Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 243: Chapter 167: The Qi Refiner Imparts a Technique

The mysterious substance gleamed faintly under the light. It felt like stone to the touch—smooth and hard, yet with a strange, soft quality.

He reached out and gave it a squeeze, feeling a slight elasticity against his fingertips.

’If I take a bite, will it really extend my life?’

The thought spun through his mind.

Wan Ze stared at the substance for a few seconds, sorely tempted.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

’Forget it.’

’If something goes wrong after I eat it, won’t that lady hack me to pieces with a thousand slashes?’

He then rolled over, lay down in the coffin, and closed his eyes.

He activated his Spiritual Form.

BUZZ!

Wan Ze opened his eyes again. The red moon still hung high in the sky.

Same old place.

A figure in white was standing not far away.

’It really is her.’

As Wan Ze looked at her, he suddenly had a strange feeling.

’She’s changed somehow.’

’Is her aura stronger?’

’Her bearing more composed?’

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but the change was real.

”Senior.” Wan Ze cupped his fist in salute.

The Female Sword Immortal turned around. Her blood-filled eye sockets faced him, but instead of writing to communicate as she had before, she spoke aloud. ”I need you to do something for me. Once it is done, I will grant the three of you a great opportunity.”

Wan Ze was taken aback.

’I haven’t seen her in days, and she can already speak?’

But he quickly suppressed his surprise and said seriously, ”Senior, please, just ask.”

She was his only backer in this world. If he could establish a deeper connection with her, all the better.

The Female Sword Immortal considered this for a moment before speaking slowly. ”My soul and body are currently separated. I need a sliver of life force to rebuild my foundation. You must find a place for me—a place of both yin and yang. It must have mountains at its back and water at its front, with the peaks forming an embrace and the water meandering. The place of sunrise is yang; the place of sunset is yin. This is where I will find the life force I seek.”

Wan Ze nodded, and the Female Sword Immortal continued, ”Next, you must choose an auspicious day—one when the stars of Heavenly Virtue, Lunar Virtue, and Heavenly Pardon align. This should be the eighth of next month, a Day of Heavenly Pardon, which is suitable for sacrifices, burials, and moving coffins. You will also need to prepare some items... ninety-nine sheets of Yellow Paper, three maces of Cinnabar, two taels of realgar, one Peach Wood Sword, seven copper coins, and three-foot-long strands of each of the Five-Colored Silk Threads. Furthermore, you must beseech the gods. With a bowl of clear water and three sticks of burning incense, you will kowtow to the four cardinal directions and ask the gods for their protection.”

”Place my physical body inside a rice vat and fill it to the brim with Glutinous Rice to suppress the baleful energy.”

”Then, you must stand guard for me for three days and three nights.”

After listening, Wan Ze thought for a moment. ”The guardianship you speak of, Senior... does that mean here, or in the outside world?”

The Female Sword Immortal fell silent for a moment before saying slowly, ”In truth, both realms require a guardian. However, only you can enter this place, so I fear it may be difficult...”

Wan Ze immediately adopted a serious expression. ”I would go through fire and water for you, Senior. I would never refuse. It’s just...”

He paused, his gaze frank as he looked at the Female Sword Immortal. ”As you know, Senior, this world is fraught with peril, and those Deceitful Beasts are watching like tigers. This junior’s strength is meager. If something were to go wrong while I am standing guard and I were to jeopardize your important affair, not even ten thousand deaths could atone for my failure. If only I could learn another powerful move or two...”

The Female Sword Immortal’s brow arched slightly—if one could call the rims of those bloody sockets brows.

”Did I not already teach you a Swordsmanship technique?”

Wan Ze gave a wry smile. ”You must think me a fool, Senior. The Void Spirit-Slaying Sword places extremely high demands on one’s body. In my current state, it would take me at least three months just to reach the Beginner Level.”

’Three months to reach the Beginner Level?’

He had no idea what those words truly implied when he said them.

The Female Sword Immortal looked at him, a peculiar expression flickering in her eyes. Still, she slowly nodded and said, ”The Void Spirit-Slaying Sword has extremely high requirements for one’s Swordsmanship Talent. It’s understandable that you can’t cultivate it.”

She paused. ”But... you already possess a legacy. If you also cultivate my Sword Dao, won’t the school backing you have something to say about it?”

Wan Ze’s heart stirred.

’The ”legacy” she’s talking about must be the Taiyin Breathing Technique... The Technique from Tao Zhixi’s school is truly no ordinary thing.’

However, Wan Ze suppressed his speculation and said in a low voice, ”There is something you don’t know, Senior. The legacy I’m currently cultivating was actually obtained by accident. I know very little about this world.”

This time, the Female Sword Immortal was genuinely surprised. ”You don’t have a school backing you? Then how did you enter this place?”

”Through meditation,” Wan Ze answered, his response a mix of truth and lies.

He couldn’t very well tell her about Stealing Celestial Secret.

The waters of this world ran too deep; he wasn’t ready to reveal his greatest secret.

The Female Sword Immortal fell silent.

Under the moonlight, she watched Wan Ze quietly, as if sizing him up all over again.

After a long while, she finally spoke. ”You are quite frank.”

Wan Ze cupped his fist. ”Since you trust this junior, Senior, I will naturally respond with sincerity.”

The Female Sword Immortal nodded. ”In that case, I will teach you another Technique. While it is not as profound as the Void Spirit-Slaying Sword, its advantage is a low barrier to entry. You can begin cultivating it right away.”

Wan Ze’s eyes lit up. ”Thank you, Senior!”

The Female Sword Immortal waved her hand and flicked a finger. A brilliant light shot into the space between Wan Ze’s eyebrows.

Before Wan Ze could even begin to process it all, the Female Sword Immortal spoke again. ”Go. Prepare the items and select a location... Come find me again before Midnight on the seventh of next month.”

”Understood!” Wan Ze nodded solemnly.

He severed the connection to his Spiritual Form.

SHWISH!

Wan Ze’s figure vanished.

Only the Female Sword Immortal remained in the clearing.

She stood her ground, gazing at the spot where Wan Ze had disappeared.

In the distance, the Broken Sword came flying over with a WHOOSH. It circled her a few times, its tip pointing in the direction Wan Ze had vanished, bobbing frantically as if to ask, ’Where’d he go? Where’d he go?!’

The Female Sword Immortal ignored it.

Gazing at the empty, scorched earth, she murmured to herself, ”No school, no sect, entering this realm through meditation... How interesting.”

She glanced toward the ruined temple again. ’It seems that one has also discovered how extraordinary Wan Ze is.’

...

「Reality.」

[Illustrated Guide: Heaven and Earth Sword Pulling Slash]

[Skill Beginner Level Requirement: Perform the Pulling Slash 10,000 times]

...

Wan Ze sucked in a sharp breath.

’Ten thousand times?’

’And that’s just the requirement for the Beginner Level!’