Chapter 130: Heavenly River Life-and-Death Sword
“This is a family-inherited eye technique of mine, called the ‘True Spirit Eye.’ Any of the Five Element Spiritual Roots can cultivate it. Although it is merely a mid-high-grade mystical art, it is still the most valuable one I can offer.”
Nian Quan took two jade slips from the cabinet—one brand new, the other old and smooth—and pced them in front of An Jing. He spoke earnestly, “Even though I seem to have gone astray in cultivating it, leaving the spiritual radiance in my eyes unable to fade or be fully controlled, the effect truly isn’t bad. It can see through many illusions and fog.”
“Other than that, my family truly has nothing else. If you need anything—if you take a fancy to something—feel free to take it.”
“You didn’t train incorrectly; you actually advanced.”
An Jing shook his head. He did not believe that the teachers at Nian Quan’s school in the Tianyuan Realm had failed to notice that his spirit eyes had progressed. Yet clearly, they would not trouble themselves with such matters. “Fuxie, it looks like we’ll have to add an extra method for controlling these spirit eyes.”
“Simple. I didn’t expect we’d truly gain something here.” The Sword Spirit ughed. “It happens that I have no eye technique in my memory. An Jing, if you have time, you can study it. This sort of mystical art may seem ordinary, but it proves extremely useful in critical moments.”
“Please head into your room and spend some time in seclusion.”
Taking the bnk jade slip and the one containing the ‘True Spirit Eye’ from Nian Quan, An Jing indicated for him to leave. After all, even though a jade slip was not paper and ink, one still could not be disturbed while imprinting information upon it.
Nian Quan nodded and went back to his own room to avoid interfering.
When he settled back onto his bed, he realized his hands and feet were trembling.
Yes. Only now did Nian Quan recognize just how reckless—how utterly extraordinary—his actions had been. He had let a barbarian into his home and confided in him about long-buried resentments regarding his family and future, topics he had never dared mention aloud.
He had struck a deal with a qi refiner who could end his life with a single hand—going so far as to bring out his family-inherited ‘True Spirit Eye’ jade slip, which his mother had repeatedly warned him never to hand over to outsiders, just to trade with this person.
He did not even know what the man intended to say, yet Nian Quan proceeded regardless.
Perhaps it was because he had become desperate after learning of his mother’s death, or perhaps it was some unrestrained act of defiance. Or maybe... this was simply his true nature?
He was unsure, he did not understand, and he truly did not know.
Yet Nian Quan felt no regrets.
If he had to do it all over again, he would still do the same!
—He would never give up a chance to avenge his mother!
Even a grudge spanning ten lifetimes could still be avenged! He might ck many things, but endless patience and perseverance were his.
“Just wait, Mom. I will send them all down to you.”
With that, Nian Quan closed his eyes and settled into stillness.
He began to meditate, practicing thought preservation as part of his cultivation.
“All right.”
Time became indiscernible in the depths of his meditation, until he suddenly heard a voice excim, “We managed to finish carving it right at the st moment. As expected of us.”
Then everything went silent.
“Fuxie?” Sensing something amiss, Nian Quan called out softly, “Has it ended?”
He was not truly anxious; he was more concerned something might have befallen Fuxie.
Yet there was no response.
Nian Quan sensed that something was wrong. He frowned, letting his spirit eyes flicker—only to discover, in astonishment, that the pure, razor-sharp aura had disappeared!
He stood, opened the door, and scanned the cramped living room—yet found nothing!
The windows were firmly shut, and the door showed no signs of having been opened, but Fuxie was gone.
Along with him, the jade slip containing the True Spirit Eye had disappeared too, leaving behind only the previously bnk jade slip.
“Gone, just like that…” Though he did not fully understand, Nian Quan was well aware that this world held many wondrous abilities and countless unknown mystical arts. He did not need to probe further.
He walked slowly to the table. The tea was gone, and the jade slip glimmered with a lively silver-white radiance.
Exhaling softly, Nian Quan solemnly picked up the jade slip, pressed it to his forehead, and began to read the information within.
