Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao
Chapter 483 - 129: Provoking Public Outrage

Chapter 483: Chapter 129: Provoking Public Outrage

Nine Changes of Sword Void, Nine Refinements of Sword Tribulation, Nine Sword Ancestor Paths, Nine Sword Saint Sources.

This was the path on which he would cultivate in the future.

Every step of this cultivation would be incredibly difficult.

Perhaps, by relying on heaven-defying luck and borrowing the Space Power within the Purple Flame Lotus, he had occasionally managed to kill one or two Saints by chance. That was capability, but such opportunism couldn’t keep happening over and over again.

The Sky Vaulting Giant Finger technique was even more against the heaven’s will, yet each use made Zhou Yan feel as though he was bringing himself closer to an irredeemable predicament. Perhaps it would leave an Eternal scar on his soul, and he might even eventually meet the same end as that ultimate evil, the Lei Yan King.

Zhou Yan silently watched the eight-carried sedan chair, then saw it turn into insubstantial particles and disappear under his control, and he sighed once more in melancholy.

With the opening of the Netherworld Heavenly Road, of the ten thousand eight hundred geniuses from Guanghan South Mansion, more than half had already perished.

And Cultivators were still dying.

Apart from those who hadn’t come or those who left a Void Body or entered with their Origin and had a chance to revive, the rest, mostly confident geniuses, probably didn’t leave themselves any backup plan and so, once dead, they were truly gone.

Leaving behind a Void Body was also beyond the financial and capable reach of most Cultivators, after all, not everyone had a foundation like Ji Wu.

...

Zhou Yan’s gaze was deep and complex, and his expression somber.

The road ahead was still long, and he was taking it step by step. Though he couldn’t compare to the mighty ones of the Sword Tribulation Realm, the Sword Ancestor Realm, or the Sword Saint Realm, he was now unrivaled in the Sword Void Realm. This was a positive aspect, and one he could rightfully take pride in.

He had understood the fearsome ability of the Netherworld Life and Death Illusion Realm — the Netherworld Life and Death Bridge, a movement technique on par with Staints.

He had grasped Small Success in the Original Dao, a technique even Saints sought after and found difficult to comprehend.

He had understood the "Shape Intent Natural Swordsmanship," "Supreme Water Swordsmanship," and even "Thunder God Fire Sword Dao," along with the Three Ancient Scriptures — these were all things not necessarily within the reach of Saints.

He had even grasped the profound secret technique of the Netherworld Rune and Ancient Rune, knew the ancient arts of Alchemy and Artifact Refining, and possessed the battle memories of a Master who was at least comparable to a Nine Origin Sword Saint Realm. In every aspect, he far surpassed his fellow Cultivators.

If they could enter here without fear of death, what did he have to worry about on the path ahead?

Zhou Yan thought it over, and for a moment, he seemed to drift away in a trance.

...

"Zhou Yanxuan, have you seen it?" Suddenly, there was someone else beside him, a person with a physical body.

Zhou Yan was very familiar with this person’s voice, yet, even so, he was startled.

He had been lost in thought to the point of not noticing someone approaching; if attacked, he might have barely escaped with his life or suffered greatly.

Zhou Yan shook off his trance and looked at the young man who was the only one to kneel and not die. He nodded solemnly, "Yes, I have seen it. Now that I’m involved, I can only follow this path to the end."

His voice carried a hint of resignation.

"Actually, things might not be as bad as you think," Jia Yongheng said with a slight smile, offering consolation.

"Oh? How so?"

Zhou Yan’s gaze sharpened, and he asked with surprise.

"Not every Cultivator can comprehend the Original Dao, and since Saints can’t enter here, they can’t see through this. But the Saints only deduced that this Secret Realm was no ordinary place. When you obtain the Yuan Ci Secret Realm, you’ll have a kind of controlling power. You just need to try your best to lower the Secret Realm’s power. Later on, if the Secret Realm is inferior or even broken, it won’t attract the attention of so many powerful beings."

"Then, if Saints are still covetous afterward, you can think of a solution. As long as you don’t expose the true state of the Secret Realm, it will be fine."

Jia Yongheng pondered, sharing what he knew.

"Eternal Xuanzhe, thank you."

Zhou Yan understood. By saying this, Jia Yongheng had abandoned the struggle for the Yuan Ci Secret Realm and shared all its secrets with him.

"No need to thank me. Your growth gives me much consolation, and as you know, someone with my Constitution must follow one who can break free from fate to have a chance to grow. Besides, Zhou Qian is my good brother, and my biggest regret in life is his sister. And Brother Zhou Qian has always treated you as a trusted brother, so naturally, I do the same."

"Of course, besides these reasons, there must be others. My Realm fell to such a degree, which is largely related to Lei Yan King. I followed him back when—"

The Body of Destiny began, but his words suddenly stopped, and he found himself unable to continue.

Zhou Yan understood in his heart that this must be similar to the kind of secrets Zhuge Guyan mentioned, subjected to some inexplicable suppression.

Sometimes it might not be that these people were unwilling to speak, but that they were simply incapable of doing so.

