The snow fell heavily.
Two figures tumbled into the mountain forest.
"Master, Master, please rest. If you continue like this, youâll die!"
Zhuang Chenâs tearful voice echoed, both master and disciple covered in ghastly blood stains, but Divine Sword Old Man was in a far worse state, riddled with frightening blood holes. The once robust and mighty old man now looked utterly bedraggled, stirring a sense of sorrow.
Watching his master in such a condition, tears fell from Zhuang Chenâs eyes like rain, his heart wrenching with pain.
The nightâs upheaval was overly burdensome for him, a mere twelve-year-old, affecting both his mind and body. Amidst the chaos, a strand of Gang Qi nearly shattered his Sword Bone, and though he survived, his foundation was ruined, rendering him akin to a cripple.
Divine Sword Old Man smiled and patted Zhuang Chenâs head:
"Itâs alright. I can still hold on. Once we reach the True Martial Mountain, youâll be safe."
There was a hint of regret in his eyes, lamenting that he wouldnât live to see Zhuang Chen grow, lamenting that his last sword stroke didnât slay that scoundrel, just severed an arm.
"Chen, you must survive."
He silently vowed in his heart.
With Zhuang Chen on his back, he rallied the remaining Gang Qi within him to keep running, his speed as swift as lightning.
But the cracks in his Primordial Core were becoming more evident, on the verge of collapsing, as if it could shatter at any moment.
After using the Sword Pill Dissolving Technique, his combat power skyrocketed. If he decided to fight to the death, he could at least take two or three Primordial Core realm men in black down with him. However, that would surely leave Zhuang Chen in their hands.
Therefore, Divine Sword Old Man did not fight to the death. Instead, he staged a feint, leading Zhuang Chen to break through the encirclement. Now, theyâve been fleeing for a day and a night.
His only remaining obsession is to get Zhuang Chen safely to the True Martial Mountain.
As for trusting others.
He couldnât feel at ease.
Divine Sword Old Manâs eyes were resolute. They were very close to the True Martial Mountain now, and he had to hold on.
...
A moment later.
Several powerful presences appeared in the forest, their gazes examining the lingering traces with murderous intent:
"Damn old thing, he tricked us and got away!"
"He severed my arm. Too bad I canât personally take the old thingâs head." Someone gnashed their teeth in anger.
Divine Sword Old Manâs sudden outburst earlier caught everyone off guard, causing them to suffer heavy losses. If he hadnât been intent on fleeing, some of them wouldâve met their end there.
The leader snorted coldly:
"Yet this old guy also paid a price, barely managing to flee this far. Heâs probably down to his last breath; not even a god can save him."
The others all looked to the leader:
"Should we keep pursuing?"
The leaderâs eyes flickered momentarily before he finally waved his hand, saying:
"No need to pursue. From this old guyâs escape route, his destination seems to be True Martial Mountain. If we go any further, and draw out True Man Longshan, we might not have a good end. Besides, True Martial Mountain has an even more formidable True Man Tianjian, an unmatched strongman of the Celestial Being List!"
At the mention of True Man Longshan, everyone showed a slight apprehension, but at the mention of True Man Tianjian, their bodies instantly tensed.
The gap between an ordinary Celestial Human realm and a Celestial Being List expert is significant.
"Anyway, that old Divine Sword canât survive, but itâs a pity about that little chubby oneâs Innate Sword Bone, wouldâve been perfect for medicine..."
The leader sighed lightly.
Someone hesitated to speak:
"If True Man Longshan finds out..."
"True Man Longshan has just entered the Celestial Human realm, not a real threat. The key is True Man Tianjian. If he pokes his nose in, I fear..."
Everyone fell silent momentarily.
The original plan to raid Divine Sword Sect was meant to cover things up, but now it seems to have backfired noisily.
The leader suddenly cursed a few times:
"If it werenât for those fools claiming someone was investigating them and hesitating to act, old Divine Sword wouldnât have had any chance to escape."
After a pause, he continued:
"Letâs halt for a while. True Man Tianjian reportedly doesnât have much longevity left, and his reclusive nature might mean he wonât meddle in such affairs."
"We can watch True Martial Mountainâs movements from the shadows and decide based on the subsequent reactions."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Then, in a flash, they all disappeared, and the heavy snow continued to fall, gradually covering the traces beneath the snowflakes.
...
True Martial Mountain.
Just within reach.
Divine Sword Old Manâs legs gave way, the last of his Essence, Qi, and Spirit dissipated. His body riddled with exploding blood holes, he collapsed to the ground, rolling a great distance, while Zhuang Chen also tumbled several times.
Seeing his master barely clinging to life, Zhuang Chenâs eyes turned red.
"Master, weâre at True Martial Mountain. Weâre at the True Martial Mountain, hold on!"
There would be no more pursuers. Zhuang Chen lifted Divine Sword Old Man onto his back and dashed towards the True Martial Mountain gate.
A shrill, mournful cry resounded:
"Ning Qi, help! Ning Qi, help!"
The True Martial Sectâs gatekeeping disciples were all alarmed, and upon seeing the two bloodstained figures in the distance, they were all astonished.
Soon.
Taoist Longshan arrived, followed by Ning Qi and a multitude of true disciples.
Upon seeing the pitiable state of Zhuang Chen and Divine Sword Old Man, everyone was taken aback, unaware of what had transpired.
"Senior, please save my master!" Zhuang Chen wept, looking utterly ruined, devoid of his previous vibrant appearance.
Ning Qi helped him up, sighing inwardly.
He had spent some time with Zhuang Chen, and although this little chubby kid was a bit of a chatterbox, he wasnât a bad person.
Given the current situation, it seems the Divine Sword Sect has undergone some upheaval.
