The Invisible Sword Qi Shakes Ten Thousand Sects

Within Tianliu City, countless mortals and low-ranking disciples from various cultivation sects queued, awaiting entry into the underground shelters.

These subterranean havens were originally constructed to safeguard the foundational legacies of the sects. Built since the time of the Great Tribulation and continuously expanded by over twenty City Lords, the underground city now rivaled half the size of Tianliu City above ground.

To protect the core interests of the numerous sects residing within the city, and in keeping with a long-held tradition, each City Lord was chosen from among the most respected Nascent Soul rogue cultivators who had no further prospects of advancement.

Their esteemed reputation was crucial, for within a radius of several thousand li around Tianliu City, sects of all sizes were too numerous to count. A Nascent Soul Ancestor with extensive connections could both integrate the city’s resources and deter petty miscreants.

The stipulation of having no hope for further advancement stemmed from the sects’ fear that a City Lord with excessive power might act recklessly, ultimately becoming uncontrollable and harming the very foundation of Tianliu City.

Furthermore, selecting solely from rogue cultivators ensured the City Lord could mediate conflicts of interest between sects with greater impartiality.

More than half of Tianliu City’s sects boasted legacies spanning over a century within its walls, naturally making them averse to any significant damage to their ancestral lands.

Moreover, even the smallest sect, by securing a foothold in Tianliu City, could always glean some benefits from this ancient and prosperous city, the wealthiest on the entire continent.

The most vital resource that sects vied for was the countless ordinary mortals.

Mortals aspiring to cultivate immortality invariably began with the foundational Qi Condensation stage, only becoming true cultivators after achieving Foundation Establishment.

Subsequently, condensing a Golden Core within their bodies transformed them into True Persons, at which point their lifespan began to extend. Most cultivators with average talent and spiritual roots would reach their limit here. However, precisely because they could live for so long, some wealthy and opportunistic mortals would spare no expense, even dissipating their family fortunes, to acquire elixirs that could forcibly elevate their cultivation realm.

After Core Formation, if one possessed astonishing talent and could refine their Golden Core nine times, transforming it into a nascent, infant-like source of magical power, they would enter the exceedingly rare Nascent Soul stage. Few cultivators reached this realm, and progressing further often required a lifetime of effort. Consequently, most Nascent Soul cultivators appeared incredibly ancient in front of others, earning them the common moniker of ‘Nascent Soul Ancestors.’

Beyond this lay the three realms revered by all living beings: Soul Transformation, Void Refinement, and Body Integration. These three stages were quite peculiar; ever since cultivation sects emerged on the continent, very few rogue cultivators, lacking a sect or proper methods, had managed to reach these heights. The reasons for this remained unknown.

The final step for a cultivator to ascend to the Immortal Realm was known as Mahayana.

Powerful cultivators provided the strongest protective umbrella for a sect’s development—a consensus held by all cultivators across the continent. Nian Yinfeng, the Sect Master of the Tianjian Sect, renowned throughout Tianliu City, served as the prime example of this truth.

Given the rarity of even a low-level cultivator, a vast population was naturally required as a foundation. Thus, the wealth, companions, techniques, and dwelling places most valued by individual cultivators paled in comparison to a prodigiously talented disciple in the eyes of ambitious, legacy-driven sects.

Subsequently, Tianliu City reached a consensus: whenever a major calamity loomed, the sects would invariably send their most cherished and outstanding disciples into the underground city in advance.

Powerful sects would seize this opportunity to dispatch numerous internal experts to protect mortals, guiding these refugees into their own sect’s private underground city entrances. Once inside, they would provide ample supplies and distribute blankets.

Following this.

Classes would commence.

These lessons often recounted the sect’s venerable history, the formidable power of its cultivation techniques, the vast numbers of its disciples, and the abundant resources at its disposal.

Over time, some sects even developed an entire system of brainwashing—no, ‘legacy transmission’ techniques—complete with dedicated ‘disciples of verbal instruction’ to carry out the task.

There were even associated entry rewards: any disciple who successfully recruited a gifted mortal into the sect would receive a prize.

If that newly recruited mortal, in turn, brought in another disciple, the original disciple would also be rewarded.

Thus, in this layered progression, the rewards were seemingly endless.

For the larger sects, therefore, the most lucrative assignment was undoubtedly ‘verbal instruction.’

“So, you there, the one sleeping soundly. And you, giggling incessantly while poring over that book. I perceive that both of you possess the aptitude for immortal cultivation. Are you willing to join my sect and inherit its supreme cultivation techniques? One day, we shall ascend to the pinnacle of the Immortal Realm together, commanding countless Dao companions and magical treasures. Imagine, with a mere wave of your hand, you could point to mountains, rivers, and seas—wouldn’t that be exhilarating? Wouldn’t that be magnificent? Can you? Can you not?” A disciple of verbal instruction, whose Daoist name was Zhi Mengzhi Mo, leaned back dramatically as they spoke.

Above Tianliu City, countless flying swords had already gathered, forming a colossal circular sword array.

From time to time, cultivators would inexplicably plummet from the sky, flailing desperately and appearing utterly disheveled. Some lower-cultivation practitioners even sustained severe injuries upon impact.

Fortunately, the current City Lord of Tianliu City, Dai Yimei, possessed a benevolent heart. Whenever a cultivator fell, she would dispatch city guard cultivators to render aid.

Dai Yimei had served as City Lord for over twenty years. Given the intricate network of sect powers within Tianliu City, the fact that no major disturbances had occurred during her tenure was a testament to her capabilities.

Both mortals and cultivators within the city respectfully addressed her as “Granny Dai.”

At this moment, Dai Yimei stood atop the Ocean-Gazing Tower, issuing a continuous stream of commands to the city guard cultivators.

Even when she managed to snatch a moment of reprieve, the furrows on her brow remained undiminished.

‘What exactly is that object, surrounded by all these cultivators? It frightens even Mahayana experts from approaching too closely!’

Dai Yimei wished for the treasure to be claimed as quickly as possible. The longer it remained, the more experts would arrive from outside the city, drawn by the news. Judging by the number of masters currently in the sky, the city’s defensive array might only hold for a while.

If the treasure wasn’t subdued within ten days to half a month, even the Outer Realm demonic tribes might get wind of it, inevitably dragging Tianliu City into a fierce conflict.

Nian Yinfeng, the Sect Master of the Tianjian Sect, was also present within the sword array, though he had deliberately refrained from entering the inner circle.

Such a wondrous treasure was, of course, exceptionally alluring. However, Nian Yinfeng’s true concern lay with the dozen or so Mahayana experts in the inner circle, especially two individuals he had never before seen within the city.

According to intelligence gathered by his communication disciples, a group of rogue cultivators had been congregating, yet they hadn’t ridden their swords to witness the treasure.

‘They likely fear the activation of the city’s defensive array once they ascend. After the array is activated, without the specific entry and exit incantations set by the Tianliu City Lord, even a peak Mahayana expert would find it impossible to enter at will.’

‘Therefore, it’s certain these rogue cultivators harbor ulterior motives.’

The Tianjian Sect, being famously rich in treasures within Tianliu City, would very likely become their target.

‘Yet, relying solely on that motley crew, it’s impossible they could have gathered so many people in such a short time.’

‘Their leader is probably one of those dozen or so Mahayana masters.’

As for wondrous treasures, once cultivation reached a certain bottleneck, rapidly advancing further invariably required the aid of rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

Currently, no one knew what the treasure at the center of the sword array truly was.

The leader would surely be unable to resist taking a look.

As soon as someone devised a method to retrieve the treasure, it would undoubtedly incite all the cultivators to rush forward and snatch it.

At that point, all cultivators would surge towards the treasure. Those who moved against the crowd, however, would surely be the ones with other designs!

‘Then, if that fellow retreats upon realizing the difficulty, all will be well. But if they plot against the Tianjian Sect, I will ensure they never return.’

As Nian Yinfeng pondered, a sudden shout echoed within the sword array: “Look, Elder Xu of the Spirit Sword Sect is about to make a move! He’s a Mahayana expert!”

Everyone was drawn by the cry. Cultivators possessed acute hearing, and almost simultaneously, every gaze fixed upon Elder Xu.

Elder Xu had merely intended to casually swing a sword as a test, but to his surprise, he was immediately noticed. With so many eyes on him now, it felt somewhat awkward to just strike directly.

He could only first offer a cupped-hand salute to his surroundings. After a moment’s thought, he finally spoke, “This humble Xu, having just witnessed many juniors inexplicably plummet after nearing the treasure, found himself feeling a bit restless. Should I, by chance, accidentally acquire this treasure later, I hope everyone will be generous and avoid any unpleasantness.”

“Old Monster Xu, enough with the nonsense! If you’ve got the skill, act quickly. If you’ve no solutions, then step aside and stop wasting this old man’s time!”

“Which coward is gossiping wildly?!”

