Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao
Chapter 313 - 182 Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain

Chapter 313: Chapter 182 Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain

Bing Rong’s words were not wrong, after all, she was speaking from Gu Xi’s perspective.

In saying this, she indeed cared about Gu Xi’s performance.

However, her gaze made Zhou Yan somewhat unable to face her.

Zhou Yan hesitated slightly but did not avert his eyes from Bing Rong, and said solemnly, "Grandma, let’s not talk about the Holy Daughter for now. What exactly is Xi’er’s situation right now? Residual Soul, half a year... Has something unpredictable happened to her?"

Bing Rong saw that Zhou Yan did not directly answer her question, and her gaze neither turned gloomy nor disappointed, only the anticipation in it slightly faded.

She pondered for a moment and then sighed softly, her gaze becoming somewhat unfathomable and her mood somewhat somber as she said, "In this world, there are great opportunities as well as many mystical places—such as the Land of Enlightenment, where achieving the Nine Changes Sword Void Realm in one stroke is not surprising.

Such places often cannot possibly harbor any life vitality.

Our Cold Ice Sword Sect has a Secret Land that allows entry to Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain.

Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain is an Ancient Secret Land, a Secret Realm.

You should know what kind of against-nature place this is, but this place, known by many Great Sects, is neither contested nor desired by anyone to enter. Do you know why?"

Bing Rong, an elderly woman, wore a simple white robe and looked like an old woman at the brink of death.

Her voice was also tired and hoarse, her body seemingly at the end of its tether.

Yet, her words were laden with many emotions.

Despite her face being covered with dense, unfathomable wrinkles and having severe bags and crow’s feet around her eyes, making her appear as if she were corroded and decayed by time, the sense of melancholy she exuded was unmistakable.

"Grandma, please enlighten me."

Zhou Yan said respectfully.

At this moment, he had a strange feeling that this old woman might not be as old as she seemed.

Or perhaps, there were other reasons.

Just like... how Zhou Yan himself once aged as if he was about to decay, but in reality, wasn’t Zhou Yan a young man?

In this world, young people are not necessarily of young age. Old people who appear decrepit are not necessarily very old.

In this world, nothing is impossible if only unimagined.

"Because, Thunder Cloud Breakthrough Mountain is a mountain of Heavenly Tribulation, only those who have experienced the Life Tribulation Dao, when there is no life vitality and in desperation, enter in search of death.

Ordinary people who enter are forsaking everything, well aware they will die, yet still struggle for that one in a billion chance of fate.

Or perhaps, they have a huge belief and expectation in their hearts, a massive obsession, and that is why they would venture in."

The old woman continued her story, seemingly lost in some memories.

Zhou Yan did not speak to interrupt her but silently acted as an attentive listener.

Gu Xi’s status in the Cold Ice Sword Sect had always been high, which Zhou Yan naturally knew. The members of the sect were extremely protective of Gu Xi, which also showed how much Bing Rong cared for Gu Xi.

Thus, if Gu Xi was in trouble, Bing Rong would arguably be more worried than anyone else.

Indeed, Zhou Yan thought, and then heard Bing Rong continue, "Initially, I was just a naive girl with a dream, which is why I entered Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain.

There, I encountered the most terrifying event of my life. After experiencing the Heavenly Tribulation, I was nearly dead and exhausted, but I was saved by an ancient genius from our Cold Ice Sword Sect who had once entered Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain.

In the end, in a place, I learned a secret.

Because of this secret, I was able to walk out of Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain.

When I entered, I was just an ordinary cultivator at the First Layer of the Sword Spirit Realm of that era. But when I came out, I had already reached the Five Transformation Sword Void Realm.

If I hadn’t lacked great inherent talent, I would have already broken through the genius barrier of the True Man Level, attained a combat power of three, and become a genius of the True Spirit Level.

I have lived for three thousand seven hundred years, but I am only under thirty years old.

Because in Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain, I was struck by Time and Thunder Power, and I fell into a slumber."

Bing Rong revealed a secret.

This secret seemed to have no connection to Gu Xi, but Zhou Yan understood she must have a reason for mentioning it.

"You’re right in your thinking. The terror of Thunder Cloud Breakthrough Mountain is not what people think of as the Heavenly Dao Tribulation, the Light of Thunder, but rather the Power of Time within the Thunder.

Time, which can decay everything, can also dilute everything.

Actually, I entered for the person I loved. But when I came out, the person I loved—the Gu family’s forty generations of inheritance had already appeared.

And Gu Xi, she is the forty-first generation descendant of that monk I loved. Can you see why I care about Gu Xi?"

Bing Rong’s revelation made Zhou Yan somewhat surprised; he had not expected such a relationship.

But at the same time, he felt a sense of melancholy.

The most painful thing in the human world is to have your loved one before you, yet be powerless; but even more painful is to have the ability to protect them, only to find they had died thousands of years ago.

