Chapter 94: Aspiring to Learn the Sword at Spirit Sword Mountain
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
“The Demon Clan once joined forces with the Human Race to defeat the Primordial Remnant Race. They should have lived in harmony for generations. Why, then, did they abandon the fertile lands of the Nine Provinces and retreat as a clan to the barren and lifeless Northern Plains Snow Realm?”
Ji You pondered this question for a long while, his focus returning to this enigmatic race, known by name but rarely seen in person.
The existence of the Seven Great Immortal Sects already made the situation in the Azure Clouds Dominion complex. For the common folk, life was already unbearable. Now, with the Demon Clan crossing into the borders, yet another unpredictable factor emerged, further complicating the precarious balance of power.
It was rumored that the Demon Clan’s strength rivaled any Immortal Sect, and their deep foundations even faintly surpassed them. If the Demon Clan had long coveted the Nine Provinces and possessed such power, why did they choose to silently withdraw from the Nine Provinces in the first place?
Yan Shu Yi glanced at Ji You and said, “The answer is simple: Foreign clans hold divergent hearts.”
“So, the Demon Clan was actually driven out by the Human Race? It wasn’t as harmonious as the historical records claim?”
“No, you’re mistaken. It was the Primordial Demon Emperor who believed in the idea that foreign clans hold divergent hearts.”
“?”
“The Primordial Remnant Race enslaved all living beings, plunging the world into misery. But who’s to say that after the rise of the Human Race, they wouldn’t become the next Remnant Race? Shortly after the Heavenly Dao bestowed the Sacred Artifact upon the Human Race, the Primordial Demon Emperor foresaw the inevitable tide of events. Gathering all the demons from the Nine Provinces, he led them to the Snow Realm, sealing their borders and withdrawing entirely from the Nine Provinces. They haven’t set foot there since.”
As Yan Shu Yi felt her left foot warming up, she withdrew it and naturally placed her pale right foot into his palm. The action was casual, as though it had always been so.
Ji You gently held her foot, silently reflecting, [The Primordial Demon Emperor truly possessed unparalleled wisdom.]
The Demon Clan relocated to the Snow Realm, the other races crossed the Hundred Thousand Mountains to become the Barbaric Race, and only the Human Race remained in the Nine Provinces.
Thus, divisions arose within the Human Race itself—between Immortals and Mortals, leading to the enslavement of their own kind. Without this division, it would be the other races enduring subjugation today.
“The Primordial Demon Emperor left behind a parting declaration.”
Ji You raised his head to look at her. “What did he say?”
Yan Shu Yi gazed into the chaotic laws of the heavens and murmured, “When the Human Race loses the favor of the Heavenly Dao, the Demon Clan shall return to the Nine Provinces and become the next masters of the Azure Clouds Dominion.”
“Favor of the Heavenly Dao?”
“Indeed. The Heavenly Dao’s fortune originally belonged to the Primordial Remnant Race. Later, it shifted to the Human Race. No matter how ambitious other races might be, without the favor of the Heavenly Dao, they cannot prevail. It is a predetermined fate.”
Yan Shu Yi tilted her fair face upward and continued, “The Barbaric Race once trained their physiques rigorously and cultivated Spiritual Qi. They nearly broke through the Cold Iron Pass to reclaim the Nine Provinces. However, a sudden blizzard in the Northern Plains stopped them, a testament to the Heavenly Dao’s fortune favoring the Human Race.”
Although Ji You had heard of the concept of fortune in the Azure Clouds Dominion, it was the first time he understood that it could bind itself to a race.
[Does this mean the Heavenly Dao truly orchestrates the development of the Azure Clouds Dominion?]
“It seems the Clan Ancestor Zheng incident has made the Demon Clan aware of a disturbance in the Human Race’s fortune.”
“Or perhaps it has given them hope of breaking free from the constraints of the Heavenly Dao.”
After finishing her thoughts, Yan Shu Yi added, “In any case, the Demon Clan is no longer willing to wait. That night in Ningcheng County, I used the Spirit Mirror to observe the skies and saw a towering figure hovering over the Snow Expanse. I believe it was the Demon Emperor.”
“So history truly is written by the victors.”
