The young man with a sword case on his back sat at a position near the door. His expression was cold yet solemn, with a hint of unease, as if he was waiting for or fearing something.
Meng Qi really wanted to approach and say, “Young sir, this humble Taoist notices your hall of impressions is darkened, which may signify impending misfortune.”
However, considering he had just arrived in this place with no knowledge of the local situation or who might be friend or foe, he ultimately decided not to provoke unnecessary trouble.
He turned his head and smiled at Xie Xian: “Master Xie seems quite enamored with flying swords, doesn’t he?”
This was an attempt to seize the opportunity and steer the conversation to learn more about the local circumstances.
Jiang Zhi smiled as she listened. When it came to social interaction and extracting information, she knew she was no match for Meng Qi.
At that moment, Meng Qi himself felt quite proud. After being tricked by so many seasoned schemers, being manipulated by people like Wang Siyuan and Jiang Hengchuan, and surviving in the martial arts world for several years, if he hadn’t improved, he would have long since become a corpse by the roadside!
As soon as the term “Master Xie” was mentioned, countless gazes turned toward him within the carriage. It seemed that many people were surprised that Xie Xian’s age qualified him for the title of “Master.”
Under the intense scrutiny, Xie Xian’s face flushed red once again, clearly very flustered. He stammered, “Who wouldn’t admire a swordsman capable of beheading someone from hundreds of miles away?”
“But how many swordsmen of that caliber exist in the world?” Taoist Priest Ouyang Zheng muttered, “The saying ‘one sword breaks all techniques’ is just boasting. Daoist arts are complex and diverse, each with its own unique applications and mystical wonders. How could a single sword possibly overcome them all?”
Jiang Zhi subtly transmitted her voice to Meng Qi, saying, “He carries many talismans, likely from the Daoist school that stores spiritual essence and draws upon primordial energy. After the ‘Great Demon Uprising’ and calamities brought by tyrants and demon Buddhas, this lineage was completely severed. Only the techniques of formations and talismans remain, but there’s no longer any method for cultivation. You could try exploring this aspect.”
With emotions and direction established, Meng Qi effortlessly took control of the conversation, gradually extracting partial information from Ouyang Zheng and Xie Xian.
This region was jointly governed by the Mo Palace, which excelled in mechanical arts, and several major Daoist sects. The Mo Palace had the strongest influence, equivalent to the imperial court, governing various prefectures and counties. Daoist sects held transcendent status, divided into two talisman lineages and the sword immortal lineage. Their arcane techniques were extraordinary, and their flying swords formidable, earning them the reputation of immortals. Daoist temples existed in each prefecture and county, managing nearby medicinal mountains, mines, and assisting the Mo Palace in dealing with demons, monsters, and heretical cultivators. During droughts, they were also responsible for performing rain-summoning rituals to ensure bountiful harvests. As for flood disasters, both the Mo Palace and Daoists would contribute their efforts.
Xie Xian had shown considerable talent from a young age, running around with village mechanists. Later, he joined the Mo Palace in Huowu County to study mechanical arts. With outstanding performance, he became a “Master” and a true mechanist, recommended to participate in this year’s “Worthy Talent” examination to enter the Mo Palace in the prefectural capital, Yongzhou, for advanced studies in mechanical arts.
According to Xie Xian’s description, his current mechanical skills could only produce substitute items like oxen, horses, and prosthetics, lacking any combat capability. The village’s safety still relied on martial artists. As for Ouyang Zheng, he belonged to a Daoist sect assigned to supervise Huowu Mountain, preventing the emergence of evil spirits.
“After becoming a ‘Worthy Talent’ and studying under the Mo Palace in Yongzhou, I’ll be able to create mechanical puppets, automaton tigers, and various improved prosthetics…” Xie Xian’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
Such youthful dreams filled the air. Meng Qi and Jiang Zhi, viewing this as an opportunity to learn something new, remained relaxed and unhurried. With a chuckle, Meng Qi said, “Just becoming a ‘Worthy Talent’? Don’t you aspire to become a ‘Jue Zhe’ (Noble One)?”
“Jue Zhe” was a term mentioned earlier by Xie Xian and Ouyang Zheng.
“Hmph, with examinations held every three years, how many ‘Worthy Talents’ can actually become ‘Jue Zhe’ and receive noble titles from the Mo Palace?” Ouyang Zheng shook his head, indicating the difficulty of becoming a Noble One.
It turned out that “Jue Zhe” referred to those who passed the examination and received noble titles. Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully, his gaze still fixed on Xie Xian.
