Longevity Candle

Chapter 40 The Immortal Master Enters the Mortal World, Jingwei Comes from the West

True energy is burning, blood is boiling, and the eight swords are humming.

The divine might was overwhelming, oppressing all martial artists and even affecting the entire Yigu City.

That immortal master controlled the situation perfectly, without harming them, but merely immobilizing them.

Everyone was horrified, watching as this Peach Blossom Sword Demon, a martial artist, faced off against the legendary immortal master and Taoist, still standing proudly atop the city wall.

"In this chaotic world, you rats hiding in the shadows have finally dared to show yourselves."

Yao Yao's eyes were full of coldness.

High above, the mysterious immortal master finally spoke, his vast celestial voice like that of an immortal from the heavens: "Those who blaspheme against the immortals commit a grave sin!"

He intensified his pressure on Yao Yao.

bang
The city wall collapsed, but Yao Yao did not fall. Instead, she stood in the void, surrounded by eight sword lights.

The immortal master's oppressive aura caused her to bend over, and her true energy was forcibly forced back into her dantian by an invisible force.

Yao Yao let out a muffled groan, her body becoming even more hunched over.

High above, a haughty voice, as if bestowing a handout, rang out: "You are worthy of my attention. You surpass Gu Yan of yesteryear. You may join my ranks and glimpse the path to immortality."

Yao Yao remained silent, gathering her true energy to resist the oppressive force.

Her true energy was condensing, and the shackles loosened at this moment, revealing a crack. Immediately afterwards, her kidneys vibrated, and a wisp of pure primordial energy surged out, merging into the condensed true energy. The crack instantly expanded, like a river bursting its banks.

Her mind was radiant with golden light, and her thoughts were more active than ever before, like a machine running at overload.

bang
When true qi is condensed to its extreme, it finally transforms into a golden liquid, and the dantian qi sea becomes like a splendid lake.

A fierce sword aura surged forth, soaring straight into the sky, seemingly about to shatter heaven and earth and annihilate the oppressive force.

At that moment, she clearly sensed that there was a vast and boundless energy in the world.

"How brave!"

The voice from the heavens above was angry for the first time.

Yao Yao actually used his pressure to transform herself, and she succeeded.

"Borrowing the power of heaven and earth, we martial artists of the Jianghu can do the same!"

Before Yao Yao drew her sword, the liquid true energy within her body gathered in her hand, and a trace of the power of heaven and earth surged into her body.

Under the horrified gazes of all the martial artists, a brilliant sword beam shot into the sky and pierced the enormous face.

bang
The face exploded with a bang, and amidst the rolling dark clouds, a figure in black robes extinguished the sword's edge with a flick of his finger.

"A very good sword strike. It almost damaged my clothes." His voice was full of praise, but his words were still contemptuous.

Almost... damaged the clothes...

The martial artists felt only powerlessness and despair. Even someone as powerful as the Peach Blossom Sword Demon couldn't even scratch the hem of his opponent's clothes.

Yao Yao's eyes dimmed. Even if she had stepped into a new level, her skills were so profound that she had surpassed A Yan of yesteryear, she still couldn't harm the Immortal Master?

Is it truly impossible for me to attain immortality through martial arts?
"Those who blaspheme against the immortals shall be punished!" The black-robed figure spoke coldly, pressing down with his palm, which rapidly expanded, eventually covering the sky and engulfing half of Yigu City.

Everyone was horrified and desperate, their bodies trembling. Some even cried out, "Immortal Master, spare us! It was the Peach Blossom Sword Demon who angered you; it has nothing to do with us!"

"Master, spare my life..."

They knelt and begged, but the black-robed immortal master did not even glance at them.

Yao Yao's gaze turned solemn. This seemingly overwhelming palm strike was nothing but an illusion; the only real one was the palm strike aimed at her from the center.

"Have you ever wondered why other immortal masters and Taoists haven't come looking for trouble with me?"

Buzz

The sword case hummed, and the moment it opened, seven brilliant golden rays shot straight into the sky.

At that moment, brilliant golden light pierced through the dark clouds, shattered the giant hand that blotted out the sky, and soared straight into the heavens.

The sky cleared, the sun shone brightly on the earth, and boundless sword power rose against the heavens, pointing directly at the immortal masters and Taoists.

