Chapter 21: "The Free and Easy Wandering"

But the person before him appeared no more than a small child, perhaps five or six years old, clad in a pale blue robe. Jet-black hair was neatly tied back, and every gesture and movement exuded an unusual aura.

The head of the Gonggong Sect was shocked, yet his hands never ceased their actions. Even if the child possessed the level of a transformed spirit, what cultivation could such a young one have achieved? What profound understanding of the Dao could they possibly hold?

Merging spirit with heaven and earth, the ice spring beside him stirred once more, instantly freezing over, sealing the eagle sword within. Noon was drawing near, and if the opponent seized it, years of effort by the Nong family would be wasted.

"Ice is but water; its essence remains unchanged. How can it block me?"

Descending from the void, the child lightly stepped onto the frozen ice spring, sensing the eagle sword beneath his feet. A faint blue mystical light surged from underfoot, enveloping the entire ice spring in an instant. The world seemed to shift and then fall into stillness.

With a wave of his hand pressed downward, the previously frozen ice spring immediately returned to its original state. At a mere thought, he gestured for his own Confucian companions to retreat, treading upon the waves as they awaited the arrival of noon.

"The heavens and earth grow dim, purest power unleashed!"

The Gonggong Sect leader whispered in astonishment, feeling the immense pressure of the void pressing upon him. Watching the ice spring restore itself, he could not have imagined that such a small child had mastered two rare Daoist arts.

The dimming of heaven and earth was a supreme technique of the Daoist Heavenly Sect. Once deployed, it cut off all interference; only those with strength far beyond the caster or those who had achieved perfect harmony with all things could break through it.

Under this veil, no external force could penetrate. Observing the child now fully controlling the ice spring, the Gonggong Sect leader’s expression shifted again as he sensed two more formidable auras emerging on either side. The mystical light swirling around him grew more violent.

"Daoist Heavenly Sect’s Chi Songzi and the Human Sect’s Mu Shanzi! Never expected you two to appear here today. What’s this? Even you, who pride yourselves on transcending the mundane, wish to seize my Nong family’s treasure?"

The arrival of these two sect leaders dashed any hope the Gonggong Sect leader had of reclaiming the eagle sword today. Three transformed spirit cultivators, all from the same source and gathered together, their combined might was beyond his capacity.

Though the Daoist disciples were few, each was highly skilled and spoke with icy resolve. Even if they could not match the three transformed spirits in combat, many Nong family disciples remained by his side. Together, employing the Earth and Marsh twenty-four formations, they might still put up a fierce fight.

“Haha, you jest. The Dao emphasizes destiny. Today, my junior brother has broken through to transformation, and two sharp weapons have appeared here. Is this not perfect timing? There are only a hundred or so breaths until noon.”

“Gonggong Sect leader, taking the Eagle Sword today is a favor the Dao owes your Nong family, which we will repay in time!”

Chi Songzi smiled broadly, wind swirling beneath his feet as he appeared at the foot of Tiger Leaping Gorge. Gazing upon Luo Wang’s group still locked in battle with the Zhao kingdom warriors, he shook his head slightly before turning to the nearby Gonggong Sect leader.

Seizing the sword so recklessly might be improper, but today the sword was already decided. His words were gentle, but carried an undeniable weight. Glancing at his junior brother above the ice spring, who was still casting the dimming of heaven and earth, he nodded faintly.

“A favor? In all the lands of the Nine Xia, there is nothing our Nong family cannot accomplish. Even among the Hundred Schools, no one else can do this. Though you are strong, the Nong family is no pushover. Nong disciples, Earth and Marsh twenty-four!”

Among the myriad schools, the Nong family was the strongest force. Daoists had long remained reclusive, seldom venturing into the world. An empty favor was mere pretense.

Now, only a few dozen Nong disciples remained here, six or seven at the innate realm. They could deploy the Earth and Marsh formation to resist a pair of transformed spirits. Even if the eagle sword were destroyed today, they would not allow it to fall to others.

“Yes!”

“...”

At these words, the Nong disciples, who had already retreated under the overwhelming energy fluctuations, shouted loudly. Then, their forms shifted gracefully, each taking a position. Using the twenty-four solar terms of the year as nodes, they forged the formation.

Nearly thirty Nong disciples combined to unleash the complete Earth and Marsh twenty-four formation. Its power multiplied dozens of times, the formation weaving invisibly with an overwhelming force, encircling Chi Songzi and Mu Shanzi.

“So this is the Earth and Marsh twenty-four?”

“Legend has it was inspired by the Divine Farmer’s insight into heaven and earth. Seeing it today, it is truly extraordinary. But our goal is not to battle you; we only seek to take the Eagle Sword!”

Melding spirit with heaven and earth, moving with primal force, Chi Songzi swiftly analyzed the formation’s shifts. This was the Nong family’s fundamental array, a source of countless victories over the ages.

Two people could deploy it; the more the participants, the stronger its power. Though the nearly thirty Nong disciples’ Earth and Marsh twenty-four was formidable, it was not enough to hold back two transformed warriors.

At a thought, Chi Songzi also unleashed the dimming of heaven and earth. In an instant, a hundred-meter radius was enveloped. His palm moved slightly, directly assaulting the formation’s nodes, breaking through with overwhelming force.

Beside him, Mu Shanzi waved his hand, lightly tapping the void. A series of condensed finger strikes swept out, causing the advancing Nong disciples to retreat. Time slipped by; a hundred or so breaths passed.

“Noon has arrived; the Eagle Sword should now manifest!”

Zhou Qing, who had been controlling the ice spring the entire time, refrained from interfering in his two senior brothers’ battle. Sensing the subtle shifts in the void, in a single moment the purest, most vigorous yang energy surged with tenfold intensity.

In an instant, Zhou Qing waved his hand, and a strangely shaped long sword burst forth from the ice spring. A hum surrounded him, and the void’s primal energy stirred. The sword shimmered with faint azure light.

Approximately two feet three inches in length, under Zhou Qing’s internal force it floated steadily before him. At a glance, sword qi twisted along its surface like autumn water, the blade clear as a mirror reflecting all.

Forged by the water-refining method, the blade exuded a subtle cold. The child’s delicate palm grasped it, internal force flowing through, fully holding the Eagle Sword. The hilt resembled two soaring eagle wings, though much reduced in scale. A careful touch revealed it was forged from five metals.

With spiritual awareness enhancing the blade, a series of high-pitched calls echoed continuously. The consciousness shifted, and a gigantic eagle appeared, soaring across the sky. Its wings spanned thirty feet, talons flexing freely, riding the wind like the legendary Kun of the Northern Ocean.

“In the Northern Ocean dwells a fish named Kun, which transforms into the bird Peng. It rides the wind, soaring ninety thousand li. Today, meeting me is your destiny. I possess Zhuangzi’s ‘Free and Easy Wandering,’ perfectly matching your will!”