Volume Two: The Weapon Registry Chapter 147: The Consecrated Everlasting Lamp

Lu Haoran originally intended to show off his Longevity Sword to the young swordsman from a thousand years in the future, only to find that the other possessed a fine sword as well, whose quality actually seemed to be a fraction superior to his own.

It must be because I haven't used the Longevity Sword much yet; I'll definitely surpass him after some time! Lu Haoran consoled himself with this excuse in his heart, and raising his eyes, he happened to meet Liu Xiaoyi's gaze, which revealed an expression akin to looking at good-for-nothing trash.

"What kind of look is that? I am a genuine Grandmaster, with Innate Sword Bones, you understand? Very strong!" Lu Haoran argued.

Liu Xiaoyi said with disdain, "Now that the Yan Sword Sect has unsealed its mountain gates, could it be solely for a bumpkin like you?"

As a dignified major sect with a history of several thousand years, the only thing preserved and left behind within was merely this specimen. Liu Xiaoyi could not help feeling somewhat disappointed, and even began to harbor doubts about the discerning eyes of the predecessors of the Yan Sword Sect.

Lu Haoran straightened his back and pointed backwards with a thumb: "Of course not. Walking further inward is one of the forbidden grounds of my sect—the place where the Everlasting Lamp resides. To prevent the sealing power from depleting too drastically, all useless areas were destroyed, and only the essence remains!"

As he spoke, he patted his own chest so that Liu Xiaoyi could further understand his status within the Yan Sword Sect.

In such a vast sect, less than ten percent of what was left behind was visible to descendants. Even so, Liu Xiaoyi was still shaken to the core. After passing through the small courtyard where Lu Haoran had been sleeping, what unfolded before his eyes was a boundless expanse of ancient architecture, extending along undulating low hills into pitch-dark corners devoid of light.

A vast and boundless sprawling mausoleum! Liu Xiaoyi drew in a cold breath. Lu Haoran beside him was extremely satisfied with this expression; he picked up a pebble and threw it forward. When it hit the wall ahead, the pebble passed right through without the slightest obstruction.

"They are all phantoms now. How could such a shallow underground hold the real thing? Only this Everlasting Lamp is genuine. Hold the lamp stand with your hand."

Lu Haoran also passed through the wall, arriving before a stone monkey with both hands cupping a lamp. He gazed thoughtfully at the stone monkey. Back when he had not yet fallen into slumber, this same stone monkey would frolic and play energetically among the various mountains and forests of the Yan Sword Sect.

Looking closely, there was no wick inside the lamp stand, but an inch-long ray of light was burning steadily, emitting a reassuring glow. Liu Xiaoyi clicked his tongue in wonder and reached out to grasp the stem of the lamp stand.

Under the gaze of four eyes, the brilliance of the lamp stand gradually grew brighter. The awakening of the Everlasting Lamp illuminated the entire scenery of the Yan Sword Sect behind it, restoring life to the lush green trees and blue bricks with red tiles. Lu Haoran stared with his mouth agape, unable to close it as he looked at the vibrant vitality before him.

The Everlasting Lamp was a wondrous magical artifact of the Yan Sword Sect, capable of condensing sword intent into the lamp stand and releasing light imbued with sword intent. Disciples practicing within the Yan Sword Sect were constantly influenced by the Everlasting Lamp, making them far surpass outsiders on the path of the sword.

Watching the familiar scenery revive bit by bit, Lu Haoran could not help hot tears streaming from his eyes. "Master, senior brothers, Haoran will definitely not辜负 (fail) your entrustment—to strengthen our human race and eradicate calamities!"

The Longevity Sword at his waist also emitted a clear, ringing chime. This vow, like an invisible weight of a thousand catties, stirred up circles of dust around them. Those illusory scenes shattered with a rustling sound, transforming into streams of light that merged into the lamp stand.

