Dragon Canon

At Wei Yuan’s command, Wei Yuan immediately produced a flat cauldron and started digging up the ground.

He had no choice; everyone present at the scene was his senior. Even Feng Tingyu, who looked like an innocent young girl, was really the direct disciple of the hallmaster of the Bright King Hall. Strictly speaking, she was of the same seniority as Trueman Fenhai, and he really had to address her as his Grandmaster-Junior.

As Confucius once said, “The young do physical tasks for their parents[1].” As the youngest of the group, Wei Yuan had no choice but to do the physical work himself; he couldn’t possibly command any of his venerable elders.

That said, Wei Yuan both possessed immense strength and was a master at digging. He could displace over 1,000 catties of earth with a single swing of his shov—no, cauldron. He began by excavating the two graves first—the very origin of the strange phenomenon.

The graves were exceptionally crude, practically indistinguishable from those of a mass grave. Not only that, the coffins beneath them were unusually thin and already riddled with holes.

The coffin in the larger grave contained only two garments: a plain blue robe and a woman’s floral-patterned coat. Nothing else was found. In the smaller grave, the coffin lid looked like it had been violently breached, and half of the coffin was filled with black liquid. It wasn’t actually water, but absolute yin qi of such incredible concentration that it had condensed into liquid form.

It went without saying that liquid absolute yin qi was an object of the utmost yin and poison. Even a single drop would be fatal to an ordinary cultivator. Yet, Sun Yu produced a medicine cabinet that rapidly expanded into a suitable size and absorbed all the black liquid into it, filling up a dozen or so medicine boxes. It was the very medicine cabinet Wei Yuan had given to him as a gift. Sun Yu had refined it so that it could expand or contract at will, and he carried it with him at all times.

Ji Liuli set up another array to closely examine the source of this absolute yin qi. This tiny coffin could not possibly be the source of it. It had to come from somewhere else.

Wei Yuan approached the large coffin and picked up the blue robe for a look. The moment his fingers touched the fabric, he suddenly found himself in a vast, boundless space once more. There, the plain-clothed swordsman stood with his hands behind his back, though unlike the previous time, he wasn’t holding a massive sword.

Upon seeing Wei Yuan, he sighed and said, “You’ve gone and dug up my grave. I knew I wouldn’t find peace even in death.”

Wei Yuan could only reply, “I was nearly killed. I had to find out the truth.”

Wei Yuan spoke vaguely because the plain-clothed swordsman was likely a manifestation of a lingering divine thought. It probably did not possess much intelligence and could be coaxed into divulging some information.

The plain-clothed swordsman wore a lonely expression as he replied, “Everyone always wants to know the truth, but sometimes it’s better not to know.”

“If I’m going to die, I want to die knowing why. In my opinion, it’s better to know.”

The plain-clothed swordsman sighed. “I knew you’d say that. The truth lies beneath this ground. They all thought it would vanish along with this grotto-heaven, but I knew you’d come.”

“Why would I do that?” Wei Yuan asked.

“Fortune-fishing is your greatest forte. With a catch this big, it’s either going to swim toward you, or you’re going to walk toward it. Your favorite saying back in the day was: ‘This item is destined with me.’”

Wei Yuan suddenly felt his hair standing on end, though he couldn’t rule out the possibility that the plain-clothed swordsman was bluffing. After all, fortune-fishing was a skill every immortal possessed; it was just that some people never returned empty-handed, while others often did. It was purely a skill difference.

Wei Yuan wanted to ask more questions, but the plain-clothed swordsman cut him off. “The truth lies below, yet I cannot hold out much longer. While I still have some strength left, I must impart the general outline of the Myriad Vicissitudes Sword to you. Surely you’ve noticed that the half of the sword canon I gave you is incomplete?”

“Why didn’t you give it to me all at once?”

“Would you stay once you have reaped all the benefits? No, you wouldn’t have stayed a moment longer, let alone considered avenging me.”

Wei Yuan asked, “Do you distrust me that much?”

The plain-clothed swordsman’s expression grew mocking. “Distrust you? I’d rather trust Xu Wangu than you. If I had any other choice, I would never have chosen to walk alongside you.”

Wei Yuan remained impassive as he pressed on, “Surely you’re exaggerating.”

The plain-clothed swordsman replied, “And yet I am not! It’s just that there is no right or wrong under the Great Dao, and since we naturally belong on the same side, we can only walk side by side. Anyway, I have no desire to continue this conversation. This thread of divine thought is also about to dissipate. Take this!”

A massive sword suddenly appeared in the plain-clothed swordsman’s hand, which he brought it right down on Wei Yuan’s head!

At the same time, Wei Yuan was frozen in place, unable to do anything but watch helplessly as the massive sword descended. The next moment, darkness engulfed his vision, and he was out of the vast, boundless space.

