Chapter 337: Chapter 60: Famous Flowers, Beauties, Sword
A blue butterfly danced through the mountains and forests, seemingly slow yet actually swift, fluttering unsteadily from the waist of the mountain all the way to the foot, flying into the bamboo grove, and alighting on the eaves of the Tingfeng Pavilion.
There, it stopped, lying on the corner of the eaves like an inanimate object, quietly waiting.
When several incomplete shadows appeared in the distance, and a gloomy and vast Qi Mechanism emerged, the blue butterfly gently fluttered its wings and flew away slowly.
The time had come.
...
...
The elder dressed in brocade suddenly stopped and thoughtfully looked towards the distant pavilion.
The people behind him also stopped immediately, with one of them, a leader, asking, "Great Grandmaster, is there something amiss?"
"It’s just the attention of an old friend," the Grandmaster said offhandedly and withdrew his gaze.
Although the Dream Butterfly was indeed magical, it was ultimately a Fifth Grade Daoist Artifact, and Jiang Li had not yet accommodated the Dao Fruit within it. He could hide it from others, but not from experts like the Grandmaster.
However, the Grandmaster seemed to have a slight misunderstanding about this attention.
’It’s you who are watching me, Great Sacrificial Officer,’ he thought, and reaching out his hand, he said, "Show me the order."
The leading person from the Southern Heavenly Department immediately took out the received order and handed it to the Grandmaster.
The Grandmaster opened it and saw the words "thorough investigation," and he immediately understood the Emperor’s intention.
’The Emperor is indeed dissatisfied with the Jiang family’s child, excellent. First, he caused the Prince to be severely injured, and then led to the death of my junior in the same place; I will make sure you pay back with interest.’
Anger and killing intent boiled in the Grandmaster’s heart.
With the Emperor’s command, he could directly enter the Imperial College and take away those related to the assault case; how to deal with them afterward was entirely up to him.
Thinking of this, the Grandmaster waved his hand and led the group towards the Imperial College with a fierce momentum.
...
...
The architecture of the Imperial College rose from low to high, the closer to the mountaintop, the more important it was.
Invisible Sword Light shuttled between the halls and pavilions, avoiding the main paths and moving through secluded areas, gradually approaching the summit.
Although Elder Kaixiang had left the Imperial College a Jiazi ago, he was still familiar with the layout of the college’s buildings; before coming here, he had drawn a simple sketch to keep Jiang Li from losing his way.
The sketch was a little too simple, making Jiang Li need to identify the paths carefully.
The invisible Vast Qi around him grew denser, even from invisible to visible at times, occasionally condensing into white mist, drifting with the wind.
At this location, those with hostility towards the Imperial College would be suppressed by the Vast Qi to the greatest extent, and those unable to resist could even faint or endanger their lives. Not only that, but those harboring malicious intent would also be honed by the Vast Qi, and even the Imperial College Scholar could be affected.
It seemed that Imperial College used this to determine the heart of the scholars and to teach them accordingly.
’Fortunately, I am a person of clear skies and bright moons, a person of impeccable character, so this Vast Qi can’t suppress me.’
With Heavenly Escape Sword Intent, Jiang Li cut off the distractions in his heart, carrying the Daoist Heart Pure Yang. As his Sword Light moved about, he wasn’t exactly thriving but also not oppressed.
As he said, he was a good person. Although he did not practice the Confucian Dao, he was upright in nature and naturally unafraid of the influence of Vast Qi.
On the contrary, those with ulterior motives would be suppressed by the Vast Qi upon their arrival here, hence the Grandmaster and the people from the Southern Heavenly Department could not come to this place.
It’s not that the Imperial College can suppress the Grandmaster with Vast Qi alone, but it would be against propriety. If the Imperial College is to receive outsiders, it certainly needs to be at a lower elevation.
In other words, the Imperial College Sacrificial Officer would temporarily stay in the middle of the mountain.
This was the opportunity Jiang Li was waiting for.
