Borrowed Sword

Chapter 213 : Turning the Tide of Heaven

Chapter 213: Turning the Tide of Heaven

"What!?" Chu Yinyin, who had been listening on the side, was the first to cry out in shock.

Her bright, expressive eyes instantly widened into full circles as she looked at Chu Huaixu in disbelief.

Dead Fox, taking advantage of Jiang Zhi's current patience with him, didn't rush to answer. Instead, he played the part of a "spoiled favorite," and countered with a question:

『How did Little Martial Uncle Ancestor discover it?』

Jiang Zhi looked at him and did not hide the truth:

『Naturally, it's because I once refined one. It contains Origin Power within, so I can sense the power from the same source.』

That did make Chu Huaixu realize something.

『The black bead on the sword scabbard is quite strange—it can block others from probing.』

『Back at the Martial Arena, when I used 【Dao Birth One】 to resist the Bronze Sword in front of everyone, none of them noticed anything.』

『But Origin Power truly is unique.』

『Even though the Fragment of Xuanhuang Origin had already been absorbed into the Medicinal Cauldron, its aura could still be detected by Jiang Zhi!』

『But from what he said, it seems he only sensed a power from the same source.』

Dead Fox looked at him and replied, 『Little Martial Uncle Ancestor is right. I did indeed obtain two pieces in one go.』

"For real!?" Chu Yinyin was so shocked she nearly jumped.

Chu Huaixu glanced at the dramatic old girl and couldn’t help but find it amusing.

As if we’re joking with you here?

He continued, 『Earlier, when Senior Situ and the others asked me why the suppressive force in the Origin Spirit Realm weakened, I didn’t answer at the time—for this very reason.』

Jiang Zhi seemed to guess something and immediately said, 『Then let’s return first. The Sect Master and others are likely waiting for you.』

Having said that, he quickened his pace, taking the two of them toward the Dao Gate.

But before that, he glanced back in the direction of Li Meishan and the others. A trace of apprehension flashed in his eyes, along with a hint of reassurance.

In the distance, someone was walking in midair.

He wore a light cyan cross-collared long robe with large sleeves and a slanted front, tied with a silk sash at the waist. His head was adorned with a scholar’s headcloth, with two long trailing ribbons fluttering behind as he moved.

His attire was somewhat similar to the scholars of Mirror Country and Moon Country.

This person walked through the air, crossing several li with each step. In just seven steps, he arrived beside Li Meishan and the others.

"Scholar Cheng, did Jiang Zhi truly not use Origin Power?" Li Meishan couldn’t help but ask.

"Of course. With the Dao Gate’s Little Martial Uncle’s character, how could he lie to elevate himself?" Cheng Yuyan answered.

『Don’t overthink it. Did you truly believe his fall in realm was due to injury and a sharp drop in strength?』

『Even if I didn’t make a move, and all remaining members of 【Divergent Path】 attacked together, the result would be the same.』 He smiled.

Li Meishan’s expression turned sour.

He was the one in all of 【Divergent Path】 closest to the Ninth Realm, and he had the greatest need for the 【Origin Fragment】.

『Those six great forces have never taken us rogue cultivators seriously!』 someone said furiously.

Cheng Yuyan merely raised his hand with a smile, 『Not quite. The current situation has changed.』

After saying that, he looked deeply in the direction Chu Huaixu had vanished.

『In this world, reward and risk always go hand in hand. The Origin Spirit Realm must have undergone some changes.』 he said to everyone.

"What do you mean?" Li Meishan asked.

『It means that in the past, the latter layers of the Origin Spirit Realm were settled internally by those six great forces, and the path to the Ninth Realm was distributed among them.』

『But that was because the difficulty wasn’t too high, and the Xuanhuang Realm always had better chances of winning.』

『The reason the Eastern and Western Continents’ Grand Competition is only held for the First and Third Realms is because the cultivation systems of Xuanhuang and Kunlun Grotto-Heaven differ. Low-tier cultivators in Xuanhuang have fewer techniques than low-tier cultivators over there.』

『Xuanhuang’s elite low-tier cultivators might not even be a match for their average low-tier cultivators.』

『Which is understandable. Their peak Qi Refiners might be in their thirties or even fifties or sixties. Fighting against Xuanhuang’s low-tier cultivators is like an old man playing with children.』

『So a Xuanhuang Champion must be chosen to increase our chances.』

『That’s how I got a chance to enter the second layer of the Origin Spirit Realm.』

『That competition was hosted by the Dao Gate. Thankfully, the Dao Gate keeps its promises. They allowed me to refine it inside their sect and even protected me. Even though I declined to become a True Disciple, they still let me leave and escorted me partway down the mountain.』

『This favor, I have never forgotten.』

『Alright, let’s not digress further.』

『Once one reaches the level of a Major Cultivator, with Origin Power suppressing Immortal Cultivators, the strength difference isn’t as great.』

『Take the third layer of the Origin Spirit Realm, for example. The Fifth Realm members chosen by the six great forces might not be the strongest in the entire Xuanhuang Realm.』

『But being chosen within the six great forces already proves their strength.』

『Given past experiences and odds, that was always enough.』

And precisely because of this, they’d maintained a monopoly for hundreds of years.

Li Meishan immediately understood and his eyes lit up, 『So Scholar Cheng, you’re guessing that the situation has changed?』

『I do have such a suspicion.』 Cheng Yuyan replied.

"How did you learn that?" Li Meishan pressed.

『Cannot say, cannot say.』 He smiled.

In the end, he simply added:

『In short, the next layers of the Origin Spirit Realm may also require the strongest of each realm from Xuanhuang to proceed.』

『You Seventh Realm cultivators now have a chance.』

『It’s just a pity there’s a mountain among Seventh Realm experts you might not overcome—Dao Gate’s Shen Man.』

Cheng Yuyan sighed lightly, still wearing a faint smile.

『As for the fifth layer, that one has no limit on numbers. I think they might need our help too.』

『By then, whatever conditions you have—you can negotiate.』

Upon hearing this, everyone’s once-doused enthusiasm began to burn again.

The repeated failures at siege had deepened their recognition of the power of Origin and the Ninth Realm.

Enduring repeated humiliation, their hearts burned with indignation!

Put together, their desire to enter the Origin Spirit Realm now burned fiercer than ever!

Having said all this, Cheng Yuyan finally cast a long gaze toward the Dao Gate.

『One man holds two pieces of the 【Fragment of Xuanhuang Origin】?』

『Chu Huaixu, Xuanhuang Champion.』

This former Champion of the Third Realm pondered to himself: 『Interesting.』

[Continued in next section due to length...]