Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 594 - 589: Joining the Sect Part 1

Chapter 594: Chapter 589: Joining the Sect Part 1

Whoosh!

A green rainbow streaked across the sky, carving a clear channel on the sea surface.

Amidst the churning waters, several dolphins breached the surface, slightly bowing their heads toward the sky, as if paying homage.

The birds flying alongside also quickly decreased their altitude, not daring to fly above the green rainbow.

Within the rainbow, three figures clothed in green and elegant attire were sitting cross-legged on a small jade stone boat that was only over ten meters long.

At the front of the boat, two green and blue water serpents with eagle wings were pulling it along.

The serpents were over twenty meters long, covered in green scales, and robust, with each of their numerous legs stepping on a tuft of white clouds.

They resembled large green pythons with ten legs.

Among the three on the boat, one had an aged face with a bald head, a ring of white hair connected to his beard circling his head, giving him a fierce look. He was also holding a black cane embedded with a transparent treasure bead.

The other two, one was a man in flowing green robes, carrying a long zither on his back, appearing quite romantic and carefree, but at the moment, he stood behind the old man with a bitter smile on his lips.

The other was a young girl dressed in a green blouse and a black short skirt, her legs wrapped in fine white silk, perfectly accentuating the slender lines of her legs, creating a pure yet alluring and delicate impression.

The strong wind pressed her skirt tightly against her legs and buttocks, constantly creating waving folds.

Yet, the girl’s face bore a hint of a proud and haughty temperament.

"Master, this is Sea-Stepping Cliff already, do we really need to come to such a small place?"

The girl couldn’t help but ask softly.

"A small place? Even though it’s a small place, it at least has an Ascension Platform, suitable for teleportation. My time is drawing near, and we cannot miss even a sliver of hope,"

the old man sighed.

"Here, we mainly gather talented youths from nearby islands and within the Qiushi Region. Although the chance is much smaller compared to other places, the key is that no one is competing with us here,"

the other man explained reluctantly.

"Then Master, what are the criteria for recruiting people this time?" the girl frowned and asked.

"That, I cannot tell you for now," the old man shook his head slightly.

The girl immediately pouted, grabbing the old man’s hand and shaking it back and forth.

"Oh, come on, Master, just tell me, I won’t leak it like last time. I will keep it sealed tight!"

"If it were your eldest senior brother, perhaps, but as for you, forget it," the old man remained expressionless, clearly unpersuaded by her act.

The man on the side immediately gave a wry smile.

Ignoring his junior sister who kept flattering the master, his gaze was fixed far ahead where the peak of a black island was gradually becoming visible.

He clearly knew why the master had suddenly come here.

Inside Green Lake Mountain, the grip on the dominion over Qing Shan Realm was already starting to weaken.

If they didn’t find a successor capable of advancing to the Earth Immortal Realm soon, their lineage might completely decline and fade away.

Qing Shan Realm was a vast minor world. Even within Green Lake Mountain, it ranked within the top hundred for its excellent foundations. If it fell into others’ hands, regaining it later would be nearly impossible.

But there was no way around it.

Elder Qing Shan was already over nine thousand years old, with only a hundred or two hundred years left until his ten-thousand-year limit. If they couldn’t find a successor within this time, the transfer of Qing Shan Realm’s ownership was almost certain.

Green Lake Mountain would not allow a high-quality minor world to go astray and lose connection.

Unfortunately, he and his junior sister were the only two True Disciples of their master, yet they were stuck at the peak of Human Immortal, unable to progress further. And to inherit Qing Shan Realm, one must at least be at the Earth Immortal Realm.

Turning void and ethereal, along with Great Perfection, combined, correspond to the Five Realms of Human Immortal.

It seemed simple, but each level required extensive accumulation, enlightenment, and opportunities to advance.

Breaking through to Earth Immortal required having one’s own Immortal Foundation. Cultivating an Immortal Foundation was as difficult as ascending to the heavens to pluck stars.

Both he and his junior sister had tried many times, but still with no success...

"Huan Ping, are we almost there?"

Elder Qing Shan suddenly spoke to him.

"Yes, Master, Sea-Stepping Cliff is right ahead, but are we just going to enter like this?" Brother Huan Ping hurriedly replied respectfully.

"Of course not, we shall split up and sneak in quietly, gather those of good talent first, then send a message to inform me," Elder Qing Shan waved his hand, and immediately, the two water serpents stopped moving, with steam and white clouds rising around, enveloping the jade stone boat in the clouds, concealing it.

Huan Ping bowed his head in agreement.

He could faintly hear the content about the standards for selecting disciples this time. The master’s demeanor clearly indicated that he did not want to let the junior sister know.

"Selection criteria, first look at the bloodline potential. If we can find those of Earth Level Third Grade or above, that would suffice.

If they have Divine Beast Bloodline or Divine Child Bloodline, we look at the purity. If there is pureblood, equivalent to Earth Level First Grade, they are also barely acceptable. However, do not take purebloods from the Demon Path, Evil Path, or Demon Gods. This area is close to the Evil God’s Seal, so make sure to distinguish them properly,"

"Yes, Master," Huan Ping quickly nodded. "So, we’re even considering Earth Level this time? Although purebloods possess strong innate gifts initially, their growth is more restricted later on, making it even more difficult to break through to Earth Immortal. Didn’t Master previously refuse to accept them?"

