The momentum of the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion undertaking the matter of the Divine Weapons List this time was grand and impressive, with quite a trend of turning into a grand event for the entire immortal cultivation world. Although the reality was also close to this, there were always bound to be secret pushes from people with intentions behind the scenes, or at least Jin You knew the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion itself was far from being the pusher. But Yan Baichuan held a different opinion with him this time, saying in a cheeky tone, “That might not necessarily be so.”
Jin You had less dealings with Pei Wuji, so he did not dwell on this either, packing up all the belongings to prepare for setting out.
The weapon refined by Lingyun for Ying Chuang was named the Xuanmoon Claws. The sharp claw tips viewed from the side were like a remnant crescent moon in the sky, hence taking the name Xuanmoon Claws, directly vetoing the name “Wolf Claws” given by Ying Chuang with a unanimous vote, which was also the time Yan Baichuan and Jin You supported Lingyun the most.
As a famous town in the West Spirit Illusion Continent, Yijin naturally had an airship station set up, where different airships departed and returned on schedule according to fixed routes, and if missed, one could only take the next round of airships or choose to fly on swords by oneself. The nearest round of airships was tomorrow, so Jin You reserved four seats and boarded the airship early the next day.
Brought by Jin You to board the airship, Ying Chuang learned only then that the so-called airship was surprisingly a huge flying bird! Pointing at the flying bird underfoot, Jin You said to Ying Chuang, “This is no ordinary flying bird, but an ancient Kunpeng remnant lineage, except that coming down to the present, its bloodline is likely not pure anymore, and it is said to roost only near the Thousand Maples Forest where the south connects with the sea.”
Ying Chuang widened his eyes, “How could such a formidable bird come to serve as an airship?”
Standing at the edge of the airship to look down below, Yan Baichuan answered, “The Qingluan Sect excels most at beast-taming, and this airship is their doing, perhaps having reached some trade with this Kunpeng remnant lineage to exchange for this huge airship soaring across the four seas.”
Beast-taming?
Ying Chuang’s expression was a bit bewildered, and knowing he did not understand, Lingyun thought about it and explained, “Driving spiritual beasts to work for oneself, just like that official-robed ghost Chen Zheng at Mount Lanfen and those ghosts glowing red under his command, who could only obey his manipulation.”
A clear look of disgust surfaced on Ying Chuang’s face, “That whatever sect is truly annoying.”
Lingyun held her forehead, “It’s the Qingluan Sect, and although I don’t quite like their attitude toward spiritual beasts either, we are still sitting on someone else’s airship right now after all, so you better endure it a bit.”
“Oh, then I will talk after going down.” Ying Chuang agreed quickly as well, keeping promises very well, and sure enough did not mention a single bad word about the Qingluan Sect on the airship afterward, or perhaps simply failed to remember the Qingluan Sect’s name.
The Sword-Forgetting Pavilion was atop Mount Cangheng, with a mountain-protecting array arranged on the outer perimeter where airships could not enter, able only to send all cultivators to the sword forest at the foot of the mountain, where disciples of the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion would come to greet them after crossing the sword forest.
Yan Baichuan’s face now was changed by Lingyun’s transformation spell, lacking a bit of sharpness compared to his original appearance, and his looks were adjusted to a passerby’s face, concealing his prominent appearance. Pinching Yan Baichuan’s face to look left and right, Jin You clicked his tongue in wonder, while asking Lingyun a couple of sentences without pause, “This magic spell of yours won’t be broken by those cultivators, right? If this is seen through, it will stir up huge trouble.”
Patting her chest, Lingyun gave a guarantee, “What problem could there be? Just to be safe, I even put makeup on him using mortal techniques, guaranteeing they won’t see through it.”
At this moment, Yan Baichuan and a crowd of cultivators stood before the sword forest at the foot of the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion’s mountain, vaguely able to see the remnant swords and shadows of sword cultivators inside. Some bad-tempered ones were already cursing loudly at this moment, “Isn’t it just a sect established for a short ten-odd years, on what grounds does participating in the Divine Weapons List still require passing the trial of your Sword-Forgetting Pavilion! I insist on going across today!”
After this cultivator finished speaking, he actually flew up on his sword, attempting to leap over the sword forest to head upward, only to be hit by several strands of sword intent just as he took to the air, falling back before everyone.
Seeing that forcing a way through the array would not work, other cultivators with intentions to probe also put away their thoughts, walking up to the sword forest to inspect the stone monument: Only those holding sword intent may pass. Connecting with rumors that sword cultivators had fallen inside the sword forest, did this mean wanting them to defeat the souls of fallen sword cultivators and seize sword intent?
Yan Baichuan and the others did not want to be the bird that sticks its head out first, following only after other bold cultivators took the lead, finding a direction to go get sword intent. The strength of these sword cultivator souls varied, and though called souls, calling them obsessions was actually more suitable, as after being scattered, they would condense into the appearance of sword cultivators again after waiting for a period of time, looking for challengers inside this sword forest.
Jin You, Lingyun, and Ying Chuang obtained sword intent very smoothly. Although the few sword cultivators they encountered were formidable, they lacked consciousness themselves and fought merely according to instinct, thus being without risk or danger. On the other hand, because Yan Baichuan did not want to reveal his moves prematurely, using Duanming to chop ghosts made him feel extremely aggrieved, while the sword cultivators he encountered were not weak either, going back and forth to actually fight with turns taken, but in the end he still took them down.
Withdrawing his sword intent, Yan Baichuan cursed under his breath that this Pei Wuji was truly ruthless enough, asking himself if he usually used these things to train disciples in his sect, and now even cultivators were not spared, so he knew not whether that old stinkpot from the Shangyuan Sect would receive this same treatment upon coming.
