World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 405: Immortal Role Model Chun Yangzi
Wang Sheng walked out of the Pavilion of Pills feeling weightless. While flying on his sword, he suddenly remembered something important.
Upon arriving at the Platform of Immortal Dream, he stared at the flame of the candle for a long while. The images flickering within it moved too quickly for him to make out what exactly his senior sister was experiencing in the Dream Realm. Hence, he decided it would be best to simply ask her once she woke up.
He was truly curious why she had passed her three trials so easily.
"When Senior Sister comes out, I should also invite Master to cultivate in this blessed land for some time," he murmured to himself.
Wang Sheng stood quietly with his hands behind his back, slightly lost in thought.
The thousand years of cultivation he had experienced in his dream had tempered his mind. Though most of that time had been spent in seclusion, the weight of those long years still made him calmer and steadier than before.
A short distance away was a palace meant for secluded cultivation, but Wang Sheng felt too lazy to walk over. Instead, he laid out several Immortal Stones and sat beside the Platform of Immortal Dreams. Its effect wasn't that different from meditating in the spirit-gathering formation of the palace.
The Small Immortal Realm was rich in primal qi, yet its density was nowhere near the Earth Qi Spring's. It was only comparable to the sacred mountains of the Hua Republic at best, where the qi meridians now strengthened the flow of primal qi. Even so, compared to the planet where he had cultivated in his dream, this place was incomparably stronger.
He sighed softly and began sorting through the layers of insights in his mind, carefully examining and categorizing them before calmly settling into meditation. He had already gone through the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra once, from the Rebirth Realm to the Ascended Immortal Realm. He was essentially cultivating now to review what he had learned. By revisiting them, he could gain new insights.
Rather than using his accumulated insights, he approached the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra once more with the heart of a beginner, reflecting on each verse and passage.
He had spent several months in seclusion at the Palace of Heavenly Punishment. Now, he only had to consolidate his realm before seeking another breakthrough.
Instead of rushing for results, he opted to build a solid foundation. If he could perfect every stage of his cultivation, his immortal foundation would become truly unshakable.
***
Wang Sheng spent half a month meditating. Even then, his senior sister still showed no sign of waking. Meanwhile, Yaoyun had taken Spiritless and wandered off.
Wang Sheng stood up and walked about for a while, finding magnificent scenes of immortals' splendor everywhere he looked. It filled him with peace and washed away much of the loneliness and hardship of the Dao.
The immortals of the Heavenly Court certainly knew how to enjoy life.
He could almost imagine this place filled with immortals playing chess, dancing, and watching celestial birds circle in the sky.
This must've been such a wondrous realm.
"Still, even the powerful Heavenly Court eventually fell, and many of its mighty immortals were killed. Immortality may ultimately be the mere wishful thinking of living beings."
Leaning on the railing, Wang Sheng sighed quietly. He wanted to compose a verse but realized that he barely had any literary talent. When he returned to Earth, he would have to make sure his younger sister studied her academic lessons more seriously. He didn't have to rush her cultivation anyway. Letting her advance one step at a time would be for the best.
He turned and returned to where he had been meditating before, sat cross-legged, and waved his fingers lightly. His Pure Yang Enchanted Power formed words in the air, recording a Daoist technique—an aerial escape technique, not a sword art or spell, that he had learned in the Dream Realm. In that world's Daoist sects, it was considered one of the treasured arts reserved for the most advanced disciples.
Wang Sheng had already tested it himself, finding it quite excellent. It consumed little qi while allowing him to fly far faster than any ordinary sword-flight technique at the same realm. However, just as he was about to refine the technique further, he had a sudden realization.
He was in the Small Immortal Realm, and his sword spirit was still the thirteenth princess of the Heavenly Court, who had recently procured several hundred genuine celestial-grade pills for him. There was no reason for him not to see if the immortals had left behind flight techniques.
He telepathically called out to Yaoyun several times. Spiritless flashed through the clouds and descended from the sky, leaving a trail of immortal light. Based on the direction it had come from, Yaoyun seemed to have visited her old palace.
Wang Sheng explained what he needed, and Yaoyun thought for a moment. She then told him to wait and vanished with Spiritless. Soon, the sword returned with five jade pendants on its blade. Yaoyun placed them before him.
"We have to follow our own Dao to enter the first place that Hua Qing went to, so I couldn't find any flight techniques there," Yaoyun replied. "I checked other places and found these five flight techniques. Heavenly soldiers and Heavenly Court generals had to practice them to keep their formations intact in combat or while on the move."
Wang Sheng snapped his fingers in acknowledgment and took the five pendants. He injected enchanted power into each one and activated them.
The Heavenly Court's five orthodox flight techniques appeared before his eyes: the Moon-Piercing Technique, Purple Cloud Technique, Lightning Flash Technique, Golden Roc[1] Soar, and Condensed Light Thread. Each was clearly superior to the rainbow-light aerial escape technique that he had used in the Dream Realm. They made his old technique seem utterly worthless.
He studied them carefully and memorized them all before starting his analysis.
