Chapter 54: Renowned Across the World
In the south, within the Nine Peaks Mountain Range, stood the Sword Abode.
This mountain range was famed throughout the land, and for many swordsmen, it was their lifelong dream to ascend its heights and gaze upon its towering peaks. Yet, this revered sanctuary turned out to be remarkably simple in appearance.
On the summit, amidst lush green grass, stood a plain thatched hut resembling a cowshed. Inside, Jian Wudao sat quietly, the furnishings sparse—a rough-hewn desk and a few stacks of books.
The desk itself was rudimentary, appearing as though it had been carved from a tree stump in haste. Its sole redeeming quality was its extraordinary flatness.
At this moment, incense smoke curled from a burner atop the desk. Jian Wudao, resembling an eighty-year-old man with white hair and beard yet possessing a complexion as youthful and rosy as a child's, sat with his eyes closed in quiet contemplation.
In his hand, he held a sword manual titled Detailed Explanation of Basic Swordsmanship.
His other hand lightly tapped his knee, as though deep in thought or silently reciting something.
"Master."
Suddenly, a voice came from outside the hut.
Jian Wudao opened his eyes to see a young man in white robes leap into the Sword Abode with an air of ease. In his palm, a golden glow flickered and transformed into a floating golden page.
"Master, a new grandmaster has appeared on the Merit Ranking!"
Pointing to the last name on the golden page, the young man exclaimed, "Chong Er—what a strange name. I wonder which sect this grandmaster belongs to. They even destroyed a Netherworld-Level River of Death! This alias doesn’t sound like someone from the River of Death Division."
Jian Wudao’s expression remained indifferent as he coldly replied, "What does this have to do with you?"
"I’m just curious."
The young man, familiar with his master's temper, grinned and said, "Those old grandmasters either stay within their sects, unwilling to take unnecessary risks, or practice in seclusion, aiming for the Three Immortals Realm to extend their lifespan. None of them would do something so unrewarding. This must be a newly advanced grandmaster—I’d like to spar with them."
"Thinking of leaving the mountain again?"
Jian Wudao’s face remained impassive as he unerringly exposed the young man’s true intentions.
"Practicing the sword requires the patience to endure solitude! There are millions of swordsmen in the world. If you want to stand above them with your three-foot blade, how can you achieve it without training a thousandfold more diligently than they do? If you dedicated more of your energy to the sword, you would have already entered the Three Immortals Realm."
You’re bold to say that—bold enough for me not to dare listen… The young man grumbled inwardly. Striving for the Three Immortals Realm was daunting even to think about.
He lowered his head and muttered, "Master, if I could spar with other grandmasters, I’d surely make further progress…"
"Hmph. When I entered the Grandmaster Realm, I secluded myself for three years, comprehended the sword, and broke through to form the Three Immortals on my own. Why would I need to spar with others?"
Jian Wudao snorted coldly, clearly displeased with his third disciple’s scattered thoughts. His gaze softened slightly as another disciple came to mind.
"How is your progress teaching your junior sister?"
"Junior Sister has already set one foot into the Spiritual Wandering Realm. She’s condensed her soul 180 times! Tsk tsk, she’s much stronger than I was at her age. Master, you’re clearly biased!" Although the young man accused him of favoritism, his face carried a mischievous grin.
Jian Wudao rolled his eyes. "If you could comprehend the Sword Heart within a year of entering the sect, I’d gladly visit Qiandao Palace myself to secure a successor’s soul for you."
"I don’t want Master to beg anyone for me."
"Besides, Junior Sister is deeply devoted to the sword and will eventually comprehend the Sword Spirit. I could never compare to her."
The young man chuckled and continued, "Speaking of this, Junior Sister really owes you her thanks, Master. If you hadn’t taken her out of the Divine General Mansion, she would have been forced to inherit the Li Family's heroic soul. While condensing the soul 80 times is decent, it’s only average by our standards. Achieving her current near-royal level would have been impossible."
"Not to mention, I’ve heard there are many restrictions on inheriting souls from the Divine General Mansion…"
"Enough!" Jian Wudao scolded sharply.
The young man froze, hastily shutting his mouth.
"The Li Family has defended the borders and slain countless demons. How dare you speak ill of them behind their backs?" Jian Wudao reprimanded sternly.
Realizing he had crossed a line, the young man scratched his head and admitted, "Disciple was wrong. I deeply respect the Li Family."
"Hmph. If you haven’t perfected Moonless Night within three months, prepare to spend your time on Sword Cliff."
Jian Wudao’s voice turned icy. "And stop reading that River of Death Household Register. Matters of the River of Death have nothing to do with you—that’s the concern of the Tianzhao Divine General Mansion. When you reach the Three Immortals Realm, I’ll allow you to leave the mountain. Until then, if you were to establish a sect and someone came to challenge you, it would disgrace my name!"
...
The young man left dejectedly, not daring to linger.
...
...
Elsewhere, someone at a sect happened to glance at the Merit Ranking and noticed the new name.
"One hundred merit points—a whole Netherworld-Level River of Death destroyed? Which grandmaster has emerged?"
...
"Chong Er… what an odd name. Investigate immediately and find out which sect this grandmaster belongs to. Perhaps we can recruit them."
In a high tower within a city, someone gave these orders.
...
In Yongzhou, at the Tianzhao Divine General Mansion, within a secluded courtyard:
"Miss, there’s a new name on the Merit Ranking—Chong Er. What a peculiar name!"
"Mind your words. Anyone willing to step forward and resolve the disaster of a River of Death is a righteous and courageous individual," the lady said with a stern glance.
