Chapter 830: Dao Sword Slashes Heavenly Firmament
Many old Daoists surged out of the Dao Palace, standing around, and upon hearing this, they all furrowed their brows deeply.
The Azure Cloud Sect Leader was consulting the Dao Ancestor, yet Qin Mu, Xiao Chunfeng, and the others were preparing to kill!
“Should we stop them?”
An old Daoist with a head as large as a bucket muttered, “The key is, how do we stop them? They are envoys of the Heavenly Court. The death of the Star Lords’ Ancient God disciples at Azure Cloud Heaven is already our Azure Cloud Sect’s crime. If we further obstruct the Heavenly Court envoys’ revenge, the offense becomes unforgivable. On the other side is the Overlord Body, whom even the Dao Ancestor dares not accept a bow from—can’t hit, can’t scold, can’t touch. How do we stop this?”
The other Daoists were troubled. With the Azure Cloud Sect Leader absent, they were completely at a loss.
Suddenly, Yu Chenzi said softly, “The Yan’an Overlord Body Qin Mu and the Heavenly Court’s Xiao Chunfeng are each considering their own lives. Taking advantage of the Sect Leader consulting the Dao Ancestor, they want to cook the rice before it’s raw.”
Several old Daoists quickly looked at him and asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Yu Chenzi said, “Uncles and senior uncles, think about it: if the Overlord Body Qin Mu kills all the Heavenly Court envoys first, how will our Azure Cloud Heaven handle itself?”
“Kill that bastard Overlord Body and send his head to the Heavenly Court!” a hot-tempered old Daoist said fiercely.
Yu Chenzi was caught between laughter and tears. “If the Heavenly Court envoys, along with three to four hundred disciples of the Star Lords’ Ancient Gods, die at Azure Cloud Heaven, how great would that crime be? Enough to annihilate our clan, sect, and nation! Our best course then would be to join forces with Yan’an and rebel together!”
The Daoists came to their senses.
“Xiao Chunfeng’s goal is the same. Kill the Overlord Body Qin Mu, leaving the Dao Ancestor no choice, binding the Dao Sect and Azure Cloud Heaven tightly, and denying us any chance to rebel. Because if the Dao Ancestor chooses the Overlord Body, he will surely kill Xiao Chunfeng and the others as a sacrifice to the banner.”
Yu Chenzi continued, “Both want to make the rice cooked before the Dao Ancestor makes his decision, leaving him no choice! Qin Mu, the Overlord Body, sent the Sect Leader away to consult the Dao Ancestor precisely to take advantage of his absence and cook the rice. Senior Brother Xiao Chunfeng’s aim is the same. This is the way of the wise—not entrusting one’s life and future to others.”
The Daoists looked at him with newfound respect. An old Daoist asked, “Then what should we do?”
Yu Chenzi pondered and then decisively said, “If we stop them, we are making a choice for the Dao Ancestor, and no matter what we do, it will be wrong. Our only task now is to prepare for the aftermath.”
The Daoists all frowned and asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“If the Yan’an Overlord Body wins and kills the Heavenly Court envoys, we must prepare in advance to destroy the bodies and eliminate all traces, framing the Earth Mother Primordial Lord, and completely absolving our Azure Cloud Heaven of any involvement. When the Heavenly Court investigates and traces it to the Earth Mother Primordial Lord, our punishment will be minimal. Then we can secretly collude with Yan’an, slowly develop, and wait for the right moment to act.”
Yu Chenzi spoke rapidly: “If the Heavenly Court envoys kill the Overlord Body, we need to prepare various treasures to bribe the envoys, so they plead for us in the Heavenly Court, reducing our punishment to the minimum. We only need to prepare these two points. No matter who wins or loses between the Overlord Body and Xiao Chunfeng, and no matter how the Dao Ancestor decides, we can handle it calmly.”
“Excellent!”
The Daoists praised him and immediately set about making preparations.
In front of the Dao Palace, Qin Mu, Lin Xuan, and Xiao Chunfeng noticed that the old Daoists were ignoring them and instead hurried away. Each silently praised, “There are wise people in the Azure Cloud Sect who see the situation clearly.”
Their thoughts were exactly as Yu Chenzi had guessed: they would not entrust their lives and interests to the Dao Ancestor’s decision. Instead, they would first eliminate their opponents, forcing the Dao Ancestor to make a choice favoring them!
“The heavens are truly changing.”
Qin Mu looked up at the sky, where wind rolled and clouds surged, obscuring the man-made sun and moon, revealing various man-made star rivers and constellations. It was exceptionally enchanting, and he couldn’t help but praise, “The Dao Sect’s techniques and divine abilities are extraordinary, capable of evolving all the Dao and methods of the world.”