Taoist Longshan looked at his old friend with closed eyes, and sadness welled up in his heart. Without hesitation, he immediately supported the Divine Sword Old Man to check his internal condition. Upon inspection, Taoist Longshanâs face turned pale, and his sorrow deepened.
Ning Qi quietly sent out a wisp of Gang Qi and then fell silent.
He also devised some healing secret techniques, but now the Divine Sword Old Manâs condition was exceedingly dire. His Primordial Core was shattered, streaks of Gang Qi scattered into his limbs and bones, even reaching his internal organs, along with vicious external and internal wounds. His internal vitality was nearly extinguished.
Imagine that.
This old man must have summoned incredible willpower to reach True Martial Mountain.
If the Divine Sword Old Manâs condition was slightly better, he might be able to sustain his life and slowly research a cure, but now, thereâs no time left.
He could only barely use secret techniques to activate the last trace of the Divine Sword Old Manâs vitality.
Zhuang Chen sensed something from everyoneâs silence, continuously wiping his tears with the back of his hand, just about to kneel down, but an arm had already caught him, and the hoarse voice of the Divine Sword Old Man sounded:
"Chenâer, I know my own condition, your safety is all that matters."
Zhuang Chen was sobbing uncontrollably.
The Divine Sword Old Man turned his head towards Taoist Longshan.
"Brother Longshan."
This first sentence made Taoist Longshanâs heartache, at this moment he wished the Divine Sword Old Man could jokingly call him âLongshan Ox Noseâ in full spirit.
Taoist Longshan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again:
"Brother Divine Sword, what happened? How did you become so seriously injured?"
The Divine Sword Old Manâs expression darkened.
"Misfortune at home..."
He began to speak slowly.
Although he didnât know why those people attacked the Divine Sword Sect, the Divine Sword Old Man wasnât a fool and could roughly guess.
After he finished speaking.
Taoist Longshan and Ning Qi exchanged glances, both unconsciously shuddering.
"Human Blood Pool? Dong Heâs betrayal? Black-clothed people night-attacked the Divine Sword Sect!"
They couldnât help but feel that this scene was strikingly similar to the incident at Snow Plum Manor back then. Previously, Ning Qiâs father also informed Taoist Longshan in a letter that there were important matters to discuss, and then he suffered extermination. For some reason, they both felt that there must be unusual secrets hidden in this Human Blood Pool, maybe the same kind Ning Qiâs father discovered back then.
An invisible hand seemed to be manipulating everything from behind.
Ning Qiâs eyes narrowed slightly.
Taoist Longshan thought of this as well, and he solemnly asked:
"Brother Divine Sword, was it the Blood Rain Tower who acted?"
The Divine Sword Old Man didnât know why Taoist Longshan mentioned the Blood Rain Tower but slowly shook his head and said:
"It wasnât the Blood Rain Tower. The martial arts style is hard to discern, but it vaguely doesnât seem like the traditional martial artists of Great Yan, more like something exotic."
He looked a bit apologetically at Taoist Longshan:
"Brother Longshan, I just hope this doesnât bring you trouble."
Taoist Longshan sighed:
"At this point, thereâs no need for such formality between us. Donât worry, I will investigate thoroughly, and I wonât let the Divine Sword Sect be destroyed in vain. These evil people using human blood as a pool, whatever dark activities theyâre engaging in, I absolutely wonât spare them!"
The Divine Sword Old Man suddenly laughed heartily, with immense joy and abandon, laughing so hard that he coughed up blood, but he didnât mind at all. To have such a friend in oneâs life is without regrets.
"All these years, only you, Brother Longshan, could gain my admiration. Alas, I could never take True Martial Mountain from your hands till my death. I must admit, this ox-nose of yours indeed has some skill!"
Taoist Longshan also laughed, his eyes slightly moist.
Everyone was silent, Zhuang Chen cried softly.
Ning Qi sighed lightly in his heart, as the vitality of the Divine Sword Old Man was already weakening.
He pulled Zhuang Chen over and looked towards Taoist Longshan:
"Brother Longshan, I have one last request."
"Speak." Taoist Longshan did not hesitate for a moment.
The Divine Sword Old Man lovingly glanced at Zhuang Chen, his withered hand patted his head, and he smiled:
"In my life, my proudest achievement was taking Chenâer as my disciple. Not just because he has the Innate Sword Bone, but because he has a pure heart. Heâs a good child, only misfortune befell him following me."
"Now his Sword Bone is shattered, and his foundation destroyed. I ask you, take him as your disciple."
"If his Sword Bone can revive in the future, undergo Cocoon Breaking and Rebirth, he will surely become a top powerhouse of the True Martial Sect. Otherwise, let him live peacefully as an ordinary person on True Martial Mountain."
His gaze was pleading, and his voice became increasingly faint.
Taoist Longshan grasped both his hands and agreed without hesitation:
"Rest assured, from now on, he shall be my tenth true disciple, regardless of whether his Sword Bone revives or not, I will protect him all his life!"
"Chenâer, acknowledge your master!" The Divine Sword Old Man shouted forcefully.
Zhuang Chen was tear-stricken but still respectfully knelt before Taoist Longshan to kowtow in salute.
Taoist Longshan assisted him up.
The Divine Sword Old Manâs eyes were almost closing, his voice was too faint to hear:
"Thank you, thank you."
He struggled to move closer to Taoist Longshan and whispered:
"Chenâer knows about the Sword Saint inheritance I obtained back then, let it be his acknowledgment gift."
Ning Qi heard this, sighing softly in his heart.
Parents love their children and plan deeply for them, a master is like a father indeed.
The Divine Sword Old Man finally smiled, waved to Zhuang Chen, and then slowly closed his eyes, his vitality completely extinguished.
Everyone was silent, leaving only Zhuang Chenâs wailing cries.