AST 921 – Killing with Heart Toxin Talisman, The Dust Settles, Spirit Gathering Formation
Pale faced Qing Shui had suffered quite heavy injuries and found it hard to fend off this sabre attack. He took out the Crystal Physique Card the old man had given him, slapping down two Crystal Physique Card on himself, one to increase his defense, another to increase his speed.
At the start, Qing Shui didn't want to rely on external items but eventually, he didn't have any choice about using them. After applying them, when he took out a speed reducing Crystal Physique Card and wanted to throw it out, he quickly took out a Heart Toxin Talisman and threw them toward the old man who was now not very far away.
The Heart Toxin Talisman would definitely hit and the other speed reducing item seemed like it would hit as well…
The Crystal Physique Card he had slapped down on himself instantly fused into his body and a layer of "shell casing" seemed to have formed on the surface of his skin. At the same time, his body was filled with energy, especially in his legs.
This was the feeling of having his speed augmented!
The old man gradually slowed down before he stopped not far away from Qing Shui, causing Qing Shui to feel puzzled. Even though the effect of the speed reducing Crystal Physique Card was very good, it shouldn't be to the extent of causing his opponent to come to a stop.
When Qing Shui saw his eyes, he finally understood that it was because his Heart Toxin Talisman had taken effect. Right now, that murky pair of eyes was filled with pain and regret…
In one look, Qing Shui could guess that this old man had done something which he had regretted before and it was something that was unknown to others. However, it was something which could make him regret for life. To him, it should be like a nightmare.
A scene that the old man could never forget appeared before the old man's eyes. Or rather, it could be said that he could no longer differentiate if it was reality or a dream. It was because it was something he had done and right now, he was looking right at it.
He saw the scene of him killing his wife and children. In that scene, he had totally lost his mind. He now knew that he had been framed by other people and someone had used "Mesmerizing Heart Powder" on him. He only knew of this at a later time. Back then, the other party had wanted to push him to his wits end.
His wife and kids had called out to him repeatedly, asking him to wake up. There were also two young kids who were only three years old and were crying out and calling for their father. However, he still killed them…
The old man trembled. He had gotten stronger since then and although he had wiped out the entire clan of his enemy, it wasn't enough to erase the regret in his heart, especially when he recalled the innocent cries of his three year old son and daughter calling out for him, their father…
They were still kids and they were his kids. To think that he could actually bear to do such a thing to them. For so many years, he had been woken up from his sleep due to the pain of this "mental agony". Up to today, he had not married another woman and did not have more kids of his own.
"Daddy…"
In the scene, two helpless young kids were grabbing onto his leg, calling out to him nonstop.
A trickle of blood flowed down the corner of his lips. No matter if one was evil or good, they were still human and they would still have emotions. This event could be said to be a burden weighing down on the old man's heart. Every time he recalled it, he would have the urge to kill himself. And every time, his heart would be as if it was being cut repeatedly.
Qing Shui saw that blood kept flowing down from the corner of the old man's lips and heaved a sigh of relief. The fact that the old man was injured was secondary. Most importantly, a mental injury would cause more damage than a physical one.
Qing Shui had not expected that the Heart Toxin Talisman could actually cripple this old man. He knew that it could bring up what was troubling one the most. Which person could live a life without any regrets, one in which they had done no wrong? No one was perfect and the Heart Toxin Talisman could let them recall what they regretted or what that had pained them the most. In that moment the person's mental state would become extremely fragile and might even go crazy from the agony. The Heart Toxin Talisman could also make people who were rash develop an illusion, causing them to feel numb and to do things they would never usually dare to do.
This was how terrifying the Heart Toxin Talisman was. It attacked one's mind!
The Heart Toxin Talisman was meant to be used for dealing with evil people and it would be best if it was an evildoer who had a hint of humanity, so that it could be used to attack the person's mind. However, if the person was cold-blooded, it would be practically useless. However, it would still be possible to numb the opponent through one's desires. It was impossible for one to be completely void of emotions and desires…
It was evident that this old man had yet to attain the stage of "devoid of emotions". He had already lost. Qing Shui was in no hurry to take action. Right now, he would be able to kill him easily.
However, Qing Shui didn't do it. He wanted to let the old man think back to the past or rather to repent. Although it was painful, sometimes it was a means of recollecting the past. Therefore, he didn't take any action.
The old man trembled slightly before he said, "Can you promise me one thing?"
His voice was very hoarse. Qing Shui also felt that the old man's vitality was running out. He had only half a day of life span left at most.
When a person was on his deathbed, even his words would sound kind. Moreover, it wouldn't hurt for him to listen. Therefore, Qing Shui nodded.
"I have half a day left to live at most. But you don't have to worry. I'll kill myself. I only hope that you don't harm my ride. I hope to let it bring me to where I want to die." At this moment, the old man's face seemed very serene.
Qing Shui hesitated before he nodded.
"Sky Prison Sect has already been disbanded and will not be able to get back on its feet. This is fate" as if he could sense Qing Shui's emotions, the old man said gradually.
Hearing the old man's words, Qing Shui could now rest assured. The issue with the Sky Prison Sect was over. He nodded and looked at the old man. Both of them fell silent. Qing Shui was waiting, waiting for the old man to leave.
The old man looked at the sun which was as bright as ever. However, the old man's heart was heavy. After so many years, he still couldn't get past himself. He had always thought himself to be a heartless person, but he now knew that he had just been deceiving himself all this time.
Their fight had started in the air and eventually it was moved to the ground. The old man looked toward the other old man who had been corroded by the Corrosive Poison Web and was not far from him. The old man then thrust his Sky Prison Sabre into his chest.
He could now be reunited with his wife and children. He could now explain to them what had happened back then. He could repent before them. He missed them a lot…
Qing Shui stood there quietly, looking at the old man who slowly fell down but was wearing a serene smile. Qing Shui let out a long breath. The old man could be said to be free now.
Qing Shui placed the old man onto that Wolf-Headed Jadewater Hawk, not evening moving the sabre. He watched as the Wolf-Headed Jadewater Hawk left his vision and it was only then that fresh blood trickled down the corner of his lips.
He wiped it off. His injuries were not very serious but were not light either. However, he could treat them himself. He put away the Blackjade Poisonous Spiderweb and the other violet colored Sky Prison Sabre.
"He's won!" Mu Qing looked at that silhouette which was not considered very tall. However, at this moment, she felt that he was even taller than the mountain peak which had reached into the clouds.
"He's won!"
…
Many people from the Mu Clan heaved a sigh of relief. At a point of life and death, many of them felt very scared. Maybe a lot of them might not be afraid of death but they couldn't withstand the atmosphere before death arrived. Moreover, many of them couldn't really let go of everything and would definitely have things they couldn't put down. It was like how people who committed suicide tended to be people who no longer had anything in this world which they would miss and they felt disheartened with this world.
Suddenly, more people came to pay their respects at the wake. As time passed by, more and more powerful sects from the city sent people over. There were even some from reputable sects and clans who were no weaker than the Sky Prison Sect who had sent representatives.
There were also people from Dong Clan and Sun Clan as well.
All the way until the afternoon, when they were preparing to move the coffin, the sounds of someone coming to pay their respects were heard.
The Godly Sword Clan has arrived!
Many people from the Mu Clan were stunned. To think that the most powerful sect in the city, the Godly Sword Clan had come. Mu Fengyang quickly stepped up, dressed in his mourning clothes. At this stage, they still got a shock when they heard that people from the Godly Sword Clan had come.
More than ten people came. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man who stood upright, wearing a set of white clothes with some parts colored gold. A crimson long sabre was embroidered on the clothes, giving the elegant and handsome man an additional sharp disposition.
"Senior, I heard that the Mu Clan's Old Ancestor passed away. Our Old Ancestor has sent us here to pay our respects" the middle-aged man put his hands together and said to Mu Fengyang.
"Please help extend my thanks. This way please!" Mu Fengyang said calmly.
