Chapter 4: Brothers All Come to the Rescue
Next, the Qing Ping Sword thoroughly thrashed the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword.
It was quite strange. The Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword, being an eleventh rank Flying Sword, should have had supremely powerful Sword Dao Techniques.
However, against the Qing Ping Sword, it was simply and unilaterally outclassed, unable to even use its techniques... or perhaps it was incapable?
Ling Yunpo, having been the Shushan Sword Immortal for so many years, naturally had extraordinary insight and noticed at a glance that whenever the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword tried to activate its Daoist Magic, and black light flashed on the sword, it would be precisely struck by the Qing Ping Sword, dispersing the gathered True Yuan.
Unlike swords with masters, a rudderless sword had to draw the True Yuan needed to activate its Sword Dao Techniques from within itself.
But a Flying Sword itself must also engage in the frontline battle; therefore, when facing the Qing Ping Sword, experienced and immediately countered by various spells, it was greatly distressed.
In short, the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword used all sorts of moves but failed to retaliate with even a single technique. In the end, it could only fight desperately, letting out all its black light in full eruption, seemingly prepared to release a major move.
Ling Yunpo acted swiftly, directing the Qing Ping Sword to prepare for the enemy's ultimate move, but then he saw the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword shake violently and emit an earthshaking sword cry.
The penetrating power of that cry was so strong it made Ling Yunpo's eardrums hum. Thanks to his innate talent to Resonate with the Sword due to his Innate Sword Bone, he could even vaguely understand the meaning conveyed in that sword cry:
I'm so angry! I'm so freaking angry!
Afterward, the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword flung itself to the ground, like a spiritless piece of scrap metal.
It completely gave up.
Ling Yunpo acted quickly, manipulating the Qing Ping Sword into a beam of Sword Light and wrapped around the fallen Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword, securing it into the Sword Box on his back.
Indeed, not long after it was secured in the box, An Zhisu heard the sword cries from the outside and rushed in:
"Junior Brother! Junior Brother, are you alright? Junior Brother…"
Seeing Ling Yunpo standing there safe and sound, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Senior Sister," Ling Yunpo said with a bewildered face, "Just now a Flying Sword burst out from there. After crossing swords with it for a moment, it suddenly let out a loud cry and then flew out."
After listening to him, An Zhisu sighed and said:
"I see, it must have been a high-rank Immortal Sword. Suddenly breaking free, it's normal for it to be so unyielding."
"Junior Brother, there's no need for regret. Aside from the Life-bound Sword Artifact, all other swords are external to oneself. To have it is lucky, to lose it is fate. To dwell on it too much is to fall into a lower state of mind."
"I understand, Senior Sister," Ling Yunpo nodded, smoothly treating it as a minor issue, "That sword was exceptionally fierce. Just by looking, one could tell it wasn't a proper Daoist Immortal Sword; I actually didn't want to keep it for my own use…"
Before he finished speaking, he felt the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword inside the Sword Box starting to struggle violently.
And then it was suppressed by both the Qing Ping and Thunderbane swords combined.
"Indeed," An Zhisu smiled, "If it truly is a Demon Sword that refuses to be tamed, even if we obtain it by chance, it would be of no use and could only be thrown into the Sword Pool."
"Since it has already escaped, we need not concern ourselves with it any longer."
The two of them continued their search for other Buddhist Pagodas, unaware that the sound of that sword cry was not only loud but also had an exceptional penetrating force that quietly crossed the Divine Land Continent.
Off the coast of Yangzhou, atop the great Dishan.
The leader of the Heavenly Demon Path, Dugu Xie, was presiding over the sect's ceremonial ritual when she suddenly heard an extremely loud sword cry.
"What is this..." She frowned and looked toward the source of the sound, which was the location of Grand Ancestor Zi Zai's seclusion.
Is the Heavenly Demon Immortal Slaying Sword calling out?
