Everlasting Immortal Firmament

The Yellow Emperor extended his hand and pulled out a golden sword.

“Is this the Xuanyuan Sword?” Gu Hai revealed a trace of wonder.

“Mister Gu, would you like to take a look?” the Yellow Emperor asked, proffering the Xuanyuan Sword.

Accepting the sword, Gu Hai examined it with a keen eye.

The Hall of Great Strength’s entrance:

Vairocana was assisting Gu Han, Shangguan Hen, and Ao Sheng in healing, and they had already recovered from eighty percent of their injuries, but he abruptly left midway. The puzzled trio walked out of the Hall of Great Strength.

When the three emerged from the hall, they saw Gu Hai holding a sword at the entrance of the emperor’s study.

“The Xuanyuan Sword?” Shangguan Hen exclaimed, wide-eyed with surprise.

Both Gu Han and Ao Sheng were also shocked.

While others might not have seen it before, they had witnessed the might of the Xuanyuan Sword in Chiyou City, where it had beheaded Chiyou.

How did the sword end up with the man in yellow robes? And why did he give it to His Reverence?

The three were bewildered. They wanted to inquire but noticed that Gu Qin and his party were keeping their distance, so they knew Gu Hai did not want to be disturbed.

“Let’s go!” Gu Han said, striding toward Gu Qin, with Shangguan Hen and Ao Sheng following close behind.

“First Brother!” Gu Han called out.

“How are your injuries?” Gu Qin asked.

“Much better. Who’s that man? Why does he have the Xuanyuan Sword?” Gu Han queried.

Gu Qin shook his head. “I don’t know, but Vairocana seems familiar with him.”

“Oh?” Everyone felt slightly startled.

Vairocana had appeared out of nowhere, and no one knew his origins. How could there be someone familiar with him?

Ao Sheng suggested out of curiosity, “Should we go ask him?”

Won’t going over to ask sate our curiosity?

However, Gu Qin shook his head. “This is Imperial Father’s secret. First, there was Sect Master Heavenly Access—no, there was Sun Wukong—then Vairocana. Now, there’s this yellow-robed person. He’s never told us about it. That means he does not want to speak of it. Why should we pry?”

“Huh?” Everyone nodded.

When everyone thought about the late Sect Master Heavenly Access’s Immortal Executioner Sword, they found it strange.

Back at the study, Gu Hai took hold of the Xuanyuan Sword.

Buzz!

The sword pulsated faintly, as if alive, seeming to resist Gu Hai.

“Is this alive?” Gu Hai exclaimed in astonishment.

The sword is alive? What a strange feeling!

“Mister Gu is sharp. This is indeed a living sword!” the Yellow Emperor confirmed, smiling.

“Oh?” Gu Hai again appeared surprised. Then he infused some energy into the sword.

“Roar!”

The Xuanyuan Sword gave off a dragon’s roar, repulsing Gu Hai’s energy and emanating a dragon’s aura.

“This aura is familiar. It feels like…let me think…a dragon vein?” Gu Hai looked at the Yellow Emperor.

“A dragon vein?” Vairocana seemed startled.

The Han Imperial Dynasty also had a dragon vein—the dragon vein the Han Nation used when it was established. Later on, Gu Hai nourished it under the Han Imperial Dynasty’s territory. The dragon vein guarded the land and nourished all things, suppressing natural disasters like earthquakes and bringing peace to the citizens.

To think the aura from the Xuanyuan Sword is a dragon vein’s aura?

The Yellow Emperor confirmed, “Mister Gu, your intuition is correct. This Xuanyuan Sword was my dragon vein!”

“Oh?” Gu Hai marveled.

“The power of the Xuanyuan Sword lies in the blessings of a nation. The stronger the nation and the vaster its territory, the stronger the dragon vein and, consequently, the sword. My nation back then naturally cannot compare to Ji Dihong’s Huang Heavenly Dynasty, so his Xuanyuan Sword is definitely much stronger than mine,” the Yellow Emperor elaborated.

