Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 296 - 289: Challenge Part 2

Chapter 296: Chapter 289: Challenge Part 2

Central Prefecture, Jinling.

"Congratulations to the Sect Master, may your splendor last through the ages, and may heaven and earth bestow eternal life!"

In the midst of a vast complex of silver-colored palaces, thousands of people dressed in blue attire are neatly arranged into a massive square formation, bowing with clasped fists towards two individuals seated on thrones above.

"Congratulations to the Sect Master, may your splendor last through the ages, and may heaven and earth bestow eternal life!"

The sound waves, layer upon layer, continuously transmitted from the outer perimeters of the palaces to the inside. The collective voices of thousands caused the very ground to tremble.

The loud and orderly voices billowed through the clouds, scattering the cumulus cloud above to let threads of sunlight through.

Following the formation of disciples forward, past white jade stone steps and carved dragon pillars.

At the highest step stood a golden Phoenix with wings proudly spread, as if in mid-cry, intricately composed of countless interlacing gold and silver leaves. It was resplendent and marvelous to behold.

In front of the towering five-meter-high Phoenix sat two beautiful women with golden silk veils over their faces.

One appeared ice-cold, the other gentle and graceful, each of them with a distinctly different demeanor. Both were adorned in Phoenix Robes and Feathered Crowns, with a faint halo of light emanating behind them.

The fingers of the cold woman on the left were sharp like claws, faintly gleaming with a translucent luster.

In the hands of the woman on the right was a Jade Ruyi, her eyes as deep and serene as autumn waters.

"Congratulations on the Great Achievement of the Divine Technique, Xuannu! With your emergence, you will surely lead us against the Red Spine Sect and revitalize the might of the Righteous Path!"

On either side of the staircase stood several high platforms of white jade stone, where elders and masters from other sects offered their congratulations.

A crane-haired yet youthfully complexioned elder loudly declared with a clasped fist.

"From today onward, the Yūqīng Path will surely restore the glory of the celestial cloud days!" echoed a woman dressed in vibrant red from another high platform.

"You are too kind," the gentle Xuannu seated above replied softly, her voice soothing, "With demons rampant and their ferocity on the rise, our Yūqīng Path upholds the pure and righteous energy of heaven and earth; it is incumbent upon us to step forward and support the grand momentum."

At this moment, the entire complex fell silent, the soft voice of the woman echoing through the air above the palace complex for miles around.

"Huang Yuerong has already begun to purge the righteous in Lin’an. What countermeasures does Xuannu have for this?" A young disciple in a Taoist robe with the voice of an old crone asked. The speaker seemed no more than seven or eight years old, yet the voice that came out matched that of an elderly woman in her seventies or eighties.

"This palace has received news of the matter," the ice-cold woman began, "The Yūqīng Righteous Talismans have been dispatched overnight to aid our allies. General Lan Qingyang personally intervened."

"Lan Qingyang Daoist!" The child seemed genuinely startled, "Has Lan Daoist also emerged from seclusion?"

"Under a sudden telepathic connection yesterday, I left seclusion together with my sister," the gentle Xuannu responded quietly.

Upon hearing the name Lan Qingyang, the cultivators on the high platforms below all began to stir.

Clearly, this name carried great weight in their hearts.

"Since Lan Daoist has personally intervened, with the support of Tianyun Path as well, the chances of success may be significant."

"We shall wait and see."

The expressions of the cultivators seemed to relax considerably. Clearly, they had great confidence in Lan Qingyang.

******************

Surrounded by mountains, and veiled in azure mists.

Beneath a sky of blue and white clouds, in the center of a round, mirror-like lake.

A vermilion boat with intricate carvings sits quietly in the middle of the lake, eerily silent with no one on deck. Only a few emerald birds hopped along the gunwale, chirping away.

Whoosh.

With a delicate crisp sound, two white-robed elders appeared out of nowhere on the deck.

Each held a chess piece, and in the middle of the ancient-looking, stump chessboard, an endgame situation had already been laid out.

"With the emergence of the Yūqīng Path at this junction, the situation in the world, once clear, may now require new consideration," one elder spoke softly. His appearance was quite peculiar, with two large peach-sized lumps flanking his neck, his frame was exceptionally corpulent.

The other elder was the complete opposite, his body so gaunt it almost appeared as if a skeleton was cloaked in skin.

"The Red Spine Sect has been accumulating power for a thousand years, and now, bursting forth, it naturally sweeps across the world."

"In the face of destiny, the emergence of Xuannu may not be just to meet the calamity."

"The union of the Righteous Path has already taken shape, with Xuannu taking the lead, Tianyun Path involved, along with nine Sects each bringing together their masters, Yuan Qiuque exerting her influence from afar. It is not impossible to turn the tide," the thin elder said indifferently.

"Let’s watch and see; like clouds and cranes, detached from the world, we shall just observe," the chubby elder softly placed down a chess piece.

"Can any egg remain intact under a toppled nest?"

"Are you willing to aid Xuannu?"

"Do you wish to find Huang Yuerong?"

"Do you insist on opposing me?" grumbled the chubby elder. "The power of the Red Spine Sect has grown immense; a mere puff of wind will suffice to accomplish great things."

"It’s you who insists on opposing me," countered the thin elder.

"Don’t blame me for not warning you, should you think Huang Yuerong truly harbors ambition for domination, then you are sorely mistaken," he snickered.

"All I care about is achieving great things; everything else is expendable," the chubby elder said nonchalantly.

"You!... Since when have you become a person who would stoop to any means necessary?"

"Stoop to any means necessary?" The chubby elder suddenly stood up, casting a long gaze at his old friend. "Going against the tide ensures no good end."

With a sweep of his sleeve across the chessboard, he completely disrupted the game. He said no more, vanishing abruptly over the side of the boat and disappearing into the vast mist.

