Chapter 211 - The Sword Sect’s Tragedy

As the two walked along the mountain base, Xu Ying compared the landscape to the map. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He pointed ahead and smiled. “I’ve been here before! Just a little further ahead lies Yuan Tiangang’s house!”

He looked back. Thick green fog had completely swallowed the small city and its bronze immortal hall, leaving no trace behind.

“There must be many similar places in the Homeward Pavilion.”

Xu Ying looked over the map. The map, drawn by Mount Shu Sword Sect’s first patriarch, marked many forbidden areas. What exactly did those areas look like?

Did the Immortal Dao invasion corrupt them all, just like the bronze immortal hall?

“That would be truly bizarre.” Xu Ying spread the map out with both hands. Dozens of cinnabar circles crowded the Homeward Pavilion map. It was terrifying!

If the Immortal Dao had corrupted every circled site, the damage was overwhelming!

Xu Ying said, “Yuqing, make a copy of this map for me.”

Shi Yuqing nodded. “Ah Ying...”

“Call me Supreme Uncle-Master Ah Ying.”

Shi Yuqing rolled her eyes at him and smiled. “Uncle-Master Ah Ying, what kind of person is Yuan Tiangang? You clearly hold him in high regard.”

Xu Ying answered leisurely, “I first learned about swordsmanship by carrying his sword case. I still vividly remember him slaying a dragon god.”

Yuan Tiangang had slain a formidable divine dragon born from an entire mountain range. Xu Ying could never forget witnessing that dragon's slaughter and bathing in its blood.

Shi Yuqing exclaimed in surprise, “Later generations produced such powerful Qi Cultivators?”

Xu Ying shook his head. “He’s an Exorcist, not a Qi Cultivator. He’s likely an Exorcist Immortal who cultivates in sword techniques.”

Killing intent flashed across Shi Yuqing’s face. “So he’s a demonic disciple of the Heretical Dao!”

Xu Ying was startled. "What do you mean by that?”

“Heretics practice wicked, demonic paths. Duty demands we execute them all!”

A full bright moon appeared behind Shi Yuqing as she said calmly, “These demonic disciples of the Heretical Dao are evil demons. They have existed since the Great Zhou Dynasty. Rather than resonating with the Great Dao or mastering Dao arts, they unlock their inner Secret Troves and siphon power from outer-domain evils. Thus, they are called followers of the Heretical Dao, or foreign Dao!”

She said earnestly, “You’re still young, Uncle-Master Ah Ying. Never let these heretics tempt you into chasing strength down a stray path.”

Xu Ying was dumbfounded.

A cold gleam flashed in Shi Yuqing’s eyes, radiating killing intent. “Back then, a fierce conflict between orthodox and heretical paths nearly destroyed our sect.”

Taken aback, Xu Ying asked, “What do you mean?”

Shi Yuqing explained, “Exorcism first grew popular when no one could overcome their tribulation and ascend. So, it spread widely, bewitching many with claims of establishing an Immortal Realm in the Mortal Realm and achieving eternal life. Many people in the sword sect were deceived, too.

“More and more people practiced Exorcism, forming a faction that opposed the orthodox lineage. The Exorcist Immortal faction often sparred with the orthodox faction, but gradually, these spars between fellow disciples turned deadly.”

Having served as supreme elder for merely two months, Xu Ying knew nothing of the sect’s past. He listened intently, then remarked, “The orthodox faction was likely no match for the Exorcist Immortal faction.”

“How did you know?” Shi Yuqing looked at him, surprised.

A moment later, she said, “Exorcist Immortals are indeed very formidable. They are ferocious and advance rapidly in their cultivation. Moreover, exorcism arts and Qi cultivation techniques complemented each other, and they progressed in tandem, significantly increasing their speed in cultivating Qi.

“Traditional Qi cultivation requires two to three thousand years to reach Ascension from the Qi Gathering Stage.”

