Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 191 - 184 Gathering Part 2

Chapter 191: Chapter 184 Gathering Part 2

In the lush forest, a black-robed elder sat cross-legged on an ancient cross-shaped altar.

Surrounding the altar were numerous green vines and branches, with crisp birdsong and insect noises lingering around, while specks of sunlight filtered down from above.

The elder remained motionless, his eyes tightly closed as if he were regulating his breath.

Before long, a group of people clothed in white approached from the distant woods, each bearing a small red bird emblem on their shoulders. The leader bowed from afar to the old man.

"Chen Yangjing, Xiao Yi."

Those behind him all had solemn expressions and extraordinary abilities, appearing very orderly.

The elder nodded his head.

"Ying Dongjing, Huang Kun." He bowed back in the same manner.

"So it is Brother Huang Kun." Another voice came from a distance, sounding rather ethereal.

"The voice arrives from miles away before the person, Brother Hu Nan’s technique of distance voice transmission has indeed become more exquisite," Xiao Yi said with a smile.

"Is it just the few of us?" Huang Kun spoke in a low voice.

"They have arrived, but many people are resting in the town far off and haven’t come over," explained Xiao Yi.

"How many have come this time?"

"Wasn’t it said that there would be ten Suppressors per major region?"

"I’m just checking, how many major regions have been mobilized in total? Perhaps each region’s division is meant for us to elect a leader in advance?" questioned Huang Kun with a frown.

"Possibly..." As they spoke, a flash of yellow suddenly arrived, appearing instantly at the edge of the altar, landing on a thick vine.

"Brother Hu has been guarding the frontier for many years, and undoubtedly the difficulty is much greater than for us who remain in the inland. Your cultivation must have advanced rapidly," said Xiao Yi with a touch of flattery.

The yellow shadow revealed its form, startlingly a man with a small mustache. Suddenly, more figures clad in yellow appeared behind him.

"Our Jing Xiu Manor, despite many years of accumulation, still cannot match the nurturing peace of the inland," the man Hu Nan said gravely. "Do we have a record of the names for our region?"

"Of course, it is recorded on the side of the second Taoist decree," responded Huang Kun in a black robe, flicking his hand. A white thread shot out, landing in Hu Nan’s hand and unfolding into a strip of paper.

He caught it and looked; names of different forces were densely arranged. After examining it, his expression momentarily froze.

"Spirit Heart Villa is also among us; I wonder if the Villa Master of Spirit Heart has arrived?"

"Although the Villa Master of Spirit Heart’s cultivation isn’t high, his mastery in Formation Path and Taoist Talismans is profound. With him here, our mission’s safety will surely be greatly enhanced," Xiao Yi joyfully stated.

"But just five major regions are tasked with sweeping this side’s Insect Master nests. Isn’t that a bit difficult?" His tone shifted.

"Perhaps those above are short of manpower?" Hu Nan shook his head. "We are still okay; in some regions, the Suppressors’ heritages have been built up over generations, especially those forces that have survived many tribulations intact—they have grown increasingly powerful, almost like invulnerable feudal kings, perhaps this time those above are intent on settling scores."

As they conversed, more groups arrived one after another, each keeping their aura concealed, donned in robust clothing, each marked with the symbolism of the Pine Forest Sword Sect, large or small.

By nearly noon, seven or eight groups had gathered waiting around the altar.

Each individual was a cunning and shrewd person, assessing each other, yet merely exchanging compliments, assessing the other Suppressors.

After many years of rest, these chiefs of the forces had methods to conceal their cultivation levels; merely assessing their auras was not enough to ascertain their real strength.

However, the Suppressors guarding the frontier were definitely stronger than those from the inland, as they frequently dealt with invasions from the Demon Path, and experienced substantial actual combat, whereas some inland Suppressors had long enjoyed peace, some even becoming somewhat rusty in their swordsmanship.

Thus, the two Suppressors guarding the frontier occupied one side of the altar each, while the other inland Suppressors naturally did not mingle much; gathered together, the Suppressors with a strong scent of blood from their dealings elicited a subtle rejection, perhaps out of respect or fear.

As noon approached, another group could be faintly seen arriving in the woods, all in white clothes and on white horses, carrying dual swords. The leading individual had an indifferent smile on his face, hung with dual longswords, with a "heart" embroidered at the edge of his white robe.

This man appeared to be in his early forties, his temples slightly greyed, exuding the demeanor of a well-read scholar.

The group of White Horse Knights galloped through the forest seemingly without obstruction, swiftly navigating, hardly hindered by the trees.

"Stop."

The leading man commanded.

Suddenly, thirty riders halted obediently, quickly stopping altogether.

"Is it Villa Master Lin Xin?"

A voice came from the inland Suppressors.

Lin Xin looked in their direction, noticing the distinct separation.

On the inland side, there were also several Suppressors he recognized; everyone was almost adorned in brocade and on splendid horses, their appearances luxurious, clearly of high value and living in comfort.

On the other side were two Suppressors stationed at the border.

Each of them, clad in plain yellow garb, stood to one side conversing with their comrades. Everyone there subtly emanated a thick intent to kill, and their attire was simple.

The other side was even more peculiar, with only three people who even had some tattered clothing, wearing gray, coarse clothes that made them look like beggars from somewhere unless one saw the pine emblem on their chests. Yet, all three held their hands near the hilts at their waists, their expressions as rigid as ice.

