Chapter 81: Chapter 78: The King’s Contempt

Inside the great hall, everyone was struck with terror.

But the scene before them, although unexpected, was understandable.

If Chu Huaixu didn’t resist at all and was just overwhelmed, it would be unreasonable.

Everyone had observed him for so long and had some understanding of his nature.

It’s just a pity…

“Alas!” Nangong Yue was the first to show some regret, sighing deeply.

Law Enforcement Elder Lu Pan spoke up, “Such terrifying spiritual pressure, an ordinary low-tier cultivator would instantly die!”

Li Chunsong heard this, his eyes flickering with worry.

“Hopefully, nothing goes wrong.”

He had a high regard for Chu Huaixu, admiring the young man a lot.

Moreover, the Daoist Sect values fate.

Although he followed his Junior Martial Uncle’s instructions to bring him back, after all, he was the one who brought him here.

“Everyone, calm down.” Xiang Yan raised his hand and gestured downwards.

He continued, “While at the Purple Bamboo Forest, we all entered his Sea of Consciousness, and we are well aware of how unique the little sword in his consciousness is.”

“Even our little junior sister was expelled from the Sea of Consciousness by that black little sword when unprepared.”

“You’re all aware, the sword has been locked on the mountain for a thousand years.”

“The Dao Ancestor set so many restrictions on it, it needs a Sword Attendant.”

“So, its purpose is to tame Chu Huaixu, not to kill him.”

Hearing this, everyone nodded.

Now, they could only wait and watch how things unfold.

On the other side, within the Inner Sect, the Purple Bamboo Forest.

A slender Daoist nun garbed in a Daoist robe, remained seated high on a boulder, facing the rock wall.

At this moment, a dim light circulated around the wooden hairpin inserted between her black tresses.

Shen Man seemed to sense something, lifting her head bewilderedly, looking towards Hidden Spirit Mountain.

“You… did you sense… it too?” she muttered, still stuttering, speaking to her wooden hairpin.

That was her sword, a wooden sword.

This sword had a name well-suited for her.

Many of the Daoist Sect’s spiritual artifacts were named after song titles, almost like a tradition.

It was named [Silent].

…

…

Hidden Spirit Mountain, the tenth stone step from the bottom.

Chu Huaixu’s body, reinforced by the dual enhancements of the Refining Sword Formulas and the Dao Scripture, was now nearly overwhelmed.

As for his Sea of Consciousness, it was even more chaotic.

Fortunately, the [Heart Sword] had already awakened the Spiritual Embryo Divine Techniques, reaching the supreme realm of the Sword Dao [Sword Heart Clarity].

It was like the Stabilizing Needle in Chu Huaixu’s Sea of Consciousness.

If it weren’t arduously holding on, the Sea of Consciousness might have already collapsed completely!

Should the Sea of Consciousness suffer severe damage, mild would be unending unconsciousness, severe being instant death.

Chu Huaixu could sense it; the Heart Sword’s sickly state still lingered, but its lazy aura had completely vanished.

He understood well, the Heart Sword’s lethargy and poor condition were purely due to his low realm, as his Spiritual Embryo was merely a Lower Grade Spiritual Embryo.

As he continued to break through, constantly gaining Spiritual Embryo Attributes, its state should improve more and more.

“After all, initially, it looked as if it only had one breath left, forcibly clinging to life.”

“Now, it’s a bit better than that time.”

Yet its lazy demeanor was clearly its own issue.

The way it looked now matched well with a somewhat atmosphere-ruining phrase—”Stubborn Resilience despite Disability.”

The black little sword in the Sea of Consciousness seemed completely at odds with this spiritual pressure as well!

Chu Huaixu and it were united in mind, the man and sword actually could influence each other.

He was angry, so was it.

If it had fighting spirit, so did he!

Presently, it seemed as if they had distinct roles.

Chu Huaixu handled the physical body, it took care of the Sea of Consciousness.

The realm of [Sword Heart Clarity] radiated, causing all the ownerless swords on the mountain to tremble violently!

At this moment, Han Shuangjiang had just reached the mid-mountain area.

She had never seen so many magical treasures and spiritual artifacts, naturally filled with curiosity, her pace up the mountain was slow.

With a face of shock, she lifted her head; she vaguely suspected that the entire mountain’s swords were emitting sword cries!

Immortal conflicts bring misfortune to the undeserving.

The clash between the mountaintop sword and the Heart Sword directly affected all the Spirit Swords on the mountain.

They trembled, they kneeled, they feared this conflict.

“It must be related to Chu Huaixu again,” thought the Big Ice Cube.

In her heart, an inexplicable worry arose.

These myriad spiritual artifacts around her, she couldn’t bother to look at them anymore.

Han Shuangjiang started quickening her pace up the mountain.

“Dead Fox, don’t let anything happen to you.” The young girl prayed in her heart.

…

…

Under the overwhelming spiritual pressure, Chu Huaixu struggled to lift his right foot, only to lower it back due to the suppression.

He repeated this several times, before placing his right foot on the next stone step.

His face was contorted, yet he kept his head high.

Even though his whole body trembled involuntarily, his spine remained unbent.

In Chu Huaixu’s childhood, he suffered beatings and scoldings, growing up in a domestic violence environment. Yet even so, when he grew up, he dared to fight back.

To say something humorously: Even dare to hit my old man, what do you count as!

