Celestial Taoist

Chapter 27 Sword Tomb

The hall was filled with uproar and voices of remonstrance. Several white-haired elders even stood up agitatedly, clasped their hands together, and pleaded with Ling Canghai to retract his decision.

Ling Canghai raised his hand and pressed down, and the sounds in the hall gradually subsided. He sat upright in the main seat, his gaze deep and unfathomable, sweeping over each of the high-ranking members in the hall. His tone was steady but carried an undeniable authority: "Gentlemen, how could I not know the importance of the famous swords in the Sword Tomb? But you only see the gains and losses before your eyes, but you do not see the current predicament of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, nor do you see the opportunity behind this transaction."

He lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, his voice suddenly rising several decibels, each word clearly reaching everyone's ears: "In recent years, heroes have risen in the martial world, but only my Ten Thousand Swords Sect has remained stagnant, clinging to the foundation laid by our ancestors! Our sect's swordsmanship has been passed down for a thousand years, seemingly possessing profound depth, but I witnessed the contest between Elder Xuanfeng and Young Friend Li just now. The top-tier martial arts of my Ten Thousand Swords Sect have already fallen behind the current elite level!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the hall fell into a deathly silence. The excited elders froze, their eagerness gradually replaced by shame. Elder Xuanfeng stood with his head bowed, recalling the humiliation of being knocked back by the sword pellet. His throat tightened, and he was unable to refute it.

Ling Canghai's gaze softened slightly, but remained solemn: "Gentlemen, do you think I'm willing to offer up the famous swords of the Sword Tomb? But think about it, besides the famous swords of the Sword Tomb, what else does my Myriad Swords Sect have in exchange for this peerless swordsmanship?"

"If I insist on exchanging it for something else, it will either be a matter of sacrificing the very foundation of our sect, or it will be a perfunctory solution that angers these two masters of the Heavenly Sword Sect," Ling Canghai said, his tone becoming more serious, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Do you know that young friend Li possesses such cultivation at such a young age, and his master, Fairy Su, is even more unfathomable? If negotiations break down today, the Myriad Swords Sect will not only miss out on a peerless martial art, but may also create a powerful enemy! At that time, let alone the famous swords of the Sword Tomb, the entire foundation of the Myriad Swords Sect will likely be affected!"

"Furthermore," Ling Canghai changed the subject, looking at Li Mofan and Su Qingyao sitting to one side, his expression solemn, "since you two are willing to use the Sword Pellet Technique to exchange for resources, it shows your sincerity in cooperating. I will exchange it with a famous sword from the Sword Tomb, which not only demonstrates the sincerity of my Ten Thousand Swords Sect, but also establishes a good relationship with the Heavenly Slaughter Sword Sect. In the future, when the Heavenly Slaughter Sword Sect establishes its own sect, my Ten Thousand Swords Sect will be its first ally. This friendship is a hundred times more precious than two famous swords!"

Silence fell once more in the hall, the elders exchanging bewildered glances. One elder pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and bowed deeply to Ling Canghai: "Sect Master's vision is truly remarkable; I am no match for you. I am willing to heed your commands!"

The other elders also bowed and echoed, "We are willing to follow the sect leader's orders!" "We will leave it all to the sect leader's decision!" The previous voices of opposition completely vanished.

Ling Canghai nodded slightly, a hint of relief on his face. He turned to Li Mofan and Su Qingyao, his tone becoming humble again: "My two young friends, please forgive my rudeness. I have persuaded the elders to exchange two famous swords from the Sword Tomb for the inheritance of the Sword Pellet Technique. What do you two think?"

Li Mofan and Su Qingyao exchanged a glance. Su Qingyao remained calm and nodded slightly to signal Li Mofan's response. Li Mofan rose, cupped his hands, and said in a composed tone, "Sect Master is indeed farsighted and decisive! In that case, the deal is settled. After we have seen the famous swords of the Sword Tomb and confirmed that they are to our liking, we will hand over the complete inheritance of the Sword Pellet Technique to your sect."

Ling Canghai laughed heartily and gestured, "Good! How straightforward! Someone, lead these two young friends to the Sword Tomb. Be sure to treat them with utmost respect and allow them to choose freely!"

The maids on both sides entered the hall in response, bowed and led the way. Li Mofan and Su Qingyao got up and followed the maids.

Outside the council hall, ancient trees towered on both sides of the bluestone path. The maids walked ahead with their heads bowed, their steps light, always keeping a distance of two steps from the two, without uttering a single word.

After walking for about five minutes, they were already some distance from the main hall. Li Mofan turned his head to look at Su Qingyao beside him. Seeing that she walked with ease and her expression remained calm, he said softly, "Master, Ling Canghai is indeed a farsighted person. He actually managed to go against the opinions of the crowd and was willing to exchange the famous swords of the Sword Tomb for it. This is beyond my expectations."

