Chapter 467
"Do you think the three families of the Taishang Dao would be willing to confront these three major forces for your sake?"
Zheng Fa didn't need to think; he already knew the answer was no.
He looked at Xie Qingxue, his expression serious, and suddenly asked, "So, what does Xie Xianzi mean?"
"You, the Jiushan Sect, will no longer be allowed to use the 'Jiushan Golden Elixir Method.'"
This was not unexpected for Zheng Fa. Previously, when he had invoked the 'Jiushan Golden Elixir Method,' it resonated with the Qingping Sword, and at that time, Xie Qingxue had almost no power to fight back.
Naturally, Xie Qingxue was wary of this technique.
The Tianhe Sect was wary as well.
"And I want the 'Jiushan Golden Elixir Method.'"
"…Xie Xianzi, don't you think these two demands are excessive?"
"It concerns the inheritance of the sect..." Xie Qingxue looked at Zheng Fa and suddenly smiled, "If the elders of the sect were here, they would probably be even more demanding than I am."
Zheng Fa nodded, letting out a sigh, seemingly helpless.
What Xie Qingxue said was true; the five sects of Xuanwei were not known for their reasonableness. Zheng Fa's current prestige was largely earned through strength—after all, the Jiushan Realm had demonstrated a depth and contribution far beyond other sects.
But... the 'Nine Turns Golden Elixir Method' was too taboo.
"What now?"
"If others from the Tianhe Sect came, I don't know what they would do, but I do have something to tell them." Zheng Fa looked at Xie Qingxue and slowly uttered the last two sentences, "To nurture the sword with a person, to be dark and then bright again."
Xie Qingxue's eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "You!"
"The Tianhe Patriarch took in seven disciples; one passed away, and among the remaining six, five betrayed him, leading to the five branches of Tianhe."
"But no one knows that the third disciple, who betrayed him first, was actually the most loyal..."
Zheng Fa glanced at the Qingping Sword, his tone unconsciously tinged with a sigh. "I don't know the essence of the Tianhe Sect's techniques, but the method practiced by the third disciple of Tianhe is not really meant to strengthen oneself, is it?"
The more Zheng Fa spoke, the more complex Xie Qingxue's expression became. She gripped the Qingping Sword, her face showing a murderous intent, yet Zheng Fa seemed unperturbed, leisurely continuing, "Not to mention whether Xie Xianzi has the ability to silence me in the Jiushan Realm."
"Is this Qingping Sword listening to you, or to me?"
Xie Qingxue fell silent for a moment, slowly releasing her grip on the sword hilt, as if coming to terms with reality.
She sighed:
"In the five branches of Tianhe, all use people to control swords, but only the lineage of the Shouzhong Patriarch uses swords to control people."
"Shouzhong Patriarch?"
"That's the third disciple of the Tianhe Sect you mentioned." Xie Qingxue seemed to realize she couldn't do anything to Zheng Fa and began to explain, "His Dao name is Shouzhong. Among the seven disciples of the Tianhe Patriarch, he was the most peaceful in temperament and had the least talent. But the Tianhe Patriarch once said, 'Those who inherit my will shall soar like the roc; those who follow my path shall be Shouzhong.'"
"The roc... is the Tianhe disciple you encountered before."
That Tianhe disciple in front of the bronze tower was likely the Pengfei Xie Qingxue referred to.
Xie Qingxue continued, "The Shouzhong Patriarch rebelled against the Tianhe Patriarch alongside his brothers, but he actually had his own plans."
"Those plans involve the Qingping Sword?"
"Yes..." Xie Qingxue lowered her gaze, a bitter smile escaping her lips. "His plan was simple. At that time, the Tianhe Patriarch was facing enemies everywhere; helping him would be futile. Instead, if he could wield the Qingping Sword, he might leave the Patriarch a glimmer of hope."
"But they say the Dao fruit does not die... yet the Qingping Sword seems to have lost the Patriarch's spirit long ago."
Xie Qingxue's words confirmed what Zheng Fa had sensed from the Qingping Sword. In simple terms, the Qingping Sword was one of the Dao fruits of the Tianhe Patriarch, possibly containing his spirit and even a chance for resurrection.
Just like the Blood River Ancestor's revival in the Jiushan Realm.
The Shouzhong Patriarch harbored this hope, and upon discovering that the Tianhe Patriarch seemed not to have revived within the Qingping Sword, he even nurtured the sword with his own essence. In principle, this was similar to what Sister Zhang did for the Jiushan Patriarch—only Sister Zhang had no intention of restoring the Jiushan Patriarch's spirit, while the Shouzhong Patriarch did.
"To nurture the sword with a person is the essence of the Shouzhong Patriarch's method. To inherit the Qingping Sword, one must have talent; otherwise, one cannot nurture it. Secondly, one must possess this... patience."
