Dragon Canon

Facing the plain-clothed swordsman, Wei Yuan remained silent for a moment. Finally, he said, “We’re not acquainted.”

The guy had nearly cut him to pieces just moments ago. The fact that Wei Yuan was able to face him calmly was a testament to his self-control.

He did not know how long the plain-clothed swordsman had been trapped within the grotto-heaven, but when it shattered, Wei Yuan was likely still absorbing lunar radiance in the Palace of Absolute Beginning. Not only that, it was quite possible that Wei Yuan hadn’t even been born yet when the plain-clothed swordsman had turned into this neither-human-nor-ghost-like creature.

Therefore, Wei Yuan felt it was impossible for him and the plain-clothed swordsman to have ever crossed paths.

Surprisingly, a look of recognition flashed across the plain-clothed swordsman’s face. “You’re still you alright,” he began. “No matter how many cycles of reincarnation you’ve gone through, you’ve always managed to keep a spark of clarity alive. And just like before, you’ve never trusted anyone besides yourself. I just wonder if you’re still as cold-hearted, ruthless, and treacherous as you used to be.”

Wei Yuan immediately took offense at his remarks. His habit of strategizing before every operation and acting only after careful deliberation had come solely from his many years of studying the annals of history. Besides, his current achievements were entirely the result of his efforts in this life; what did they have to do with his past life?

Once again, the plain-clothed swordsman’s face took on that “I knew it” expression. He sighed softly and said, “It doesn’t matter that you don’t remember. It’s just that a reincarnated vessel is not unique. It could’ve been you, or it could’ve been him; I just happened to encounter you. Since you’re unwilling to accept the karmic ties of your past life, I’ll simply seek out another vessel. It’s just a pity that his legacy will remain buried for who-knows-how-long.”

Wei Yuan’s ears immediately perked up at the mention of legacy.

An legacy that even the plain-clothed swordsman treated with such gravity was likely no less valuable than an Arthat’s true blood. As for the karmic ties of past life, Wei Yuan’s only worry right now was that he didn’t have enough of it[1].

Wei Yuan feigned deep thought, then said, “My strength is still meager; I am unable to penetrate the mystery of the womb at the moment, and I have no idea what my past life is. How could I possibly take on this karma?”

The plain-clothed swordsman replied, “It matters not. Once you obtain his legacy, you will naturally know everything. As for now, your strength is definitely lacking. There is simply no way you can bear the weight of his legacy. Heh. Back in the day, a petty thief managed to establish a noble clan simply by stealing a fragment of the Myriad Vicissitudes Sword. Today, that clan is ranked among the top. Though you had relied on external aid, the fact that you still managed to defeat this remnant of mine is no small feat. Yet even so, the current you are unable to absorb even one-ten-thousandth of his lifetime’s learning.”

Wei Yuan was stunned. Was he talking about the Xu Clan? Could Xu Wangu be that petty thief from back then? The Myriad Vicissitudes Sword he obtained was only a fragment of the real thing? In that case, how big was the fragment he had obtained from the shadow in the moon?

Amidst his shock, Wei Yuan now felt that his achievements in this life might have something to do with his past life, though he had no idea what kind of person he had been in his previous life.

Wei Yuan sighed. “If it truly is something left behind by my past life, then I have no qualms about accepting the karma. I just wonder what that karma actually is... Why are you looking at me like that?”

The plain-clothed swordsman was looking at him with a half-smirk, as if he had known all along that Wei Yuan would say this.

Suddenly, Wei Yuan felt as though all of his innermost thoughts were laid bare. Feeling a little embarrassed and angry, he retorted, “I erected a realm stone on a wasteland and carved out a realm of my own. During this time, I had slain over one hundred thousand Shamans. What does any of that have the slightest connection to my past life? Also, I hail from the Palace of Absolute Beginning. Do you really think I’d lack inherited immortal treasures? What did you think I had used to cut you down?”

The plain-clothed swordsman replied calmly, “You’re just the same as ever. The moment someone touches a sore spot, you’ll get embarrassed and angry.”

“We are not acquainted,” Wei Yuan said coldly.

The plain-clothed swordsman didn’t argue with him. “To inherit the legacy, you must accept the corresponding karma. There are two things you must do now. First, you must master the Myriad Vicissitudes Sword.”

Wei Yuan frowned. “I did obtain a sword canon, but it’s incomplete.”

However, Wei Yuan didn’t explain how he’d acquired it. The plain-clothed swordsman was full of mystery. Though he acted as if they were old acquaintances, if he discovered that Wei Yuan had fed the primordial spirit of his physical body to the shadow in the moon, he would likely turn on him then and there.

The plain-clothed swordsman said, “I’ve only mastered half of it myself, but it’s enough.”

He pointed at Wei Yuan, and another volume of the Myriad Vicissitudes Sword appeared in Wei Yuan’s consciousness. This time, it was the first half of the whole canon.

