NOVPUBT/N:
“Xuanyin” (玄阴, xuán yīn):
-玄 (xuán): “deep,” “profound,” “mysterious,” “Mystic”,etc…
-阴 (yīn): Represents the “yin” principle in the Yin-Yang duality. Yin is associated with darkness, cold, passivity, femininity, and the earth.
“Xuanyin” can be translated in a few ways: (I’ll use just Xuanyin)
The Profound Yin
The Mysterious Yin, etc
The Sword Palace stood near the Xuanyin Temple, nestled amidst tranquil surroundings and lush forests.
Deep within the Xuanyin Temple, a man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the distant celestial palace.
Since yesterday, many cultivators had attempted to enter the Sword Palace, but at least twenty Core Formation cultivators had been eliminated by the glowing swords.
As for Nascent Soul cultivators, they didn’t even have a chance to approach.
Whenever a Nascent Soul cultivator attempted to get near the Sword Palace, the 108 glowing swords surrounding it would stir, effectively deterring them.
It was clear that the Sword Palace was choosing its master, and Nascent Soul cultivators didn’t meet the requirements.
“Sect Master, should we send someone to investigate?” an attendant asked tentatively.
The Sword Palace was near the Xuanyin Temple. If they wanted to take action and enter the palace, they would be much faster than other cultivators.
However, the Xuanyin Temple’s Sect Master hadn’t made any moves, which puzzled the attendant.
Snapping out of his thoughts, the man shook his head. “Not yet. What happens outside is none of our concern.”
“If other factions in the Eastern Realm are interested in the Sword Palace, let them be.”
“I’m more concerned about another matter.”
He turned to the attendant and said, “The letter I instructed you to send to the Two Polarities Sect a few days ago, has there been a response?”
The man’s name was Lin Jing, the Sect Master of the Xuanyin Temple and one of the top forces among the Eastern Realm’s Primordial Clans.
Recently, he had heard from an elder about the Jade Empress reconstructing her Vessel and the possibility of a young cultivator being involved. He had written a letter to the Two Polarities Sect’s Book Pavilion.
The reason, of course, was related to his daughter, Lin Keyu.
Those with the Xuanyin Body were extremely frail before reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, prone to illness and fever. His daughter, despite her exceptional talent, had suffered greatly due to her Xuanyin Body since childhood.
And Mu Zhi’an’s Innate Celestial Furnace constitution was the perfect complement to her constitution.
Mu Zhi’an was the disciple of the Book Pavilion’s Peak Master. Lin Jing happened to have a good relationship with Yan Ruyu. If he could ask her to act as a matchmaker… Perhaps his daughter’s Xuanyin Body problem could be solved.
The attendant hesitated for a moment. “Pavilion Master Yan hasn’t responded yet.”
Lin Jing nodded slightly. “This is an important matter. Yan Ruyu has never taken a disciple before. The fact that she accepted Mu Zhi’an as her disciple shows that she’s quite fond of him. It’s understandable that she needs time to consider.”
After all, this was a matter of marriage. Even as Mu Zhi’an’s master, Yan Ruyu needed to discuss it with him.
However, his daughter’s status and background were more than enough to match Mu Zhi’an’s. Even if Mu Zhi’an didn’t agree, he should at least be willing to visit the Xuanyin Temple and meet them.
“Where’s Keyu?” Lin Jing suddenly asked.
“She’s still in her room,” the attendant replied respectfully.
Lin Jing sighed softly.
Ever since she learned about the letter he had sent to the Two Polarities Sect, Lin Keyu had been throwing a tantrum, shutting herself in her room to cultivate. She believed that she should decide her own marriage, not her parents.
After discovering that his letter contained a ‘proposal’, she had stopped talking to him.
“The young lady will understand your good intentions eventually,” the attendant said, trying to appease him.
Lin Jing waved his hand. “You may leave. Inform me if Yan Ruyu responds within the next few days.”
Then, he turned to enter the inner hall.
At that moment, a spy rushed in, his face pale. “Sect Master, the young lady is missing!”
Lin Jing abruptly turned around.
“A clan member saw her entering the Sword Palace, but it was too late to stop her,” the spy continued.
