Martial Cultivator

Yang Furen looked at Chen Chao and smiled, "This old man said that it wasn't good for making sword sheaths, but do you use a sword?"

Chen Chao furrowed his brow, somewhat puzzled. "Then why did Mountain Lord ask me to choose the green bamboo?"

Yang Furen did not explain, but simply gestured for Chen Chao to carry the green bamboo and continue up the mountain with him.

The green bamboo was as heavy as a thousand pounds, but for Chen Chao, it was no problem. Years of body tempering had made his body tougher than ordinary metal and stone. As for his strength, it naturally went without saying.

As he carried the bamboo up the mountain, they soon passed through a forest where the tree trunks were glowing red. Chen Chao reached out to touch them and found that the trees themselves emitted a rolling heat, and the temperature did not seem low at all.

"It's just firewood," Yang Furen said.

As the place where they know how to forge flying swords best in the world, Chen Chao was not surprised by anything related to flying swords at Sword Qi Mountain. He just had not expected that there would be a whole forest dedicated to mere firewood on Sword Qi Mountain.

"When that girl ascended the mountain before, this old man originally thought she would at most choose one flying sword and then leave the mountain. But unexpectedly, she ended up taking away nine flying swords from me. Nine swords that were only slightly inferior to the Hundred Year Swords. Even this old man felt heartache about it. If she hadn't had a master already, that girl wouldn't have been able to leave the mountain. I reckon Sword Qi Mountain will have one more female sword immortal soon."

Yang Furen brought up Xie Nandu for some unknown reason, but his words carried some meaning regarding Chen Chao.

Chen Chao just smiled quietly from behind.

"Rumor has it that you and that young lady have quite a relationship. Do you have thoughts of becoming Dao companions?"

Yang Furen chuckled, his mood visibly improved.

Chen Chao replied, "It's hard to say. We've troubled Mountain Lord with this."

Yang Furen nodded. "Though you are indeed a rare martial artist in this world, you may not necessarily be a suitable match for that young lady. A female sword cultivator, mastering nine flying swords - such a feat has never been seen in the history of cultivation. She might usher in a new era. And you?"

"His Majesty ventured deep into the North and fought the Demon Emperor to a draw."

Chen Chao was neither servile nor haughty. While Yang Furen did not explicitly belittle martial artists, the underlying implication in his words suggested otherwise. Although Chen Chao was seeking help, he was unwilling to bend to Yang Furen's expectations in such matters.

Yang Furen paused and was silent for a moment, before lamenting, "That emperor of yours is indeed remarkable, truly extraordinary. For you martial artists to become this powerful when you reach the pinnacle, it's also beyond what us cultivators had imagined. It's just a pity that in this lifetime, it's unlikely I'll have the chance to witness the magnificence of that emperor."

With millions of miles between Sword Qi Mountain and the Divine Capital, Yang Furen could not possibly visit the Divine Capital to pay respects to the Great Liang Emperor, nor could the Great Liang Emperor himself come to Sword Qi Mountain.

Chen Chao chuckled. "Likewise."

Yang Furen was taken aback, then burst into laughter. "You're quite amusing, kid. So confident, much like that old man, Xiao Hezheng. No wonder he's willing to do these things for you."

"The Great General has mentored me as a martial senior, passing on his martial arts legacy, ensuring its continuity. I'll always remember the Great General's kindness."

Chen Chao spoke earnestly. There was no falsehood in his words. Although he had only met the Great General a few times and their relationship was not considered very close, the Great General's willingness to help was truly a mentoring gesture from a senior martial artist to a junior.

Few could rival such breadth of mind.

Yang Furen laughed, "He certainly has a good successor." Then the two arrived at the mountain peak, overlooking the entire Sword Qi Mountain. Yang Furen pointed to a place not far ahead and said, "That's the Sword Pool. After our swordsmiths forge a sword, they leave it there. Then, when sword cultivators climb up the mountain, they will go to the Sword Pool to select a sword, and it will depend on their fate. Over the years, Sword Qi Mountain has provided countless swords to countless cultivators. The Sword Sect claims that only their sword cultivators can be considered true sword cultivators, which is a bit exaggerated. However, if we say that the famous swords of the world all originate from Sword Qi Mountain, that's quite accurate."

Chen Chao replied, "With such a deep foundation, it's indeed accurate to say so about Sword Qi Mountain."

Yang Furen smiled and suddenly looked toward the Sword Pool, saying, "Since we're here by fate, let's watch someone choose a sword. That fellow called Lin Xian had a few words with you earlier at the foot of the mountain, didn't he? What kind of flying sword do you think he'll take from Sword Qi Mountain this time?"

Chen Chao shook his head, "I can't say for sure, but I have a feeling he's no ordinary sword cultivator."

Yang Furen revealed Lin Xian's background, "He comes from Jade Summit Mountain and is the final disciple of Ren Qianshan, who is also a sword immortal. Have you heard of him?"

Chen Chao nodded and said, "Of course, I've heard of the Flowing Water Sword Immortal. It's said that he hasn't appeared in the world for nearly half a sixty-year cycle."

"He's just striving for the Great Sword Immortal realm, but how can it be that easy?"

Yang Furen smiled and said, "Do you know what price Jade Summit Mountain paid to let him come here to seek a sword?"

Chen Chao asked in puzzlement, "Isn't it said that Sword Qi Mountain gives its swords to those who are fated, seeking only a favor in return?"