“Second, you must avenge me.”

Here comes the main event... Wei Yuan thought. He kept his composure and asked, “Who exactly are you?”

The plain-clothed swordsman seemed to recall something and answered slowly, “I... am Xu Wangu’s son. At the time of my death, I was his youngest son, but what happened after I died, I do not know.”

Wei Yuan blanked out for a moment before asking, “What do you mean, you don’t know what happened after you died?”

The plain-clothed swordsman’s face suddenly contorted with extreme agony and struggle. He clasped his head with both hands, his body slowly curling up as he trembled uncontrollably. From time to time, he was letting out bestial howls.

The sudden turn of events left Wei Yuan feeling completely bewildered.

The plain-clothed swordsman’s very figure started contorting unnaturally. He spoke in broken gasps, “Right here... below... find it... be careful....”

The scene before Wei Yuan’s eyes warped, and the next thing he knew, his perception had already left the sword hilt.

The sword hilt suddenly shattered into dust and slipped through Wei Yuan’s fingers. Large patches of mottled rust also appeared on the blade of the massive sword, causing cracks to appear here and there. It was now worthless.

For a moment, Wei Yuan wasn’t sure what to do. Then, he began inspecting the sword canon head just obtained. But as soon as he looked at it, he cursed inwardly. The manual contained nothing more but the general outline and a single technique called Paint The Sky Open. The rest were fragmented content, consisting of nothing but scattered pieces of information. Even the general outline was riddled with holes, making it nearly impossible to practice accordingly.

In comparison, the sword canon gifted to him by the three-eyed bird head was also incomplete, but it was far more detailed. Not only did it contain the general outline, but also four sword techniques in total.

Both manuals contained insights and true intents regarding the sword art. The insights all originated from the plain-clothed swordsman, but the true intent provided by the shadow in the moon was more complete, profound, and far-reaching.

Wei Yuan set the matter of the sword canons aside for the moment and began surveying his surroundings. He planned to break out of this miniature world and reunite with his shifu and Big Senior Sister first.

The bits and pieces left behind by the plain-clothed swordsman during his final fit of madness clearly implied that other threats lurked in this grotto-heaven. Therefore, Wei Yuan dared not let his guard down—at the very least, that shadow monster was still alive.

Wei Yuan was just about to destroy the white jade square when suddenly, a spatial fissure opened to his flank, and Zhang Sheng and Ji Liuli emerged from within.

“Master!” Seeing that Zhang Sheng was unharmed, Wei Yuan was overjoyed and ran over to him.

Suddenly, a sliver of sharp sword qi appeared in front of Wei Yuan’s throat, forcing him to an abrupt halt about a zhang away from Zhang Sheng. Then, his master expressionlessly materialized a scholar’s robe and handed it to him.

Wei Yuan looked down only to realize that his clothes were non-existent after the battle and exposing everything that shouldn’t have been exposed. He quickly took the robe and frantically put it on.

Ji Liuli suddenly tossed a vial his way, saying, “It’s a Jade Dew of Mother Nature. Drink it.”

Wei Yuan’s hands trembled, and he nearly dropped the vial. The Jade Dew of Mother Nature was one of the signature elixirs of the Mother Nature Monastery. It was renowned for its ability to repair one’s primordial spirit and fortifying one’s Dao Foundation. A single vial cost no less than 100,000 immortal silver.

Looking at the dozen or so sword marks and patches of scorched earth in the Great Realm, Wei Yuan simply couldn’t bring himself to drink it.

“Drink it, or be purified!”

Ji Liuli’s long-established authority still held sway. Trembling a little at the threat, Wei Yuan eventually caved and downed the Elixir of Mother Nature in one gulp.

Zhang Sheng looked back and forth between Ji Liuli and Wei Yuan, a look of suspicion on his face.

Ji Liuli stared at Wei Yuan, making sure that he drank every last drop. Only then did she ask, “What on earth did you encounter just now? Are you certain that the threat has been fully dealt with?”

Recalling his battle with the plain-clothed swordsman, Wei Yuan felt a chill run down his spine. He briefly recounted the course of the fight before concluding, “That man is like a very formidable Avatar.”

“‘Very formidable’? See for yourself.” Ji Liuli handed Wei Yuan a merit booklet.

Wei Yuan took it and glanced at the very first name on the list: Wei Yuan, 13,100 Heaven Merits, 7,030 remaining.

“That’s impossible,” Wei Yuan blurted out instinctively.

According to the Palace of Absolute Beginning’s rule for calculating Heaven Merits, the maximum amount of Heaven Merits an Avatar could contribute was 6,400. However, Wei Yuan remembered that he had spent all but two digits of his Heaven Merits last time. Did this mean that the plain-clothed swordsman had contributed a whopping 7,000 Heaven Merits?

1. To deal with the Great Karmic Curse. ☜