"No choice, we’re casting a wide net. I don’t have much time left. If we don’t find a successor to pass on the mantle..." Elder Qing Shan sighed, his wrinkled face trembling slightly, seeming to age a bit more.

"It’s my lack of ability... If I had hopes of breaking through, Master wouldn’t need to..." Huan Ping felt a pang in his heart.

"It’s not your concern; I was too harsh and critical in my early years. If Qu’er were still here... my Green Lake Mountain wouldn’t have fallen to such a state," Elder Qing Shan sighed softly.

He looked towards the young girl in black, his eyes once again showing a trace of kindness and pity.

Qu’er only had this child; if there truly is no one else to follow, I must ensure she is well taken care of.

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

"It won’t be long before Elder Qing Shan from Green Lake Mountain will come to seek disciples. You must seize this opportunity."

"I have erased all traces of you in the Underworld; even top powers, without any trace, would not be able to deduce your past destiny."

"Thus, you are now truly a natural pureblood who rose step by step from within the Qiushi Region. Due to an accidental awakening, the bloodline of the Chanting Star Clan that purifies evil qi fits perfectly."

"Such talent, even within Green Lake Mountain, which governs many small worlds, is second only to that of Heaven Level, an Earth Level First Grade."

"So, should you meet him, Elder Qing Shan will certainly take you under his wing."

Lin Xin sat cross-legged on the deck, gazing at the constantly swaying blue sea ahead, his mind recalling the words Xia had imparted to him before he left.

"No restrictive measures, probably fearing there are too many powerful beings in Green Lake Mountain, which could easily expose you. So it’s better not to meddle. What then could Xia use to ensure I follow her commands completely?"

He pondered, but could not figure out the reason.

Perhaps it was because of the foundation.

His only foundation was being a high-ranking demonic cultivator in the Underworld, not a genuine talent born in the human world.

This would be a significant weakness for Green Lake Mountain, a bastion of the Righteous Path, once exposed.

But relying solely on this was not enough to ensure success.

Lin Xin narrowed his eyes, recalling Xia’s later admonitions.

’The lineage of Qing Shan is your only chance; Green Lake Mountain, such a colossal entity, would have its disciple selection resonate across thousands of worlds. If it weren’t for special circumstances engineered by me, Elder Qing Shan wouldn’t have traveled thousands of miles here to take disciples.’

’Once inside, just focus on breaking through in your cultivation. I only need you to do three things for me. These tasks require reaching the Earth Immortal Level, so don’t worry about me seeking you out early on.’

’If you cannot break through, then let us act as if we’ve never met. But if you do succeed...’

At this thought, Lin Xin slowly stood up, looking towards the far horizon.

At some point, a patch of white clouds had appeared in the distant sky.

The cloud was slightly odd, shaped like a gourd, smaller at the front and larger at the back.

Lin Xin’s heart stirred, remembering Xia’s hint, and he suddenly knew what to do.

He drew out an ordinary longsword from his waist, directed the crew to clear an area, and began practicing sword cultivation on it.

The Rushing Thunder Sword Technique was originally a sword practice method. This method had no lethal power but was instead extremely slow, gently mobilizing one’s own strength.

Lin Xin practiced with intense focus. The Rushing Thunder Sword culminated in one hundred and eight forms, this assistive sword technique had reached its peak, the utmost limit.

A trace of purifying force slowly infused into the sword forms, merging flawlessly.

While practicing his swordplay, he pondered his own situation.

Attribute points could be added to his Protective Aura or to the Magic Artifact after making a Soul Pact, significantly boosting its power.

Such characteristics almost perfectly matched those of some pureblooded Divine Beasts or Divine Clan described in the classics. Disguising as a pureblood should be no problem.

And the bloodline explosion of the Chanting Star Clan was likely also forcibly unearthed by attribute points.

"I originally thought there was no path ahead; unexpectedly, there are so many more realms of cultivation to explore. Green Lake Mountain..." Lin Xin’s heart faintly stirred with anticipation.

A massive force that even the terrifying and mysterious Xia was extremely wary of, how many secrets and powerful beings were hidden within it.

"If I can break through to Earth Immortal, perhaps I might get the chance to access the real levels of the Underworld."

He slightly turned his sword blade, a gentle shake bringing forth a spiral of smooth traces.

The sharp and straight longsword seemed to soften suddenly, bending into a curved, gentle line of silver that rotated slightly around his body.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

Suddenly, a burst of applause echoed.

Lin Xin’s expression chilled.

"Who?"

He had practiced swordplay many times; the sailors and captain on board would never dare to interrupt his practice by clapping.

He halted his swordplay, immediately looking towards the direction of the sound.

"Who goes there? We are a merchant ship of the Qiushi Region, from the World Ending Guild; if we have inadvertently offended your waters, please..." Captain Lin Shengqu quickly spoke out loudly.

The rest of the Lin family sailors didn’t panic but silently drew their blades, remaining alert and watching all around.

"No need for that, just passing by," a voice interrupted Lin Shengqu.

An old man with a white beard, his hair and beard forming a circle around his face, stood silently on a jade boat, appearing in the air right in front of the ship.

"Excellent swordsmanship, excellent qualifications."

The old man squinted at Lin Xin.