Chapter 169 Sword Tomb

← Chapter 166

"Fuyaozi..." Shi Potian murmured, his gaze still fixed on the stone tablet, "He is the one who truly controls the sword with qi."

Qu Feiyan also came over, looked at the words on the stone tablet, read them twice, and suddenly clapped her hands and said:

"I remember now! Fuyaozi is none other than Chen Tuan, a highly accomplished Taoist master from the Five Dynasties period. It is said that he was well-versed in Taoist metaphysics and could sleep for eight hundred years at a time, making him a sleeping immortal. Mount Hua was where he lived in seclusion. Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, even played chess with him and lost Mount Hua to him!"

Shi Potian asked in surprise, "Can you lose a mountain by playing chess?"

Qu Feiyan laughed and said, "Legends are a mix of truth and falsehood, who can say for sure? But this Chen Tuan was indeed a remarkable figure. The poem he wrote probably describes more than just sleeping; it describes the realm of Taoist cultivation."

"Joy resides near the furnace, a different world lies within the pot"—this speaks of internal alchemy cultivation; "To know what lies in dreams, the greatest mystery of humankind"—this refers to his "Sleeping Immortal Technique."

Shi Potian nodded, then looked at the stone tablet thoughtfully: "Could the plaque at the foot of the mountain that says 'Controlling the Sword with Qi' also be his?"

Qu Feiyan tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Possibly. Mount Hua is a famous Taoist mountain. It's not surprising that the patriarch Chen Tuan lived in seclusion here for many years and left behind some relics. It would be natural for the Mount Hua Sect to use them as decorations after it was established."

Shi Potian wondered if this senior was the founder of the martial arts of Xia Ke Island, otherwise why could he trigger the throbbing of his acupoints?

Shi Potian said, "This senior's sword control with qi is the real sword control with qi, not the sword control of the Qi Sect."

Qu Feiyan's eyes lit up: "That's right, that's sword control! Little brother, what you just used was clearly the legendary sword control technique that only immortals can use! The sword can fly out of your hand at will, this is divine skill! If you keep practicing, you won't be able to fly on a sword, will you?"

Shi Potian laughed and said, "It's not that exaggerated. That would be like becoming an immortal. Right now, I can only control it, and I can't fly very far. I still need to cultivate diligently."

He couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if he mastered the Tai Xuan Scripture and combined it with this sword control technique.

Qu Feiyan was filled with envy, staring at the stone tablet for a long time and reciting the inscription several times, but there was no reaction from her. She sighed, "I also looked at this stone tablet, why is there no reaction at all?"

Shi Potian thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps it's because I can't read."

Qu Feiyan was taken aback: "Can't read? What does that matter?"

Shi Potian said, "When I looked at that plaque, I didn't know what the characters were, but just looking at the strokes, I felt my acupoints throbbing. I don't recognize the characters on this stone tablet either, but just looking at the strokes, I suddenly got a feeling for them. If you don't recognize the characters either, maybe you can learn them too."

Qu Feiyan was both amused and exasperated: "Then I'll try pretending I don't know how to read." She closed her eyes, pretended not to know how to read, stared at the words on the stone tablet for a while, but still didn't feel anything.

She said dejectedly, "It seems it's not a matter of whether you can read or not, but that you are exceptionally talented, a martial arts prodigy who appears only once in a thousand years."

Shi Potian smiled, recalling his encounter on Xia Ke Island. He never expected to have such a fortuitous encounter here at Mount Hua. Could he truly be a once-in-a-millennium genius?

At the summit of Mount Hua, a sea of clouds surged, and the morning sun had fully risen behind the eastern mountains, its golden rays bathing the two in warmth. A mountain wind howled, the pines rustled, and occasionally a few birds flew past, their clear calls echoing.

Qu Feiyan stood on the edge of the cliff, arms outstretched, took a deep breath, and exclaimed, "How beautiful! Little brother, have you heard? Back then, Wang Chongyang gathered the world's best swordsmen on the summit of Mount Hua for a seven-day, seven-night sword duel, ultimately winning the title of the world's number one. Could this be the place where he held that duel?"

