Chapter 762 - 405: Mountain Man (2)
After tidying up, Huangfu Yi continued forward, following the mountain path into the valley. Along the way, he saw bloodstains everywhere, sword marks at every step, countless dry bones, and innumerable broken blades. A single glance couldn’t determine how many battles had taken place on this narrow path or how many swords had been broken.
Walking through the ravine and entering the inner mountain, he looked up to see barren mountains and bald rocks, sword lights glittering coldly with an air of murderous intent. Not to mention not seeing a single living person, there weren’t even any plants or houses left, only nine solitary peaks, with sword auras piercing the heavens. Within the boundless sword array, nine-colored sword lights shot skyward, as if piercing the very fabric of Qiankun.
Huangfu Yi stood before the hill flattened by countless sword lights, gazing up at the perilous peaks towering into the sky amidst the stormy clouds and the sword shadows. He silently gathered strength beneath his feet, preparing to leap upward, straight to the peak, to put his life on the line and carve a path of survival through the sword dao.
"Wrong, go down."
However, the system called him to stop.
"There’s a pile of garbage on the mountain; who cares about it. You can come fetch it later.
Continue going down. Search around the feet of the Nine Peaks; there should be a temple, and in the temple, there’s a cave."
Temple? Cave?
Huangfu Yi was momentarily puzzled. After all, he clearly saw the Nine Peaks in the sky, resplendent with top-notch treasures, guarded by a fully arrayed sword formation. Yet, since he had come this far, Huangfu Yi also knew he was merely a pawn of this system. Everything was under someone else’s control. He only wanted to see how this play would unfold, so he didn’t ask more questions and followed the instructions to search at the base of the mountain.
The temple wasn’t difficult to find. Though it was a ruin with broken walls, clearly destroyed in sword fights, the main hall’s divine altar still held a large statue of a guardian deity, split open by a sword, yet one half remained standing there. It seemed to be some kind of lion or dog-like creature...
"It’s Xiezhi... never mind, the cave is beneath its feet. Just keep going and search for the light."
There was indeed a cave, pitch black, with unknown traps and arrays waiting. However, Huangfu Yi was someone who jumped into the deep abyss without hesitation, so he didn’t bother much, buried the Xiezhi beside, and then leaped into the pit.
This pit was dug extremely deep, and with unknown secret techniques, Huangfu Yi couldn’t even sense the earth vein’s Daoist energy. He kept walking, kept walking in the darkness, not knowing how far or how long he walked until finally seeing a light in the distance.
Focusing his gaze, it seemed to be a stone chamber where a dedicated cultivator was secluded. Inside, an elderly man sat facing away from him, wearing a filthy green robe, with white hair draped over his shoulders, sitting alone in the darkness facing the wall, with something like a candle in his arms, flickering in the dark, guiding his way.
"Are you prepared to die?"
Huangfu Yi was stunned.
It was the system’s voice, but this time, the voice was clearly emitted from that elderly man ahead.
Huangfu Yi was silent for a moment. Over these days, through various peeks and glimpses, he had already faintly uncovered many guesses, so he wasn’t too surprised. Having fully prepared himself, he spoke loudly,
"So you are the Nine Heavens Profound Lady True Inheritance Nine Luminaries Sword Pavilion Head Beichen Sword Sect Leader Supreme Infinite Sword Master True Lord of the Mysterious Heaven Ruyi True Monarch.
I don’t know why you have gone through so much trouble to lure me here. What advice do you have."
The old man snorted coldly,
"I ask if you are ready to die, and you respond or not. If you’re not prepared, go out and level up a bit more, steady your Daoist heart, and then come back. Why talk so much crap?"
How could Huangfu Yi back down at the final hour, fearing death and weakening his fighting spirit? He suppressed his breath in his chest, raised his head, and said,
"Why fear death? Though I am young and inexperienced, I have long put life and death out of mind.
I see you have been sitting here for many years. Could it be that you’ve become possessed by a demon, planning to seize my Dao body?
Fine, if you’re really so capable as to replace me in saving the world, why not give you my head!
But let me see your capabilities first! Please, unsheathe your sword!"
The elderly man was silent for a moment and sighed,
"Fool..."
Huangfu Yi was furious,
"Hey! If you want to fight, then fight! Why keep insulting me! Calling me garbage and trash, I’ve endured it for a long time!"
"Sigh, only now you retort after being insulted, yet say you’re not foolish..."
The elderly man shook his head, placed the lamp he held beside him,
"Well, since you’re ready, then go ahead and die."
Huangfu Yi furrowed his brows, staring intently, only to find the lamp... extraordinarily disgusting.
Indeed, calling a lamp disgusting might seem inappropriate, but Huangfu Yi truly couldn’t think of another adjective.
It was a hand.
A hand that looked as delicate as a woman’s, yet had six fingers, one of whose fingertips was burning with a faint white candle flame, illuminating the equally pale elbow. The pale flesh was burning shorter and shorter, the dripping fat like melting wax, and also like festering pus, dripping and dropping, rolling down the wrist...
"Not six fingers, it’s seven."
The elderly man adjusted the arm, pointing to a break on the side of the palm. There appeared to have once been a protrusion, but now seemed completely melted away.
"You’ve already used up one life."
Huangfu Yi stared dumbfounded at the lamp, following to repeat,
"I’ve already used up one life."
The old man still hadn’t turned around, just sitting amidst the flickering candlelight, pointing towards the deeper darkness,
"The one you’re looking for is further down."
Huangfu Yi kept staring at the candlestick, muttering the repetition,