Chapter 45: Remnant Sword

Sword Dynasty

Volume 1: Great Rebel

Chapter 45: Remnant Sword

Ding Ning walked across the swaying rope bridge towards three grass huts hidden in a crevice.

Before killing Song Shenshu, he had once said to Zhangsun Qianxue, “Anyone below realm four is the same.”

However, even if he could defeat opponents in a realm above him, he was afraid he would pay a considerable price.

It was a sunny day, and the sky was clear as he looked towards Changling.

When he looked back at Changling from the street, the vast city appeared calm and peaceful. But beneath this apparent tranquility, countless schemes and bloodless battles were interwoven here like the primal energies of the universe.

Once someone entered this situation, even if they were just the smallest pawn, they could not escape, and could not leave.

This was why, in his plan, he had to reach realm three, Vital Energy Realm, before he could display some special attributes. This was why he had plotted and devised a plan to qualify and join the Min Mountain Sword Sect.

Even though he had cultivated the strongest Nine Death Silkworm, he was like the infant silkworm in its cocoon, too weak and unable to be exposed to sunlight.

In his plan, he needed more patience.

However, Zhangsun Qianxue was right. After killing Song Shenshu and learning so much from him, he felt anxious.

Since he had already taken the first step, he had no choice but to consider the dangers and difficulties.

He could only manage what was in front of him.

He silently clenched his fists and relaxed. His mood returned to calm. He walked across the rope bridge, then pushed open the wooden door to the leftmost hut and sat down on a special meditation mat.

He closed his eyes. Strands of spirit energies slowly entered his body through the meditation mat beneath him.

He entered a state of internal vision at a speed incomprehensible to ordinary cultivators.

The energies in his body slowly flowed into his energy sea under the control of his mental power.

Deep beneath the energy sea was a crystal-clear space, like an underwater palace made of jade.

This was the jade palace that cultivators spoke of.

If one could channel their energy into the jade palace, they would attain Profound Understanding second class cultivation.

For Ding Ning, if he wanted to, he could channel his energy into the jade palace in half a day and reach the second class of realm one.

This was because his jade palace already existed, so he did not need to sense it anymore. He simply needed to follow the path of the energies flowd and slowly allow the energies transformed by this method to seep into his energy sea and his jade palace, and they too would transform.

But that would be too fast, and too shocking for the world. So, after talking with Nangong Caishu, he decided to use a month to advance from realm one to realm two.

He took a deep breath.

His calm body suddenly changed. Countless tiny silkworms appeared within him and began consuming the spirit energies that entered his body.

In an instant, his body turned into dry soil.

He carefully controlled himself.

He could not allow his body to emit the sound of silkworms chewing. Under his control, a small portion of spirit energy, which was not consumed by the small silkworm, slowly merged into his body's energy.

 

Li Daoji’s figure appeared at the door of this grass hut.

He stood coldly and let his perception pass through the thin door until it reached Ding Ning's surroundings.

Ding Ning deliberately slowed down his cultivation progress, but even so, his energy occasionally emitted a presence as it sank into the energy sea. Li Daoji's brow twitched slightly.

Thinking of the sword essence that had been displayed by that ridiculous tree branch, his eyes shone with fire.

He turned and walked towards the gate of White Goat Cave.

A carriage was waiting outside the gate of White Goat Cave, a carriage that could travel extremely fast.

Li Daoji’s sword was very long. Upon entering the carriage, he held it in his hand and then placed it across his body.

The sword hilt emitted a faint red light in front of him. He leaned back against the cushions, his eyes closed is eyes closed as if he was sleeping.

The carriage sped along the path towards a place Ding Ning was very familiar with—the Fish Market in the eastern part of the city.

The carriage finally stopped at the entrance of the Fish Market.

Li Daoji quietly got out of the carriage and walked slowly into the Fish Market.

Despite the fine weather, much of the Fish Market was shady and damp under the layers of canopies. The lanterns flickered like ghostly fires.

Li Daoji was clearly unfamiliar with the paths of Fish Market. He walked for an hour through the damp, dark streets, questioning numerous shopkeepers before finally entering the deepest part of the Fish Market and entering a tower without any signs or lanterns.

