Chapter 129: Clarity of the Sword Heart, Bounties in the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter 129: Clarity of the Sword Heart, Bounties in the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty

Seated beside the plain-clothed woman, Xu Yan felt his heartbeat quicken, even though the woman made no provocative moves.

His blood boiled, and a restlessness grew within him.

At this moment, his mind turned clear and sharp.

"I must not underestimate the people of this world. This woman's allure techniques are innate, and her strength is no trivial matter. I am still young and easily swayed by such beauty.

"She stirs my heart, and my mental state is not yet strong enough.

"No wonder my master said, 'A heart without desire for women is a cultivation blessed by the heavens.' I still have a long way to go before reaching that profound realm."

Xu Yan took a deep breath, calming himself. However, the faint fragrance emanating from the plain-clothed woman, that invisible and innate allure that captivated the heart, seemed to envelop him at all times.

It made his heart increasingly restless.

"This allure is too strong. It stirs my heart. If she were to make a move, could I guard my heart and mind against it?"

Xu Yan was shaken to his core.

He glanced at the woman, her bright eyes like stars, sitting beside him. Her delicate feet played in the water, and she made no unnecessary movements.

Even without seeing her face, his heart felt agitated.

"How would my master have handled this woman at my age?"

Xu Yan fell into deep thought.

"My master must have tempered his mental state in a similar manner. Otherwise, why would he have imparted the profound insight of 'a heart without desire for women'?"

Images of his master's every word and action flashed through his mind. His gait was relaxed, and though his cultivation realm was terrifyingly high, his every action was that of an ordinary man.

"Returning to simplicity and purity, with skill approaching the Tao. My restless heart is due to my lack of self-understanding. Only by understanding myself can I cast aside all external distractions and remain unperturbed by allurements.

"When my heart is unmoved, all things will be unable to move my heart."

At this moment, Xu Yan gained enlightenment.

The Sword Intent of Mountains and Rivers emerged in his mental state. Within it, the courtesan of the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty whom he had seen, the dance he had watched, and all the allurements he had experienced appeared one by one.

It made the mountains and rivers more enchanting.

Gradually, the figure of the plain-clothed woman also appeared in the mountains and rivers, as if sitting by a stream, kicking the water, her bright eyes like stars.

At this moment, Xu Yan's heart calmed, no longer restless. With his heart enlightened, the Sword Intent of Mountains and Rivers became more perfect.

"If my junior brother breaks through and opens his cave of the Great Sun Golden Body, he should nurture his knife within the cave. As for me, I will nurture all living things and the sword in my heart within these mountains and rivers.

"Today, I, Xu Yan, have achieved the great perfection of Clarity of the Sword Heart!"

In this instant, Xu Yan achieved the great perfection of Clarity of the Sword Heart.

Nurturing all living things and the sword in his heart with the Sword Intent of Mountains and Rivers laid the foundation for the second realm of the Sword Dao, the Heart Sword Realm.

Xu Yan smiled as he looked at the plain-clad woman beside him, no longer feeling the slightest restlessness. Her allure seemed to be tamed within his Sword Intent of Mountains and Rivers.

The woman's heart trembled, and she looked at Xu Yan in surprise. At that moment, she vaguely felt a subtle and elusive aura emanating from him.

She realized that Xu Yan was no longer restless and seemed unaffected by her allure.

"As expected of the first pride of Sword Monarch Cliff in a thousand years!"

She couldn't help but admire him in her heart, thinking that it would be extremely difficult to get him to make a move.

The woman lifted her hand and removed the scarf covering her face, revealing her peerless countenance. In that instant, it seemed as if the heavens and earth had lost their color, and only her face remained as the sole beauty in existence.

"Young Master, is your heart made of iron?"

The woman spoke softly, her voice filled with a mix of reproach and delight, stirring infinite desire in those who heard it.

However, Xu Yan remained calm and unperturbed.

Within his Sword Intent of Mountains and Rivers, the plain-clad woman also opened her eyes and extended her delicate hand... All her allurements were but a part of his Sword Intent.

And Xu Yan was the master of this Sword Intent, controlling everything within it.

"You are the most enchanting and captivating woman I have ever met. Yet, you still cannot disturb my heart. Instead, you have made my resolve in the Sword Dao even firmer."

Xu Yan spoke sincerely.

The woman's smile faded, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, but even so, she couldn't help but stir up a surge of desire in those who beheld her.

Her eyes fixed on Xu Yan, her heart uneasy.

"My master said that I have a unique constitution. After cultivating this technique, it is rare for any man in the world to resist my allure. I can control men and make them do my bidding.

"Even a typical Grand Master would have his mental state disturbed by me, willing to go through fire and water for me. Below the First Grade, no warrior can resist my charms."

However, the young man before her remained unmoved.