What person was Mu Fengyang? How could he not understand the reason why they had come? There could only be two possibilities. The first one was because the Mu Clan now had the right to enter the circle of the strongest factions in the city. Thus, the Godly Sword Clan had come forth to build good relations and become friends or allies with them. Another possibility was that they were here to check out their abilities and then, while they were still suffering from casualties, to nip this potential threat in the bud while it was still growing.
However the representatives the Godly Sword Clan had sent were juniors. Therefore, chances were that it was the first possibility. This was a great chance for the Mu Clan.
After the guy had paid his respects, he didn't stay long and turned to leave. Mu Fengyang sent him off himself.
"Senior, after the funeral, Old Ancestor hopes that everyone can meet up," when Mu Fengyang sent him to the door, the guy said softly to Mu Fengyang.
"Alright, I'll definitely find a day and head over in person."
"Senior, there's no need to send us off any further. We'll take our leave!"
…
Qing Shui watched from afar as the man left. The Godly Sword Clan did very well and didn't pursue the "insignificant" things. For example, with Mu Clan's old man dead, who was it who had killed the two old men from the Sky Prison Sect? Even if they knew that it was him, they didn't ask. After all, they were here to attend the funeral.
The funeral procession went ahead as planned. A good time was selected for the old man to be buried. It was a tiring day mentally for Qing Shui and he went back for an early rest.
In the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, Qing Shui laid down on the bed, feeling relaxed. Everything had come to a close and he had reaped a lot of rewards. It was a pity that he wouldn't be able to return for the new year. The things here should still take some time. He had promised Mu Clan's old man and he would need to help the Mu Clan strengthen their standing here a little bit more before he left.
Cultivation, creating formations, drawing talismans…
Refining poison, tempering treasures, forging…
There were many things which Qing Shui had to do. Every day Qing Shui would set up the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation once but he would fail every single time. He was now used to it. It was as if it would be abnormal if he were to succeed.
Qing Shui didn't know he was stubborn. Right now, the Duality Minutest Formation and Nine Palace Steps had reached quite high levels. It would be very hard to bring them to a higher level. He would need more time.
The Five Elements Minor Formation was a training which required coordination with other people and thus Qing Shui didn't study too much into it after he had taught it to Mu Qing and the others. Right now, other than studying the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation, he spent most of his effort on the Spirit Gathering Formation.
Although Qing Shui had set up the formation before and could do it despite barely succeeding, there were many benefits to the Spirit Gathering Formation. For example, if some precious medicinal herbs were used to set up the formation, it could allow the medicinal herbs to grow better and their quality would be raised greatly as well. It could also be used to improve the demonic beasts' growth. It could even be used to increase the rate of his cultivation if he were to set up the formation next to him when he was cultivating.
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AST 922 – Helping Mu Clan, Stopping Temporarily, Heading for Godly Sword Clan
Qing Shui set up the Spirit Gathering Formation in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal where his medicinal herbs were at. Seeing his many Spirit Gathering Formations being set up, he could clearly sense that his ability to set up Spirit Gathering Formations was getting increasingly stronger. This made him very happy.
Although he had only set up small Spirit Gathering Formations, it didn't mean that their prowess was very low. They were only small in terms of their size. If his ability to create formations was to improve, the prowess of a small Spirit Gathering Formation wouldn't be something to be underestimated either.
There was still a small Spirit Sealing Minor Formation which Qing Shui had yet to look into. However, he could have a brief understanding what it could do just by hearing its name. It was just that at this moment, he didn't have any concrete information on it. This was why he didn't have any plans to study this small Spirit Sealing Minor Formation yet.
He had been away for quite a long time and the Mysterious Fruit would be ripening again soon. There was also the Ice Snow Sacred Fruit as well. Qing Shui had also collected a lot of items that he had no use for now. As the ratio for the time in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal increased, the number of items accumulated also increased.
He had also accumulated quite a number of Vermillion Fruits. Qing Shui had made wine out of a large amount of those plum blossoms and stored it away. The fish and other creatures in the pond were also growing rapidly. Although there were a lot more spiders now, the pond was very big and the black fish and turtles were reproducing very quickly. Moreover, there were also no cases of natural deaths.
Moreover, this was the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal and the things that grew here were spiritually stronger than normal ones. While there were plenty of demonic beasts such as spiders, they tended to eat once every half a month and didn't eat much each time. However, they do eat more than people.
The next day, he woke up early as usual. Based on the customs of the World of the Nine Continents, they needed to pay their respects to the dead on the second day. Qing Shui joined them to pay respect and offer incense to Mu Clan's old man.
Because they went very early and the location was not very far away, the servants had only started to prepare breakfast when they returned back to the Mu Clan. Qing Shui went for his morning practice. Mu Fengyang looked at Qing Shui, as if he had something to say but he eventually didn't say anything.
"Are you going to leave?"
Qing Shui had just finished his morning practice when Mu Qing’s voice rang out.
“Are you eagerly waiting for me to leave?” Qing Shui smiled and asked teasingly.
“I’m eager for you to never leave.” Mu Qing said seriously. It was after she had said this that she realized how misleading it was. Feeling embarrassed, she turned her head away.
“It’s going to be the new year soon and I won’t be able to reach home in time. I’m planning to stay here for the new year before I leave,” Qing Shui smiled and said.
“Really?” Mu Qing looked at Qing Shui in surprise.
There was another month to the new year and if he were to be spending the new year here, he would have to stay for at least 40 days. She had initially thought that he would leave within these few days. Therefore, when she heard that he was only going to leave after spending the new year here, Mu Qing realized that she seemed to feel as if she had gained some treasure.
When she saw Qing Shui’s warm smile looking at her, she threw a glance at him shyly.
Qing Shui didn’t choose to stay here in order to stay for the new year, nor was it because he couldn’t bear to part with Mu Qing. He had stayed in order to strengthen the foundations for the Mu Clan and thus he wanted to help Mu Qing train up a team who was strong in formations within the month.
“You won’t be able to relax for the month.” Qing Shui smiled and said.
Mu Qing was stunned for a moment and quickly knew what Qing Shui had meant. She said happily, “I’ll listen to what you say.”
When a lady like her said something like this, Qing Shui felt a tingling feeling all the way down to his bones. Today, Mu Qing was still wearing a set of snow-white mourning clothes and appeared to be so beautiful, that she was like a snow lotus flower in the snow.
“Find some people who are the most loyal to you, are young and have the most potential. Get senior and the others too. Tell senior to find the people he can trust the most.” Qing Shui said causally. He knew that Mu Qing would be able to understand what he meant.
Mu Qing nodded happily before heading off to have her meal with Qing Shui.
Thankfully, there were some people in the Mu Clan who were now at the elementary stage in the area of coordination in formation and some of them had even mastered the elementary stage.
Mu Qing was the one with the highest level of mastery and she had also been the strongest and the most hardworking of them all. The other people in the Mu Clan had also been working very hard. They were all elites and thus could be said to be very intelligent. To the Mu Clan and the others, this was an opportunity for them.
Every single one of them put in great effort to learn. They practiced, had meals and even lived together. They standardized their living schedules, eating then cultivating. What was required for formations was teamwork and the greater the teamwork, the greater the power unleashed.
The Mu Clan had sent many people away, leaving less than 10% behind. These people had been carefully picked and Qing Shui planned to do his best to train them up, to let himself be at ease too.
They continued to have their meals together. This was what Mu Qing had wanted. After they had their meal, Qing Shui gave Mu Qing a look to indicate that he was going to leave first. Mu Qing stayed behind and joined Mu Fengyang, Mu Qian and the others in a quiet room.
“Grandfather, father…”
After entering the room, Mu Qing looked at them with a complicated expression.
The people here were the direct descendants from the Mu Clan, were from the main branch and belonged to Mu Qian’s generation. There was only a handful of those who were Mu Fengyang's generation and not many from Mu Qing’s.
“Lass, if you have anything to say, just go ahead. Is Qing Shui going to leave?” Mu Qian looked at Mu Qing and asked. He was also worried now that Old Ancestor was no longer around. If Qing Shui were to leave, the Mu Clan would be in a great fix.
