Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 312 - 305: Turmoil - Part 1

Chapter 312: Chapter 305: Turmoil - Part 1

"I’m not crazy! Let go!" the person struggled free, "Since he’s bound to die anyway, why not see if there’s anything valuable on him to benefit us! Isn’t that just perfect?"

"What if the Grand Steward finds out!"

"You don’t say, I don’t say, who among our brothers and sisters here will find out? Who could?" the person chuckled with a sinister laugh.

The rest exchanged glances.

The masked person continued to search Lin Xin’s body.

"If I were you, I wouldn’t do that," Lin Xin suddenly said.

At this comment, the masked people all stiffened.

"You... you!!" The person who tried to search Lin Xin jumped up as if seeing a ghost.

"What about me?" Lin Xin smiled faintly. "If you answer a few more questions for me, I won’t say anything. How about that?"

The others broke into cold sweat. Previously, the captured people were all unable to speak, could not open their mouths. Even though it was now daytime at the Star Observation Platform, and there was no Star Force leading, the platform had stored a great amount of Star Force for use during the night.

So even though it seemed quiet, Lin Xin was still continuously enduring intense pain; it was just slightly alleviated, that’s all.

And under such pain, he still had the energy to distract himself with talking.

Such terrifying endurance, even for those specifically tasked with overseeing the Star Observation Platform, was something they were witnessing for the first time.

"What... what questions?" After shying away for a long while, they hesitated, then asked with pale faces and trepidation.

Lin Xin, unable to move, could barely speak. The infusion of Star Force was painful, but did not damage his body as much as the Demon Liquid Pool did; perhaps because his body had previously been reformed and adapted by the pool.

At that moment, he felt like an overinflated balloon, with a massive amount of some substance or gas constantly flowing inside, as if at any moment it could explode into pieces.

This pain surpassed what he had experienced in the Netherworld mansion; only now was it slightly more bearable during the day, so he managed to speak, hoping to divert his attention so as not to succumb.

"I ask you... where is this place?"

"This is... this is the Yuan Dou Demon Sect of the Fairy-Shura Alliance..."

Almost in unison, they said the name Yuan Dou Demon Sect, each with a different tone.

"Yuan Dou Demon Sect... Fairy-Shura Alliance? So I’ve been captured by the Fairy-Shura Alliance..." Lin Xin suddenly realized.

The Fairy-Shura Alliance is an enormous entity that stands with the Jade Pure Sect and the Heavenly Cloud Sect. And now, it is one of the main forces in opposition to the Red Spine Sect, a force whose reputation Lin Xin had long heard of.

"Then... what is the status of the Yuan Dou Demon Sect within the Fairy-Shura Alliance?"

He thought a moment, then asked again.

"Um... our sect is divided into three branches and one main gate, with formidable power in the alliance. It is one of the three major powers, second only to the Lu Sect," one of them answered cautiously, looking at him and speaking softly. "It’s the second largest power..."

"Lu Sect?" Lin Xin had heard of the Lu Sect’s leader Ouyang Qing, the top expert of Naxi, "Is it that Ouyang Qing’s Lu Sect?"

"Ouyang Qing? He’s just the figurehead presented publicly; the real force suppressing our sect is Ouyang Yan, one of the ’Three Monarchs’ spoken of in the same breath as our sect master." Another person quickly responded.

"Three Monarchs?" A new term appeared, something Lin Xin had never heard of. "Who are these Three Monarchs?"

"They are the strongest three sect masters in the Fairy-Shura Alliance. The Lu Sect’s Annal Monarch, our Sect Master Huang Yuan, and the Netherworld Sect’s Yellow Springs Monarch. These three are the strongest top experts, each one able to confront the leaders of the Red Spine Sect and Jade Pure Sect!"

Ignoring the last sentence, Lin Xin gained some understanding of the structure of the Fairy-Shura Alliance.

The alliance was built around the framework of the Three Monarchs, constantly absorbing various powers, large and small, to grow in strength, but the core was still the three main forces led by the Three Monarchs.

"Now, what is the situation outside?" He thought for a moment before asking again. "The Red Spine Sect has been pursuing Yuan Qiuque, trying to seize the Life and Death Knife. What’s the outcome?"

"All forces, both righteous and evil, have converged; the Fairy-Shura Alliance is the same. Aside from the three True Monarchs of the Alliance Hierarch, nearly ten Nascent Soul Daoist Masters rushed to the frontline themselves, including the two princesses of our sect, and even the old sect master has just returned to rest. They will absolutely not allow the Red Spine Sect to obtain the Life and Death Knife," one of them whispered lowly. "The Red Spine Sect is now surrounded by enemies; they can’t rampage for long!"

"What about Huang Yuerong?" Lin Xin asked directly. "Hasn’t he been sweeping through the sects, with those who comply prospering and those who oppose perishing? With so much resistance now, he must have halted for the time being, right?"

At this, the people fell silent.

They looked at each other, a bit awkward. It was apparent that although they were after a small advantage, their allegiance to the Yuan Dou Demon Sect ran deep; at least not so easily would they speak unfavorably of their own sect.

"Speak up," Lin Xin frowned, his voice growing deeper.

One of them gave a bitter smile.

"To the north of the Cloud Summit in the Central Prefecture, the last sect, Jiuli Sect, was annexed by the Red Spine Sect not long ago... Although they are still taking action, our alliance is already making concerted efforts, and it surely won’t be long before we quell their momentum."

His words at the end were full of conviction, clearly confident in the coalition of many experts.

