Born with immortal seed

Chapter 523 Who is the Ziwei Star Lord?
Kong Bai's eyes narrowed slightly, with varying shades of ink swirling within them.

From sensing the aura of the demons to flying out of the Jishui camp, it took only half a day to follow them all the way down.

The top-tier demons that could easily be ranked in the top ten were reduced to a pile of dismembered limbs, which was inexplicably terrifying.

"The Star Palace actually has such a powerful figure. There's no reason why this organization was not well-known in the past and was not truly taken seriously by the super sects..."

This is quite different from killing the Twelve-Winged Serpent using a secret technique with severe side effects; the Thousand-Foot Golden Centipede is far more powerful.

Moreover, this Ziwei Star Lord had a steady aura, was refined and otherworldly, and wore a brand-new Taoist robe without the slightest injury.

In half a day, he killed the centipede without taking any damage.

Kong Bai searched among the seniors he knew but found no such person.

Not long ago, he joined forces with the Great True Monarch of September and the leader of the Taiping Sect to kill a fourth-tier high-grade demonic whale that also possessed the bloodline of a wild beast. He had direct contact with powerful demons and cultivators of this level.

"Senior Jiuyue probably didn't go all out in that operation, but unless he was willing to use those few divine thunders from the celestial realm passed down from the Five Thunder Sect, he couldn't have achieved such efficiency."

The more Kong Bai thought about it, the more terrified he became, a chill running down his spine.

"The Taiping Mother Talisman of Baoxuan Daoren is strong in defense, control, and weakening, and is even less capable of doing so... Perhaps only the legendary and unseen Hongfa Dazhenjun could possibly do it."

Just as the three were filled with doubt and wild speculation, Ziwei Xingjun cast a cold glance at them.

Beneath the mask, his expression was solemn, majestic, and exuded an aura of lofty grandeur.

Standing there, one feels like the center of the universe, with no top or bottom, no front or back.

The centipede's severed limbs seemed to have been caught in a tornado, surging into the palm of the Purple Star Lord and disappearing.

This mysterious and powerful star lord calmly completed all of this, cast a meaningful glance at Kong Bai, and then stepped away.

Each step was a thousand feet high, leaving ripples in the air, and his body became a black dot.

"What kind of escape technique is this? It looks somewhat similar to our sect's Lotus Steps technique."

Only when the Purple Star Lord was no longer in his consciousness did the fierce monk speak, breaking the silence.

From the moment the three appeared until they packed up their demonic bodies and left, the three Nascent Soul True Monarchs were treated as if they were nothing by Ziwei Star Lord, who disdained to acknowledge them.

"Yes, he is a terrifyingly powerful figure. He is probably the true leader of the Star Palace. Taking advantage of the war between the two races, these organizations are no longer keeping a low profile and have all been exposed."

The yellow-faced Nascent Soul noticed that Kong Bai was still in a daze, so he turned around and said.

"Fellow Daoist Kong, who do you think this Ziwei Star Lord is in the cultivation world? With such strength, he couldn't possibly be a reclusive ascetic."

"Mid-stage Nascent Soul? Didn't you all notice that that person only has mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation...?"

Kong Bai breathed a sigh of relief. The last glance from Ziwei Xingjun before he left made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave and felt as if he had a thorn in his back.

"If it were a Great True Monarch, that would be one thing, but to achieve such a level in the mid-Nascent Soul stage, I can't imagine any True Monarch in the cultivation world possessing such monstrous combat power. Even during the heyday of the Taibai Sword Sect, there were only a handful of sword cultivators like this, and only a handful in thousands of years."

There is a clear dividing line between the mid-stage and late-stage Nascent Soul realms, and the improvement of a cultivator's strength is leapfrog.

Examples of early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators defeating mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators by virtue of a powerful magic weapon or superior cultivation techniques are numerous and commonplace.

But at the next higher level, it rarely occurs.

The suppressive power of the nascent grotto-heaven, the depth of the application of the true meaning of the Great Dao, and the nearly double difference in true essence have made the Great True Monarchs a group that truly stands at the pinnacle of the cultivation world.

With external assistance, it's become increasingly difficult to win by leaps and bounds.

"Could it be that Time Divine Sword? The Five Phoenix Sword Sect has been praising him to the skies, saying his swordsmanship talent is one in ten thousand years..."

The yellow-faced Nascent Soul thought for a moment and then uttered a name.

"Unlikely. That person has comprehended the true meaning of time. If he goes all out, he will definitely attract the River of Time and the true meaning will linger. The Thousand-Legged Golden Centipede will not die in that way... Besides, this big worm is much stronger than Xiang Banshan."

Kong Bai pondered carefully, then slowly shook his head.

“I’ve heard Senior Jiuyue mention this person before. He does indeed have a bright future, but he’s only a little over two hundred years old. Is he really at the mid-Nascent Soul stage at that age? Even the several Nascent Soul Ancestors couldn’t achieve such a cultivation speed. He hasn’t been in the Nascent Soul stage for long. He can break through his sword realm with his talent, so how could he possibly cross his cultivation bottleneck so easily?”

