Secret Records of the Leader of the Beichen Sword Sect
Chapter 49: Cut Off Their Path

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Cut Off Their Path

"Boom!"

Another loud crash echoed behind him. Tie Dan turned his head and saw that Ziyun Taoist had fallen from the sky, landing hard. He shattered like a blood-soaked mess, with all his bones broken, looking like a smashed watermelon.

Then, from the crushed flesh, a purple little figure like the size of a cicada climbed out from the broken skull, turned its head to see the ruins of Dongzhen Taoist Palace buried underground, and then looked at Tie Dan in front of the pit. It silently roared in anger and flew towards him.

Tie Dan was about to draw his sword when a golden light fell from the sky, transforming into a small sword that pinned the little figure to the ground like a mouse caught in a trap, screeching and struggling endlessly.

Curious, Tie Dan took a closer look and found that the purple little figure was actually a jade-like doll, resembling a baby, bearing quite a resemblance to Ziyun Taoist on the ground. Could it be...

...a Nascent Soul?

Previously, Wang Zheng had cultivated a jade-like inner core and worshipped the immortal jade in Dongzhen Palace. This Master Zi Yun had also cultivated a purple jade figure, which seemed to be the Nascent Soul method passed down from the Yuqing lineage.

Hmm, so that’s what a Nascent Soul is like. Perhaps because it looks like a baby, it’s called a Nascent Soul.

Nascent Soul True Men are living immortals. Tie Dan had only heard of them in novels and storytales.

It’s said that cultivators who reach the Nascent Soul Realm are called True Monarchs, True Immortals, and True Men. They can seize bodies for rebirth and reincarnation.

Reincarnated True Men can potentially awaken the karma of a past life if they cultivate to the Nascent Soul Realm again in their new life, or use special heavenly materials and methods to remember their past-life knowledge. If they have poor natural talent or a flawed Dao body, they can seize a body to restart cultivation, which is called Soldier Disintegration.

However, both the methods for reaching the Nascent Soul Realm and the secret skills for reincarnation and body seizing have high thresholds. Ultimately, one must first ’die’, so they conflict with the Demon Palace’s path of ’life’. The Inner Elixir Path emphasizes rebirth through the Nascent Soul and reincarnation, while the Outer Elixir Path avoids it, preferring to extend life through elixirs. The differences between the two paths are significant.

Thus, among the nine major sects, followers have become accustomed to early life-and-death cycles. True disciples have reincarnated multiple times and became ancient monsters. In one life they are master and disciple, and in another, still master and disciple. Daoist companions may sustain three lifetimes of mutual support and care. This cyclical transmission of master-disciple or Daoist companion relationships is the core that sustains a sect.

Suddenly, the purple little figure looked at the sky and began crying loudly.

Tie Dan came back to his senses, realizing that within this short moment, the battle in the sky had concluded.

As he looked up, the clouds had scattered. The sky, filled with rosy clouds, had been blasted away by sword light. Behind the scattered dark clouds, a red sun leapt out, casting its light over the bloody rain, immersing the world in a red glow.

Soon after, a turn of golden light, and Chen Huzi descended from the sky with his escape light.

Guangxia Mountain’s Immortal Tianku, accompanied by winds and thunder, and carrying a bloody aura, strode forward. His chest and back were unscathed, eyes like bronze bells, flashing with lightning. Surrounding him was a halo of brilliant evening light and countless circulating sword lights, a hundred golden swords layered and swirling around his body, displaying some form of protective divine skill.

As he came closer, a gust of sword wind blew against the face like a storm in human form. Watching closely, he carried a seven-foot-long sword in his right hand, which was more like a horse-slaying saber, with a three-foot blade and four-foot handle, pommel made of iron, and a large ring on the end. It shimmered with bloodlight, the sharpness unmatched, emanating killing intent.

And in his left hand, customary, he carried a string of heads, dripping with blood, braids tangled and tied together. Counting them, there were precisely five.

Looking at them, these heads weren’t quite dead yet, eyes bulging, teeth chattering, blood still dripping, groaning eerily. Perhaps there’s a small Nascent Soul jade figure hiding in their skulls as well...

Chen Huzi swept the horse-slaying sword, and the sweeping sword wind cut the Nascent Soul pinned in the light of the sword in half, the tip of his sword pointing directly at Master Zi Yun Nascent Soul, he said coldly,

"Speak."

Facing the blood-stained edge, the Nascent Soul figure cried and wailed, opening its mouth to speak shakily.

Meanwhile, the five heads in Chen Huzi’s hand, too, rolled back their eyes. Qi passed through their throats, blood sprayed from their mouths and noses as they sang out in unison,

"It is my Yuqing Dao defeated! It is my Yuqing Dao defeated! It is my Yuqing Dao defeated!"

"Hmph!"

Chen Huzi stowed his long sword, lifted the heads high, and facing the setting sun, roared to the heavens,

"The Nine Heavens Xuan Nu above! The Beichen Sword Sect! Defeated the Yuqing Dao here!"

