https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-83-Differences-in-the-Pill-Condensing-Chamber/12553918/
Chapter 82: The Elixir Sword Pool
Chapter 82: The Elixir Sword Pool
Before entering the Town Demon Service, Hong Lei had also dreamed of wandering the world with a sword and a white horse by his side.
But now it seemed that not entering Qingfeng Mountain and instead joining the more dangerous Town Demon Service might not be such a bad thing.
Fifty or sixty disciples of Qingfeng were being escorted up the mountain by the school captains.
It was clear that they were returning to their sect, but their faces were growing paler by the moment.
Shen Yi and Hong Lei brought up the rear.
"What is the Sword Pool?" Shen Yi asked.
Hong Lei looked at him in surprise. "You're not from Qingzhou, are you?"
"I'm from Boyun County," Shen Yi replied without hesitation.
"No wonder, that small place," Hong Lei nodded subconsciously, then suddenly realized something was amiss. Was he talking about the Boyun County he knew? That backwater place, could there be a force there capable of nurturing such a person?
He opened his mouth to ask, but hesitated and decided to change the subject instead. "Any first-rate force has a stable way of cultivating Nascent Soul realm experts. They ensure that each generation has a master, unlike the second-rate forces. If their elders encounter an accident or there's a lack of new talent, they'll disappear without a trace in just a few decades."
"Our Town Demon Service has something similar, but you have to go to the capital for it," Hong Lei continued.
At this point, he noticed the slight shift in Shen Yi's gaze and guessed what he was thinking. Anyone capable of fighting a Qingfeng elder and a great demon alone must have also perfected the Jade Fluid.
He smiled and said, "With your current strength, if you work hard for a few decades, there will definitely be a place for you among the Golden Core realm experts in the Martial Temple. Don't even think about the recent ones, though. Both Lin and Bai are ahead of you in line."
"Let's talk about the Sword Pool then," Shen Yi said.
Hong Lei knew the temperament of these geniuses; they wouldn't tolerate anyone looking down on them. "Any disciple of Qingfeng, after formally entering and paying respects to the ancestor, the first thing they do is go to the Sword Pool to pay their respects. They offer their fingertip blood, brow blood, and heart's blood to the pool and receive the protection of the ancestor, greatly speeding up their cultivation."
"In addition, they can also take a sword used by their predecessors and nurture it day and night with their essence. This sword is called the 'Guardian Dao Sword,' and you could say that half of their strength lies in the sword. I heard that you broke the sword of that executive. Even if he recovers from his injuries, his strength won't be more than half of what it used to be."
Hong Lei extended his palm and said, "That's why I wanted to see Dai Bing's sword the other day. I wanted to see if she was a disciple of Qingfeng, and indeed she was... Think about it, the essence blood of thousands of disciples over the centuries is connected to the Sword Pool. As their cultivation improves, so does the Sword Pool. Only such a place can have the miraculous effect of helping martial artists to form their Jindan."
"Angry Sword Old Man's lifespan is insufficient. By seniority, he should have had the opportunity to enter the Sword Pool to refine himself and make a final push, but he gave the chance to Zhang Hengzhou. With today's actions... he must have been deeply hurt." Hong Lei sighed.
Shen Yi fell silent for a moment, then asked, "If the Sword Pool has such effects and has existed for thousands of years, shouldn't there be more than one Nascent Soul expert on Qingfeng Mountain?"
"Are you worried that General Chen alone won't be able to defeat them?" Hong Lei asked with a smile.
"You're at the Jade Fluid realm, and so am I. If you were to face two or three of me, would you be afraid?"
Shen Yi thought for a moment and shook his head.
"That's right," Hong Lei continued, but then saw that Shen Yi was deep in thought and shook his head again.
Hong Lei's smile froze on his square face, and he averted his gaze, taking a deep breath as if he hadn't seen anything. "If there were twenty or so, the Town Demon Service wouldn't just have Lord Chen, either. There are twelve Demon Suppression Generals, but Lord Chen is too old. In terms of strength, he barely ranks behind the general of Yang'an County."
"Who's the general of Yang'an County?" Shen Yi asked curiously.
Hong Lei rolled his eyes and remained silent for a long time before answering, "Eleventh."
"Who's first?"
"The second disciple of the Commander-in-Chief."
"And second?"
"The Commander-in-Chief's first disciple."
"Why are they reversed?"
"Brother Shen, we've arrived!" Hong Lei said with a headache. How could he casually speak such offending words?
Shen Yi looked ahead, still curious.
In front of the Qingfeng Mountain Gate was an incredibly vast platform made of white jade-like stones.
