The night was dark with the moon high, the mountains were pitch black with almost no light at all. The gullies and pits on the ground couldn’t be seen, and one might easily sprain an ankle, tumbling over.
Fortunately, Tang Tong had learned a bit of skill in these nine years, so his arithmetic wasn’t too bad. With the help of the fire stick and the sword light of Qingshuang, the two of them finally found an old dilapidated temple.
Tie Dan held up Qingshuang, the blade glimmering with a clear radiance, shining into the old temple.
The clay idols on the shrine had long been smashed, and the plaques and peach talismans in the temple were all chopped and burned as firewood. It was hard to see whether it was the Mountain God Temple or the Land God Temple.
But judging by the structure of the hall, it was ultimately where the Demon Palace had granted a decree to the Guardian Spirit of Qian Country, number one on the Divine List back in the day.
Of course, now Qian Country had been completely leveled, leaving nothing but emptiness, completely turned over. Naturally, the shrine in such a remote mountain temple was also completely shattered.
However, places specially set for altars and temples were naturally carefully chosen, usually being geomantic treasures, spirit vein qi caves, mountain ridge earth veins, Cave Heaven Blessed Lands, and other spiritual qi hubs. Some places even sealed and suppressed Demon God Beasts. Tang Tong found this spiritual core by patrolling the mountain’s earth vein spiritual qi flow.
"Do you know how to paint Exorcism Talismans? Don’t know how to paint talismans? Fine, no need to ask. Shine the light over here a bit more."
So Tie Dan directed the sword light over, watching Tang Tong kneel on the ground, using a wolf hair brush dipped in saliva and vermillion to paint the talismans.
These talismans were all made with one qi, drawn in one stroke, and when completed, a spray of Daoist energy would be applied. Sticking it on the beam or doorpost would activate it, glowing with golden brilliance.
To ordinary people’s eyes, it might seem useless, but with the Dharma Eye or when the Primordial Spirit emerges, the talismans appear brilliantly golden, connecting with the earth vein spiritual qi, blazing fiercely, transforming into a large golden fire seal, illuminating the void.
Those chaotic demons, evil spirits, would be harmed by such exorcism and soul-suppressing talismans, killed upon sight.
Even particularly powerful demons, skilled ghosts, would not dare to approach from afar.
Not to say that these talismans were really invincible, capable of instantly defeating a boss. Rather, any boss who has cultivated for hundreds or thousands of years isn’t a fool. With such a huge Mystic Sect talisman seal hanging at the door, are you blind, or do you insist on barging in? Do you have a death wish?
Tie Dan, seeing the range of the talisman, also stepped on the beams, running along the rafters, and hung three Exorcism Talismans on the hall, forming a triangle to enclose the two within the core and tucked one more in his chest.
Tang Tong was puzzled, "Why? They have a time limit."
Tie Dan said, "Just in case."
Tang Tong was speechless and let him be. Haven’t you heard, if you want something, take it, kill anyone in the way, what reason is there to talk to such people?
Watching Tang Tong find a plank, pat it clean, lie down, and turn over to sleep.
Tie Dan also sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to rest...
Suddenly! Tie Dan flipped up, leaped onto the beam!
Tang Tong was startled, "What, what are you doing!"
Tie Dan squatted on the beam, listened closely, then jumped down again.
"A wild beast, it went around."
"...Really?"
Tang Tong didn’t sense anything, feeling doubtful, he lay down and closed his eyes...
"Swoosh!"
Tie Dan jumped again, landing on the windowsill, drawing Qingshuang.
Tang Tong was startled,
"What, what is it again!"
Tie Dan held his breath and listened for a while, then jumped back to sit.
"A bird, flew away."
Tang Tong just silently looked at him.
Tie Dan silently met his gaze.
The two of them stared at each other for a while.
Tie Dan suddenly drew his sword with a "swoosh!"
The fierce light flashed across his face, startling Tang Tong so much that he flipped over like a somersault, his head hitting the plank and rolling in pain!
Then Tie Dan listened carefully again, put the sword away.
"It’s raining."
"You’re messing with me!?"
Tang Tong jumped up!
Tie Dan just watched him.
Then drip drop, the rain pattered on the broken temple’s tiles.
It was raining...
Tang Tong fell silent, left with no choice but to sit back down in disbelief.
Being tossed about like this, he couldn’t sleep at all...
So Tie Dan initiated conversation with him.
"Who was that person?"
"What person?"
Tie Dan pointed to his shoulder.
"Oh," Tang Tong murmured, "True Monarch of Tian Shou of Zhengyao, the Sword Wielder from Heavenly Authority Peak."
Tie Dan frowned,
"Zhengyao? Vice Star? Sword Wielder Brother."
"How do you not know anything... Do you know Ziwei Doushu, it’s centered on Ziwei as the main star, with eleven Main Stars and seven Vice Stars.
In the days of Beichen Guards, they referred to themselves as eighteen flying stars, meaning to guard Ziwei, and now it’s the division of the inner and outer mountains."
Tang Tong, troubled by this guy’s antics, couldn’t sleep either and had to squint his eyes, telling him about the rules of the Honzan.
"Nowadays, our Beichen Sword Sect, the Peak of Nine Yin, corresponds to the Beidou Seven Stars, along with the Left Assistant and Right Assistant, totaling as the Nine Peak Sword Masters. They’ve refined the Nine Luminaries Divine Sword and reached the Divinity Transformation Realm as Sword Monarchs. All affairs, big or small in the mountain are discussed by the Nine Peak Sword Masters together, with the Sect Leader making the final decision.
