Chapter 69: The Sad Dream of the Magic Sword – A Choice in Doubt

If one can never know their own deepest secrets, isn’t that the cruelest and most tragic thing in the world? (Gu Long)
……
“Boss, don’t be sad. Gilliel was just angry for a moment. I think she’ll come back once she calms down in a few days.” Shi Jieyi still tried to comfort Liu Yi. Seeing Liu Yi’s sorrowful expression, he felt uneasy too.
Liu Yi remained silent, filled with regret. By the time he rushed out, Gilliel was already gone. No matter how hard he called out, she didn’t respond.
The Wolf King glanced at Liu Yi and said to the others, “Ah, matters of the heart are the hardest for me to understand. I’m leaving first.” With that, he left without even turning his head, fanning himself as the wind blew.
A Jiu looked at Liu Yi and said to Shi Jieyi, “Enough. Stop trying to comfort him. If even your boss can’t figure it out, how can you pretend to understand? Gilliel might never come back…”
“Shut up!” The Great Sword King snapped at A Jiu impatiently.
Liu Yi looked at them and said, “Thank you all. But it’s all over now. Although Gilliel has left, I will definitely bring her back.”
The Great Sword King looked at Liu Yi and shook his hedgehog-like head. “It’s good that you think so. It’s getting late. Let’s find a place to rest.”
Just as they were about to stand up, four white figures flashed down from the sky, blocking their path.
Liu Yi and the others examined the newcomers. All four wore silver-white armor, had “phoenix feathers” on their heads, and carried long swords. They appeared to be middle-aged men around thirty, dressed like people from the Divine Gate.
The leader, a man with dark skin, stepped forward and asked, “Are you Liu Yi, young master Liu?”
Liu Yi nodded. “That’s me.”
The middle-aged man bowed and said, “We four are from the Divine Gate, four elders, guards under Elder Yang Yunfeng… I am Wind God.”
The others followed suit, introducing themselves as Water God, Fire God, and Thunder God.
Liu Yi nodded and asked, “I wonder… what brings you here? Why do you block our way?”
Wind God replied, “Last month, two of my junior brothers from the Divine Gate passed through Snowfall Town and accidentally encountered a demon woman. One brother died, and the other returned to the Divine Gate seriously injured. He reported that you, young master Liu, have a close relationship with that demon woman. That’s why Elder Yang sent us four to ask you to come to the Divine Gate and explain everything.”
Shi Jieyi snapped, “What does that have to do with us? If there’s a problem, go catch that demon woman yourself. Why involve us?”
Wind God sneered, “Don’t worry, brother. The Divine Gate and the Demon Gate are enemies. We will eventually hunt that woman. But since we’ve met you now, we need you to explain things first.”
The Great Sword King was also angry. “Explain what? The demon woman killed your men—go after her. What does it have to do with him? He didn’t kill anyone.”
At that moment, Water God, who had remained silent until then, stepped forward. “You want to wash your hands of it just because you didn’t kill anyone? As a person from the human world, yet involved with a demon woman—even if you didn’t kill anyone, the Divine Gate won’t let you go easily.”

Liu Yi clasped his fists and said, “That was indeed a misunderstanding. I was also being pursued by the Secret Sect, which is why I ended up intruding into… the domain of the Demon Sect. It wasn’t my intention.”

The Water God seemed even more irritable than the Wind God. He shouted, “Stop talking nonsense to us. We’re just here to take you back as ordered. If there’s any misunderstanding, go and explain it to Elder Yang when you get back.”

Shi Jie Yi snapped, “Can people like you really be considered upright? Just because you’re skilled in martial arts doesn’t mean you can just take people away at will. If you want to take our leader away today, you’ll first have to go through Eleven’s fists.”

The Water God sneered and said, “Fine, let me see how hard your fists are.”

“If there’s going to be a fight, how can my Great Sword King be left out?” With that, he drew the ‘Scorching Sun’ Sword. Under its golden light, the Great Sword King stood before the four of them like a war god.

The Fire God behind him blurted out, “‘Scorching Sun’ Sword.”

Although the four were surprised, the Water God was extremely angry. He said, “Come, let me see your fists.” With that, he swung his long sword, sending a blue sword energy straight at Shi Jie Yi.

