The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect was indeed very old, but Tian Jingren was even older. According to Jing Jiu's deduction, Tian Jinren had left the South Ocean six hundred years ago to search for an heir on behalf of the Great Grandmaster of the Foggy Island, Nan Qü. In the end, he had chosen Jian Xilai as the guide. As such, he should be at least seven hundred years old by now.
His talent in cultivation was ordinary, but his mental strength was rare in the world. After cultivating for more than seven hundred years, his Psyche Power could move heaven and earth. Logically speaking, it would be difficult for him to meet an opponent. Unfortunately, though he was good at telling others' fortunes, he didn't expect his own fortune to be so bad. First, he had encountered Jing Jiu and Zen Master in Zhaoge City, and now he had encountered someone like Yin San.
Most importantly, he thought that this was a trap set up by him and the Great Ancestor of the Mysterious Dark Sect. He didn't expect that he would be the victim and suffer a crushing defeat. He didn't even have time to commit suicide before his spiritual soul was completely controlled by Yin San.
"Your plan is actually quite good."
Yin San looked at the Great Ancestor of the Mysterious Yin Sect with an appreciative expression.
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Sect was very embarrassed. He rubbed his red nose and said, "After spending a long time with Zhenren, I can always learn some true scriptures."
After Yin San escaped from the Sword Jail of Green Mountain, he went to the South Ocean to look for the Great Grandmaster of the Foggy Island, and brought Xiwang Sun back to Chaotian to lay the groundwork for taking back the Old Ones. Afterwards, he went to the Cold Mountain and found the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect, traveling together for twenty years.
In the past twenty years, the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect had been Yin San's bodyguard, servant, sidekick, assistant, and old dog.
No one wanted to be a dog, let alone a great devil like him.
Given the Black Yin Ancestor's level of demonic arts, it would be extremely easy for him to kill Yin San. All he needed to do was move a finger or even blow a breath.
The problem was, until today, he still had no idea what method Yin San had used to hide him from the Aoyama Sword Formation.
He didn't want to return to the bottom of the Cold Mountain either.
The years of not seeing the light of day were really hard to bear, especially since he had already come out. How could he have the courage to go back?
If he wanted to get rid of Yin San and break the dog leash around his neck, he had to find a way to kill Yin San without being discovered by the Sword Formation of Green Mountain.
He once had the idea of the turtle shell on the shore of Ōzawa, but later he found that Emperor Xiao was actually the most determined follower of Yin San, so he had to give up the idea. Then he naturally thought of another hidden swordsman, and his sight fell on the Misty Island in the distant South Sea.
In the Guocheng Temple, he got in touch with Su Ziye, who had joined the Western Sea Sword School, through the fat monk in the back kitchen. He told Su Ziye his identity and suggested that the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean do something with him. Though it was a secret that the Western Sea Sword School was a branch of the Foggy Island, it was not difficult for an old devil like him to figure it out.
Whether it was killing Yin San or Jing Jiu, it was an irresistible temptation for the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean, as long as he knew the true identities of these two people.
In the beginning, the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect thought that he could use the method of the Misty Island to conceal his energy after killing Yin San, so that the Sword Formation of Aoyama wouldn't discover him. Later, he found that Yin San was interested in the First Child Sword, so he came up with a better solution. When Yin San tried to control Tian Jinren, the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect would suddenly launch a sneak-attack, allowing Tian Jinren to control Yin San's spiritual soul and find the method to evade the Sword Formation of Aoyama.
As Yin San said, it was a good plan, or even a perfect one. There was only one problem.
Yin San knew it.
…
…
Yin San didn't tell the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect a lesson.
He was fully aware that Jing Jiu had a backup plan, no matter whether it was the Emperor or Aoyama; but he didn't tell the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect about it. He watched calmly as the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect was penetrated by Liu Ci's sword and was severely wounded, almost dying.
After the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect woke up by the bank of Ōzawa, he understood everything. He crawled out of the bucket of blood naked and knelt before Jing Jiu, expressing his regret and begging for Jing Jiu's forgiveness while weeping bitterly. In the end, he sold the Western Sea Sword School out.
Yin San pulled out a piece of straw from the pile of straw and put it in his mouth, chewing it slowly. Looking at the rising sun in the distance, he said tiredly, "Don't do it again."
