Sheer cliffs, a thousand ren high, with lone pines hanging upside down.
A prominent stone platform extended from the hundred-zhang cliff, with a winding stone staircase disappearing into the mist on the left, and a soaring waterfall on the right, roaring like a Dragon.
As the morning sun sprinkled down, an old man and a young man sat opposite each other, black and white pieces intertwined on the chessboard.
“Master, has Junior Martial Uncle already returned?” the young man in the pavilion asked.
The old man stroked his goatee and slowly said, “When you were in seclusion for crystallization, there was an urgent matter within the Sect, so he left ahead of time.”
“Hmph, Junior Martial Uncle must have been afraid I’d ask for his Snow Peak Jade!” Ling Tian grabbed a chess piece and dropped it heavily.
“Clack!”
As the piece settled, the young man’s face bore a hint of resolve that belied his age.
Looking at the vibrant young man before him, a flicker of imperceptible sadness passed through the old man’s eyes.
“Master, after crystallization, I seem to feel even closer to this world,” Ling Tian suddenly said.
The old man nodded slightly, gently placed a piece, and his voice was distant: “Heaven and Earth have Spirit, and all things have Dao. Since you have crystallized, you have truly stepped through the gate of Immortal cultivation.”
“Nine years, from Qi Refining fifth layer to crystallization, your talent, looking across the entire continent, can be considered Peerless Grade. But remember, there are always mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people.”
The old man spoke earnestly: “Above the Five Realms, there is the Celestial Realm. Immortals of the Celestial Realm are born with a Nascent Soul. For us Mortals cultivating Immortality, every step is arduous. We must not only rely on talent but also be cautious and bide our time.”
“Disciple understands!” Ling Tian responded solemnly.
“Celestial Realm… Immortals…”
“The Tianyuan Continent has five realms standing in parallel, separated by realm gates. Apart from the Human and Demon Realms, which are open for trade, the other Three Realms have not been connected for a thousand years.”
The old man paused, then continued: “To forcibly break through the realms, one must possess sky-high strength, capable of shattering the Void Realm. At my peak, I might have been able to attempt it, but now…”
A hint of melancholy flashed in the old man’s eyes, then he looked at Ling Tian.
“The saying ‘seeing a mountain is a mountain’…” The old man pointed his fingers like a sword and lightly swished them.
“Boom!”
An invisible Sword Qi instantly shattered the chess pieces on the board into powder.
Before the powder could fall, it condensed in the air into three miniature mountains, lifelike.
“Seeing a mountain is not a mountain…”
Ling Tian only felt a Dragon's roar explode in his ears, and the mountains before his eyes transformed into a bloody blade light!
That blade light, like a nightmare, instantly pulled him back to that bloody night nine years ago.
“Master!” Ling Tian abruptly stood up, the stone table cracking inch by inch. He felt a fishy and sweet surge up his throat, which he forcefully suppressed, but then he saw the hideous old wound beneath the old man’s Daoist robe.
“Master, sometimes, I truly wish to stay here forever, to accompany you until the end of your days. But… that night’s blade light, my father’s blood, my mother’s tears, torment me incessantly! I cannot forget! I dare not forget! This vendetta must be avenged!”
Flames burned fiercely in the young man’s eyes.
“It’s been nine years…” The old man looked at the young man before him, his voice trembling slightly.
Ling Tian looked at the old man, tears welling up uncontrollably and streaming down his face.
“When you go out into the world, human hearts are unpredictable. You must not harbor intentions to harm others, but you must not be without guard against them!” The old man admonished, “Since you have crystallized, you can now cast Intermediate level spells. Today, I shall bestow upon you another Spiritual Artifact, to ensure your journey is safe!”
The old man waved his sleeve, forming hand seals. “Mysterious Dao opens, sun and moon appear, Jade Dragon emerges, heaven and earth change! Ten Thousand Imprisonments Heavenly Knot!”
As the sword incantation began, the entire Black Sky Mountain Range trembled violently!
Nine thick profound iron chains, the size of water buckets, burst from the ground, and at the end of each chain were nine ferocious Dragon heads, their Dragon eyes shooting out bloody light!
The old man bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of vital blood!
“Crack! Crack!”
The chains snapped inch by inch, and the sound of a Dragon's roar resounded through the heavens and earth!
As the bloody light dissipated, a long sword quietly floated.
