Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 662 - 657 Ruined Tomb I

Chapter 662: Chapter 657 Ruined Tomb I

The Mortal Realm, an unknown sea area.

The sea was azure and vast, like a silk curtain, with layers of ripples and waves stimulating one another, and schools of fish could faintly be seen swimming by.

In the center of the sea, a solitary island resembling a yellow stone was set against the blue expanse.

The island was flat, with only a small hillock rising in the center.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a small, grey and slightly blue sailboat came flying swiftly from the distant sky.

The boat wasn’t large, only about ten meters long and seven or eight meters wide, appearing somewhat ungainly.

There stood a white-robed Taoist on the deck, young and handsome, with a white jade crown on his head and an ancient sword of a pale jade color on his back, emitting the aura of a cultured and lofty individual.

The young Taoist gazed at the little island from afar, squinting his eyes and waving his hand.

Immediately, the flying sailboat slowly raised its sail, quickly decelerated, and began to descend.

Soon, with a thump, the entire sailboat landed firmly on the sandy beach at the island’s edge.

The young Taoist jumped off the ship, gestured with his hand, and the vessel floated up, rapidly shrinking and shooting into his palm, where he stowed it away.

He looked around.

Sand was everywhere on the beach, with only a lone, bare mountain rising in the center of the island, the peak not very high, just a few hundred meters.

The Taoist pulled out an oval jade talisman that shimmered with a light green glow; one could vaguely see innumerable symbols and patterns flowing rapidly inside.

"This is the place, Daoist, there is no need to confirm further."

Suddenly, a voice came from a distance beside the Taoist.

The young Taoist looked up and saw a yellow-robed elder flying towards him in the distance, floating on a cloud of yellow sand.

In the elder’s hand was a horsetail whisk, and a long white goat beard that fluttered in the wind, giving him an air of sage-like detachment.

"Could it be Daoist Huang of Mount Yuanxia?" the young Taoist called out loudly.

"Indeed, it is this old man, and the rest of the Daoists are over here. Daoist Xin, please come this way," the elder said with a smile, floating midway in the air beside the young Taoist.

Daoist Xin, also known as Xin Tongxin, was actually Lin Xin’s alias, and for this occasion, he had changed his appearance and temperament once again.

After traveling through the Dragon Serpent Realm and using a myriad arts mask to change his aura, appearance, and stature, Lin Xin had directly transformed into the perfect image of a Mystery Sect cultivator.

To look the part, he even specially purchased an ancient sword, refined it into a one-use talisman formation magic artifact, made to resemble a consumable like the Solar Yang Talisman Sword, as a disguise.

Although the Talisman Sword was meant for single use, it looked flashy and potent, with obvious flows of power cycling within, and its presence was extraordinary.

As the two flew side by side, Daoist Huang of Mount Yuanxia glanced at the ancient sword on Lin Xin’s back, noting its faint flow of light, and his demeanor became slightly more respectful.

In less than ten seconds, the pair quickly landed at the foot of the central mountain on the island, where, from a distance, one could see the remains of a ruined structure standing amid the yellow sand.

The ruins were filled with enormous stone pillars, seven or eight meters in diameter.

Most of the pillars were broken, with some stone statues’ heads knocked to the ground. On the floor lay scattered pieces of gray statue remnants, their limbs and torsos indistinguishable from one another.

The sea breeze blew through, occasionally whipping up gusts of sand from the ground, filling the air with dust.

The two descended from their clouds, landing gently beside a temple that hadn’t completely collapsed.

Dispelling their clouds, Daoist Huang led the way towards the temple.

"Alright, everyone is here," he declared loudly.

The temple was constructed from large, earth-yellow stones, and although the top was mostly missing, the rest was still relatively intact.

Lin Xin landed softly and looked towards the temple’s entrance.

Standing in the minimal shade offered by a few large round stone pillars at the gate were three people, one man and two women.

One of the women had a cold and indifferent face, dressed in a white full-length dress with a shimmering silver sash, adorned with a goose egg-sized black jade pearl that was particularly striking. Behind her back, she carried an object wrapped in thick black cloth, long in shape.

The other two, a plainly-faced man with short black hair in black clothes, appeared to be wearing golden inner armor underneath, faintly emitting golden light of seemingly low quality.

At his waist hung a sheathed giant demon blade, a kind of magical artifact favored in the black market and classified as a mid-grade of the fifth rank. Many wandering cultivators liked to use them.

The last woman seemed to be with the man, dressed in the currently popular fashion of a white top and green skirt, with her slender legs wrapped in black stockings faintly visible underneath. She had a white longsword on her back with a hilt that showed signs of wear and aging.

Long skirts and black stockings, out of ten female cultivators in this realm, three might dress like this.

But there was a subtle difference in this woman; she was conservatively dressed, her long skirt only revealing half of her calves, and her upper garment was made of thick material, not exposing any skin above the wrists. Her face was also devoid of makeup, naturally beautiful with a touch of valiance.

Lin Xin looked at her and was faintly reminded of Lin Yaoyang who also favored such attire.

As he was scrutinizing them, the three were also sizing him up. They all had a favorable impression of this distinguished-looking Daoist from the Righteous Path.

Such Righteous Path Daoists were generally very principled – a man of their word. Once they committed, they would not likely engage in any trickery.

At this moment, Daoist Huang landed and cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Now that everyone has arrived, let me do the introductions," he said.

He pointed at the elegant woman.

"This is Fairy Lu from the east of the lake, skilled in formations and swordsmanship."

The elegant woman gave Lin Xin a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Lin Xin returned the gesture.

"This one is Loose Cultivator Murong Jun, the Fairy Murong, and her sworn brother Loose Cultivator Zeng Zhuo. They are adept at dealing with resentful spirits and ghastly auras."