Although there may not be anyone who would openly mess around with the Mu Clan, there would be some who would do so in the dark. Therefore, they were also worried now that there was no one in the Mu Clan who would be able to be the support for the Mu Clan.
Mu Qian saw Mu Qing’s disappointment and thought that Qing Shui was going to leave. He didn’t know what to say either. Judging by the situation, his daughter and Qing Shui didn’t seem to be going very well. When he thought of this, he also felt very helpless.
When Mu Qing saw Mu Qian’s expression, she blushed and said, “Father, what are you thinking? Qing Shui is only going to leave after the new year. He’s going to impart some formations to the people from the Mu Clan and came to ask me to find some people who are loyal to the Mu Clan.”
Hearing Mu Qing’s words, Mu Fengyang, Mu Qian and the other people from the Mu Clan had their eyes light up. At their age, they could see through things very clearly. For example, it was impossible to have Qing Shui stay in the Mu Clan. Even they knew that and thus they had not thought of continuing to rely on Qing Shui.
This time around, going up against Sky Prison Sect made them understand how amazing formations were. Old Ancestor was no longer around and if the Mu Clan was to get back together in the short term, the best way to do so was through formations.
This was a long term plan that they could take and all of them were looking at Mu Qing happily. This junior of the Mu Clan now played the most important role.
They knew that this was a crucial point for them and they mustn’t miss out on this opportunity. Otherwise, it was likely that the Mu Clan would be devoured by other people. It seemed that they would need to go all out this time around.
…
Qing Shui came to a training ground in the Mu Clan. This was the place with the widest space and there was also an arena in the middle. Even now, there were also people training here. However, there weren’t many of them.
After they all saw Qing Shui, they greeted him respectfully.
Not long after, a group of people walked over. There were about 100 of them. Dong Yan, Sun Yan and the others were around as well. Qing Shui had specially called them over. Right now, the Mu Clan and the Dong Clan had joined forces. This was good as well.
There were twenty people of Mu Fengyang’s age, most of whom Qing Shui had met before. It was because most of these people were the ones who had entered the Sky Penetrating Mountains previously. When they saw Qing Shui, they were very happy as well.
Currently there were over 30 people from various age groups. Although they were not exceptional, the rest of the people were much weaker. There was also a bunch of 40 to 50 youngsters but most of them were in their thirties.
These people all knew some basics to formations and were split into three groups. Mu Qing led one group, Mu Qian led one group and Mu Fengyang led the last group.
However, Qing Shui paid more attention to teaching Mu Qing, Dong Yan and Sun Yan. Of course, he wouldn’t say this to the others. He paid more attention to binding formations. On the other hand, the others would be focused on starting with the Five Elements Minor Formation and the Duality Minutest Formation.
Today, Qing Shui planned on imparting to them the Five Elements Minor Essence. However, the people at the eye of formation learned a different Five Elements Minor Essence from other people. This was the privilege of the people to be stationed at the eye of the formation. This would allow their prowess to be much stronger than usual.
This type of Five Elements Minor Essence could be merged with the original Qi of Xiantian and was like a martial technique, bringing only benefits. Qi of Xiantian imparted this to some of them, just to reaffirm the importance of the eye of the formation.
This could allow the rest to surround the eye of the formation. Only with the eye of the formation around would they be considered a powerful entity. Without the eye of the formation or if they were separated, their individual powers were nothing.
Therefore, they were now very clear and felt that it was good to be doing this. This was something they were willing to see.
Qing Shui already knew that Mu Qing had a Supreme Treasure. Looking at that “Holy Bracelet!” which was exuding a warming aura, he understood why she could improve so fast. What made Qing Shui the happiest was that she had a great talent in mastering the foot techniques.
The Duality Steps had already reached a high level of mastery.
Practice for formations was boring but they were all filled with a strong will and patience. It was because if they wished to survive and make a break for themselves, this was the best opportunity for them. They mustn’t let it go and must try their best.
Qing Shui led Mu Qing throughout the Duality Minutest Formation, darting about. He would force her to be in the formation for two hours everyday and then let her set up the formation. Her speed and prowess were also changing endlessly.
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed by!
In the past seven days, the transformations that had occurred were tremendous. The Five Elements Minor Essence they were cultivating had started to bring about quite a good effect. It was because during this period, Qing Shui had also made use of medicinal pills, including performing some slight impurities cleansing.
Since he had started doing it, he decided to put in his best effort for it. He didn’t care for this little stuff and thus the progress the Mu Clan’s members made was in leaps and bounds. However, on this day, Mu Fengyang planned on visiting the Godly Sword Clan.
Qing Shui planned on joining him since they couldn’t afford to have anything happening to Mu Fengyang. Otherwise, what they had done earlier would have all gone to waste. For a very long period, the Mu Clan still needed Mu Fengyang to be around to call the shots.
Mu Fengyang didn’t reject Qing Shui’s intention of joining him. The reason the Godly Sword Clan had shown respect to Mu Fengyang was all because of Qing Shui. In fact, the Godly Sword Clan wasn’t interested in the Mu Clan but was only interested in Qing Shui. However, they knew that the Mu Clan played a critical role here.
The others stayed in the Mu Clan and carried on with their training. The place was still filled with Duality Minutest Formations. One of the reason was for training, while another was for Mu Clan’s safety.
The Godly Sword Clan was situated along the borders of the city and they dominated the western area and was back facing the Sky Penetrating Mountains. A great river passed through the bottom of the mountain, with densely packed buildings stretching out from the bottom of the mountain to the peak. On the other side of the cliff, there was a huge carving of a saber. It was a tremendous stone saber.
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AST 923 – Godly Sword Clan's Ancestor, Forming An Alliance
Qing Shui stared at the giant sword statue carved from stone. It was emitting a strong killing intent. Qing Shui looked over at Mu Fengyang and noticed that they had both been astonished by the sight of the stone sword.
There were many extraordinary people with varying strengths, the sculptor of this stone sword must have been someone powerful. Only the most astounding of masters could have carved their killing intent into the stone sword. The craftsmanship and strength of the sculpting could not be overlooked.
Sculpting was like Drawing. Masters of the Drawing Realm could cause people to sweat profusely from looking at one drawn word alone. This was the charm of art, not only did the master require exceptional practice but their technique must be brought to the point of perfection.
Looking up ahead at the mountain path nearby, the slope gradient was small but the path zigzags and spirals to the top. At the foot of the mountain, a group of people were standing guard but there were also people moving in and out.
These people were in uniforms, with a sword embroidered at the chest. Sometimes the color of the knife was different but it was always one sword. Even though the shade of the sword was slightly different, without much guessing one could tell these were members of the Godly Sword Clan.
Qing Shui browsed around nonchalantly. Thinking back to the funeral, the middle-aged representative from the Godly Sword Sect had a scarlet long sword embroidered on his chest. Most of the people moving about had red, green or blue longswords embroidered but their strength was weaker compared to the middle-aged representative.
"Those that have arrived please stop where you are at!"
When Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang went to the mouth of the mountain path, a youth walked up from the crowd, extending his long sword to block Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang's path.
"Young fellow can you please pass on a message that the Mu Clan is here to visit." Mu Fengyang said with a smile.
"You are from the Mu Clan? I will lead you inside. The upper executives have already notified us that if you arrive you can go directly inside," the young fellow's demeanor changed immediately and he said respectfully. His eyes inadvertently looked over at Qing Shui several times.
Everyone knew that the Mu Clan was dependent on a strong young man, but there was no way to be sure if the person standing next to him was the real deal that had razed the Sky Prison Sect.
"Do you guys think that young man was the one? He did not have any resemblance to the descendants of the Mu Clan." The young man waited till Qing Shui was gone before he spilled his thoughts.
"The younger generation of the Mu Clan only has Mu Qing and some other mediocre people, from what I have seen he is definitely not one of them," one of the older, more mature youngsters said.