Approaching the summit, the Great Circle Sword entered a forest of pine and cypress. Ahead, sturdy pines and cypresses stood, with white mist swirling among them, faintly carrying the scent of flowers.
’No wonder Ming Yang said that apart from a few people, no one else was allowed to enter; it turns out it’s because of this. The density of Vast Qi here is enough to purge most of the Imperial College scholars—they can’t come not because they aren’t allowed, but because even if they do, they can’t enter.’
’As for the exceptions Ming Yang mentioned, I suppose it’s about temporarily opening up the Vast Qi.’
’He only told me half the story, his caution is not small. Unfortunately...’
Vast Qi may ward off the petty but not the noble; with it, there’s no need for other precautions.
And as it happens, Jiang is one such noble.
Sword Light manifested, and a faint silhouette slowly took form.
This was Jiang Li’s Primordial Spirit.
Since Jiang Li had cultivated his Primordial Spirit, he truly possessed the ability of Soul Emergence. He placed his Primordial Spirit on the Great Circle Sword, with no Sword Light and no trace of him, not even detected by Ming Yang who was guarding outside.
Now that Jiang Li had appeared, his silhouette floated lightly, and Sword Light traveled around him; within three steps, he crossed the forest.
Floral fragrance hit him, a rich blend with at least a dozen different scents, yet ahead, there were no flowers to be seen, only a pavilion towering on the edge of a cliff.
Jiang Li pressed his hand onto the Sword Light, and the Great Circle Sword was in his grasp, containing a purple star shining brightly within, the Ziwei Star.
This sword was not only where Jiang Li’s Primordial Spirit resided, it also had impressive Mystic Techniques from Tianxuan inscribed; whenever needed, Tianxuan could provide "Ziwei and Tianfu, the power of assistance" from across the distances and could even use the Void Illusion Realm to directly replace him in battle.
The safety factor was maxed out.
Jiang Li’s Primordial Spirit, carrying the sword on his back, moved smoothly towards the attic’s main door like a piece of refined bamboo.
There is a saying in the True Words of Confucianism, "The Master does not speak of strange powers and chaotic gods," which implies that although there are elements in Confucian cultivation techniques similar to magic, such as "Word Follows Law" and "Junzi Wind," Confucian practice does not actually cultivate magic.
This also meant that there were no prohibitions here.
The pervasive Vast Qi was likely there to serve as a substitute for prohibitions.
Jiang Li, together with his sword, passed straight through the main door into the building, where the source of that rich fragrance finally appeared before him.
A giant painting hung right in the center of the first-floor hall, dropped down like a curtain. On it, countless flowers bloomed in glory: spring peaches, autumn chrysanthemums, summer orchids, and winter plums—all the flowers of the seasons were there, red as fire, pink as dawn, white as snow, stunningly magnificent.
Thousands of purple and a myriad of red hues were densely arranged, yet not chaotically, all clustering around a central beauty.
The beauty held a long sword in her hands; though clearly a still painting, Jiang Li felt as though he was seeing her dance with the sword, graceful and full of charm.
Flowers and beauty—a masterpiece indeed.
The floral fragrance was indeed emanating from this painting.
It seemed that the legendary Great Scholar was not the sort of stereotypical scholar the masses imagined, but rather a passionate and unrestrained man.
Just as Jiang Li laid eyes on this painting of flowers and beauty, he suddenly lost all sense of the surrounding environment, as if he were in a void, darkness all around, strands of cause and effect emerging.
One of these strands suddenly lit up, with luminescence stretching from Jiang Li’s end to the other, connecting to this exquisite painting.
This scene flickered in and out, and in an instant, Jiang Li could see the flowers and beauty again, the inside of the building.
Everything seemed like an illusion, but the scene from moments ago was firmly imprinted in Jiang Li’s mind.
This was cause and effect, the cause and effect between Jiang Li and Ji Jiji, between Jiang Li and this painting.
