Chapter 112: Stirring the Phoenix's Rebirth, Journeying North to Question the Primordial Emperor—Is He Truly Old? [Please Support with Votes!]
Li You’an and the Sixth Mountain Lord seemed to have long anticipated where Zhao Huangting would go.
Although Zhao Huangting had ignited the Nirvana Fire, the two men, after a slight sigh, did not display any profound sorrow or the anguish of farewell.
Hua Jiebing had initially felt a deep melancholy, but seeing the calm expressions on Li You’an and the Sixth Mountain Lord, she found herself gradually composed. She turned her gaze toward the distant sunset, where the entire sky blazed like fire. In her shimmering, jet-black eyes, a glimmer of light flickered.
“Is that the Master’s Heart Sword?”
Hua Jiebing’s lips curved slightly in a subtle smile as a realization dawned upon her.
A Heart Sword of the ninth realm is far more unfathomable than her own, which had just reached the eighth realm, and it possesses unique and formidable power.
Why had the Son of the Zhao family orchestrated such a grand scheme against her, Hua Jiebing?
The purpose was to obtain the Heart Sword—a rare and precious treasure, far more difficult to temper than even some first-grade magical artifacts.
The Heart Sword can dispel confusion, suppress inner demons, tear apart the obscuring shadows that blanket the world, and ensure that a ray of sunlight always illuminates the soul, maintaining clarity.
It is a manifestation of great light.
The Son of the Zhao family sought to extend his life by five hundred years through the blood of immortals. Yet immortal blood is not his own—it contains the will of immortals and harbors a soul-consuming divine anomaly.
To extend life is not merely to continue living and ruling the world; if one’s soul is devoured and one becomes a mindless slave to the immortals, losing all autonomy, then such longevity is meaningless.
It is a fate more agonizing than death.
Therefore, the Son of the Zhao family needed the Heart Sword. Only by suppressing a glimmer of clarity within his heart with the Heart Sword could he retain autonomy while prolonging his life by five centuries, remaining the undying emperor of Great Zhao.
“Do you think Elder Zhao can survive this?”
Anle’s face was as pale as paper, but his eyes held concern.
He knew the old man had many unfinished matters and had yet to enjoy a true, unrestrained moment. To perish so fleetingly in the Nirvana Fire would be a great pity.
Yet Li You’an shook his head softly and said, “The end draws near. It is not so easy to survive.”
“The end is a challenge faced by all life. Before it, we are all equal. Too many lose their composure and become disoriented. Even the mighty Emperor Yuanmeng will one day face this end.”
Li You’an spoke with a hint of sigh.
“Since ancient times, how many heroes have walked this land? Those who unified the four seas and commanded dragons to submit; the sacred sages who filled the world with abundant virtue and enlightened humanity; the unparalleled war gods whose blood could cleave mountains with a single drop—yet none could withstand time, eventually fading into the endless river of years.”
“Time is one of the most terrifying forces in this world.”
A mountain breeze stirred, causing the robes of those standing on the plateau to flutter.
The Sixth Mountain Lord carried a massive pinewood sword case on his back, his gaze complex: “The Holy Master once said that no one can hold their head high before time, not even himself.”
Even the Holy Master could not defy time.
Anle felt an overwhelming shock in his heart.
“Does the Holy Master have an end, too?” Anle asked.
The Sixth Mountain Lord nodded. “All mortals face an end. No, all beings in heaven and earth have an end. Even the celestial beings in the sky, the demons of Kunpeng Mountain, and the dragon clans of the Eastern Sea—though they live much longer than humans—will eventually meet their end like a sword’s gleam etched deep into the soul, severing life when the time comes, like frostflowers wilting.”
“The Holy Master is no exception.”
Anle took a deep breath. There is no true immortality in this world.
Cultivators strive to grow stronger to extend their lifespan—from three hundred years to five hundred, from five hundred to eight hundred.
But the stronger one becomes, the harder it is to prolong life, for beyond a certain point, the path vanishes, replaced only by impassable cliffs.
“I once asked the Holy Master about the end. He said that immortality isn’t necessarily as meaningful as it seems.”
Li You’an smiled and spoke at the right moment, “Upon reflection, it truly makes sense.”
“The Heart Sword can suppress the Nirvana Fire but cannot halt the flow of life. At least, it can prevent Zhao Huangting from dying as fleetingly as a blooming ephemeris flower.”
“Zhao Huangting must understand this. The reason he resolutely ignited the Nirvana Fire today—besides wielding absolute invincible power to end this disgraceful Zhao royal affair and prevent the Son of Zhao from recklessly exposing the family’s secrets—is because he has reached a certain mental transformation. He ignited the peak of Nirvana Fire at a rare moment when Master Su Zhu of Ganye Temple appeared.”