"Brother Yan, then it looks like that young man is a super master," immediately someone said in surprise.
"Sounds about right, if not him, what use would it be for the Mu Clan to bring a younger generation member for this occasion?"
"That is certainly the case, if not for that young man, the Mu Clan would probably just be as weak as before." ……
Following the mountain path upwards, the Godly Sword Sect's youngster was leading the way up ahead, Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang were following from behind. While walking, both of them were surveying the surrounding architecture.
There were rows upon rows of stairs here, although the gradient of the stairs was small. From the distance, looking diagonally upwards to the peak of the mountain, it was difficult to feel the gradient of the slope. While traveling on the mountain path, inadvertently, a small step would show up.
They continued towards the peak of the mountain. On top of the mountain, it was very spacious but there were fewer buildings. There were more than a dozen manor groups, the youngster that was leading Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang lead them towards the manor residing in the highest area. Even though the manor was the tallest, it was not the biggest.
The manor here could not be called luxurious, though it carried a heavy, imposing atmosphere. That is because the buildings were constructed from giant boulders. Although some of the colors looked very bright, the manor standing in front of Qing Shui seemed unchanged from its original look. It was still the color of the original giant boulders, except the surface was polished until it was very smooth.
Two people were standing guard by the manor's entrance. Qing Shui could see that both guards had a golden sword embroidered on their chest. However, their strength was not comparable to the handsome man that participated in Mu Clan's funeral.
"Lai San, who are they?" The bold man on the left side asked the youngster.
"Brother Hui, they are from the Mu Clan, by the Elder's orders, I am to bring them to him."
"So they are from the Mu Clan, please, the Elder is waiting in the back."
Although he was smiling, that smile was very stiff, causing Qing Shui to also want to smile. This man was not one to smile much but his effort to force out a smile made people feel uncomfortable.
After the previous youngster said his farewells to Qing Shui, Mu Fengyang and the bold man, he returned downwards. The bold man lead Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang to the inside of the manor.
Similar to the look from the outside, there were not many alterations to the insides, only a bit polished up. The appearance of the manor was particularly old fashioned but it had a different style to it.
Without reaching the backyard, Qing Shui could already smell the fragrance of herbs. Qing Shui could instantly identify that it was the smell of blossoming herbs, it should be an herb of decent quality too.
Once they reached the backyard, all they could see was an area covered by a sea of flowers, about a hundred meters out stood an elderly man in plain clothing.
"You guys enter, I will not enter," the bold man brother Hui said with a grin ushering Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang to enter.
The two of them entered together. When the Elder turned around, Qing Shui could clearly see the Elder's appearance. The Elder's face had a wide forehead with eyes of wisdom. His chin was perfectly round, with slightly meager cheeks. In combination with the long and slender body type, the elder gave off an otherworldly feeling.
Seeing Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang, the Elder walked over with a smile. "Honourable guests have arrived, please excuse the lack of welcome."
"Elder you are too kind, Fengyang thanks Godly Sword Sect's for paying a visit."
The Elder took a glance at Mu Fengyang and Qing Shui, sighing while laughing.
"Don't mention it. Don't call this old man realistic but everything on this Earth happens with cause and reason, don't you think?" Elder said while lightly shaking his head.
Mu Fengyang smiled as well, except there was a hint of bitterness to his expression. He fully understood what the Elder was trying to get at, the funeral earlier did not happen without any cause.
However, Qing Shui was not a descendant of the Mu Clan, had Qing Shui been a member of the Mu Clan, he would not hesitate to pass the leadership to Qing Shui's hands.
"You should be Qing Shui, a member of the younger generation that will surpass us in time, a true prodigy," the Elder said after observing Qing Shui for a good while.
"This inferior one has seen the Elder," Qing Shui said while bowing.
"Good, come, let's go inside and sit!" Elder pointed straight ahead.
That place was a stone house but it was many times taller than a normal stone house. It looked rather large but it was not the size of a pavilion building. The three of them walked towards the direction of the stone house, Qing Shui still could not fully grasp the strength of the Elder. In addition, the Elder did not appear senile from old age.
Qing Shui did not weigh the strength of people based on their appearance but instead by their aura of vitality. If their vitality was weak, even if they were young, they would be like an old person. However, if their vitality was strong, even if they were old, even if they looked senile, they would live for a long time.
Although the area of the stone house was large, it only contained one floor. After entering, it gave off an air of comfort. The centerpiece of the room was a statue, not overly tall but slightly taller than a regular person. The statue was colorful, even the weapon in its hand was colorful. The weapon was a general type long sword.
Qing Shui surveyed the surroundings and concluded that this was the Elder's cultivation location. He did not understand why the two of them were brought here.
Glancing to the bedroom on the side, Qing Shui figured that was where the Elder lived. Bringing them here was a type sincerity.
There were no tables or chairs, only some light futons. Qing Shui saw the Elder's plain attire and thought it was strange. However, seeing that the Elder was a follower of Buddhism, the lifelike statue holding a weapon with such killing intent seemed out of place. If a normal person walked in, they would be frightened.
The three of them sat on the futons inside the stone house, between them was a stone table that was one foot tall. The middle of the table had a small stove, with water boiling on top, that was making bubbling noises. With a Yixing clay teapot and yixing clay tea cups on the table… …
Drinking tea and talking about their daily lives, Mu Fengyang was also a senior, in terms of being slick and sly he would not be less experienced than the Elder. Besides, he was not talking right now, the control of the discussion was in his grasp. Although he was not sure what sort of control they had, he knew that the Godly Sword Sect had an important matter to speak with the Mu Clan.
"I know that we are all perceptive, so I will cut to the chase." The Elder placed his tea cup down and smiled.
"Elder, what would you like to talk about? If it is something that the Mu Clan can do, we will not brush it off," Mu Fengyang said seriously.
Mu Fengyang's words were as blunt as they could be. If it was within the Mu Clan's powers, they would complete it without hesitation. But If it was something beyond the Mu Clan's strength, then it was up to the Mu Clan to decide if they would attempt it.
"Fengyang, don't misunderstand. I just want to form an alliance between the Godly Sword Sect and the Mu Clan. The purpose is to increase our strength since I feel that in the coming years, there will be unforeseen change in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent," the Elder thought for a bit and said slowly.
Mu Fengyang was silently thinking.
"Elder, excuse my bluntness, there are many clans and sects within Jun City and this Continent's Capital that would want to ally themselves with the Godly Sword Sect. I am well aware of our own strength and the Mu Clan's strength is at the very bottom of that list, because Qing Shui is bound to leave at some point." Mu Fengyang did not want to take advantage of the situation. The Elder had spoken what was clearly on his mind, so Mu Fengyang also had nothing to hide. In addition, the Elder should have expected that Qing Shui was going to leave.
Given that the result could have been properly predicted, allying themselves with the Mu Clan seemed unrealistic.
"This I know, Qing Shui is one of the most talented youngsters I have seen through my years. It is unlikely that he would be content with being secluded in a corner of the continent. In the future, his brightness will shine across all Nine Continents," the Elder said while laughing.
Qing Shui never thought that the Elder would compliment him with such high praise but he remained silent. Once the Elder had proposed the alliance, Qing Shui had already predicted it would succeed.
"The alliance between the Mu Clan and I, given the Mu Clan's potential, my terms will not change. Especially since I heard about the battle that occurred between the Mu Clan and the Sky Prison Sect before. Although Mu Clan may not be strong now, given time, the Mu Clan's strength will not be weak. If Fengyang is to accept, we will find a good day to hold the ceremony to celebrate our successful alliance," the Elder said while looking at Mu Fengyang. "Exactly what we need," Mu Fengyang said happily. He did not thank the Elder, since an alliance was mutually beneficial, this did not warrant gratitude, else the alliance would be unbalanced.
"Elder and the Mu Clan are the best of my friends, if the Godly Sword Sect has any use of me in the future, please do not hesitate, Qing Shui will not decline to help," Qing Shui said with a smile.
