Chapter Ninety-One: Majestic Greenpool Mountain

Seeing that everyone in the Azure Pool Sword Sect already knew he had swallowed the Restoration Pill, Che Wuyou saw no point in hiding anything further. He decided to go all in. What was meant to come would come in the end; there was no escaping it no matter how he tried. In that case, it would be better to lay everything bare at once.

“Mm, so you think quite highly of yourself. Do you imagine you can stay on Azure Pool Mountain for the rest of your life? If this sect truly cannot find a way to extract the medicine from the Restoration Pill, then I suppose we may have no choice but to take the final step... In any case, for the sake of Qiu’er, every method must be tried.”

Li Muqiu’s tone was sharp as a blade, yet beneath the severity there was still a trace of helplessness. If they truly could not extract it, did they really have to take that final step?

“What is the final step?” For some reason, the instant Che Wuyou heard those words, a chill seemed to run through his entire body.

“You want to know?” Li Muqiu’s expression turned grim. “Since you want to know so badly, I may as well tell you. Do you know why Li Ruohan still took the risk of seizing you after you swallowed the Restoration Pill?”

Before Che Wuyou could answer, a strange light flashed in Li Muqiu’s eyes. “Because the demonic path has a most ruthless method that can refine a living person into a pill. They call it a human pill. Since you have taken the Restoration Pill, your body has become the finest material for such refinement. Li Ruohan would only need to find a few auxiliary ingredients, then he could open the demon cauldron and forge a human pill of earth-grade quality—something equal to, or even surpassing, the Restoration Pill... Now do you understand?”

“He... he’s actually that vicious? Truly a demon, a heretic of the evil path, fit to be slain by all under heaven. Good thing, good thing...” Che Wuyou was shaken by fear. Fortunately, he had not fallen into Li Ruohan’s hands, or the consequences would have been unimaginable. But just after saying that, he suddenly remembered Li Muqiu’s words about the final step. He could not help glancing at him in suspicion. Surely this fellow did not have the same idea?

“Senior, why are you telling me this... Could it be that the final step you mentioned is...” Che Wuyou asked cautiously, looking at Li Muqiu’s cold, sinister face.

Seeing Li Muqiu nod without the slightest hesitation, openly admitting this vicious intention before everyone, Che Wuyou felt his soul nearly fly from his body. As the lord of the Azure Pool Sword Sect, a leading figure of the immortal path, Li Muqiu actually intended to refine him into a so-called human pill.

Che Wuyou’s limbs went cold, and his expression changed several times. After a long while, he finally said in fury, “Li Muqiu, do you truly dare to do this?”

“Why would I not dare?” Li Muqiu replied coolly.

“If you do this, do you not fear the censure of the world? Do you not fear that the Azure Pool Sword Sect will be burdened with the infamy of betraying the immortal path? Do you not fear that the Sacred Land will punish your sect?”

“Hmph, what is there to fear? Still, you do have some insight, boy—you even know of the Sacred Land... But for the sake of Qiu’er, let alone mere reputation, even offending the Sacred Land would mean nothing. Would the Sacred Land really make things difficult for my Azure Pool Sword Sect merely because I, Li Muqiu, took up a demonic method and refined a human pill? Besides, the people of the Sacred Land have long ceased to concern themselves with worldly affairs. If I do not provoke them, why would they bother themselves with these trivial matters of my Azure Pool Sword Sect?” As he spoke, Li Muqiu casually swept his gaze across the reactions of the sect’s experts.

The Azure Pool masters had long been paying close attention to their exchange. Now that they heard Li Muqiu’s words, nearly everyone changed color. Some impatiently cried out at once, “Sect Master, absolutely not! We are called the Azure Pool Immortal Path. How can we commit such an act that defies the immortal way? As the head of the Azure Pool Sword Sect, the Sect Master should set an example for the immortal path. How can you harbor such a vicious demonic thought?”

“Hmph. A vicious demonic thought, you say? Then what if I insist on having such a thought?” Li Muqiu’s eyes were sharp as he looked at the crowd. “For the sake of saving my Qiu’er, what is so wrong with following the demonic path and refining a human pill? Or do you mean that I should possess the means to save her, and yet stand by and watch her die? Is that what counts as an example of the immortal path?”

“Sect Master, setting aside whether the injury to Niece Yiqiu is as serious as we fear, the Sword Canon of Azure Pool says, ‘To cultivate immortality is to temper the heart.’ I trust the Sect Master understands better than anyone what that means. If we, as cultivators of immortality, truly imitate the demonic path, then how will we seek the dao in the future, and how is the Azure Pool Sect to stand?”

“A fine question: how to seek the dao, how to establish the sect. Younger Brother Yang, then let me ask you this—what is the fundamental purpose of cultivation? Is it not to attain great transcendence and great freedom? If so, why concern yourself with the means by which it is achieved? And how do you know that once one has imitated demonic methods, one can no longer seek the dao or found a sect? In our immortal path, there have even been those who cultivated immortality by way of the demonic route and still attained transcendence and freedom. Besides, I would only imitate it this once. If not for Qiu’er waiting for the Restoration Pill to save her life, I would never use such a method.”

