The Captain’s words contained a reminder. Any person who didn’t know the Captain would assume he was warning Xu Qing that if he impulsively took that life lamp, it would cause big problems.
But Xu Qing instantly picked up on the hidden meaning in the Captain’s words. What he was actually saying was that taking the life lamp would be fine as long as Xu Qing didn’t leave behind any evidence that he was responsible. Also, the Captain wanted to come along.
That said, Xu Qing had no plans to go after the life lamp. It wasn’t because of Zhang Siyun’s amazing background. Rather, he had never interacted with Zhang Siyun, and didn’t have any reason to want him dead.
Xu Qing shook his head again. “I’m not going to bother him.”
The Captain raised his eyebrows and smiled enigmatically. “Being deceptive with me too? Come on, little Ah Qing. You already have battle prowess that surpasses the five-palace level, don’t you?”
Xu Qing didn’t answer the question. He just kept looking north, toward the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar and the border of Emperor-Receiving Prefecture.
“Eldest Brother, do you know where Mount Daybreak is?” he asked. [1]
Looking surprised, the Captain said, “Mount Daybreak? Let me think….” A moment later he continued, “I think I saw that place on a map of Sea-Sealing County I saw once. That’s actually not very far away. Supposedly, in antiquity, there was a sun palace there.” [2]
Xu Qing nodded but didn’t ask any further questions.
Time passed. The journey went smoothly. Occasionally they would run into other strange flying ships. They all flew different flags, but they were all heading in the same direction.
Most of the ships carried young cultivators with extraordinary cultivation bases. The Swordsage Court’s recruitment announcement was a big deal among the human organizations in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. Chosen members from sects large and small were all heading to join the event. After all, becoming a swordsage would elevate one’s status both within the sect and without it, and would bring a better future and more destined opportunities.
After another month went by, Xu Qing finally spotted an astonishing pillar off in the distance. It was fully 3,000 meters thick, pitch-black, and had countless magical symbols and totems carved onto its surface. This was the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar, and it filled one with an indescribable feeling.
Closer examination would reveal that the magical symbols all contained a naturally-occurring dao resonance. It was the same with the totems. They depicted countless bizarre creatures, each of which exuded terrifying pressure. Anyone who saw the huge pillar would feel the urge to drop down and do obeisance.
It pierced the clouds and rose so high it wasn’t possible to see exactly where it ended. However, through the clouds, it was just barely possible to see the vague image of a palace. It was a palace that suppressed the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar, and suppressed everything else in the world. However, not even that suppressing force could stop the shocking battle spirit that emanated from the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar. It was obviously a powerful weapon that had ended the lives of countless living beings in the past, and as a result, was filled with a terrifying rancorous energy. However, the battle spirit ensured that the rancorous energy didn’t seep out. The only thing that could escape were howls of grief that echoed into the minds of those who looked at the pillar.
Xu Qing felt shaken. But what was even more shocking to him was that the Ghost Emperor mountain in his sea of consciousness was stirring. It was almost as if the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar were calling out to it. And at the same time… the pillar also seemed to be trembling slightly.
Xu Qing inhaled sharply. That said, it wasn’t completely unexpected. Back at the Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing Mountain, the Ghost Emperor’s image within him had reacted similarly. The difference was that the reaction this time was stronger.
“When later generations studied the Ghost Emperor,” the Captain said, “they speculated that the pillar was his most important weapon, and that he always carried it with him into battle. The Ghost Emperor’s origin has always been a mystery. Nobody knows what species he was. We just know that he was born at an inauspicious time, and only achieved his dao after the broken face of the god arrived.
“We also don’t know who his main enemy was. We just know that, when he was just about to die, he threw his weapon into the tundra, then sat down next to the sea, closed his eyes, and passed away into meditation. Some people say that when he died, he was facing the sea to the south, as if he were waiting for something.”
As the Captain talked, his voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a whisper.
Xu Qing could sense the Ghost Emperor mountain within his sea of consciousness. Though the face was somewhat blurry, it still resembled his own face.
Maintaining silence, Xu Qing looked at the lands surrounding the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar.
The ground was brilliant white, covered with countless domed tents. There had to be hundreds of thousands of them, creating a very unique city around the pillar. There were no mortals anywhere. These people were cultivators from far and wide. Most were rogue cultivators, and all were humans. There wasn’t a single nonhuman to be seen.
There was only one requirement to either live or practice cultivation around the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar. And that was… you had to be human.
The unique thing about the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar was that after seeking enlightenment from its battle spirit for a certain amount of time, it would cause sealing marks to appear in one’s mind which would be very beneficial in cultivation.
What was more, the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar had legacies. Humans who climbed the pillar, and if they had the right destined opportunities, could gain enlightenment of these legacies. That was why a lot of rogue human cultivators would gather here. As a result, the place bustled with noise and excitement.
Of course, there were also sects who flew their flag there, and had entire tented garrisons set up. Sects from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture were the most common. The Eight Sect Coalition was no exception.
From a distance, Netherflight City looked like a forest filled with clamoring crowds. Gathered at the base of the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar was a group of several thousand, all of them looking up and chatting amongst themselves.
Upon noticing that, Xu Qing looked closer and realized that there were people on the surface of the pillar. There were over a hundred, and they had all ascended to different heights. Some were climbing. Others were meditating on portions of the magical symbols or totems that stuck out of the surface of the pillar. Many were looking up to a figure who was higher up on the pillar than anyone else. It was a young man wearing the daoist robe of the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society. He wasn’t the dao child of the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society. He was another chosen who ranked lower than the dao child. Xu Qing recognized him from the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society convoy they’d seen a month before.