Shi Potian asked, "Wang Chongyang? Is that the owner of the Zhongnan Tomb?"

Qu Feiyan said, "That's right! The founder of the Quanzhen Sect was once the number one martial arts master in the world. He held a sword duel here to seize the Nine Yin Manual. How about we have a sword duel here too?"

Shi Potian laughed and said, "Good. I just learned this sword control technique, so I need to practice it more and get used to it."

Qu Feiyan touched the short sword in her hand, then looked at Shi Potian and said with a troubled expression, "But we only have one short sword. How can we have a sword fight? You can't just throw your sword at me and I can just stand there and take the hits, can I?"

Shi Potian also felt it was a problem. He looked around, trying to find some branches or sticks on the mountaintop that could be used as weapons.

Qu Feiyan said, "Let's look around. Maybe we can find the precious sword that Wang Chongyang left behind back then."

As she spoke, she actually began searching everywhere, wandering around the mountaintop. After a while, Qu Feiyan suddenly called out, "Little brother, come quick! There's a sword tomb here!"

Shi Potian walked over and saw a stone mound beneath a huge rock, covered in moss. Only two large characters were carved on the rock behind it: Sword Tomb.

The strokes are delicate yet powerful, as if carved with a sharp tool.

Next to the large characters was a line of smaller characters. Qu Feiyan carefully examined them and read them aloud:

"The virtuous man returns to the mountains, the virtuous woman accompanies the moon; from now on, there will be no more chivalrous couples in the world, only the people under the moon of Mount Emei."

Although there was no signature, Qu Feiyan knew at a glance that it wasn't left by Fuyaozi.

Shi Potian looked over and saw that this time the acupoints weren't twitching. He asked, "Who wrote this? It doesn't look like it was left by Fuyaozi."

Qu Feiyan shook her head and said, "It seems to have been left by a lovelorn woman, who buried the sword to express her longing. Let's see if the sword is still there."

The two men moved the stones covering the surface, revealing a stone slab underneath.

Qu Feiyan carefully lifted the stone slab, and sure enough, there were two long swords underneath.

One sword had a long blade, and when Qu Feiyan picked it up, she saw that the scabbard was engraved with the words "Gentleman"; the other sword was slightly shorter, but the scabbard was engraved with the words "Lady".

Although the two swords had been sealed away for many years and their scabbards were covered in dust, when they were drawn out, the blades still gleamed coldly and were as sharp as new.

Qu Feiyan placed a strand of hair on the sword, blew on it gently, and the hair broke.

She cheered, "Young man, these Gentleman's Sword and Lady's Sword are truly divine swords, capable of cutting a hair in two! We're so lucky! I wonder which master left these behind? Judging from the appearance, they seem... they seem to be a pair of lovers' swords?"

Shi Potian said, "The inscription said, 'A gentleman returns to the mountains, a virtuous lady accompanies the moon.' It turns out it refers to these two swords. I thought it referred to two people."

Qu Feiyan laughed and said, "Little brother, you don't understand. This means both swords and people. The swords are the two swords buried here, and the people probably refer to these two virtuous and elegant seniors who have retired to the mountains and forests to enjoy the clear breeze and bright moon."

That's why there's the line, "From now on, there will be no more chivalrous couples in the world"—they will never roam the martial world again. "Only the woman under the moon of Mount Emei remains"—perhaps this means the woman who buried the sword went to Mount Emei herself, and she was remembering someone.

Qu Feiyan sighed and said, "No matter who left them behind, these two swords are definitely valuable. Young man, the Gentleman's Sword is yours, and the Lady's Sword is mine. Let's have a duel on this mountaintop, and this trip won't have been in vain!"

Qu Feiyan was secretly delighted: the Gentleman's Sword and the Lady's Sword were truly a match made in heaven.

Shi Potian took the Gentleman's Sword, weighed it in his hand, and found it to be much heavier than the Azure Water Sword, with a longer blade and a solid feel in his hand. He liked it at first sight.