“He once said that at life’s end, he would cross the river again to challenge Emperor Yuanmeng for one last exhilarating battle.”
“So naturally, he does not intend to die now.”
Li You’an’s words eased Anle’s heart somewhat.
As the group chatted, a fiery radiance spread across the sky from afar.
Anle saw Zhao Huangting descending gracefully, standing tall and upright like a celestial god. At his side was a breathtakingly beautiful female bodhisattva, as if stepped out from a painting.
“Bodhisattva, give me a chance,” Zhao Huangting’s flattering tone shattered his usual aura of strength, like an earthquake.
Li You’an and the Sixth Mountain Lord couldn’t help but smile.
“Master,” Hua Jiebing gazed at the stunning female bodhisattva—Master Su Zhu of Ganye Temple.
One of the temple’s chief grandmasters, Su Zhu now subdued much of her aura, yet an invisible mist of mountain fog clung to her form.
“Indeed, Lin’an’s soul-shattering place is good for tempering the Heart Sword, but insufficient to forge a ninth realm Heart Sword.”
Su Zhu’s ruby lips parted, dazzlingly beautiful.
Hua Jiebing pressed her lips and nodded.
“No rush. Your chance to forge a ninth realm Heart Sword is near.”
Su Zhu lifted her hand and gently stroked Hua Jiebing’s head, as if comforting a little girl.
“Bodhisattva, be honest, please help a little.”
Zhao Huangting’s aura soared, the entire Sixth Mountain blazing like the Flaming Mountain, with the setting sun hanging above, as if heavenly fire had descended.
Yet Su Zhu was unhurried, turning to gaze at Anle, clad in white.
Anle, naturally respectful to the lady’s master, cupped his fists and bowed, “Greetings, Master.”
Su Zhu looked at Anle, then smiled charmingly at the woman beside Zhao Huangting, her dimples like ripples on West Lake.
“Indeed,” she whispered.
“Merely relying on the ‘Sword Waterfall Diagram’ cannot forge a Heart Sword; it requires the heart-refining methods of Ganye Temple. Yet you have forged the Heart Sword embryo using only the ‘Sword Waterfall Diagram.’ Perhaps you will create an unparalleled Heart Sword in the future.”
The green mountains served as a barrier to reconnaissance, but to Su Zhu’s eyes, this was meaningless.
Her star-like gaze penetrated the sword embryo within Anle’s brow, and she nodded in admiration.
Anle knew that forming the sword embryo was related to his innate swordsman Dao fruit and the blessing of his ‘Eternal Genius’ talent.
Now, aided by the future sword energy visualization of the green mountains, he tempered the embryo faster and even sensed new directions emerging.
The Bodhisattva seemed to perceive this too, refraining from advising Anle on his future path.
Her gaze fell on the bamboo sword at Anle’s waist—the Green Mountain—and she stared at it for a long while before pressing her palms together and sighing.
“This sword is very special. Though without rank, it contains immense secrets. If you can unravel these mysteries, you may find their aid and ascend to great heights.”
“Train diligently and do not waste your bond with the sword.”
Su Zhu said.
Anle bowed in response.
Then Su Zhu nodded slightly to Li You’an and the Sixth Mountain Lord before finally fixing her gaze on Zhao Huangting.
“The Nirvana Fire has been ignited, an irreversible act. Even the Heart Sword struggles to quell it—this you should know.”
Su Zhu said to Zhao Huangting.
His white robes billowed, two strands of white eyebrows swaying like clouds. He smiled carefree.
“No matter. Bodhisattva, if you grant me a fragment of your Heart Sword to suppress the Nirvana Fire, holding it for a month or so will suffice. Then I can prepare properly to journey north to the Central Plains, visit the famed capital built by Emperor Yuanmeng—the greatest city under heaven—and have a proper battle with the Emperor who has surpassed the tenth realm.”
“To erase the regret of my southern crossing and show the world whether this Emperor, who has remained idle for centuries, is truly old or not.”
The fiery sunset blazed across the heavens.
Beside the rocky mountain path, peach trees blossomed in profusion, trembling as if stirred by the old man’s grand words.
Li You’an’s scholar’s robe fluttered as he squinted.
Within the pinewood sword case on the Sixth Mountain Lord’s back, the sword trembled with a sharp clang.
Hua Jiebing’s long lashes fluttered, her heart filled with admiration.
Veiled Yun Rou clenched her delicate fists, her sparkling eyes filled with reverence.