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect stood up hastily. He stood like a child with his hands pressed against the seams of his trousers, saying, "I won't dare do it again."
He had almost died in the Guocheng Temple. This lesson was enough to make him understand why the White Ghost didn't show up that day.
The Principal Guard of Aoyama was a troublesome opponent for the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect even when he was in his prime; but that White Ghost behaved like a castrated cat in front of the Immortal. Why was he so afraid of the Immortal?
The fat monk in the back kitchen of the Guocheng Temple had died suddenly, so he couldn't eat the steamed buns dipped in fermented bean curd and the roasted meat wrapped in perilla leaves anymore.
The restaurant in Haizhou City was the place where the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect and the West Ocean would contact each other. Unexpectedly, it was the property of Bulao Lin.
From the West Ocean to the East Ocean, and from the snowland to Penglai, the whole of Chaotian was under the watch of the Immortal.
Though the Immortal was not omnipotent anymore, he still seemed to be omniscient. This feeling was truly terrifying.
What he didn't know was that the strike the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect struck the Unicorn in the Guocheng Temple seemed ferocious, but it didn't cause any real harm.
Looking at the handsome and nonchalant young man on the pile of rice, the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect sighed inwardly, asking, "Has the Immortal already found out the whereabouts of the First Child Sword?"
Tian Jingren was lying under the pile of rice with his eyes closed, still breathing.
Yin San shot him a glance and said, "I've also learned something else."
As the guide of the Foggy Island in the South Ocean to Chaotian, Tian Jingren knew many secrets, and he was extremely familiar with the Western Sea Sword School.
"Congratulations, Immortal," said the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect with an enchanting smile.
Yin San jumped down from the pile of rice, and headed toward the distance after dusting off the grass on his body.
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect picked up Tian Jingren and followed him like an old dog holding a bone in its mouth.
They headed toward the direction of the rising sun, but it was unclear where they were headed.
…
…
Have you ever heard of a sword style called "Falling from the Sky"?
Zhao Layue had heard Jing Jiu ask this question before.
It was many years ago in Haizhou City, when they were wanted criminals by the Pure Heaven Bureau, and the Cultivation practitioners of various sects participating in the Four-Seas Banquet were prepared to kill them.
The clouds and fog grew thinner and thinner until they had completely dispersed. The sword wills in the cliffs grew more formidable, as if they were eager to strike.
Even though she had never seen it before, Zhao Layue had guessed that it was the aura of the Sword Formation of Aoyama.
The Sword Formation of Aoyama hadn't been activated in the last three hundred years after Taiping Zhenren stayed behind death doors, and there wasn't even a sign that it would be activated.
In the last year, the Sword Formation of Aoyama had shown signs of being activated twice, and the sword peaks had been exposed to heaven and earth and the disciples of the peaks twice, which was quite shocking.
The last time the Sword Formation of Aoyama was activated was to kill the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect in the Guocheng Temple from a distance; what was the reason this time?
As she was thinking of these questions, the clouds and fog returned to the peaks, and the Sword Formation of Aoyama calmed down, indicating that the target had disappeared.
It was difficult to activate the Sword Formation of Aoyama, and it was even harder to stop it.
Jing Jiu knew that person was his Big Brother, because he was the only one who understood the working pattern of the Sword Formation of Aoyama and turned the Sword Formation of Aoyama into a sword ten thousand miles away.
He used this sword to force the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect to stay by his side as a bodyguard, and he could also use the power of the Sword Formation of Aoyama to do something he couldn't do in his current Cultivation state, like what he had done earlier. Judging from the direction the Sword Formation of Aoyama was aimed at, the person he wanted to deal with was probably Jian Xilai.
The nine peaks of Aoyama were haunted, like Fang Jingtian and those who hid more deeply.
Among the four Principal Guards, the chickens and dogs didn't ascend to heaven, but they would still support him. Audacious Ah Dan didn't dare offend either side, and the Round Turtle only knew how to sleep.
And the Sword Formation of Aoyama was like a toy to him.
No matter what, his Big Brother still had a strong foundation in Aoyama. It was hard to say who would win if they were to fight face to face in the future.