He was currently at about 1,500 meters, which seemed his limit. In fact, after some struggle, he lost his grip and fell. As he descended, a blue light emerged from the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar and shot toward him. The elated chosen reached out, whereupon the blue light turned into a misty blue energy that he grabbed.
Xu Qing had no idea what it was, but he could hear the crowd cheering below.
“So, he was bestowed with secondary springstart energy. That can provide a big boost to life force!”
“The higher you get, the better chance you have at good rewards!”
“That might not be a technique legacy, but secondary springstart energy is still pretty good.”
Hearing the discussion, Xu Qing looked curiously at the misty blue energy in the hand of the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society disciple.
“That’s how the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar works,” the Captain said, his eyes shining with anticipation. “The higher you climb, the better chance you have at getting something good.
“Based on the intelligence reports I’ve read, the good fortune bestowed by the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar comes in the form of legacies, but also, it gives out special types of energy. For example, the secondary springstart energy relates to life force. The tenstem relighting energy relates to alchemy. The septenary metallic energy is good for equipment forging. [3]
“And then there’s the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar itself. By seeking enlightenment of its battle spirit, you can get very special and helpful sealing marks on your sea of consciousness that give you extraordinary killing power. That option isn’t very difficult. I mean, just looking at the pillar, I can sense enlightenment. Doing so will get you credit during the swordsage recruitment test.”
Xu Qing nodded, having already decided he would seek enlightenment.
Upon seeing Xu Qing look so serious, the Captain felt very pleased. The truth was that gaining enlightenment of that sealing mark was very difficult. However, in order to emphasize his superiority as the Eldest Brother, he had made it sound very simple. Therefore, when Xu Qing took a long time, it would make him, Chen Erniu, seem that much more formidable.
It was in this manner that Xu Qing, the Captain, and Yanyan got closer and closer to Netherflight City. Eventually, Xu Qing put his dharmaship away. Dropping down into the tents, they moved in the direction of the Eight Sect Coalition’s garrison. The city was crowded now, and it was expensive to rent accommodations, so to save money, it was only natural they would head to their own sect’s area.
They soon arrived. The Eight Sect Coalition garrison was set up not very far from the pillar itself, and had over a hundred tents set up. Once inside, Xu Qing, the Captain, and Yanyan dropped their disguises. When their true faces were revealed, the other coalition disciples immediately noticed them.
The Captain and Yanyan didn’t attract much attention, but Xu Qing did. Given that he had dao child remuneration, and was very well-known in the coalition, it caused numerous coalition disciples to immediately clasp hands and bow in his direction. There were a bit over a hundred disciples present, most of them in Foundation Establishment, with only a few in Gold Core. Few of them qualified to be swordsages, as they didn’t meet the age requirement. Rather, they had been sent here by the sect for training purposes.
There weren’t many from Seven Blood Eyes. The Mute was there, and when he saw Xu Qing and the Captain, he bowed reverentially. Then he hurried over to Xu Qing’s side and started looking around vigilantly.
.
After settling in, Xu Qing learned from the Seven Blood Eyes disciples that this group had been led here by Sir Bloodsmelter and Yanyan’s grandmother. Also present were the sect leaders of the House of Grue Hunters and the Heavenmirror Treasure Sect.
Master Seventh hadn’t come.
However, upon arriving, the patriarch and the other top cultivators had apparently gone directly to the Swordsage Court to discuss some unknown matter. Because of that, Xu Qing decided he wouldn’t immediately go offer formal greetings.
Yanyan felt a bit guilty, as she had secretly left Seven Blood Eyes without telling anyone. When she heard her grandmother was present, she was about to say something to Xu Qing when her transmission jade slip vibrated. Looking at it, she sighed.
“Big Bro Xu Qing, my grandma knows I’m here. I have to go see her and smooth things over. Otherwise, she’ll never let me out of her sight again.”
Meanwhile, the Captain was breathing a sigh of relief that Arch-Immortal Plumdark hadn’t come. “I wonder why the patriarch is here. Probably because of me. He always seems very serious, but the truth is that he really likes me. He probably wants to encourage me to go back to the sect. Sadly, you’re not on the same level as me, little Ah Qing. You’re just not well-spoken! Remember, when we get back, as long as you pay me what you owe, I can give you a few tips on how to suck up to the old-timers.”
Xu Qing looked at him, blinking. “You’re right, Eldest Brother. In fact, I suggest you go right now to offer greetings to the patriarch. He might even have some advice about the recruitment test. You might learn some things that will help both of us.”
“That’s a good point!” The Captain’s eyes lit up, and he took a few steps before stopping and looking suspiciously at Xu Qing. “Hold on, little Ah Qing. You don’t usually say things like that. Something’s off here….”
Xu Qing simply looked curiously at the Captain.
The Captain looked back suspiciously. However, before he could say anything, a cold, booming snort rang out from above, causing everything to tremble.
“The Swordsage Court is off-limits to all nonhumans! Any nonhuman who encroaches will be slaughtered!”
1. Mount Daybreak was mentioned in 👈
2. There are many, many words that can be translated ‘palace’ in Chinese. And there are many types of palaces. In this case, it’s specifically referring to a location where an emperor (and/or empress) would sleep during the night. This same type of palace is mentioned in 👈
3. All of the types of energy here have names relating to the ten Heavenly Stems. 👈