Snowy night on the cold mountain, the ancient path is arduous.
Baili An arrived at the third gate, looking at the towering pine trees in front of the building, standing majestically, their lush branches weighed down by thick layers of Songxue, rustling in the nocturnal wind.
Under the tree, a male painter sat on a stone covered in snow, with a cup of cold tea by his feet, and a piece of Yellow Boxwood held upright on his knees, the smooth wooden surface painted with a scene of clouds and birds.
In his hand, he held a rough carving knife, delicately chiseling away.
Baili An was the last to ascend the mountain; at this mont, no other entrants were in sight at the third gate.
The painter paused his brush, and a drop of bright red paint suddenly fell from its sharp tip.
The paint, like blood, touched the brush’s point and marked the eyes of the bird in the painting, causing the carved image within the wood to suddenly co alive. Amidst the swirling wind and snow in the heavens and earth, under the faint moonlight, the distant ancient palace on the cold mountain beca blurred and indistinct.
With that, the world seed to recede, clouds scattered in disarray, and amidst the chilling wind, the bird in the painting flashed out from the tip of his brush as the surrounding yin energy surged.
The wooden painting in the man’s hand completely transford, within its misty waves emanated a ghostly green light, forming nurous unreadable burial scripts by mortal eyes.
Baili An paused his steps, watching the Netherworld Bird diving towards him without a change in his expression, and punched out!
The yin wind and evening snow entwined around the Netherworld Bird’s wings were instantly torn apart, and subsequently, the bird figure crafted from talismanic intent burst open, its aura clinging to Baili An’s fist as if cold water had dripped onto a piece of iron heated red-hot.
With a hissing sound, it dissipated into smoke and vanished.
The man holding the Yellow Boxwood had at so point stood up, scrutinizing Baili An up and down:
"You just used your fist, yet unleashed a domineering Sword Intent, and without a trace of Spiritual Power. Even I, for a mont, can’t understand what path you’ve cultivated."
"Please enlighten , sir," Baili An knew that the assessnt of this fourth gate wouldn’t be so simple. Although the man before him was clearly a Sword Cultivator, he could enter the path through talismans, turning the wood into a ghost spirit.
Yellow Boxwood possesses the power to summon ghosts, but never forget, this is the Xijian Sect, the apex of the Heavenly Dao’s Three Sects among the Immortal Sects, no notable ghost would dare cause trouble here.
The ghostly entity in that painting was clearly conjured into existence by this man’s hand.
He said he couldn’t understand Baili An’s path, yet Baili An too couldn’t fathom his path.
The man shook his head, bending down to pull out a lantern from the snow-covered ground.
The lantern ignited without fire, glowing bright and clear, illuminating the path to Netherworld.
He said, "Why don’t you follow up the mountain?"
Baili An was surprised. "Does this an I have passed?"
The man smiled, "I am Qu He Star."
Baili An was taken aback once more.
Qu He Star, the eighth Chaotic Talisman Sword of Tianxi, is one of the legendary figures famous in the world. Though ranked eighth among the Tianxi Thirteen Swords, his talent in worldly affairs was in no way inferior to the first sword.
The reason is none other; Qu He Star is an anomaly in Tianxi, as well as among the nurous cultivators in the world.
He achieved a legendary career with his ordinary aptitude.
Baili An wasn’t the first to venture with the Hundred Ghosts Token at Tianxi; it was Qu He Star.
Speaking of which, their fates in ascending the mountain are eerily similar, Qu He Star, he’s one in a million Dead Spirit Root.
Yet known to those Outer Disciples as... a waste.
The Tianxi Thirteen Swords, one Sword, Jun He with integrity and gentlemanly deanor settled the chaos, while the eighth Sword, Qu He Star, truly made miracles with the ordinary.
Moreover, he beca the hope in the hearts of countless mortals.
Only now did Baili An understand, the inexplicable kindness beneath his calm exterior was for what reason.
Because this night’s ascent, was the sa path he once traveled.
Baili An’s original intention in the ascent was to seek his past life, with no interest in becoming a Xijian Sect disciple.
Since there was a shortcut, he naturally enjoyed the ease.
As the two walked one after the other along the mountain path, Baili An suddenly rembered sothing and asked out of the blue: "Sir, since you are the Chaotic Talisman Sword, the young lady down the mountain she..."
Qu He Star replied, "Fengyi Sword Shen Zhan, she is Eleventh Junior Sister."
So that’s how it was, Baili An had been puzzled as to which family’s disciple would dare so brazenly accept bribes.
Qu He Star wasn’t a man of many words, but he was an old-tir who would answer questions, as long as it didn’t involve the secrets of Tianxi, he would generally resolve Baili An’s doubts with patience.
He led Baili An on a genuine shortcut path, direct to the Heavenly Mountain, disregarding the rules entirely.
"I’ve heard that this Tianxi disciple selection aims to choose a new Yuanli Sword?"
"Indeed."
"But as far as I know, the Thirteen Swords Jin Sheng has yet to break or fall."
"Yet the Sect Master knows, he can no longer draw the Yuanli Sword. The Tianxi Thirteen Swords are the foundational pillars supporting the Heavenly Sword Mountain. If Junior Brother Jin Sheng can’t shoulder this heavy responsibility, he must vacate and yield the position."
"I’ve heard the Sword Master cherished the Thirteen Swords Jin Sheng dearly, intending to groom him as the successor."
Qu He Star used the lantern in his hand to part the weeds along the narrow path, saying, "Junior Brother Jin Sheng is the youngest and vigorous among the Thirteen Swords, possessing a bit of the arrogance that the Sect Master favors. So even if the Sect Master doesn’t say it, we all can see that the Sect Master intends to entrust the important duty of Tianxi to him."
Precisely because the expectation was the greatest, the disappointnt was also the greatest.
Baili An couldn’t understand, "But the Sword Master has his own child."
Qu He Star suddenly paused his steps, looking back at Baili An: "Moving forward, don’t speak of this in Tianxi, it’s for your own good."
"Why?"
Qu He Star’s tone was grave: "Because the Sect Master doesn’t like the Central Netherworld."
He doesn’t like the Central Netherworld, yet he married the Empress of Central Netherworld...
"Thanks for the warning." Baili An’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart was a mix of emotions.
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