Shi Potian said, "Yue Buqun's nickname is Gentleman Sword. I always feel something is off when I hold this Gentleman Sword."

Qu Feiyan scoffed, "Yue Buqun is a hypocrite, how could he be worthy of the title of Gentleman Sword? Only you, little brother, are worthy of it."

Shi Potian chuckled inwardly. He was just a country bumpkin, how could he be considered a gentleman? Although he didn't understand what a gentleman should be like.

He tried to throw the sword, and the Gentleman's Sword spun a few times in the air, but unlike the short sword, it didn't obey and flew back unsteadily, almost falling off the cliff.

Qu Feiyan was startled and exclaimed, "Little brother, you need to practice your sword control technique more! It's such a pity that such a fine sword fell down."

Shi Potian laughed and said, "Yes. The sword is different now, with a different weight and a different feel, making it very different to handle. I need to get used to it all over again."

He gripped the Gentleman's Sword, closed his eyes, concentrated, and circulated the newly learned cultivation technique, his true energy filling the sword's body. After a moment, the Gentleman's Sword let out a dragon's roar and flew out again. This time, the Gentleman's Sword was much more stable, tracing an arc in the air before steadily returning to his hand.

Qu Feiyan drew her Lady's Sword, twirling it in her hand. She found the sword light, agile, and perfectly suited to her grip. She smiled and said, "Little brother, come! Let's have a sword duel at Mount Hua!"

The two, each wielding a sword, engaged in a unique contest atop Mount Hua.

Qu Feiyan used the sword techniques of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, which were carved on the stone wall in the cave. Yesterday, she secretly memorized them and had already memorized most of the lost sword moves of the Five Mountains Sword Sect. Now, when she used them, they were sometimes as powerful and profound as those of the Songshan Sect, sometimes as unpredictable as those of the Hengshan Sect, and sometimes as meticulous and rigorous as those of the Hengshan Sect. Each move was different and dazzling.

Shi Potian countered with his sword control technique.

His sword control skills were not yet proficient. The Gentleman's Sword was not as fast as a short sword; it did not fly fast enough, nor did it travel far enough or move as nimbly. However, it was unpredictable and often attacked from unexpected places.

Sometimes it would stab from behind her; sometimes it would fly back to her front and attack Qu Feiyan from the front; it could also rush into the sky and then swoop down to stab her from above.

The two exchanged blows for dozens of moves, but it was merely a practice of sword techniques, and there was no need to determine a winner. Qu Feiyan, relying on her exquisite swordsmanship, managed to barely defend against Shi Potian's rudimentary sword control technique; Shi Potian, relying on his sword control technique, remotely controlled his flying sword, feeling secure and only attacking without defending.

"Brother, your flying sword is so hard to defend against! I could see you in front of me, but the sword came from behind!" Qu Feiyan gasped as she swung her sword to deflect the Gentleman's Sword's attack.

Shi Potian laughed and said, "You're not bad either. You've learned the sword techniques of the Five Mountains Sword Sects, and your sword skills have improved rapidly."

Qu Feiyan said smugly, "Of course! If I don't work harder, the gap between us will only widen!"

The two exchanged dozens more blows. Shi Potian's swordsmanship became increasingly proficient, and the trajectory of his Gentleman's Sword grew more unpredictable, while its speed increased. Qu Feiyan gradually found herself unable to keep up and was forced to retreat repeatedly.

"I'm not fighting anymore!" Qu Feiyan sheathed her sword, panting heavily. "Little brother, your sword control technique is incredible! Who can beat you? Not only are we being passively attacked, but your sword can also fly from any angle. Humans can't beat you; only a god could!"

Shi Potian also sheathed his sword and laughed, "I'm still far from good enough. This Gentleman's Sword is much heavier than the short sword. Right now, I can only fly it about three zhang (approximately 10 meters) at most, and I can't control it any further. When my skill deepens, I should be able to fly much farther."

The two sat down on the summit and regulated their breathing while facing the rising sun. They both felt that the effect was better than when they usually practiced their internal energy. After an incense stick's time, the two resumed their practice.