Liu Xiaoyi's vision suddenly grew dazed; feeling dizzy and losing consciousness, he could only hear a righteous voice echoing in his ears: "The Yan Sword Sect has passed down through three hundred and sixty-five generations. Now, the Everlasting Lamp transmits its heritage to you. Can you protect the human race for a century on my behalf?"

"I won't live to be a hundred years old; how am I supposed to protect them?" Liu Xiaoyi replied. "Such a heavy responsibility is beyond this junior's capability."

The voice asked again: "Having obtained this heritage, your lifespan will be long and enduring, and your cultivation realm can take you anywhere in this vast world. Since you are human, why refuse?"

"This junior cannot even protect the people closest to me; how can I speak of protecting the human race? I am unwilling to deceive you seniors with empty words, and on the path of cultivation, I would rather endure more hardships."

"The outside world is splendid, and only by using any means necessary can one accomplish great things. You originally lack great talent; are you willing to act as an ant?"

Liu Xiaoyi knew that the other party was tempting his mind. With the Lin Character Incantation guarding his sea of consciousness, his mind remained calm, clear, and unmoved. He refused, saying: "If the seniors of the Yan Sword Sect believe that this is the only way to achieve great things, this junior is willing to remain a mediocre person. To hold the sword in my hand and protect the one in my heart is quite enough!"

"Well said—'protect the one in my heart'! Haoran did not let us down. Esteemed Sect Masters, what are your thoughts?"

Following this voice, figures in white robes appeared out of thin air before his eyes. Seeing the first swordsman who appeared, bearing three strands of black beard, Lu Haoran hurried forward two steps and knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly: "Master! Master, why have you become like this? I still want to eat the food you cook!"

The Everlasting Lamp released the figures of precisely three hundred and sixty-five Sect Masters of the Yan Sword Sect, surrounding Liu Xiaoyi impenetrably as they sized him up and nodded repeatedly.

"You make the decision; we are too old and outdated."

Lu Haoran's master, the last Sect Master of the Yan Sword Sect, patted his beloved disciple's head and said reluctantly, "The time stored in the Everlasting Lamp is limited; I must finish things quickly. Haoran, always keep your original resolve firm and bring prosperity to our race!"

With that, he formed sword mudras with both hands, smiled at Liu Xiaoyi, and said, "The younger generation is formidable! After a thousand years, the Yan Sword Sect has finally witnessed a Grandmaster sword once again, and your temperament and quality are of the absolute highest caliber. Swordsman Liu Xiaoyi, the Yan Sword Sect entrusts you: do your utmost to protect those you can protect. Will you accept?"

This time he changed his phrasing precisely to make Liu Xiaoyi agree. The Yan Sword Sect had prepared for several thousand years just for today, tricking Liu Xiaoyi into accepting.

Sure enough, upon hearing these words, Liu Xiaoyi breathed a sigh of relief. Facing such a massive spectacle, he had been terrified of offending them and being sent to the netherworld in a fit of anger.

"Liu Xiaoyi is willing to hold the sword and protect!"

"Good! The Yan Sword Sect entrusts this great responsibility to you!" The three hundred and sixty-five Sect Masters chanted complex sword incantations from all directions, and waves of intense sword intent instantly flooded Liu Xiaoyi's body and mind.

He had long heard of the method of direct enlightenment through divine infusion, which could rapidly elevate one's cultivation in a short time, though it would cause some irreversible damage to the body.

Liu Xiaoyi felt a bit apprehensive; only what was gained through diligent and bitter practice truly belonged to him. Yet now, unable to follow his own will, he could only form hand mudras and silently endure the infusion.

As time passed, Liu Xiaoyi discovered that his cultivation had not increased at all; he remained at the seventh stage of the Earthly Soul Realm.

After the various Sect Masters poured the essence of their lifelong sword intent comprehension into Liu Xiaoyi's sea of consciousness, their phantom projections returned to the lamp stand, rolling out a milky-white medicinal pill.

Lu Haoran performed another deep kowtow before wiping away his tears and standing up, bringing the pill to Liu Xiaoyi. "When you break through to the Heavenly Sun Realm, take this, and you will easily cross the threshold without any hindrance."

