Innate Immortal Seed

Chapter 235: Chapter 233: The Secret Realm Opens

”If I’m not mistaken, Fellow Daoist Bai, you have a Sword Key and are preparing to enter the Sword Tomb Secret Realm?”

Suo Bihua’s features weren’t stunning, more of the pretty, girl-next-door type. With a delicate hand, she refilled the pot and pushed a freshly brewed cup of Spirit Tea toward him.

”Indeed. I do have a Sword Key.”

Bai Zichen nodded, admitting it freely.

He had returned to the Tianhe Sword Sect with Yann Yuanzai, after all. He wasn’t some Loose Cultivator with no backing, so he didn’t have to worry about anyone daring to snatch his Sword Key.

The Sword Tomb Secret Realm was famous for only considering one’s Sword Dao Talent; everything else was irrelevant.

Even if you were a Core Formation True Man, there was no guarantee your final gains wouldn’t be less than those of a Qi Refining Cultivator.

However, the Cultivators who entered the Sword Tomb Secret Realm were usually in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

”In that case, I’ll offer my early congratulations. May your Sword Dao Realm advance greatly, and may you win the favor of a Tier Three Flying Sword.”

Suo Bihua recalled the news she had heard from her grand-uncle yesterday. She now had a general idea of which Core Formation True Man’s connections the young Cultivator before her had used to obtain a Supreme Profound White-Haired Sword Token.

”The secret realm will open in three months. If you’re interested in Fairy Song’s Tier Three Flying Sword, Fellow Daoist Bai, you can come find me... I have enough standing to get an invitation to the exchange.”

Of course, she didn’t believe that a Cultivator who could get acquainted with *that* person in the Sect would be unable to obtain an invitation to Song Qin’s exchange.

Since she was already trying to build a good relationship, she might as well see the good deed through to the end.

”If I decide to go, then I’ll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist Suo.”

’I’ve already given up on the idea of obtaining a Tier Three Flying Sword from a Core Formation True Man through a trade,’ Bai Zichen thought. ’I simply don’t have any Treasure that could possibly catch her eye.’

”By the way, do you know how many Flying Swords ultimately emerged from the Sword Tomb Secret Realm last time?”

”How many? The last time the secret realm opened three years ago, not even a shadow of a Tier Three Flying Sword appeared. The time before that, five years ago, only one came out...”

As Suo Bihua poured the tea, her elegant wrist trembled, nearly spilling the Spirit Tea onto the table.

The opening of the Sword Tomb Secret Realm wasn’t on a fixed schedule. It depended on the number of Tianhe Sword Sect disciples who met the standard and the number of outside Cultivators who came with a Sword Key.

”Because there are fewer and fewer Tier Three Flying Swords in the secret realm, dissenting voices have arisen within the Sect. They feel the secret realm shouldn’t be opened to outsiders.”

”However, this rule was set by True Monarch Tianhe himself. Unless Ancestor Tang says otherwise, no amount of opposition from those below can change it.”

”True Monarch Tianhe was indeed a broad-minded and far-sighted senior... Such vision is truly admirable.”

Bai Zichen was certain that if he ever acquired a stable secret realm, he would never open it to all the Sword Cultivators in the world out of some grand wish to study the Sword Dao together.

After satisfying his own needs, he would only open it to his Sect Disciples and Bai Clan Members.

”My grand-uncle said that in his later years, True Monarch Tianhe scoured countless ancient texts and confirmed that the Sword Tomb Secret Realm is very likely the separate residence of an illustrious Upper Realm Sword Immortal from the Ancient Era.”

Suo Bihua revealed a piece of inside information that was only known to a small circle.

”The Supreme Profound White-Haired Sword and the Xing Yao Sword are just the most unremarkable parts of that Sword Immortal’s collection. His true Sword Dao inheritance was left elsewhere.”

”True Monarch Tianhe opened the gates to the secret realm widely, partly out of pity for the difficulties faced by the world’s Sword Cultivators, and partly in the hope that through the exploration of many, someone might one day find a clue to that Upper Realm Sword Immortal’s true legacy.”

’The Sword Tomb Secret Realm is just a separate residence?’

Bai Zichen was inwardly shaken.

It could only be said that the Ancient Era was truly the golden age of the Cultivation Realm.

All sorts of ancient and rare treasures, Desolate Beast Spiritual Treasures, emerged one after another.

There were even Ascension Platforms in the world. As long as one cultivated to the Divinity Transformation Stage, they could offer sacrifices and pray to the heavens to receive an Ascension Talisman and smoothly ascend to the Earth Immortal Realm.