The Great Sword King drew the ‘Scorching Sun’ Sword. While watching Shi Jie Yi fight against the Water God, he kept an eye on the other three to prevent them from attacking Liu Yi. After a month of training at Qingyin Elegant Pavilion, he had grasped the essence of the Wolf King’s ‘Autumn Leaf Sword Technique,’ and with the help of the ‘Scorching Sun’ Sword, his skills had improved dramatically. It could be said that the Great Sword King was now also among the top experts.

As for Shi Jie Yi, despite his robust build, he was not slow at all. When the blue sword energy shot toward him, he moved swiftly to dodge it and used the momentum to charge forward. Raising his right fist, he unleashed the powerful ‘Tian Gang Dou Quan’ technique—“Heavenly Cone” punch. The punch’s force was like a sharp cone, aimed straight at the Water God. With the Water God’s cultivation level, he could clearly see that he couldn’t withstand such a powerful punch head-on. But what was strange was that mastering such a fierce punching style required at least a hundred years, if not even longer. How could this foolish boy have achieved it so quickly?

However, the situation on the battlefield didn’t allow him to overthink. He crossed his long sword to block Shi Jie Yi’s “Heavenly Cone” punch. At the moment the sword met the punch’s force, the Water God moved. Using the force transmitted through the sword, he performed a backward flip, then swung his long sword violently while shouting, “Dragon God, go!”

In an instant, the blue long sword transformed into a blue dragon. A white aura surrounded its body, and the grass and trees around it instantly turned into ice sculptures under the dragon’s aura. The blue dragon didn’t stop but rushed straight at Shi Jie Yi.

The Great Sword King shouted, “Be careful! That dragon is strange.”

But Shi Jie Yi seemed unconcerned by the dragon. With a loud roar, he used the ‘Five Elements Fist’ technique—“Wind-Fire Scorching Sun Fist.” His right arm formed a 90-degree angle, and as he unleashed the technique, his entire arm glowed with a brilliant fiery red light. As the light intensified, Shi Jie Yi charged forward, his flaming fist colliding with the blue ice dragon. He trembled slightly afterward.

With a clang, the long dragon disappeared, replaced by the sword that had fallen to the ground earlier… With a pfft, the Water God spat out blood. His attempt to merge himself with the sword had failed after being broken by the Ten Great Heroes, and all the damage to the sword was transferred to the Water God’s body.

The Wind God immediately ran over to support the Water God and snapped, “Fire God, Thunder God, capture this guy!”
“Yes.” The two rushed forward, ready to attack the Ten Great Heroes.

“Who dares?” A muffled roar came from afar, as if from beyond the heavens, like the voice of someone who had slept for a thousand years and now awakened, filled with infinite authority and irresistible power, forcing the Fire God and Thunder God to stop in their tracks.

The Ten Great Heroes tilted their heads and listened. “Is it the Wolf King? How did he run away and then come back? Does he know we’re in danger?”
Liu Yi shook his head. “It’s not the Wolf King. That voice is filled with a sense of vicissitudes, like a passing cloud that awakens a century of changes, carrying endless sorrow yet also immense authority, making it impossible to resist. The Wolf King doesn’t have such presence.”

The Great Sword King shook his hedgehog-like head. “Then who is it?”

Just as they were guessing wildly, a white circular light flashed suddenly among them. Gradually, it transformed into a person—a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his thirties, but whose eyes held deep experience. He wore white ranger clothes and held a peculiar sword, much thinner than ordinary swords. His facial features were sharply defined, as if carved, giving off a sense of security, while his yellow skin made him seem approachable. The most striking thing about the middle-aged man was his eyes, which seemed to hide countless stories.

Before anyone could react, the Ten Great Heroes rushed forward. With a thud, they knelt down and said, “Master.” Then they began kowtowing.

The middle-aged man in white glanced at the Ten Great Heroes and smiled slightly. “Get up.” With a gentle touch of his right hand, a tremendous force rose from below, lifting the Ten Great Heroes straight to their feet.

The Great Sword King stepped forward, observing the middle-aged man as if he were a monster. “So you’re the master of that big fool? I really admire you. You managed to turn wood into treasure, and yet you trained him to be so skilled.”

The Ten Great Heroes chuckled, but suddenly sensed something was wrong and hurriedly asked, “Master, is he insulting me?”

The middle-aged man in white smiled faintly. “It’s rare to be so naive. Don’t pay attention to what he says!”