Beneath the Nine Serenities Underworld, on a boat upon the River of Forgetfulness, an old man was having a drink-off with the boatman.
The Nine Nether Slaying Immortal Sword placed on the table suddenly emitted an intense, ringing hum, which was promptly subdued by the old man laying a hand on it, and it returned to calmness immediately.
"I've caused you amusement," the old man said, unperturbed.
"The Blood Sea Ancestor can't even control his own Immortal Sword; he should punish himself with three drinks," the boatman laughed heartily.
Atop the Mount Wutai Range, on Central Peak, at the Unchanging Summit.
The Blood Sea Ancestor still remained in dry meditation beneath a rocky outcrop, but suddenly felt the Blood Sea Trapping Immortal Sword on his back begin to vibrate intensely.
"Oh, has the Extermination Immortal Sword finally revealed itself?" he asked indifferently, eyes still wrinkled shut, "Where is it?"
"In the southwest direction... so, is it Shushan?"
The Heavenly Demon Path, Nether Ghost Path, and Mortal Life Path almost simultaneously heard the sword chant of the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword.
Looking towards the southwest, discounting the unlikely possibility of small sects, there were only three possibilities: The Shushan Shangqing Faction, the Southern Border's Eastern Emperor Path, and the Iron City Mountain's Asura Path.
The latter two both belonged to the Six Paths and could easily find out with a simple inquiry. If they stubbornly denied it, unless they never intended to use the Extermination Immortal Sword, denying it was pointless.
But if both denied it, then if the sword fell into Shushan's hands, that would complicate matters—as long as the treasure of the Intercepting Cult was in the possession of Long Eyebrow, the only hope of retrieving it was by defeating him.
However, if Long Eyebrow had already obtained the sword by this time, with his level of cultivation, it would be utterly impossible for the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword to emit any sword chant at all.
This meant that the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword had not yet fallen into the hands of any immortal...
With this thought, the Three Sects sent out their top experts in an urgent rush towards the Sichuan Shu direction.
No matter what, they had to surround Shushan first to forbid any soldier or cultivator from entering the mountain, especially any suspicious cultivators carrying a mysterious Immortal Sword!
Near Iron City Mountain, red-clothed barbarian monks were engaged in an unending battle with the Shushan Sword Immortals, when suddenly the crisp sound of a wooden fish being struck arose from behind.
Striking the wooden fish signified a retreat, thus the barbarian monks fought as they withdrew, quickly returning to Iron City Mountain.
Of course, the Shushan Sword Immortals did not dare to advance rashly, nor were they so arrogant as to think they could breach the protective array of the Asura Path and charge at the lesser soldiers. Their objective to reassert their dominance was already achieved, so they proudly patrolled around, gathering the spoils of war left on the battlefield.
Until urgent news from Shushan also reached the frontline:
"The Great Contest is temporarily cancelled, retreat immediately!"
The Sword Immortals looked at each other in confusion, uncertain about what had happened on Shushan... or rather, with Long Eyebrow Immortal defending and the Jade Capital Sect Leader holding the teachings, was there anything to worry about at all?
But the source of the message was legitimate, indeed an urgent order sent from the Emei Golden Summit.
Therefore, they could only follow the example of the red-clothed barbarians, retreating quickly and orderly from the battlefield.
One group, due to the abundance of Nascent Soul Elders, had no real sense of danger; after all, let the seniors handle it if anything came up.
The second group had the most members and the broadest network of information, receiving the news about half an hour after the first group and finally got the message.
Only the third group, composed of disparate fighters each battling on their own, could not gather together, much less access a channel to know about the unforeseen events occurring behind them.
Therefore, Ling Yunpo spent another hour with Senior Sister An, meticulously searching the remaining Buddhist Pagodas.
After ensuring they had not missed any opportunity for loot and completely unaware of the horrendous troubles they had stirred, the pair of master and disciple finally mounted their Flying Swords and left the mountain pass.