Yang Furen shook his head, "That's just how it's phrased. While a favor is necessary, they must also offer substantial compensation. Otherwise, how would our Sword Qi Mountain cover our expenses of forging swords? The folks up here have no interest in worldly affairs. If we made them operate like other sects, engaging in business to support the sect, they'd probably pack up and leave the mountain immediately."

"And Yu Xiyi?"

Chen Chao looked at Yang Furen.

Yang Furen shook his head, "Since he's this generation's representative from the Sword Sect, the word 'favor' is worth everything."

Chen Chao lamented, "In the end, people are just different."

Yang Furen laughed, "Naturally. To give a closer example, in your Great Liang Dynasty, the Emperor's son is born superior, while a commoner's son is born to kowtow to him. What's the logic in that? Where in this world is there true equality?"

"Let me say one more thing: some cultivators in the foreign lands find you martial artists uninteresting, seeing you as thorns in their side. Isn't this for similar reasons?"

Chen Chao asked, "Then once one ascends the mountain and cultivates the Dao, is there no more hierarchy?"

Yang Furen smiled and shook his head, "In the foreign lands, the one with the strongest fist sets the rules, while rules are secondary. Isn't it the same for you, where rules don't override strength?"

Chen Chao thought for a moment, then shook his head, "Actually, it's pretty much the same."

Yang Furen did not respond, just quietly watched the scene by the Sword Pool.

Chen Chao followed Yang Furen's gaze and saw Lin Xian, who was being led to the Sword Pool by someone. He had changed into a brand new outfit; pure white, which made him look even more otherworldly.

After being led to the Sword Pool, Lin Xian's eyes lit up as he looked at the countless flying swords before him. He grinned and asked, "Can I pick any of these flying swords?"

The mountain disciple who had brought him there was a taciturn man. Hearing this, he just said woodenly, "The flying swords choose you, not the other way around." Lin Xian raised an eyebrow, "Is that how it works?"

The man remained silent.

Likely finding the taciturn man rather dull, Lin Xian stopped talking and instead released his own sword qi to sense the flying swords. In the Sword Pool, the sword qi suddenly surged, with the unique sword qi of each flying sword rising and swirling around, sensing Lin Xian's sword qi. However, after a brief moment, the sword qi abruptly dissipated, and not a single flying sword chose this young sword cultivator.

Stunned for a moment, Lin Xian cursed, "You've got to be fucking kidding me!"

When he was young, his master, the Flowing Water Sword Immortal Ren Qianshan, had brought him to Jade Summit Mountain to cultivate. Ren Qianshan had high hopes for this last disciple and did not immediately bring him to Sword Qi Mountain to choose a sword but gave him a wooden sword instead. Over the years, Lin Xian had been yearning to find a flying sword on Sword Qi Mountain. Now that he finally had the chance, this was the result. His face turned ugly, not expecting such an outcome.

The man said, "Since no flying sword chose you, you can leave the mountain. The items sent by Jade Summit Mountain will be returned in full."

Lin Xian frowned and muttered, "I don't believe it. I am a prodigy destined to reach the pinnacle of Sword Dao. How could this be?!

"

The man had seen too many sword cultivators leave in disappointment after failing to obtain a sword from the Sword Pool. He was accustomed to their frustration and was about to drive Lin Xian away.

However, Lin Xian seemed to have gone mad and directly jumped into the Sword Pool. The man could not stop him in time and shouted, "Are you looking to die?!"

The Sword Pool was filled with rampant sword qi. If Lin Xian triggered the sword qi of the flying swords, he would likely be shredded into a skeleton by the sword qi.

But at this moment, Lin Xian had already leaped into the Sword Pool, and the man did not dare to follow. He could only stand by anxiously.

This bastard! If he really dies on Sword Qi Mountain, won't his master, the Flowing Water Sword Immortal, be devastated?

Watching this scene from a distance, Yang Furen showed no reaction. He just smiled and said, "You see, who among the world's sword cultivators isn't captivated by the flying swords of Sword Qi Mountain?"

Chen Chao just asked, "Will he die in there?"

Yang Furen shook his head and said, "I don't know, but probably not. There's a sword in there that's very suitable for him."

Sure enough, after Lin Xian jumped into the Sword Pool, which should have been filled with rampant sword qi, it was surprisingly quiet. Lin Xian looked around and cursed, "Your Father is such a prodigious talent, and none of you are willing to follow me to shake the world?!"

The Sword Pool was so quiet that there was not a single sound. After an unknown amount of time, a single flying sword emerged from the ground. It slowly approached Lin Xian, circled around him a few times, and finally hovered in front of him, humming gently.

Lin Xian was overjoyed. "You have good eyes!"

……

……

The two watched the sword selection unfold.

"The sword's name is 'Timely Rain.' The swordsmith who forged it personally named it. In terms of seniority, he was this old man's martial uncle. But unfortunately, he has been in eternal rest for many years and didn't get to see his pinnacle work being taken away."

Yang Furen lamented emotionally. Cultivators are also human; as the seasons change and the years pass, some people are inevitably taken away, never to be seen again.

Chen Chao asked, "How many swords are in the Sword Pool?"

Yang Furen smiled and said, "You should ask, how many flying swords does Sword Qi Mountain have."

Chen Chao looked at Yang Furen.

Yang Furen smiled and said, "Many."