showed a hint of reluctance, yet he still withdrew his gaze and looked at Jiang Cui.

It was not until several shichen had passed and the sky brightened that he woke from meditation.

And not long after, Xiao Jiao Dian also pulled Chen Heng running out.

"May I ask that Daoist brother, do you know where Shen Jing, the Master of the Long Summer Courtyard, is now? Could you inform me?"

My current Sword Dao attainment is only the Eighth Realm; I have only recently cultivated the means of Refining Sword into Qi, and have not yet proven the ability to refine sword into silk; ascending to this seventh-layer Sword Cave, I naturally cannot expect any benefit and will inevitably suffer injury.

"Please."

This was yet another new world.

As for escape techniques like the Thunderclap Flying Thunder Escape Method, they can also be temporarily shelved; it is not worth Jiang Cui spending any more effort on them.

Master Qiao Rui performed a bow with fists clasped, returning the salute as he spoke.

Henceforth, one enters and exits the Azure Nether, roaming heaven and earth; how joyful and free!

To this day, the many disciples of Fuchan Fuchan Laozu have long since passed away, one after another reincarnating and departing.

Situated within this layer of heaven and earth, it was as if the profound principles of the Seventh Realm of the Sword Dao were split apart thread by thread, no longer appearing obscure or impure.

And the entire Yi City also seemed to have awakened from a long night.

However, looking at it now.

Hearing the sound, the Dun Dun Jiesuo also pushed open its door and emerged,

Beneath the crane sat a green-faced woman of heavy build, wearing a silver sparrow crown and a gauze robe.

In but an instant, nearly a thousand lamp flames appeared within the room; still as firefly light, moving like flowing fire, they circled Master Qiao Rui's robes, dancing like lotus flowers in the wind, rippling yet steady.

With a flash of blue light, the figures of Master Qiao Rui and the others appeared within Crane He Ming Shan.

Yet the voice was irritable, like a pool of shimmering, tranquil green water, making one feel a relaxation deep in the heart.

The gap between the two sides was not considered too small.

"Bad, listen to your senior brother..."

"Seeing the world before you in darkness, this heart is the bright sun and clear sky!"

Master Qiao Rui lifted his eyelids slightly, looked at the young girl beside him who seemed somewhat panicked and uneasy, and spoke.

And if one were to retreat another step beyond this, it would be the seventh realm of the Sword Dao; at that time, one could comprehend the means of Sword Escape.

Dun Dun Jiesuo raised his hands, formed a seal, surged with magic power, and instantly a blue light arose; like waves before a surge, it wrapped around everyone's bodies and vanished from sight.

Only a few kinds can compare: such as the Heart Escape of the Western Buddhist school, the Heavenly Person's Leap of the Outer Dao Heavenly People, the method of Wearing Heaven and Treading Earth of the Human Dao, or several types of secret great arts within the Immortal Dao and God Dao.

The Fire Mist Sect I founded has also fallen into ruin, its dharma lineage completely severed.

Master Qiao Rui and the others suddenly appeared here without any attempt at concealment, so they were naturally detected by the patrolling guards very quickly.

"Bad before the surge, it seems those several great clans, to welcome the Seven Halls of Yu Yu Yuchen, have truly spared no expense."

He pushed open the door and looked up, seeing only a golden sun just rising above the clouds, its warm light faint.

Eastern Mi Province, Northern Region, Crane He Ming Shan.

Gazing afar, Crane He Ming Shan at this moment was a scene of colorful clouds rushing to the heavens and light qi piled like ramparts; immortal cranes could be seen soaring everywhere, spiritual butterflies flew in chaos, auspicious mists swayed endlessly, brilliant and dazzling.

Soon, even half of his face revealed stark white bone, his internal organs vaguely visible, a misery beyond compare that made one's heart tremble at the sight.

And just as the few of them raised their escape light and plunged into the sea of clouds, a young cultivator suddenly flew past hurriedly, riding true qi, crossing paths with Master Qiao Rui and the others in mid-air.

But the situation today was not the same as the previous time.

Upon hearing that the Seven Halls of Yu Yu Yuchen intended to conduct the reception and guidance of the Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian here, those several great clans were overjoyed, throwing open their gates wide and sweeping their mats to welcome them.

When facing an enemy, if one's skill is insufficient and one cannot prevail for the moment, one can simply unleash the means of Sword Escape, departing far away in an instant, leaving the opponent unable to give chase and forced to cry out in helplessness.

"Let us go."

However, according to Master Qiao Rui's original progress in Mei Mei Gongxing, if he wished to cultivate the seventh realm of the Sword Dao and comprehend the method of Sword Escape, it would by no means be a matter of a few short years; rapid verification was impossible.

Dun Dun Jiesuo muttered a sound, threw his body, and in the blink of an eye entered Master Qiao Rui's sleeve.

Human speech and horse neighs, silence mixed with clamor.

There were only a mere few kinds.

As the Red-Crowned Great Crane approached, a sound suddenly rang out.

Zheng He, his face brimming with smiles, hastily bowed and extended a hand to guide them, saying:

And Crane He Ming Shan was currently jointly held and governed by several great clans.

Without the assistance of the Formless Sword Cave...

Looking at the world before him, a surge of heroic spirit suddenly arose in his heart; unable to restrain himself, he flicked his sleeve and laughed loudly, saying:

Inside the room there was also an oil candle not yet burned out, its flame faint, seeming to exist yet not exist.

It illuminated the entire room so that every tiny detail was visible, the brilliance like colorful clouds, magnificent and bizarre, dim yet radiant.

The reason he could verify "Refining Sword into Silk" in merely a few days was truly because "Refining Sword into Steel" had laid the foundation beforehand.