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AST 921 – Killing with Heart Toxin Talisman, The Dust Settles, Spirit Gathering Formation
Pale faced Qing Shui had suffered quite heavy injuries and found it hard to fend off this sabre attack. He took out the Crystal Physique Card the old man had given him, slapping down two Crystal Physique Card on himself, one to increase his defense, another to increase his speed.
At the start, Qing Shui didn't want to rely on external items but eventually, he didn't have any choice about using them. After applying them, when he took out a speed reducing Crystal Physique Card and wanted to throw it out, he quickly took out a Heart Toxin Talisman and threw them toward the old man who was now not very far away.
The Heart Toxin Talisman would definitely hit and the other speed reducing item seemed like it would hit as well…
The Crystal Physique Card he had slapped down on himself instantly fused into his body and a layer of "shell casing" seemed to have formed on the surface of his skin. At the same time, his body was filled with energy, especially in his legs.
This was the feeling of having his speed augmented!
The old man gradually slowed down before he stopped not far away from Qing Shui, causing Qing Shui to feel puzzled. Even though the effect of the speed reducing Crystal Physique Card was very good, it shouldn't be to the extent of causing his opponent to come to a stop.
When Qing Shui saw his eyes, he finally understood that it was because his Heart Toxin Talisman had taken effect. Right now, that murky pair of eyes was filled with pain and regret…
In one look, Qing Shui could guess that this old man had done something which he had regretted before and it was something that was unknown to others. However, it was something which could make him regret for life. To him, it should be like a nightmare.
A scene that the old man could never forget appeared before the old man's eyes. Or rather, it could be said that he could no longer differentiate if it was reality or a dream. It was because it was something he had done and right now, he was looking right at it.
He saw the scene of him killing his wife and children. In that scene, he had totally lost his mind. He now knew that he had been framed by other people and someone had used "Mesmerizing Heart Powder" on him. He only knew of this at a later time. Back then, the other party had wanted to push him to his wits end.
His wife and kids had called out to him repeatedly, asking him to wake up. There were also two young kids who were only three years old and were crying out and calling for their father. However, he still killed them…
The old man trembled. He had gotten stronger since then and although he had wiped out the entire clan of his enemy, it wasn't enough to erase the regret in his heart, especially when he recalled the innocent cries of his three year old son and daughter calling out for him, their father…
They were still kids and they were his kids. To think that he could actually bear to do such a thing to them. For so many years, he had been woken up from his sleep due to the pain of this "mental agony". Up to today, he had not married another woman and did not have more kids of his own.
"Daddy…"
In the scene, two helpless young kids were grabbing onto his leg, calling out to him nonstop.
A trickle of blood flowed down the corner of his lips. No matter if one was evil or good, they were still human and they would still have emotions. This event could be said to be a burden weighing down on the old man's heart. Every time he recalled it, he would have the urge to kill himself. And every time, his heart would be as if it was being cut repeatedly.
Qing Shui saw that blood kept flowing down from the corner of the old man's lips and heaved a sigh of relief. The fact that the old man was injured was secondary. Most importantly, a mental injury would cause more damage than a physical one.
Qing Shui had not expected that the Heart Toxin Talisman could actually cripple this old man. He knew that it could bring up what was troubling one the most. Which person could live a life without any regrets, one in which they had done no wrong? No one was perfect and the Heart Toxin Talisman could let them recall what they regretted or what that had pained them the most. In that moment the person's mental state would become extremely fragile and might even go crazy from the agony. The Heart Toxin Talisman could also make people who were rash develop an illusion, causing them to feel numb and to do things they would never usually dare to do.
This was how terrifying the Heart Toxin Talisman was. It attacked one's mind!
The Heart Toxin Talisman was meant to be used for dealing with evil people and it would be best if it was an evildoer who had a hint of humanity, so that it could be used to attack the person's mind. However, if the person was cold-blooded, it would be practically useless. However, it would still be possible to numb the opponent through one's desires. It was impossible for one to be completely void of emotions and desires…
It was evident that this old man had yet to attain the stage of "devoid of emotions". He had already lost. Qing Shui was in no hurry to take action. Right now, he would be able to kill him easily.
However, Qing Shui didn't do it. He wanted to let the old man think back to the past or rather to repent. Although it was painful, sometimes it was a means of recollecting the past. Therefore, he didn't take any action.
The old man trembled slightly before he said, "Can you promise me one thing?"
His voice was very hoarse. Qing Shui also felt that the old man's vitality was running out. He had only half a day of life span left at most.
When a person was on his deathbed, even his words would sound kind. Moreover, it wouldn't hurt for him to listen. Therefore, Qing Shui nodded.
"I have half a day left to live at most. But you don't have to worry. I'll kill myself. I only hope that you don't harm my ride. I hope to let it bring me to where I want to die." At this moment, the old man's face seemed very serene.
Qing Shui hesitated before he nodded.
"Sky Prison Sect has already been disbanded and will not be able to get back on its feet. This is fate" as if he could sense Qing Shui's emotions, the old man said gradually.
Hearing the old man's words, Qing Shui could now rest assured. The issue with the Sky Prison Sect was over. He nodded and looked at the old man. Both of them fell silent. Qing Shui was waiting, waiting for the old man to leave.
The old man looked at the sun which was as bright as ever. However, the old man's heart was heavy. After so many years, he still couldn't get past himself. He had always thought himself to be a heartless person, but he now knew that he had just been deceiving himself all this time.
Their fight had started in the air and eventually it was moved to the ground. The old man looked toward the other old man who had been corroded by the Corrosive Poison Web and was not far from him. The old man then thrust his Sky Prison Sabre into his chest.
He could now be reunited with his wife and children. He could now explain to them what had happened back then. He could repent before them. He missed them a lot…
Qing Shui stood there quietly, looking at the old man who slowly fell down but was wearing a serene smile. Qing Shui let out a long breath. The old man could be said to be free now.
Qing Shui placed the old man onto that Wolf-Headed Jadewater Hawk, not evening moving the sabre. He watched as the Wolf-Headed Jadewater Hawk left his vision and it was only then that fresh blood trickled down the corner of his lips.
He wiped it off. His injuries were not very serious but were not light either. However, he could treat them himself. He put away the Blackjade Poisonous Spiderweb and the other violet colored Sky Prison Sabre.
"He's won!" Mu Qing looked at that silhouette which was not considered very tall. However, at this moment, she felt that he was even taller than the mountain peak which had reached into the clouds.
"He's won!"
…
Many people from the Mu Clan heaved a sigh of relief. At a point of life and death, many of them felt very scared. Maybe a lot of them might not be afraid of death but they couldn't withstand the atmosphere before death arrived. Moreover, many of them couldn't really let go of everything and would definitely have things they couldn't put down. It was like how people who committed suicide tended to be people who no longer had anything in this world which they would miss and they felt disheartened with this world.
Suddenly, more people came to pay their respects at the wake. As time passed by, more and more powerful sects from the city sent people over. There were even some from reputable sects and clans who were no weaker than the Sky Prison Sect who had sent representatives.
There were also people from Dong Clan and Sun Clan as well.
All the way until the afternoon, when they were preparing to move the coffin, the sounds of someone coming to pay their respects were heard.
The Godly Sword Clan has arrived!
Many people from the Mu Clan were stunned. To think that the most powerful sect in the city, the Godly Sword Clan had come. Mu Fengyang quickly stepped up, dressed in his mourning clothes. At this stage, they still got a shock when they heard that people from the Godly Sword Clan had come.
More than ten people came. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man who stood upright, wearing a set of white clothes with some parts colored gold. A crimson long sabre was embroidered on the clothes, giving the elegant and handsome man an additional sharp disposition.
"Senior, I heard that the Mu Clan's Old Ancestor passed away. Our Old Ancestor has sent us here to pay our respects" the middle-aged man put his hands together and said to Mu Fengyang.
"Please help extend my thanks. This way please!" Mu Fengyang said calmly.
