Chapter 707: Great True Man Qi Xuanzhen

Huang Qing was attempting to comprehend the Earth Immortal Sword by observing the descending heavenly lightning. However, a strange Daoist suddenly appeared out of nowhere, abruptly interrupting his process of enlightenment. Even stranger, despite the interruption, his cultivation level continued to rise, and the speed at which his sword intent approached perfection actually increased rather than decreased.

The Daoist wore a Wudang Daoist's 'Free-and-Easy Scarf' on his head, yet his body was clad in a Longhu Mountain robe, and he wore a pair of simple straw sandals. Without any visible movement, he abruptly appeared beside Huang Qing, standing shoulder to shoulder. However, Huang Qing's sword qi was still directed at Xu Fengnian, while the Daoist faced the Bronze Man Grandmaster, each keeping to their own concerns. A contradictory thought, one that even Huang Qing found amusing, arose in his mind: it was highly improbable, yet most likely. This uninvited guest was none other than Qi Xuanzhen, the True Man who once sat on the Demon-Slaying Platform for sixty years—a figure not considered the foremost in the world, yet superior to him.

In his youth, Huang Qing had a chance encounter with Yuan Qingshan, the Imperial Advisor of Northern Mang. He listened as Yuan Qingshan recounted Daoist secrets and evaluated the various levels of cultivation among eminent Daoists. Yuan Qingshan stated that most so-called enlightened masters bearing the titles of 'True Man' or 'Immortal' were merely "reclusive Daoists." Only Wang Chonglou, the Grandmaster of Wudang, and the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain were considered "mountain-dwelling Daoists"—individuals living in the world yet free from worldly distractions, capable of imbuing mountains with spiritual essence and blessing the Daoist lineage. Above these, there was a recluse named Zhao from Longhu Mountain, who lived in a thatched hut, stole heavenly secrets, nurtured evil dragons, and inverted the cosmos; he could be considered a "hidden Daoist." Over the past millennium, many True Men had achieved ascension, but Yuan Qingshan only respected two predecessors: one was the "divine Daoist" who appeared several times in response to fate, and the other was the "innocent Daoist," Patriarch Lu Dongxuan, who had cultivated to become a Celestial Immortal yet returned after passing through the Heavenly Gate. It was now undisputed that Qi Xuanzhen was the reincarnation of Patriarch Lu, a fact Huang Qing had already confirmed from the Kirin Imperial Advisor at that time. As for whether Hong Xiang, the former Grandmaster of martial arts, was also a reincarnation of Patriarch Lu, Huang Qing had never met Yuan Qingshan again after their separation, so he dared not speculate on such heavenly mysteries.

As for why "Qi Xuanzhen" appeared at this time and place, Huang Qing had a bold speculation: if the rumor of Patriarch Lu passing through the Heavenly Gate but returning to the mortal world was true, then it would be logical for the Bronze Man Grandmaster, an immortal guarding the Heavenly Gate, to have become a banished immortal.

Huang Qing felt a sense of powerlessness. If Qi Xuanzhen were to intervene, even if he could unleash his sword strike, and even if the Bronze Man Grandmaster could fully unroll that magnificent scroll, would it still come to fruition?

Qi Xuanzhen spoke. There was no sound in heaven or earth, yet Huang Qing heard every word distinctly."Huang Qing, as swordsmen, with a three-foot blade in hand, how can we bow down and serve the powerful?"Hearing beneficial words was like receiving gold; hearing grave words was like bearing a mountain.

Huang Qing's back involuntarily stooped slightly, and a bitter expression crossed his face. The Northern Mang martial arts world had been "taken as a concubine" by His Majesty with an iron fist, becoming a force to conquer the Central Plains. This was the general trend; how could his 'Sword Qi Near' from the Qi-Jian Le Mansion resist it? More importantly, Huang Qing had first wielded a sword within the Qi-Jian Le Mansion, and the Grand Peace Regent had shown him great kindness.Huang Qing slowly straightened his back and calmly said, "True Man Qi, there are things I, Huang Qing, will not do, and things I will do!"