The Taoist from Yuanxia Mountain gestured toward the woman in white and green, and the plain-dressed man.

Both of them nodded at Lin Xin in a friendly manner.

Lin Xin returned the gesture.

Lastly, the Taoist from Yuanxia Mountain pointed at Lin Xin and introduced him.

"This is Loose Cultivator Xin, who, due to being the farthest away, arrived a bit late."

"I specialize in the Fire System of Taoist arts," Lin Xin added with a smile. He looked around the group and continued, "Isn’t this task only supposed to require four people? Now there are..."

"This was an oversight on my part," the Taoist from Yuanxia Mountain said. "When I submitted the task, I didn’t count myself, so I requested four others, not four including me. Please forgive my mistake."

"No worries,"

Lin Xin laughed.

At that moment, the elegant Fairy Lu interjected.

"Now Daoist Huang, can you please explain how we are going to delve into our exploration?"

"One thousand nine hundred Contribution Points, that amount, even for those from major sects, is not a small number. I offered these Contribution Points to invite the four of you here because I do have a clue," the Taoist from Yuanxia Mountain spoke softly.

"A clue? Do you have information about the whereabouts of an Ancient Divine Artifact?" Fairy Lu’s expression shifted slightly, though her eyes hinted at a deeper meaning.

"I do have a clue," the Taoist from Yuanxia Mountain confirmed calmly, without any attempt to conceal. "However, it’s not about an Ancient Divine Artifact, as such treasures are found by fate and cannot be sought after. The information I have pertains to an Ancient Immortal Cave Dwelling at the bottom of the Resentful Spirit River."

"An Ancient Immortal Cave Dwelling? That sounds promising."

The plainly dressed cultivator, Zeng Zhuo, remarked.

Lin Xin and Fairy Murong also nodded in agreement.

However, Fairy Lu asked,

"How will we distribute the finds?"

The Taoist from Yuanxia Mountain laughed as he said,

"Whoever suits the magic artifacts and pills we find will take them, as long as they’re not too valuable. For the usual items, you may keep them for yourselves. My goal lies within the Ancient Immortal Cave Dwelling, specifically, the ’Land Subjugation Jade Record.’

"The Land Subjugation Jade Record?!"

Everyone’s hearts trembled at the mention.

"So that’s what it’s for, the foundation of a high-grade Earth Immortal. It is said that some versions of the Land Subjugation Jade Record can even alter the Immortal Foundation with formidable effects."

Zeng Zhuo’s face showed a hint of surprise.

"What is this Land Subjugation Jade Record?" Fairy Murong, clearly unfamiliar with the name, asked with some confusion.

Zeng Zhuo explained in a low voice,

"Once we Fifth Rank Human Immortals reach Perfection, we need a special method to establish a quality Immortal Foundation. I once heard a senior mention that the Land Subjugation Jade Record is the collective name for a Jade Slip that documents a method to establish a medium or higher quality Immortal Foundation."

"I see," Fairy Murong said, her eyes flickering with understanding, but she spoke no further.

Lin Xin, however, was unmoved.

The Land Subjugation Jade Record, while rare, was paltry compared to the terrifying might of the Green Lake Sect. He had seen top-grade and even supreme Land Subjugation Jade Records in the exchange table of the Tower of Living Beings.

Although they required at least tens to hundreds of millions of Contribution Points, these were foundational for one’s future path.

After all, without a medium or higher grade Immortal Foundation, progressing to Earth Immortal would only mean stagnation at the Yuan Jing Level of consolidation. A shaky Immortal Foundation is like a high-rise with a weak foundation; forcing cultivation could lead to a path of destruction and death.

For those in the Outer Sect, the Land Subjugation Jade Record was an unparalleled secret manual, but for members of a terrifying power like the Green Lake Sect, it was merely an expensive, secretive tome.

Glancing around, he could see deep envy and slight longing hidden within the eyes of the others.

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy at the disparity between a major sect and ordinary ones...

A Fifth Rank Human Immortal of this level, if placed outside, would be a sect leader or a Supreme Elder at the very least.

At this point, those from sects with deep heritage were better off, possessing inherited records of these cultivation methods. Most sects with shallower heritages would be fortunate to have even one Fifth Rank Human Immortal. Beyond the Human Immortal realm, one had to discover the path forward on their own and strive for resources for future progress.

Perhaps this is what the Taoist from Yuanxia Mountain was doing, sacrificing years of accumulation just to find a method to establish an Immortal Foundation.

Unfortunately, cultivators from major sects are not allowed to disclose any methods, which is why these individuals are willing to take risks and scour ruins for the Land Subjugation Jade Record. Otherwise, they could easily trade a bit of Immortal Foundation method for a substantial profit.

"Since we all agree, let’s sign a temporary contract now,"

The Taoist from Yuanxia Mountain took out a pale gray piece of paper embroidered with countless black characters and symbols. The characters swarmed like ants, forming a circle with a small blank area in the middle, faintly glowing with white light.

Everyone carefully reviewed the content recorded on the paper.

The temporary contract for teaming up used soul imprints as proof. If violated, the soul would suffer damage due to the Soul Path Forbidden Art sealed within the contract, leading to severe injury.

This type of contract was more a safeguard against the honest than the dishonest.

The so-called Soul Path Forbidden Art would be truly effective against Fifth Rank Human Immortals only if it were as valuable as the Land Subjugation Jade Record. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be needed here.

The "forbidden art" mentioned was nothing more than a spell of the Yuan Jing Level. To a Fifth Rank Human Immortal, it would cause at most some pain and minor injuries, which might affect one’s condition but would serve no further purpose.

Each person took turns signing their spirit imprints on the paper.