Xiao Chunfeng also looked up and praised, “The Overlord Body indeed has extraordinary insight. The reason the Heavenly Court values the Dao Sect is precisely because of its unparalleled mastery of techniques and calculations, unmatched in ancient and modern times. The Heavenly Court’s divine demon armies, including the Ten Guards, all have their weapons and formations designed by the Dao Sect.”
“So, to contend for the world against the Heavenly Court, one must gain the Dao Sect’s support,” Qin Mu said.
Suddenly, a youth behind him roared, leaped into the air, and shouted, “Hey, Qin! Come and let me see what the Overlord Body is!”
The youth stood in midair, shook his body, and his primordial spirit emerged—a tortoise and snake entwined. The tortoise had a dragon’s head and a tortoise’s body, while the snake had a thousand pairs of cicada wings on its body, flapping noisily, its mouth wide open.
It was the Black Tortoise.
As the Black Tortoise primordial spirit appeared, a great river surged across the sky beneath its feet, roaring and crashing through the air.
Qin Mu looked at Lin Xuan and smiled, “Lin Sect Leader, the disciple of the Northern Emperor Black Tortoise—do you have confidence?”
Lin Xuan didn’t look at the Northern Emperor’s disciple in the sky. Instead, he smiled and said, “Qin Sect Leader, your brain is uniquely structured, always full of whimsical ideas that you then hand off to us to execute. And you’re always running around, often gone for a year or two. This time you returned to Yan’an and were busy again. You probably haven’t yet understood how far the Yan’an Dao Sect’s techniques and divine abilities have progressed in these past few years.”
Qin Mu was slightly startled. Lin Xuan Sect Leader, with a long sword on his back, took a step forward, rising higher and higher, walking toward the Northern Emperor Black Tortoise’s disciple, and laughed, “Xu Shenghua once said that of the two research directions you gave us—the Taiwei Calculation Classic and geomagnetic force—geomagnetic force is the easiest to produce results, but the greatest change to the reform of techniques comes from the Taiwei Calculation Classic. Geomagnetic force only adds a new system of divine abilities to the world, but the Taiwei Calculation Classic can change all Dao techniques and divine abilities, even divine weapon structures and formation structures! In these past few years, our Dao Sect has focused entirely on the Taiwei Calculation Classic! You only gave me the general framework of the Taiwei Calculation Classic, but in these years, our Dao Sect has refined it, extending it into more detailed algorithms, thereby improving divine abilities!”
In midair, the Northern Emperor Black Tortoise’s disciple activated the great river with his Black Tortoise primordial spirit. The river surged, and five layers of clouds and thunder rose from it—five clouds, five thunders, wind, clouds, lightning, and the river like a dragon, with immense momentum, pressing down toward Lin Xuan!
The Northern Emperor Black Tortoise was one of the Four Emperors, an ancient divine king whose Dao was naturally perfected. Even Emperor Yi Yue had once studied under him.
This Northern Emperor disciple’s cultivation was also extremely profound. His body stood on the head of the Flying Serpent, which twisted and flew, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. From the serpent’s head, he unleashed divine abilities, while below, the Black Tortoise roared like a dragon, its sharp teeth and claws tearing the sky, sometimes darkening it, sometimes illuminating it with thunder!
The Northern Emperor lineage was renowned for its profound cultivation and formidable defense. This person’s strength was not to be underestimated!
“The first thing I changed was the Dao Sect’s Fourteen Chapters of the Dao Sword. Although I’ve only perfected seven chapters, they are far beyond what the Heavenly Court’s country bumpkins can match!”
Lin Xuan Sect Leader let out a long cry, drew his sword, and faced the Northern Emperor’s disciple. His every move and word exuded unparalleled confidence. He laughed, “Qin Sect Leader, when you see my true sword, you’ll know what you’ve missed in these years!”
First Chapter of the Dao Sword: One point connects the vast movement; within the two poles, yin and yang reverse!
In the sky, a black-and-white Taiji diagram a hundred zhang in radius appeared, with yin and yang becoming extremely fine, their internal structure completely different from the Dao Sword of the past.
The old First Chapter of the Dao Sword was known for its grandeur and change, but now the Dao Sword simultaneously possessed both grandeur and micro-detail, with changes in calculations so complex they were immeasurable!
This was the result of Lin Xuan’s intensive study of the Taiwei Calculation Classic.
When Qin Mu comprehended the Heavenly Fire, he had realized the Taiwei Calculation Classic, using it to deconstruct the fine internal structure of the Heavenly Fire.
But although he knew the Taiwei Calculation Classic had boundless potential, he wasn’t willing to spend his entire life perfecting it. So he handed it over to Lin Xuan and Xu Shenghua.
Xu Shenghua was busy establishing the Western Lands Supreme Academy and studying geomagnetic force with Granny Si, so he rarely had time to visit the Dao Sect.
Lin Xuan Sect Leader, however, devoted all his energy to the Taiwei Calculation Classic. In these few years, his Dao Sword had undergone earth-shattering changes.
