Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 89 - 88: The Mystery of the Demon Talisman Seed (Part 3)

Chapter 89: Chapter 88: The Mystery of the Demon Talisman Seed (Part 3)

"I wonder what makes this Demon Sect so formidable? Could Brother Huang enlighten me a bit?" With the knowledgeable and skilled Brother Huang in a yellow robe present, he seized the opportunity to understand more about the situation.

"This Demon Sect... although we don’t interact much, mainly Qi Cultivators handle it, but thanks to my teacher’s care, I happen to know a bit more. You’ve asked the right person." Having been around Lin Xin for a while, Brother Huang was willing to explain, wanting to foster good relations.

"Your younger brother listens respectfully," Lin Xin hurriedly said. Not only him, but two disciples on the nearby beds also quietly perked up their ears to listen.

Seeing so many eager listeners, Brother Huang felt quite spirited.

"The strongest of the Demon Sects are the three we are most familiar with: first is the Mysterious Leaf Cult in the north, second the Vermilion Bird Holy Court in the south. Third is the Void Sword Cave."

"Three Sects? What about the Qingluo Secret Sect?" Lin Xin couldn’t help but ask, recalling the Qingluo Sect he encountered in Red Pine City that seemed somehow connected to him.

"The Qingluo Secret Sect? That’s just a small neutral sect that has risen recently. It seems they were established only a few centuries ago, and their foundation is average," said Brother Huang, who really was widely knowledgeable, casually commenting.

"In this world, specters prevail and the Demon Path runs rampant. Across the entire Underworld, the territory occupied by our Righteous Path constitutes less than one-tenth of that occupied by the Demon Path. It’s truly a case of the righteous being an inch tall and the demonic a foot," he added.

"Underworld?" It was Lin Xin’s first time hearing this term.

"Yes," confirmed Brother Huang. "The Earth is vast and endless, who knew such a name from ancient times, but it’s how we’ve all come to refer to it."

"Is there any mythical lore or legends associated with the Underworld?" Lin Xin pondered as he asked.

"Mythical lore?" Brother Huang hadn’t expected this question.

"Hey, I’m most knowledgeable about that," intervened a plump woman on a nearby bed. "Two senior brothers, I, Xue Xiaoyan, have been wealthy since childhood, love books, and have collected various legends and myths about immortals. I’ve read through them overnight. I can claim to be quite scholarly in this area!"

"Oh? Sister Xue, please share with us," Lin Xin expressed his interest, while Brother Huang maintained the dignity of a skilled cultivator, opting not to join in.

Unlike Lin Xin, who had a modern outlook and scant regard for hierarchies, they held strong hierarchical views and generally disdained speaking with those not of the same level.

Brother Huang, proud of his identity, chose to remain silent for the time being.

But Xue Xiaoyan began elaborating on the myths she had read about in detail.

"I have thoroughly read historical and mythological records, sadly the books I could collect weren’t many, covering only the lore spread around the territories of our Four Sects."

"It is said that the Underworld is perpetually shrouded in Yin aura, dark and sunless, devoid of humans and demons alike. Instead, numerous bizarre entities roam freely. Suddenly one day, the Earth trembled and a meteor of unimaginable size fell from the sky, striking the ground and creating an unfathomably deep crevice. From beneath, a highly concentrated stream of Pure Yang Spring Water erupted," she shared.

"Pure Yang Spring Water? That part is somewhat plausible," Brother Huang nodded slightly.

Xue Xiaoyan chuckled and continued.

"This spring water, the Immortal Water we depend on in our cultivation practice, can ward off the Yin aura of the Underworld, forming a protective Yang membrane, sheltering life within a certain area. Under this balance of Yin and Yang, a plethora of life began to appear, including our ancestors, humans," she explained.

"You do have some knowledge," Brother Huang commented casually.

Xue Xiaoyan smiled and continued.

"Legend has it that beneath the Underworld, there are countless bizarre realms, various mysterious tribes, Evil Gods, demons, shadowy beasts, and much more unimaginable entities exist. There’s a sage, Peng Shuzi, who speculated that our land resides within an immensely deep abyss. The abyss slowly rotates, absorbing countless things and incorporating them into its ever-expanding part. Hence theoretically, the Underworld is infinite and constantly expanding," she elaborated.

"There’s another theory," interjected Brother Huang. "The Azure Dragon of the heavens, the Earth Tiger of the land, it is rumored that our world was formed as the Sky Dragon and Azure Dragon, battled and clashed with the Earth Tiger, ripping apart the Yin aura and founding the Sun Spring. Eventually, both the Azure Dragon and Earth Tiger perished, their eyes transforming into the sun and moon, their blood becoming many living beings."

"I’ve also heard this theory," Xue Xiaoyan became interested and began conversing with Brother Huang. "But I think another legend is more credible, the battle between the Eight-Armed Demon Ancestor and the Evil God Guzba...."

Lin Xin silently listened on the side, these were all things he had never encountered before. After all, Red Pine City was too small, too remote. He had abandoned his studies halfway to pursue martial arts, and was significantly lacking in historical knowledge.

After listening for over half an hour, he had managed to broadly understand the world he had arrived in.

The people here live on a land called the Underworld, with Sects guarding the Immortal Water Sun Spring, relying on the Yang energy it emits to protect and nurture the human race. Beyond the protection of the Sun Spring lurked perilous specters. Ghosts, demons, and bizarre mystical phenomena were rampant, among them even slumbering ancient Evil Gods and vile essences. Additionally, beyond the specters, there were countless incomprehensible regions.