"Is that Gu Chongxuan? Among the younger generation of sword cultivators, he is the closest to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Sixty years ago, I heard from fellow Daoists of the Azure Lotus Sword Sect that Gu Chongxuan had obtained extraordinary benefits in the Taixu Secret Realm and was on the verge of breaking through to the next realm."

Upon hearing this, the yellow-faced Nascent Soul thought it made sense and offered a new guess.

At the same time, he carefully observed Kong Bai's expression. They were sword prodigies of similar age. If Ziwei Xingjun was really Gu Chongxuan, then Kong Bai would be far behind.

"It's quite possible. Don't be fooled by the Five Phoenix Sword Sect's overwhelming momentum; in terms of foundation, it's still inferior to the Azure Lotus Sword Sect. At the very least, in terms of fifth-tier flying swords, the Azure Lotus Sword Sect definitely has the upper hand."

Kong Bai didn't seem to connect the dots to himself and was still analyzing the situation seriously.

"However, the target may not necessarily be young sword cultivators. It is very likely that they are those established sword masters who have been famous for a long time... Their sword skills are divine, but they have been stuck at the bottleneck of their current realm. It is not impossible for them to use the Star Palace organization to wield a fifth-order flying sword and unleash a strength that matches their sword realm."

"Not a prodigy or genius, but a long-time, frustrated swordsman?"

The yellow-faced cultivator seemed somewhat unable to accept this premise, muttering to himself for a long time, but he knew that the same possibility existed.

It's more realistic to think of sword cultivators who have honed their skills for hundreds of years and whose swordsmanship has reached a divine level, such as monstrous geniuses who rise like comets.

But that would mean having many more target individuals, making it difficult to pinpoint them.

"Go back and report this matter to the Great True Lords. They will make the arrangements. In any case, the deaths of the Thousand-Legged Golden Centipede and the Twelve-Winged Teng Snake are the greatest victory against the demon race since the decapitation of the Demon Whale... even though the one who made the move was from the Star Palace, whose identity we have no idea!"

Kong Bai didn't want to waste any more time on pointless speculation, so he turned and left.

But the look in Ziwei Xingjun's eyes before he left remains vivid in my mind.

'He knows me, or perhaps he has some connection to the Killing Sword Sect, or maybe he's an old friend of Senior Brother Xiang? The identity of Ziwei Star Lord has never appeared in the Star Palace records before, so he's very likely not the leader of this organization. On the contrary, he's only just joined… Once such a person has made a move, it's like an awl in a bag; his sharpness can no longer be concealed.'

During his growth, Kong Bai received a lot of care from his senior brother Xiang Ji, who had long regarded him as the future of the Killing Sword Sect.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked his life to forge the fifth-order Killing Demon Sword.

Besides a strong conviction in his heart, it also had a significant impact on his confidence that the sect would have successors.

As soon as the fifth-order Killing Demon Sword was completed, it went straight for Kong Bai's hand.

Similarly, Kong Bai also vaguely sensed that Xiang Ji seemed to have secretly joined a clandestine organization.

'The swordsmanship of the Ziwei Star Lord has likely reached the legendary level where a single sword can create myriad techniques… a single sword can form an array, a single sword can create a realm, a single sword can give life.'

Kong Bai's dark eyes lost focus, and a look of confusion appeared on his face.

"In the world of cultivation, there are actually sword cultivators who have reached such a level, and they can be called sword immortals of this era."

……

Star Palace Secret Realm, Star God's Palace.

The five star lords stood before the statue, and the reflected starlight fell on them, creating dappled light and shadow.

The positions and actions of the group changed significantly, with Po Jun Xing Jun standing out, while the other four intentionally or unintentionally distanced themselves from him.

"Tianliang died, Lianzhen did not return...Pojun, I think everyone needs an explanation from you."

The Moon Goddess stood in the shadows, her face completely obscured by a pillar.

"Fellow Daoists, you all went there without doing any research on the so-called Loulan Venerable's Tongtian Platform ruins because you trusted the guide. But the facts have proven that you have concealed something from us and caused the fall of a Star Lord. If you cannot provide a reasonable explanation, I, on behalf of myself, will consider leaving the Star Palace."

Among the fourteen statues, the face of the Tianliang Star God, which was originally dull, now shines again.

The mask that represented the Star Lord's identity and had many wonderful uses has returned to the face of the Tianliang statue.

The mask has been returned to its place, which means there is only one possibility: the current Star Lord is completely dead.

"That's right. Luckily, I flew fast enough and wasn't caught by the demonic beasts. There were several powerful demons following behind us... If you knew how difficult it would be to retrieve the sword, you wouldn't have deliberately attracted the demons so that we would perish in the Ji River!"

Jumen Xingjun was still shaken. He was injured and couldn't handle even a single fourth-tier demon.

One unlucky star lord could have perished today, and there could be two of them.

"I inquired at the Jishui camp and it seems that a powerful demon that had been pursuing us has perished. It seems that everyone here is quite strong, managing to kill a fourth-tier demon even in such a chaotic situation."

