Chapter 146: The Destruction of the Beast Master Sect

Though Enchantress Butterfly knew that the Lich King possessed boundless ambition, she had never imagined that he could be so utterly deranged. Furious, she said, “The Lich King has actually committed such a heinous crime, one that enrages both gods and men and makes even beasts seem virtuous by comparison. We must expose him to the world and make certain that his plans cannot proceed even an inch!”

Ge Qian waved his hand. “We have no conclusive evidence yet. If we act now, we will only alert the enemy and put ourselves at a disadvantage. The Lich King is no ordinary opponent. He is skilled at disguise and patience, always plotting before he acts—and he is also a great cultivator at the Spirit Refining stage. We must devise a flawless strategy. For now, his sacrificial plan is still only in its infancy. I have already arranged for a friend to infiltrate his organization and keep track of his every move. But if we are to rescue your uncle, I must infiltrate it as well. Only from within can we dismantle his conspiracy, find its weaknesses, and leave ourselves even the slimmest chance of survival.”

Meidie’s expression changed. She shook her head and refused. “That would be far too dangerous. The Lich King will take an interest in the secrets you carry and will certainly drain your potential dry. It would be like a lamb walking straight into a tiger’s den—nothing but courting death. It is too risky. I cannot let my selfishness ruin you. You are the only person I can truly trust. I cannot bear to lose you. We should think this through more carefully.”

Ge Qian smiled calmly. “Little White, if one does not enter the tiger’s den, how can one seize its cub? The Lich King is currently desperate for capable people. And with his far-sighted scheming, he will certainly fatten me up before killing me. I can use his power to fulfill my own ambitions. If he can disguise his persecution of your uncle, why should I not repay him in kind?”

Meidie narrowed her eyes. “You must be extremely careful. At present, this is probably our only option. I have a force at my command that will follow your orders at any time.”

Ge Qian nodded. “Little White, whenever outsiders are present, you must remain inside the spirit beast pouch. Under no circumstances can you reveal your whereabouts. It would put us at far too great a disadvantage.”

“Of course. I am already used to it, so you need not worry about me. If I had not had your spirit beast pouch, I would have died long ago without even a grave,” Meidie said indifferently.

Admiration appeared in Ge Qian’s eyes. “I am going to visit that inexpensive master of mine. He has treated me well and given me no shortage of good things.”

With that, he slapped the spirit beast pouch. Meidie transformed into a streak of white light and darted inside.

Ge Qian left his cave dwelling. As soon as his flying light rose into the air, he circled once and headed straight for Celestial Star Peak.

After advancing to the Core Condensation stage, he no longer needed to stand upon a flying sword. He could ride upon a stream of light and travel through the air.

A moment later, he arrived at Celestial Star Peak and sent out a message talisman.

About half an hour later, a golden streak of light tore through the sky and stopped before Ge Qian, revealing the figure of Gu Tian.

Gu Tian threw back his head and laughed. “Ge Qian, you look radiant, and your spiritual power is surging. You must have consolidated your cultivation well. I came out specially to invite you to my cave dwelling for a chat.”

Ge Qian smiled faintly. “How could a disciple trouble his master by making him come out to greet him?”

“You must not put it that way. I have never even taught you a single technique, so I hardly deserve the title of master. From now on, let us address each other as equals. Junior Brother Ge, come with me.”

Gu Tian spoke openly, then turned and shot into the sky.

A smile that was neither quite a smile nor entirely without one appeared on Ge Qian’s face. He summoned his flying light and followed.

Inside the reception hall of a spiritually rich cave dwelling on Celestial Star Peak, Gu Tian and Ge Qian took their seats as host and guest.

Gu Tian cupped his fists. “I am ashamed to say this, but I invited Junior Brother here because I wished to ask you about several matters. I hope you will not conceal anything from me.”

“If Senior Brother has questions, please ask them freely. You and I are both Grand Elders of the Celestial Star Sect, working within the same organization. Besides, I owe you a great deal for expending your own origin elixir energy to infuse me. There is no need for you to be so formal,” Ge Qian said solemnly.

Only then did Gu Tian flush slightly. “To be honest, Junior Brother, I have been stuck at the peak of the late Core Condensation stage for several centuries. I have never been able to break through the bottleneck. Could it be that I chose the wrong path by entering the Dao through the Golden Radiance Sword, pursuing an edge that nothing could match and insisting on following my own way?”