What person was Mu Fengyang? How could he not understand the reason why they had come? There could only be two possibilities. The first one was because the Mu Clan now had the right to enter the circle of the strongest factions in the city. Thus, the Godly Sword Clan had come forth to build good relations and become friends or allies with them. Another possibility was that they were here to check out their abilities and then, while they were still suffering from casualties, to nip this potential threat in the bud while it was still growing.
However the representatives the Godly Sword Clan had sent were juniors. Therefore, chances were that it was the first possibility. This was a great chance for the Mu Clan.
After the guy had paid his respects, he didn't stay long and turned to leave. Mu Fengyang sent him off himself.
"Senior, after the funeral, Old Ancestor hopes that everyone can meet up," when Mu Fengyang sent him to the door, the guy said softly to Mu Fengyang.
"Alright, I'll definitely find a day and head over in person."
"Senior, there's no need to send us off any further. We'll take our leave!"
…
Qing Shui watched from afar as the man left. The Godly Sword Clan did very well and didn't pursue the "insignificant" things. For example, with Mu Clan's old man dead, who was it who had killed the two old men from the Sky Prison Sect? Even if they knew that it was him, they didn't ask. After all, they were here to attend the funeral.
The funeral procession went ahead as planned. A good time was selected for the old man to be buried. It was a tiring day mentally for Qing Shui and he went back for an early rest.
In the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, Qing Shui laid down on the bed, feeling relaxed. Everything had come to a close and he had reaped a lot of rewards. It was a pity that he wouldn't be able to return for the new year. The things here should still take some time. He had promised Mu Clan's old man and he would need to help the Mu Clan strengthen their standing here a little bit more before he left.
Cultivation, creating formations, drawing talismans…
Refining poison, tempering treasures, forging…
There were many things which Qing Shui had to do. Every day Qing Shui would set up the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation once but he would fail every single time. He was now used to it. It was as if it would be abnormal if he were to succeed.
Qing Shui didn't know he was stubborn. Right now, the Duality Minutest Formation and Nine Palace Steps had reached quite high levels. It would be very hard to bring them to a higher level. He would need more time.
The Five Elements Minor Formation was a training which required coordination with other people and thus Qing Shui didn't study too much into it after he had taught it to Mu Qing and the others. Right now, other than studying the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation, he spent most of his effort on the Spirit Gathering Formation.
Although Qing Shui had set up the formation before and could do it despite barely succeeding, there were many benefits to the Spirit Gathering Formation. For example, if some precious medicinal herbs were used to set up the formation, it could allow the medicinal herbs to grow better and their quality would be raised greatly as well. It could also be used to improve the demonic beasts' growth. It could even be used to increase the rate of his cultivation if he were to set up the formation next to him when he was cultivating.
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AST 922 – Helping Mu Clan, Stopping Temporarily, Heading for Godly Sword Clan
Qing Shui set up the Spirit Gathering Formation in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal where his medicinal herbs were at. Seeing his many Spirit Gathering Formations being set up, he could clearly sense that his ability to set up Spirit Gathering Formations was getting increasingly stronger. This made him very happy.
Although he had only set up small Spirit Gathering Formations, it didn't mean that their prowess was very low. They were only small in terms of their size. If his ability to create formations was to improve, the prowess of a small Spirit Gathering Formation wouldn't be something to be underestimated either.
There was still a small Spirit Sealing Minor Formation which Qing Shui had yet to look into. However, he could have a brief understanding what it could do just by hearing its name. It was just that at this moment, he didn't have any concrete information on it. This was why he didn't have any plans to study this small Spirit Sealing Minor Formation yet.
He had been away for quite a long time and the Mysterious Fruit would be ripening again soon. There was also the Ice Snow Sacred Fruit as well. Qing Shui had also collected a lot of items that he had no use for now. As the ratio for the time in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal increased, the number of items accumulated also increased.
He had also accumulated quite a number of Vermillion Fruits. Qing Shui had made wine out of a large amount of those plum blossoms and stored it away. The fish and other creatures in the pond were also growing rapidly. Although there were a lot more spiders now, the pond was very big and the black fish and turtles were reproducing very quickly. Moreover, there were also no cases of natural deaths.
Moreover, this was the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal and the things that grew here were spiritually stronger than normal ones. While there were plenty of demonic beasts such as spiders, they tended to eat once every half a month and didn't eat much each time. However, they do eat more than people.
The next day, he woke up early as usual. Based on the customs of the World of the Nine Continents, they needed to pay their respects to the dead on the second day. Qing Shui joined them to pay respect and offer incense to Mu Clan's old man.
Because they went very early and the location was not very far away, the servants had only started to prepare breakfast when they returned back to the Mu Clan. Qing Shui went for his morning practice. Mu Fengyang looked at Qing Shui, as if he had something to say but he eventually didn't say anything.
"Are you going to leave?"
Qing Shui had just finished his morning practice when Mu Qing’s voice rang out.
“Are you eagerly waiting for me to leave?” Qing Shui smiled and asked teasingly.
“I’m eager for you to never leave.” Mu Qing said seriously. It was after she had said this that she realized how misleading it was. Feeling embarrassed, she turned her head away.
“It’s going to be the new year soon and I won’t be able to reach home in time. I’m planning to stay here for the new year before I leave,” Qing Shui smiled and said.
“Really?” Mu Qing looked at Qing Shui in surprise.
There was another month to the new year and if he were to be spending the new year here, he would have to stay for at least 40 days. She had initially thought that he would leave within these few days. Therefore, when she heard that he was only going to leave after spending the new year here, Mu Qing realized that she seemed to feel as if she had gained some treasure.
When she saw Qing Shui’s warm smile looking at her, she threw a glance at him shyly.
Qing Shui didn’t choose to stay here in order to stay for the new year, nor was it because he couldn’t bear to part with Mu Qing. He had stayed in order to strengthen the foundations for the Mu Clan and thus he wanted to help Mu Qing train up a team who was strong in formations within the month.
“You won’t be able to relax for the month.” Qing Shui smiled and said.
Mu Qing was stunned for a moment and quickly knew what Qing Shui had meant. She said happily, “I’ll listen to what you say.”
When a lady like her said something like this, Qing Shui felt a tingling feeling all the way down to his bones. Today, Mu Qing was still wearing a set of snow-white mourning clothes and appeared to be so beautiful, that she was like a snow lotus flower in the snow.
“Find some people who are the most loyal to you, are young and have the most potential. Get senior and the others too. Tell senior to find the people he can trust the most.” Qing Shui said causally. He knew that Mu Qing would be able to understand what he meant.
Mu Qing nodded happily before heading off to have her meal with Qing Shui.
Thankfully, there were some people in the Mu Clan who were now at the elementary stage in the area of coordination in formation and some of them had even mastered the elementary stage.
Mu Qing was the one with the highest level of mastery and she had also been the strongest and the most hardworking of them all. The other people in the Mu Clan had also been working very hard. They were all elites and thus could be said to be very intelligent. To the Mu Clan and the others, this was an opportunity for them.
Every single one of them put in great effort to learn. They practiced, had meals and even lived together. They standardized their living schedules, eating then cultivating. What was required for formations was teamwork and the greater the teamwork, the greater the power unleashed.
The Mu Clan had sent many people away, leaving less than 10% behind. These people had been carefully picked and Qing Shui planned to do his best to train them up, to let himself be at ease too.
They continued to have their meals together. This was what Mu Qing had wanted. After they had their meal, Qing Shui gave Mu Qing a look to indicate that he was going to leave first. Mu Qing stayed behind and joined Mu Fengyang, Mu Qian and the others in a quiet room.
“Grandfather, father…”
After entering the room, Mu Qing looked at them with a complicated expression.
The people here were the direct descendants from the Mu Clan, were from the main branch and belonged to Mu Qian’s generation. There was only a handful of those who were Mu Fengyang's generation and not many from Mu Qing’s.
“Lass, if you have anything to say, just go ahead. Is Qing Shui going to leave?” Mu Qian looked at Mu Qing and asked. He was also worried now that Old Ancestor was no longer around. If Qing Shui were to leave, the Mu Clan would be in a great fix.