"That secret, it’s a safe place. When I came out, it was safe, which is why I agreed to let Xi’er go there."

"I understood your helplessness that day, just as I was helpless myself before," she said, her voice mixing with the faint echo of her own past miseries. "That’s why I understand Gu Xi’s hardships. I said I have never experienced love, because like you, I became a heartless person and drove away my senior fellow apprentice—who was also my lover—with my indifferent words.

That period of the past, I can only gradually forget because, aside from love, I still needed to grow stronger to protect our Sect that is now on the verge of collapse."

"Gu Xi went in, but it didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped, because I overlooked the gap in ability between her and me. What might not be dangerous for me could be deadly for her."

"She was very urgent in her request, and I was not well-prepared, but no one could persuade her. She is a girl with a soft exterior but a tough interior. Once she sets her mind on a goal, she never gives up."

"The time inside was twisted, and the Life Soul Token she left behind has already shattered, which means she lacks that kind of opportunity and luck; most likely, her physical body has disintegrated, and she has perished.

But the Life Soul Token still has a faint trace of essence, which means she should have a sliver of Residual Soul that’s stubbornly clinging on by sheer will.

I am very familiar with this condition; it’s just like what I went through. If it’s the state of a Residual Soul, then she only has six months of life left. Unless a Great Power comes to seal it for three thousand six hundred years, she can then use this time to recover her Life Soul. Even if she comes out, she would end up old and ugly, just like me.

Knowing this, are you still willing to go in?"

Bing Rong carefully explained all this.

These words finally made Zhou Yan’s heart ache as if it were being cut by a knife.

"I am willing to go in!"

Zhou Yan replied without hesitation, his voice resolute.

"You need to think this through. This place is easy to enter—in fact, if someone wants to go in, we usually don’t stop them. But once inside, you can only leave when the Space-Time Thunderflame changes, which happens every six months.

And now, less than three months remain until the Holy Daughter’s marriage selection. Let me ask you again, have you made up your mind?"

Bing Rong asked once more.

This matter, even for her, was treated with utmost caution.

"Entering Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain, it’s only possible to come out after half a year. Does this mean that the Space-Time Thunderflame had already changed before this?"

Zhou Yan asked seriously.

"Yes, this change occurred yesterday. So, if you go in now, when you can come out in half a year, the Holy Daughter will belong to someone else. Think about it once more, and when you have your answer, tell me," Bing Rong said gravely.

"Grandmother, since I came here, I have naturally thought through countless consequences. I will still enter, but I will try to find a way to rescue Gu Xi while making every effort to come out within three months.

Ning’er has been kind to me, and I cannot let her down. Perhaps I’m being presumptuous, but I will strive for this goal.

If the day comes that I, Zhou Yan, do not reach Guang Han Hall, then... Grandmother, please tell the Holy Daughter the whole truth about me. I do not wish to deceive her.

I have already deceived Gu Xi, leading to her living a fate worse than death..."

A trace of madness flickered in Zhou Yan’s eyes.

Despite knowing that in three months, it was unlikely he would achieve anything significant in Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain, or even find Gu Xi,

he had now reclaimed his True Self and could no longer endure witnessing Gu Xi’s suffering while participating in the marriage selection for the Holy Daughter.

He couldn’t do that.

"If you could give up on Gu Xi to partake in the selection, then likewise, you could give up the Holy Daughter, making this love seem all the more cheap and unworthy. It would only prove that both the Holy Daughter and Gu Xi were blind to choose you! However, it seems that, regardless, you have always been responsible.

That’s still commendable. Follow me."

Bing Rong gave Zhou Yan a deep look, and at that moment, her demeanor softened slightly.

She turned around, her body transforming into a streak of light, and suddenly flew off into the distance.

Zhou Yan, without any hesitation, quickly followed her.

Bing Rong was very powerful, possessing the strength of the Void Fifth Realm in this external world, with combat power comparable to the Void Eighth Realm.

Zhou Yan, although he now harbored the Three Sword Souls, was still only roughly comparable to the First Layer of the Void Realm due to his current level of cultivation, making him far from being Bing Rong’s match.

Even in flying speed, the gap was immense.

Bing Rong flew effortlessly, while Zhou Yan had to exert all his effort just to barely keep up.

...

A dark canyon.

Within the canyon, a faint purple glow, mundane like an ordinary purple halo, gave off no special aura.

Yet, it was protected by an ancient Array.

The Array, reminiscent of the Eight Diagrams Mirror, secured the halo, imbuing it with a hint of mystery.

Around the old Array, eight female cultivators in white Spirit Armor silently sat in their respective positions.

Above the Eight Diagrams, the illusionary Sword Illusion Realm manifested the aura of the Heavenly Dao Tribulation, intermittently flashing the forceful aura of ’Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain.’

This place was ordinary, simple.

Without its guardians and without exposition, no cultivator would associate it with the most terrifying place in the world.

Yet, this was indeed the entrance to Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain.