Chapter 202: The Sword of the Mortal World Transforms into the Three Pure Swords.

A Great Wall stood in the Desolate Sea, encircling a space of Heaven and Earth.

When Chen Changsheng returned, he saw the Great Wall was much taller and wider than what he had seen in Yu Xuan’s memories.

“Could Yu Xuan have come here later…”

Chen Changsheng pondered, but did not dwell on it.

The Black Pagoda had said before that this Heaven and Earth beyond the wall wasn’t impassable; some had entered before, though they never returned…

After so much time had passed, he wondered what lay inside now.

Chen Changsheng shook his head, dismissing the thought. He looked down at the Desolate Sea.

He sliced through it with a sword and descended.

Back before the Stone Gate, Chen Changsheng considered for a moment before pressing a sequence of Runes.

[Three]

[Ten]

[Three]

[Death]

These were the Runes he had pressed the first time he came here. Unsurprisingly, the Stone Gate opened.

Chen Changsheng stepped inside. The courtyard within looked exactly as it had when he left. He walked through the residence again, and when he reached the study, his gaze swept over the painting on the wall.

Seeing it unchanged, he soon left the place.

Chen Changsheng stood before Stone Gate, thought briefly, then pressed the Runes again.

[Three]

[Ten]

[Three]

[Life]

Chen Changsheng took two steps back, wary of sudden danger. Yu Xuan’s memories only went up to that point; who knew what happened after.

“Rumble…”

The Stone Gate slowly opened. Seeing everything calm, Chen Changsheng stepped through.

Looking up, he again saw two characters – Southern Garden.

Though both were called Southern Garden, they were different places.

“Indeed…”

Chen Changsheng sighed softly, murmuring: “Beyond one door, two Southern Gardens.”

The courtyard layout was the same, but the things within were different…

There was no table, and no books upon it. The Main Hall felt rather empty, merely sharing the layout of the previous Southern Garden.

Chen Changsheng entered and made his way to the Main Hall, guided by Yu Xuan’s memory.

Yu Xuan usually stored her memory pearls here.

Chen Changsheng lifted two fingers, brushing them past his eyes. A gleam of Golden Light shone in his pupils as he looked towards the Main Hall.

He paused. “Not here?”

He frowned, several possibilities coming to mind.

Either it was placed somewhere else.

Or…

It had already been taken!

After some thought, Chen Changsheng left and headed towards the Side Room.

He glanced inside and noticed the wall was empty where the Shangqing Sword should have hung.

“The Shangqing Sword is missing too…”

Chen Changsheng paused. “Could Yu Xuan really have come already?” he thought.

He frowned, doubting it. If Yu Xuan had recovered her memories, she would have left some trace in the world.

Chen Changsheng surveyed the Side Room. It looked exactly as in Yu Xuan’s memory – nothing added, nothing missing.

Leaving the Side Room, he looked towards the main dwelling.

After a moment, he walked inside.

The moment Chen Changsheng stepped through, movement stirred.

“Hummmm…”

A sword hum sounded.

A flash of sword light lit the room.

Chen Changsheng’s heart skipped. He retreated half a step.

At that moment, the Rain-Listening Sword transformed into a cyan streak of light, shielding Chen Changsheng.

“Clang!”

The sword light vanished instantly.

The two swords faced each other, equally matched.

“Ding! Ding!”

The Immortal Swords clashed, their power almost tearing the room apart.

Chen Changsheng’s gaze fell upon a sword sheath hanging on the wall.

Crudely carved onto the sheath were two characters – Taiqing.

“The Taiqing Sword?”

He paused mentally. This matched what he’d anticipated.

The Taiqing Sword seemed to freeze mid-air. It turned towards Chen Changsheng, appearing stunned for a moment.

“Rain-Listening.”

Chen Changsheng called out. The Rain-Listening Sword flew back and hovered beside him.

The Taiqing Sword moved forward slowly. It looked at Chen Changsheng’s face – so familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar.

Chen Changsheng seemed to sense the Taiqing Sword’s hesitation. “Recognize me?” he asked.

The Taiqing Sword fell silent, its Sword Qi vanishing entirely.

The Immortal Sword kept still before Chen Changsheng, causing no further trouble.

After a silence, Chen Changsheng reached out and grasped the Taiqing Sword.

Instantly, a murderous aura flooded his senses.

“KILL!!!”

A deafening clash of battle cries erupted beside Chen Changsheng’s ears.

He did not resist, watching the scene unfold in his mind.

Blood stained the ground. Tens of thousands of corpses piled high. The endless sounds of desperate combat filled his ears. Iron mounts clanged, swords ran red!

Endless slaughter had forged this Taiqing Sword.

As the killing sounds faded, Chen Changsheng refocused. He looked at the Taiqing Sword in his hand.

“Whose sword were you?” he asked.

The Taiqing Sword gave an uncertain reply – probably yours.

Chen Changsheng remained quiet. “Probably?”

The Taiqing Sword made no further sound or movement.

Chen Changsheng waved a hand, revealing the Jadegreen Sword hidden beside him.

“Do you recognize him?” Chen Changsheng asked.

The moment the Taiqing Sword saw the Jadegreen Sword, the two seemed drawn together.

The Taiqing Sword flew from his grasp!

The two swords collided. Three streaks of Golden Light emerged from the Taiqing Sword, intertwining with the Jadegreen Sword.

“Ding, ding, ding, ding…”

The swords trembled as if trying to merge.

Chen Changsheng frowned, but the fusion attempt abruptly stopped.

“Clatter.”

The Jadegreen Sword dropped, landing with a jingle on the floor.

The Taiqing Sword hovered over it, seemingly confused, unsure why it failed.

“Were you once whole?” Chen Changsheng asked.

The Taiqing Sword didn’t answer Chen Changsheng. It remained near the Jadegreen Sword, trying to figure it out.

“This Jadegreen Sword was broken once,” Chen Changsheng stated.

The Taiqing Sword seemed to pause, then understood.

As if saying, No wonder…

The Jadegreen Sword was no longer as it once was. Though they shared an origin, returning to how they were proved impossible.

Chen Changsheng picked up the Jadegreen Sword. “Do the Jadegreen, Shangqing, and Taiqing share a connection?”

The Taiqing Sword hovered before him. Facing each other, it gave Chen Changsheng the answer.

Taiqing stayed in Southern Garden.

Jadegreen was once in Zhao Yuqing’s hand.

Shangqing was Yu Xuan’s sword.

Chen Changsheng murmured: “…One sword splitting into three… The blade of slaughter became Taiqing; the lonely sword became Jadegreen; the sword of sentiment became Shangqing…”

The meaning of the sword of sentiment, Shangqing, encompassed worldly bonds – the multitudes and the one.

Before splitting into the Three Pure Swords, that sword was known as – Mortal World.