The only things that could protect the human race in this world were the Sun Spring Immortal Water. This also served as the foundation of cultivation for the major Sects.

Immortal Water Sun Springs varied in size, naturally, the territories they protected also varied from broad to narrow.

The Sects that held Immortal Water included those from the Righteous Path, the Demon Path, and also Loose Cultivators, because the Immortal Water was scattered irregularly throughout the Underworld.

Thus, looking at the whole, the Underworld resembled a huge black cloth, on which small and large white patches were scattered irregularly. These were the Sun Springs.

And these patches were also referred to by Qi Cultivators as the Mortal Realm, meaning the gaps of Sun Spring within the Underworld.

Even with the protection of the Sun Springs, many malevolent and strange entities and phenomena emerged and invaded within the Mortal Realm, so people began to seek various methods of cultivation, to strengthen themselves. Among these was the method of Qi Refinement adopted by their Four Sects.

Gathering the Qi of heaven and earth, incorporating it within oneself, seizing the essence of nature to enhance oneself, achieving unimaginable realms. This is known as Qi Refinement.

There were cultivators who secluded themselves in the mountains, detached from worldly affairs, and the powerful ones proclaimed themselves as Daoist Masters.

There were also different beings, naturally strong, who attained enlightenment and formed their own tribes, dominating a territory in the Sun Spring and declaring themselves Demon Kings.

The Underworld was vast and boundless, and the powerful were countless. With the limited perspective of the Four Sects, one couldn’t see the end.

Along the way, as the boat followed the current towards the Sword Sect’s domain, for several days, Lin Xin talked freely with two others. Xiao Lingling, having awakened, listened quietly on the side, her gaze towards Lin Xin particularly tender whenever she looked at him.

On the fourth day, they had left the oppressive territory where dark clouds loomed overhead. The sunlight was brilliant and the temperature pleasant.

Lin Xin and his group had just had their bodies wiped down by maids. They lay back down on the second floor of the boat’s loft, facing the warm river breeze, eating small dishes of marinated venison and drinking some blood and Qi nourishing medicinal tea.

"We should be nearing the sect’s domain soon," Huang Shan drank his tea comfortably, letting his body slant to catch more sunlight.

"Look over there!" Xue Xiaoyan, who had become quite familiar with everyone by now, pointed excitedly out the loft window.

Lin Xin, eating his marinated meat, looked up following her gesture.

In the clear blue sky, a row of small white dots was slowly moving towards the distant horizon.

The white dots formed a line, vaguely revealing figures dressed in white, seated on giant longswords.

Watching that line of sword cultivator experts flying towards the distance, Lin Xin felt a strange sensation reminiscent of watching airplanes in the past.

It was similar to what he often enjoyed doing before, looking up to watch the slow flight of white airplanes, blinking lights moving towards the horizon.

The line of white slowly moved, and not until the tea began to cool did it gradually disappear into the distant sky, barely visible.

No one spoke; even the serving maids nearby showed longing in their eyes.

"That’s the sect’s Foundation Establishment elders," Huang Shan sighed. "For us cultivators, a sword in hand brings freedom and dominion; what we seek and desire is just like this."

"Foundation Establishment elders," murmured Xue Xiaoyan with deep emotion.

Lin Xin remained silent.

"Junior Brother Lin, you are a true genius. After safely completing this trial and receiving the sect’s reward, you should be able to advance further," Huang Shan said seriously, turning to face him, "Perhaps before long, you could catch up to me, your senior brother. Perhaps even Foundation Establishment is not out of reach."

"Senior Brother flatters me," Lin Xin shook his head, aware of his own circumstances. Aside from a few who knew the truth, almost everyone else regarded him as a genius.

They thought he would soon soar to great heights.

But only he knew the great difficulty of his advancement.

Thinking of this, he unconsciously clenched the four remaining Demon Talisman Seeds in his embrace.

These might be his most crucial hope for advancement.

If his skill in learning was what allowed him to possess strong combat abilities, then the attribute points provided by these Demon Talisman Seeds were what he could truly rely on.

"That night’s Demon Talisman Seed vanished after use... It appears this is also a consumable item. I need to collect more of the same kind before using these four," Lin Xin planned in his heart.

"Junior Brother Lin," Huang Shan had just turned his head to speak a few words with Xue Xiaoyan and looked over at Xiao Lingling, who was smiling tenderly at Lin Xin, "You’ve already entered the Innate realm, you could pick a time to go back home."

He suggested.

"Go back home?" Lin Xin followed his gaze to Xiao Lingling, who immediately blushed and turned her head away, unable to meet his eyes.

"You know how Junior Sister Xiao feels about you," Huang Shan said with a smile, "You need to think this through carefully. During the days you were unconscious, she must have taken care of everything for you. If you don’t give her a proper status..."

"Senior Brother Huang!" Xiao Lingling couldn’t listen anymore and buried herself in the blanket like an ostrich.

Lin Xin also felt embarrassed; he now remembered this aspect. He had been unconscious for three days, and upon waking, he had been clean. It was clear that Xiao Lingling had managed somehow, despite her embarrassment, to take care of him.

Xue Xiaoyan laughed softly on the side, teasing Xiao Lingling. The two were of equal status, both at the first layer of cultivation. Being able to rest on the second floor of this loft was also thanks to the influence of Huang Shan and Lin Xin.

Lin Xin’s expression became calm.

"I’ll handle this matter well. I’ll give Lingling a satisfactory answer," he assured.

"As long as you understand," Huang Shan nodded.