The black-robed figure's pupils constricted sharply; years of inner turmoil caused a violent upheaval. The Sword of Merit!

Still seven!

Without the slightest hesitation, disregarding all notions of being a celestial master or an enlightened being, he transformed into a wisp of black smoke and fled into the distance.

The Seven Star Sword lost its target, turned around, and returned to its scabbard.

The martial artists stared blankly at this scene. The immortal master had escaped?

What were the magical properties of those seven swords that made the immortal masters and Taoists flee in fear?
Yao Yao looked at the martial artists, especially those who were begging for mercy; at that moment, they wished they could bury their heads in their crotches.

"Becoming a celestial master is not something unattainable. Ayan could do it back then, and so can I!"

She left those words behind and drifted away.

All the martial artists looked at each other in disbelief. Had their leader just left like that?
Yao Yao had no interest in controlling the martial arts world or establishing her own power; she simply wanted to follow in A Yan's footsteps.

This may be a kind of inheritance, or it may be a contest between those who share a connection with the lamplight in two different eras.

Far from Yigu City, she found a secluded spot to sit cross-legged and reflect on her recent advancement.

"The true energy has transformed into liquid, but it is still not as powerful as the magic of immortal masters and Taoists, so let it continue to transform."

Yao Yao pondered and said, "True Qi is transformed by the primordial Qi produced by the kidneys, and that is called True Essence. The path of martial arts is to strengthen the body and improve health, so I should explore my own body."

She sorted out what she had learned and gradually understood the path ahead in martial arts.

Yao Yao's seclusion caused another sensation in the Northern Martial Arts World, and the shock quickly spread to the Southern Martial Arts World.

Initially, it was the normal version: the Peach Blossom Sword Demon faced off against the Immortal Master, unleashing seven swords simultaneously, which startled the Immortal Master into retreating.

Someone must have caused a problem, and he turned into the Peach Blossom Sword Demon, who could kill immortals and Taoists like dogs with a single sword strike.

Even more extreme, some say that when the Peach Blossom Sword Demon drew the Seven Star Sword, the immortal master and Taoist knelt down and begged for mercy, but the sword demon, being kind-hearted, spared his life.

When Yao Yao emerged from seclusion and heard these rumors, it was already two years later.

She ignored them and went to the capital alone, entering the imperial palace.

The clever and mischievous immortals and Taoist masters dare not enter the capital, fearing the fate of the nation. But she, a martial artist from the Jianghu, would not be suppressed by the fate of the nation.

Inside the palace, she perused various martial arts manuals, but was ultimately greatly disappointed.

Apart from Ayan's Seven Star Sword Technique, none of the other books here were helpful to her.

At her level of martial arts prowess, no one could help her except for immortal masters, Taoist priests, and spirits of mountains and seas.

She left the capital, pondering martial arts techniques while searching for her father's whereabouts.

After many twists and turns, she is now forty-one years old and has returned to Baiyun Mountain once again.

Looking at the white clouds in the sky, I felt completely lost. My father seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. Could he have gone to the south?
Holding the green lamp, she hesitated whether to wake Jiang Zhu; she missed him.

Just then, a streak of emerald light flew in from afar, so conspicuous in the darkness.

The green light also saw her; more precisely, it saw the blue lamp in her hand.

"Jiang Zhu, Jiang Zhu," the green light called out, flying closer. It was a Jingwei bird.

Yao Yao's heart skipped a beat: "Are you Jingwei?"

“Yes, did Jiang Zhu tell you? I’ve returned from my travels,” Jingwei said.

“I will awaken him,” Yao Yao said, and then took out the light of the sun and moon.

"Don't wake him. I'm leaving right away. There's an old thing chasing me. When he wakes up, just tell him I was here." Jingwei said, "The world is in chaos. The Path of Immortality has entered the world. Don't let him be captured by the Path of Immortality."

"The Path to Immortality? What is that?"

"A bunch of guys who will stop at nothing to achieve immortality."

After Jingwei finished speaking, she hurriedly left, spread her wings and flew into the distance. Suddenly she turned back and said, "There are humans with similar bloodlines to you living in the upper reaches of the Qingjiang River. They are not doing well. You can go and take a look."

Yao Yao's body trembled, and she wanted to ask again, but Jingwei had already disappeared.

(End of this chapter)