Eternal Saber

The moon hung above the treetops, enveloping Cang Mountain at the outskirts of the Great Xia Capital City in a shroud of mysterious night. Between the deep valleys and towering peaks, a detachment of the Profound Celestial Army had set up a magic altar and camped.

Ancient trees reached the sky in a canopy of darkness.

"The lights in the Capital City are dazzling from afar, it looks so prosperous. I wonder when we’ll get a chance to plunder it."

"There will definitely be a chance. The Capital City is filled with treasure and women, much more beautiful than the women in Meixiang County!"

"This time, Cyan Pine Sacrificial Wine set the magic altar on Cang Mountain. I guess he has plans for the Capital City. We’re just waiting for the Celestial Master’s order now."

In the silence, two voices suddenly started a hushed conversation.

This location was high up in Cang Mountain. Standing up, you could just make out a glimpse of the Capital City’s splendor.

"Where did Cyan Pine Sacrificial Wine go? Haven’t seen him these past few days."

"I heard he was instructed to kill someone."

"Who could be important enough for Cyan Pine Sacrificial Wine to deal with personally?"

"I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. If Cyan Pine Sacrificial Wine makes a move, that person is as good as dead."

Thwang!

At that moment, a bowstring twanged in the distance.

Woosh! Woosh!

The next moment, two blades of wind whistled through the air.

Before the two talking could react, two figures fell from a trembling ancient tree behind them.

"Not good!"

Their faces changed drastically. Just as they were about to shout a warning, they suddenly felt a chill in their throats!

The words ’enemy attack’ became muffled as they spoke, only producing a gurgling sound.

Both men clutched their throats, blood gushing profusely, faces horrified. Staggering a few steps, they collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Chen Tang revealed himself a short distance away and quickly approached, retrieving the fine iron arrows from the dead guards concealed in the ancient tree.

He then nodded at Ah Li hidden in the shadows.

Ah Li disappeared back into the darkness.

The two of them had climbed from the mountain’s base, eliminating dozens of guards both visible and hidden.

From these guards, they learned that this magic altar base claimed to have three thousand people. However, excluding servants and numerous Entry Level martial artists, only a little over a thousand had any combat power.

Besides Cyan Pine Sacrificial Wine, whom Chen Tang had already slain, the base had over a hundred Mystic Masters and two Third Grade Martial Artists. Chen Tang paid attention to these, the rest were insignificant.

The camp was concealed amidst dense forest ahead, with only a few carefully hidden bonfires.

Taking advantage of the night, Chen Tang infiltrated the camp.

At this moment, some kind of mysterious ritual was taking place by the bonfires.

A middle-aged Mystic Master, holding a duster, was chanting with his eyes closed. Kneeling before him were over a hundred men, mostly young and strong, dressed plainly.

Among them were a few wearing official garb and seven or eight Jianghu figures.

All of them knelt obediently before the middle-aged Mystic Master, their faces illuminated with a dim firelight, showing hints of fear mixed with excitement and anticipation.

Moments later, the middle-aged Mystic Master shuffled his feet, beginning to walk around this group of men.

Behind him was a young Daoist Child carrying a golden basin with a blood-red talisman floating in it.

The middle-aged Mystic Master took a few steps, then dipped the duster into the basin, sprinkling the talisman water onto the kneeling crowd.

"Thank you, Immortal Master, for bestowing this method!"

An official saw this and excitedly kowtowed continuously.

The others followed suit.

After walking three circles, the middle-aged Mystic Master stopped, placed the duster in his arm, and took a bamboo staff from the Daoist Child’s hands.

Immediately, behind him appeared over a hundred Mystic Masters holding bamboo staffs, standing next to the kneeling men.

The middle-aged Mystic Master said slowly, "Next, I will say a sentence, and you will repeat after me."

After a brief pause, the middle-aged Mystic Master said, "Enter our Profound Celestial, beginning today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly swung the bamboo staff heavily against the back of the front official with a sharp crack!

The official shivered all over, endured the pain, and repeated the sentence.

The others also repeated it.

The other Mystic Masters swung their bamboo staffs, striking the crowd.

"Doctrine as the guide, blood oath alliance!"

Crack!

"Betrayers, cursed mark, doomed for all eternity!"

"Those who forsake, soul scattered, no gate to the netherworld!"

"Remember this oath, under Profound Celestial, punishment for betrayal, witnessed by gods and demons alike!"

Each time they spoke a sentence, the crowd received a harsh beating.

But their eyes became ever more excited, their shouting grew louder until it turned into a roar!

In the flickering firelight, their expressions looked like fierce ghosts, grotesque and terrifying.

"Mr. Xu, wake up!"

Just then, a sharp cry came from not far away.

Beside another bonfire sat a dozen large prisoner carts.

In each cart, dozens of women were held, some young maidens, others dressed as matrons, all quite young.

All of them were clothed in rags, their expressions haggard, most curled up in corners, trembling as they watched this bizarre scene.

At this moment, however, a woman stood up, shouting loudly at the kneeling crowd through the bars of the cart.

The middle-aged Mystic Master said in a deep voice, "Xu Si, to enter our Profound Celestial, you must sever all worldly ties. Your lady no longer belongs to you but to the entire Profound Celestial Sect!"

Xu Si looked back at the woman in the cart, his eyes showing a flicker of struggle. Then, looking at the Mystic Masters standing like deities in the firelight, his gaze became resolute and his expression crazed once more!

"The Immortal Master is right!"

Xu Si declared loudly.

The woman in the prisoner cart heard this, her gaze dimmed, and her heart sank to the bottom.

"Very well."

The middle-aged Mystic Master nodded in satisfaction, then glanced around, saying, "In the battle of Meixiang County, the person who killed the most enemies can choose one to enjoy for a night."

"Awooo!"

Around the camp, cries of excitement rose up.

Xu Si was also a bit excited.

He had joined the Profound Celestial Sect!

In the future, as long as he bravely killed the enemy, he could earn money and women!

Wherever the Profound Celestial Sect passed, they would burn, kill, and loot, seize the local young women as playthings to return to the altar, rewarding the warriors who fought bravely in battle.

"Immortal Master, from now on, I will shed this official uniform!"

The official tore at his clothing while fawningly smiling.

"No need."

The middle-aged Mystic Master said slowly, "Continue to lie low in the government office or roam the Jianghu, do not expose your identity, wait for the Celestial Master’s command."

"We obey the Immortal Master’s command!"

These officials and Jianghu figures responded in unison.

"Immortal Master, I’ve chosen, it’s her!"

A martial artist of the Inner Qi Realm pointed excitedly at the woman from before.

The woman clenched her fists, glared at the man viciously, and shouted, "You demons will surely face divine retribution, left to die in the wild!"

"Hahahaha!"

The martial artist laughed loudly, opened the prisoner cart, grabbed the woman’s wrist, and said with a smile, "The Profound Celestial Sect represents the heavens. We are all messengers of the heavens, acting on its behalf. Who can kill me!"

Woosh!

There was a strange shift in the wind.

Thud!

A jet-black arrow pierced through the martial artist’s face, nailing him dead on the spot!