“Should we send someone to try and enter the Sword Palace?” the attendant asked tentatively.
Lin Jing remained silent for a moment, then sighed and waved his hand. “Forget it. You may all leave.”
His daughter rarely left the Xuanyin Temple. This time, she was likely acting out because of the ‘marriage’ issue.
In that case, he would let her be.
…
The Sword Palace.
It was a magnificent palace suspended in mid-air.
Its surface was made of indestructible black goldstone, and 108 glowing blades illuminated the ancient structure, attracting both envy and fear from the cultivators below.
By now, most cultivators were certain that the Sword Palace was ‘choosing its master’.
It was searching for a worthy successor, and the inheritances within, including the Sword Emperor’s ancestral sword, were likely still intact!
An ancestral artifact left behind by a Dao Integration cultivator, the Sword Emperor’s legacy, countless resources, cultivation techniques, and even the Sword Palace itself – these were all irresistible temptations.
Unfortunately, only those with sword talent could enter. Any other cultivator who dared to approach would be eliminated by the glowing blades.
This filled many with regret.
Cultivators hovered in the air on their swords, some eager to try their luck and enter the Sword Palace, others discussing the palace’s mysteries.
“At least a dozen talented disciples from the Primordial Clans have entered the Sword Palace. Whoever gains its recognition will truly be fortunate,” a cultivator sighed.
“Hey, you’ve seen how dangerous the Sword Palace is. It’s already so dangerous outside, who knows what awaits them inside? Gaining the Sword Palace’s recognition isn’t that easy.”
“What if all the cultivators who entered failed the trials and can’t come out?”
“If that happens, the Eastern Realm will be in chaos,” another cultivator said with a sigh.
Most of those who had entered the Sword Palace were talented disciples from the top Primordial Clans. These disciples were the future leaders of their clans. If they perished within the Sword Palace, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Look, someone else is flying towards the palace,” a cultivator suddenly said, pointing at three figures in the sky.
In the past two days, countless cultivators had been eliminated trying to enter the Sword Palace. Witnessing their deaths, most had calmed down.
These three were clearly newcomers, hence their recklessness.
“Tsk… Two of them are beautiful women. What a shame,” a cultivator lamented as he saw the women in the yellow and white dresses, his gaze then shifting to the Sword Palace’s glowing blades.
Recently, any cultivator who recklessly approached the Sword Palace would be eliminated by the blades as soon as they got within a certain distance.
“The glowing blades aren’t reacting… That means they must have been recognized by the Sword Palace,” the cultivator suddenly said.
Everyone looked up. The 108 glowing blades remained motionless as the three figures flew towards the Sword Palace.
This meant that they had passed the first trial and could officially enter the palace.
Those who could enter were likely prodigies from the Primordial Clans. Whispers spread throughout the crowd as they speculated about the identities of these three individuals.
…
Inside the Sword Palace.
Mu Zhi’an and the others, having entered the Sword Palace, were unaware of the events unfolding outside.
He looked around at the environment and couldn’t help but sigh, “I never thought it would be this easy to enter. I was expecting to be stopped.”
He hadn’t expected his sword talent to be recognized by the Sword Palace. After all, his ‘Heaven’s Envy’ title wasn’t about his talent but his Innate Celestial Furnace constitution.
Therefore, he had never considered himself to be particularly talented in combat.
Maybe this support can also be a carry… Mu Zhi’an thought to himself.
He turned to Bai Ruoxi and asked, “Ruoxi, is the bronze fragment reacting?”
Bai Ruoxi, dressed in a white palace dress, her ample bosom proudly on display, didn’t respond. She simply lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought.
“Ruoxi?” Mu Zhi’an gently caressed her face, snapping her out of her daze.
“Ah? What’s wrong?” She looked up at him with a confused expression.
“What’s wrong? You’ve been acting strange since we entered the Sword Palace,” Mu Zhi’an asked with concern. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Bai Ruoxi shook her head and forced a smile. “I’m fine… I just heard a woman’s voice echoing in my mind. It was distracting.”
“A voice?” Mu Zhi’an’s eyes flickered. “Do you know what she said?”