Crossing major realms presented formidable bottlenecks. There were many martial artists at the peak of the Earthly Soul Realm, most of whom remained stuck outside the bottleneck for a lifetime, unable to advance.

Liu Xiaoyi half-believed it as he carefully stored the pill away, not entirely trusting its effects. "Are there any other places to visit here?"

"No other places. The entire sealed mountain gate exists solely for me and the Grandmaster mentioned in the records." Lu Haoran dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand and turned to walk outside, somewhat eager to witness the outside world.

"Does the Yan Sword Sect have prophets as well?" This was not the first time Liu Xiaoyi had encountered this; these predecessors spoke in such cryptic ways that he found them completely incomprehensible.

To his surprise, Lu Haoran complained, "That's just what those old men said; I have no idea. The Yan Sword Sect isn't managed by me. If you want to ask me what tastes the best around here, then I'm your expert!"

What transpired above went completely unnoticed by Xiaohou Ming and the others waiting below the stone steps. When they saw Liu Xiaoyi walking down, they sensed subtle changes in him, yet could not pinpoint exactly what had changed.

Xiahou Ming sighed, "Young Friend Liu has benefited immensely from this trip! The hour is late; let us be on our way."

The Pine-Brushing Swordsman, Ye Gudeng, had already left the area after wandering around. Aside from the stone steps passage, there was nothing else to gain here.

In a place devoid of sun and moon, it was impossible to feel the passage of time; in truth, two days had already elapsed. Liu Xiaoyi's stomach was completely empty, and he was growing quite hungry.

The others had eaten their dry rations and were well-fed and satiated. Liu Xiaoyi cursed inwardly; all his food had been eaten by that big glutton.

Lu Haoran was hiding far in the back, still muttering to himself: "They even made me hide. I'm not some evil wraith; is I really that terrifying? The Yan Sword Sect actually decorated itself like a graveyard, and hired who knows what kind of feng shui master—it doesn't look like my master's handiwork at all."

While he was examining the decorations of the tomb gate, the group had already walked far ahead, heading toward the maple forest where Ma Shan had been staying. Lu Haoran hurriedly ran to catch up.

The maple leaves rustled in the wind, seemingly welcoming everyone's safe return. Cai Wu strode forward in the lead, shouting as he walked, "Old Ma! Old Ma, where are you? You have no idea what we encountered down there, those..."

A long spear thrust out fiercely from behind a tree, cutting Cai Wu's words short. Fortunately, Cai Wu's reactions were swift; he leaped back two steps to dodge the spear tip, and just as he wanted to draw his sword, he suddenly felt a chill in his lower back as half an inch of a blade protruded from his chest.

"This... Eldest Brother! It's an ambush!" Cai Wu cried out desperately before losing his life in the maple forest.

Liu Xiaoyi's heart tightened violently, and his temples throbbed. Upon hearing Cai Wu's miserable scream, a surge of hot blood rushed straight to his head!

Cai Wu had been murdered! There was an ambush in the maple forest! A thought flashed through Liu Xiaoyi's mind—it must have been done by the people of the Shangguan family, those persistent ghosts!

The Green Luminous Sword swept outward, and maple trees within a radius of three zhang fell with the wind. The sword qi now was sharp beyond comparison with before!

The infusion of sword intent had given Liu Xiaoyi the bearing of a true Grandmaster; even when facing a Heavenly Sun Realm expert, his swordsmanship would not yield an inch.

"Which petty scoundrels, get out here!" Seeing Cai Wu kneeling on the ground with his hands hanging limply, a steel blade piercing his lower back, already devoid of breath.

Faint footsteps echoed from all directions as over a hundred fiercely sinister figures wearing uniform attire closed in, each wielding weapons.

The leader shouted in a ringing voice, "When the Heaven-grade Decree Number One is issued, Liu Xiaoyi must die!" With that, he tossed a severed head that rolled to Liu Xiaoyi's feet—it was none other than Ma Shan, who had been waiting here for everyone.