Liu Yi finally saw the Ten Great Heroes’ master. Although he had grown up with them since childhood, the master had never appeared before his eyes, so this master had always remained a mystery. He never expected to meet him today.

The Fire God and Thunder God demanded angrily, “Who are you?”

The middle-aged man in white spun the thin sword in his hand and shook his head. “Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that today I won’t let you harm anyone here, nor will I let you take anyone away.”

Vulcan and Thor glanced at this blunt-speaking man, truly at a loss for words. By then, the Wind God had already helped the Water God suppress his internal injuries and stepped forward, pointing his long sword sharply at the middle-aged man in white: “Do you know who we are? If you offend us, no one can withstand the consequences.”

Liu Yi now had some understanding of the martial world—those who meddle in others’ affairs would surely face dire consequences. He hurried forward and said to the middle-aged man in white, “Sir, elder… they belong to the Divine Gate. I think you’d better leave. You can’t afford to offend them.”

The middle-aged man in white didn’t listen to Liu Yi. Instead, his eyes, filled with stories, stared at Liu Yi—so familiar, so kind. Twenty years ago, by the Bridge of No Return on the Path of Life and Death, there had been a face just like this. The two had parted with wine, shed tears as heroes, joked about the vicissitudes of life, and discussed the brevity of life and the pain of love…

Liu Yi looked at the middle-aged man and called, “Elder, elder!”

The middle-aged man snapped out of his daze, shook his head, and said, “It’s fine, young man. Even if the entire Immortal Clan came, I wouldn’t fear them.”

Suddenly, he turned his head sharply, and an invisible aura around him changed instantly. All traces of kindness vanished—this man before him seemed like a god from the heavens, possessing supreme power. Against such a being, even the smallest of people could be destroyed.

His right index and middle fingers stretched out abruptly, and a three-foot-long white energy sword formed. It rotated 180 degrees and passed through the Wind God’s sword in an arc. With a clang, the Wind God’s sword was severed by the middle-aged man’s energy sword.

The Wind God was shocked and stepped back. He couldn’t believe his own sword had been cut by an energy sword. After all, it was a sword he had trained for himself. Though not as good as the Eight Divine Swords, it was by no means ordinary.

The middle-aged man in white spoke coldly, word by word: “In my presence, you have no right to use a sword.” His tone was filled with arrogant pride, but he had every reason to be so.

For everyone knew that the path of swordsmanship is endless. Merging with one’s sword is what most people strive for, while reaching the realm of a god is an even greater pursuit. At the peak of swordsmanship, one seeks the elusive, the void—the so-called idea that “no sword is better than a sword; the sword lies in the heart.” Only then can one achieve a modest success. Energy swords can only be used after reaching that elusive state. Though not as powerful as divine swords, they are still extremely formidable. No one expected this man to have reached such a peak. After all, none of the famous swordsmen today had attained this level. How could anyone not revere him?

The Wind God asked, trembling, “Who… who are you? Tell me your name! The Divine Gate will absolutely, absolutely not let you go!”

The middle-aged man in white smiled coldly. With a swift motion of his right hand, a flash of white light appeared, and the slender sword returned to its sheath. He then said, “Is the Divine Gate that great? If one day they provoke me, I will destroy them too.”

How many people would dare speak such bold words? The Divine Gate was the leading sect of the Immortal Clan, with thousands of disciples and many masters. The Four Great Masters were among the finest of these masters. Who would dare speak such boldly to such a powerful sect?

The Wind God snapped, “You…”

Before they could finish speaking, they suddenly sensed something was wrong. Looking down, they saw that the pants of all four of them had fallen from their waists. The four were shocked—those sword flashes had actually cut them all at once, precisely severing their belts right at the waist. Due to the speed, their pants hadn’t fallen right away.

Just as the Wind God was in a rage, their pants finally dropped. The four frantically picked up their pants and stared at the powerful man before them. That’s how the world works—when you meet someone stronger than you, you have only two choices: die or run.

The Wind God snapped, “Fine! The mountains remain unchanged, and the waters keep flowing. I don’t believe those elders will protect them forever. Sooner or later, I’ll catch them.”

The middle-aged man replied coldly, “I’ll count to three. If you’re still not gone from my sight, I’ll give each of you a sword strike.”

“1”

“2”

“Let’s go.” Before the middle-aged man could count to three, the four had already run far away, clearly afraid of that sword strike.