Suddenly, Ji You understood something that had puzzled him when he read about this history in the collection at Physician Chen’s residence: a peculiar unease in his heart.
During the Primordial War, the other races swiftly fled the chaos, yet the Demon Clan chose to stand alongside the Human Race to defy the Heavenly Dao. It is said that they suffered innumerable losses, retreating after their success and refusing to contend with the Human Race for dominion.
At that time, Ji You had mused sarcastically, [What an extraordinary neighbor.]
Yet now, in hindsight, it became clear—the Demon Clan and the Human Race were not allies in the traditional sense, but rather two factions of a larger rebellion. There was no question of one helping the other. The war’s purpose was to overthrow the Primordial Remnant Race’s brutal reign, but its outcome crowned a new race as the world’s rulers.
Ultimately, the Heavenly Dao chose the Human Race. The Sacred Artifact forged the Daoist Lineage, and the Demon Clan, realizing that staying would mean submission, decisively retreated to the barren Snow Realm.
Thus, the historical records declared that the Demon Clan helped the Human Race defeat the Primordial Remnant Race. In truth, the Demon Clan had merely compromised—yielding to the unfairness of the Heavenly Dao.
Had the Heavenly Dao favored the Demon Clan at the war’s end, it would have been the Human Race who compromised. And perhaps today, the annals of history would claim that the Human Race had helped the Demon Clan defeat the Primordial Remnant Race.
[How ironic…] Ji You thought.
Suddenly, Yan Shu Yi patted his shoulder, snapping him out of his reverie. “Let’s not get sidetracked. Back to the matter of the Heavenly Script Academy and Spirit Sword Mountain.”
Ji You refocused, his gaze inquisitive.
“To justify their position against the Pill Sect, the Heavenly Script Academy distributed a proclamation accusing Spirit Sword Mountain of misconduct during the ruins expedition. They claim our disciples colluded with the Dao Seeking Sect to launch an ambush and demand that those involved go to the capital to atone.”
“But as I’ve said before, I’ll apologize for the injured. However, Spirit Sword Mountain will never comply. If the Heavenly Script Academy wants war, so be it.”
In that moment, Yan Shu Yi exuded the demeanor of an empress. Her back straightened, revealing a sliver of her pale, graceful waist, and her gaze brimmed with sword-like defiance, as if she alone could challenge the heavens.
But the tingling sensation in her toes shattered her composure. Despite the Heavenly Script Academy’s haughty reprimands stirring her fighting spirit, she looked down only to find her delicate foot still being casually played with by one of the academy’s disciples.
[If any of my disciples saw this, it would be worse than publicly bowing to the academy.]
Every time a discussion touched upon Spirit Sword Mountain, her imperial temperament surfaced, clashing with the softer side of her nature, which she found unbearably foreign. This duality, which had never manifested before, had grown uncontrollable since meeting Ji You.
Perhaps it was the unfamiliarity of this distant journey, knowing only him; or the warmth of the hearth during a winter night in the T-shaped Chamber that tempted her to act like an ordinary woman. Or perhaps it was the hesitation that stayed her hand from stabbing him when he pinched her cheek.
Whatever the reason, she could not hide this part of herself in his presence.
[So, I should just kill him. With his death, I can return to who I was.]
Muttering under her breath, she suddenly lifted her foot and stomped on his hand.
[Letting him touch me is unacceptable. But if I’m stepping on him, I’m once again the proud Junior Appraiser of Spirit Sword Mountain.]
[See? Your disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy lies under my foot.]
She squinted, a hint of sly pride gleaming in her gaze, her haughty expression tinged with playful mischief.
Ji You glanced at her oddly, oblivious to her inner conflict, as his thoughts remained fixed on the strained relations between the Heavenly Script Academy and Spirit Sword Mountain.
The potential for a clash between Mountain and Sea Pavilion and the Chen Clan of Immortals was high, but an actual war between the Heavenly Script Academy and Spirit Sword Mountain seemed unlikely. The distance from north to south was immense, and the sects’ strength too evenly matched. Any confrontation would devolve into a prolonged war of attrition, benefiting none but the other Immortal Sects waiting to reap the spoils.
Neither the Heavenly Script Academy nor Spirit Sword Mountain desired such an outcome—especially now, with the Demon Clan breaching their borders and every faction hungrily eyeing the ancient ruins.