Bai Ruoxi shook her head. “The voice is gone now… I can’t remember what she said.”
A woman’s voice… Could it be the Sword Palace’s master?
Mu Zhi’an quickly dismissed the thought.
“Anyway, let’s go inside and take a look.”
Since they were already here, leaving now wouldn’t guarantee their safety from the glowing swords outside. It was better to explore further. If they encountered any problems, they could simply crush the jade slip and escape.
As a precaution, he had asked Yao Meng to create an extra jade slip yesterday. Each of them now carried one, allowing them to leave immediately if necessary.
They walked deeper into the Sword Palace’s main hall.
It was more like a courtyard than a hall.
Flowers of various colors bloomed everywhere, their beauty breathtaking.
As Mu Zhi’an walked through the courtyard, observing the flowers, a chill ran down his spine.
Something felt strange.
Why were there still living flowers within a Sword Palace that had been abandoned for tens of thousands of years…?
Logically, even the Sword Palace disciples should have vanished into the dust of history.
Unless… someone was still alive and tending to the flowers every day?
He quickly shook his head, not daring to think further.
Ahead of them stood a large rock formation with several characters engraved on it:
Heart-Asking Hall.
Leaving the courtyard, they walked along a seemingly endless corridor. After more than half an hour, they still hadn’t reached the end.
“This is strange… The Sword Palace didn’t look that big from the outside. How can a single courtyard be this vast?” Mu Zhi’an stopped, sensing something was wrong.
“Logically, there should be many others who have entered the Sword Palace… Where did they all go?” Wei Mengrou also felt puzzled, observing their surroundings.
Then, she tugged at Mu Zhi’an’s sleeve and pointed at the rock formation ahead.
Mu Zhi’an looked up and saw the three characters: Heart-Asking Hall.
His heart skipped a beat as he realized something.
They had been wandering in the same place the entire time, never leaving this area!
“It seems the trial began the moment we entered the Sword Palace.”
Mu Zhi’an quickly calmed down. He, Bai Ruoxi, and Wei Mengrou carefully examined the courtyard again. Finally, they noticed countless sword patterns engraved on the back of the rock formation.
Mu Zhi’an’s eyes flickered. His Innate Spiritual Body sensed something. “There’s a faint trace of Spiritual Energy on this rock formation… It must have been left behind by the cultivators who entered earlier.”
It seemed the secret lay within this rock formation.
But why was there Spiritual Energy on it…?
Mu Zhi’an pondered for a moment, then an idea struck him. He reached out and touched the rock formation, channeling a wisp of Spiritual Energy into it.
The first sword engraved on the rock formation silently lit up.
As expected… This rock formation is part of the Sword Palace’s trial!
As he thought this, the second, third, and more swords lit up, each emitting a golden glow. These glowing swords were identical to the 108 blades surrounding the Sword Palace!
The glow continued until the ninetieth sword, then stopped.
At the same time, a line of small characters appeared on the rock formation.
Sword Talent Ranking: 26th.
This must be the stone tablet used to assess disciples’ talent in the past. Before his death, the Sword Emperor had turned it into a trial for future generations.
After the trial, the sound of a door opening echoed through the courtyard.
Mu Zhi’an looked towards the seemingly bottomless room and murmured, “A Celestial Realm…?”
Behind this door lay a Celestial Realm.
It seemed the next trial awaited them within.
He didn’t enter immediately. Instead, he waited for Wei Mengrou and Bai Ruoxi to complete their assessments.
He was quite curious about their sword talent.
Wei Mengrou reached out and touched the stone tablet.
The first sword lit up, then the second, the third, and so on, until the fiftieth sword… The glow stopped at the eighty-sixth sword.
At the same time, another door opened.
The 108 glowing blades engraved on the stone tablet… Could it be that the difficulty of the trial varies depending on the level of resonance…? Mu Zhi’an thought, looking at Wei Mengrou’s cold and beautiful profile.
“What’s wrong?” Wei Mengrou, sensing his gaze, glanced at him, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Mu Zhi’an snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head with a smile. “Nothing… I just didn’t expect your sword talent to be lower than mine, Mengrou.”