After obtaining the sword intent, the road ahead was indeed unobstructed. Before walking for long, Yan Baichuan and his party saw the mountain gate of the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion, with an eye-catching sword-testing stone at the entrance. Yan Baichuan approached the sword-testing stone holding the sword intent, as that sword intent automatically merged into the sword-testing stone, the three large characters of “Sword-Testing Stone” flashing with light, as if dispelling a certain restriction before them.
“Welcome, several people coming to the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion to participate in the Divine Weapons List evaluation and selection. Those intending to register please follow me.” A young disciple dressed in Taiji attire and holding a sword walked toward the group, guiding the four into the sect after a polite introduction, “Due to the numerous cultivators participating in the Divine Weapons List this time, the Sect Master and Elders have arranged the several of you on Sword-Discussing Peak, so please do not wander around to avoid startling others.”
“Sword-Discussing Peak?” Hearing this name, Jin You felt it sounded like a place to discuss the Dao with people.
The young disciple nodded, “Precisely. There are five peaks in total inside the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion, among which the Sect Master resides on Sword-Forgetting Peak, Elder Hua excels in artifact refining and manages Sword-Refining Peak, Elder Ning’s sword techniques are second only to the Sect Master and manages Sword-Testing Peak, while Elder Su excels in refining pills and manages Sword-Tempering Peak.”
Gaining interest after listening, Yan Baichuan caught a flaw in the disciple’s words and asked, “Then what about the remaining mountain peak, which seemed not to be mentioned just now?”
The guiding disciple cupped his hands to the group, his words carrying a reminder, “It was indeed not mentioned just now, only because the last place is a sect forbidden ground, which is precisely the place where the demonic blade Dichen is sealed, Sword-Sacrificing Peak, where none may enter except the Sect Master and Elder Ning, so please do not approach either, lest you be misunderstood.”
Yan Baichuan smiled without speaking, quietly following the guiding disciple to his residence, where the environment was very tranquil.
Just as the guiding disciple left, Yan Baichuan closed the door immediately and let Lingyun set up an array, only then opening his mouth with deep meaning, “The Sword-Forgetting Pavilion is truly interesting, as this reception disciple acted as if fearing we wouldn’t know Dichen was on Sword-Sacrificing Peak, even keeping us in suspense to make a special mention. Jin You, do you say Pei Wuji knows the people under his hands have such great guts?”
Calmly pouring himself a cup of tea and blowing away the heat to take a small sip, Jin You opened his mouth to speak only then, “Hard to say, as right now he is no longer some chief disciple of the Shangyuan Sect, but the Sect Master of the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion, so what if all these were done by him intentionally?”
“Care not about him,” Yan Baichuan reached out his hand to take a cup himself, also pouring a cup of tea on the table, “In any case it is their own matter inside their sect, so let him solve it himself, and speak of it if it truly cannot be solved.”
Speaking of which, Yan Baichuan and the four of them were not the first to obtain sword intent, and there should have been several cultivators arriving simultaneously with them, yet none of them were seen before the mountain gate. It seemed this reception disciple was specially “tailor-made” for them, though it was unknown which faction sent him.
Taking out the Sect Master Token given by Pei Wuji, Jin You placed it before Yan Baichuan and asked him, “Since we are already here, going to catch up on old times with your old friend?”
Having arrived at the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion, not going to say hello indeed could not be justified. Yan Baichuan put away the Sect Master Token and asked Jin You, “Together? In case a fight breaks out then, you can also persuade us a bit.”
Yet Jin You shook his head, “Not going, what is good to look at about fighting. Unless.”
“Unless what?” Going to see Pei Wuji alone was far too boring, whereas with Jin You around he could still chat with him, so Yan Baichuan approached, waiting for Jin You to set conditions.
Rolling his eyes, Jin You said, “I am not interested in your fighting, but have a bit of interest in the Book Collection Pavilion on this side, having heard that some of them are even collections of their sect’s elders, never passed outside. If Pei Wuji is willing to nod and let me enter to take a look, then I am not unable to accompany you.”
Jin You heard other cultivators say on the airship that although the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion was established late as a sect, some book collections were indeed things even large sects had never seen, merely not passed outside. Jin You was curious about what happened after he and Yan Baichuan died seventeen years ago, but could not ask in a fanfare manner. The time of the Sword-Forgetting Pavilion’s establishment was close to the time of their deaths, and Pei Wuji, as the fine chief disciple of the Shangyuan Sect, ran off after snatching Dichen, so there was bound to be something inside that they did not know about. These matters could perhaps be answered in the Book Collection Pavilion.
Jin You never spoke without a target, so Yan Baichuan took it to heart as well, responding with an agreement.
Seeing no one around, Lingyun restored her sloppy appearance again, chewing on peanuts from who knows where as she said, “Then you two go, while Brother Ying Chuang and I practice martial arts here? Let me teach him a few moves properly.”
Ying Chuang thought nothing of it, thinking that Lingyun was not good at combat anyway, so what could she teach him. Ying Chuang’s mind was simple, writing everything on his face, and Lingyun shook her head with regret, “Knew you wouldn’t believe me. Doesn’t matter, in a bit when the two of them go out, I will show off a hand for you. How about it, dare to make a bet with me?”
“Bet what?” Ying Chuang lay on the table asking her.
Reflecting for a moment, Lingyun said, “If I win, you call me Sister Lingyun. If I lose, I will pay spirit stones myself to ask the cooks here to make chicken and duck for you to eat, how about it, bet or not?”
“Bet!” Remembering chicken and duck, light seemed to appear in Ying Chuang’s eyes, agreeing on the spot, with only Jin You shaking his head on the side, lamenting Ying Chuang’s innocence.
Silly child, Lingyun had mixed in the mortal realm for so long, when had she ever lost a bet?