Chapter 124 - Name Engraving on Blood Red Cliff (1/2)
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Meng Chuan left the training grounds. When he saw the servants sweeping the cave abode, he couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s Qiyue?”
“Lord, Lady Liu Qiyue left early in the morning. Lady Liu Qiyue recently cultivates until noon before returning,” said one of the servants. The rest were bowing respectfully.
“Oh.” Meng Chuan nodded slightly. “Prepare some tea and send it to my study.”
After giving instructions, Meng Chuan sat down and placed a scroll on the desk. He held down the scroll with something and began to leisurely splash ink. He drew the scene of Senior Guo Ke executing the Heart Saber Stance’s second variation. Senior Guo Ke was very old when he demonstrated the saber art. His body was already waning, but he was ultimately a Regis G.o.dfiend. He was invincible during that period.
He drew very carefully. He drew Senior Guo Ke’s white hair and his ordinary elderly aura. He even drew the wood-chopping blade carefully.
The first time he drew Senior Guo Ke brandis.h.i.+ng his blade, he felt something different. It gave him another perspective to the Heart Saber Stance’s second variation.
When it comes to the intrinsic beauty of the move, mine is much worse than Senior Guo Ke’s. Meng Chuan compared his and Guo Ke’s moves with an artist’s perspective and gained a new understanding of the second variation.
…
After a long time…
Upon hearing Qiyue’s voice, Meng Chuan put down his brush and opened the door to welcome her. From afar, he shouted, “Qiyue.”
Her eyes lit up. “You actually came out to welcome me today.” Liu Qiyue walked back with a quiver on her back. “Ah Chuan, I had to go to the training grounds every day to make you eat lunch. What happened? Are you done with your mad training?”
“It’s over.” Meng Chuan walked closer and nodded. “I’ve already tested all the ideas I had after cultivating the Heart Intent Saber for 11 years. I’ve also managed to attain Greater Mastery of Saber Soul. I need to cultivate slowly for now.”
It took ten years to forge a good sword. This was the same for cultivation.
The further he went, the more time he would take to improve. He needed to have sufficiently high perceptivity! Many geniuses that entered Archean Mountain would be stuck at the Realm of Soul their entire lives. They couldn’t reach the Realm of Dao even when they were on their deathbeds. Meng Chuan believed that he would be satisfied if he attained Saber Dao in 20 to 30 years.
Senior Guo Ke had only managed to create the Heart Saber Stance’s fifth variation when he was in his later years. However, he was unable to break through with his aged body. A breakthrough required three indispensable elements—body, Essence Soul, and realm.
This was how life was—it was difficult for things to go according to one’s wishes! One had to work hard to get closer to their goals.
“Ah Chuan, you have attained Greater Mastery of Saber Soul?” Liu Qiyue brought Meng Chuan to sit on a bench nearby. She said excitedly, “Doesn’t that mean you can become a Great Solar G.o.dfiend?”
“Yes.” Meng Chuan nodded. “Actually, it’s been two months since I attained Greater Mastery of Saber Soul. However, all my attention was on the saber art. I forgot to tell you.”
Liu Qiyue said excitedly, “Ah Chuan, I have good news for you too.”
“What good news?” asked Meng Chuan.
“Last month, when I was cultivating in the Earth Fire lava Pond, I found myself very close to the Realm of Soul’s Greater Mastery. I’m getting closer and closer,” said Liu Qiyue. “I can break through within a month; otherwise, in the next five months.”
“Alright,” said Meng Chuan happily. “That’s great. After you achieve Greater Master of the Realm of Soul, we will break through to the Great Solar realm together! We will clear the Nine Mystical Caves and leave the mountain together.”
“Okay.” Liu Qiyue nodded.
Liu Qiyue’s face turned even redder due to her lies. However, her face had already turned red because of Meng Chuan’s achievement. It was normal for her to have a rosier complexion.
“Did anything happen on Archean Mountain in the past three months?” Meng Chuan asked.
“Something major happened.” Liu Qiyue lowered her voice. “It happened eight days ago. Scholartree Mountain Pa.s.s was overrun, and there were many casualties.”
“Scholartree Mountain Pa.s.s?” Meng Chuan was shocked. “That’s a medium-sized city pa.s.s!”
Medium-sized city pa.s.ses were the most dangerous in the world. It was relatively easy for a small city pa.s.s to be defended. A large city pa.s.s had a Regis G.o.dfiend! For medium-sized city pa.s.ses, they could be held if a Marquis G.o.dfiend was deployed there. However, there were very few Marquis G.o.dfiends. Most medium-sized city pa.s.ses relied on powerful Great Solar G.o.dfiends to defend them. They also needed a group of G.o.dfiends to help.
Liu Qiyue nodded gently. “That’s right. The medium-sized city pa.s.s was breached. It shocked the world, and the casualties are especially heavy. There were twenty-seven G.o.dfiends at Scholartree Mountain Pa.s.s, and Senior Brother Qian Yu was among them.”
“Qian Yu was also at Scholartree Mountain Pa.s.s?” Meng Chuan listened carefully and asked seriously, “How were the casualties?”
“Marquis Plum River quickly rushed over. When he arrived, he only managed to save a single G.o.dfiend—Senior Brother Qian Yu! Since Senior Brother Qian Yu was a Great Solar G.o.dfiend sharpshooter with good movement techniques, the other G.o.dfiends sacrificed their lives to protect him. That was how he survived. As for the other G.o.dfiends, they all died in battle. Senior Brother Qian Yu had cast forbidden spells for too long, so his body was on the brink of collapse. Even though Archean Mountain tried its best to save him, his completely collapsed dantian couldn’t be restored, despite his G.o.dfiend Body and shattered meridians being repaired.”
“His dantian collapsed?” Meng Chuan’s heart sank. The dantian s.p.a.ce was extremely important to G.o.dfiends. If the dantian s.p.a.ce collapsed, there was no way of recovering. It meant the end of one’s cultivation.
“According to Marquis Plum River, Senior Brother Qian Yu was able to use forbidden spells crazily because the other G.o.dfiends were fending off the demon monarchs. He managed to kill 62 demons. The other G.o.dfiends killed over a hundred demon monarchs. However, there were roughly 300 demon monarchs in that fateful battle. Some were elite third Firmament demon monarchs. They failed to hold Scholartree Mountain Pa.s.s despite using all its defensive treasures,” said Liu Qiyue. “By the time Marquis Plum River arrived, it was too late. Many powerful demon monarchs have already infiltrated our human world. The other demon monarchs stopped chasing Senior Brother Qian Yu immediately and fled back to the demon world. As for Marquis Plum River, he only managed to kill twenty-plus demon monarchs.”
Meng Chuan also knew that every time the city pa.s.ses were breached, the demon monarchs would retreat to the demon world. Others would be ordered to infiltrate the human world.
“Being the only one alive, Senior Brother Qian Yu has turned mentally unstable. It’s useless no matter who talks to him.” Liu Qiyue shook her head. “His cultivation path has been severed. All his comrades died on the battlefield, leaving him the only one alive. It dealt him a terrible blow.”
Meng Chuan nodded lightly.
…
28th September.
If Archean Mountain G.o.dfiends died in battle, they would have their names engraved on Blood Red Cliff on the 28th of the month they died.
Today, the autumn wind was bleak as rain poured.