"Young Master, you are truly a peerless man in this world. I admire you greatly!"

The woman exclaimed with a hint of admiration.

Xu Yan thought for a moment and said, "I have a friend who also cultivates the Sword Dao. Perhaps he will need to temper his mental state in the future. I wonder if he could come to you for such a test?"

He thought of Xie Lingfeng. This time, he had borrowed his friend's name.

"Brother Xie also needs to temper his mental state? Otherwise, how can he enter the Sword Dao? Coming here to temper his heart is the best choice. I should arrange an opportunity for him."

Xu Yan thought to himself.

"Very well. I want to see if your friend can remain as unmoved as you."

The woman smiled gently.

"Thank you!"

Xu Yan bowed in gratitude.

With his mental state tempered and having achieved the great perfection of Clarity of the Sword Heart, he had also enlightened the meaning of nurturing all living things and the sword in his heart. It was time for him to leave.

His next destination—the Seven Stars Academy!

Xu Yan examined the Sword Intent of Mountains and Rivers, which contained all the scenes he had witnessed during his mental tempering. He pondered for a moment, "Let's call it the Myriad Phenomena of Mountains and Rivers. This is just one aspect. When I perfect the Myriad Phenomena, how powerful will my Sword Intent become?"

His heart was filled with anticipation as he understood the direction of his Sword Intent's improvement.

"My business here is concluded. I bid you farewell."

Xu Yan stood up and bid his farewell with cupped fists.

The woman smiled gracefully, "Young Master, now that you've come here, do you have no other requests?"

"Requests?"

Xu Yan was taken aback, deep in thought.

The woman stood up, her smile warm and her eyes filled with tenderness. Her voice softened, "Young Master, the beauties of the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty are unmatched in the world. To leave empty-handed would be a pity."

Xu Yan's eyes lit up at her words, "Is there a gift to send me off?"

The plain-clad woman: ...

"What gift does Young Master desire?"

If Xie Lingfeng wanted a gift, then so be it.

Such a peerless genius was rarely seen even in the Inner Realm.

"Do you have any sixth-grade spirit herbs?"

Xu Yan's face was filled with anticipation. "If not, then 100,000 or 80,000 spirit crystals would be fine too."

The woman's smile froze, and she was stunned. "You're the pride of Sword Monarch Cliff, yet you still need spirit crystals? Are you that greedy for money?"

"Young Master, we do have spirit crystals, but there are no free gifts in this world..."

The Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty could afford to give 100,000 or 80,000 spirit crystals. If they could establish a connection with Xie Lingfeng, it would be worth it. In the future, when he took control of the Xie family, their relationship would be beneficial, and any strong cultivator who wanted to move against the pavilion would have to think twice.

"Farewell!" Xu Yan bid, turning to leave.

"Young Master, please come visit me again when you have the time," the woman called out.

"Sure, when I have the time," Xu Yan replied nonchalantly.

As Xu Yan descended from the top floor of the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty, he noticed a crowd of martial artists gathered downstairs, examining a portrait.

One of the managers of the pavilion spoke up, "Everyone, whoever provides clues about this woman's whereabouts will receive a reward of 10,000 spirit crystals. If you can bring her to the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty unharmed, you will be rewarded with a seventh-grade spirit herb, 100,000 spirit crystals, and free entertainment in the pavilion for seven days."

The generous rewards captivated the hearts of all the martial artists in the pavilion, including the Grand Masters.

"Who is this woman, and why is the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty offering such a high bounty? Could she be someone who escaped from the pavilion?"

"It's impossible to escape from the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty. Once you enter, there is no way out."

"I'm going to find out more about this woman's whereabouts. Ten thousand spirit crystals are at stake!"

Xu Yan, who had just come downstairs, was intrigued by the mention of ten thousand spirit crystals and a seventh-grade spirit herb. This bounty was indeed very tempting.

He had escorted Du Yuying and killed numerous Grand Masters, yet he had never earned ten thousand spirit crystals.

Xu Yan stepped forward and asked, "Could she be an enemy of the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty, warranting such a high price for her capture?"

The manager quickly clarified, "Everyone, please don't misunderstand. The Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty is only acting as an intermediary. The one who truly seeks to capture this woman is someone else."

Xu Yan moved closer to get a better look at the portrait, and his eyes immediately turned cold as he recognized the person in the painting.

Su Lingxiu!

The person being hunted was actually Su Lingxiu!

"The mastermind behind the pursuit of my junior sister must have considerable influence to be able to request the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty for assistance," Xu Yan thought, his killing intent rising. However, he maintained a calm facade as he stepped forward and took down the portrait.

"Young Master, what are you doing?" the pavilion manager asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

Xu Yan had gone straight to the top floor of the pavilion after entering, and not many people had seen him, so they were unable to recognize him as "Xie Lingfeng" immediately.