“Sect Master, setting aside whether that person’s story is true, there is always a distinction between immortality and demons. If you imitate it once, there will be a second time; with a second time, there will be a third. Once it begins, it will go on and on, and in the end you will surely fall into the demonic path. You may even suffer the collapse of your immortal foundation and become a peerless fiend... There are examples of this already, which is why I beg the Sect Master to keep his conduct upright and his heart clear.”

The other Azure Pool guardian elder, Yang Quzhi, spoke sharply and sternly, not yielding at all even though he was addressing the sect master himself.

“You insolent thing! What sort of creature are you to speak to this sect in such a manner? With your attitude today, you ought to be hauled up to the Azure Pool punishment platform. But since this is your first offense and you are one of Azure Pool’s guardian elders, this sect will spare you for now. If you offend again, then do not blame this sect for lacking mercy. Now get back!”

Li Muqiu’s tone was dark and menacing as he swept his gaze over the crowd. “Li Ruohan can refine a human pill, and so can I, Li Muqiu. My decision is made. If anyone dares to try to dissuade me again, this sect will punish them severely. Do you all understand?”

Xue Cheng could not help but silently shake his head at Li Muqiu’s extremity. Seeing that Yang Quzhi seemed ready to speak again, and fearing he might, in a moment of poor judgment, provoke Li Muqiu and lose his life, Xue Cheng hurriedly said, “Junior Brother, from a reasonable standpoint, this boy’s cultivation should not be able to withstand the potency of the Restoration Pill. And yet after swallowing it, why does he seem perfectly unharmed? Could it be that his constitution is unusual?”

Li Muqiu’s gaze moved slowly over the Azure Pool experts. Anyone who met his eyes immediately lowered their heads. Only then did he turn to Xue Cheng with a meaningful look.

“That is because there is another force within this boy’s body. Even I cannot tell what it is, but it feels rather strange. Still, since it can suppress the potency of the Restoration Pill, it is no ordinary power.”

“I never expected this boy to have such fortune, that he would actually possess a force capable of restraining the Restoration Pill,” Xue Cheng said with a sigh.

“Even if he has such fortune, what of it? With his talent, even the greatest fortune would be wasted. If one wants to travel far on the path of cultivation, in the end one must rely on oneself. All external resources are of limited use for his growth. To break through the many barriers ahead, how could one possibly do without top-tier aptitude and comprehension?”

...

More than ten days later, the Azure Pool Sword Sect party, with Che Wuyou in tow, appeared at the foot of Azure Pool Mountain.

Azure Pool Mountain was so ancient that its origins could no longer be verified. It had received its name from a pool upon the mountain known as the Azure Pool. According to legend, the water of the Azure Pool was immortal water from the heavens. Those who drank it could swiftly grasp the Heavenly Dao, and if taken regularly, it could even alter one’s innate talent, transforming a person from the marrow outward. It was nothing less than a miraculous immortal liquid.

Yet for all its wonder, the liquid was produced in pitifully small quantities. Even within the Azure Pool Sword Sect, the Azure Pool water was a rare treasure; outside, there was no need to speak of it. Its price had been driven to absurd heights, far beyond the means of ordinary powers to bear.

Standing at the foot of the mountain and gazing up at the towering Azure Pool Mountain, which seemed to pierce the heavens, Che Wuyou felt his thoughts drift. From a young age he had often heard the name of Azure Pool, and now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he was deeply shaken. Azure Pool Mountain was indeed the foremost peak of the Southern Wastes. It gave one the impression not only of grandeur and weight, but of antiquity and the erosion of ages, as though a single glance could reveal the transformations of remote antiquity and the rise and fall of history.

The Azure Pool Sword Sect upon Azure Pool Mountain was the dream of every cultivator in the Southern Wastes, and also a venerable immortal sect with an exceedingly long legacy. Legend said that in ages past, the Azure Pool Sword Sect had produced many masters of the immortal way who shattered the void and opened the gate of heaven. Their stories circulated widely not only in the Southern Wastes, but throughout the entire Southern Continent, where the name of the Azure Pool Sword Immortal could often be heard. Those many mysterious legends surrounding the Azure Pool Sword Immortal only added an aura of enigma to this ancient sect.

As one of the foremost immortal powers of the Southern Wastes, the Azure Pool Sword Sect had suffered unimaginable devastation in the great war between immortals and demons ten thousand years ago. And yet even so, the strength it possessed today remained beyond imagination. The Southern Continent was flourishing with cultivation, and most cultivators specialized in the sword. Thus the Hua Mountain Sword Sect, the Northern Desert Sword Sect, the Azure Pool Sword Sect, and the Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect were collectively known as the Four Great Sword Sects.

Though all four were grand sects of sword cultivation, each had its own strengths. The Northern Desert Sword Sect excelled in sword formations; the Hua Mountain Sword Sect was unmatched in single-target offense; the Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect was especially prone to producing top experts of the world; while the Azure Pool Sword Sect was the most comprehensive in its development.

The Four Great Sword Sects were evenly matched, their strengths and weaknesses balanced. And because they were all sword cultivators, their relations were especially close, with more frequent interactions than those of other powers. They were friendly with one another, equal to one another, and yet in competition as well. For that reason there was even a saying that the Four Great Sword Sects were of one blood and one spirit.

However, as time passed, especially after the great war between immortals and demons ten thousand years ago, the balance among the four sword sects was gradually broken... By now, although the strength of the other sects still could not be underestimated, Hua Mountain Sword Sect had faintly become the foremost of the Four Great Sword Sects...