At that moment, Shi Jieyi rushed over and said, “Master, you’re truly magnificent! Your sword is amazing—it makes me eager to learn swordsmanship from you.”

The middle-aged man instantly changed from cold to kind, smiled, and patted Shi Jieyi’s shoulder. “You’re not suited for swordsmanship. If you master the ‘Five Elements Fist’ and the other boxing techniques I taught you, you’ll naturally become a master of this era.”

Liu Yi stepped forward and sighed, “Today, I’ve really learned something new. I never thought swordsmanship could reach such a level—it’s truly amazing.”

The Great Sword King asked A Jiu, “Do you know who he is?”

Although the Great Sword King spoke to A Jiu, everyone heard it, as if it was meant for all of them. Liu Yi wanted to know, Shi Jieyi even more so, and A Jiu, prompted by his words, also wanted to know. But he quickly shook his head and said, “How could I possibly know who he is?”

The Great Sword King laughed loudly and asked, “Who is the master of the ‘Flowing Cloud’ sword?”

A Jiu suddenly remembered Shui Er’s words and said, “Ah, are you saying this young guy is the number one swordsman in the three realms—Leng Jian? He doesn’t seem like it. He looks so young.”

Though A Jiu said it casually, Liu Yi and Shi Jieyi somewhat believed it. In the three realms, who else could possess Leng Jian’s aura and arrogance? Only someone like Leng Jian could have said those words to the Wind God earlier.

Shi Jieyi rushed over and asked, “Master, are you Leng Jian?”

The middle-aged man in white glanced at Shi Jieyi, smiled slightly, and remained silent. Instead, he turned to the Great Sword King and said with a smile, “Young man, you observe quite carefully. It seems the ‘Scorching Sun’ sword chose you for a reason. I believe within ten years, you’ll achieve something great.”

The Great Sword King smiled and stepped forward. “If I follow the elders’ words, I must admit that I am Leng Jian.”

The man in white nodded. “Yes, there’s no need to hide it. I just got tired of those four people—let alone tell them my name. Since we’ve met here, it must be fate. Besides, I have something to discuss with Shi Jieyi. How about we find a quiet place to talk?”

Shi Jie Yi said, “Great! I haven’t seen my master in ages. Today, since the boss has also escaped that damned cave, let’s find a place to rest properly.”
Da Dao Wang nodded and said, “There’s no place nearby to rest. Let’s find a shelter from the wind, start a fire, and camp in the wild. I’ll handle the food.”
A Jiu clapped happily and said, “Great! I love playing in the wild the most.”
Liu Yi nodded and said, “That’s good. Let’s follow Da Dao Wang’s lead.”
Soon, the group found a quiet spot and quickly built a fire. They sat there, waiting for Da Dao Wang to return with food.
In just a short while, Da Dao Wang came back carrying two plump rabbits. Upon seeing them, A Jiu joked, “Brother Da Dao, your skills have improved! Using the ‘Scorching Sun’ sword to kill rabbits must be amazing.”
Da Dao Wang smiled awkwardly, took out a dagger, began skinning the rabbits, and found two long branches to prepare for roasting them.
Then Leng Jian said, “I actually came here specifically to find Shi Jie Yi and Young Master Liu.”
Shi Jie Yi asked first, “Master, what brings you here?”
Leng Jian replied, “I heard that you’ve offended the Dark Sect and the Demon Sect, and now even the Divine Sect is sending people to capture you. Clearly, among the three realms, you’ve also offended the people of the Human Realm. I’m worried about you, so I came to check on you.”
While preparing the rabbits, Da Dao Wang said, “What’s that compared to? As long as you’re here, who would dare touch us?”
Leng Jian smiled helplessly and said, “I have my own responsibilities. As the Wind God of the Divine Sect said just now, I can’t always be by your side to protect you. So, from now on, you’ll have to rely on yourselves.”
After a pause, Leng Jian continued, “But this time, I’ve brought something for Shi Jie Yi.” He reached into his bosom, took out a silver-white box, and when opened, it emitted a dazzling white light—inside was a pill the size of a thumb.
Leng Jian handed it to Shi Jie Yi and said, “Swallow this.”
Without saying a word, Shi Jie Yi took the box, picked up the pill, and swallowed it.
Leng Jian explained, “That’s not a regular pill. It’s a ten-thousand-year-old cold cicada I found while climbing the Ice Peaks of Tian Shan. That cicada had cultivated for ten thousand years and had taken on an ethereal form. I captured it and brought it here specifically for Shi Jie Yi.”
After swallowing the white cicada, Shi Jie Yi shuddered violently and said, “Master, why is it so cold?”
Leng Jian replied, “Of course. Now you need to use the Scorching Sun Qi from the Five Elements to counteract the cold and integrate it into your dantian. In about an hour, it will add sixty years of cultivation power to you.”
Da Dao Wang, who was roasting the rabbit meat, exclaimed, “What? Sixty years of cultivation power? That’s amazing! I wondered why he was so powerful. So you’ve been giving him immortal pills all this time! Any more for me?”
By then, Shi Jie Yi had closed his six senses and began integrating the coldness of the cicada.

