The main doors of the Red Heart Sword Palace were made out of two huge swords, where huge, metal chains descended from the Clear Sky of Shushan.
There were also other huge swords embedded at many places within the Common Sword Domain.
Looking up, he saw the colored clouds that circled the Clear Sky of Shushan. They continued to roll through the skies, the sound of sword qi whistling through faintly.
Each time Wu Yu looked at the unbelievably high peak, he would wonder what was on top, and how strong the legendary Shushan Sword Sages were.
When they arrived, a group of people in red armor asked Wu Yu, "You two are leaving Shushan?"
"Yes." Wu Yu stepped forward.
A middle-aged man was sitting on an arm chair, drinking wine in big gulps. Everyone else was a young disciple. One young disciple led Wu Yu to the front of a wide table and said, "Write your name here and then exit. Don't write it carelessly, or write others' names. If you're discovered, then there will be trouble. I trust you two aren't that foolish."
He had seen this in the Rules of the Shushan Sect as well. Indeed, he could not fool around with this. He wrote Green Glass Sword Palace, Futu Hall, Wu Yu.
However, Nangong Wei, who followed closely behind, wrote Green Glass Sword Palace, Futu Hall, Nangong Wei.
This threw Wu Yu off, but he could not stop her right now.
After Nangong Wei was finished writing, she threw a cheeky smile Wu Yu's way. He was hapless.
She had clearly come down from the Clear Sky of Shushan, and therefore it was not prudent to write her identity.
The disciple recorded the date, then packed it all up, saying, "Both of you note well. You must return within three months: otherwise, you will have violated the sect’s rules. You will be punished accordingly. The longer you stay out, the heavier the punishment will be, until finally you are cast out. Also, when you return, in order to facilitate the head count, you must return from the Red Heart Sword Palace."
"Got it." Wu Yu had read the sect rules and knew this very well.
"You may leave."
Both left at speed, without pause.
A few disciples were gathered at the side, and one glanced in their direction, mulling it over. "Green Glass Sword Palace? Aren't they also a periphery sword palace? They have their own gate, right?"
Shushan disciples who did not leave from main gates would be attacked by the Shushan spirit design.
"The Green Glass Sword Palace is in the east, and we're in the south. We're so far apart. Maybe those two stayed long in the Common Sword Domain's south sector and took the convenient way out."
"They're really something. They're not disciples of the four major sword ranks either. What are they doing out there? Shushan is much better. Spiritual qi is at a peak here... cultivation is fastest."
They spoke the truth. If not for Zhang Futu's presence, Wu Yu would have no need to leave.
For now, he had no destination. After they left, he used the Art of Sword Flight with Nangong Wei, allowing her on his sword. They flew in a south-easterly direction!
The world was huge, and Wu Yu naturally understood that the further they were from the Shushan Immortal Sect, the harder it would be for Zhang Futu to find them. Since the world was so vast, Wu Yu would be like a needle in a haystack.
It was Nangong Wei's first time leaving Shushan, and she whooped as she stood on the sword and savored the wide expanse. She was young, and her child's heart was still in reign. Letting herself go, she laughed, sang, and danced. Her silvery voice tinkled in the clouds. It was hard not to be happy when one was with her.
"Big Brother, this is a rare outing. What should we do?" Nangong Wei said.
Actually, she just wanted to play.
But Wu Yu said, "Find a good place, then I have to cultivate."
"But what about fun?" Nangong Wei said with a long face.
Wu Yu thought of Zhang Futu and knew that he could not waste even a moment. He said, "Not this time, I'm afraid. Next time."
Nangong Wei was no fool either. She knew that that Huang sword rank disciple was trouble for Wu Yu. So she smiled and said, "I'll remember that. No shirking next time."
Wu Yu spent another 10 days hurrying along with the Art of Sword Flight. He passed through clouds and over mountains. They saw many picturesque views. Finally, they had traveled far enough that Wu Yu was sure Zhang Futu could not find them. They found a place where the spiritual qi was dense and there were no sects nearby. They descended into a beautiful land, peaceful and serene. Flowers bloomed and birdsong could be heard.
He sat cross-legged and thought, "If I can quickly reach the second tier of the Jindan Dao Realm in these three months, and also brush up on the Fixed Body Art and the Violent Art, I will be better protected. First, I will see these three months through. And then I will consider the rest."
In a new land, Nangong Wei was soon chasing the butterflies excitedly.
"First, I will continue to use the Great Way of Immortality Art to refine my Jindan, to strengthen it. Ability is the foundation. The rest will wait."
He decided and then began.
In his mind's eye, he could see Zhang Futu looking coldly at him. Wu Yu tore away from it, then began to train his Jindan!
"Me too!"
Nangong Wei sat beside him, looking at Wu Yu with her lively eyes. The two faced each other, and she smiled sweetly, also beginning to train her Jindan.
"Big Brother, I want to help you defeat that person," Nangong Wei said softly.
.......
Shushan!