Jing Jiu was certain that it was the Fairy Lady Bai Ren who had knocked him down to the mortal world. The Formation of Dispersed Smoke and Cloud must have been tampered with by his Big Brother; but the tampering might have been done many years ago, like four hundred years ago. It was a pity that he couldn't kill his Big Brother in the Guocheng Temple. If he hadn't passed out, he would have asked the Emperor to kill his Big Brother first and leave him alone.
No matter how secretive it was, it was impossible to hide it from everybody. If Yimaozhai and the other orthodox Cultivation sects learned that his Big Brother had escaped, they would start a war. At the very least, the Zhongzhou School would take this opportunity to make trouble. Nobody could forget what his Big Brother had done in Chaotian back then because of so much bloodshed.
The storm would come again.
If it were before, Jing Jiu wouldn't worry too much; but he was still too weak at the moment.
He looked at his right hand, remaining silent for a long time.
His badly deformed right hand looked like a plum blossom tied up by a rope in a pot.
If it were a real plum blossom, one might be able to find a different sense of beauty in its deformed appearance; but this was a hand.
The Cultivation practitioners yearned for perfection. As such, many masters in Aoyama thought that Jing Jiu would have a bright future when they saw his face; it was because his face was too perfect.
If it wasn't perfect, it meant that there was something wrong with it, and it was not as simple as looking ugly.
His right hand was his most powerful weapon. If it couldn't be repaired, it would affect his fighting prowess and his Cultivation in the future.
He had recuperated on the Sword Peak for half a year, but his condition had only improved a bit. At this rate, it would take him thousands of years to completely repair his right hand.
Jing Jiu felt a bit depressed. This was a rare emotion for him.
Of course, he seldom had such emotions to begin with.
If it were back then, he would have killed a highly achieved swordsman of the Zen sects like Monk Duhai with a single finger; it was impossible for him to sustain such a severe injury.
Recalling the incident when Zhao Layue and Liu Shisui pursued his Big Brother, Jing Jiu asked, "That bone flute couldn't even be cut by Shisui's sword?"
"Mine couldn't either," Zhao Layue said.
After a moment of silence, Jing Jiu said, "Let's go to the Shangde Peak."
…
…
The Shangde Peak was very cold. Most of the trees on the peak were pine trees that could withstand the cold. It wasn't very nice to look at, mainly because it was too monotonous. One would get tired of looking at it for a long time.
Standing at the foot of the peak, Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue could already feel the cold wind coming from up ahead.
The Shangde Peak was the most strictly guarded place among the nine peaks of Aoyama. The regular disciples were strictly forbidden from entering and exiting it.
If they didn't want to reveal their identities, they had to find a way to get in by themselves.
Thinking of the unfeeling temperament of the Master Sword Justice, Zhao Layue said, "Should I ask Yuan Qu to come here and open the way?"
It was normal for the Master to ask his disciple to come here to do anything, like entering through the back door.
"I'm more familiar with this place than he is."
Jing Jiu led Zhao Layue into the peak. They didn't walk along the mountain path, but went straight into the pine forest.
The cold wind caressed the branches, making the pine trees rustle. Jing Jiu was indeed familiar with this place. There was no path, and there were only thick pine needles as far as the eye could see, but he could find the direction easily. Soon, they arrived at a cliff in the west and found a manor cave.
The temperature here was even colder than at the foot of the peak. If one wasn't a Cultivation practitioner, he would have to wrap himself in several cotton-padded clothes to withstand the cold.
Zhao Layue followed Jing Jiu into the manor cave, but found nothing inside. It must have been deserted for many years.
There was a stone wall in the deepest part of the manor cave. She reached out her hand to touch it and found that the surface was extremely hot. She was surprised to find that the entire wall was made of fire jade.
There was a forbidding spell attached to the stone wall. Jing Jiu waved his hand to remove it and led her to continue walking. They passed through several narrow cracks and entered a dark passage.
The deeper they went into the passage, the lower the temperature became. The ice and frost on the stone wall grew thicker and thicker.
After a long while, they had finally reached the end of the passage. It was a broken cliff.
In front of the cliff was an abyss, or in other words, a large cave leading to the underground. A ray of sunlight shone down from a high place, illuminating the bottom of the cave.
A huge black dog as large as a mountain was lying at the bottom of the cave in Silence.