"This woman looks familiar. I think I've seen her somewhere before. I'll take on this bounty," Xu Yan said with a delighted expression.

"Really?" the manager asked, his face lighting up.

"Of course. Hurry up and take me to claim the reward," Xu Yan urged.

"Please follow me, Young Master," the manager said as he hastily led Xu Yan away from the pavilion's main hall, leaving the rest of the martial artists disappointed.

The bounty had been claimed as soon as it was announced.

A few others had flickering eyes, deep in thought, as they quietly left the pavilion.

"Young Master, please leave the clues with us, and you can claim your reward after we verify the information," the manager said with a smile as he led Xu Yan to a private room.

Xu Yan shook his head. "No. The reward for clues is too little. If anyone wants to find this person, I will take them there myself. The reward will be a seventh-grade spirit herb and 100,000 spirit crystals."

"This..." The manager hesitated.

"If you want to know her whereabouts, don't be stingy. The 100,000 spirit crystals are non-negotiable," Xu Yan stated firmly.

The manager pondered for a moment and then suggested, "How about this, Young Master? You can leave the clues with us, and after verification, we will give you 100,000 spirit crystals as the highest reward."

Xu Yan let out a cold laugh. "To be honest, I don't trust you. What if you capture the person and then go back on your word, saying that the clues were incorrect and refuse to give me the spirit crystals? Wouldn't I have wasted my efforts? Give me the spirit crystals first, and I will personally take you to her. If we don't find her, I will return the crystals in full!"

The manager's face showed his helplessness, and he smiled wryly. "Young Master, you're joking. The Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty has a reputation to uphold..."

"Are you embezzling the bounty? That's why you're stalling and don't want me to meet the person who requested the bounty, right? Are you afraid of exposing your embezzlement? Is the bounty actually a million spirit crystals, and you're only offering a tenth of that amount?" Xu Yan suddenly realized, staring at the manager.

"I..." The manager's face darkened, and after a moment, he nodded. "Alright, Young Master, please wait a moment while I notify the person who requested the bounty. However, I must remind you to be careful."

Xu Yan coldly smiled. "Careful about what? Are you planning to kill me to silence me? Does the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty resort to such despicable means?"

The manager's lips twitched. "Don't misunderstand. The requester has nothing to do with the pavilion. I'm just reminding you to be cautious."

"Rest assured, I know what I'm doing," Xu Yan said nonchalantly.

"Then please wait a moment, Young Master," the manager said as he left.

Xu Yan looked at the portrait of Su Lingxiu in his hand, his eyes cold. Since she was his junior sister's enemy, she was also his enemy. And when it came to enemies, he would show no mercy!

"My junior sister was worried about my safety in the Inner Realm, so she refused to tell me about the trouble she was facing. Now it seems that the people behind this have considerable influence, even able to request the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty for assistance," Xu Yan thought.

"It appears that they don't know she has escaped to the borderlands. That Grand Master from before must not have reported back.

"Since I've encountered this, I will take their spirit crystals, and their lives as well!"

Xu Yan's heart was filled with killing intent.

The fact that the manager of the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty had reminded him to be careful of assassination attempts indicated that the requester was not someone to be taken lightly.

The manager returned.

"Young Master, please follow me," he said.

Xu Yan followed the manager and left the pavilion. They boarded a small boat and headed out of the Thousand Star Lake.

"Young Master, why don't you reconsider? With the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty as an intermediary, we can ensure your safety, and they won't dare to deceive you," the manager said.

"This woman must be extremely important to them. I think 100,000 spirit crystals is a bit too little. I plan to negotiate with them in person and ask for a higher price," Xu Yan said solemnly.

Manager: ...

The small boat arrived at the outskirts of the Thousand Star Lake, where a patch of flowers and grass grew. Two figures stood amidst the greenery, their faces obscured by black robes.

Xu Yan's heart sank as he recognized the two as Grand Masters, one at the peak of the Grand Master realm and the other already a formidable figure.

Their attire was identical to that of the previous Grand Master.

This force was incredibly strong!

"These two must be the ones," the manager said.

The peak Grand Master looked at Xu Yan and asked in a deep voice, "Have you truly seen the woman in the painting?"

"Of course. I once saw her healing someone in a certain place," Xu Yan nodded.

Hearing this, the two black-robed figures had no further doubts, and their eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Where is she? Tell us quickly!" the impatient voice of the peak Grand Master urged.

However, Xu Yan remained calm and collected. The boat continued its course away from the Thousand Star Lake as he said, "I will take you to her, but first, you must prepare the spirit crystals."

The boat docked, and Xu Yan disembarked, turning to face the black-robed figures who had followed.

The manager of the Pavilion of Unparalleled Beauty left without another word. In her eyes, Xu Yan was courting death, and there was no doubt that they would silence him to protect their secret.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end