Although there may not be anyone who would openly mess around with the Mu Clan, there would be some who would do so in the dark. Therefore, they were also worried now that there was no one in the Mu Clan who would be able to be the support for the Mu Clan.
Mu Qian saw Mu Qing’s disappointment and thought that Qing Shui was going to leave. He didn’t know what to say either. Judging by the situation, his daughter and Qing Shui didn’t seem to be going very well. When he thought of this, he also felt very helpless.
When Mu Qing saw Mu Qian’s expression, she blushed and said, “Father, what are you thinking? Qing Shui is only going to leave after the new year. He’s going to impart some formations to the people from the Mu Clan and came to ask me to find some people who are loyal to the Mu Clan.”
Hearing Mu Qing’s words, Mu Fengyang, Mu Qian and the other people from the Mu Clan had their eyes light up. At their age, they could see through things very clearly. For example, it was impossible to have Qing Shui stay in the Mu Clan. Even they knew that and thus they had not thought of continuing to rely on Qing Shui.
This time around, going up against Sky Prison Sect made them understand how amazing formations were. Old Ancestor was no longer around and if the Mu Clan was to get back together in the short term, the best way to do so was through formations.
This was a long term plan that they could take and all of them were looking at Mu Qing happily. This junior of the Mu Clan now played the most important role.
They knew that this was a crucial point for them and they mustn’t miss out on this opportunity. Otherwise, it was likely that the Mu Clan would be devoured by other people. It seemed that they would need to go all out this time around.
…
Qing Shui came to a training ground in the Mu Clan. This was the place with the widest space and there was also an arena in the middle. Even now, there were also people training here. However, there weren’t many of them.
After they all saw Qing Shui, they greeted him respectfully.
Not long after, a group of people walked over. There were about 100 of them. Dong Yan, Sun Yan and the others were around as well. Qing Shui had specially called them over. Right now, the Mu Clan and the Dong Clan had joined forces. This was good as well.
There were twenty people of Mu Fengyang’s age, most of whom Qing Shui had met before. It was because most of these people were the ones who had entered the Sky Penetrating Mountains previously. When they saw Qing Shui, they were very happy as well.
Currently there were over 30 people from various age groups. Although they were not exceptional, the rest of the people were much weaker. There was also a bunch of 40 to 50 youngsters but most of them were in their thirties.
These people all knew some basics to formations and were split into three groups. Mu Qing led one group, Mu Qian led one group and Mu Fengyang led the last group.
However, Qing Shui paid more attention to teaching Mu Qing, Dong Yan and Sun Yan. Of course, he wouldn’t say this to the others. He paid more attention to binding formations. On the other hand, the others would be focused on starting with the Five Elements Minor Formation and the Duality Minutest Formation.
Today, Qing Shui planned on imparting to them the Five Elements Minor Essence. However, the people at the eye of formation learned a different Five Elements Minor Essence from other people. This was the privilege of the people to be stationed at the eye of the formation. This would allow their prowess to be much stronger than usual.
This type of Five Elements Minor Essence could be merged with the original Qi of Xiantian and was like a martial technique, bringing only benefits. Qi of Xiantian imparted this to some of them, just to reaffirm the importance of the eye of the formation.
This could allow the rest to surround the eye of the formation. Only with the eye of the formation around would they be considered a powerful entity. Without the eye of the formation or if they were separated, their individual powers were nothing.
Therefore, they were now very clear and felt that it was good to be doing this. This was something they were willing to see.
Qing Shui already knew that Mu Qing had a Supreme Treasure. Looking at that “Holy Bracelet!” which was exuding a warming aura, he understood why she could improve so fast. What made Qing Shui the happiest was that she had a great talent in mastering the foot techniques.
The Duality Steps had already reached a high level of mastery.
Practice for formations was boring but they were all filled with a strong will and patience. It was because if they wished to survive and make a break for themselves, this was the best opportunity for them. They mustn’t let it go and must try their best.
Qing Shui led Mu Qing throughout the Duality Minutest Formation, darting about. He would force her to be in the formation for two hours everyday and then let her set up the formation. Her speed and prowess were also changing endlessly.
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed by!
In the past seven days, the transformations that had occurred were tremendous. The Five Elements Minor Essence they were cultivating had started to bring about quite a good effect. It was because during this period, Qing Shui had also made use of medicinal pills, including performing some slight impurities cleansing.
Since he had started doing it, he decided to put in his best effort for it. He didn’t care for this little stuff and thus the progress the Mu Clan’s members made was in leaps and bounds. However, on this day, Mu Fengyang planned on visiting the Godly Sword Clan.
Qing Shui planned on joining him since they couldn’t afford to have anything happening to Mu Fengyang. Otherwise, what they had done earlier would have all gone to waste. For a very long period, the Mu Clan still needed Mu Fengyang to be around to call the shots.
Mu Fengyang didn’t reject Qing Shui’s intention of joining him. The reason the Godly Sword Clan had shown respect to Mu Fengyang was all because of Qing Shui. In fact, the Godly Sword Clan wasn’t interested in the Mu Clan but was only interested in Qing Shui. However, they knew that the Mu Clan played a critical role here.
The others stayed in the Mu Clan and carried on with their training. The place was still filled with Duality Minutest Formations. One of the reason was for training, while another was for Mu Clan’s safety.
The Godly Sword Clan was situated along the borders of the city and they dominated the western area and was back facing the Sky Penetrating Mountains. A great river passed through the bottom of the mountain, with densely packed buildings stretching out from the bottom of the mountain to the peak. On the other side of the cliff, there was a huge carving of a saber. It was a tremendous stone saber.
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AST 923 – Godly Sword Clan's Ancestor, Forming An Alliance
Qing Shui stared at the giant sword statue carved from stone. It was emitting a strong killing intent. Qing Shui looked over at Mu Fengyang and noticed that they had both been astonished by the sight of the stone sword.
There were many extraordinary people with varying strengths, the sculptor of this stone sword must have been someone powerful. Only the most astounding of masters could have carved their killing intent into the stone sword. The craftsmanship and strength of the sculpting could not be overlooked.
Sculpting was like Drawing. Masters of the Drawing Realm could cause people to sweat profusely from looking at one drawn word alone. This was the charm of art, not only did the master require exceptional practice but their technique must be brought to the point of perfection.
Looking up ahead at the mountain path nearby, the slope gradient was small but the path zigzags and spirals to the top. At the foot of the mountain, a group of people were standing guard but there were also people moving in and out.
These people were in uniforms, with a sword embroidered at the chest. Sometimes the color of the knife was different but it was always one sword. Even though the shade of the sword was slightly different, without much guessing one could tell these were members of the Godly Sword Clan.
Qing Shui browsed around nonchalantly. Thinking back to the funeral, the middle-aged representative from the Godly Sword Sect had a scarlet long sword embroidered on his chest. Most of the people moving about had red, green or blue longswords embroidered but their strength was weaker compared to the middle-aged representative.
"Those that have arrived please stop where you are at!"
When Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang went to the mouth of the mountain path, a youth walked up from the crowd, extending his long sword to block Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang's path.
"Young fellow can you please pass on a message that the Mu Clan is here to visit." Mu Fengyang said with a smile.
"You are from the Mu Clan? I will lead you inside. The upper executives have already notified us that if you arrive you can go directly inside," the young fellow's demeanor changed immediately and he said respectfully. His eyes inadvertently looked over at Qing Shui several times.
Everyone knew that the Mu Clan was dependent on a strong young man, but there was no way to be sure if the person standing next to him was the real deal that had razed the Sky Prison Sect.
"Do you guys think that young man was the one? He did not have any resemblance to the descendants of the Mu Clan." The young man waited till Qing Shui was gone before he spilled his thoughts.
"The younger generation of the Mu Clan only has Mu Qing and some other mediocre people, from what I have seen he is definitely not one of them," one of the older, more mature youngsters said.