Jiang Zhi’s radiant presence made Xie Xian, seated opposite her, feel somewhat constrained despite her minimal speech. He scratched his head again, smiling foolishly, “If I said I didn’t want to become a Noble One, I’d be lying. Which mechanist wouldn’t want authentic teachings to create machines that can control fire and water or block disasters with stone? But the ‘Noble One Examination’ is extremely difficult. Each prefecture can barely celebrate if five Noble Ones emerge every three years. As for me, I’m not sure if I’m capable…”
Seeing Xie Xian’s hidden melancholy, Ouyang Zheng, thinking of his own circumstances, empathized and softly sighed, “I also don’t know if I’ll ever successfully create true talismans and obtain official ordination to become a true Taoist.”
Meng Qi burst into laughter, dispelling the faint melancholy in the air: “You two are so young, why fret? The road is right beneath your feet—just take it one step at a time. It’s fine to have grand ambitions, but there’s no need to mourn over them. If we’re talking about aspirations, I’d even like to become a Grandmaster or a Celestial Master!”
Ouyang Zheng couldn’t help but smile: “A Grandmaster? A Celestial Master? Brother Su, at your age, even if you were an overlooked talent in your youth, it’s too late to change paths now. Well, mechanical arts aren’t closely tied to physical decline, so if you’re truly gifted, you might still have time to become a ‘Noble One.’ But beyond that, it involves both physical and spiritual mechanisms, which are difficult for those over fifty to endure.”
“The best path for martial artists to switch is the sword immortal lineage,” Xie Xian interjected, “but sword cultivation has extremely high requirements for talent and willpower, accepting very few disciples.”
He spoke with evident regret. If the sword immortal lineage were as open as the Mo Palace, he would genuinely want to give it a try, though he wouldn’t abandon his beloved mechanical arts.
Meng Qi sighed, displaying genuine emotion: “Does my martial cultivation path really have no way to reach divinity?”
Numerous passengers around him chuckled silently; martial artists were ordinary mortals, universally acknowledged as such!
Ouyang Zheng suppressed his smile and replied perfunctorily: “Brother Su and Miss Jiang’s aspirations are lofty, and your fearlessness in the face of difficulties is truly admirable. However, the inability of martial artists to reach divinity has been a longstanding fact, unless one could return to ancient times.”
“Were there martial artists who could reach divinity in ancient times?” The question didn’t come from Meng Qi but from Xie Xian. Many passengers on the Mo vehicle also wore puzzled expressions.
Ouyang Zheng displayed slight pride: “Our Myriad Phenomena Sect has the longest heritage, witnessing the rise and fall of numerous Daoist sects, and observing the ‘Mo Palace’ crossing the sea and coming here tens of thousands of years ago. Naturally, we have some records of ancient times.”
“Myriad Phenomena Sect?” Meng Qi and Jiang Zhi exchanged glances, both thinking of the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Venerable and the Myriad Phenomena Sect.
Did their sect truly have records of ancient times?
If so, they should find an opportunity to “visit” the Myriad Phenomena Sect.
Suddenly, Jiang Zhi transmitted her voice: “The Mo Palace ‘crossing the sea’ several ten thousand years ago coincides with the time of the Demon Buddha’s chaos.”
“Could they also have come through the Myriad Phenomena Sect to avoid calamity?” Meng Qi speculated.
Where exactly was this place? Was it an isolated paradise like Tianhaiyuan?
But it was clearly much vaster and broader, more like a world itself!
Since it wasn’t a secret, Ouyang Zheng showed off his knowledge: “If not for the changes in heaven and earth and the thinning of primordial energy, how could our Myriad Phenomena Sect have so few cultivators? During the time of the Celestial Emperor, our sect was a true Daoist paradise where immortals came and went!”
“In ancient times, there were cultivators who refined primordial essence, cultivated physical bodies, absorbed natural forces, refined the five internal elements, and built inner landscapes, somewhat resembling martial artists. Perhaps that was the path for martial artists to attain divinity.”
Meng Qi twitched his lips as he listened. Outside the Myriad Phenomena Sect’s gate, “cultivation” symbolized the use of techniques, a term used for similar practices, which was entirely different from the “cultivators” Ouyang Zheng referred to.
However, Ouyang Zheng’s explanation seemed closer to the original definition.
“Hello, ancient cultivator,” he chuckled, transmitting his voice to Jiang Zhi.
