Chapter 146: The 108 Sword Peaks of the Purple Sun Holy Land!

Fairy Qingyin’s words made Cao Xuan understand in an instant.

Indeed, the absence of the Ziyang Immortal Sword meant that someone was currently wielding it. Between a sword with no master to drive it and one that could strike him down at any moment, the choice of which was more terrifying required no deliberation. At that point, the distinction between first-rate sects and holy lands would vanish, leaving only the peak sects standing. Of course, Cao Xuan also believed that if other holy lands saw such invincible figures emerge, they would not only lose the qualification to call themselves holy lands but might even face total annihilation.

Cao Xuan’s assessment was correct. The six great holy lands of Central Province might seem unshakable, but that was only because they had been forgotten by the world over the long passage of time. The original six holy lands were not the same six that existed today.

Fairy Qingyin calmed her inner agitation; she had a vague suspicion, but she dared not voice it. For now, she set aside all other concerns and whisked Cao Xuan away, flying rapidly toward the Ancestral Hall.

...

The Ziyang Sword Sect was one of the six great holy lands of Central Province. It contained a world within itself, and the most obvious manifestation of this was the mist that Cao Xuan felt swirling around him, heavy with celestial aura. This was no mere visual effect or display of holy land grandeur; Cao Xuan could sense that it was the materialization of spiritual energy condensed to an extreme degree.

He mused to himself, "If I were still stuck with my original three-forged spiritual root, I feel I could have reached the late stage of Qi Refining here, even without the aid of pills."

Cao Xuan suddenly realized where the true strength of a holy land lay. It is said that every medicine has its poison; high-grade spiritual medicine free of pill toxins is not something just anyone can refine. Therefore, anyone who consumes medicinal pills will inevitably accumulate some level of pill toxin within their body. While these subtle impurities are not noticeable in the early stages, as one progresses further along the path of cultivation, a tiny difference can lead to a massive discrepancy later on. It is possible that during the breakthrough of a major realm, such a minor flaw could cause one to fail, remaining stuck for the rest of one’s life.

In this secret realm of the holy land, Cao Xuan felt that with his current peerless spiritual root talent, he could reach the Foundation Establishment stage without consuming a single pill or rare treasure. This was even more true for those with Earth or Heaven-grade spiritual roots. As for the floating pavilions and sword-dao secret realms—the architectural wonders of the immortals—they did not shock him as much as this liquid-like spiritual energy.

"No wonder everyone yearns for the holy lands, training in a place like this!"

Cao Xuan finally understood why the various sects were willing to send their geniuses to train at the holy lands. Even if these geniuses chose not to return to their original sects, as long as their strength increased, there would always be a bond of kinship. A Golden Core disciple might not be of great use to a sect, but a Nascent Soul ancestor was a pillar of support. A master at the Void Refining stage or higher, even if they were not physically present within the sect, would still serve as a deterrent to other powers.

Following Fairy Qingyin, Cao Xuan did not see many cultivators along the way, but given the vastness of the holy land’s cavern-heaven, he thought little of it. With a step that folded space, he found himself atop a mountain before he could even react.

Cao Xuan suddenly realized that a Void Refining master’s grasp of the void was not limited to merely opening a mustard-seed space—though he remained quite interested in that technique. The Ziyang Sword Sect had been passed down for untold years. Cao Xuan did not yet know its full scope, but he heard Fairy Qingyin say, "The Ziyang Sword Sect has been passed down since the ancient era and comprises 108 sword peaks."

"Our lineage resides at the Miaoyin Sword Peak. The master of this pulse is my teacher, the late-stage Integration Realm expert Pei Yuxin. Once you have seen my teacher and performed the rites at the Ancestral Hall, you will be an official disciple of the Ziyang Sword Sect."

Cao Xuan nodded, but just as he was about to speak, the world shifted. Before he could react, he found himself inside a quaint, ancient hall.

The first thing that caught his eye was a pair of fair, slender jade feet. Looking up, he beheld a majestic young woman in a purple dress with a high slit, a red cinnabar mark gracing the center of her forehead. Cao Xuan’s heart tightened; he knew that in the cultivation world, those who appeared young were often hundreds or even thousands of years old.

As expected, he heard Fairy Qingyin say respectfully, "Master!"

So, she was the pulse master of Miaoyin Sword Peak, Pei Yuxin, a late-stage Integration Realm expert. Cao Xuan quickly lowered his head, but having already scanned her, the system panel provided its prompt:

[Name: Pei Yuxin]
[Spiritual Root Attribute: Heaven-grade Spiritual Root, Fourth Forging]
[Cultivation Talent: Fifth Grade]
[Multiplier: 3600x]
[Cultivation Level: Late-stage Integration Realm]
[Traits: Clear Sword Heart, Flawless Jade, Graceful and Elegant, Soft Jade and Warm Fragrance]

Indeed, no one who could reach the Integration Realm was a simple person. Her multiplier was even higher than that of the little grand-ancestor Xian Xiangqiu, by 600 points. However, Cao Xuan knew that compared to Xian Xiangqiu’s panel, Pei Yuxin was still slightly lacking. He pulled up the panels of the other women and found Xian Xiangqiu’s entry:

[Name: Xian Xiangqiu]
[Spiritual Root Attribute: Heaven-grade Spiritual Root, Seventh Forging]
[Cultivation Talent: Fourth Grade]
[Multiplier: 3000x]
[Cultivation Level: Peak Nascent Soul Realm]
[Traits: Lotus Emerging from Water, Nine-Curved Intestines, Moonlit Peaks, Bright Glazed Body]

Do not be fooled by the fact that the little grand-ancestor Xian Xiangqiu only had a 3000x multiplier; one must remember that she was only at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. Pei Yuxin was two full major realms ahead of her.

At this moment, a majestic yet melodious voice echoed, "Qingyin, I told you to recruit Xian Xiangqiu. Why have you brought a boy back instead?"

As she spoke, Cao Xuan felt as though his entire being had been seen through. Fairy Qingyin quickly bowed and said, "Master, Xian Xiangqiu has already been taken in by the Xuanhua Dao Sect. Even Liu Ruyan of the Jade Maiden Sect could not sway her. I tried my utmost, but there was nothing to be done."

"Was there nothing to be done, or were you just perfunctory?"

Pei Yuxin was truly worthy of being Qingyin’s master; she guessed the truth immediately. Knowing she could not deceive her master, Qingyin muttered, "It was obvious there was no chance, wasn't it!"

Pei Yuxin kept her eyes closed, her expression calm, but her words carried a hint of annoyance, "With your temperament, how will you ever know if you can succeed if you do not try?"

Fairy Qingyin quickly forced a smile, "Alright, Master, isn't there already a result? Oh, by the way, look, I’ve brought you a grand-disciple. Cao Xuan, come and pay your respects to your grand-ancestor."

Cao Xuan hurried to cup his hands, "Disciple Cao Xuan, greets—"

"Wait!"

Pei Yuxin raised a hand, and a wave of pressure erupted, preventing Cao Xuan from finishing his sentence.

"The holy land has its own rules; there are conditions for entry!"

"Qingyin!"

"Present!"

"I sent you to recruit Xian Xiangqiu not because I insisted on success, but because I hoped to temper your character. You have been in the early stage of Void Refining for centuries, have you not?"

"How much longer do you intend to waste your time here?"

Qingyin’s expression turned serious; she understood her master’s good intentions, but she also realized her master had misunderstood. She thought that once again, she had found the task troublesome and had simply grabbed someone at random to fill the quota.

She quickly said, "Master, you have misunderstood!"