The lean elder remained on deck, glancing at the chessboard before him, heaved a sigh, and slowly blurred out of sight as well.

The stump chessboard remained in its place, untouched.

******************

The rush of wind funneled into the carriage, causing various items inside to flutter as if on the brink of taking flight.

Lin Xin sat inside the carriage, looking at the situation outside, and even with his composure, he was deeply shaken.

A huge scarlet mouth was closing in on the carriage.

It was the gaping maw of an immense giant, huffing and puffing, ready to swallow the carriage whole.

The edges of the carriage were showing some honeycomb-like white chunks, as if it had been caught in something, unable to move.

It wasn’t that Lin Xin had never seen gigantic creatures, Blood Beasts, but this was his first time encountering such a large person. The giant, akin to a skyscraper with dozens of floors, left him dumbstruck for a moment.

Snapping back to reality, he quickly released his mental senses to probe the surroundings.

The entire carriage seemed to be stuck in something akin to a white bun, appearing merely as a speck of sesame on top of the bun, pinched by the giant, bun and carriage alike being carried towards the mouth.

The size of the carriage wasn’t even comparable to a pustule on the giant’s fair-skinned face. The enormous force squeezed the bun, which in turn trapped the carriage, delivering it directly towards the giant’s stinking maw.

Plop plop.

The sound of the giant eating was, to Lin Xin, like rhythmic thunderclaps.

As the carriage drew ever nearer to the giant mouth.

Lin Xin hastily pressed hard against the red rune on the carriage’s inner wall.

Boom!

The carriage immediately emitted a series of roars and vibrations as a force emerged from nowhere, seemingly trying to break free from the clutches of the bun.

But strangely enough, the Evasion Technique, which normally worked without fail, was now barely effective.

The carriage struggled incessantly, yet it couldn’t break free from the giant’s vice-like grip.

Watching the gaping maw approaching closer and closer, Lin Xin could already see the giant’s tongue, bristling with barbs, like a huge slab of scarlet flesh rolling towards the carriage. The shadow of the tongue almost completely obscured the sky from Lin Xin’s view.

Grasping the Red Flower Sword, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Whooo... The giant’s massive inhalation created a whirlwind-like surge of air that made Lin Xin’s clothes flutter wildly.

"First, let’s try and see," he said.

With his spiritual energy coursing, he deployed his movement technique and suddenly burst out of the carriage.

Upon reaching the outside of the carriage, he got a clear view of the surroundings for the first time.

Around him was a massive white room, with a family of three — a pair of chubby parents and a little daughter — gorging themselves at the dining table.

Only as Lin Xin flew midair did he see the carriage trapped in a bun in the male fatty’s hand; at that moment, the carriage doors were gradually closing.

Driven by Sword Intent, the Red Flower Sword clanged out of its sheath, and he struck towards the hand that held the bun with a thrust of his blade.

Thrust!

The pallid chubby hand was pierced by the sword tip, sprouting a red blot.

"Ah!"

The fatty exclaimed in shock, and instantly the bun fell from his grasp, crashing onto the wooden dining table. The carriage was flung out with great force due to the impact.

Lin Xin quickly flew towards it, injecting spiritual energy into the Demon Talisman Seed in his hand.

"Ah, a fly!" The giant girl’s voice suddenly vibrated, and to Lin Xin’s surprise, she was speaking in the infernal language.

"It’s a bug, indeed!"

As the voice reached him, a large hand swept towards Lin Xin at great speed.

Bang!!

The palm struck the wooden dining table, letting out a loud bang. Dust flew everywhere.

Lin Xin narrowly dodged the slap but was blown far away by the turbulent airflow.

As the carriage reappeared behind him, Lin Xin hurriedly flew back into the carriage.

Boom!!

With a sudden massive roar, the carriage let out a mournful wail, and fine cracks emerged all over it.

But looking through the cracks, he could see the environment rapidly shifting from the giant’s room to a brightly colored corridor.

Sitting inside the carriage, Lin Xin took several deep breaths. The brute strength of the giant may have lacked spells, but the force of its swipe alone was on the level of a full-force strike from a Daoist Master at the peak of the Golden Core stage.

Having landed in such a troublesome world this time, if he wanted to gain cultivation through slaughter like before, things would be quite difficult.

The colorful corridor soon dissipated, and the carriage returned to the palace of the Two-Faced Kingdom.

Lin Xin stepped out of the carriage and walked towards the seated Pudu Sheng.

"Red Flower!?" Pudu Sheng, startled by Lin Xin’s sudden appearance, gasped. "It’s been years, I thought you were dead!"

"Not dead... but if I’m not careful, maybe soon," Lin Xin replied with a wry smile as he walked over, stretching out his hand and summoning a chair to sit down. Pudu Sheng clapped his hands, and immediately a maid came forward to serve Lin Xin fragrant tea.

"What exactly happened??" Pudu Sheng asked in a low voice.

Lin Xin didn’t answer, just shook his head.

"I might have to leave here for good soon."

"Leave? Why? Wasn’t our collaboration going well?" Pudu Sheng frowned. Although he had now secured his position as the Crown Prince, someone like Lin Xin who could understand their bilingual language was someone he might not encounter again for decades.

"There are many reasons; I can’t say, but if I survive, I may still be able to return," Lin Xin said earnestly.

Pudu Sheng hesitated upon hearing this, remaining silent for a while before extending his hand to retrieve something from his Storage Bag at his waist.

"Since that’s the case, I can’t stand by while a friend is in trouble. Take this," he said.

He placed a small and exquisite black bell in front of Lin Xin.

The bell was exquisitely compact but had an aura of profound mystery, with eccentric patterns of distorted runes resembling grotesque faces at close inspection. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)