Qin Mu looked up. As the pioneer of the Taiwei Calculation Classic, he could see the true marvels of the Dao Sword and silently praised, “The National Teacher was right. In just a few years, Yan’an’s Dao techniques and divine abilities have been transformed. I’ve been wandering outside and have indeed missed many revolutions in techniques and abilities. But it’s not too late. After resolving the Azure Cloud Heaven matter, I need to study again at the various academies and the Grand Academy. If I don’t learn, I’ll really be surpassed by Lin Xuan and the others.”
In the sky, the Northern Emperor disciple’s divine abilities were vast and unparalleled, but in the next moment, they were shattered by Lin Xuan’s sword!
The disciples and elders of the Azure Cloud Sect, who were searching for the old Daoist, were startled by this sword strike. They looked up at the sky, their gazes entranced.
Azure Cloud Heaven was a branch of the Dao Sect and had also cultivated the Dao Sword. But Lin Xuan’s Dao Sword was subtly different—from grand to micro, using different calculations and different details to reconstruct the grand, making it more perfect, leaving the Dao Sword without any flaws!
Lin Xuan’s Dao Sword changed again: Five energies and three origins form the knot; rising, clouds and chariots intertwine!
As this move was unleashed, Daoists on the mountain and below couldn’t help but cheer, becoming even more entranced.
The Second Chapter of the Dao Sword used ternary and quinary systems, constructing the sun, moon, and seven stars with mathematical principles, involving the trajectories of the sun, moon, and five luminaries.
But when Lin Xuan executed this move, the form was the same, but the internal structure was completely different, adding infinite detail. If one continuously deconstructed the sword technique internally, they would find countless suns, moons, and five-luminaries star tracks!
Blood flashed in the sky, and the Northern Emperor disciple was already wounded.
Five-colored auspicious clouds cover and shroud; three days above, immortal rhymes resound.
The Third Chapter of the Dao Sword was already out. As Lin Xuan Sect Leader executed this move, Dao sounds and Dao rhymes surged forth. The Northern Emperor disciple was instantly decapitated, his primordial spirit fleeing.
Lin Xuan Sect Leader’s Dao Sword slashed toward his primordial spirit. Behind Qin Mu, the Eastern Emperor, Southern Emperor, and Western Emperor disciples immediately leaped out, rushing into the sky to block Lin Xuan!
Lin Xuan’s sword technique turned, and his move changed again. In the sky, myriad phenomena appeared, and Daoists all over the mountains and fields cheered in unison.
Silently revolving the Heavenly Cycle, see the myriad phenomena push and shift!
His sword technique changed extremely quickly. The myriad phenomena appeared briefly, then transformed into the Fifth Chapter of the Dao Sword: The jade cave gathers all transformations; on the Kunlun Ridge, the wind and moon rustle!
In the sky, a phantom of the Kunlun Mountain Ridge appeared. Lin Xuan stood on the ridge, his sword trembling, the sword move like a jade cave, absorbing the myriad phenomena into the mountain cave, along with the Eastern Emperor, Southern Emperor, and Western Emperor disciples.
Dragon roars, tiger howls, and phoenix cries were heard as the three broke out of the cave, covered in blood.
What greeted them was the Sixth Chapter of the Dao Sword: Seven golden lotuses reveal their strangeness; clear joy, abundant and new!
The three struck together to defend. Lin Xuan Sect Leader moved with his sword, his long cry like a Dao chant: “Once scattered and drifting, vast and dissipated; empty sorrow and bitterness, how can one ascend—"
This was the Seventh Chapter of the Dao Sword.
As the Seventh Chapter was unleashed, the three emperor disciples were battered and bruised, joining forces to withstand this move. The sword light in the air suddenly retracted, and Lin Xuan Sect Leader descended like a beam of sword light from the sky.
He had only pushed the Taiwei Calculation Classic to the Seventh Chapter of the Dao Sword. After the seventh chapter, it was just the ordinary Dao Sword, unable to withstand the siege of three top experts.
At the same time, Qin Mu and Xiao Chunfeng shot into the sky almost simultaneously. They collided in midair with a thunderous boom. Xiao Chunfeng blocked Qin Mu’s killing strike aimed at the three emperor disciples, but saw Qin Mu peel back the golden willow leaf on his brow, shake his head, and reveal three heads and six arms. Three beams of light shot from his three brows!
Xiao Chunfeng had just blocked his previous move when he saw these three beams heading straight for the Northern Emperor, Eastern Emperor, and Western Emperor disciples. His heart sank, thinking, “Trouble!”
————Everyone is welcome to add Zhaizhu’s public WeChat account, search for Zhaizhu. Recent events will give away peripherals of the *Shepherd’s Chronicle*, including a fan inscribed with the meeting of Qin Mu and Xu Shenghua on the river, and a poem by Yan Zhigui!