She curled her thumb, bending one finger for each point, “To cultivate, Qi cultivators need ascension sites, harvest spirit herbs, refine breakthrough elixirs, chase elusive opportunities, and fortify their souls. With all these obstacles, whether one can break through them depends entirely on their luck.”

Xu Ying chimed in, “While Exorcist Immortals bypass all of that. The six secrets’ immortal herbs exist within them, so they do not need to search for these opportunities.”

Shi Yuqing glanced at him, suspicion in her eyes.

Xu Ying hurriedly explained, “I’m an orthodox Qi Cultivator. I have absolutely nothing to do with Heretical Dao.”

Shi Yuqing continued, "Where orthodox cultivators spent millennia to reach the Ascension Stage, Exorcist Immortals accomplished it in just two or three centuries. The orthodox faction held the upper hand at first but lost it later on. The Exorcist Immortal faction could produce an Ascension Stage great expert quickly, boasting of being undying and indestructible.

“In just a few centuries, they surpassed the thousands of years of accumulation of the orthodox faction! Internal strife raged between Exorcism and Qi practitioners, claiming countless lives and destroying orthodox ranks. Just as Exorcism threatened to consume our entire sword sect, something strange happened.”

Puzzled, Xu Ying asked, “What?”

Terror flashed across Shi Yuqing's face. Her voice also turned hoarse as she said, “Everyone from the Exorcist Immortal faction died overnight!”

Xu Ying was slightly taken aback.

“They all died in a single night, becoming nothing but human skins with no flesh, blood, or Primordial Spirit inside them. Even their ethereal voids were hollowed out.”

Shi Yuqing became even more terrified. "They drifted silently through the sky, faint lines of light trailing behind their heads, as if an unknown entity had devoured them from within.”

She shuddered repeatedly and murmured, “I still recall the horror on my senior disciples' faces when we awoke to cultivate. Those supreme powerhouses had transformed into empty husks.

“On our seventy-two peaks, circles of human skins belonging to my uncle-masters floated on each peak. Shining under the morning sunlight, it was like human skin lanterns were floating above the green mountains...”

Imagining that scene, Xu Ying's scalp went numb.

Practicing exorcism arts had helped the Mount Shu Sword Sect’s strength skyrocket. Yet, an unseen harvester had reaped them like chives, pushing the sect to the brink of extinction!

Xu Ying thought, The ancient chive farmers were too ruthless. They even plucked out the roots!

“Consequently, the surviving experts of our sect issued a kill order. If anyone in the sect dares to practice exorcism arts again, they will be annihilated, body and soul! Sect leaders declared that shortcuts seduced these practitioners onto a demonic path, rendering them helpless meat on an enemy's chopping block!”

Shi Yuqing shot Xu Ying a glance, an unreadable gleam flashing in her gaze as she asked, “Uncle-Master Ah Ying, you never touched exorcism arts, right?”

“No!” Xu Ying replied firmly.

Shi Yuqing lit up with joy and smiled. “I can see that you’re a man of integrity. You would never practice the mystic arts of Heretical Dao.”

Xu Ying laughed and suggested, “Let’s go around that side and not meet Yuan Tiangang. I’m not very familiar with him...”

Just as he said that, a familiar voice drifted over. “Is that you, Young Friend Xu? It’s been years since we met. How come you still look the same as before?”

Xu Ying turned toward the sound and saw a burly, bearded man standing in front of a row of wooden houses, a travel sack slung over his back. He was none other than Yuan Tiangang.

Xu Ying braced himself. “It’s you, Mister Yuan. Where are you going?”

Yuan Tiangang walked over and smiled. “Before I entered the Homeward Pavilion, my divinations revealed that the world would undergo great changes, and the opportunity for eternal life would appear six hundred years later. To escape my approaching death, I hid in the Homeward Pavilion to await this moment.

“Now that six hundred years have passed, it’s finally time for the opportunity for eternal life to arrive. So, I am coming out of seclusion to search for the technique of eternal life.”

