Chapter 213:

"Taoist Qingzhuo seems to have arrived."

Qiao Mu, who went by the name Qiao Xiaoming, looked towards the direction of the lonely city through a crack in the window. He saw a rainbow light descending from the sky, turning into an old taoist with white eyebrows.

At this time, he was inside a fortress outside the lonely city.

This fortress was built by the soldiers and civilians as a hidden refuge. In fact, Qiao Xiaoming and the others came to this fortress to avoid being affected by Taoist Qingzhuo’s magic. They didn’t run deeper into the desert.

After all, this desert is covered by Immortal Gate’s illusionary formation. If they continue to run, they will only get lost in the sandstorm. Where could they hide?

If they go too far, and Taoist Qingzhuo, who entered the desert, finds them first, it would be awkward.

So for now, they stayed in this fortress, not too far nor too close.

Captain Hai and the old man from the arsenal were also waiting and watching, while taking care of Captain Hai and the other injured soldiers from the previous battle.

There were emergency medicines prepared in this fortress, and they were being used now.

"Are we just going to wait here?" Captain Hai asked with a bit of confusion.

"Can we only rely on Elder Lao and Earth Sword Immortal?"

He fought all his life, from the age of twenty to sixty. Eventually, he became the highest-ranking officer in the city.

He had to rely on them now, as he could only wait anxiously at the back of the battlefield.

"Earth Sword Immortal is no match for Taoist Qingzhuo. He was imprisoned thirty years ago… and probably still is," Captain Hai tried to analyze the situation.

"So, does that mean the uncertainty falls on Qiao ZhuosenElder Lao?"

Although Captain Hai didn’t know how strong Qiao Zhuosen was, he must be weaker than Earth Sword Immortal.

And if Earth Sword Immortal is weaker than Taoist Qingzhuo… could it be possible that the two weaker people can join forces and defeat him?

Captain Hai was deeply worried.

He had always stood on the front lines of the battlefield, but now someone else had to fight for him, leaving him restless as he tried to analyze the situation.

"No… spiritual refining means refining the heart. The strength of a Spirit Refining martial artist lies in their willpower," Qiao Mu spoke up.

At this moment, he, the real him, was on the city wall, but he could still remotely sense and control his flesh clone on this side.

"Forty years ago, the Earth Sword Immortal was the best in the world. But thirty years ago, the Earth Sword Immortal didn’t fulfill his promise, didn’t compete with the Martial Saint. It’s because he didn’t want to win, didn’t want to take responsibility, so he lost the spirit of competition."

"A swordsman without the spirit of competition, even if he has excellent sword skills, may not be able to defeat the Martial Saint. So it’s understandable that he lost to Elder Qingzhuo of the Immortal Dao. If he had won thirty years ago, it would have been unbelievable."

"But now, things should be different," said Qiao Mu.

"By embodying his sword, he has gained the belief of being invincible. This actually aligns with his spiritual refining sword technique, the Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship."

When the Earth Sword Immortal first demonstrated the "Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship" to Qiao Mu, he simply showed a few simple movements.

At that time, Qiao Mu thought he was just fooling around, but he didn’t expect the Earth Sword Immortal to say that he had no sword in his heart, so the Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship could not be truly demonstrated.

"But…" Captain Hai frowned, wanting to say something.

"That’s enough, Xiao Hai. Why are you hesitating now?" The old man of the arsenal smiled and shook his head.

"War is never child’s play, it’s not simply comparing the strength of the enemy and us. Just because the enemy is strong and we are weak, does that mean we shouldn’t fight?"

"If that’s the case, we should have surrendered forty years ago."

The old man from the arsenal actually knew that Captain Hai and the other old soldiers were just onlookers.

These old soldiers are only three hundred left, and they can only leave the battlefield when they are seriously injured. Where would they have the opportunity to watch from the rear?

Qiao Mu also heard these words and squinted his eyes slightly.

Qiao Mu and Earth Sword Immortal waited on the city wall for half a day, guarding the empty city for half a day.

They waited until the sun was leaning west and the sunset was sinking.

In fact, this process was not just waiting.

Both of them cleared their minds and prepared themselves.

In Qiao Mu’s eyes, listening to the words of these experienced old soldiers was also a preparation, a sharpening of swords before the battle. Sёarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Sharpening the sword, only then can the true meaning of Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship be unleashed.

Then, Qiao Mu can also die with dignity.

………………………

A strong wind began to blow.

Qingzhuo, an old Taoist, arrived alone. He looked down upon the empty city below, his brows furrowing gradually.

Naturally, he knew that this was an empty city.

Whether the city is empty or not is not important, as there were already very few elderly people left in the city.

The souls of the military and civilians in this city held value for those cultivators at the Foundation Building period like Dao Ni, but as an elder of the Immortal Gate, his perspective was broader, and he didn’t need to fuss over such matters.

