Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Sharpening sounds came out from the black Primordial Sword Stone. It was crisp and shrill, and even contained a kind of mystical rhythm, as if Heaven and Earth was chiming to give the world a relaxed and comfortable feeling.

For both Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster, this ring of the sword gave them a sensation of exhilaration.

However, both Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster grew solemn immediately as they watched the Cangming Swordmaster in shock. “Elder Cangming, what are you doing exactly…”

The Cangming Swordmaster spun around and his thunderous voice rang out once more. “The other eight sword sects, be it the Heavenly Master Sword Sect, the Lightning Sword Sect, the Vast Sea Sword Sect or the Intense Flaming Sword Sect, their roots and their very foundations of swordplay came from Mount Shu.”

“And now, using them as the foundations to feed back into the Saintly Celestial Sword and with the help of the Primordial Sword Stone, we can re-forge the Saintly Celestial Sword.”

Ji Wenrui was despondent. “The Divine Lands is in danger, Elder Cangming. Your actions may not be appropriate.”

The Cangming Swordmaster gazed into Ji Wenrui’s eyes and a look of disappointment came over his face. “Can you not see the simple logic in all this, Wenrui?”

“Let me ask you – why did we set up the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation?”

Ji Wenrui had no patience to correct the Cangming Swordmaster’s terminology as he lowered his voice and said, “We are trying to use the power of the Nine Heavenly Sword Alliance and the power of teamwork to battle the demons in the war between the worlds.”

With the Nine Heavenly Primordial Sword Formation and in the hope of using the unified force of the nine great sword sects, there would be a fundamental quantitative difference in quality.

The Cangming Swordmaster said plainly, “That’s right – we have to congregate our strengths to fight the demons. That is our final goal, and since that’s the case, what’s the problem with re-forging the Saintly Celestial Sword?”

“The Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation is teamwork, working together to re-forge the Saintly Celestial Sword is also teamwork.”

Ji Wenrui stared at the Cangming Swordmaster and replied, “This will break apart the Nine Heavenly Sword Alliance once more. The ritual that you are executing now to re-forge the Saintly Celestial Sword is very likely to suck the power from the mountain defense formations of the other sword sects until there’s nothing left!”

The Cangming Swordmaster smiled as a sharp look of arrogance and condescension flashed across his face. It was the same attitude of arrogance of sword cultivators from the Mount Shu Sword Sect across the long course of history. “Since when have we, the Mount Shu Sword Sect, been concerned about what those garbage think?”

The Lixiong Swordmaster was silent the whole time. Ji Wenrui took a deep breath and started, “Elder Cang Ming…”

The Cangming Swordmaster interrupted him at once and said, “I am very clear about your thoughts and Senior Tiangang’s as well. I know you are both afraid of the leader of the Celestial Sect of Wonders, afraid of the sect itself.”

There appeared to be unlimited amounts of sword mind erupting from his little frame, but his voice was calm and cool. “The Mount Shu Sword Sect will have a contest with the Celestial Sect of Wonders in swordplay eventually. The humiliation that we suffered all those years ago when they kicked down our mountain gate will be returned one day.”

“But not today. Even if the Saintly Celestial Sword is re-forged, that day will not be today,” the Cangming Swordmaster said softly, “The leader of the Celestial Sect of Wonders was successful in completing that fearsome sword of his, and I’m sure its even more ferocious now. I don’t intend to fight him again with the Saintly Celestial Sword, but this doesn’t mean that we will lower our heads from now on.”

“Because we have to remember our humiliations and return them in the future, we have to grasp every opportunity to increase our strength so that the Saintly Celestial Sword will have a chance to face off against the Heaven-Destroying Sword.”

The Cangming Swordmaster glanced at Ji Wenrui. “This isn’t just empty talk or something that can be done with determination alone. We also need to have a practical plan, and the Celestial Sect of Wonders will not stagnate either. They are advancing, so if we don’t put in more effort than them then the gap between us will only become wider.”

“How is that any different from silently lying in wait for our execution? How is that any different from killing ourselves slowly? I may not be that powerful, but I don’t like lying to myself and I don’t like living in denial.”

The Cangming Swordmaster turned towards the Primordial Sword Stone. “I am fonder of what I can touch and what I can see. I am fonder of real retribution, of real justice.”

Even though he was faced with a supreme Elder of his own sect, Ji Wenrui didn’t back down. “The return of the Mount Shu Sword Sect isn’t about whether or not we can defeat the Celestial Sect of Wonders – the answer lies within ourselves.”

“You are right – with you and the elder Tiangang around, even though Mount Shu is as decadent as we are now, the other eight sword sects will still be no match for us even if they teamed up. However, we can’t be just watching them.”

The Cangming Swordmaster retracted his gaze and turned back towards Ji Wenrui. The look of disappointment on his face grew even deeper. “I actually thought you guys planned for this moment but turns out that’s not true.”

“I know you guys are afraid of the rapport between the Celestial Sect of Wonders and the Lightning Sword Sect, the Great Barren Sword Sect, the Sword of Radiance Sect and the others. But you’re just going to let that tie you down?”

“When the leader of the Celestial Sect of Wonders slashed the Saintly Celestial Sword in half all those years ago, has he slashed our spines as well? Look at yourself now, Wenrui. You’re afraid to even show any form of fury towards the Celestial Sect of Wonders, or any form of resistance at all.”

“When Xin Longsheng wanted to roam the world, and chose you to take over, it was for your maturity and your patience. He definitely didn’t want your patience to become cowardice.”

“When you guys remade the sword heart, did you remake one that has no edge at all, into something that’s no different from a piece of blunt metal?”

