Volume One: Youthful Encounters in Subtle Times Chapter 107: The Sword of the Sword Saint, the Path of the Nethersea

The elders of the great sects had all arrived, with the elders of the five great families of Tianmen Town gathering early on one side. They were not merely waiting for time to pass, but also for those ancient, hidden monsters lurking in the shadows.

The only elder missing from the sects was the ancient figure from the Li family.

Some people, even when destined to make an appearance, insist on raising the stakes beforehand, casting themselves in bold, vivid strokes, as if only by doing so can they truly assert their identity and distinction.

Fortunately, the wait was not long. Soon after everyone else had arrived, the last expected figures made their tardy entrance.

To everyone’s slight surprise, three representatives from the Li family appeared this time.

Two men and one woman: one man was elderly, his hair graying and face deeply lined with wrinkles, embodying the very image of an ancestral elder.

The other man was in his prime, with jet-black hair, smooth and youthful skin, and a rosy complexion. Were it not for his sudden appearance now, no one would have guessed he was an ancient being who had cultivated for over a thousand years.

As for the woman, her upkeep was impeccable. She looked no older than a vibrant young woman in her twenties, radiating an energetic vitality unique to youth.

It is known that even cultivators, skilled in preservation, cannot indefinitely maintain their appearance or retain the original mindset and vigor of a certain age against the ravages of time.

Yet this woman before them was clearly a twenty-something, seemingly unscathed by the trials of the world.

This led to a silent speculation: Could she be a reincarnation undergoing cultivation anew?

When the three arrived, the woman led the way, flanked by the middle-aged man on her left and the elder on her right. It became clear to all that this youngest woman held the highest status among the three—and indeed among the Li family representatives present.

Seeing this, Li Zhonghong hurried forward with the Li family members to pay their respects. The woman waved them off before saying a word, then led the two men directly to face the ancient monsters.

With an air of command and lofty arrogance, she addressed the monsters, “We may begin.”

Though inwardly displeased, the other ancient beings had to swallow their pride in deference to the three from the Li family, accepting their attitude in silence.

Modi of the Beast Sect stepped forward, “Elders, we need to lure out the Netherfiend Beast, extract its blood, and use that blood to transform the ethereal Tianmen into a tangible form.”

The middle-aged man from the Li family asked calmly, “What must be done?”

Modi quickly presented a detailed plan he had prepared in advance. As everyone examined the scheme displayed in the sky, understanding dawned upon them.

Once everyone finished, Modi asked, “Are there any further questions?”

No one voiced objections—except for the most crucial: who would act as the bait to lure out the Netherfiend Beast?

The Netherfiend Beast was no ordinary demon beast, nor could it be called a mere monster. To tempt it forth required extraordinary power; otherwise, it would simply become its prey, swallowed without a trace.

Everyone tacitly wished to avoid being the bait. Yet without someone taking that first step, no matter how brilliant their plan, it would remain unfulfilled.

In the end, the Blade Saint, seeing that no one else volunteered, stepped forward of his own accord.

Everyone tacitly accepted his choice and wholeheartedly agreed, “If the Blade Saint acts as the bait, there is at least a chance of survival, and he can strike the Netherfiend Beast with maximum force upon encounter.”

With all arrangements settled, the group proceeded together to the site where Tianmen would manifest.

Li Yu and his companions had long since selected a good hiding spot. Protected by an old fisherman, Li Yu was at ease. The others, elite cultivators from various sects, even if discovered, would only be regarded as bystanders, safe from mortal danger.

As Li Yu glimpsed the three Li family elders leading their contingent from afar, a flash of bitter hatred crossed his eyes. No one knew who had orchestrated Li Yu’s escape from the Li family all those years ago.

This was one of the reasons Li Yu chose to collaborate with Li Xiyan.

Previously, cultivation had been impossible for him, forcing him to endure hardship silently, internalizing his resentment alone. But now, seeing a path to cultivation, he intended to repay those past sufferings when the opportunity arose.

Li Xiyan was the first step in his plan.

An old saying goes: a centipede may die but not collapse; yet if the Li family were to fracture from within, no matter how powerful, it would inevitably fall apart.

Zhang Yue of the Beast Sect understood clearly that the situation had grown beyond mere internal strife within the Beast Sect. The scope now exceeded anything she could perceive. Regardless of her curiosity, she had to suppress it, becoming invisible and unobtrusive to survive amid the turbulent undercurrents.