The Giant Gate Star Lord subtly swept his gaze around, focusing on the Lunar Star Lord and the Broken Army Star Lord.

Clearly, he had fellow disciples or close friends in the Jishui camp, which allowed him to obtain the most firsthand information.

However, given the time constraints and the inability to personally visit and communicate, a few brief reports were insufficient for him to ascertain the exact number of dead demons and their strength.

Only the Star Lord Po Jun glanced at the Star Lord Zi Wei almost imperceptibly.

He knew this person's true identity. If a fourth-tier demon was indeed killed, this person was the most likely culprit.

The Star Lord Ziwei and the Star Lord Tianxiang did not speak, but their positions spoke volumes.

"Everyone, I can swear an oath of faith before the fourteen statues of the gods that I have never deliberately concealed any intention to frame the members of the Star Palace."

Lord Po Jun held the Azure Rhinoceros Sword with a devout expression, as if it were a rare treasure.

That's true; in the mortal realm, a fifth-tier flying sword can be considered the pinnacle of magical treasures.

At least in the long history of the cultivation world, this is the limit; there has never been a clear appearance of a sixth-order flying sword.

Of course, the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword is an exception.

Those cultivators who lived through that period know that the divine sword in that sword immortal's hand must have been above the fifth rank.

The Avici Heavenly Prison Demon Sword is a fifth-tier flying sword from the Heavenly Demon Realm, and it has seen a lot.

The fact that it respectfully addressed Xiao Zi as the Purple Thunder Venerable shows the high regard that the Mysterious Sword Immortal and the Purple Star Thunder Sword held in the hearts of those powerful beings who descended to the mortal realm during the same period.

"I have a very long story, and I may tell it to you now. Back then, the five major powers that targeted the Sword Sect either vanished into thin air or perished over the long span of ten thousand years..."

As Po Jun Xing Jun recounts his story, the true origins of the Star Palace and the identity of its founder are revealed to them.

It turns out that when they explored the secret realm, the like-minded sword cultivators, who seemed to come from different sects and regions, actually had hidden identities: they were all hidden disciples of the Taibai Sword Sect.

As the Taibai Sword Sect, which held a dominant position in the cultivation world at the time, one of its leaders worried about its decline after reaching its peak and decided to have his disciple fake his death and flee to a distant place.

They recruit disciples with outstanding talent, following an elite route, with only a few sword apprentices in each generation.

The Taibai Sword Sect, under the pretense of faking death or retiring, sends a core disciple to this small sword temple every few decades to ensure the loyalty of the disciples who have grown up outside to the sect.

Having grown up surrounded by this environment, and knowing that our sect is the most powerful and influential in the world, the loyalty of the Sword Temple disciples is beyond doubt.

Aside from the Dongxuan Lushen Sword Scripture, they can learn almost any technique from the Taibai Sword Sect and enjoy cultivation privileges comparable to those of a super sect disciple.

When news spread that extraterrestrial demons invaded and were collectively destroyed in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Demon-Slaying Sword Formation hundreds of years later, this hidden lineage was finally activated.

Through the secret vaults hidden in various places by the Taibai Sword Sect, the hidden disciples endured for a hundred years, and finally one person successfully transformed into a Nascent Soul, and several others achieved the perfect Core Formation.

They returned to their ancestral home and entered a trial realm that no cultivator in the world could find, through the inherited incantation.

He also received the inheritance of the Star God lineage of the Taibai Sword Sect, and simply established the Star Palace.

To avoid suspicion, they deliberately recruited outsiders to infiltrate the organization, disguising themselves as a perfectly normal, hidden group coveting the Sword Sect's inheritance.

Over the generations, they actually formed an organization composed entirely of Nascent Soul sword cultivators.

The position of Guide has also been passed down through the bloodlines of the hidden disciples of the Taibai Sword Sect.

"Regarding this operation, 99% of what I said before is true... There's only one point: the disciple's notes of Venerable Loulan were not discovered by Senior Xinggong, but by Ancestor Taibai. He had already entered that void and communicated with the Azure Rhinoceros Sword Spirit."

"That's why I'm confident I can go. Otherwise, how could I be sure I could move a fifth-tier flying sword!"

"As for what happened later, it was purely accidental. No one could have guessed that the Thousand-Foot Centipede was nearby. Otherwise, our entire process of retrieving the sword would have been flawless... You don't think I have the ability to make the Thousand-Foot Centipede do things, do you?"

The other four remained silent as they digested the contents of Po Jun Xing Jun's lengthy discourse.

"You didn't mention it before, but now you've revealed everything. Aren't you afraid we'll expose your identity as a disciple of the Taibai Sword Sect?"

The Star Lord of Giant Gate spoke with a stern face and a hint of displeasure.

“We all have a vow of Dao Heart that we cannot reveal each other’s real identities… As a hidden lineage successor of the Taibai Sword Sect, isn’t my identity also derived from reality? It is also within the scope of the agreement.”

Po Jun Xingjun smiled faintly, looking confident and assured.

(End of this chapter)