"Brother Yan, then it looks like that young man is a super master," immediately someone said in surprise.
"Sounds about right, if not him, what use would it be for the Mu Clan to bring a younger generation member for this occasion?"
"That is certainly the case, if not for that young man, the Mu Clan would probably just be as weak as before." ……
Following the mountain path upwards, the Godly Sword Sect's youngster was leading the way up ahead, Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang were following from behind. While walking, both of them were surveying the surrounding architecture.
There were rows upon rows of stairs here, although the gradient of the stairs was small. From the distance, looking diagonally upwards to the peak of the mountain, it was difficult to feel the gradient of the slope. While traveling on the mountain path, inadvertently, a small step would show up.
They continued towards the peak of the mountain. On top of the mountain, it was very spacious but there were fewer buildings. There were more than a dozen manor groups, the youngster that was leading Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang lead them towards the manor residing in the highest area. Even though the manor was the tallest, it was not the biggest.
The manor here could not be called luxurious, though it carried a heavy, imposing atmosphere. That is because the buildings were constructed from giant boulders. Although some of the colors looked very bright, the manor standing in front of Qing Shui seemed unchanged from its original look. It was still the color of the original giant boulders, except the surface was polished until it was very smooth.
Two people were standing guard by the manor's entrance. Qing Shui could see that both guards had a golden sword embroidered on their chest. However, their strength was not comparable to the handsome man that participated in Mu Clan's funeral.
"Lai San, who are they?" The bold man on the left side asked the youngster.
"Brother Hui, they are from the Mu Clan, by the Elder's orders, I am to bring them to him."
"So they are from the Mu Clan, please, the Elder is waiting in the back."
Although he was smiling, that smile was very stiff, causing Qing Shui to also want to smile. This man was not one to smile much but his effort to force out a smile made people feel uncomfortable.
After the previous youngster said his farewells to Qing Shui, Mu Fengyang and the bold man, he returned downwards. The bold man lead Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang to the inside of the manor.
Similar to the look from the outside, there were not many alterations to the insides, only a bit polished up. The appearance of the manor was particularly old fashioned but it had a different style to it.
Without reaching the backyard, Qing Shui could already smell the fragrance of herbs. Qing Shui could instantly identify that it was the smell of blossoming herbs, it should be an herb of decent quality too.
Once they reached the backyard, all they could see was an area covered by a sea of flowers, about a hundred meters out stood an elderly man in plain clothing.
"You guys enter, I will not enter," the bold man brother Hui said with a grin ushering Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang to enter.
The two of them entered together. When the Elder turned around, Qing Shui could clearly see the Elder's appearance. The Elder's face had a wide forehead with eyes of wisdom. His chin was perfectly round, with slightly meager cheeks. In combination with the long and slender body type, the elder gave off an otherworldly feeling.
Seeing Qing Shui and Mu Fengyang, the Elder walked over with a smile. "Honourable guests have arrived, please excuse the lack of welcome."
"Elder you are too kind, Fengyang thanks Godly Sword Sect's for paying a visit."
The Elder took a glance at Mu Fengyang and Qing Shui, sighing while laughing.
"Don't mention it. Don't call this old man realistic but everything on this Earth happens with cause and reason, don't you think?" Elder said while lightly shaking his head.
Mu Fengyang smiled as well, except there was a hint of bitterness to his expression. He fully understood what the Elder was trying to get at, the funeral earlier did not happen without any cause.
However, Qing Shui was not a descendant of the Mu Clan, had Qing Shui been a member of the Mu Clan, he would not hesitate to pass the leadership to Qing Shui's hands.
"You should be Qing Shui, a member of the younger generation that will surpass us in time, a true prodigy," the Elder said after observing Qing Shui for a good while.
"This inferior one has seen the Elder," Qing Shui said while bowing.
"Good, come, let's go inside and sit!" Elder pointed straight ahead.
That place was a stone house but it was many times taller than a normal stone house. It looked rather large but it was not the size of a pavilion building. The three of them walked towards the direction of the stone house, Qing Shui still could not fully grasp the strength of the Elder. In addition, the Elder did not appear senile from old age.
Qing Shui did not weigh the strength of people based on their appearance but instead by their aura of vitality. If their vitality was weak, even if they were young, they would be like an old person. However, if their vitality was strong, even if they were old, even if they looked senile, they would live for a long time.
Although the area of the stone house was large, it only contained one floor. After entering, it gave off an air of comfort. The centerpiece of the room was a statue, not overly tall but slightly taller than a regular person. The statue was colorful, even the weapon in its hand was colorful. The weapon was a general type long sword.
Qing Shui surveyed the surroundings and concluded that this was the Elder's cultivation location. He did not understand why the two of them were brought here.
Glancing to the bedroom on the side, Qing Shui figured that was where the Elder lived. Bringing them here was a type sincerity.
There were no tables or chairs, only some light futons. Qing Shui saw the Elder's plain attire and thought it was strange. However, seeing that the Elder was a follower of Buddhism, the lifelike statue holding a weapon with such killing intent seemed out of place. If a normal person walked in, they would be frightened.
The three of them sat on the futons inside the stone house, between them was a stone table that was one foot tall. The middle of the table had a small stove, with water boiling on top, that was making bubbling noises. With a Yixing clay teapot and yixing clay tea cups on the table… …
Drinking tea and talking about their daily lives, Mu Fengyang was also a senior, in terms of being slick and sly he would not be less experienced than the Elder. Besides, he was not talking right now, the control of the discussion was in his grasp. Although he was not sure what sort of control they had, he knew that the Godly Sword Sect had an important matter to speak with the Mu Clan.
"I know that we are all perceptive, so I will cut to the chase." The Elder placed his tea cup down and smiled.
"Elder, what would you like to talk about? If it is something that the Mu Clan can do, we will not brush it off," Mu Fengyang said seriously.
Mu Fengyang's words were as blunt as they could be. If it was within the Mu Clan's powers, they would complete it without hesitation. But If it was something beyond the Mu Clan's strength, then it was up to the Mu Clan to decide if they would attempt it.
"Fengyang, don't misunderstand. I just want to form an alliance between the Godly Sword Sect and the Mu Clan. The purpose is to increase our strength since I feel that in the coming years, there will be unforeseen change in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent," the Elder thought for a bit and said slowly.
Mu Fengyang was silently thinking.
"Elder, excuse my bluntness, there are many clans and sects within Jun City and this Continent's Capital that would want to ally themselves with the Godly Sword Sect. I am well aware of our own strength and the Mu Clan's strength is at the very bottom of that list, because Qing Shui is bound to leave at some point." Mu Fengyang did not want to take advantage of the situation. The Elder had spoken what was clearly on his mind, so Mu Fengyang also had nothing to hide. In addition, the Elder should have expected that Qing Shui was going to leave.
Given that the result could have been properly predicted, allying themselves with the Mu Clan seemed unrealistic.
"This I know, Qing Shui is one of the most talented youngsters I have seen through my years. It is unlikely that he would be content with being secluded in a corner of the continent. In the future, his brightness will shine across all Nine Continents," the Elder said while laughing.
Qing Shui never thought that the Elder would compliment him with such high praise but he remained silent. Once the Elder had proposed the alliance, Qing Shui had already predicted it would succeed.
"The alliance between the Mu Clan and I, given the Mu Clan's potential, my terms will not change. Especially since I heard about the battle that occurred between the Mu Clan and the Sky Prison Sect before. Although Mu Clan may not be strong now, given time, the Mu Clan's strength will not be weak. If Fengyang is to accept, we will find a good day to hold the ceremony to celebrate our successful alliance," the Elder said while looking at Mu Fengyang. "Exactly what we need," Mu Fengyang said happily. He did not thank the Elder, since an alliance was mutually beneficial, this did not warrant gratitude, else the alliance would be unbalanced.
"Elder and the Mu Clan are the best of my friends, if the Godly Sword Sect has any use of me in the future, please do not hesitate, Qing Shui will not decline to help," Qing Shui said with a smile.
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