Upper Realm Immortals could even use the Ascension Platforms to descend into the Human World.

In that era, encountering an Immortal Fate wasn’t just something that existed in myths and legends; it was something that truly happened in reality.

After leaving the Divine Sword Pavilion, Bai Zichen gazed at the vast Sword City and briefly browsed two more shops.

Then he visited several Sword Refining Shops, most of which were run as family legacies.

However, they only had the ability to refine Tier Two Flying Swords. Only one shop indicated that they could accept a commission for a Tier Three Flying Sword.

But they specified upfront that the success rate for the Sword Refinement would not exceed thirty percent.

Furthermore, regardless of success or failure, the refining fee had to be paid in advance.

’I’ll save commissioning someone for last. Even if it costs more, I have to improve my own Sword Refining Skill...’

Bai Zichen had previously considered improving his skills as an Artifact Refiner, but he had stopped midway after discovering he had no particular talent for it and that it was too time-consuming.

It was extremely rare for a Cultivator like him, who had already reached the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Realm, not to have raised even one of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation to Tier Two.

But every moment of his Cultivation had been precious. He had yet to encounter a bottleneck that halted his progress, which would have allowed him to divert his attention elsewhere.

Returning to his Cave Mansion halfway up Sword Mountain, Bai Zichen quietly awaited the day the Sword Tomb Secret Realm would open.

Since he was in another’s Sect, he didn’t take out his Top-Grade Spirit Stones to aid his Cultivation.

Aside from his daily cultivation, he focused mainly on studying the Illusion-Breaking Sword Technique.

Whenever he had free time, he would go to the Sword Testing Platform to observe the matches between the Tianhe Sword Sect disciples.

The culture of Combat was prevalent among Sword Sect Disciples, and at any given moment, one could see Cultivators sparring with their swordsmanship on the Sword Testing Platform.

He wasn’t observing the Sword Sect Disciples’ matches to learn their Sword Techniques.

Rather, he was putting himself in their shoes to test the feasibility of his Illusion-Breaking Sword Technique.

Thus, he chose to watch matches between Qi Refining Disciples, observing and adjusting the Illusion-Breaking Sword Technique as he went.

Finally, after a hundred days, he achieved initial mastery of the Illusion-Breaking Sword Technique.

With a single glance, the swordsmanship displayed by a deft Qi Refining Disciple now presented a different picture in his eyes.

From Bai Zichen’s perspective, Qi Refining Disciples who had only been using a Flying Sword for a few years were still floundering in the first and second levels of the Northern Domain’s Sword Dao classification. Their methods of controlling their Sword Path, the variations in their Sword Techniques, and so on, held no secrets from him.

But that was because he was viewing them from a commanding height, with a bird’s-eye view born from his far superior Sword Dao Realm and accumulated swordsmanship.

It had no direct connection to the Illusion-Breaking Sword Technique itself.

But now, it was different. In his vision, illusory Sword Shadows appeared in front of the disciple, and in the next moment, a Sword Light would descend in that exact spot.

By the end of the entire sword match, every Sword Path predicted by the Illusion-Breaking Sword Technique was perfectly accurate, falling exactly within the framework of the illusory Sword Shadows.

It was less like Bai Zichen was predicting the Sword Path and more like the disciple was following his guidance, moving according to his script.

”Junior Brother Bai, the Sword Sect Disciple who received us came by with a message. The Sword Tomb Secret Realm opens tomorrow.”

Qi Yue had sought him out and called out loudly.

He didn’t understand why this Junior Brother Bai had recently become obsessed with watching the Tianhe Sword Sect’s matches. Even if he wanted to learn from others’ strengths, shouldn’t he at least be watching Foundation Establishment Level Cultivators for it to be worthwhile?

”Master sent a message yesterday. He’s mostly recovered from the aftereffects of using that Secret Technique and can return to the Sect in a few more days.”

”Burial Immortal Valley is a forbidden land now. Although the Ancient Demon is trapped by the seal and can’t escape, no one dares set foot within a hundred-mile radius. The strange thing is, both the Holy Lotus Sect and the Dharma Aspect Sect are completely silent about it, as if nothing ever happened.”

”Master Fang severed a part of his own body. He’s been in seclusion ever since he returned to the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, but the sect is now scouring the world, trying to buy Tier Four White Bone Flesh-Growing Spirit Pills.”

”Blood God True Man has vanished without a trace. It’s unclear if he died in Burial Immortal Valley or was just heavily injured... In any case, the Blood Demon Sect is now leaderless and in complete chaos.”