"What about Yuan Qiuque?" Lin Xin pondered for a moment before asking again. "He’s the main force of opposition, but he’s not exactly from the Righteous Path, is he?"

The group was momentarily stumped by the question, silent again after a time.

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

Lord Autumn Mountain.

A black fog enshrouded the entire mountain, with flames flickering faintly within. Billowing dark clouds converged at the mountain’s peak, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed.

Boom!

With a loud noise, a figure slowly emerged from the foot of the mountain and looked back at the dark clouds wrapping around it.

"For decades, this phenomenon has not dissipated. I’m afraid this mountain will no longer possess its original beauty and ethereal charm... It might need a new name. Such a pity, such a pity...."

This person was dressed in a grey cloth robe and carried a Hwamei bird cage in his hand, resembling a school teacher.

He slowly walked out of the mountain path, the spreading black mist behind him giving his ordinary figure an eerie and inexplicable air.

The Hwamei bird in the cage chirped ceaselessly, looking terrified, but under the man’s calm and slow pace, it seemed to gradually settle down.

"To listen to a little tune, drink a little wine, have food and clothes, and the company of beauty—this was once the ideal life I demanded... Why don’t you all understand?"

Muttering to himself, the man sauntered off into the distance, and before long, he disappeared into the dense forest at the mountain’s base, never to be seen again.

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

Whoosh!

A silver-white blade cut through the night, lighting up with a faint blue glow. Where the edge of the blade pointed, the ground suddenly spread open with a layer of blue frost.

In a courtyard, a young man in a yellow robe wielded a silver-white long knife, constantly flipping and dancing it through the air. Despite the blade being unusually wide and heavy, it was as light and deft as a butterfly flitting among flowers in his hands. With each pass, the knife sent out a swath of blue and white frost.

Another person stood by, a woman of stunning beauty wearing a thin black veil, her figure graceful and curvaceous, silently observing the young man’s knife dance.

After a while, as the set of knife techniques came to a close, the young man slowly sheathed the blade, and the chill attached to the blade gradually dissipated.

"Those White Belts probably won’t find this place. Fairy, how do you find my Frost Blade Technique?"

The young man looked towards the woman with evident pride.

The woman nodded slightly, a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes.

"Zhao Lang, you are extraordinarily clever and blessed with unique talents, and you have already mastered the Frost Blade Technique to a great extent. Truthfully, this set of techniques is one of the more difficult ones among all the Cultivation Decisions I have mastered. It requires the combination of moves, strength, and the coordination with Inner Qi breathing to activate the Frost Blade Qi. I didn’t expect you to grasp its essence in just three months."

The young man was none other than Zhao Ke, the cunning young man who had encountered Lin Xin during the fight with the Snake Cave Master.

After being saved by Lin Xin, he and the Fairy of Si Jue joined the Radiance Society to take on missions and temporarily settled down.

"Hehe, that’s right, that’s right. But, are we really going to leave the Radiance Society? Isn’t this a bit improper?" he hesitated.

"The Radiance Society is just a loose organization. Although we were introduced by the core member Brother Hong, it’s not the best for your future development, Zhao Lang," the woman patiently explained.

The Fairy of Si Jue used to be ruthless and cold as frost, but now, it seemed she had been completely won over by Zhao Ke, lacking any of the coldness she once had. Instead, she resembled a wife deeply in love with her household and husband.

"In the Radiance Society, any secret manuals or items need to be acquired by amassing mission points. We are currently too weak, and the best way is for you, Zhao Lang, to find a suitable Sect to learn the Martial Arts formally," the Fairy of Si Jue said meticulously.

"Ah, formal Cultivation Practice... I’m afraid it might be too late for me to start at my age," Zhao Ke said somewhat helplessly.

"Although you are a bit older, I believe in you, Zhao Lang!" the Fairy of Si Jue smiled tenderly. "Besides, you still have me. If all else fails, we can go home, and I am sure I can persuade my father to find a Sect for you to join."

"Rong’er..." Zhao Ke’s eyes flickered with emotion. "Don’t worry, I will surely make something of myself. When the time comes, I’ll go to your family with pride and formally ask for your hand in marriage, to take you home as my bride in bright daylight!"

"Mm!" The Fairy of Si Jue looked at Zhao Ke and nodded tenderly.

"Zhao Ke! Zhao Ke, hurry up and open the door!" Suddenly, a series of urgent cries came from outside the door.

Zhao Ke quickly ran over and opened the courtyard door, only to find their brother in the society who had always taken care of them, Wang Huaisheng.

"There is an urgent summon from the society; they need both of you to go to headquarters immediately. It seems someone high up wants to ask you about the specifics." Wang Huaisheng explained quickly.

"Someone high up?" Zhao Ke and the Fairy of Si Jue exchanged glances, both sensing something was amiss.

"Be careful. I heard it’s related to Mr. Honghua’s matters," Wang Sheng reminded.

"Mr. Honghua..." Zhao Ke suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

"It seems Mr. Honghua has run into some trouble recently," Wang Huaisheng glanced around quickly, then added. "Just a while back, I heard that he killed a Sect Master of a Sect affiliated with the Yuan Dou Demon Sect and stole a treasure from him. Now he’s been captured by the expert of the Yuan Dou Demon Sect, and his whereabouts are unknown. The higher-ups definitely want to inquire about this, be very careful."

Hearing that a Sect Master had been killed, both of them were initially shocked, only to feel a flutter of alarm at the subsequent information.

Zhao Ke’s face tensed slightly.

"Mr. Honghua is in trouble?? Even someone as formidable as him could encounter danger?!"

The Fairy of Si Jue also became visibly concerned...(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)