Leng Jian smiled and shook his head, saying, “Young man, you must know that the Ten Great Masters practice external martial arts. The ‘Five Elements Fist’ requires strong true energy to be fully utilized; otherwise, it’s hard to reach its limits. So, his strength needs to be enhanced. And now that you have the Divine Sword in your hands, even if your internal strength isn’t high, your swordsmanship is superb, and the Divine Sword itself is extraordinary—enough to make up for any lack in internal power.”

The Great Sword King nodded, but inwardly thought, “If only I had an elixir, wouldn’t that be even better?”

At that moment, Leng Jian glanced at Liu Yi again and said, “Young Master Liu, I also have something to give you.” With that, he put his hand over his mouth and let out a long cry…

After the cry, a huge figure appeared in the sky—a massive eagle soaring down toward them.

The Great Sword King shouted in alarm, but Leng Jian said, “Don’t panic. It’s my friend.” As the eagle flew above them, it released something from its claws. With another flap of its wings, it soared back into the clouds and disappeared into the night.

Leng Jian caught the object with ease, held it in front of him, and said, “‘Sorrowful Dream.’ It’s three feet nine inches long, a three-bladed sword without a hilt guard. The hilt is nine inches long, cylindrical, with the hilt carved in the shape of a dragon’s body. The three blades emerge from the dragon’s mouth. Its weight is thirty-four pounds.”

Liu Yi looked at the sword in Leng Jian’s hand and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if meeting an old friend. It seemed as though this sword had been with him for thousands of years. Calming himself down, Liu Yi asked, “What… what does this mean, senior?”

Leng Jian looked at Liu Yi and said, “You have natural talent as a sword expert. It’s a pity you’ve never had the chance to wield a sword and also dislike doing so. But you must understand that now, the Demon Sect, the Secret Sect, and the Divine Sect are all trying to harm you. Even if you don’t think of yourself, think of your family. Pick it up—it will give you strength and become your best companion.”

As Liu Yi stared at the entirely black long sword, the ‘Thirteen Chaotic Styles’ suddenly came to mind. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. All these years, he had relied on the protection of those around him. Without them, he might have died long ago. And there was Jili—he couldn’t even protect her. If the Qingyin Elegant Pavilion really tried to kill her last time, what could he do? What about his family? If one day the demons or immortals turned against them, would he have the strength?

Liu Yi’s heart wavered. He hated fighting with swords, but the world around him taught him that strength meant power. Seeing Leng Jian use the ‘Flowing Cloud’ sword to defeat the four guards of the Divine Sect, Liu Yi’s heart was stirred. Perhaps he really should pick up a sword.

Watching the change on Liu Yi’s face, Leng Jian smiled. It wasn’t a gentle or friendly smile—it was mysterious, with a hint of scheming. No one noticed Leng Jian’s expression as he stared at Liu Yi. In his heart, he cried out, “Pick it up! Pick it up! It’s your destiny, your friend. You will create another legend of the sword, and I will fulfill my last wish.”

Liu Yi looked at the black sword, at the dragon head on its long hilt, as if it were looking at him, saying something to him… It felt so familiar, so incredibly familiar.

Who else knows that the ‘Sorrowful Dream’ sword is the ancestor of the true demons, the monsters of the Nie race? Perhaps Liu Yi knows, but that is something in the future, not now. So what will happen now? Will Liu Yi change himself, abandon the Book of Sages, and plunge into the world of the three realms, taking up this demonic sword for his family, his love, and his friends?