Qi Yue unloaded all the news he had gathered in one go. After all this time, he had finally moved on from the Burial Immortal Valley incident and regained his heroic, handsome appearance.

’Our Cultivation is too low. We’ll need to reach Core Formation before we’re even qualified to investigate the truth...’

Bai Zichen walked down from the Sword Testing Platform, the complex Sword Shadows still lingering in his eyes.

”But the disappearance of Blood God True Man is good news for our Sect... The Ghost Spirit Sect has lost its greatest support, and the Demon Path Alliance Army has lost its backbone. They can’t possibly operate with the same perfect command as before.”

...

「A Stone Sword hung in the air.」

The hundred-zhang-tall Stone Sword floated abruptly in mid-air, unsupported by any external force or Array.

A dozen or so Cultivators stood before the Stone Sword in two clearly distinct groups.

The Cultivators with the Supreme Profound White-Haired Sword emblem on their sleeves were naturally the Tianhe Sword Sect Disciples. They looked arrogant, standing in a circle by themselves.

The occasional glances they cast over were filled with disdain and resentment.

The other group consisted of outsiders with varied backgrounds: Loose Cultivators, members of Cultivation Families, and Sect Cultivators from outside Beiyuan.

In total, there were twelve people, all of them Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

On average, however, the outsiders’ realms were a notch higher than those of the Sword Sect Disciples.

”The hour has come. Open the secret realm.”

The two Core Formation True Men in the air exchanged a look and struck their palms together toward the empty space before them.

Each held half of a black Jade Pendant in their palm. When the two halves collided, a Power of Void was generated, and the Stone Sword slowly rose higher, revealing a passageway of Black Flame.

A Sword Light guided each of the Tianhe Sword Sect Disciples, pulling them directly into the ring of Black Flame.

”Inject your Magical Power into the Sword Key and brandish it like a Flying Sword to enter the secret realm!”

The Core Formation True Man with red hair, yellow pupils, a sharp, thin face, and deep-set, unusual features shouted the reminder to the visiting Sword Cultivators.

The remaining five people hastily took out their Sword Keys, activated them, and transformed into five streaks of multi-colored Sword Light before vanishing.

Only after all the Trial Takers had entered the Sword Tomb Secret Realm did the two Core Formation True Men retract their True Essence, causing the Black Flame passageway to gradually shrink.

”I hope some disciples can obtain a Tier Three Flying Sword this time. It’s been over three thousand years since the Ancestor discovered the Sword Tomb Secret Realm. Let’s hope we can retrieve all the Flying Swords inside before the secret realm collapses.”

Master Suo Qian, his face sallow, spoke with great anticipation as he watched the secret realm’s entrance close.

”If you ask me, it would be more practical if they could comprehend a few more Sword Techniques from the Sword Marks. It’s not like the Sect can’t refine Tier Three Flying Swords... Now, if that Tier Four Flying Sword could be retrieved, that would be a true cause for celebration.”

Master Tang Yuan, the one with red hair and yellow pupils, had a different opinion.

He was an anomaly in the Tianhe Sword Sect, an orphan brought back by Supreme Elder Tang Fei. After being accepted as a disciple, he took his master’s surname.

And because he possessed the bloodline of the ape Demon Race, he changed his own name to Tang Yuan.

With a withdrawn and unapproachable personality, he was a loner within the Sect, responsible for no duties, and he didn’t take on any disciples to teach.

”It’s difficult. There’s no one like Senior Brother Yann among this batch of disciples, not even anyone with comparable talent... To attract a Tier Four Flying Sword, one would probably need to reach Great Success in Sword Qi Thunder Sound during the Foundation Establishment Stage.”

Suo Qian shook his head. If obtaining a Tier Three Flying Sword from the Sword Tomb Secret Realm could be attributed to luck, then acquiring a Tier Four Flying Sword was purely a matter of Sword Dao Talent.

If one didn’t possess a Sword Dao Talent that surpassed all peers and overshadowed all others, how could a sentient Tier Four Flying Sword possibly deign to offer itself up?

Even someone with Yann Yuanzai’s Sword Dao Talent had yet to gain the true recognition of the Xing Yao Sword. He was mostly just utilizing the Flying Sword’s inherent sharpness, not yet unleashing the true power of a Tier Four Flying Sword.

For a Cultivator like Suo Qian, who had entered the core area of the Sword Tomb Secret Realm and tried to summon a Tier Four Flying Sword himself, he knew something for sure.

If any disciple even approached that standard, they would stand out like a crane among chickens, impossible to overlook.