VAP - Chapter 101
Chapter 101: Flawless Cold Bone, The Peerless Sword Venerable (25)
The Situ family could be described as the most powerful and deeply entrenched clan within the vast network of the Lingtian Sword Sect.
One hundred thousand years ago, Situ Chu, who helped the sect return to its peak, was merely a guardian elder. However, her great-grandson possessed equally astonishing talent and great ability, so he succeeded her as the Sect Master.
Since then, although the position of Sect Master was not always held by a member of the Situ family, they never withdrew from the center of the sect's power. This was especially true for the last ten thousand years, during which three successive generations of the Situ family served as Sect Master, pushing the family's influence to its zenith.
Without a doubt, the Situ family placed the sect above all else. After a hundred thousand years of ties and hundreds of generations of inheritance, the Lingtian Sword Sect and the name "Situ" had long become inseparable, sharing glory and ruin together.
It was for this very reason that they could not tolerate the possibility of the sect's decline.
Ten thousand years ago, Situ Wen, who was then only at the Nascent Soul stage, inherited the Situ family's legacy from his father, the reigning Sect Master.
This legacy included cultivation techniques, the insights of their ancestors, and some secrets unknown to outsiders.
Situ Chu's complete personal notes were also among them.
She was born in an era of decline, yet she herself was extremely powerful. Under the circumstances of that time, however, this power could only help her ascend to immortality; it could not pull the sect from the abyss of ruin.
If anyone else were to choose, they would naturally prioritize their own ascension. Repaying the sect to the best of their ability before ascending would be considered fulfilling their duty.
The relationship between a sect and a genius was inherently one of mutual benefit. The sect provided shelter for the genius before they matured, and the accomplished genius would, in turn, give back to the sect.
But this relationship was based on a premise acceptable to both parties. Since ancient times, no sect had ever been heard of willingly giving up a chance for further advancement for the sake of one person, nor had any genius been heard of willingly sacrificing their life and severing their path to immortality for their sect.
Otherwise, why would anyone say Situ Chu was foolish?
She was well aware of her own talent and understood that she would inevitably ascend before the age of one thousand. But what could she do for the sect in such a short time? It would be like trying to stop boiling water with a ladle—a temporary fix, not a fundamental solution.
To revitalize the sect with her strength alone, Situ Chu would need to stand guard for at least five thousand years.
What could be done?
What method could allow her to stabilize her cultivation at its most powerful stage without having to undergo the tribulation lightning of ascension?
Situ Chu had been pondering and researching this since she reached the Spirit Transformation stage. Perhaps due to her talent in formations, which was as renowned as her cultivation talent, she ultimately succeeded.
Spending a hundred years, Situ Chu inscribed a set of formations before reaching the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage. By using a secret technique to link herself to the talisman formation, in the eyes of the Heavenly Dao, she and the formation became one, inseparable.
This was how she was able to avoid the ascension tribulation lightning at the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage and remain in the Qianhong Divine Province.
It was an unimaginably bold move, a high-stakes gamble, and Situ Chu won.
She truly existed in the world for a very long time at the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage.
After that, just as she had envisioned, the sect, with Situ Chu standing guard, was brought back from the brink of death.
She thought that the formation linked to her body shouldn't go to waste, so she expanded the talisman formation into a grand mountain-protecting array that covered the entire Lingtian Sword Sect.
The talisman formation and Situ Chu were already a single entity, so it was as easy to command as her own limbs. Later, when a Demon Venerable gathered his forces to attack the mountain, Situ Chu drove the grand array with all her might and discovered that it could unleash an unprecedented level of power, annihilating the invaders.
But the price was her lifespan.
She had already given up ascension, which meant she was prepared to face death with equanimity. What did it matter if another thousand years of her life were taken? She was willing!
—This was the true reason for Situ Chu's demise at the age of eight thousand.
At this point in the story, some of the listeners were still confused. Weren't they talking about the evil deeds of Situ Wen and his son? Why bring up the legendary Autumn Water Sword Venerable from a hundred thousand years ago...
But more people made the connection to Yun Yijiu, who had been stuck at the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage for nine thousand years, unable to ascend. Their expressions subtly changed.
Yue Du frowned without a word. She felt a sense of unease.
From Situ Que's description, the principle behind the secret technique to evade ascension was to link a person to a talisman formation, thereby preventing the Heavenly Dao from sending down the tribulation lightning. Without passing through the tribulation, one could not ascend.