The light from the sky illuminated the glossy black fur on its body. It looked like the most expensive satin.
Jing Jiu led Zhao Layue drifting down.
The black dog opened his eyes and looked down at them, the expression in his eyes cold and nonchalant.
"She is the Master of the Shenmo Peak, Zhao Layue, and he is the Dead Dog."
Jing Jiu introduced them to each other.
The black dog lowered his head slowly, indicating that he had met her.
Zhao Layue bowed to him earnestly.
The black dog closed his eyes again.
Jing Jiu fell silent while looking at him, and then turned around and walked toward the Sword Jail.
It was very cold in the Sword Jail, and the air was very dry.
The energies coming out from the cells on both sides of the passage were very formidable.
Some of these prisoners were powerful demons, and some were the swordsmen of the Underworld, and some were deviant practitioners whose hands were stained with blood. Based on Zhao Layue's temperament, she should be very curious about the stories of these prisoners, and she might even find an opportunity to test her sword skills. Yet, for some reason, she didn't even take a look at those cells.
"Senior Master Tai Lu is locked up in this cell. You should call him Senior Grandmaster."
Jing Jiu found Zhao Layue didn't respond, so he turned his head around and found she was lost in thought about something.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing … I just thought that maybe we should keep a dog in the Shenmo Peak."
Zhao Layue asked Jing Jiu earnestly after she came back to her senses.
Jing Jiu said after some thought, "Yuan Qijing won't agree."
Zhao Layue looked at him in bewilderment. She gestured the length with her hands, saying, "I meant raising such a big dog."
"Why do you want to keep a dog all of a sudden?" asked Jing Jiu, bewildered.
"There are monkeys, cats, and cicadas on the peak. Oh, and the horse you brought back. What's so scary about keeping a dog?"
Zhao Layue said, "We can guard the door when we go out; but we can't count on that lazy cat."
"Why do we want to keep a dog?"
"The dog is very loyal."
"Why?"
"The Master Dead Dog is very handsome."
The two of them came to a grand hall in the deep end of the Sword Jail while talking casually.
The floor of the grand hall was paved with green stones, and there were lamps in the surroundings. It was much brighter and warmer than the other places in the Sword Jail.
There was a passage on their right side, leading to the deep end of the place under the illumination of the lamps. There was a cell at the end of the passage.
The most formidable sword wills in Chaotian filled the passage and outside the cell.
Sensing the sword wills, Zhao Layue's expression changed slightly, and she glanced at Jing Jiu reflexively.
"These are the sword wills I had back then."
Jing Jiu led her to the cell at the end of the passage.
When Jing Jiu came to see Liu Shisui a few years ago, he merely took a look at the cell, but didn't enter it.
It was because he didn't want to see the scene in the cell.
Now that it was his sword wills, they would be unlocked as he stepped into the cell.
It didn't take long before Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue arrived in front of the cell and pushed open the door.
The cell was well furnished, with a bed, a table, and all kinds of utensils, a small spring, and even a magic treasure that projected the blue sky and white clouds.
There was only one such cell in the Sword Jail.
Looking at the white skeleton on the bed, Zhao Layue had guessed who had been imprisoned in this cell.
Yet, Taiping Zhenren had escaped from the Sword Jail thirty years ago; why did he become a white skeleton?
Jing Jiu walked to the front of the bed and found that the right arm of the white skeleton had been broken off from the elbow.
"Oh, that's why."
In the whole of Aoyama, he and his Big Brother had the deepest understanding of All in One Sword.
As such, the flying sword didn't look like a sword, but more like a flute.
Looking at the white skeleton in Silence, Jing Jiu seemed to have seen many scenes.
In this isolated cell, his Big Brother cultivated silently. He had spent countless years and endured excruciating pain; in the end, he had tempered his arm into a flying sword.
Then, he tore his right arm away from his body.
The amount of pain he could endure indicated how much pain he had suffered from the betrayal of Jing Jiu, Liu Ci, and Yuan Qijing.
Now that he thought about it, all this pain was hatred, right?
Zhao Layue understood what Jing Jiu meant. She moved her gaze from the broken arm of the white skeleton to his deformed right arm, thinking that they were indeed brothers.
(End of this chapter)
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