Before the Ceremony (2)
The long sword was placed horizontally on the marble table in the small courtyard. The sun was leaning towards the west, burning the sea of clouds into a sea of red clouds, reflecting on the long and narrow blade. That ordinary long sword suddenly had a glorious luster.
Yu Zijian squinted her eyes and crouched beside the stone table, staring straight at the sword.
The sword was silent. It did not move at all.
Clang!
Yu Zijian suddenly stood up. The sound was so clear that it seemed to be right by her ears, yet it also seemed to originate from the bottom of her heart. She stood up and pushed open the door, making her way onto the verdant path.
She was in a daze, as if she had fallen into a dream. She could not control her own body, as if something in her heart was calling out to her.
The path twisted and turned a few times before suddenly opening up. What appeared before her were ruined walls, like the ruins of an ancient city.
The stone pillars that supported the hall rested in the grass. The hall had already collapsed a long time ago, and the statues had been corroded beyond recognition by time and wind. However, their past glory was still vaguely visible.
Was there a place like that on the Green Vine mountain?
A question crossed Yu Zijian's mind, but she forgot about it in the blink of an eye.
The setting sun dyed the ruins red. Even the most numb and vulgar person could not help but sigh when they arrived here.
As she strolled through the ruins that were about to be swallowed by grass, she felt like she had returned home. She was like an exiled princess, and this was her homeland.
She suddenly stopped after turning around the white, stone passageway tangled in vines.
A small pond sat in the embrace of verdant trees. The sunset glow from the west reflected on the surface of the water, dyeing it a gorgeous colour.
A man in black sat on a round rock beside the pond. His young, thin face was covered in stubble. He gave off a sense of melancholy that only an old man who had seen everything in the world possessed. He was like a lonely king sitting on his collapsed throne, constantly reminiscing about the glory of the past and lamenting the current melancholy.
He was currently fishing, but he did not use a fishing rod, but a sword. He gripped the hilt with both hands, and a strand of black hair hung down from the tip of the sheath, sinking into the still, mirror-like water.
Yu Zijian did not look at the scenery. She did not look at the person. She only stared at the sword as if she had become infatuated. For some reason, she became certain that the graceful thrum she heard Just Now came from the sword.
"Have you seen this sword before?" The green-clothed man turned around and looked at her with some surprise.
As if Yu Zijian had suddenly jerked awake from a dream, she looked around. She almost wanted to ask why she was here. She became dazed. "I've never seen you before. You're not a disciple of the Green Vine mountain, right?"
At a closer glance, he was also dressed in green, but it was very different from the uniform of the Green Vine mountain. It seemed extremely old, just like the sword in his hand.
The man in blue said, "No, are you?"
Yu Zijian said, "I'm not either. You must be a guest that's been invited up the mountain. Fishing is forbidden on the mountain!"
"Since you're not a disciple of the Green Vine mountain, why do you care about me?"
"I … forget it. You continue fishing. I'm going back. I won't disturb your fishing." It was rather inappropriate for a man and woman to be together here alone, but her gaze never left the sword. The familiar feeling was basically like when she met Niu Juxia in the past.
The man in blue said, "Do you want to take a look?"
"Can I?" Before Yu Zijian had even finished talking, the sword landed in her hand. It was heavy, while the strand of hair automatically returned to the sheath.
The sheath was an inky green. Normally, that was because of its original colour, while the other half was due to the passage of time. It seemed like it was made of both jade and wood. There was an exquisite pattern carved into it, like the silhouette of a city, but it was damaged and damaged.
"What's the name of the sword?"
"Qing Xu."
Clang!
Yu Zijian gripped the hilt and drew the sword with a reverse grip. Sure enough, the familiar hum rang out by her ears, lingering for a very long time. It did not emit any light at all, but the light from the sword seemed to absorb the rainbow and autumn waters.
"What a sword!"
The man in blue's expression was even more surprised, or even shocked, than when he saw Yu Zijian Just Now.
"I'm done. It's time for me to go." Yu Zijian sheathed the sword and tossed it back to the man in blue reluctantly.
The man in blue stood up. "Can you wait for me here?"
At this moment, the afterglow on the horizon had already begun to recede.
"I can't. I still have matters to attend to." Yu Zijian skipped off into the distance. She thought, Who are you? Why do you want me to wait for you? What a strange person!
"What's your name?"
"I'm Yu Zijian," Yu Zijian said without even looking back.
"I- I'm Fu Qingjin." Yu Zijian had already left the ruins and entered the jungle, vanishing. Fu Qingjin's voice sank as if he was murmuring to himself.
He could step in and out of the Green Ruins Illusion at will, and he could draw the Green Ruins sword. The Divining Elder was right …
The first star lit up on the horizon. His eyes shone like the stars too.
The scenery around him suddenly twisted like a mirage, vanishing and dispersing. Only the pond remained, reflecting the black shade of the surrounding trees.
Fu Qingjin's gaze passed through the trees and landed on the hall at the top of the mountain.
There was only a single lantern in the gloomy hall, illuminating the entire space. The three elders sat around the lantern. They remembered Hwa Seung-zan's warning. They did not dare to split up, just in case they were picked off one by one.