She understood from the heart that Li Yu was no simple man, nor someone to be trifled with. Even now, he knew how to turn strength against strength. If given time to truly cultivate, to sharpen his mind, power, and connections, she would not be his match.

Such a person must be befriended, never made an enemy.

All present were well aware that others lurked in secret, except for the concealed location of the Abyssal Trench, which remained undiscovered.

They all feigned ignorance, seeing those hidden figures as insignificant pests. For now, opening Tianmen was the paramount task.

Soon, they reached the cliff’s edge. The surface of the Netherfiend Sea roared with raging waves, each swell larger than the last, bellowing fiercely as it battered the shore. The spray seemed capable of dragging anyone into the depths.

Beneath the furious sea’s surface, unseen, a Netherfiend Beast lurked with predatory eyes. Its gaze pierced through the water, fixed relentlessly on the people at the shore. No one could guess its thoughts.

Both sides waited, watching who would make the first move.

Finally, the human cultivators could no longer restrain themselves. After gathering his strength, the Blade Saint ignored all expectant gazes and soared into the air, flying toward the Netherfiend Sea.

Drawing his great blade from his back—it was an ordinary blade forged from common cold iron worth only a few taels of silver—he wielded it with a power that made it extraordinary.

Once unsheathed, he emanated a chill like a thousand-year-old ice, sharp and daunting.

Without any flourish, he swung the blade down hard onto the sea’s surface.

In an instant, the water was cleaved open, forming a deep trench. The sea parted to both sides, remarkably without closing back.

Though others could wield a blade, none could part the sea so that the waters remained separated.

Those most impressed by this were Xie Tong and Lu Ming from the Great Sword Green Mountain sect, along with Ling Daoist hiding in the void, and Li Yu, who had learned the “Questioning Heaven” sword technique created by Ling Daoist.

Xie Tong mused quietly, “His blade technique is likely only one step from transcending the ordinary and entering the saintly realm—the final stage being a return to simplicity.”

Lu Ming lacked such insight but admired the Blade Saint’s decisiveness and ruthlessness—the blade struck with no intention of turning back.

Such was the path of the Blade Saint’s blade.

Ling Daoist viewed it more simply, for his own cultivation and mastery of the Way had reached the stage of returning to simplicity—the highest attainable level in the mortal world.

He saw that the Blade Saint had entered an extraordinary realm, likely here seeking an opportunity to return to simplicity himself.

In other words, he was concealing his true strength.

This made Ling Daoist all the more intrigued. Over the years at Tianmen Town, he had understood these people well, though he had paid little heed before, confident he controlled the entire situation.

Now, he found it fascinating that the Blade Saint was hiding his cultivation before others, making his true purpose very worthy of investigation.

Li Yu’s cultivation was insufficient. Even with the “Questioning Heaven” sword technique taught by Ling Daoist, he remained an outsider.

Yet his gray eyes could perceive the flux of yin and yang. The Blade Saint’s blade path revealed to him a wondrous truth: the separation of yin and yang within the natural world itself.

Indeed, to Li Yu, the reason the sea water could not close again was that the Blade Saint had separated the yin and yang energies within the water.

But this puzzled him. Hadn’t his master said Tianmen Town, including the Netherfiend Sea, was a place devoid of the Way? The only innate Way present was the Netherfiend Way unique to the sea.

He had deduced this after their last fishing trip.

So why could the Blade Saint invoke the yin and yang Way in the Netherfiend Sea, where it supposedly did not exist?

Though his face betrayed no emotion, a startling thought emerged: Could the Netherfiend Way be the fundamental source from which the yin and yang Way evolved?

This idea rapidly took root and grew in his mind.

Ling Daoist, watching his young disciple, knew he had guessed correctly and smiled faintly.

“Little Fish, you truly amaze your master!”

Only Ling Daoist knew that what others might never discover in a lifetime was now beginning to reveal itself to Li Yu, bringing immense benefits for his future cultivation.

In truth, Ling Daoist had long refrained from teaching Li Yu cultivation precisely because of his exceptional nature.

Li Yu was too different. Thus, Ling Daoist had always considered deeply how best to guide him.

Though uncertain whether his chosen path was ultimately good or ill for Li Yu, it now seemed to be the right one.