"I’m sorry, I can’t go on, because some things are actually better left unknown to you. You just need to understand that I would never harm or scheme against you. You may not be able to fully trust me now, but in time, you will."

Jia Yongheng gave a wry smile, his expression growing complex.

Zhou Yan nodded and said, "I understand. And you should have understood everything about me earlier. It’s just that this world is too powerful; some things can’t even be thought of in one’s heart. To even consider them, one has to use Deceiving Heaven Techniques to shield from others’ sensing, and only then dare to think further, or else... one could be schemed against to death without ever realizing how it happened."

As Zhou Yan spoke, he thought of the Netherworld Nine Soul Envoys. Because he could sense their thoughts and understood their circumstances, with a Soul Token and Netherworld Power, he could scheme against them till death while they remained utterly loyal. If the same happened to him, the thought alone was terrifying.

Jia Yongheng nodded slightly and said, "Indeed, but the best part about my constitution is that it’s impossible for anyone to know what I’m thinking—unless that person’s Fate has transcended the Heavenly Dao and shattered the Life Chart.

Such a person would either be a Super God or possess an ancient Supreme Dao composite Constitution, destined to reach the pinnacle of the Supreme. However, I have not yet encountered such a being. Thus, I’ve known about your original identity as an Emperor Qi Sword Body for a long time, and you do not need to worry about others discovering this."

"As for the people from Tianji Mountain, they are also entirely trustworthy. If in this world, you still have friends or backers, including Tianji Mountain, then you absolutely can’t go wrong."

Jia Yongheng’s voice was grave.

Zhou Yan nodded deeply. Such words could perhaps only be said without reservation in a Desolate Land like this; elsewhere, they might be glimpsed by prying eyes.

"If there’s still some instability this time, it’s also due to Tianji Mountain. The origins and inheritance of Tianji Mountain people are extremely mysterious; even in the past, I did not know their roots.

Now, I cannot fathom their paths either. They cannot see through me, and I can’t see their Qi Fortune or anything else."

"They’ve come here certainly because they are aware of the significance of this Secret Realm. They probably won’t compete with you over it. This Secret Realm has immense importance, and when necessary, my derivations tell me they should aid you. However, the specifics and whether there could be any accidents are hard to say. After all, you too understand what exactly this Secret Realm represents."

Jia Yongheng’s voice was very serious.

He seldom spoke like this, as his personality was more casual, tinged with a certain vulgarity, so his current solemn tone was indeed rare.

But precisely because of this, it underscored the seriousness of the matter.

Zhou Yan pondered, then affirmed, "Don’t worry. If they are adept in the Heavenly Mechanism Skill, they will surely embrace fortune and avoid calamity. As for the Secret Realm’s true level, they may not be fully aware of it. But I am certain, among the three from Tianji Mountain, two will definitely assist me, and even though I can’t be sure about Zhuge Chunqiu, he definitely won’t be my enemy."

Hearing this, Jia Yongheng pondered thoughtfully and said, "Then, I think I understand the situation. Hmm... Someone is coming. Be careful. Just now, when you triggered the Netherworld Heavenly Road, you indirectly killed at least tens of thousands of geniuses, which must have provoked public outrage."

As Jia Yongheng spoke, his ears twitched a few times, indicating he had detected the approach of Cultivators.

Zhou Yan felt somewhat puzzled as he hadn’t sensed anything. However, just as the thought crossed his mind, the Netherworld Power in his Soul Body stirred, and a vision from afar instantly appeared in the depths of his mind—a picture revealing nearly ten thousand Cultivators gathered together, all heading this way.

Among these people, Zhou Yan sensed the presence of the Holy Daughter, Yan Ran Xuanzhe, Zhuge Guyan, and others—they had not scattered but had joined this group of Cultivators.

"Indeed, the vast majority of them have come together."

Zhou Yan nodded affirmatively, and Jia Yongheng looked at him with a stunned gaze, asking uncertainly, "Zhou Yanxuanzhe, can you sense them as well?"

"My Soul can clearly see this scene, 86,300 meters away, a group of precisely... 9,435 people."

After pausing briefly, Zhou Yan reported the exact number.

Jia Yongheng drew in a sharp breath, finally expressing admiration, "It seems my worries for you were superfluous. You just have to stay alert and deal with the Cultivators among them who are filled with murderous intent towards you; your chance of seizing the Yuan Ci Secret Realm is very high."

"I know, and I am confident. What concerns me is not the dangers on the Netherworld Heavenly Road, but the potential complications after securing the Secret Realm and leaving this place," Zhou Yan said solemnly.

"First secure it, then think of a strategy. Huh? Zhou Yanxuanzhe, it seems as I feared, their killing intent is quite intense. You’re in for some trouble now."

After speaking, Jia Yongheng suddenly raised his eyebrows, his tone turning somewhat resigned.

"I know, step back. I can handle this matter, you don’t need to get involved and provoke public outrage. They are mere rabble and dare to act against me; it seems they really think I’m just a discard from the two-hundred-and-fifty-two thousand four-hundred and ninety-fourth Secondary Main Peak!"

Zhou Yan sternly rebuked, his eyes igniting with a fiery glow, as the full force of his killing intent coalesced.