"Understood, Miss," replied her maid Xiaotao, though she couldn’t resist muttering, "But that name really is unpleasant to the ears…"
The lady, dressed in silk and gauze, rolled her eyes at the maid who had followed her since childhood. "What do you know? Go and listen outside Father’s study. See if you can learn where this person comes from. If possible, offer them a position as an assistant supervisor."
"Yes, Miss, I’ll go at once," Xiaotao said, scurrying off.
Left alone, the lady gazed at the courtyard with a faint smile on her lips. Picking up a twig, she casually etched two characters into the dirt:
Feng Yue.
"Interesting..." she murmured.
...
...
At the Black and White Hall within Tangong Academy:
Song Yufeng slyly pulled a small packet of tea from his sleeve. As he began pouring it into his cup to brew, he suddenly noticed several elders approaching in haste, their expressions filled with urgency. His heart skipped a beat.
"Old Huang? No way... Did he track me down already? And he brought others too?"
Quickly covering his teacup, he composed himself, maintaining a calm and dignified demeanor.
"Palace Master!"
The elder at the front, Huang Licai, appeared both excited and flustered.
Song Yufeng's face twitched slightly as he coughed lightly. "Elder Huang, honestly, must you get this worked up? It’s just a little—"
"Palace Master, the Fengshan River of Death has disappeared!"
Huang Licai’s excitement bubbled over as he explained, "Elder Ni detected activity and went to investigate. The Primary God Temple is gone entirely! That only happens when it is permanently cleared. Otherwise, the temple would have crumbled into rubble on the spot."
"What?"
Song Yufeng was momentarily stunned, then felt a wave of relief wash over him. So this wasn’t about coming to settle accounts... Wait, the Fengshan River of Death was cleared? By whom?
"What exactly happened? Explain yourself clearly. Who did this?" Song Yufeng demanded.
"We don’t know. No one was found at the site," Huang Licai replied, shaking his head. "But your granddaughter seems to have witnessed something."
"Yueyao?"
Surprised, Song Yufeng immediately said, "Bring her here at once!"
"She’s already waiting outside," Huang Licai replied, promptly signaling for her to enter. Soon, two young girls entered the hall, accompanied by another elder. One was Song Yueyao, the other her companion, Lin Feifei.
The two girls had been practicing nearby when they noticed the commotion and rushed over, only to witness the shocking disappearance of the Primary God Temple.
"Who cleared it?" Song Yufeng asked without delay.
Lin Feifei glanced at her friend. Song Yueyao’s expression remained calm as she replied, "Palace Master, it seemed to be an outer academy disciple. Feifei and I only caught a glimpse of their profile and didn’t recognize them."
"How many people do you even know? You spend all day practicing..." Song Yufeng muttered under his breath before turning to Lin Feifei. "And you? Did you see clearly?"
"Palace Master, I only saw their profile too," Lin Feifei admitted. "But if I saw them again, I’m sure I’d recognize them."
Song Yufeng nodded slightly. "Very well. Go find them. Identify who did this—it’s a meritorious act and deserves a reward!"
"Should we inform the River of Death Division?" Huang Licai asked.
"They’re strapped for resources as it is. Let’s not bother them for a mere royal reward. Clearing the River of Death is everyone’s duty, and it’s within our responsibility," Song Yufeng said with a sigh, shaking his head. "The Fengshan River of Death consumed what used to be a peaceful countryside. Entire villages perished, their souls enslaved by the River..."
Huang Licai nodded solemnly. "I’ll take them to investigate immediately. If the person responsible doesn’t step forward, we’ll announce the reward for them to claim it themselves."
"Go ahead." Song Yufeng gave his approval.
...
As Huang Licai prepared to leave with the two girls, he suddenly paused and turned back. "By the way, Palace Master, what were you about to say earlier?"
"Hm?" Song Yufeng looked puzzled. "Say what?"
Huang Licai, seeing his confusion, assumed he had misheard and simply bowed before departing.
...
...
News of the academy’s announcement quickly spread. Not only the outer academies but even the disciples practicing in the Black and White Hall were abuzz with excitement.
The Black and White Hall disciples, in particular, were stirred. Many of them had endured the trials of the Fengshan River of Death. Now, hearing that it had been cleared, they couldn’t contain their astonishment.
"Who could have done it? Was it one of the elders?"
"Elders wouldn’t bother with something like this. Besides, even for them, clearing a River of Death isn’t easy. I’ve heard the conditions for doing so are bizarre and incredibly difficult to meet."
"They’re offering the Crimson Sky Sword as a reward? That’s forged from meteoric iron—said to be indestructible and capable of striking at the soul itself!"
While Black and White Hall disciples debated fiercely, the outer academies were equally in turmoil, especially the Alpha Academy. Those vying for the Martial Arts Ranking were stunned upon hearing the news.
"The River of Death is gone?"
"Wasn’t it supposed to be the trial ground for entering the Black and White Hall next year?"
"How could it just vanish?"
Without the River of Death, how would they prove themselves worthy of entering the Black and White Hall?
Other academies, however, were simply bewildered.
"River of Death? What’s that?"
Clearly, their immediate concern was earning a place in the Alpha Academy. The River of Death was of no concern to them until they achieved that goal.
...
"Yueyao, do you really think that person was an outer academy disciple? Judging by the number of flower emblems on their uniform, I think so, but still…"
In a forest, Lin Feifei and Song Yueyao walked side by side toward the outer academy.
Lin Feifei’s face carried doubt. She had once attempted the Fengshan River of Death herself. It was a grueling challenge—entering the village would alert all its inhabitants, numbering over a hundred Zhoutian Realm foes!
If the battle dragged on, the black-robed scholar would inevitably intervene. Even at the early stage of Soul Fusion Realm, it would still be perilous.