After hearing this, Ge Qian fell silent in thought for a long while before saying, “An edge unmatched beneath heaven, following one’s own nature, attaining great freedom and great ease, roaming unhindered between heaven and earth—the meaning is not bad. Though your actions appear unrestrained, you are actually unable to let go. You pursue the sharpness of the Golden Radiance Sword, yet you have failed to understand the sword itself.

“There may be no sword in your hand, yet there must be a sword in your heart. When the heart arrives, the sword arrives; when the sword arrives, the heart arrives. With no sword in your hand, you can still surpass one who possesses one. When there is a sword in your heart, there is in truth no sword at all. Where is the sword? Where are you?”

Gu Tian’s brows knit tightly as he muttered, “Where is the sword, and where am I? If the sword is in my hand, why is it also in my heart? When the heart arrives, why does the sword arrive as well?”

A flash of golden light appeared in his hand. The Golden Radiance Sword materialized, and with a gentle sweep, it released a crescent-shaped golden blade that struck the stone wall and sank into it as effortlessly as a knife through tofu.

The Golden Radiance Sword in his hand vanished without a trace and entered his dantian. Gu Tian lightly pointed at the wall with one finger, and another golden blade pierced into the stone.

With a thought, the Golden Radiance Sword appeared in his hand once more, and he was about to swing it.

Golden light erupted from Ge Qian’s arm. He reached out and caught the sword.

“Where is the sword now?” he asked.

The core in Gu Tian’s dantian rotated. He pointed at the stone wall, and a razor-sharp strand of sword energy pierced straight through it.

Ge Qian employed the technique known as Darkly Crossing the Granary, causing the Golden Radiance Sword in his hand to disappear.

Gu Tian tried to sense it with his mind, but he could no longer establish any connection. His core suddenly trembled, and a Golden Radiance Sword condensed from spiritual power appeared in his hand once more.

Ge Qian smiled faintly. “Where is the sword?”

Golden light blazed in Gu Tian’s eyes. “The sword is me, and I am the sword. Man and sword are one. There is no Golden Radiance Sword in this world—there is only Gu Tian. Gu Tian is the sword!”

As soon as he finished speaking, an aura of incomparable sharpness erupted from his body. It shot through the firmament and soared into the clouds. The Golden Radiance Sword concealed in Ge Qian’s hand returned to Gu Tian’s dantian.

Gu Tian dropped to his knees with a thud. “Master, please accept this disciple’s bow! I have finally broken through the bottleneck and achieved unity between man and sword. I can now enter seclusion and attack the Infant Transformation stage.”

Ge Qian reached out and helped him to his feet. “There is no need to be so polite, Senior Brother. I also cultivate the Way of the Sword, and I have gained some understanding of it. It is only natural that I should be able to help. Besides, the Celestial Star Sect will soon gain another cultivator at the Infant Transformation stage. That is a blessing for the sect.”

Gu Tian rose to his feet. His weathered face was filled with gratitude. “If there is ever anything you need from me, Junior Brother, do not hesitate to ask. I will pass through fire and water for you, even if it means dying ten thousand deaths.”

“Very well, Senior Brother. You must know that the Black Tortoise Continent has recently been swept by turbulent currents, and a great upheaval is about to occur. If we wish to survive, strength is of paramount importance. You should enter seclusion without worry. When the time comes for you to act, I will not stand on ceremony. I have an important matter to attend to, so I will not disturb you any longer. Farewell.”

Ge Qian cupped his fists.

Gu Tian returned the gesture and saw him off. Just then, a deafening roar echoed across the sky above the Celestial Star Sect.

“Fellow Daoist Starwind, Po Zhan of the Beast Taming Sect has come to pay his respects!”

Gu Tian’s heart jolted. “It is Po Zhan, that merciless demon who has committed countless despicable and shameless crimes. He is at the late Infant Transformation stage and the foremost of the Beast Taming Sect’s Supreme Elders. Why has he come to our Celestial Star Sect? Whatever the reason, it cannot be anything good.”

Ge Qian nodded. “There is a saying in the mortal world: when a night cat enters the house, it never comes bearing good news. An old monster at the Infant Transformation stage is not someone we can oppose. The Sect Master will deal with him.”

“Exactly. Once the Sect Master’s Celestial Star Sword appears, who could possibly contend with it? I think Po Zhan has merely come to humiliate himself,” Gu Tian said confidently, his voice full of admiration.

At that moment, a melodious voice like heavenly music rang out, carrying a pressure that made the soul tremble.

“I wondered who was shouting so boisterously. So it is the murderous demon, Po Zhan. A guest is always welcome. Wait a moment, and the High Priest will receive you personally.”