The Cangming Swordmaster’s voice grew increasingly loud, and landed in Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster’s ears like lightning bolts.

Ji Wenrui’s face was starting to grow pale. He matched the Cangming Swordmaster’s gaze and said, “I beg you to reconsider, Elder Cangming.”

Even though his condition as a little off, the Cangming Swordmaster’s abilities and powers were not that far off from that during his peak condition. Both Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster were only in the second-level immortal soul stage, and even if they were both had the Way of the Virtual Entity, they wouldn’t be a match for the Cangming Swordmaster anyway. There was nothing they could do about whatever the Cangming Swordmaster wanted.

Ji Wenrui’s eyes darted time and time again at the sword formation before him. He was almost jumping out of his skin as he continued, “Your actions will cause the delicate situation to collapse.”

The Cangming Swordmaster’s expression didn’t change at all as he also turned towards the sword formation before him. “The situation is in our grasp – it will not crumble.”

He turned back towards the two of them. “You guys seem to have forgotten. The Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation was created from the efforts of many, but the main director of its fundamentals and the person that derived it was me.”

“I have expended blood and sweat upon this sword formation, more than everybody else combined, to the point where it slowed down my speed of personal cultivation. If not, I’d have been in the Vipralopa Stage like senior Tiangang.”

The Cangming Swordmaster’s expression became relaxed. “Even though the Heavenly Master Swordmaster, the Lightning Swordmaster and the others are enclosed inside their mountain defense formation, if they have already connected our sword formation with their own, then there is nothing they can do to interrupt my ritual.”

“The creation of the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation was meant to consolidate our absolute control over all the other sword sects under the heavens.”

“Even though the Heavenly Master Swordmaster and the Lightning Swordmaster are both in the third-level immortal soul stage, they are still nothing to me,” a condescending smile flashed across his frail face as he continued, “They think they are something now that they have the Way of the Virtual Entity? If not for the Great Void Sect and the Celestial Sect of Wonders, they are not even worthy of stirring trouble with the Mount Shu Sword Sect.”

“If not for the Celestial Sect of Wonders and the Great Void Sect, I would have used their connection to this sword formation to murder them all inside their own mountain defense formations. I’m not even sure if they would have had the chance to react.”

A chill crept up Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster’s spine as the Cangming Swordmaster said matter-of-factly, “If we can sacrifice them all, I will have greater confidence in re-forging the Saintly Celestial Sword. I will let them off the hook for now, simply because of the Great Void Sect and the Celestial Sect of Wonders.”

“Two in the third-level immortal soul stage, several in the second level and a few more in the first level – even if they teamed up, how can they match the destiny-level Saintly Celestial Sword that belongs to Mount Shu? By teaming up to catalyze the re-forging of the Saintly Celestial Sword can they be more valuable than their original worth.”

“The war between the worlds is ongoing and the state of humanity is at stake. This is the most extreme form of concentrating our powers – isn’t this what you had in mind when you activated the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation?”

The Cangming Swordmaster placed his hands behind his back and turned away from Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster as he watched the sword formation before him in silence.

There was intense and overflowing sword Qi emanating from his small body that charged the entire region around Mount Shu and fixated itself upon Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster in place.

Both Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster could feel that if they made a move, there would be an innumerable number of swords plummeting from the skies and from the void.

What cause their hearts to grow even colder was the fact that the obscured sword minds contained murderous intentions. They were positive that if they tried to resist, the Cangming Swordmaster would strike them down right here and now.

“The world is in peril. For anyone, we will move backwards if we don’t move forward. It’s every man for himself, to find their own opportunities.” A voice appeared behind Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster. “If others can find these opportunities, then the Mount Shu Sword Sect can as well.”

Both of them heaved a heavy sigh as they recognized this voice to be that of the Grand Moon Swordmaster. They could also clearly feel that besides the Grand Moon Swordmaster, the Shaoze Swordmaster, the Guanchong Swordmaster and the newly promoted Shaoshang Swordmaster were all behind the two of them. Like the Cangming Swordmaster, their sword hearts had been demolished before and they were all powerful sword cultivators of the Mount Shu Sword Sect that had lost their way some time ago.

These people were not at their peak conditions, but they were not far from them. However, just like the Cangming Swordmaster, the Grand Moon Swordmaster and the others developed the same negative emotions toward Ji Wenrui.

The Cangming Swordmaster’s level of mastery was far greater than him and he couldn’t see very clearly. However, he was able to describe the strange emotions coming from the Grand Moon Swordmaster and the others behind him.

The Grand Moon Swordmaster and the others were like sharpened swords that were revealed to the world once more. Their radiances were fully exposed, as if they could cut open everything.

Yet, even though all these unrivaled swords were as sharp as they could be, the blades themselves were twisted. There were so many kinks in the blades that no matter how sharp they were, they gave people an extremely insidious and unharmonious feeling.

Ji Wenrui said softly, “All of you are like swords of evil.”

The Cangming Swordmaster refused to listen and the Grand Moon Swordmaster and the others weren’t angry either. Instead, the Grand Moon Swordmaster grinned and said, “A sword is a sword. There is no good and evil, only sharp and blunt. The only thing that’s important is the sharpness – everything else doesn’t matter.”

Ji Wenrui heaved a defeated sigh into the air. “You may be sharp, but all of you break so easily!”

The sword formation above Mount Shu continued to rotate in the air, and continued to suck the strength from the mountain defense formations from the other sword sects. This made them a little unsettled and suspicious, and the Heavenly Master Swordmaster and the others, who were initially suspicious about the Mount Shu Sword Sect in the first place, became instantly wary.

Somewhere in the Southern Wilderness, the Tiangang Swordmaster realized something was amiss at the first possible moment.