A gentle breeze brushed Anle’s white robes as he listened to the elder’s heroic ambition, his heart swelling with grandeur and yearning.
To wield the sword and knock on the gates of Yuanmeng’s capital, to ask the world’s greatest if he has grown old.
While still young, let me indulge in some recklessness.
In the years ahead, indulge in drunkenness, thirty-six thousand times over.
Zhao Huangting’s Nirvana Fire burned across the horizon, his hair and beard blowing wildly, exuding a heroic spirit that even the life-consuming fire could not extinguish.
Su Zhu’s forehead bore a crimson mark, her red lips curling slightly.
“Good.”
With that, she raised one palm vertically before her, the other hand, pale as jade, smashed thunderously toward Zhao Huangting.
“Sixth Mountain Lord, lend me your Sixth Mountain.”
On the plateau, a ring of lotus-shaped energy waves surged forth.
Li You’an lifted Anle, the Sixth Mountain Lord took Yun Rou, and Hua Jiebing floated lightly, the three settling on the mountain path, leaving the plateau to the two.
Endless sword energy howled, and a sword-energy Bodhisattva reappeared between heaven and earth, growing a thousand eyes to gaze upon the world.
In the palm of this thousand-eyed sword Bodhisattva was a slender, three-foot-long rainbow-hued sword, slowly emerging as if slicing through the void from a mysterious realm.
A long glow of sunset light intertwined and twisted around the Heart Sword.
The entire Sixth Mountain began to tremble.
From the mountain path, waves of sword energy shot skyward, as if the whole mountain had become a drawn sword!
Thunder erupted from the plains, and an immortal roared beyond the clouds!
The phenomenon surged, as if someone dared to defy fate itself, seizing heaven’s creation, condemned by the heavens and earth!
Anle stared in awe—this was the true great cultivator, daring to battle heaven and shout back at the divine!
Gathering the power of the rainbow Heart Sword, Zhao Huangting restrained his spirit and focused it upon the Sixth Mountain plateau. Behind him, heavenly fire blossomed, his brow cracked open, and a sword energy aura like violet lightning sprang forth.
He absorbed the Heart Sword’s sword energy from the descending Bodhisattva, devouring the Nirvana Fire born behind him!
Beneath the descending celestial rainbow clouds, the grand and heroic spirit surged from the sea.
The spectacle was magnificent and breathtaking.
……
In Lin’an Prefecture, within the imperial city—
The Son of Zhao lightly dismissed court, ending the chaotic affair.
Civil and military officials, dressed in court robes, bowed and held their tablets in salute. As the Son of Zhao and the purple-robed Tongdiao Temple departed from the high seat and vanished, the officials filed out of the Heavenly Mysterious Palace.
Standing before the palace gates on white jade steps, they involuntarily lifted their heads to gaze upon the magnificent celestial phenomenon outside Lin’an!
One man, full of heroic ambition, dared to contend with heaven and earth!
Qin Lishi stood among the officials, narrowing his eyes with admiration.
Beside him, the Crown Prince watched the grand sky, his sullen expression brightening somewhat.
“But from now on, Great Zhao will have no more ‘Old Uncle.’”
The Crown Prince’s words made Qin Lishi withdraw his gaze.
“Your Highness need not worry. Just do what you must. Who can say what the future holds?”
Hearing this from the powerful chancellor who supported him, the Crown Prince’s expression softened greatly.
That day, the Son of Zhao had failed to obtain the Heart Sword from Jade Guanyin, meaning the quest to extend life by five hundred years remained uncertain.
The struggle among the dragon heirs was still full of suspense.
“The Second Prince has been in seclusion at the Heavenly Master’s Mansion for a year, breaking through to the sixth realm of Spirit Refinement. He will soon descend. Your Highness can inform him of everything that happened in Lin’an in detail.”
“Given the Second Prince’s nature, he will seize such an opportunity. If he can capture Anle and return him to Lin’an, it will be a perfect chance to display his talents before the throne—a great bargaining chip to become heir apparent.”
“But… Your Highness must not forget, Anle is no ordinary man. He will not be so easily captured. Should the Second Prince fail, His Majesty will surely be disappointed.”
Qin Lishi spoke softly.
The Crown Prince’s eyes gleamed faintly.
……
The Son of Zhao stood midway up Phoenix Mountain.
The evening breeze stirred gently as he fixed his gaze on the fiery clouds descending above the distant green mountains, sensing the overwhelming might that seemed to tear heaven and earth, gradually compressing and converging.
And there, the Heart Sword’s aura he longed for flickered within.
“Zhao Huangting…”
Zhao Tianyan’s face darkened severely. A grand scheme, a Heart Sword within easy reach, was lost because of an unassuming youth.