Jiang Cui nodded slightly.

Amidst the excruciating pain of flying flesh and blood, Master Qiao Rui sat cross-legged on the ground.

The nearly thousand lamp flames suddenly fell powerless into the void, extinguishing all at once, plunging the entire room into darkness.

"My apologies, my apologies... so you two are talented disciples of the Dao Academy!"

Master Qiao Rui slightly bent his finger and flicked forward; the bean-sized candlelight was instantly sliced evenly in two, dividing into two beams, then two became four, four became eight, eight became eighteen, eighteen became eighty-seven...

One day of effort within the Sword Cave, in the present world, was but the time of a finger-snap, gone in an instant.

"Please! Please!"

Under the gaze of all, impersonating a disciple of the Lower Academy just to toy with him would undoubtedly be courting death, a loss far outweighing any gain.

Just like yesterday and the day before, and like the hundreds and thousands of days past in this city, as if nothing had ever changed...

The previous time entering the Formless Sword Cave, he had rushed straight to the first layer; at such a level, with Master Qiao Rui's cultivation, it was absolutely difficult to comprehend anything from within; if he insisted on acting, it would merely be like a blind man touching an elephant.

Thus.

This region of heaven and earth was merely the seventh layer of the Formless Sword Cave,

His gaze inadvertently shifted, and when it landed on Chen Heng's face.

"Shortly, Junior Sister Master Qiao will accompany me to see Instructor Shen first; if someone from your grandfather's lineage has already been sent to find you, that news should have reached Crane He Ming Shan by now."

Upon reaching this step, the release and retraction of one's sword qi were formless and shadowless, making it difficult for others to detect any trace.

This alone was enough to show the extraordinary nature of Sword Escape!

As the practitioner's realm of the Sword Dao ascended, Sword Escape became increasingly swift, its power ever more manifest.

His expression suddenly froze, then immediately turned to great shock.

Giant pines stood crisscrossed, water and sky both azure—

But only one's own family knows one's own affairs.

Even the short beard on his chin shared this same hue, like strands of green needles...

One must know that the greatest skill of sword cultivators in the world, besides their boundless killing power, is more importantly their incredible agility, being able to fight and able to flee.

But before clearly seeing the appearances of Master Qiao Rui and Chen Heng, Zheng He's heart gave a start; he concluded that the two were certainly not ordinary, and fearing they might have some hidden background, he could not help but harbor eighty percent respect in his heart.

That single day's time within the Sword Cave truly surpassed several years of bitter cultivation in the present world!

It was not only beneficial, but furthermore caused no confusion of perception, avoiding the harm of disturbing one's own proper Daoist cultivation...

If that is the case, then my distance from successfully cultivating the Seventh Realm still remains quite great; this is not something that can be quickly achieved between morning and evening...

Chen Heng, no longer maintaining a stiff expression, relaxed his shoulders, nodded quickly, and agreed.

Between those two transformations existed a wonderful similarity in different methods, and with the assistance of the Formless Equivalence Sword Cave, cultivating this transformation was a matter of water flowing naturally to form a channel.

After spending a full day within the Formless Equivalence Sword Cave, by that time, he had already cultivated another variation of "Refining Swords into Silk," fully mastering the profound mysteries of the Eighth Realm of the Sword Dao!

"How can I deserve such a title! This High Adept truly flatters you; since I have nothing else to do anyway, let this humble one lead the seven of you back, which may also count as this humble one fulfilling a host's duty!"

With his knowledge and Daoist cultivation, although he could not discern the authenticity of the token, Jiang Cui and Chen Heng's such frank demeanor actually made Zheng He believe more than half of it.

And at this moment.

Master Qiao Rui took a deep breath, spread his ten fingers, let out a carefree laugh, and his eyes burst with brilliant light.

Upon suddenly seeing strangers enter Crane Song Mountain, his heart had originally harbored slight anger, intending first to scold the few of them before driving them out.

Jiang Cui silently contemplated for a while longer.

All manner of currying favor was merely in the hope of establishing some connection with the Yu Yuchen Sect.

One did not know what strange technique he had ultimately cultivated, but the flesh and skin beneath his robes appeared like green jade, shining brilliantly under the sunlight and emitting a misty rainbow glow.

At that time.

Before Fire Rosy Clouds Fuchan Fuchan Laozu was slain by Monk Haha.

From the era of the Former Ancient Dao Court until the present day and hour.

Jiang Cui exchanged a glance with Chen Heng and handed over the "Huai Xu Token" of the Changying Courtyard.

He stood behind the window, his robes fluttering like flight, his eyes like dark fire, and he chanted aloud:

Even placed within the vast Northern Domain Territory, Crane Song Mountain was by no means an obscure place, but rather a renowned sect of the Xue Xuan Sect!

Throughout those endless years, the sword-dodging methods of sword cultivators had always been among the finest evasion techniques under heaven!

In other words, only upon reaching the Seventh Realm could sword Dao practitioners within this universe be truly called "sword cultivators."

His expression remained as cool and indifferent as usual, revealing no joy or anger to onlookers, making his thoughts impossible to discern.

But now Master Qiao Rui was already a cultivator of the Eighth Realm of the Sword Dao.

Seeing such a scene, Master Qiao Rui laughed once, pointed his hand heavily into the empty sky, and retracted all the sword qi.

To display one's talents and let the world witness the true capabilities of a sword cultivator!

The green-faced youth hailed from the Zheng clan and was named Zheng He.

When Master Qiao Rui returned to the present world, the interaction between body and soul caused his complexion to turn pale for a moment, with sweat seeping from his forehead.

"We are inner disciples of the Seven Courtyards; on the way here, we became separated from our fellow sect members, and today we have come for official business."