Jiang Li now understood why Ji Jiji’s words were so enigmatic, speaking in riddles without rhyme or reason. The key wasn’t in the riddle, but in the cause and effect.
When Jiang Li encountered the other end of the cause and effect line, he would not need to search further; the cause and effect would guide him—
He had found it.
The giant painting before him seemed to expand a thousandfold, the purple and red hues transformed from two-dimensional to three-dimensional, and the beauty in the painting seemed to step from illusion to reality as her sword shifted smoothly, swiftly unleashing countless crimson Sword Lights, each flitting into view.
It was like a spring breeze scattering peach blossoms, swords like flowers, Qi like tides, resplendently free.
Was it an illusion? Reality?
It was an attack!
Jiang Li’s gaze stirred, and Sword Qi arose—countless invisible Sword Lights penetrated a myriad of crimson peach blossoms, distinctly a Sword Light Division.
Ten thousand splendid beings turned to mud, and the Heavenly Escape Sword Qi converged into one, forming a Sword Rainbow that carried Jiang Li himself into the Sword Light.
Man and Sword Integration!
He had refined the Great Circle Sword with his Dao Fruit Ability, "Sky-reaching Spirit Sword," where the sword was the man, and the man was the sword. Now, with the transformation of his Primordial Spirit, the Great Circle Sword Qi merged with the Qi around him, morphing all Qi Mechanisms into Sword Qi, truly achieving no distinction between man and sword. The Sword Rainbow pierced the heavens, sweeping away the countless scattered petals, making a beeline for the beauty.
It was a classic Sword Cultivator combat style, breaking through the opponent’s moves in one continuous motion, turning the sword into a long rainbow, intolerably sharp, overwhelmingly powerful.
The technique was broken instantly, and the Sword Rainbow pierced through the air, with the beauty showing not the slightest concern, brandishing her sword to clear the way, Sword Qi turning to wind. It was as if an autumn wind had arrived overnight—bleak and solemn, thousands of yellow chrysanthemums blooming with sharp intent to kill.
"When autumn comes on the eighth month, my flowers bloom and all others perish."
The beauty spoke, her voice chilling and cold, as if she truly transformed into a real person, with no hint of being just a painting.
Chilling lights of death, beauty revealed in extremity, the Sword Rainbow intersected with thousands of chrysanthemums, and amidst the whirl, a clang rang out.
"Clang!"
The Sword Rainbow struck the long sword, chrysanthemums shattered, yellow flowers wilted—the unstoppable blow of Man and Sword Integration passed through the opposing blade, causing the beauty’s form to tremble violently.
"Traverse snow in search of plums."
She retreated step by step, and stockings raised dust; claiming to search for plums, she instead caused plum blossoms to spring forth with each step, every Sword Qi turning into frosty plums blocking Jiang Li’s way.
But Jiang Li’s response was just one word—charge.
The Sword Rainbow swept away the frosty plums, and in an instant, the sword divided, thousands of Sword Lights bursting forth.
The beauty was quick to react, her swordplay shifted, and she raised the long sword vertically, emitting solitude, like a lone plum tree in raging wind and snow, defiantly blooming, thousands of sword shadows filing the sky, yet that long sword stood unwaveringly, blocking the barrage of Sword Light.
"What night is this?"
The beauty sang again, her voice melodious, pulling at strands of emotion, her Sword Intent enveloping Jiang Li’s heart, softening resolve.
However—
"Clang!"
Jiang Li’s swordplay did not weaken but intensified; Sword Light like thunderous storms, assaulting without relent on a cluster of frosty plums, causing the blossoms to scatter, the long sword to shatter.
He swept away all external Sword Intent with his Heavenly Escape Sword Intent, his heart’s sharpness undiminished, adding an even fiercer decisiveness.
’Don’t you know I am wholeheartedly devoted to my master and senior sister?’
’You dare disturb my mind?’
A chilling resolve filled his heart, and Sword Light reflected off the beauty’s delicate face. In a sudden flash, the face split into two.