By that logic, as long as the link was severed when one's lifespan was nearing its end, the cultivation at the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage would naturally attract the tribulation lightning, and one could then ascend.
Since she could no longer protect the sect, ascension should have been a better option than perishing. Why, then, did Situ Chu not sever the link before her demise?
Did she view life and death with such detachment that she willingly perished, or... or was it that this secret technique simply could not be undone?!
Yue Du's face suddenly turned pale.
Yun Yijiu noticed and gently squeezed her hand.
Yue Du gripped it a little tighter and said in a low voice, "I'm fine."
Then she said to Situ Que, "Continue."
The wooden puppet then continued to reveal its thoughts.
After Situ Chu's demise, the Situ family continued to prosper.
The family had already grown strong during her time as guardian. Even after losing their most powerful backer, they were not about to fall into decline.
Every head of the Situ family regarded the sect as their life and acted with integrity. They were the continuation of Situ Chu's bloodline and shared her spirit. Occasionally, if a member had a crooked mind, they would be disowned by their own kin, stripped of their bloodline power, and left to fend for themselves.
When Yue Du heard this, she felt it was somewhat familiar... After a moment's thought, she realized, wasn't this Yun Tianwen's style?
So he learned it from the Situ family!
Alas, if Yun Tianwen's role model family had continued in this way, they would have been a respectable family with an upright family tradition.
Unfortunately, Situ Wen came along.
When the old Sect Master Situ Wen obtained his ancestor's notes and studied them carefully, a thought suddenly sprouted in his mind.
Could the Autumn Water Sword Venerable's method still be used today?
His first thought was to use it on himself, but the core of the mountain-protecting array—the original talisman formation bound to Situ Chu—seemed to have had its appetite spoiled by its creator's unparalleled talent. It now looked down on ordinary aptitude.
The old Sect Master was unwilling to accept this. His own aptitude was already excellent, so what level of talent would it take to satisfy the talisman formation?
To screen for a suitable candidate, Situ Wen used a rare treasure in his possession to build the Heart-Tracing Pool.
A small talisman formation was laid at the bottom of the pool, connected to the original formation. He also planted a Seven-Foot Green plant nearby, turning the place into a secret realm open only to those with exceptional talent.
He had originally thought it would take a long time to find someone recognized by the talisman formation, but who would have expected to find one in just a hundred years?
Yun Yijiu. Her talent was extraordinary, yet she was merely the eldest daughter of an ordinary branch of a small family, with no other powers behind her.
She seemed indifferent to everyone, as if naturally keeping people at a distance, even towards her own parents and younger brother.
Could there be a more suitable candidate?
Situ Wen activated the talisman formation, chanted the incantation, and linked an unsuspecting Golden Core stage sword cultivator to the formation. It took only a quarter of an hour.
But no matter what, Yun Yijiu would surely have felt something at the moment of connection. This was where the Seven-Foot Green came into play.
Situ Chu was truly a genius. The human-formation linking technique she created was impossible for anyone who hadn't practiced it to detect.
Yun Yijiu was the one being linked, but she had never cultivated that technique, so she had no way of knowing what had happened to her.
The old Sect Master had always worried that he would ascend or perish before Yun Yijiu reached the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage.
This was because the link with the talisman formation would only become completely stable when the linked person reached the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage. If the caster left the Qianhong Divine Province before then, the link would automatically be severed.
Especially when that Youming Demon Venerable annihilated the entire Biyuan Sect, panic spread among both the righteous and demonic paths. Situ Wen's heart was in his throat, fearing that the unstable link would prevent Yun Yijiu from providing her lifespan as the driving force for the mountain-protecting array.
Fortunately, the Youming Demon Venerable ascended on the spot, and war between the righteous and demonic paths was averted, allowing Situ Wen to breathe a sigh of relief.
On the day Yun Yijiu reached the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, Situ Wen was happier than anyone else, because he knew he had succeeded. From that day forward, no one could ever break the link.
The Lingtian Sword Sect would have a peak Tribulation Transcendence Stage Venerable guarding it for thousands of years—
No one would dare to offend them!
Situ Que was still talking about what happened afterward, about how he received the secret technique from his father, how he continued to open the Heart-Tracing Pool, and how he finally discovered Mu Xingluo, a junior who met the formation's requirements, and designated her as a backup.