“Then what about the noble spirit?” Gu Hai asked.

The Yellow Emperor explained, “The noble spirit? That’s the righteousness of a nation. Through its life, the Xuanyuan Sword vanquished demons and evil, thereby earning righteousness. With righteousness in one’s heart, the noble spirit grows endlessly.”

“I don’t quite understand. Evil? Where does all this evil come from? Why don’t I know about it? Where did the evil within the demons come from?” Vairocana questioned.

The Yellow Emperor turned to Gu Hai, smiling. “Mister Gu, do you understand?”

“Evil is subjective. Whether a person is evil depends on how others perceive them. From the demon’s perspective, they aren’t evil. They just cultivate differently, or have different approaches to situations,” Gu Hai replied with a smile.

The Yellow Emperor concurred, “Mister Gu is right. In this world, there’s no objective good or evil; it’s all subjective. If you consider one righteous, that person is righteous; if you consider one evil, that person is evil. Evilness is just the subjective view of a person.”

“The same applies to righteousness. If you believe your actions are righteous and that you’re fighting against evil factions and eliminating demons, then righteousness naturally arises,” Gu Hai deduced with shock.

The Yellow Emperor nodded.

Vairocana frowned slightly, still feeling some doubts.

“So, the noble spirit of the Xuanyuan Sword actually stems from Ji Dihong’s heart, his strong and egotistic self-righteousness?” Gu Hai concluded, astonished.

Egotistic? The Yellow Emperor smiled wryly at this remark.

“Senior, I’m not referring to you. I’m just amazed at this method of nurturing a sword,” Gu Hai immediately clarified. After all, the Yellow Emperor also had a Xuanyuan Sword.

“It would never be enough with his efforts alone. When he used the dragon vein to forge the Xuanyuan Sword, he didn’t merely consider himself the slayer of evil, but the whole nation also believed the same. They perceived the Xuanyuan Sword to be the sword of the sovereign Dao, a sword of the righteous Dao. Every appearance of this sword marked the annihilation of evil, and thus, the people attributed righteousness and justice to it. Mister Gu, you must understand, while the dragon vein does not channel people’s energy like the golden blessings dragon, it can also unite the thoughts and sentiments of the citizens!” the Yellow Emperor elucidated.

“That noble spirit is gathered from all the righteousness in the Huang Heavenly Dynasty citizens’ hearts? One nation would have billions of portions of righteousness to gather?” Gu Hai’s face sank as he inhaled sharply.

The Yellow Emperor nodded in affirmation.

“What if, hypothetically, the Xuanyuan Sword is not used to uphold justice? What if it’s used for undesirable acts?” Vairocana asked, knitting his eyebrows.

Before the Yellow Emperor could respond, Gu Hai already had an explanation. “Undesirable? What constitutes undesirable? If Ji Dihong genuinely believes his actions to be just, then they still count as righteous. Undesirable? That’s just the opinions of others. So what? What others think doesn’t matter. The Xuanyuan Sword aligns only with Ji Dihong’s intentions. If his heart deems an act just, even if it defies the natural order, it is still righteous. The people’s sense of righteousness also merges with the sword!”

“Quite a subjective perspective of righteousness,” Vairocana said, slightly stunned.

“Justice, the nation’s foremost priority, is the sharpest weapon and is equivalent to the Heavenly Dao. Once a divine weapon carries the weight of justice, it is unstoppable. It’s more than the weapon itself; it also embodies the unwavering belief of countless citizens. This belief can pierce through any worldly barrier. This is the essence of the sword of the sovereign Dao, the sword of the Heavenly Dao, the sword of the righteous Dao!” the Yellow Emperor elaborated.

“No wonder Ji Dihong’s Xuanyuan Sword can suppress the Seven Immortal Executioner Swords,” Gu Hai said, furrowing his brows.

The Seven Immortal Executioner Swords may be extraordinary weapons with incredible sharpness, but can they compete with the heart or the Heavenly Dao? The Xuanyuan Sword’s righteousness specifically targets and destroys evil.