Qi Xuanzhen let out a soft sigh, seemingly with some regret.Ultimately, he did not prevent Huang Qing from continuing to nurture that sword.The Bronze Man Grandmaster stood at the feet of the Heavenly King's Dharma Body and roared, "Qi Xuanzhen, you are merely a wisp of residual qi. How can you stop me?!"The burly old man showed a furious expression, and his Dharma Body, a Heavenly King, also glared wrathfully.

Qi Xuanzhen ignored the Bronze Man Grandmaster's intimidation. He simply looked up at the long scroll from which celestial beings emerged one after another, forming a large circle above everyone's heads.Within this great circle were illusions of the exceptionally talented individuals from seven hundred years ago who had achieved enlightenment and ascended through the Heavenly Gate. Regardless of their origins or schools, they had all been the most magnificent and charismatic figures of the human world.Although they were merely illusory avatars of these heavenly favored individuals, this formation was enough to terrify even Land Immortals. It was hard to say if such a display had a precedent, but it was certainly destined to have no successor.

The sky, already covered in dark clouds, intensified as if fuel had been added to a boiling cauldron, making the unfallen purple lightning bolts even more robust and thick.Even the purple lightning bolt that had already struck the ground flared up several times in intensity. Xu Fengnian's 'Six Thousand Li' sword move, which had originally shattered most of the purple lightning, now showed dangerous signs of being unable to sustain itself.In the path to eternal life, for every lightning bolt that descends from the heavens, the person on the ground possesses only one breath of vital energy; there is absolutely no possibility of replenishment or renewal.The magnificent sword qi generated by the 'Six Thousand Li' sword move had previously extended in a winding, rainbow-like trajectory, shattering six or seven tenths of the spreading purple lightning in one continuous effort. However, after the Bronze Man Grandmaster's hundred-zhang Heavenly King Dharma Body interfered, heaven and earth transformed, the cauldron boiled, and the purple lightning on the ground collided with itself, producing countless sparks of lightning that engulfed Xu Fengnian. The sword qi, once as grand as the Guangling River, had shrunk into a small stream, flowing and circling around Xu Fengnian, defending him from the purple lightning's onslaught.

The Bronze Man Grandmaster's voice boomed like a great bell as he sneered, "Qi Xuanzhen, surely your presence here is nothing more than bluster? Why aren't you intervening to save him?"He took a step forward, his voice growing heavier, "Qi Xuanzhen, can you not, or do you dare not?!"Qi Xuanzhen's long sleeves billowed, and the hair at his temples gently fluttered in the wind, exuding an air of boundless elegance and ease.The Great True Man smiled slightly and said, "Do you, a mere gate-keeping slave, truly think you can undermine my Dao heart?"Qi Xuanzhen turned his head to glance at the overwhelming purple lightning and heavenly thunder, then shook his head, "It's only the fourth heavenly lightning. Even with your interference, why would this humble Daoist need to act?"

Accompanying him on a six-thousand-li journey through the martial world—how vast was the distance, how long the Guangling River!Yet, outside Liangzhou City, there was a small stream that flowed around the city—how small, how close.Once, there was an old man with a missing tooth who loved yellow wine. He led his horse across a river and never returned home.Amidst the siege of heavenly lightning, a person suddenly let out a hearty laugh and shouted, "Old Huang, the wind is strong, but don't call it quits!"The fourth heavenly lightning bolt instantly shattered.

But the fifth heavenly lightning bolt, its purple color deepening, fell in an instant!Xu Fengnian extended both hands.The Overlord Lifts the Tripod!Purple energy poured out wildly, seeping through his fingers and surging over his head and shoulders.

Qi Xuanzhen withdrew his gaze and his smile. "Immortals use the earth as a chessboard, with mountains, cities, and nations as pieces. They use the world's destiny as the arm that moves the pieces, placing them arbitrarily and deciding the lives and deaths of mortals at will. In this humble Daoist's view, this goes against the Great Dao!""Goes against the Great Dao!"As Qi Xuanzhen uttered these four words, a faint sound of tearing cloth emanated from the long scroll of immortals within the Heavenly King Dharma Body. The sound intensified, and the scroll fragmented bit by bit, with the immortal avatars depicted on it dissipating one by one.Even a crack appeared on the Heavenly King Dharma Body's brow, emitting golden light.A bloody gash appeared on the Bronze Man Grandmaster's forehead, golden blood streaming down his face.