Wei Yuan found himself still crouching beside the coffin, but the blue robe he had been holding had turned into ash, dissipating patch by patch. Suddenly, he broke out in cold sweat. The sword strike had been a transmission of the plain-clothed swordsman’s learnings of the sword, but it could easily have been transformed into a lethal strike, one powerful enough to obliterate a late-stage Avatar.

Just then, a massive sword appeared in Wei Yuan’s sea of consciousness. It was planted diagonally into the barren earth of the Great Realm. It was none other than the general outline of the Myriad Vicissitudes Sword.

This was the true form of the Myriad Vicissitudes Sword. Despite possessing only a general outline, the sword qi it transformed into was still potent enough to slay an Avatar. Such immense power, yet it was barely enough to contain the sword canon’s outline, much less another sword technique.

Wei Yuan reached into the massive sword with his perception. The next instant, an endless sea of sword light filled his vision. The plain-clothed swordsman was standing in the middle of an ocean of sword qi, one hand gripping the hilt and another cradling the blade. He was holding the massive sword before his chest and contemplating the sword.

This Contemplation of the Sword alone contained countless profound truths of the Dao of the Sword. It even contained a hint of the essence of the cycle of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Not expecting this at all, Wei Yuan could barely memorize one or two-ten-thousandth of the knowledge. He was, to borrow a saying, about 10,800 li away[2] from scratching the surface.

Wei Yuan withdrew his perception. He would have plenty of time to study it later. For now, he had more pressing matters to attend to, not to mention that the plain-clothed swordsman implied that there were several more sword techniques waiting for him underground.

Deep down, Wei Yuan scorned the plain-clothed swordsman. Just what kind of bastard did he think he was? Wei Yuan dared not claim that everything he did was for the sake of universal justice, but at the very least, his journey up to this point had brought merit to his sect and to humanity itself.

His intentions to excavate this site and uncover the truth were to find out the little girl’s fate, destroy this Land of Absolute Yin, and expose the mastermind behind it all. All three very very noble and righteous causes. He certainly wasn’t doing this for the sake of some sword techniques.

... He wondered how many more techniques lay ahead, or whether they would be as fruitful as the general outline he just received.

Originally, the shadow in the moon had also given him half of the Myriad Vicissitudes Sword. It seemed to have been condensed from the plain-clothed swordsman’s primordial spirit. However, what it provided was only a secret manual. He had to grasp the sword intent via his own efforts.

On the other hand, the general outline provided by the plain-clothed swordsman included the profound truths of the Dao of the Sword he had personally realized. Wei Yuan could directly comprehend them much like the jade wall that recorded the insights of an Immortal Lord in the Water Moon Hall.

To give another example, what the shadow in the moon provided was merely a handwritten manual on a jade paper. It was devoid of any true intent.

The Contemplation of the Sword was the cultivation method for the Myriad Vicissitudes Sword, through which one could ascend all the way to immortalhood. The general outline served as the foundation and was applicable to all subsequent sword techniques. After studying it for just a brief moment, Wei Yuan realized that even this half-volume of the sword canon was enough to elevate one to immortalhood, and would take him further than most Dao paths.

In other words, if he mastered this half-volume of the sword canon, he would be qualified to establish his own hall within the Palace of Absolute Beginning.

Now that he knew the Land of Absolute Yin lay underground, Wei Yuan stopped wasting time and summoned everyone who had been searching the palace complex. Many hands make light work.

Ji Liuli had already pinpointed the location of the Land of Absolute Yin, while Yu Zhizhuo used his perception to survey the underground structure and re-map the excavation route.

Over a hundred Dao Foundation stage cultivators were divided into several groups. Some dug the ground, while others hauled away the soil. Yu Zhizhuo’s two remaining juniors were tasked with reinforcing the passageway.

Wei Yuan followed Yu Zhizhuo to the spot and, following the angle the man had indicated, cast the Golden Light Water Blade spell and started excavating the passageway.

Yu Zhizhuo truly lived up to his reputation as a mining genius. Under his direction, the evacuation progressed at an astonishing pace. Before long, all three adits were completed, each leading into a different underground river. Wei Yuan was digging the main passageway, while the other two served as auxiliary tunnels for maintenance, reinforcement, and emergency escape.

According to Yu Zhizhuo’s survey results, the Land of Absolute Yin was likely a vast underground space, and every single one these underground rivers led into it. Digging a direct passage into the Land of Absolute Yin held the risk of triggering unforeseen dangers, which was why he had ordered them to dig the underground rivers instead. It was safer to enter such a place via these natural channels.

Wei Yuan led the way down the main passage and into the underground river. He then followed its course forward. It wasn’t long before the area before him suddenly opened up, but a rock wall blocked their path.

The underground river continued onward, flowing beneath the rock wall. It was clearly a defensive array, though its power had dwindled to one-tenth or one-fifth of its original strength. Under Ji Liuli’s guidance, the group of cultivators easily dismantled it in a matter of moments.