Pondering for a moment, Lin Xin also recalled having heard that some Suppressors stationed in extremely difficult conditions were unlike regular Suppressors. They were sent to the harshest, coldest places, with severe conditions where it was rare to see any sign of other people. Suppressing and combating relied on very few hands, and supplies were naturally scarce. More often than not, it was because they had offended someone in the Sect and were thus assigned there.

"Villa Master Lin, why don’t you come over?" Xiao Yi from the Suppressors of the inland areas laughed loudly, appearing very familiar.

The reputation of Spirit Heart Villa was significant, and the Talisman Sword was also widely known within the Sect. As one of the more influential Suppressors, Lin Xin was naturally famous. Compared to other Suppressors who changed frequently, he had maintained stability like Mount Tai for over twenty years because he had his own confidence and heritage.

Thinking it through, Lin Xin raised his voice and cupped his hands in salute.

"Thank you all for your kindness, but it’s too crowded over there. We are fine right here."

Hearing this, Xiao Yi, Huang Kun, and others, while smiling, looked somewhat displeased. Xiao Yi wanted to say something more but was pulled back by someone next to him and thus said no more.

Meanwhile, Lin Xin rested on the spot. Among those setting off this time, Lin Zhen was supposed to come, but he did not allow it, instead having Lin Luo accompany him.

Additionally, he led thirty experts among the manor’s retainers, recruited from both outside and raised within the manor itself, split equally. Among them, a woman named Ouyang Fei was the strongest. She also followed the route of Sacrificial Refinement of magic artifacts, but it was a Hook Sword in particular. She practiced the Jadeite Sword Technique. The test by a man in a yellow robe on her strength showed she was probably at the Qi Refinement Stage and even seemed to have some cards unplayed.

Sensing the displeasure from the other side, Lin Xin didn’t mind and signaled for the people of the manor to dismount and start cooking. Everyone was responsible for their own food and rest. Unlike the inland Suppressors and similar groups who brought personal servants to take care of themselves, as the villa master, he didn’t bring anyone to attend to him. He still ate the usual plain nutritional biscuits and drank water.

Lin Luo scanned the group of inland Suppressors briefly.

"Their sharpness is lost, completely unalert. They have indulged in comfort for too long."

"They are not fit to associate with," commented Ouyang Fei, nodding. "The other group may look shabby, but the intense murderous aura on them clearly shows they are accustomed to walking between life and death. If possible, I would rather be close to them."

"Their character is unclear, I advise against it," Lin Luo disagreed.

Ouyang Fei raised an eyebrow.

"In times like these, it’s better to band together when we can. Every bit of strength is precious."

"What if they have ulterior motives?"

The two stood their ground against each other.

Lin Xin smiled lightly.

"No harm done. We’ll just test the waters when we get the chance," he said.

He himself often walked between life and death and felt a strong connection to such people.

Seeing people from both groups look towards him, he responded with a smile and a nod as a courtesy.

The group defending the border was consisting of people in yellow robes.

The leader, Hu Nan, also smiled back as a courtesy.

The other group of only three people, led by a middle-aged man, returned a stiff smile that appeared almost like a cry, as if he hadn’t changed his expression in a long time.

Following him were a young man and woman, who appeared to be his junior kin.

With this, all the people from this large region had assembled, all the forces gathered around the altar, waiting for the Foundation Establishment Elder who would lead the team to appear.

As time slowly passed, evening unknowingly approached.

Just as the sun was about to set, a crane’s cry echoed from the distant sky. A pure white crane slowly approached, carrying a man on its back who bore a giant sword and wore half a set of finely crafted black armor. Despite the fierce wind, his hair stayed neat, pulled into a long ponytail behind, yet his expression was exceedingly detached.

The most striking feature of the man was an exquisitely beautiful flower character on one side of his face, the red strokes looking as though someone had meticulously embroidered them on.

The white crane descended in altitude, and the man leaped down, landing on the altar without any flamboyance.

"I am the leading elder of this region, Hua Lin. We depart in three days, please prepare yourselves," he began, his voice sounding like the harsh scraping of metal, exceedingly unpleasant.

"Elder Hua Lin," Lin Xin called out. "Do you remember me?"

Hua Lin looked over, spotting him instantly, and a hint of recognition flickered in his eyes. He indeed remembered Lin Xin from when he had sought guidance on the Flameless Swordsmanship; Lin Xin’s learning rate had been astoundingly fast... so fast that it had left him speechless and thus a lasting impression.

"It turns out to be Junior Brother Lin. The situation is critical this time, and I ask that you cooperate fully!" He surprisingly greeted Lin Xin with a cupped-hand salute, politely.

"The situation is critical?" Lin Xin also felt the seriousness of the mood. Elder Hua Lin had already been a Qi Cultivator expert back when he was still in the family, and now he had even reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, yet he still said the situation was critical.

"We need to go quickly and converge with other regions and people," Hua Lin said solemnly. "By then you will see that experts from other Sects might also be summoned to assist. This concerns the foundation of our Four Sects; we can only succeed, not fail!"

"It’s that serious..." uttered Chen Kun from the inland defenders, his face growing tense.

"More serious than you think," Hua Lin said flatly. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Starting Point (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)