His body began to exert more force, with extreme difficulty lifting his left foot, stepping onto another stone step.

Blood began to drip from Chu Huaixu’s palms, as his ten fingernails had embedded into the flesh.

Thanks to the healing ability enhanced by the Dao Scripture, the wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Chu Huaixu clenched his fists hard, gritting his teeth as he continued to climb.

Every step he took was incredibly slow.

And with each step, his footing was unsteady.

Yet, the force within him, the hysteria in his heart, was gradually unleashed.

Chu Huaixu could sense the power of that sword.

After all, it was sealed on the mountain, yet it could still exert such terrifying spiritual pressure from afar!

If it weren’t for the layers of restrictions, how frightening would it be?

But its demeanor was unmistakably clear.

This spiritual pressure descended from above, attacking from on high.

If Chu Huaixu’s physical body couldn’t withstand it, he would either fall flat or kneel!

This might be exactly what that sword desired!

Fortunately, this might already be its limit under the heavy restrictions.

The spiritual pressure did not intensify with each stone step.

They merely made every move of Chu Huaixu extremely difficult.

Moreover, the longer this persisted, the worse his condition became, and the more he suffered.

Eventually, he even started bleeding from his seven orifices.

Blood oozed out, making his entire face look increasingly hideous, with features even more distorted.

This scene made the senior members in the Daoist Hall nervous.

“It feels a bit too much,” Nangong Yue couldn’t help but speak, thinking the sword atop the mountain was bullying too much.

A look of worry grew in Li Chunsong’s eyes.

Even this gambling enthusiast wasn’t considering the stakes anymore.

“Sect Leader, this…” Zhao Shuqi, with narrowed eyes, hesitated to speak.

Xiang Yan sighed, “According to sect rules, Hidden Spirit Mountain is a trial for disciples, and no one can interfere.”

At this point, it was Law Enforcement Elder Lu Pan who coldly snorted.

“I really like this kid, Chu Huaixu.”

“If he truly faces life-threatening danger, I will intervene!”

“When the time comes, I’ll take the punishment from the Law Enforcement Hall myself!”

Sect Leader Xiang Yan looked at Lu Pan in surprise, smiling bitterly, “Senior Brother, I didn’t mean that, you’ve misunderstood.”

Now, all their hearts wavered a bit.

On one hand, there were the Dao Ancestor’s precepts, which concerning the great catastrophe of heaven and earth, involving the sword that could save the world.

On the other hand, there was an outstanding disciple of the Daoist Sect, with promising future prospects.

These high-level Daoist members had but one consensus: to ensure Chu Huaixu’s survival, regardless of the outcome!

While everyone concentrated their divine senses to probe the situation, Chu Huaixu on the mountain acted wildly, first letting out a roar, then began to laugh crazily.

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Even with blood spilling from the corners of his mouth, he laughed so freely.

Because everything was as he expected, and the system notifications began to ring in his ears.

“[Ding! Detection shows you have triggered a passive task—Sword Spirit’s Suppression.]”

Passive tasks are not ones that players actively seek, they arise from the circumstances.

Back then, being surrounded by the Patrol Office was one such instance, as was being retaliated against by Liu Chengqi.

Such tasks are passively triggered.

But there is a logic inside, and players can actively guide them.

Chu Huaixu had a little hope in his heart just now, he wasn’t sure if the system would generate a task.

Unexpectedly, it did.

Sadly, his condition was too poor now, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted, or all efforts would be for naught.

At this moment, his mind grew increasingly muddled, and he had no time to view the task interface or details.

But none of that mattered.

Because he was even more motivated, his goal even clearer.

He climbed step by step, trudging arduously upwards.

Just ten stone steps, yet harder than reaching the heavens.

The Spirit Sword within his sea of consciousness struggled desperately, while Chu Huaixu’s mental realm was filled with endless pain.

He forced himself to stay conscious.

His physical body trembled and even spasmed.

Yet, those bloodshot eyes remained fixed on his path ahead, his spine as straight as ever.

As a person who is the sword, he should know:

— The sword! Rather break than bend!

This man who first practiced the Refining Sword Formulas and then cultivated the Dao Scripture, began to shout hoarsely, venting fully.

“It doesn’t hurt!”

“It doesn’t hurt!!”

“It doesn’t hurt!!!”

The hysterical voice echoed above Hidden Spirit Mountain, but within the Daoist Hall, it was silent, everyone stunned by his madness.

The third last step, the second last step, the final step!

Chu Huaixu took an exceedingly long time to reach the mountain peak.

The top of Hidden Spirit Mountain was a flat ground.

It was so flat as if someone had leveled it with a single sword cut.

This sword came from the hand of the Dao Ancestor.

At all four corners of the peak stood towering stone pillars, engraved with various complex runes.

Whenever the sword showed any anomaly, these runes seemed to come alive, they would move!

And they emitted a dim golden light.

At this moment, with the sword exuding spiritual pressure, these runes had “come alive”.

Apart from that, the vast flat area contained almost nothing, just a stone platform in the center, and beside it, a stone stele.

The stele bore the words “Man of Virtue”, and below, numerous small characters filled by many individuals, densely packed.

On the stone platform rested a sword scabbard, with a black pearl hanging on it, and a black tassel beneath it.

The sword left by the Dao Ancestor hung suspended in mid-air.

At this moment, it gazed menacingly at Chu Huaixu.

With undisguised contempt, and endless disdain!

…

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