Jiang Zhi suppressed her laughter and solemnly replied: “Hello, ancient wild beast.”
When Meng Qi unleashed his power, his muscles bulged, his clothes swelled, his body grew larger, and his forceful aura exuded terrifying momentum, truly resembling an ancient wild beast.
“Unfortunately, after the Great Demon Uprising, the lineage of cultivators was completely severed,” Ouyang Zheng continued, his tone shifting slightly as he looked at Meng and Jiang with a touch of pity. Their appearances were refined and pleasing, but they had mistakenly embarked on the martial path.
In the future, if they encountered Mo Palace and Daoist sect members with corrupt intentions who specialized in wielding power, their outstanding beauty might lead to bullying or forced capture, turning them into concubines or servants.
Although the world was peaceful and the people content, the upper echelons still enjoyed various privileges, often disregarding the lives of ordinary people.
Hearing this, several martial artists dressed in the carriage felt disheartened. The flame of hope that had just been ignited was quickly extinguished, leaving their future still bleak. They would remain village protectors or ordinary soldiers.
Their martial cultivation primarily came from basic cultivation methods of the sword cultivation lineage.
At this moment, the Mo vehicle stopped midway, the doors opened, and several people boarded first.
Leading them was a man and a woman. The man wore wide robes with long sleeves, had a peculiar-shaped ink pot hanging from his waist, a pale face with thin beard, and was followed by several iron automaton warriors. The woman was around forty years old, dressed in light blue Daoist robes, exuding a sharp aura, her eyes seeming to emit sword-like glints.
The sword case-carrying man, who had remained silent when Ouyang Zheng criticized the saying “one sword breaks all techniques,” exhaled in relief, seemingly finally receiving reinforcements.
“Master Chang!” Someone among the passengers stood up in surprise, bowing respectfully.
As he spoke, many passengers recognized the man’s identity and rose to bow, including Xie Xian and Ouyang Zheng.
Meng Qi and Jiang Zhi stood up indifferently, leisurely bowing as well.
The middle-aged man called Master Chang surveyed the carriage, his gaze sweeping over Meng Qi and others, then nodded slightly without much attention, asking the sword case man: “What happened?”
Ouyang Zheng whispered to Meng Qi and Jiang Zhi: “This is Chang Huan, a ‘Jue Zhe’ of Yongzhou City, already a Fang Bo (regional governor). His mechanical arts are extremely formidable, especially his left hand, which has been transformed into the ‘Blazing Sun Cannon,’ truly extraordinary.”
As he introduced, the sword case-carrying man said: “Master Lin, Master Chang, this junior obtained a sword pellet by chance in the South Sea. It was extremely fierce and difficult to seal, so I sent a message to Yongzhou for you two to come and assist.”
Master Lin, the swordsman, nodded slightly, his expression somewhat solemn: “Where is the sword pellet?”
The sword case man took out a jade box from his chest, sealed with layers of yellow talismans.
As he was about to hand over the box, a sudden red light shone from inside. At the most unexpected moment, the situation changed abruptly. The red light broke through the seal and flew out, exuding sword qi.
Master Lin opened his mouth, and a pure white sword light flew out, colliding head-on with the incoming fierce light.
Clang! The pure white sword light retreated, and the fierce red light seized the opportunity to change direction, rushing toward Chang Huan.
Unknowingly, a black iron automaton appeared in front of Chang Huan, blocking the red light.
Clang! The automaton’s head separated from its body. The fierce red light dodged the sword case’s blue light and slashed sideways.
Inside the Mo vehicle, with many passengers nearby, Chang Huan hesitated to use his left “Blazing Sun Cannon,” delaying his response slightly. He could only watch helplessly as the red light slashed toward the window passenger!
“Trouble!”
“Watch out!”
There were two exceptionally beautiful individuals with ordinary auras, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old mechanist, and a young Taoist priest!
Amidst the passengers’ fear and panic, the fierce red light, in the blink of an eye, slashed toward Xie Xian.
Chang Huan and Master Lin, one controlling the automaton and the other wielding sword light, looked slightly anxious, knowing they couldn’t save them in time!
At this moment, a hand appeared in their eyes—white, strong, and not delicate.
It bent its fingers and lightly flicked.
Clang!
This flick precisely struck the red light. The fierce blood-colored light instantly shattered, landing awkwardly and transforming into a crimson sword pellet!
“This…” The entire carriage briefly froze in shock.
The pure white sword light hovered mid-air, and the automaton remained in a strange pose.
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