Learning multiple flight techniques had its advantages. The Moon-Piercing Technique, also known as Moon-Piercing Star Chaser, provided explosive straight-line speed and allowed the user to gather power within the rainbow light to unleash attacks at any moment.
It resembled several of his Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art techniques.
The Lightning Flash Technique was completely different from his Heavenly Tribulation Lightning Flash. It offered a short, instantaneous burst of movement but could not be sustained.
The Golden Roc Soar consumed little energy yet maintained good speed. It had once been a common technique among the heavenly soldiers and generals who patrolled the realms.
Rebirth Realm cultivators and above could start practicing the flight techniques, though their effectiveness depended largely on one's own cultivation.
Wang Sheng quickly decided to master the Moon-Piercing Technique and the Golden Roc Soar. The two complemented each other, with one ideal for long-distance travel and the other for quick combat maneuvering. Together with his Heavenly Tribulation Lightning Flash, he would have a complete set of short, mid, and long-range movement techniques.
Such techniques further strengthened those who practiced them. More importantly, they could mean the difference between life and death. Meanwhile, all Wang Sheng had to say about the rainbow-light flight technique that he had taken from the great sect in his dream was that it had served its purpose.
As he began forming a rainbow light to practice the new techniques, Yaoyun said, "Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you."
Wang Sheng turned to her. "Hm? What is it?"
"Your forefather ranked second in the Heavenly Court's flight techniques only because no one under the Grand Dao dared claim first." Yaoyun laughed softly. "You might as well visit your forefather's palace. Maybe you'll find something valuable there."
Wang Sheng frowned slightly, feeling the steady, enduring power of the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra within him. His forefather's flight techniques should certainly be of the same lineage.
However, something about what Yaoyun had said made him pause.
"My forefather often ran away from battles?"
"Everyone in the Heavenly Court knew about his heroic deeds," Yaoyun replied, then lightly snorted. Whenever the Pure Yang Sword Immortal was mentioned, she simply couldn't hold back her urge to make a sarcastic remark.
The legends of the Eight Immortals told on Earth were only a small part of Lu Dongbin's true life.
An immortal had guided Lu Dongbin at first. Later, he joined the Heavenly Court. To make his name official among the Heavenly Court Immortal Record, the story of the Eight Immortals had been created.
His true legendary deeds were far more dazzling.
"Chun Yangzi[2] was said to be the reincarnation of an ancient great immortal, though no one ever managed to prove it. He first made his name across the endless stars, facing the combined siege of dozens of sects while still only at the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
"The commotion drew the attention of the Heavenly Court. A Golden Immortal commander of the heavenly soldiers was sent to mediate, but your forefather ended up injuring him. The Immortal Realm was peaceful at the time, and a mere Heavenly Immortal would not normally stand out. Still, that feat spread his fame far and wide."
Yaoyun paused for a moment.
"Your forefather was far too fond of women. He was not merely amorous but truly infamous for it. Still, he also made many immortal friends and possessed an extraordinary perception of the Dao. Every immortal art and spell he created was top-tier. When he reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm, he integrated his Dao into the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra, which you already practice, and the Pure Yang Sword Song.
"My father once said that if Chun Yangzi had grasped the mysteries of the Grand Dao, he would have been part of the Four Heavenly Ministers. In the Heavenly Court's final age of glory before the great war, Chun Yangzi was regarded as one of the most brilliant rising stars."
Lost in recollection, Yaoyun's tone softened as she spoke, while Wang Sheng listened with deep admiration. His growing curiosity about the place they were about to visit stirred his heart.
He wondered whether the Pure Yang Sword Song had also been left in the Small Immortal Realm. If he could obtain it, he wouldn't hesitate to cultivate it. After all, it was of the same lineage as the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra.
"Do you think my forefather left the Pure Yang Sword Song in that lake?"
Yaoyun nodded slowly. "He probably did. Do you want to go there now?"
"Let's visit my forefather's palace first," Wang Sheng replied. "Everything should be done in order."
After a moment's thought, he searched through his pendant for several sheets of yellow talisman paper. He then took out a coin and pressed it against the paper a few times. Since he had no paper money[3] with him, he would burn some yellow paper for his forefather instead—a small gesture of filial respect to his ancestor.
"Oh, right. Why did so many sects attack my forefather back then?"
"Apparently, one of his lovers learned he had others. The women had agreed among themselves to endure the situation and share the same man, but they eventually discovered even more of his lovers, so they joined forces." Yaoyun sighed in amazement. "All of his women were a famous immortal maiden known for purity and grace, too."
Wang Sheng silently raised a thumb in admiration. His forefather was truly unrivaled in that regard.
As they chatted, they passed through another cloud tunnel and entered the third layer of the Small Immortal Realm. The surroundings here were far simpler. Immortal palaces dotted the misty clouds, each imbued with faint traces of lingering might.
"The Pure Yang Palace's this way," Yaoyun said.
Wang Sheng immediately straightened, his spirits lifting. He couldn't help but feel excited to finally see the palace that had once belonged to his forefather.
1. A gigantic mythological bird. ☜
2. The Daoist title of Lu Dongbin. ☜
3. Paper money is used in offering rituals when worshipping deities. It's usually yellow. ☜