"Boom!"

A clear sky thunderbolt exploded, as if acknowledging the results of this battle.

"Wow..."

Watching his master cutting down foes, lifting heads to the sky and swearing, Tie Dan felt his heart moved by the sword, his eyes brightening.

Damn!

A real man should be like this!

Exhilarating!

"To hell with it! Get lost!"

Chen Huzi withdrew the surrounding sword light, spun the long sword in his hand, the seven-foot-long sword turning into golden light and returning to his sleeve. At the same time, he kicked the Ziyun little figure flying out to the sky, tossing aside the pile of heads as well.

Those heads instantly came to life, opening their noses and eyes. Each one had colorful little jade figures rushing out of their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses, flapping about like flies and cockroaches fleeing wildly.

"Eh?" Tie Dan frowned, "Aren’t you going to kill them all?"

"Slaying calamity sword duel, competing for the Dao and fighting spirit, killing them for one life fulfills the karma. No need to utterly obliterate them."

Chen Huzi’s anger hadn’t subsided, bulging his eyes as he gazed at the surrounding ruins and corpses.

"But not sparing any when annihilating."

"Yes, not a single one left alive. But Master..."

Tie Dan considered, hesitating,

"This mountain only had worthless ones, none capable. There’s no way they harmed senior disciples."

Chen Huzi paused for a moment; however, after the personal battle, he nodded and said,

"...Yes, it doesn’t seem like Yuqing Dao’s true inheritance. It might just be half a Dao Scripture or an Artifact Refining inheritance..."

So Tie Dan proposed,

"Then should we go and kill the Dui Country lord to settle the crown prince’s grudge? Instead of waiting for the Demon Palace to catch the Qilin, risking exposure, we should strike first, killing his entire family."

"Assassinating the King..."

Chen Huzi glanced at the enthusiastic disciple, but shook his head and said,

"These miscellaneous cultivators on Jiuning Mountain, even if they coincidentally obtain some Ancient Daoist teachings, ultimately remain fringe paths. Killing is sufficient.

But the Twelve Countries of the Demon Palace indeed have the protection of Heavenly Destiny. Our Mystic Sect has also ceased war with the Demon Palace for many years. Without the Sect Leader’s permission, we cannot rashly initiate warfare, else it may harm the sect’s luck..."

Tie Dan seemed disappointed.

"Enough for today. Let me return to Cloud Platform Peak to report to the Sect Leader, get authorization, then gather a few friends for sword support, and we shall seek revenge later."

Chen Huzi patted his disciple’s shoulder,

"You’re doing well, don’t rush. Now burn the mountain."

"Yes!"

Burn the mountain.

Burning the mountain isn’t just burning the mountain. It’s throwing talisman spells across the entire Spiritual Vein of the mountain, shattering the Qi Sea, and destroying the Immortal Mountain’s Spirit Vein utterly. Erasing Jiuning Mountain’s existence from the map forever.

Thus,

Kill its people,

Destroy its sect,

Eradicate its veins,

Sever its path.

And so a large fire started, burning up and down Jiuning Mountain including its palaces and Taoist pavilions, treasure courtyards, immortal abodes, and sect’s Daoist Collection.

All the mystical fortune that belonged to Jiuning Mountain transferred to Guangxia Mountain and the Yanzi Cave lineage.

Winner takes all, loser obliterates sect. This is the rule of a sword duel.

Sweep away all that blocks my path, eliminate them completely.

No room for the weak to scrape by in this world.

Only life and death

Only victory and defeat

Only win and lose

This is my path

This is the Demon Path

This is the Sword Dao

This is the Mystic Sect’s Dao.

Even with no expression on his face,

Even saying so might be incorrect somehow.

But standing shoulder to shoulder with his master amidst the ruins, bathing in the blood wind, watching Jiuning Mountain being demolished, the Dongzhen Palace plaque falling into the sea of flames, turning into roaring fire, disappearing into the blaze that pierced the sky.

Seeing it once shine in the heavens, a boastful Immortal Palace, reduced to dust before their eyes.

Seeing those high and mighty immortal couples, transformed into corpses underfoot.

For the first time in his life,

Tie Dan felt a peculiar feeling arise in his heart.

Happy.

Joyful.

Exhilarating.

Ah, a slaying calamity, how interesting...

Chen Huzi looked at the young disciple beside him, whose cheeks were flushed and eyes reflecting the sea of flames, brimming with excitement.

Suddenly a flash, for a moment he seemed to see someone else.

Eventually, he shook his head, gave a wry smile, and took out a wine flask from his sleeve, took a sip, and tossed it to the disciple.

"Drink up! I’ll teach you the drunken sword style!"

"Yes, Master!"

The bloody storm, the divine sword’s howl, the blood waves before Jiuning Mountain, slashing first to cleanse the chest’s qi, washing the sword sheath in Dongzhen Palace.