Su Qingyao's gaze swept across the winding mountain path ahead, her tone tinged with doubt: "You can handle this matter entirely, but the Sword Pellet Technique is complex. Can you teach it in a way that satisfies the Myriad Swords Sect?"

Upon hearing this, Li Mofan understood and calmly replied, "Master, it will naturally take some time to teach swordsmanship. Isn't the most important array for drawing upon the power of the stars still in your hands? However, are the famous swords in the Sword Tomb truly worthy of our attention? After all, they are the heirlooms of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, so they must be quite extraordinary. I wonder if they are worthy of the inheritance of the Sword Pellet Technique?"

Su Qingyao nodded slightly, her tone softening a bit: "Let's see how it goes."

She said no more and continued walking: "Let's go, the sooner we meet and settle things, the sooner we can start preparing for establishing our sect."

The clouds and mist at the end of the mountain path gradually dissipated, revealing a dark blue stone tablet inscribed with the words "Sword Tomb".

The maid who had led the way stopped and bowed to the two men, saying, "We are of lowly status and it is inconvenient for us to accompany you. We will wait here for you two seniors to come out." After saying this, she lowered her head and retreated to both sides of the stone tablet.

Li Mofan stepped forward and gently pushed open the stone door of the Sword Tomb. The stone door was heavy and ancient, and made a dull "creak" sound when it was pushed open.

Stepping into the Sword Tomb, the scene before one's eyes is breathtaking. In the vast stone chamber, hundreds of longswords are neatly arranged, some hanging on sword racks on the stone walls, others placed on stone tables. Each sword is surrounded by sword energy of varying strength. Everlasting lamps burn in the corners of the walls, their flickering light casting long shadows of the swords.

Just as the two were slowly walking forward, preparing to examine the famous swords on the stone wall, an aged and deep voice suddenly came from inside the stone chamber, breaking the silence of the Sword Tomb: "Who goes there? How dare you trespass on the sacred ground of my Ten Thousand Swords Sect's Sword Tomb?"

Li Mofan and Su Qingyao exchanged a glance, both slightly taken aback. They hadn't sensed anyone else in the stone chamber. Following the sound, they saw an elderly man with white hair sitting on a stone platform at the deepest part of the chamber. The old man wore a blue sword robe, his figure was thin, his face was covered in wrinkles, and his aura was extremely restrained, as if he had merged with the sword tomb. Without careful observation, he was truly difficult to detect.

Before the old man lay an ancient longsword, its scabbard weathered yet faintly shimmering with spiritual light. He lightly pressed one hand on the scabbard, the other resting on his knee, his gaze calmly fixed on Li Mofan and Su Qingyao, showing no surprise whatsoever.

Li Mofan quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Junior Li Mofan, this is my master Su Qingyao. We are here on the orders of Ling Canghai, the sect leader of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, to select two famous swords from the Sword Tomb. We did not trespass, so please forgive us, senior."

Upon hearing this, the old man's gaze slowly swept over the two of them, pausing slightly when it landed on Su Qingyao. He slowly raised his hand, pointed to the long sword in front of him, and said in a hoarse voice, "That brat Ling Canghai has quite the nerve, daring to open the Sword Tomb Holy Land to the public so easily, and even daring to give away the famous sword left by our ancestor to an outsider."

Su Qingyao looked up at the old man, neither humble nor arrogant: "We two have an agreement with the Ten Thousand Swords Sect to exchange two famous swords for the Sword Pellet Technique. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement, not a usurpation."

Li Mofan's heart skipped a beat. The fact that this old man could sit so calmly and address the sect leader, Ling Canghai, by his given name meant he was no ordinary person. He respectfully asked, "This junior is Li Mofan, and beside me is my master, Su Qingyao. May I ask who you are, senior?"

The old man shook his head slightly, a faint bitter smile playing on his lips: "I am Mo Chenzi, the Grandmaster of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect in this generation. I have been living in seclusion here for two reasons: first, to accompany my sword 'Cold Moon' on its final journey; and second, to protect this sword tomb for my ancestors, so that this sacred place will not be tarnished."

He raised his hand and gently stroked the Cold Moon Sword in front of him, his gaze tender, as if he were caressing a loved one.

Li Mofan's heart skipped a beat. Although he didn't know what realm a Grandmaster was, he figured it must be quite powerful. He quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "So you are Senior Mo Chenzi. I apologize for my rudeness. I know how precious the famous swords of the Sword Tomb are. I will treat them with care and never betray the legacy of these famous swords."

Mo Chenzi's gaze fell on Li Mofan, and his tone became solemn: "If you want to choose a famous sword, I will not stop you, but swords have a spirit and must be destined for you. If the sword does not recognize you, even if you forcibly take it, you will only have obtained an ordinary weapon."

After saying that, Mo Chenzi raised his hand and waved it lightly. A clear sword sound rang out in the stone chamber. Dozens of famous swords trembled at the same time, and their sword energy surged, as if responding to the old man's words.