Perhaps the military and civilians in the city had gone to seek refuge somewhere else. He could search for them later; it was a small matter.

He didn’t come for this purpose.

The reason why he rushed over from a faraway place is actually a person.

"Where is Lu Yannan? Where is Earth Sword Immortal?" He looked down suspiciously and gradually scanned this empty city with his divine sense.

He unconsciously overlooked Qiao Mu on the city wall.

Because Qiao Mu clearly is an elderly martial artist, only one person, not worth mentioning.

Martial Saints are all dead, Earth Sword Immortal lost thirty years ago, the path of martial artists has come to an end long ago and is not comparable to the path of immortality, this is an undeniable fact.

But Earth Sword Immortal can make him look up, so Taoist Qingzhuo deliberately imprisoned him in this Hundred-mile Desert, using the army and civilians of a city to gradually temper his temperament.

He originally thought that Earth Sword Immortal would not make a move for thirty years because he had experienced positive changes, but unexpectedly heard that he finally took action. After thirty years of tempering his temperament, he ended up going astray, so he came for this purpose, hoping to see if he could salvage the situation…

While Taoist Qingzhuo’s divine sense swept through the empty city, a voice sounded from the gate tower.

"Jianzhong, your father is here!"

The voice sounded mocking and disrespectful, causing Elder Qingzhuo to furrow his brows.

"How could you…" His gaze fell upon the stone sword next to Qiao Mu, and his facial expression suddenly twitched, clearly showing surprise, to the extent that he momentarily forgot how to speak.

"After thirty years, you, Jianzhong, finally decided to visit your old man. What a filial son…" the stone sword continued sarcastically.



However, Qiao Mu suddenly interjected. Earth Sword Immortal, by calling him Jianzhong and acknowledging him as his father, you’re also insulting yourself, aren’t you?

"Lu Yannan? How did you end up like this…" Elder Qingzhuo’s voice trembled slightly, filled with both confusion and anger.

He cast a sharp gaze and pointed with his finger.

A wild wind swept by, causing over ten houses along the street to collapse, and dozens of stone statues of women that had just emerged were shattered into pieces by the sweeping wind, forming a messy pile on the ground.

"Captain Hai’s stone statues… didn’t they serve any purpose at all?" Qiao Mu muttered under his breath.

"I was just teasing him a little. Did you really believe it?" Earth Sword Immortal’s voice was still playful, as if it didn’t matter.

"You don’t walk the path of longevity, but you’re skilled in these kind of hidden arts. What kind of demonic practice is this transformation from flesh to sword?" Taoist Qingzhuo furrowed his brows, exuding an intimidating presence as he sighed.

Speaking of the Mortal Body Transformed Sword, Earth Sword Immortal also felt melancholic.

If there were other choices, who would willingly resort to this plan?

But facing Taoist Qingzhuo who had trapped him here, his heart was filled with more resentment:

"This desolate city has nothing. It’s even devoid of birds. What use is this iron rod when I possess the Iron Crotch Skill?"

"Enough!" Taoist Qingzhuo scolded. His voice reverberated in the city, causing the swirling winds and sand to rise and fall:

"Lu Yannan, don’t waste your talent!"

"Now, come back with me to the sect immediately. I will plead with the higher powers in the sect to help you rebuild your physical body…"

Even though they had just met, Elder Qingzhuo could tell that Earth Sword Immortal seemed to have thoughts of self-destruction. So, he didn’t pressure him, but instead had a sincere attitude, like a wise teacher advising a wayward child.

Taoist Qingzhuo locked Earth Sword Immortal in here, using the Hundred-mile Desert as a prison, the remnants of a lonely city as a chessboard, slowly shaping Earth Sword Immortal’s character with the blood and tears of Jiu Province’s soldiers over forty years. With such a grand plan, how could Earth Sword Immortal end up failing at the last moment?

"Go to the Great Dao Sect? You want me to become the sect leader?" Earth Sword Immortal casually said.

"You want to be the sect leader? That’s ambitious."

Taoist Qingzhuo patiently continued to persuade, not willing to let his efforts go to waste:

"The current sect leader of our sect is one of the few Soul Changing Taoist Lords in this world. Even if your talent is exceptional, don’t be arrogant."

"There are plenty of talented people among the beings in this realm. Don’t think too highly of yourself."

"The path of immortality can only be taken through the Nine Immortal Gates. Mortal martial arts is a dead end without longevity, and the other small sects and independent cultivators can only hold onto what little they have. No matter how good your talent is, you won’t go far, and even with high cultivation, it’s difficult to maintain in the mortal world."

The overall situation is already chaotic, and the top cultivators each have their own place. Even with the assistance of the Incense Symbol of Divine Fire for cultivation, there are only a few Soul Changing Period Taoist Lords in this world.