The sword was five chi long, about three fingers wide, pure white all over, and as warm as jade. Its blade shimmered with cold light, incomparably sharp. On the hilt, Dragon patterns coiled, lifelike, with faint sounds of a Dragon's roar emanating from them.
“This sword is named Jade Dragon! I forged it using the undying Heavenly Fire of Black Sky Mountain, fused with ten-thousand-year profound jade essence, and then suppressed it within an underground Spiritual Vein for four hundred and thirty years, absorbing the Qi of the earth and drawing the essence of the moon! It is now a Peerless Grade Spiritual Artifact, and combined with your Flame Dragon Body, it will be like adding wings to a tiger. Watch closely!”
The old man’s expression was solemn as he formed hand seals and roared, “Dragon Spirit, transform!”
As the incantation fell, the jade dragon sword suddenly burst into brilliant light! Accompanied by a piercing sound of tearing air, it rapidly ascended, transforming into a giant sword that blotted out the sky, spanning across the horizon.
Ling Tian looked up, his eyes filled with shock!
On the giant sword, Dragon patterns flickered, and azure light flowed, like the trajectories of stars, profound and deep.
“Azure Dragon Sky Splitting Slash!”
The old man roared again! The giant sword transformed into a streak of light, slashing towards the distant mountains!
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
Three tremendous explosions, shaking the heavens and earth!
Mountains collapsed, and the earth cracked open!
A bottomless crack appeared on the ground, extending into the distance. The once towering mountain peaks had vanished, leaving only a chaotic ruin.
As the smoke and dust cleared, Ling Tian looked at everything before him, his mouth agape.
“This… this…”
“This is only the third form of the Jade Dragon’s seven innate forms, its power is still acceptable. It has been nurtured in the Spiritual Vein for many years, its essence full, and today I shall let you witness its power.” The old man said lightly, as if the world-destroying strike just now was merely an effortless act.
“However, with your current cultivation, you cannot yet wield it. Even the first form, Golden Dragon's Roar to the Heavens, requires at least Golden Core cultivation.” Long Daozi laughed, “Alright, quickly perform the blood recognition.”
“Yes!”
Ling Tian excitedly looked at the floating jade dragon sword, bit his finger, and a drop of vital blood merged into the sword body.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz!”
The jade sword trembled violently, as if resisting! “Buddha Profound Hand! Suppress it for me!” Long Daozi roared, and a pair of large hands extended from his sleeves, gripping the hilt of the sword, “How many years has it been, and its temper is still so fierce! Suppress it for me!” He then unleashed his power with a bang, and with a “roar” that followed, the sword body stopped shaking. Then, a huge Dragon's roar sounded in his ear! The jade sword flew to Ling Tian’s side, circling around him.
“Take the sword into your Dantian and nourish it with true essence. The seven innate forms will manifest when your cultivation is sufficient.”
“Yes! Master.”
Ling Tian formed hand seals, and the jade dragon sword transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into his glabella.
“You shall depart in seven days. These next few days, I will teach you some life-saving techniques, and these Medicinal Pills and Talismans, you should keep them safe…” The old man said, handing Ling Tian a qiankun bag.
Then, their figures flickered, descending towards the cliff, like two falling leaves, light and silent.
Seven days passed in a flash, and soon it was time for their departure.
Ling Tian knelt before the wooden house by the lake, weeping, “Master, Xiao Tian is leaving. Once Xiao Tian has avenged the extermination of his clan, he will return to serve you!” His face was drenched in tears, his voice hoarse. After this farewell, the date of his return was unknown.
“Thump, thump, thump…”
Ling Tian heavily kowtowed three times towards the wooden house, tears gushing forth and dripping onto the ground.
“Master, take care!”
He stood up, took a deep look at the wooden house, then pushed off the ground, his figure soaring into the air, and the jade dragon sword immediately flew out from behind him.
“Dragon Spirit! Transform!” The jade dragon sword transformed into a giant sword suspended in the air.
Ling Tian then stepped onto the Jade Dragon, turning into a golden rainbow without looking back, disappearing into the horizon, for he feared that one more glance would rob him of the courage to leave.
The sound of the sword’s roar echoed through the sky, and the old wound beneath the old man’s Daoist robe suddenly gushed out a large amount of black blood, which condensed into chain shapes in the air. As the old man’s arm slowly dropped, the soul lamp on the table gradually extinguished.