Chapter 433: Chapter 432: Jade Sword Palace
"So it is."
Gazing at the towering green giant stone in the distance, Shi Xiaole felt a mix of emotions.
He had speculated about this when he first knew about the green-haired monster. A creature transformed from humans, far more terrifying than the previous poisonous stiff, it couldn’t possibly be caused by human efforts alone. It was more like...a gene mutation!
Yes, gene mutation, a term only Shi Xiaole could think of and understand.
After encountering the white tiger and witnessing the anomaly in Qingfeng, Shi Xiaole was even more convinced of this theory.
Ordinary gene mutations go undetected.
In his previous world, even if a mutation occurred, the individual involved would be unaware of it.
But Shi Xiaole of this life, combined with the workings of the Faceless Divine Skill, perceived this change instantly.
He hypothesized that not everything affected by the green giant stone would mutate genetically, such as the other animals on Peony Mountain.
In the long history of Peony Town, there had been no reports of tiger sightings. So it was very likely that the white tiger had come from other mountain ranges in the past six months, accidentally affected by the green giant stone, hence its transformation.
Similarly, there must have been many people who have been to Peony Mountain, and some of them mutated genetically, becoming green-haired monsters.
If this theory held true, besides this place and the battlefield, there must be green giant stones somewhere else, which would be the only explanation for the existence of Qingfeng.
Invisible waves of fluctuations, like tidal waves, were attacking Shi Xiaole’s body. Probably because the power of the green giant stone itself was not strong, and it was too far away, the Invisible Gang Qi shattered it every time it tried to make an impact, rendering it ineffective.
Qingfeng roared a few times, standing still on the spot.
Petting Qingfeng’s head, Shi Xiaole jumped onto the ground and slowly walked forward. He kept shattering the fluctuations with his Invisible Gang Qi, ready to stop in case he failed to resist it.
He didn’t want to turn into a monster.
When they were about fifty meters apart, it became extremely difficult to use Invisible Gang Qi. It seemed to have reached its limit.
Daring not to go further, Shi Xiaole examined the green giant stone carefully and found that it wasn’t one complete piece. There was a noticeable cut mark on the fracture surface, as if it had been brutally cut off by someone.
The name "Immortal Scholar" suddenly appeared at the base of the green giant stone, which caused Shi Xiaole’s pupils to contract sharply.
He had heard from the two families, Lan and Huang, that the Black Devil Divine Monarch once took a pill and lived for hundreds more years. And the one who gifted him the pill was the Immortal Scholar! (Chapter 322)
Are these two the same person?
Mysteriously, Shi Xiaole felt a chilling sensation, like he had touched a crucial clue. But he didn’t know where this clue led to or what it represented.
Green-haired monsters who remained young, the graving "Immortal Scholar" on the green giant stone, the life-prolonging pill... Shi Xiaole dared not to think further. He even had the urge to turn around and run.
Since the green giant stone had the name of the Immortal Scholar engraved, was the array system here left by him?
There were a few bodies on the ground. As Shi Xiaole approached, they started twitching like they were reviving. However, no matter how long they struggled, they eventually shattered with a soft sound.
Among them, Shi Xiaole found the young Wang Heng. Judging by his wounds, it seemed like he was killed by the White Tiger.
After walking around the green giant stone without any more discoveries, Shi Xiaole immediately left this array space with Qingfeng.
Half a day later, the white tiger sneaked back and desperately sucked the undried blood from Wang Heng’s body. Its feeble aura instantly surged.
Whoosh!
With a flash of light in the distance, Qingfeng kicked the white tiger away. Shi Xiaole, who had been waiting from afar, quickly swung his Red Dragon Sword, going for the kill.
After dozens of moves, the white tiger was beheaded.
...
Peony Town was just as tense as before. But since the white tiger was dead, and Peony Mountain had been declared a forbidden zone, nobody would rashly venture there, thus avoiding the danger of being influenced by the green giant stone.
With the situation eventually stabilizing, the town’s residents would eventually return to their normal lives.
Shi Xiaole did not plan to expose the green giant stone.
Firstly, those who could be affected were few and far between.
Secondly, people’s hearts were dangerous. Once the news was leaked, it was inevitable that some would exploit the information to cause even bigger incidents.
If anything, he could wait until he had enough power to destroy the green giant stone.
After taking one last look at Peony Town, Shi Xiaole rode on Qingfeng, and quickly disappeared down the official road.
...
At the edge of a waterfall cliff, there was a simple thatched hut. Bathing in the sunlight, Shi Xiaole, in his green robe, was practicing swordsmanship.
Two months had passed since the incident in Peony Town.
As there had been no new incidents of human or livestock casualties, the Anti-Demon Alliance had confirmed that Shi Xiaole had completed the task. As a reward, they gave him a hidden weapon from Tang Sect— the "Flowers in the Sleeve".
After a while, Shi Xiaole stood still with his sword, looking at the waterfall below his feet. Seeing the sky-covering mist caused by the waterfall hitting the bottom of the mountain, he couldn’t help but smile wryly.
"The Heavenly Sword Realm is far more complex than I had imagined."