“What could possibly counter the Xuanyuan Sword?” Vairocana pursued the topic.

With a faint smile, the Yellow Emperor turned to Gu Hai. “Mister Gu, what do you think?”

Gu Hai’s expression changed.

With a subsequent chuckle, the Yellow Emperor continued, “You already understand the principle of the Xuanyuan Sword. Asking me how to counter it won’t get you an answer because, in my heart, the Xuanyuan Sword represents justice, and I could never conceive of a way to counter it. However, I believe you have already devised a way, haven’t you?”

Gu Hai glanced at the Yellow Emperor, respectfully handed back the Xuanyuan Sword, and saluted him. “Thank you for your guidance, Senior.”

“Oh? Mister Gu, you’ve figured out how to counter the Xuanyuan Sword?” Vairocana asked curiously.

“Senior Yellow Emperor has shown me the way. Whether I succeed will depend on my luck,” Gu Hai replied with a smile.

Yellow Emperor nodded in approval. “I have said all that needs to be said, Mister Gu. It’s time you sent me back.”

“Back? You don’t want to stay longer and witness all that the Six Paths Immortal Firmament has to offer? Or observe Ji Dihong’s achievements?” Gu Hai said, puzzled.

“There’s no need. Ji Dihong is his own person, and I am mine. Furthermore, watching him, especially from an adversarial standpoint, would be upsetting. As for the happenings of the Six Paths Immortal Firmament, Vairocana has already explained them to me through Thought Transference. I understand almost all of it. Plus, the matter of the immortal firmament’s master is of great importance, and I need to inform Laozi as soon as possible,” the Yellow Emperor replied solemnly.

Clearly, Vairocana had informed the Yellow Emperor of Sa’s origins and that Sa was still in the Sa’s Immortal Firmament. Knowing these details would help Laozi and the others in dealing with Sa in the future.

“Alright,” Gu Hai replied, his expression solemn, inviting the Yellow Emperor into the study.

Vairocana stood guard outside.

Creak! The study’s door closed quickly.

Using the Life Trapper Saber, Gu Hai reopened the passageway to the Sa’s Immortal Firmament.

“Mister Gu, I bid you farewell,” the Yellow Emperor said, bowing respectfully.

“Thank you for your efforts, Senior,” Gu Hai responded, returning the respectful bow.

The Yellow Emperor smiled faintly and stepped into the passageway, returning to the Sa’s Immortal Firmament.

Buzz!

The entrance to the passageway contracted and disappeared.

Gu Hai stared at the spot where the passageway had been. He already understood the Xuanyuan Sword’s principle. However, his heart was heavy. The Xuanyuan Sword? I will have to be even more cautious of the Xuanyuan Sword.

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Yan Heavenly Dynasty:

Houqing had set off for Great Desolation City after departing Borderless Heavenly Capital. Having always harbored feelings for Ba, he naturally sought her out now that he was free.

In a large palace hall:

Ba coldly observed Houqing across the room.

“Jiang Ba, I have much to tell you. From now on, I will stay here with you. I know many of Gu Hai’s secrets, and I can reveal them to you,” Houqing announced with an edge of urgency in his voice.

Ba studied Houqing for a moment before responding gravely, “Houqing, if you wish to remain in the Yan Nation, we welcome you. Whether you speak of Gu Hai’s affairs is up to you. But if you choose to stay, you must understand your role as a subject. A sovereign is a sovereign; a subject is a subject. We don’t want you overstepping your bounds and disrupting our rule.”

Houqing’s face stiffened. “Jiang Ba, can’t you see my feelings for you?”

“Remember, our name is Ba, not Jiang Ba. Also, your feelings? They are one-sided. We never promised you anything. Meeting you alone is simply to save you face. Don’t mistake it for a private rendezvous. You’re not worthy,” Ba responded coldly.

Ba’s icy words sent a chill down Houqing’s spine.