Qi Xuanzhen said coldly, "This humble Daoist is here today to settle the grievances between us from the Heavenly Gate back then. You refuse to listen to reason!"The Great True Man put one hand behind his back and extended a finger from the other hand, gently pointing forward.The Bronze Man Grandmaster's chest felt as if struck by lightning; he flew backward with a crash, colliding with his Dharma Body, causing the hundreds of zhang tall colossal Dharma Body to also fall backward.With a wave of his other sleeve, Qi Xuanzhen suddenly lifted the Bronze Man Grandmaster and flung him violently in a direction thousands of li away.Qi Xuanzhen did not even glance at the Bronze Man Grandmaster, who flashed away instantly and landed on Guangling Dao. He sneered, "Since you won't listen to advice, then get lost!"

Huang Qing, who had been holding his 'Calming the Wind and Waves' sword, suddenly moved. He abruptly drew his sword and began to run, charging straight towards Xu Fengnian, who was overwhelmed by the purple lightning.The power of his sword strike was no less than a bolt of heavenly lightning.Qi Xuanzhen did not stop him; he merely sighed.On the path of the man and his sword, a figure blocked their way.The newcomer allowed the long sword to pierce through his chest, then struck Huang Qing's forehead with a punch!Huang Qing died instantly!His body, with the long sword now fallen from his grasp, crashed heavily to the ground in the distance.Blood flowed from all seven orifices of the corpse, but on the face of this 'Sword Qi Near,' who had aspired since childhood to use his sword to suppress the martial arts world of Liyang, there was no regret or sorrow.The young man, whose chest was pierced by the long sword, let his hands fall limply and let out a roar towards the sky.

Qi Xuanzhen looked at the young man, whom he should have called 'brother-in-law' in another life, with a hint of guilt in his eyes. He said softly, "The great road stretches to the heavens, each takes their own path. Li Yufu, I am not as good as you."Just as Huang Qing had said, people in this world have things they will and will not do. How much more so for Qi Xuanzhen, who was a Daoist cultivator both in life and after death.Each person has their own path to walk. Qi Xuanzhen could remove some obstacles blocking the way, but he could not walk the path for others.Qi Xuanzhen's body gradually faded like a dissipating cloud and a gentle breeze, eventually turning to dust.The young man, whose eyes were pupil-less and whose expression was rigid, unexpectedly managed a faint smile. He looked at the middle-aged Daoist he had "seen" on the Demon-Slaying Platform that year and said, "Brother-in-law, farewell."Qi Xuanzhen smiled knowingly and nodded.

A profound aura originated from a certain location in Xijing of the Southern Dynasty, moving from north to south, once again disrupting the situation.Qi Xuanzhen was enraged. Before he completely dissipated, he pressed down with one hand.Inside the building in Xijing, the dormant great vat instantly exploded.Water flooded the entire building.A dragon emerged from the water.Qi Xuanzhen, on the verge of complete dissipation, looked worried and said with regret, "As for the matter of slaying the dragon, my strength is now limited..."

Huang Man'er grinned, twisted his neck, and the young man, unable to pull out the long sword with his weak hands, instinctively used qi to wield the 'Calming the Wind and Waves' sword. He tossed the long sword high into the air and then caught the hilt in his mouth.Invisibly, though absurd, it was also a horizontal sword stance!The young man first glanced at his brother in the distance, then looked back at Qi Xuanzhen.His gaze seemed to be telling Qi Xuanzhen, "With me here, you can leave with peace of mind."After Qi Xuanzhen nodded, he looked up at the sky. Before completely disappearing, he seemed to ask the heavens, "Mortals are mortal, immortals live long. Who says mortal affections are all suffering? Who says immortals live without worries?"

Xu Longxiang began to run north.He lowered his head, bent his back, bit the sword, and held it horizontally!End of update.