Despite the fact that he had already taken a step into the Heavenly Sword Realm, reaching it fully was beyond Shi Xiaole’s expectations. If he had to describe it, his contemplative cultivation lately has only raised his other foot.
But that’s nothing unusual.
In the last fifty years, no more than ten people in the Martial World of Xuanwu State have grasped the Heavenly Sword Realm!
Just think about it.
It’s equivalent to saying, in the 365 states of Shuntian Capital, nearly all the martial world elites together, only a digit number of swordsmen have grasped the Heavenly Sword Realm.
This includes those who are unbelievably talented and spent decades cultivating.
The Sun Sword Lord, who was hailed as the leader of the three great swordsmen in Shuntian Capital and was second only to the ’Great Lethal Star’ Xin Zhuliu among the top fifty masters, didn’t reach this realm until he was thirty-nine.
Shi Xiaole is only a few years old. If it were known that he had already faintly touched the Heavenly Sword Realm, it could madden innumerable swordsmen in Shuntian Capital!
There was little progress in Sword Realm, and in other respects, Shi Xiaole didn’t have much to report.
For instance, in terms of his cultivation level, after half a year of practice since leaving the ancient ruins, he only broke through from the middle Dragon Gate Realm to the later Dragon Gate Realm.
As for martial arts, there was no significant change because he hadn’t drawn an upper-level martial arts.
At this step, Shi Xiaole finally understood the hardship of cultivation for real.
With his natural aptitude, without special opportunities, he could only accumulate experiences over time and may become an eminent figure in the Dragon Gate Realm in several years.
This is the reason why almost all ambitious martial artists seek opportunities in a broader martial world after their strength reaches a certain level.
After staying beside the waterfall for three months, Shi Xiaole packed up and left. In the meantime, he carried out some tasks for the Demon Alliance and visited some famous ancient relics. His life was fulfilling and leisurely.
...
In the deep night, some martial artists camping in the wilderness, suddenly heard a huge noise from a distance, and the mountains trembled as if an earthquake had occurred.
It wasn’t until a half 2-hour period later, that the tremors gradually subsided.
The martial artists were terrified, but curiosity led them to discuss and head towards the source of the earthquake. A few miles away, they stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide open.
"What is that?"
"Underground palace, it’s an ancient underground palace."
The ground cracked as if a paper torn in half, spreading to several thousand kilometers. In the middle, an ancient palace with traces of ancient times appeared in full view.
In front of the palace were three big characters: Jade Sword Palace, which were sharp and piercing, causing discomfort to their eyes at first glimpse.
"My God! It’s the Jade Sword Palace, it’s the Jade Sword Palace that disappeared from Xuanwu State thousands of years ago!"
The several people were shaking, their faces filled with extreme madness. Without thinking, they rushed towards the palace.
Chirp chirp chirp.
Ten feet away from the palace gate, numerous air swords shot out. The few men were only in the Xuanqi Realm, and in the blink of an eye, they were pierced like a sieve, leaving no remains.
The Jade Sword Palace has emerged!
In just two days, the shocking news exploded across the vast regions, and at this rate, it won’t take half a month before it spreads throughout the whole Xuanwu State.
"Thousands of years ago, there were even more martial sects in Xuanwu State than there are now, and masters were endless. However, even in such fierce competition, the Jade Sword Palace was still in the top twenty sects. It is said that the head of the Palace, the Old Man of the Jade Sword, is a pinnacle master in the Dragon Gate Realm, unparalleled in strength."
"In its heyday, the Jade Sword Palace was extremely prosperous, but unfortunately, no one can fight against Heaven’s will. A horrific earthquake changed everything, causing countless deaths and injuries across thousands of miles. Coincidentally, the Jade Sword Palace was near the epicenter of the earthquake and was buried instantly, leaving no survivors."
Some people in an inn at Mingyu City were discussing and lamenting the tragic fate of the Jade Sword Palace.
Many people also displayed excitement.
Because the Jade Sword Palace was destroyed in a blink of an eye, the palace might still contain its unique martial arts, weapons, treasures, and so forth. Even just a few items would be enough for most martial artists to enjoy their entire lifetime.
"Dream on."
A person seems to notice others’ thoughts and sneers, "In the past few days, countless people have gone to the Jade Sword Palace. More than 99% of them were pierced through before they even got close to it. Even the Dragon Gate Realm masters are no exception. If you wish for death, go ahead and try."
Everyone was taken aback.
One of them asked, "You said more than 99%, so you mean someone did get into it?"
The man before replied, "Yes. But those fortunate few who got in, all carried a jade sword-shaped key, said to be the Jade Sword Order of the Jade Sword Palace."
At the window, Shi Xiaole, in his green shirt, put down his wine glass and stood up to leave.
He was lucky this time. When the Jade Sword Palace emerged, he happened to be in a nearby city. So, he managed to rush to Mingyu City the very next day after the news broke out.
Outside Mingyu City, an ancient palace of great scale and grandeur stood on the sunken ground. Just a far-off glimpse caused a great shock.
A large crowd of martial artists surrounded it.
In front of them, a bloody river, about 10 feet wide completely encircles the palace. Occasional severed limbs floated in the river, where countless martial artists killed by air swords were buried.