He laughed. “I’ve been hiding here for six hundred years, and the fisherman didn’t dare to come in here to catch me, granting me six extra centuries of life.”

Xu Ying was visibly moved. “Your calculations are truly divine!”

Yuan Tiangang’s timing to leave the Homeward Pavilion was perfect, coinciding with the fusion of Exorcism and Qi Cultivation.

Though he was initially an Exorcist Immortal trapped like a helpless fish on a hook, retreating to the Homeward Pavilion helped him dodge annihilation. After waiting for six centuries, he could now leave and practice Qi cultivation techniques to extend his life by three thousand years!

Though increasing his lifespan by three thousand years wasn’t exactly eternal life, it opened up many more possibilities!

That was why Xu Ying praised his divination.

Yuan Tiangang smiled. “I am an Exorcist Immortal to begin with, and I already knew divination and had a little skill in calculations.

Shi Yuqing couldn’t help but feel a surge of hostility upon hearing the words “Exorcist Immortal.” She said calmly, “Mister Yuan, hiding only delays the inevitable. Why not cripple your cultivation and turn to the orthodox path?”

Yuan Tiangang didn't take offense and smiled. “Now, practicing dual cultivation of Qi and Exorcism is the true path to ascension. I observed the stars and calculated that for the next hundred years or so, the Immortal Realm, Mortal Realm, Heavenly Realm, and underworld will be closest, causing massive tides between the realms.

“This is an era of great changes where Exorcist Immortals and Qi Cultivators will coexist and struggle to survive. Any sect clinging stubbornly to outdated traditions, regardless of past glory, will inevitably wash away in this surge.”

Shi Yuqing caught the hidden meaning and veiled mockery within his words. She immediately retorted, “Exorcism arts are Heretical Dao and are nothing more than slaving away for someone else's benefit. Exorcists die without even knowing who killed them! When nothing remains of your physical shell, would you dare speak of survival?”

Yuan Tiangang replied, “The past tens of thousands of years have already proven that pure Qi cultivation is a dead end. Miss, your ancient, renowned sect’s ancestors chose you and poured all their power into keeping you alive to restore the sect. If you stubbornly refuse to adapt to this era of change, they might as well have sealed an actual rock instead of someone with one on her shoulders.”

Enraged, Shi Yuqing summoned her Bright Moon Wheel. Instantly, sword qi surged from it, sending a beam of incredibly thick sword aura shooting forth and sweeping everything away!

Even Xu Ying couldn’t help but feel his hair stand on end when he saw that sword qi.

Yuan Tiangang laughed and leaped into the air, into the blue sky above.

Shi Yuqing formed the sword finger gesture and pointed forward. The Bright Moon Wheel rose and swept across the blue sky. Streams of thick, brilliant sword qi cut the blue clouds into pieces.

Sword qi swirled and shot out from all around Yuan Tiangang, colliding with the Bright Moon Wheel’s thick sword qi. Suddenly, Yuan Tiangang’s sword qi shattered the sword qi within the Bright Moon Wheel, and he charged straight into it.

"No wonder I could never grasp the profound mysteries of the sword Dao despite six centuries of contemplation. So, that’s how it is!”

The bearded man moved around inside the Bright Moon Wheel, observing the various Dao avatars before flying out. He shot through the air and laughed. “After laying low for six hundred years, my luck has finally turned! Thank you for your teachings, Miss!”

He transformed into a streak of sword qi and pierced through the heavy thunderclouds, vanishing from sight. His voice echoed from the distance, “If you seek dual cultivation, consult the Exorcism master beside you. He knows how to outwit the fishermen!”

Shi Yuqing withdrew the Bright Moon Wheel and murmured suspiciously, “The Exorcism master next to me? Could it be...”

She turned toward Xu Ying. With a composed expression, he argued, “Yuqing, you just met the man! Why pay any mind to his utter nonsense?”

