Chapter 25: The Broken Spirit Sword
The Liuyun Sect and Baiyang Sect had never seen eye to eye.
Their territories bordered one another, so conflicts were a common occurrence.
Open confrontations and underhanded sabotage happened all the time.
Neither side could stand the other.
And that didn’t just apply to the elders.
At this moment, Lin Jie—the top inner disciple of Baiyang Sect was glaring coldly at Zhao Yu, his eyes full of provocation.
“Zhao Yu, I only lost to you last time because you got lucky. This time… I will defeat you!”
“Come back and talk tough once you’ve actually done that, loser,” Zhao Yu retorted without the slightest hint of politeness. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NoveI[F]ire.net
Lin Jie’s face instantly darkened in fury.
The two sides bickered endlessly, their words sharp and unforgiving,
yet no one made a move.
After all, both sects were needed to open the Liuyang Secret Realm.
A complete fallout at this stage would serve no one.
Just as tensions were about to erupt,
a strange light suddenly burst from the entrance of the Liuyang Secret Realm.
The sudden glow made every disciple jolt with alertness.
On the other side, Baiyang Sect’s elder glanced at Elder Yin,
snorted coldly, and then stepped forward with him.
Each took out a peculiar jade talisman from their robes.
The shape of the talismans matched perfectly with the missing section above the portal.
These were the keys to unlock the secret realm!
The two elders inserted the talismans into the portal.
Instantly, a surge of brilliant light erupted from the gate,
and with a low hum, it slowly began to open.
They swiftly retrieved the talismans and stepped back.
“The entrance is open. Enter at your own pace—but remember, caution above all else. Don’t throw your lives away,”
Elder Yin reminded the disciples firmly.
The disciples nodded in unison and, brimming with excitement, began heading toward the secret realm entrance.
Zhao Yu and Li Shan were naturally the first to enter.
The rest followed quickly.
The Baiyang Sect disciples did the same, forming their own stream into the entrance.
Gu Yang hesitated briefly,
scanning the surrounding landscape.
He noticed that the sky above was tinged a faint, eerie green.
The poisonous miasma here really was thick.
But for now, it was still fairly diluted—nothing too concerning.
After a moment’s contemplation, Gu Yang stepped into the portal without hesitation.
A strange light flashed before his eyes.
Gu Yang instinctively narrowed his gaze.
When he opened his eyes again,
he found himself standing in a damp forest.
Moisture clung heavily to the air,
so thick it gathered on his skin with just a wave of his hand.
It was clammy and uncomfortable.
Activating his inner energy, Gu Yang formed a barrier to keep the humidity at bay.
Only then did he begin to study his surroundings.
He seemed to be standing in a swamp.
A murky marsh stretched out ahead of him,
while behind lay a dense forest,
its towering trees blocking out the sun so completely that only flecks of light managed to filter through.
Just as Gu Yang was deciding which direction to go,
he suddenly spotted a sword sticking out of the ground up ahead.
His pupils narrowed instantly.
Though the sword was broken,
it radiated an unusual and powerful aura.
Is that… a Spirit Weapon?
Just like cultivation techniques and martial arts, weapons also had different grades.
Most people used standard sharp weapons—basic in design,
their quality depending entirely on the skill of the blacksmith.
Such weapons could channel inner energy, but only to a limited extent.
Their construction simply wasn’t suited for full energy conduction.
But Spirit Weapons were different.
They were crafted specifically to channel and amplify inner energy,
and their power far surpassed ordinary weapons.
Spirit Weapons were in a league of their own.
Gu Yang had never seen anyone in the inner sect wield one.
Who would’ve thought…
that the moment I entered the secret realm, I’d stumble upon one?
Though it looked like a low-grade Spirit Sword, and a damaged one at that,
to Gu Yang, that was no issue at all.
“Not a bad stroke of luck.”
Smiling with delight, Gu Yang reached out and pulled the Spirit Sword from the ground.
“Its condition isn’t too bad… though it does seem rather ancient.
There’s corrosion along the blade.”
He gave it a quick once-over and nodded to himself.
Give me a little time, and this low-grade Spirit Sword will be as good as new.
But just as he was considering whether to start repairing it immediately—
a mocking laugh rang out nearby.
“Haha, I didn’t expect to get this lucky.
The moment I arrived, I found a Spirit Sword just lying there!”
Heaven clearly favors me.
Gu Yang turned his head at the sound of the voice.
A Baiyang Sect disciple stood a short distance away,
eyes fixed greedily on the sword in Gu Yang’s hand.
He didn’t even bother looking at Gu Yang properly.
After all, he was at the eighth level of the Qi Gathering Realm.
The moment he sensed Gu Yang’s cultivation—third level—he dismissed him as no threat.
“You from Liuyun Sect, hand over the sword. Then cut off your arm.
I might let you live if you do.”
Arms crossed, the Baiyang disciple—Luo Hao—smirked with absolute confidence.
But Gu Yang only gave a cold snort in response.
He didn’t waste a single word.
He simply drew the refined steel sword at his waist—
The blade gleamed as green inner energy coated its surface.
With a swift motion, Gu Yang unleashed the Windcloud Sword Technique.
The sword slashed through the air, imbued with powerful intent,
and swept toward Luo Hao in a flash.
“Heh, a measly third-level—wait, what!? Sword intent!?”
Luo Hao had been ready to sneer,
but the moment he felt the terrifying force packed into that strike,
his eyes flew wide open.
He reacted instantly.
Exploding with inner energy,
he drew his saber and braced it against his chest.
Gu Yang’s sword slammed into Luo Hao’s defense,
shattering the energy shield in an instant.
The force reverberated through the blade,
shaking Luo Hao’s arms until they trembled violently.
He was thrown backwards,
slamming into a thick tree trunk with a loud crack—
The tree snapped cleanly in half from the impact.
Though Luo Hao had managed to block the blow without serious injury,
his expression turned grim.
“I underestimated you… Who knew Liuyun Sect had such a talented disciple!”
“But it’s a shame. You didn’t kill me with that strike.
Luo Hao’s eyes gleamed with malice as he gripped his saber tightly.
Yellow inner energy surged from his body,
wrapping around his blade with an oppressive force.
Seeing that Luo Hao had survived the attack,
Gu Yang was slightly surprised.
But after a moment’s thought, he understood.
This guy’s not an ordinary rogue cultivator—he’s a top disciple of a major sect.
Of course his strength exceeds his realm.
As Gu Yang mused to himself,
Luo Hao lunged forward with his saber raised high,
inner energy crackling around it.
He swung it downward, aiming straight for Gu Yang’s head, with a blow meant to kill.