Later that evening, the two returned to the Cliff of Contemplation and saw the man in blue and Linghu Chong drinking again, as if they hadn't finished their morning's drinking session.

Seeing Linghu Chong's joyful expression, Shi Potian realized that he had truly learned advanced swordsmanship, and he was happy for them.

Yue Lingshan noticed that the two hadn't returned for a while and asked where they had gone sightseeing. Qu Feiyan brandished her elegant sword and boasted, "We gained quite a lot from our trip. Look what this is!"

When Yue Lingshan took it, she found it was a precious sword with the words "Lady" engraved on it. The material was far superior to her own Biyue Sword.

She exclaimed in surprise, "You had a miraculous encounter just by going out? Where did you find it? I've been on Mount Hua for so many years, how come I've never found one?"

Qu Feiyan gave a brief explanation, which made Yue Lingshan extremely envious.

She then took the Gentleman's Sword from Shi Potian's hand and saw the words "Gentleman" engraved on it. Her feelings were mixed, and the good mood she had just experienced after learning the profound sword technique vanished instantly.

Thinking to herself, "If I didn't learn swordsmanship, this Lady's Sword would definitely be mine. Fei Fei wouldn't be able to take it from me. The Gentleman's Sword and the Lady's Sword are a match made in heaven." Yue Lingshan became more and more upset, returned the sword to the two of them, and didn't want to stay on the Cliff of Contemplation for even a moment longer.

She stood up and said, "Grandmaster Feng, it's getting late, let's go down the mountain."

After finishing speaking, he cleared away the dishes, picked up the food box, and headed down the mountain first.

Shi Potian was confused, but Qu Feiyan heard the words "Grand Uncle Feng" and thought to herself that it was indeed Feng Qingyang.

The two followed Yue Lingshan down the mountain.

For the next few days, the people from the Songshan Sect still hadn't arrived. Shi Potian and Qu Feiyan went up the mountain as usual every day, Yue Lingshan went to the Cliff of Contemplation to learn swordsmanship from Feng Qingyang, while Shi Potian and Qu Feiyan went to the summit of Mount Hua to practice their skills.

Qu Feiyan mastered the lost sword techniques of the Five Mountains Sword Sect and the methods used by the Ten Elders of the Demonic Sect to counter them, all found in the cave. For those techniques she didn't remember, she made excuses about collecting and burying the remains of the Ten Elders of the Demonic Sect, and returned to the cave to practice several more times. Linghu Chong couldn't drive her away, allowing her to fully grasp the techniques and greatly improve her swordsmanship.

While sorting through the remains, she surprisingly found several martial arts manuals next to a few skeletons. The cave was dry, and they hadn't decayed even after all these years.

Shi Potian's swordsmanship also improved day by day. The distance his Gentleman's Sword flew was getting farther and farther, the speed was getting faster and faster, and his sword moves were becoming more and more unrestrained.

The two practiced sparring on the mountaintop every day. Qu Feiyan used the Five Mountains Sword Sect's sword techniques to defend, while Shi Potian used his sword control techniques to attack, debating hundreds of moves. Qu Feiyan's swordsmanship became more and more proficient in actual combat, and her reactions became faster and faster; Shi Potian's sword control techniques also became more and more adept.

"Little brother, your sword control skills are getting more and more amazing! I just managed to defend against a direct attack, but your sword flew up from under my feet and almost tore my pants!" Qu Feiyan jumped up and down, her face flushed as she glared at Shi Potian.

Shi Potian laughed and said, "Haven't you also improved rapidly? Just now, you actually used that Hengshan sword technique move, 'One move encompasses an entire path,' in its entirety."

Qu Feiyan proudly raised her chin: "Of course, I'm naturally smart, I can learn even the most difficult sword techniques!"

Seeing her proud expression, Shi Potian couldn't help but reach out and pat her head.

As the sun set, its golden rays bathed the summit of Mount Hua, casting long shadows on the two figures.

Qu Feiyan gazed at the distant mountains, wishing this moment could last forever.

This is your treasure trove for discovering the best Xianxia (fantasy/martial arts) novels.