After the rock wall crumbled, a yin wind blew out from behind it, causing everyone to stagger.

Wei Yuan’s mind wavered, and the scenery before him shifted, revealing a serene and elegant courtyard. Within it stood a fake hill and a pond, arranged with such artistry that even a layman like Wei Yuan could appreciate their extraordinary beauty.

Seated in the courtyard was a young man in a blue robe, smiling as he watched a woman and a little girl play. The young man bore a striking resemblance to the plain-clothed swordsman—it was clearly him when he was young.

Suddenly, the young man turned his head toward Wei Yuan. The smile on his face instantly turned bitter, and two streams of blood tears fell from his eyes. He said, “... May as well be gone.”

The illusion shattered, and only then did Wei Yuan clearly see the real scenery in front of him.

Before them lay a vast underground space that was shaped like a blooming lotus flower. The central plaza rose in tiered levels, with a colossal pillar standing a hundred zhang tall at its center. The pillar was covered in lotus petals, though their colors were somewhat mottled.

Perched atop the pillar was a creature that was part-human, part-demon—indescribably hideous and malevolent, as if it might pounce at any moment to devour its victims. Though it was merely a statue, it still sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

Winding around the pillar was another terrifying demon over ten zhang in length. It looked poised to pounce on the statue at the summit, yet it was bound by heavy chains that looked scorched with burn marks. The demon itself had lost all signs of life.

Palaces after palaces had been built along the mountain walls, layered on top of one another like the petals of a blooming lotus. Considering that the entire underground space spanned over 1,000 zhang in radius, the palace complex could only be described as truly magnificent. It must have been a colossal undertaking that had consumed immense manpower and resources during its construction.

The sheer scale of the underground space took everyone by surprise. After weighing the pros and cons, Zhang Sheng said, “Let’s start with the nearest buildings first and slowly move toward the center.”

It was a prudent plan, and the group followed it, first exploring the few palaces closest to them. These palaces were part of the outer lotus petals, and there were likely hundreds or even thousands of them throughout the entire underground space. They were also the most ordinary.

Upon reaching the entrance of a palace, Wei Yuan took the lead and broke through the door. Be it in terms of primordial spirit or physical body, Wei Yuan was one of a kind—the perfect meat shield. In fact, if the monster—formed from that little girl—had not, for some inexplicable reason, kept attacking Wei Yuan, the group might have suffered even heavier losses.

As soon as he stepped through the entrance, Wei Yuan’s perception grew hazy once more. A grand hall appeared before him.

He saw a young couple walking toward the hall. The woman looked anxious, but the young man reassured her, “It will be fine. We’re in love, and my father will be overjoyed to learn that we finally have an heir. My sixteen older brothers and twenty-one older sisters all failed to produce one, you know? It’s up to you to carry on the Xu family line.”

Both nervous and bashful, the woman nodded imperceptibly.

In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted. The young couple knelt in the center of the hall, while a figure sat on a high dais at the head of the room. Although his face was blurry and indistinct, he exuded an air of lofty majesty.

After the young man finished his trembling report, a thunderous, furious voice boomed down from above, “You fool! Marriage is no matter for you to decide on your own! Your wife has already been chosen—it is her, and the wedding will be taking place tonight! As for this woman, give her a sum of immortal silver and send her back to her hometown.”

A woman gracefully stepped out from behind the high dais. She was bald, and she had a pair of cyan eyes. Strangely, she exuded an eerie sense of sanctity.

The moment he saw her, the young man exclaimed in astonishment, “Sister-in-law?!”

The scene shattered, and Wei Yuan returned to the hall. Only then did he take in the hall’s layout.

The hall was divided into two levels, each lined with wooden boxes that were shaped like small shrines. Standing inside each box was a human. There were both male and female, and they were all naked. They all appeared very young, around fourteen or fifteen years old, and bore a striking resemblance to one another regardless of gender. In fact, their heights, their features, and even their temperaments were strikingly similar to one another!

This was just one hall. Assuming the other halls contained similar arrangements, wouldn’t that mean there were tens of thousands of young boys and girls throughout the entire underground complex?

Suddenly, Wei Yuan realized something: the boys and girls all bore a faint resemblance to the plain-clothed swordsman!

Inside one of the shrines, a young girl slowly opened her eyes, revealing cyan irises, and said softly, “... May as well be gone.”

1. A butchered saying. The full saying (translation lifted from Analects of Confucius 論語 ) really goes like this:

[2-8] 子夏問孝。子曰。色難。有事、弟子服其勞。有酒食、先生饌、曾是以爲孝乎。

[2:8] Zi Xia asked about filial piety. Confucius said, “What is important is the expression you show in your face. You should not understand ‘filial’ to mean merely the young doing physical tasks for their parents, or giving them food and wine when it is available.” ☜

2. I’ve always wanted to translate this saying literally. It means “a worlds away”. ☜

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