Outside the Demons' Abyss, Zhang Futu clasped his hands behind his back. He stood on a tall mountain, watching the entrance of the Demons' Abyss for any disturbance.
Back when he had re-entered to search, he had lost Wu Yu's tracks after a day, and had ended up empty-handed. He had sensed something was awry then, and hurried out. More than 10 days later, he still had seen no sign of Wu Yu.
Of course, Wu Yu had not returned to Futu Hall either.
He felt a sense of foreboding.
"Perhaps I have underestimated that fly?" Zhang Futu laughed thoughtfully. On second thought, Wu Yu had burrowed into Jindan Cave the moment he arrived at Futu Hall. Then he had gone to the Demons' Abyss after he had succeeded. He seemed to be avoiding him.
Just at this time, a middle-aged sword cultivator came beside him, saying, "Hall Master, I've found Wu Yu's trace."
This person was one of the assistant hall masters of Futu Hall, in charge of merits.
"Where has that brat run off to? He's new here, and I'm worried that something has happened to him in the Demons' Abyss. Maybe he's injured by demons," Zhang Futu said.
The assistant hall master laughed along, saying, "I hear that Wu Yu is quite talented. Hall Master's concern for this disciple's safety is telling that Wu Yu lives up to that reputation indeed. I have spent much effort asking many brothers. I found out that more than 10 days ago, Wu Yu left from the Red Heart Sword Palace to train outside."
Hearing this, the assistant hall master was very curious, saying, "This Wu Yu is a strange one. Haven't seen much of him since he came to Futu Hall. He's been here for just over half a year, and already he dares to leave Shushan to train. A brazen one, no wonder he's Hall Master's disciple!"
He intended this at praise, but saw Zhang Futu's face turning ugly. He hurried to change tact, saying, "Not good to be too bold. Such disciples make one worry."
Zhang Futu waved it off. "Thank you for your trouble. Please go back first. That child is like that, an impetuous one. He did not even inform me. When he comes back, I will reprimand him."
"As it should be. Then I will take my leave first."
After the assistant hall master left, Zhang Futu looked out toward the south, a wry smile on his face.
"Seems like it's getting more and more interesting. That kid actually knows what I'm going to do to him. He hid in Jindan Cave, and then in the Demons' Abyss. Now he's pulled a fast one and actually taken cover outside of Shushan."
Yet still he was not worried.
"He can run for a while, but can he hide forever?"
Zhang Futu laughed.
A few days later, Zhang Futu stood alone, his hands clasped behind his back, in Futu Hall at Green Glass Sword Palace. Suddenly, a figure could be seen outside the door of Futu Hall. The person did not enter. Only the shadow intruded on Futu Hall.
"You're here?" Zhang Futu turned back with a thin smile.
"Soul Controller Pill, 300 sword cores. Skeleton's Cuff, 500 sword cores. A total of 800 sword cores. Out with it," the figure said in a raspy voice.
"Very well." Without much hesitation, Zhang Futu pulled out a Sumeru Pouch and tossed it outside the door, straight into the person's waiting hands. The person checked its contents and then stowed it near the chest. And then another Sumeru Pouch was thrown straight into Zhang Futu's hands.
Zhang Futu felt inside and then smiled.
"Zhang Futu, these are taboo items in the sect. What are you playing at this time?" the person asked before leaving.
Hearing this, Zhang Futu's expression turned frigid, saying, "Isn't your business to mind your own business? If you mind others' business, who will mind yours?"
The opponent cackled. The voice was like rubbing two logs against each other. He said, "I was just curious. Don't worry. Besides heaven and hell, only you and I will know about this."
"I won't see you out."
After that person left, Zhang Futu gripped the Sumeru Pouch in his hand, excitement shining through his eyes. He was almost dancing now, pirouetting on the spot. The smile on his face was huge, and he almost chuckled out loud.
"Who would have thought that I, Zhang Futu, would one day have such luck!"
He looked out and exulted, "What manner of being is this? Began cultivation at 15, and Jindan in four to five years!
"After he cultivated his Jindan, a first tier Jindan cultivator that crushed a third tier Jindan! At least his Jindan quality must be of the highest calibre. Such talent is higher than the highest in the sect!"
"Besides, he has a strange immortality art that can paralyze people, and even kill them. He cannot possibly be using this immortality art to its fullest. If it were me, haha! It seems like this Wu Yu must have some amazing legacy! It might even be the legacy of an immortal, or some fearsome ancient martial cultivator!"
He rambled on to himself madly.
"This means that he still hides many techniques. I will excavate them thoroughly. He has just begun on his journey, and is at the most vulnerable. The best time for me to get a hold of him...."
Zhang Futu's eyes were lustful. He whooped and laughed.
Finally, he looked again at the objects in his hands.
"This level of legacy will definitely be extremely difficult to obtain. But this Soul Controller Pill will force him to obey me. He will be hypnotized to be loyal to me, and I can ask all of his secrets. As for this Skeleton's Cuff, once I lock it onto his skeleton, I can kill him at any time. First, I will make him an obedient dog, and then it will be much easier to take his legacy...."