Elder Xu’s disciple had been by his side the entire time. Hearing such disrespectful words, yet spoken only through sound transmission, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed. However, his cultivation was merely at the Golden Core stage, and for a moment, he couldn’t pinpoint the source of the voice.

Elder Xu, however, remained unperturbed, a faint smile gracing his lips as one hand leisurely stroked his long white beard.

Suddenly, Elder Xu unleashed his divine sense, instantly engulfing the entire sword array; no one present was outside its reach.

As his divine sense swept through, he discovered one individual radiating inexplicable nervousness. A cold sneer touched his lips, and then Elder Xu vanished from his spot in an instant.

“Ah!” A scream tore through the air. In an inconspicuous corner of the sword array, Elder Xu stood, one hand gripping a person’s neck, the other pinching a flying sword between two fingers. Faint yellow sword light shimmered on the blade, revealing it to be a high-grade earth-element immortal sword.

“Hmph! A mere Nascent Soul dares to be insolent before me! You should count yourself fortunate that I never easily take a life. Today, I’ll only give you a minor punishment. Remember to keep your tail tucked in from now on!”

With that, Elder Xu applied slight pressure with his two fingers, snapping the immortal sword in his hand into two pieces!

The moment the immortal sword was destroyed, a mouthful of fresh blood spilled from the Nascent Soul cultivator’s lips. He then cried out, “My lifebound flying sword!”

“Hmph!”

Elder Xu paid no mind to the cultivator’s subsequent fate. He simply released his grip, as if discarding trash, and the cultivator plummeted straight towards the ground.

Instantly, the entire sword array fell into a deathly silence!

A high-grade, earth-element lifebound flying sword! That old man actually broke it with just two fingers! To what extent had his cultivation reached?

All the cultivators present were struck with dread, and even the other Mahayana experts felt a sudden surge of apprehension.

Seeing the astonished expressions on the cultivators’ faces, Elder Xu couldn’t help but feel a secret delight. He raised a hand and declared, “Everyone, that was merely an accident! I shall now move to claim this treasure, lest its prolonged presence attract the covetous gaze of greedy wolves!”

The crowd exchanged glances. ‘So, this old man just insulted everyone present with a single sentence? What an incorrigible old coot!’

Yet, at that moment, no one dared to meet Elder Xu’s gaze. His momentum was currently soaring, his killing intent freshly ignited. Anyone who dared to provoke him now would surely be out of their mind.

Elder Xu took a moment to compose himself, bringing his state to its peak. He released his divine sense, fixing it firmly upon the treasure.

However, even enveloped by his divine sense, he still couldn’t peer into the treasure’s interior.

Though a strange feeling stirred within him, with so many eyes watching, where would the Spirit Sword Sect’s reputation stand if he retreated now?

Driven by a hint of stubbornness, Elder Xu decided to unleash his strongest sword technique: the “Spirit Seizing Sword.”

The Spirit Seizing Sword, as its name suggested, unleashed unmatched power, capable of severely wounding an opponent’s soul.

In his youth, Elder Xu had barely managed to wield this sword with his Soul Transformation stage power.

Facing three peak Nascent Soul cultivators at the time, a single strike from this sword instantly killed all three, a truly terrifying display.

“Clang!”

The cultivators only heard the sound of a treasured sword being unsheathed. Before anyone could even see how Elder Xu had moved, the sword qi had already appeared before the treasure.

The strike was deceptively simple, yet no one present would dare question its power. It was well known that the more formidable a sword technique, the more restrained its inherent force.

Finally!

The sword qi collided with the unknown treasure!

Then.

“Pfft.”

There was no ‘then’ after that.

“…”

“…”

“Ah!” A shriek suddenly erupted.

The crowd was stunned. The source of that miserable cry was none other than Elder Xu, who had been so full of vigor moments before.

“Sword… sword qi…” Elder Xu only managed to utter these two words before collapsing into unconsciousness.

Fortunately, his disciple was quick-witted enough to catch his master. After a quick check of his breath, the disciple immediately turned his flying sword and swiftly departed the sword array, soaring straight towards their sect.

“This…” The sword array instantly grew boisterous and chaotic. Soon, the circle of cultivators that had previously surrounded the “wondrous treasure” so tightly it was impenetrable, suddenly expanded to twice its size.

It was no joke. If even Elder Xu, who had unleashed such a terrifying sword strike, was now incapacitated, who would dare to remain so close?

“Sword qi…”

“Formless sword qi…”

All the sword-wielding cultivators discussed Elder Xu’s final words.