Li Daoji's eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, so when he entered the tower and saw the loose-haired man man sitting on a mattress, he knew he had found the right place. This person was still living well in the Fish Market.

“I want to buy a sword.”

Li Daoji looked at the man, whose eyes were shining in the darkness. He said, “I remember you have a remnant sword here.”

The man gave Li Daoji a cold glance and said, “You're lucky. This sword is still here.”

After saying this, the man slowly moved back.

The man's lower body was covered with a blanket. Only now would someone entering the tower notice that he had no legs.

His legs had been cut off at the knees.

Li Daoji seemed to know this, so his gaze did not linger on this man’s legs, and shifted to the spot under the blanket.

Under the blanket was a very large black iron sword case.

The man opened the sword case, rummaged through it, and then took out a dark green broken sword. He threw it towards Li Daoji.

Li Daoji reached out and held the broken sword tightly.

This was indeed a broken sword, only two feet long and only two fingers wide. The tip of the sword had been cut off by a terrifying force, and even the remaining two feet long was filled with dozens of long, thin cracks.

However, this sword was made of a special material. The sword was made of a type of metal with a natural pattern. Therefore, the cracks were never horizontal, and they ran along the blade toward the hilt of the sword.

Li Daoji nodded and saw some strips of cloth on the table in front of the man, usually used for tying things. He pulled some out, wrapped the sword, and tied it to his back. Then he took out a money pouch and tossed it to the man.

The man closed the sword case and watched Li Daoji walk away. Suddenly, he grinned strangely. “You're lucky no one else wants this sword. But I don't understand what made you suddenly think of a remnant sword that's completely useless to you. Is it worth risking your life for a sword like this?”

Li Daoji did not speak. He silently walked out of the tower and headed towards the carriage.

A man dressed in a crimson brocade robes had appeared behind him out of nowhere.

This man and Li Daoji appeared to be about the same age. He had a long sword scar on the left side of his face. He carried an exceptionally wide sword behind him. The black sword scabbard was three times wider than a normal sword, and the simple copper sword hilt was at least three times wider than a normal sword.

The man continued to follow Li Daoji, maintaining a safe distance of several feet. Li Daoji could not help but notice the man who kept following him from such a distance.

However, neither Li Daoji nor the man showed any expression. Only when Li Daoji had already walked out of the Fish Market did the two of them stop simultaneously.

“I told you long ago, if you dare leave the White Goat Cave, I will kill you.” the man dressed in a crimson brocade robes said coldly as he stared at Li Daoji, who slowly turned away from the carriage.

Li Daoji glanced at the man. He did not speak, but his right hand touched the hilt of his gleaming sword.

The lips of the man dressed in a crimson brocade robes curled slightly. He wore a mocking expression.

The Fish Market had its rules. Even he did not dare disobey them. But they were already outside the Fish Market, and he had nothing to worry about.

So, the moment the man's lips curled, he attacked.

His body did not move in any conspicuous way. He did not draw the thick sword on his back. But in an instant, a terrifying presence appeared at his side. A surge of vital energy gathered with an incredible amount of primal energies of the universe that flooded into the sleeve of his right arm.

A whistling howl rang through the still air.

A small, thin, silver sword tore through the air as it shot out of his sleeve, accompanied by dozens of white swirls.

Many people who were nearby found something strange about the robed man and Li Daoji. Some people even approached happily but when they heard the howls, these people immediately retreated.

Because this was a flying sword!

Only cultivators who had reached realm five, Spirit Thought, could cultivate flying swords.

The mental power, vital energy, and primal energies of the universe gathered within the flying sword gave the seemingly thin sword terrifying speed, but also incredible destructive power.

In a battle between cultivators of this rank, an out-of-control flying sword could pierce dozens of brick walls in an instant. Anyone unlucky enough to be injured would lose at least part of their body, if not all, to death.

Li Daoji’s pupils contracted violently. The small, white sword and the air currents behind it filled his vision. However, his expression remained calm.

Facing the flying sword aimed at his forehead, his right hand swung out. With a clear buzz, the red sword hilt and the thin black blade connecting it emerged from its sheath with great force. It transformed into a sharp slash that sliced straight towards the silver flying sword.

 

Notes:

This novel is not my work... I just translated it from a Chinese web novel written by Wu Zui

Previously

Next