After the great changes in the world, the Nine Immortal Gates placed great importance on cultivators with outstanding talents.

Cultivators with exceptional talents and extraordinary combat abilities can be invincible at the same level and overpower their peers.

This is also why Taoist Qingzhuo had a relatively tolerant attitude towards Earth Sword Immortal.

A martial artist who can become a leader in the world of martial arts naturally has good character and skills. Even if they possess inferior spiritual roots and cultivate the path of immortality, they shouldn’t fare too poorly.

Moreover, Earth Sword Immortal is a genius born with the potential to become a sword immortal. Elder Qingzhuo specially arranged for him to be placed in this prison, using a city to gradually refine his character.

Due to the scarcity of spiritual energy, geniuses who cultivate against the odds in such an environment are even more precious than before.

"I think I understand…" Qiao Mu’s gaze became profound.

"As an elder of the Immortal Gate, you came to this deserted city and didn’t ask a single question about it. You only cared about that Earth Sword Immortal…"

"I thought the Immortal Gate was ruthless and merciless, not even allowing the souls of ordinary people to rest in peace after death… But it turns out, whether the souls exist or not doesn’t really matter. They are just playing a role in your process of cultivating Immortal Gate disciples, like a theatrical stage."

In the stronghold, Captain Hai and the old soldiers were scared.

They didn’t know that even after the old soldiers died in battle, their spirits would be taken away by Immortal Gate. It was only revealed by Qiao Mu today, which made them feel sad.

The forty-year history of tears and blood in the lonely city was like fighting a losing battle. However, they didn’t know that in the eyes of Immortal Gate, it was just used as a whetstone.

"Who are you? Is it your turn to speak now?" It was not until this moment that Taoist Qingzhuo took a careful look at Qiao Mu.

Ordinary martial artists have never been valued by immortal cultivators. Earth Sword Immortal was not considered remarkable because he was a martial arts leader, but because of his talent in immortal cultivation.

"Qiao familyQiao Zhuosen," Qiao Mu looked down at the empty city:

"A soldier guarding the city."

"Guarding the city? I find it amusing. Not to mention that this city is already deserted…" Taoist Qingzhuo teased, but his gaze gradually became deep. He asked sternly:

"This is just an elaborately constructed stage, Lu Yannan. After watching it for thirty years, don’t you understand the meaning behind this play?"

He didn’t pay attention to what Qiao Mu was saying, his mind was still focused on Earth Sword Immortal.

"The difference between immortals and mortals, what can mortals do even if they sacrifice their lives? What’s the meaning of sacrifice?"

"The more bravely we fight, the better performance we give for our Immortal Gate. Lu Yannan, do you want to continue being an actor on this stage, or transcend this stage and achieve eternal life?"

With a stern warning like this, it seemed like he used some kind of magic. His voice echoed through the entire deserted city, just like the sound of a bell reverberating in the desert wind.

"Lu Yannan, you have always been a heartless person, what does the life and death of mortals have to do with you? Your worldly attachments only hold you back from achieving enlightenment, don’t hinder yourself!"

Thick black clouds loomed over the city, with lightning snakes darting through the gaps.

The floating stone sword remained silent, as if also enduring the interrogation of this spell, only trembling slightly.

His spell seemed to be similar to the ability of a Spirit Refining martial artist to perceive people’s hearts directly.

"Sigh…" Taoist Qingzhuo let out a soft sigh.

"It seems that I have to help you see the meaninglessness of these old soldiers’ perseverance…" He then turned his gaze towards Qiao Mu.

"Qiao Zhuosen, you too are just a mere mortal… Since you are a veteran defending the city, aware of its situation, if I offer you a place in the Immortal Gate, you will have the opportunity to gain immortality…"

Every word spoken by Taoist Qingzhuo was accompanied by thunder and strong winds, creating a mighty spectacle.

Before he could finish speaking, Qiao Mu couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Immortality?

Even if I die many more times, you would still have to call me ancestor. Don’t use these phrases in front of me.

"Sacrificing for the sake of death is meaningless, but sacrificing for the sake of the living naturally holds meaning." Qiao Mu placed his trembling stone sword with one hand.



"With me here today, their sacrifices will have meaning." His eyes were bright, staring directly at Taoist Qingzhuo, sharp as a sword’s edge.

Facing Elder Qingzhuo of the Immortal Gate, he unleashed a move called the "Eye Sword Technique" as a martial artist specializing in Spirit Refining.

Using eyes as swords, this is the invisible sword of the mind.

"If no one sacrifices themselves, how can there be future generations?" His gaze was like a sword, and he shouted at Taoist Qingzhuo.

The soldiers and civilians who died in this city forty years ago are the ancestors, so now he should take over the fire that has not been extinguished in this city for forty years.