In the chaotic era, whether it was the unyielding ambition of the Seven Great Immortal Sects and the Demon Clan toward the ancient ruins, or the escalating hostility between the Heavenly Script Academy and Spirit Sword Mountain, there was only one thing Ji You could rely on—his own strength.
Just as Yan Shu Yi pushed herself relentlessly due to the ongoing conflict between Heavenly Sword Peak and Mystic Sword Peak, in times like these, strength alone determined one’s fate.
After emerging from the ruins, Ji You had advanced two stages in rapid succession, draining his potential completely. To break through again in the short term was as difficult as ascending the heavens. Moreover, the Mystic Enlightenment Stage was the foundation of the entire Infinite Arts Stage. Cao Jin Song had once advised him to slow down and carefully comprehend the Heavenly Dao at this point.
Cultivators often said, “The Dao is boundless,” signifying that the laws of the Heavenly Dao were infinite, not fixed. For humans, there was the Human Dao. For demons, the Demon Dao. Even for bandits, there was the Bandit Dao. Every blade of grass and every tree in this world possessed its own Dao.
The Mystic Enlightenment Stage provided the foundation for perceiving such Dao, which would later become the key to the Dao Fusion Stage. Rushing forward would only hinder his future growth, and focusing on martial arts seemed like the most effective path to immediate improvement.
Remembering the words of Instructor Wang, Ji You turned to Yan Shu Yi, who was still stepping on his hand, and asked, “I want to go to Spirit Sword Mountain to learn the art of the Innate Life Spirit Sword. Can I?”
“?”
The Junior Appraiser snapped back to reality. “Are you dreaming?”
“I’m serious.”
She gave him a sidelong glance. “The Sword Dao of Spirit Sword Mountain is only taught to its own disciples. If you want to leave the Heavenly Script Academy, I could ask Mystic Sword Peak to accept you. You could even become my personal disciple.”
Ji You’s eyes lit up. [That’s an option? The Heavenly Script Academy didn’t even want me in the first place. If I became a disciple of two sects, what’s the harm in that?]
But the thought vanished as quickly as it came. Right now, he was a disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy and held no subordinate relationship to Yan Shu Yi. If he joined Spirit Sword Mountain, her status as a peerless empress would fully manifest, and he’d never see the playful side of her personality again.
Besides, given the Office of Affairs’ habit of flaunting sect prestige, he’d likely be shot down with a volley of arrows before even reaching Spirit Sword Mountain. Passersby might see the scene and say, “Huh, why is there a man impaled on all those swords?”
“If I can’t become a disciple, can I at least go to Spirit Sword Mountain to learn the Innate Life Spirit Sword technique?”
“Don’t forget the current relationship between the Heavenly Script Academy and Spirit Sword Mountain. If you actually tried to visit the mountain to learn, they might just break your legs and toss you out. Don’t expect me to save you—I’d only watch coldly from the side.”
“Then I might as well go to the Pill Sect and learn the Pill Dao.”
Yan Shu Yi’s eyes narrowed, and she suddenly kicked him off the cliff again.
In her heart, Spirit Sword Mountain held a weight far greater than this stranger she had only met twice. This wasn’t because Ji You was insignificant to her, but because for over ten years, she had set her sights on inheriting Spirit Sword Mountain.
Even the strongest person could be shaped by their surroundings. When her parents, peers, and even the servants constantly reinforced this expectation, she naturally came to see it as her destiny.
Throughout her life, she had prioritized Spirit Sword Mountain—and by extension, Mystic Sword Peak. Even if she had grown close to Ji You, she would never secretly teach him the art of the Innate Life Spirit Sword.
Disciples could betray their sect, but an appraiser entrusted with its Daoist Lineage could not.
“Learn the Pill Dao, huh…?”
“Why don’t you go touch Yuan Cai Wei’s feet instead?”
Seeing her jealous and exaggerated expression, Ji You let out a faint laugh. Yet inwardly, he continued to ponder how he might go to Spirit Sword Mountain to learn swordsmanship.
[Maybe I could kidnap one of the elders and force them to reveal the technique.]
Then again, if he had that kind of power, what need was there to study swords at all?