"Fortunately, the talisman formation can link to two people at once. When the Wushuang Sword Venerable perishes, Mu Xingluo can take her place. Otherwise, if we had missed Mu Xingluo, who knows when the next qualified talent would appear..." Situ Que rambled on.
Yue Du couldn't bear it any longer. "Enough."
Situ Que immediately fell silent.
Yue Du turned to look at the people behind her, the Venerables who had rushed over from all corners of the sect.
"You've all heard it," she said lightly. "Obstructing someone's ascension is such a wicked deed. Even if Ah Jiu had made his soul scatter, it would have been justified."
Before the others could speak, the wooden puppet Situ Que shouted first, "My father and I have acted with integrity! Everything we did was for the sect! How can you call it 'wicked'?!"
Yue Du laughed in anger. "You still think you're in the right."
The red thread that served as the wooden puppet's mouth twisted. "The greater good of the sect versus personal gain, which is more important? The Autumn Water Sword Venerable disregarded her own life and death for the safety of the sect. My Situ family takes this as our ancestral creed and has never dared to neglect it."
Yue Du said sarcastically, "The righteousness of the Autumn Water Sword Venerable is admirable. However, she disregarded her own life and death. You and your esteemed father, on the other hand, disregard others' lives and deaths. There's quite a difference."
Under the effect of the Truth-Telling Talisman, Situ Que couldn't hide his thoughts in the slightest. He said bluntly, "If my aptitude were sufficient, what would be the harm in me being the one linked?"
Yue Du knew he was speaking from the heart.
The Situ father and son truly were devoted to the sect. Otherwise, no matter how well they acted, they could not have deceived everyone in the sect and earned the respect and love of so many.
From this perspective alone, Yue Du even felt a little admiration.
But so what? Why impose your own ideas on others? You are willing to die for your cause, so must others be just like you?
The Lingtian Sword Sect is the most precious thing in your eyes, so must others also value it more than their own lives and their path to immortality?
"What's the difference? As a disciple of the sect, it is only right and proper to contribute to the sect," Situ Que said.
Yue Du: "Then why didn't Situ Wen discuss it with Ah Jiu!"
Situ Que: "Father said she definitely wouldn't have agreed."
So you knew she wouldn't agree. You knew any normal person wouldn't agree.
What did the Lingtian Sword Sect give Yun Yijiu? The basic guidance of an elder, and that was it.
Yun Yijiu comprehended her cultivation techniques on her own, found most of the heavenly materials and earthly treasures she used herself, and spent her years quietly at home, not provoking enemies, so she rarely needed the sect's protection. As for her rapid progress in cultivation, that was due to her talent and hard work—
Ahem, whether she was hardworking was debatable.
Yue Du instantly dismissed that rather unimposing internal comment.
In short, Yun Yijiu owed the sect nothing. She could have achieved what she did today in any other sect, or even as a rogue cultivator.
Because she was who she was.
So, what right did you have to take away Ah Jiu's future?
But looking at Situ Que's indifferent wooden face and simple line-drawn features, Yue Du knew there was no getting through to him. This was his lifelong belief; it couldn't be changed with just a few words.
"How can this technique be undone?" she asked directly.
The wooden puppet fell silent for a moment, then said stiffly, "There is no solution."
Hearing those words, Yue Du's first reaction was disbelief.
She asked again and received the same answer. Only then did it suddenly dawn on her: under the effect of the Truth-Telling Talisman, Situ Que could not lie.
But how could there be no solution?
"Situ Chu's notes, your father's records, or anything else related to this, where are they?"
"In a storage ring in the quiet chamber of my cave residence. Apart from that, all other related records were destroyed by my father."
Yue Du turned her head and called out, "Ah Jiu."
Yun Yijiu understood. With a slight nod, she vanished from the spot. When she reappeared, she was holding several thin booklets in her hand.
Ignoring the gazes of the others present, Yue Du quickly flipped through the booklets, her eyes scanning ten lines at a glance.
This one didn't mention it, neither did that one. Another one only described how to modify a technique meant for oneself to be used on others.
She reached the last page, turned it over, and found only blankness.
Yue Du's face was nearly the same color as the paper.
Situ Chu herself was forthright. When she created this secret technique, she probably never thought of undoing it.
And she certainly never imagined that a hundred thousand years later, someone would modify her secret technique and use it on someone else.
But, "no solution."
Those two words... were far too pale.
Comments
Post a Comment