Shi Yuqing replied with a smile, “His calculations are divine; you said it yourself!”

Xu Ying said seriously, “He practices the Heretical Dao of Exorcism, and his divinations aren’t accurate, either. One who practices the Heretical Dao would surely end up as human skin. Sect Leader, you must not entertain such twisted thoughts; it goes against the ancestral teachings!”

Shi Yuqing’s eyes flickered as she said, “But the Heretical Dao of Exorcism doesn’t seem that bad. That Yuan Tiangang guy just now, his sword techniques were incredibly brilliant, no inferior to mine. Moreover, his cultivation was also extremely profound. He even suppressed the Bright Moon Wheel...”

Xu Ying’s voice turned harsh. “Sect Leader Shi, have you forgotten our sect's bloody civil war? Have you forgotten the lessons of those Uncle-Masters’ blood and tears? Or those human-skin lanterns? How can you face the ancestors?”

Shi Yuqing panicked and said frantically, “It’s not that I want to turn against the ancestral teachings. I just think that Yuan Tiangang has a point. If it’s possible to avoid the fishermen and not be devoured, I think Exorcism is not...”

Xu Ying shouted, “You still dare to think? Don’t even think about it!”

“I realized my mistake... Wait!” Shi Yuqing came to her senses.

Her face flushed with anger as she sneered coldly, “Something seems off. I was clearly the one pressing you for answers earlier. Why did he say that you’re an Exorcism master? How did you flip this into interrogating me? Did you secretly practice the Heretical Dao of Exorcism?”

“Absolutely not!” Xu Ying shook his head resolutely.

His expression turned gentle. “Don’t let your imagination run wild. As the supreme elder, how could I practice the Heretical Dao of Exorcism?”

Shi Yuqing remained skeptical. “During the conflict between Exorcism and Qi back then, I was also on the mountain. I saw those Uncle-Masters who practiced exorcism arts healing themselves even when they suffered severe injuries. When you saved me, did you use the same method?”

Xu Ying shook his head again. “I used a secret spirit elixir to heal your injuries.”

Shi Yuqing pressed on, “Your mystical power is incredibly robust. You can activate the twenty-four Mountain River Bright Moon Pearls, but I can’t. How come your mystical power is this abundant?”

Xu Ying replied, “Because I am simply more talented.”

Displeased, Shi Yuqing said, “Your divine sense is also stronger than mine.”

Xu Ying replied, “Because I am simply more talented.”

Unconvinced, Shi Yuqing said, “Your physique is also stronger than mine.”

Xu Ying replied, “Also because I am simply more talented than you.”

Shi Yuqing became even more unconvinced. If I learn exorcism arts as well, I definitely won’t be any weaker than him. I’ll only be stronger!

Suddenly, a chill ran through her. She was horrified. What was I thinking? Didn’t I hate Exorcism to the bones? Why did I suddenly want to practice it? Someone has altered my thoughts!

She looked at Xu Ying’s back and shuddered. He’s altered my thoughts without me realizing it—wait! He didn’t try to persuade me to practice Exorcism... Just like that, he altered my thinking! Exorcism is indeed Heretical Dao; it’s demonic!

Walking in single file, the pair reached the edge of Homeward Pavilion, where the Hell River and Bridge of Oblivion came into view.

Countless souls stood on the Bridge of Oblivion, queuing up blankly as they moved forward.

Xu Ying joined the queue and followed them step by step. Her mind heavy with thoughts, Shi Yuqing followed Xu Ying without a word.

“Ah Ying, Ah Ying!” A cry came from beneath the bridge. Xu Ying poked his head out, looked down, and saw Jin Buyi tied up tightly, swaying back and forth.

Dazhong’s voice rang out, “Ah Ying, be careful! The old hag is formidable!”

Yuanqi cried out, “Avenge us... Aba aba!”

After a long while, Xu Ying finally stood before Meng Po. He didn’t drink the tea. He said respectfully, “Senior, I have come to ask for a favor.”