The disciples of the various sects waited outside the hall. They were not here to lend a hand, but to immediately report to Hwa Seung-zan as soon as they heard any disturbances.
There was a flash of green light, and the three elders suddenly discovered that their surroundings had changed. They were currently in ruins. Above them was the endless night sky, filled with stars.
"Since when?" The Golden Pheasant Elder paled in fright.
"Thank you for waiting here. You've saved me quite a lot of trouble."
A voice rang out from behind. The three of them turned around at the same time, only to see a man in blue descend from the tall steps. He was young and old, lonely and noble.
The Green Vine Elder said, "Y- you're the one!"
"That commander Hua has told you everything that needs to be said, right?" Fu Qingjin said calmly as if even explaining the reason was exhausting.
The three of them stood in a triangular formation. Although they were old enemies, their teamwork was flawless.
"I haven't come for the three mountains. My mission isn't to defeat you either."
The three elders basically let out a sigh of relief at the same time.
"Though, it's best if I defeat you first. Don't worry, I won't harm you."
Before the three elders could even become furious, the glow from the green glowing sword turned into thousands of strands and flew over.
A while later, the three elders emerged from the hall, and the door closed firmly behind them.
"Master, do we keep watching?"
"There's no need. We're going down," the Green Vine Elder said rather tiredly.
The three of them looked at one another. There seemed to still be lingering fear in their eyes, as well as some realisation. No wonder Hwa Seung-zan had personally come to inform them. That person's mission was actually …
The Sword Collection palace really was as resolute as the legends said. However, if this really happened, the world would be in danger. It was not just an exaggeration.
The Green Vine Elder said, "Please return and rest up. Make your preparations! The Herb Gathering ceremony is about to begin. "
… …
The deep pit was like a huge, hollow eye, gazing at the sky.
Almost a thousand pairs of eyes stared back at the huge eye. They were filled with excitement, desire, and fear.
The cold wind whistled, unable to drown out the hubbub of voices. Everyone discussed.
The surroundings suddenly fell silent. The three elders arrived beside the pit under the escort of everyone.
The Green Vine Elder struck first, activating the formation. Everyone could vaguely see a barrier of light disperse.
The Golden Pheasant Elder's hand shone with resplendent light, and the snow in the pit rapidly melted away. It revealed over a dozen pitch-black holes below. These holes were the entrances to the Herb Gathering ceremony. They led to various places underground.
Everyone could not help but gasp, which immediately drowned out the sound of the wind.
The Green Vine Elder cleared his throat. "Fellow cultivators, you've all gathered here for the Herb Gathering ceremony of the three mountains. It is an honour for me and the Golden Pheasant and Lone Grave …"
With Wu Gen in the lead, over a dozen Hawkwolf guards moved through the independent cultivators. They constantly studied the people around them, as if they were trying to prevent anyone from sneaking into the ceremony.
As for the disciples of the three mountains, they split into three groups, standing behind their respective sect masters. Afterwards, they formed smaller groups as they pleased.
Due to the success of the Herb Gathering ceremony earlier, basically all the disciples of the three mountains had been mobilised. It was impossible for over a hundred Qi Practitioners to advance together. Once they encountered a fork underground, they would obviously split up.
Yu Zijian stuck her head out and looked around. Suddenly, someone patted her shoulder gently. She turned around in a hurry and said in surprise and joy, "Chenglu, why've you come?"
Hua Chenglu lowered her body. "Shh! Don't be so loud. Just in case my brother hears you. I'm worried about you, so I'll go down with you and take a look. "
Mu Zhicong suddenly called out, "Miss Hua, you're not a disciple of our Green Vine mountain, so please don't stand with us. If you want to participate in the ceremony, you can join the group of independent cultivators over there!"
Everyone looked over. Hua Chenglu pointed at Mu Zhicong furiously. "You-" Suddenly, she felt her collar tighten. Looking back, she saw that it was Hwa Seung-zan. He scolded, "Don't mess around!" He pulled Hua Chenglu away before nodding at Yu Zijian. "Good luck."
Hua Chenglu called out, "Zijian, be careful!"
Mu Zhicong said gently, "Don't worry, Zijian. I will definitely protect you."
Just when Yu Zijian was about to say something, she suddenly saw a familiar figure standing in the crowd. It was the man in green who had fished by the pond. He had changed into the uniform of the Green Vine mountain, and he gave off the aura of a fourth layer Qi Practitioner.
He just stood there by himself, not talking to anyone around him. For some reason, no one else seemed to notice him. He sensed Yu Zijian's gaze and turned around with a smile.
Yu Zijian asked in confusion, "Senior brother Mu, since when did the Green Vine mountain gain a new disciple?"
"What new disciple?" Mu Zhicong followed Yu Zijian's gaze and looked over. There was a flash of green clothes, and Fu Qingjin's figure had already vanished.
Yu Zijian rubbed her head. "How strange!"
At this moment, the Green Vine Elder's speech ended. The three elders looked at one another and nodded at the same time. They did not glance at Fu Qingjin the entire time, nor did they show any strange expressions.
Hwa Seung-zan, who had been observing their expressions from afar the entire time, eased up slightly.
The three elders said at the same time, "The Herb Gathering ceremony of the three mountains officially begins!"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