Zheng Fa nodded gently, not saying anything about Xie Qingxue.
Even the Shouzhong Patriarch, while engaging in the most rebellious acts in the Xuanwei Realm, was hiding secrets, preparing for the next Qingping Sword master to appear, even ready to let go of his own success.
This kind of resilience made him feel a bit of admiration.
"To be dark and then bright again means..." Xie Qingxue looked down at the Qingping Sword, softly saying, "The Patriarch once said that when the light of the Qingping Sword shines coldly through the Xuanwei again, it will be the day the Patriarch reappears."
Zheng Fa slowly began to piece together some of the details.
For instance, some of Xie Qingxue's oddities, even her excessive understanding of the 'Nine Turns Golden Elixir Method.'
For example, such high initial requirements for inheritance would naturally lead to a break in the Tianhe Sect's lineage.
"Xie Xianzi, are you also nurturing the sword with your own essence?"
Zheng Fa suddenly asked.
"Yes... The methods of the other four branches of the Tianhe Sect focus on the cultivator, while only the lineage of the Shouzhong Patriarch focuses on the sword."
Xie Qingxue sighed again, "If it weren't for this, how could I let you manipulate me?"
Zheng Fa felt a bit sorry for Xie Qingxue—this lineage's technique was usually fine, after all, the Qingping Sword had previously lacked any spirit and wouldn't take any initiative. It had always been aloof, ignoring everyone.
Yet... Xie Qingxue encountered Zheng Fa, and the Qingping Sword encountered Zheng Fa... no, it encountered the 'Jiushan Golden Elixir Method,' which was practically shaking three times a day.
Now it seemed that the Qingping Sword was the manifestation of the Dao fruit of the 'Nine Turns Golden Elixir Method,' which was why it resonated so well with the current 'Jiushan Golden Elixir Method.' This meant—Xie Qingxue's cultivation method had even trapped her!
Objectively speaking, the previous power of the Qingping Sword was largely due to the sword itself, with a small part coming from Xie Qingxue's profound spiritual power.
Zheng Fa... had barely operated the 'Jiushan Golden Elixir Method' a couple of times.
"Zheng Fa..." Xie Qingxue's voice was soft, her tone unusually gentle, "I thought about it and realized that with your talent, it’s quite normal for you to create a 'Jiushan Golden Elixir Method.'"
"Hmm?"
"I believe the 'Jiushan Golden Elixir Method' has nothing to do with the 'Nine Turns Golden Elixir Method!' Even in front of the elders, I would say the same for you!"
Xie Qingxue declared firmly.
Zheng Fa looked at her determined expression and suddenly smiled.
"…"
"Xie Xianzi, you wouldn't want the elders to find out about your connection to the Tianhe traitors, would you?"
"…" Xie Qingxue bit her lip, clenching her fists, as if she wanted to fight Zheng Fa barehanded.
"What are you thinking?"
"I was thinking, this Qingping Sword works pretty well for me."
"This is the treasure of my Tianhe Sect!" Xie Qingxue immediately retorted.
"Of course, of course." Zheng Fa said leisurely, "Xie Xianzi, this is definitely your sword; I just borrow it from time to time."
Xie Qingxue immediately understood, "You mean, my sword, my spiritual power, you want to use?"
"Yes."
"Am I your sword spirit or something?"
"…I never said that."
"…"
Cheng Kong was a bit worried in his room. How to put it, Xie Qingxue's personality—wasn't exactly bad, but the common flaw of a genius from a major sect was hard to avoid.
Moreover, just now, Xie Qingxue had that expression, clearly looking to cause trouble for Zheng Fa.
Although Zheng Fa wasn't necessarily afraid of Xie Qingxue in the Jiushan Realm, offending the Tianhe Sect was ultimately not a good thing.
Alternatively, if he could help out, perhaps it would win Zheng Fa's loyalty?
Thus, he kept his consciousness focused near the Jiushan Realm, wanting to see how things were going. After a long wait, Xie Qingxue and Zheng Fa finally emerged side by side.
Seeing their expressions, he felt puzzled—
Zheng Fa's smile remained warm and rich, even gentler than before.
But Xie Qingxue's face was filled with confusion and despair, looking much like a mortal woman who had lost her virtue and had nowhere to seek justice—she looked quite pitiful.
He looked back and forth several times, frowning slightly.
"Cheng Kong, what are you looking at? Why the long face? What did Zheng Fa say?"
The head of Mingde happened to come looking for him. Seeing his contemplative expression, he asked in confusion.
"I feel like I just saw a melon twist itself and deliver itself into Zheng Fa's hands..." Cheng Kong glanced at Zheng Fa's expression again, nodding affirmatively, "That melon should be quite sweet."
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 370: Something Feels Off, A Bit Familiar
Table of Contents