At this moment, both sides of the platform were filled with countless sword cultivators dressed in white, kneeling in neat rows.
Three hundred inner camp captains and sub-captains, dressed in gold-embroidered black shirts, stood outside the platform, their bodies straight as they held black chains that soared into the sky, encircling the entire platform.
"..."
Shen Yi furrowed his brows slightly, never expecting to see such a scene on the mountain.
He had been fighting for his life down below, thinking the situation was dire, but here they all knelt.
With all this idle time, couldn't they spare some effort to save people?
"It's not as simple as you think," Hong Lei said, taking a slow step forward and leading the group onward, his expression growing more solemn.
The disciples of Qingfeng Mountain clearly had no intention of resisting, yet General Chen still surrounded them. This could only mean one thing.
That old man, the sect leader, must have gone mad!
In the center of the grand platform, a man sat cross-legged, his upper body bare and covered in intricate wounds that crisscrossed like a spider web, resembling a porcelain vessel that had been shattered.
These familiar wounds caused Shen Yi to hold his breath. He had seen similar injuries on the Flood Dragon Demon in Shuiyun Village, and they were identical.
And at this moment.
Shen Yi sensed a trace of aura from the man, and as he took each step closer, that aura became more and more intense.
Suddenly, the man opened his eyes and slowly swept his gaze towards them.
Those eyes, filled with bloodshot veins, caused Shen Yi's entire body to tense up, and he unconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword.
Even when he had just woken up and faced the Black-skinned Dog Demon with his mortal body.
He had not felt as oppressed as he did now, a feeling that stirred his very being.
"That's Zhang Hengzhou," Hong Lei said, seemingly unaffected by the atmosphere and introducing him casually. "The Swordmaster of Qingzhou, renowned for his chivalry throughout Qingzhou. According to General Chen's speculation, he should be the transformed Yangchun River Flood Dragon Demon."
Shen Yi was as if he hadn't heard a word.
The man stared deeply into his face, and the agony that twisted his features now took on a venomous cast.
Under that gaze.
Shen Yi remained expressionless, but his breathing grew heavier.
A strong killing intent welled up within him.
In full view of everyone.
Zhang Hengzhou suddenly stood up and began to walk towards the edge of the platform.
All the disciples of Qingfeng Mountain raised their heads, and the officers of the Town Demon Service tightened their grip on their weapons, shouting in unison, "Get down!"
But their hearts were filled with uncertainty.
The last time he had rioted was half a month ago, and General Chen had smashed him back with his halberd.
He had been quiet all this time, so why was he standing up again?
"I am innocent, you cannot kill me," Zhang Hengzhou said, his breath heavy and his body slightly hunched. He glared at the old man clad in dark armor.
"I have been slaying demons for a hundred and fifty years in Linjiang County, protecting the people for a hundred and fifty years. They revere me as a hero! I am innocent!" His teeth ground together.
Chen Qiankaun, with his white hair and beard, looked like an ordinary old man. His expression was calm as he said, "Read it to him again."
A subordinate officer stepped forward and recited, "Zhang Zitao, disciple of Qingfeng Mountain, went to Shuangyang County three years ago to slay a demon. He killed a cat demon, resulting in the deaths of more than twenty villagers, whose bodies were never found. According to the demon catcher's investigation, this cat demon was seen at Woniutan, five hundred miles away, just two days ago."
"Zhang Yushong, disciple of Qingfeng Mountain, two years and seven months ago, followed the same method in Qiquan County, slaying a demon and resulting in the deaths of thirty villagers, whose bodies were also never found."
"Zhang Linglong, disciple of Qingfeng Mountain..."
The same pattern of slaying demons and leaving no traces of the villagers' bodies was repeated over and over.
All the names, without exception, were the offspring of this renowned swordsman. Just in the last three years, there were so many that the officer reciting the charges had a dry mouth and parched tongue.
The disciples of Qingfeng Mountain quietly lowered their heads once more.
"So, my achievements are fake?" Zhang Hengzhou's face remained unchanged, and he continued to stare at the old man.
"Your achievements are real. I sent people to investigate, and they are indeed impressive," Chen Qiankaun acknowledged with a slight nod.
"Then—" Zhang Hengzhou's voice suddenly turned sharp. "With my achievements, shouldn't the people of Linjiang County raise my offspring? They are all half-demons, it is in their nature. I have been trying to educate them!"
"Why won't you give me some time!"
"Why won't you give me a chance!"
His deeply resentful roar echoed throughout the entire sect.
(End of Chapter)
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