As his Divine Sense sank into the jade slip, the world turned dazzlingly white. In that vast white-jade wall before his eyes, rows of dusky runes emerged. They whirled and morphed into one formation ring after another, then spiraled further, taking shape as a fortress of clouds, countless mountains, pins, and sprawling forests and marshes…
The runes continued evolving. In the blink of an eye, they formed the boundless sky above—the Azure Heavens—and the netherworld below—the Yellow Springs—along with the ten provinces of the human realm and the countless depths of the mortal world. Once that entire miniature world of talismanic script took shape, Nian Quan heard a faint sound at his ear… the ring of a sword!
With that sword cry, a radiant sword-light cascaded from the heavens like a Heavenly River, piercing the Azure Heavens above and the Yellow Springs below!
All other meaning withdrew, leaving only a line of golden characters:
【—Heavenly River Life-and-Death Sword, Plunging Straight into the Yellow Springs—】!
—The Azure Heavens and the Yellow Springs, realms of crity and turbidity.
—The Azure Heavens are Qian; the Yellow Springs are Kun. When the Heavenly River plunges straight down, Heaven and Earth are set in order. When the Celestial Sword descends, life and death are severed in two!
“This... this?!”
Nian Quan’s hands and body trembled as he clutched the jade slip. With his level of knowledge, he could not discern exactly what rank this foundational sword art was. Yet he was smart enough to realize that it must at least point straight to Purple Mansion Golden Essence, if not an even loftier Grand Dao method—he would be unworthy of calling himself a Heavenly Water Spiritual Root if he remained ignorant of that!
After all, his spiritual root quivered with excitement upon sensing the surging Heavenly River intent sealed in this sword art!
Even though it only contained Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment-level true intent, that was simply due to the jade slip’s limited capacity. That alone was more than enough... For someone like him, as he was now, reaching Qi Refining would be plenty!
“Fuxie—just who are you?!”
He looked up in shock, scanning the room but finding no trace of the other. From the jade slip, he had learned a method of refining his spirit eyes through sword intent, plus a cultivation method for the Heavenly River Life-and-Death Sword itself. Confronted with this stroke of fortune, he felt both awed and uneasy.
—What does he want me to do? What goal does he expect me to fulfill?
Fuxie left nothing behind.
When he finally regained his composure, Nian Quan sat in his chair, staring bnkly at the empty seat in front of him.
The one who had once sat there—the one who had pced food on his pte, forever worried he wouldn’t get enough—was gone forever.
So that’s how it was. The Heavenly River plunges straight down, dividing life and death... So that’s how it was indeed.
Fuxie... Subduing Evil...
He was beginning to understand.
“So this is what you want me to do…” he murmured. Again, Nian Quan lifted the jade slip in his hand. His complex expression gradually softened into relief, then set into determination. “Indeed, this must be Heaven’s Will.”
He thought of his father—
That quiet, unassuming man who had passed away before ever getting to show his affection, yet still left a profound imprint on Nian Quan’s heart.
That man’s surname was Huang.
And Nian Quan’s original name... was actually Huang Quan.
Not long before—
A sword ray shot forth, cleaving the silver-bck rift of space-time. As An Jing stepped inside—
He asked the Sword Spirit in his mind, brimming with curiosity, “The Heavenly River Life-and-Death Sword, Plunging Straight into the Yellow Springs... I feel like I’ve seen that ssh in a dream before. Could it be part of a set?”
In that dream, the world he saw was vaster, more complete, and far more astonishing.
That ssh had rent the Nine Skies’ Demonic Heavens, cleaving the firmament and the nds below…
Burning with genuine Dao-seeking intent, An Jing asked, “What is that sword move called? Can you teach me?”
“That move—I don’t need to teach you, because you’ve already grasped it, a mastery far deeper than the proper methods I left behind. One day, you will unleash that sword strike.”
“And its name...”
The Sword Spirit recalled the strike An Jing had dreamed of. It paused for a moment, then slowly replied, “Unsheathe.”
“One bde in hand, three feet of cold steel, slicing through all injustice in the mortal world—this move is just that straightforward.”
“No matter how many grievances lie in your heart, no matter how much Daoist skill you possess.”
“In short...”
“【Unsheathe】.”
(End of Chapter)
*乾 (Qián) and 坤 (Kūn) are fundamental trigrams from the Book of Changes. Qián represents Heaven (pure, active), while Kūn represents Earth (receptive, passive).