The root cause of failure was Zhao Huangting gifting the Green Mountain to Anle!
Moreover, Zhao Huangting had ignited the Nirvana Fire to suppress the incident entirely, preventing him from exposing the Zhao family’s bottom line and forcing him to retreat.
He had thought the old uncle would perish in the Nirvana Fire, a fleeting bloom.
Yet unexpectedly, Zhao Huangting sought out Master Su Zhu and used the very Heart Sword he coveted to suppress the Nirvana Fire.
It was as if salt had been rubbed into his wound!
“Old uncle, from today onward, the Zhao family will have no old uncle. If you are unkind, do not blame me for being ruthless.”
“Once you leave Lin’an, it is the martial world.”
“Rules are no longer rules.”
……
That day, many powerful figures around Lin’an witnessed the grand celestial phenomenon.
Deep within the Martial Temple—
Between two cliffs, a torrent of water rushed violently.
Chains interlaced above crimson stones.
Di Cang shed his armor and clothes, floating above the Martial Chief Stone, hair wild. He looked up at the fiery clouds battling heaven, grinning.
“To gather Nirvana and head north to face Emperor Yuanmeng, seeking a thrilling battle—that is your style, Zhao Huangting.”
“Di Cang awaits eagerly.”
With that, Di Cang slashed open his chest with his finger. His pounding heart thundered as if echoing the heavens.
A drop of essence blood gathered and fell onto the Martial Chief Stone.
Instantly, it was absorbed.
This stone, nourished by the essence blood of past Martial Chiefs, had long surpassed ordinary intelligence.
Perhaps it had become sentient.
After this offering, Di Cang left the Martial Temple for the Canglang River, heading to the battlefield.
He no longer wished to linger in the chaotic Lin’an for a moment.
……
The fiery clouds blazed for three days and nights.
Such a grand spectacle naturally drew attention.
A hundred miles from the Sixth Mountain, tens of thousands of troops had been dispatched.
Second-rank generals of the Protecting and Pacifying Armies, left and right marshals of the Golden Guards, and other strong figures awaited on the official road outside the mountain.
As the Sixth Mountain was the gate of the Holy Mountain’s Sixth Mountain Lord, the Son of Zhao feared to directly assault it and could only wait respectfully outside.
In truth, these warriors knew it was mere showmanship. People could not be held within Lin’an, let alone keep Hua Jiebing, backed by Master Su Zhu, within.
At some unknown time, a fine spring rain began to fall.
The rain was not misty but strong, beating the earth, muddying the mountain path, and veiling the world in haze.
Within the Sixth Mountain, an extraordinary calm prevailed.
Even heavy rain could not obscure the fiery cloud phenomenon.
On the plateau, Su Zhu and Zhao Huangting appeared like statues, yet the falling rain could not touch them.
Anle sat cross-legged on the stone path, remaining thus for three days.
The surging sword energy from the mountain path caused every pore on his body to open wide, as if gasping for breath.
He had once bathed in sword rain on the path, practicing the Five Beasts, tempering his spirit, and forming the brow sword pool.
The Sixth Mountain contained the sword energy cultivated by the Sixth Mountain Lord over the years, with three thousand swords hidden in the Red Dust Sword Case.
How could the Sixth Mountain not harbor three thousand sword treasures?
After unleashing the “Heroic Spirit Draw,” Anle suffered great loss of flesh and blood; his inner elixir and profound meaning dimmed, his sword furnace cracked, and his primordial spirit dormant—his condition was poor.
Even with the “Eternal Genius” talent, recovery required time.
Yet, aided by the rising sword energy, the “Innate Swordsman” Dao fruit trembled continuously, the sword energy cleansing his body wave after wave.
Each time, his dormant blood and energy revived.
The demonic jade at his waist emitted demonic aura, transforming into a splendid serpent coiling around him.
Demonic energy seeped into his body, sword energy washed his flesh.
His inner elixir began to glow; ancient demonic tiger essence awakened, roaring fiercely.
The ancient Five Beasts fully revived.
The cracks on the brow sword furnace gradually closed, sword energy resounded within.
The torrential rain cleansed the mortal realm.
On the plateau, the elder’s grand aura slowly receded and settled.
On the mountain path, the youth in white grew more vigorous, his momentum surging.
Lady Hua and Li You’an stood silently at a distance, exchanging a glance.
Despite the dim inner elixir, cracked furnace, and dormant spirit, the youth’s momentum soared, showing no sign of weakness.
Even prodigies like Hua Jiebing and Li You’an were speechless.
Is he still human?!
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