If there are more Divine Monarchs, they can participate in Cloud Platform Sword Fighting to win or lose, competing for the position of Peak Master. However, sword competitions at the Cloud Platform in the past led to too many deaths. Moreover, Divine Monarchs in the Divinity Transformation Realm often go into seclusion to forge swords, so the nine peaks are usually short on people.
If there is a vacancy for the position of Peak Master, a senior sword transmission disciple in the Nascent Soul Realm from under that Peak Master will be selected to act as Sword Wielder Brother and manage mountain affairs, whether it’s by consensus or sword fighting is up to each peak until the realm is advanced to fill the position. Unless there isn’t any direct sword transmission disciple left, then the peaks would have a sword fight for it.
Then beneath the nine peaks, the pillars of the sect are known as Honzan’s Eleven Main Stars and Seven Vice Stars, the eighteen Flying Star True Monarchs.
These Flying Star True Monarchs have refined a sword infant and received sword transmission in the Nascent Soul Realm as True Men. When there’s a vacancy, Cloud Platform Sword Fighting is held to compete for the position.
But as I said, every time there’s Cloud Platform Sword Fighting, our sect’s core disciples suffer heavy casualties, causing serious internal friction.
That’s why now there are nine Eleven Main Stars, Tianxu, Tiangui, Tianyin, Tianshou, Tianku, Tianquan, Tianfu, Tianlu, Tianqin, all held by senior disciples under the Nine Peak Sword Masters. If there’s a vacancy for Peak Master later, they’re the ones to fill it. This has become a set rule. The remaining Hongluan and Wenchang stars are contended by the other sword transmission disciples of the nine peaks.
As for the seven Vice Star positions Tianzhang, Tianyi, Maotou, Tianren, Tianxing, Tianzao, Tianku, they’re still competed for by outer mountain disciples. Of course, the Flying Star Immortal Fate is rare, so if any Honzan’s disciple wishes, they can join in the Vice Star sword fighting, but if so, they’d be assigned to outer mountains to guard, not train in Honzan."
Seeing Tie Dan with a blank expression, seemingly not understanding, Tang Tong supplemented,
"Becoming one of our Sword Sect’s eighteen Flying Stars not only grants offerings in the Daoist field but also allows entry to the Sword Pavilion to select a sword and the opportunity to observe and comprehend the Heavenly Book passed down by Xuan Nu."
"Heavenly Book!"
Tie Dan squinted his eyes sharply,
"What is the Heavenly Book?"
Tang Tong almost fell over,
"What could it be! Aren’t they the nine Heavenly Books passed down by Xuan Nu, recording all her life’s learning!
Our nine major sects, with thousands of Daoist inheritances, all evolved from these nine Heavenly Books!
But you don’t have to aim too high and indulge in daydreams. Without Divinity Transformation Realm cultivation and Five Arts Grandmaster Realm, one can’t understand it.
It’s been said that even if placed right in front, it looks like a blank sheet, hence why it’s called Wordless Heavenly Scripture."
So that’s how it is, even the Faceless Immortal Jade is unintelligible, so when everyone finds it unreadable, it’s just called the Heavenly Book...
Tang Tong yawned,
"So you understand now, don’t keep going on about Honzan and outer mountain. Only the Nine Peak Sword Masters and the Eleven Main Stars truly count as Honzan.
We are just those chopping wood and sweeping the grounds. Always with a sullen face, like someone owes you something."
Tie Dan looked at him,
"What’s chopping wood about."
"Chopping wood is just chopping wood."
Tang Tong smacked his lips, took out the waist card from his chest, the one he got earlier from the bear, and tossed it for Tie Dan to see,
"While the Pill Furnace refines elixirs and the Sword Furnace simmers swords, someone has to burn firewood. Demonic beasts, jade treasures, and spiritual materials, all can be used as spirit firewood. We pick up firewood at the mountain’s foot, and when we’ve collected enough resources, we’re allowed to train on the mountain.
Hmph, chopping firewood used to be taken turns by Ninth Peak disciples, and it took five of us over a month to fill the quota. But you, you came in and killed the other four; let’s see how long I’ll be chopping."
Tie Dan picked up that waist card and looked at it; it’s made of fine iron, engraved with the words ‘Kaiyang.’
"Kaiyang... are you disciples of Kaiyang Peak?"
Wasn’t it Yao Guang...
"Newly entered, still not passed down the sword, nor renamed as Sword Attendant, what kind of disciple are they? We’re merely temporarily residing at the foot of Kaiyang Peak, serving as servants for the people on the peak."
"We have to forge a sword embryo and wait for a Cloud Platform Competition to ascend the nine peaks to achieve first place and become one of the nine Daoists chosen every sixty years. Only then it’s considered having true Immortal Fate, and we can bow into the nine peaks, claiming as sword transmission disciples of the Sword Sect."
Having said so much, Tang Tong didn’t feel sleepy anymore, and his curiosity was piqued,
"You say your master is Vice Star True Monarch Tianku? Then he’s also one of the eighteen Flying Star True Monarchs, an elite of our sect.
Why doesn’t he teach you these basics?"
Unexpectedly, Tie Dan turned on his side, turning his face away without speaking again.
Tang Tong was so angry he could die.

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