It made sense. Wei Mengrou’s talent in formations and other fields was already top-tier. If her sword talent was also exceptional, it would be unfair to other geniuses.
“Ruoxi, you should try it too,” Mu Zhi’an said, turning to Bai Ruoxi.
Bai Ruoxi nodded slightly. Under their gazes, she gracefully stepped forward and touched the stone tablet with her slender hand.
The first, second, third… thirtieth… sixtieth…
The swords on the stone tablet lit up like dominoes. Mu Zhi’an’s gaze remained fixed on Bai Ruoxi.
If she was truly the one the Sword Palace was calling for, perhaps all 108 swords would resonate…
If that happened, he wondered what would happen…
Mu Zhi’an watched with anticipation.
Time passed silently. As the number of glowing swords approached ninety, the speed at which they lit up gradually slowed down.
“Could Ruoxi’s talent be similar to mine…? But that shouldn’t be the case…” Mu Zhi’an couldn’t help but doubt.
Meanwhile, outside the Sword Palace, the cultivators also watched intently, comparing the number of glowing swords with the previous attempts.
“It seems the 108 glowing blades on the Sword Palace’s surface are connected to something inside, used to assess cultivators’ talent.”
“I remember a disciple from the Two Polarities Sect entered earlier. He resonated with 103 swords. That was truly terrifying.”
“The Xuanyin Temple Sect Master’s daughter is also inside. I wonder how many swords she resonated with.” A cultivator spoke with curiosity, looking at the 97 glowing swords. “There are so many talented individuals who entered the Sword Palace this time. It seems someone among those three might also surpass the 100-sword mark.”
“If someone resonates with all 108 swords, does that mean they’ll inherit the Sword Palace?” another cultivator asked jokingly.
Hearing this, someone chuckled. “108 swords? Only the Sword Emperor himself could achieve that.”
They had accepted the fact that the Sword Palace only recognized sword talent. Those who specialized in other Dao had no chance, so they could only watch from the sidelines.
“It’s past 100 now,” a cultivator suddenly said.
“This is the crucial moment. The higher the number, the slower the resonance speed. Most of the talented sword cultivators in the Eastern Realm have probably entered. However, the highest record so far is only 103 swords.”
“If inheriting the Sword Palace truly requires resonating with all 108 swords, then these prodigies have come for nothing,” another cultivator said with a hint of schadenfreude.
“Hmph!”
An elder from a Primordial Clan who was guarding the area snorted coldly, glaring at the speaker.
The cultivator who had made the sarcastic remark immediately fell silent.
But he was still unconvinced and even felt a bit of schadenfreude.
If no one could inherit the Sword Palace this time, it would be quite amusing.
“It seems to be stuck at 103,” a cultivator finally said, breaking the silence after observing that the resonance had stopped for a while.
“That’s still impressive… I wonder who those three are. To think there’s someone with such monstrous talent among them.”
The cultivators chatted amongst themselves, about to look away.
Suddenly, the previously stagnant glow flared up again!
Everyone froze, the chatter dying down instantly. All eyes were fixed on the Sword Palace in the sky.
Someone had resonated with the 104th sword!
Without giving anyone time to react, a booming sound echoed as, under countless disbelieving gazes, all 108 glowing swords surrounding the Sword Palace lit up, radiating a brilliance that rivaled the sun!
A collective gasp arose from the crowd, and a single thought flashed through their minds.
Someone had gained the Sword Palace’s true recognition!
…
Meanwhile, inside the Sword Palace.
Mu Zhi’an watched in awe as the stone tablet lit up completely, his gaze fixed on Bai Ruoxi, who was bathed in golden light, looking like a goddess descending from the heavens.
Although he had suspected that she might be able to resonate with all 108 swords, witnessing it firsthand was still a shock.
Bai Ruoxi remained silent, her eyes fixed on the stone tablet, a dazed expression on her face.
“Ruoxi, what’s wrong?” Mu Zhi’an asked, noticing her unusual behavior.
“I feel someone calling me,” she suddenly said.
She turned her head and looked at a door that had silently opened nearby. “The voice… it’s coming from there,” she whispered.
