91 – Phecda (I)
There is only one path leading to the Sword Mound from the North Peak.
If you take this path, the chance of being spotted by someone is high.
Therefore, Shui Yuner didn’t choose this path.
She chose to cross the mountain forest next to the road.
Although the non-existent path in the mountain forest can’t be regarded as rugged, but it’s definitely not as smooth as the road made by people.
The night has already descended.
The moon is almost completely concealed by the dense forest. Thanks to the bit of moonlight coming through the foliage, the girl isn’t deprived of her sight.
Even so, this path still isn’t easy to traverse.
Although she’s being careful, but she still encountered several incidents.
She tripped over the roots of trees, had her clothes ripped by branches, and even nearly fell into a dark hole dug by some animal.
When Shui Yuner reached the place where tombstones were lined up, she was cutting a sorry figure.
Even so, she had no intention to stop here.
Because the narrow road leading into the Sword Mound is already in sight.
For the next part of the trip, she cannot continue to use the mountain forest any longer.
The cemetery is extending without end.
If she bypasses the cemetery and moves under the cover of the mountain forest, who knows how long it will take her.
Long delays can cause complications. In order to avoid this, Shui Yuner decided to go directly through a secluded part of the cemetery.
… Maybe it’s just a coincidence.
As she walked through the cemetery, her eyes inadvertently fell on the highest place.
A black tombstone towers there alone.
The sound of leaves rustling rose, and a light wind lifted water-colored hair.
Suddenly, the stars in the sky seemed to revolve and turn into a deep vortex.
… Please don’t make her sad.
In an instant, Shui Yuner appeared to hear a voice, a green [1] voice.
Startled, the girl looked around cautiously, searching for the source.
“… Was it a misconception?”
She didn’t hear the voice again.
After crossing the cemetery, then came the most difficult part. The road connecting the cemetery and the Sword Mound is flat and open, making it difficult to hide.
More importantly, Shui Yuner saw a wooden house.
In other words, someone lives in front of the Sword Mound. It is probably the rumored Mound Guardian Elder.
Can I pass through? Will I be discovered? Shui Yuner suddenly became nervous.
She restrained her breathing and movement and covered her aura, and then embarked on the final part of the journey.
Shui Yuner’s steps are very light, but the pace is unexpectedly fast. This is a skill she learnt previously.
The person who taught her – her Teacher from long ago, once said that this bated breath technique is likely to save her life in a moment of danger.
This technique is to let me seize a chance at life when in a sticky situation, but I’m using it for things like sneaking around… Shui Yuner felt a bit sorry for her former Teacher.
She easily reached the narrow entrance of the Sword Mound. There were no signs of her being discovered midway.
Although it is strange that things are going this smoothly, and Shui Yuner became more wary, but she didn’t stop.
If there is really the thing I want in there, then what is there to hesitate? Shui Yuner made up her mind and crossed the “boundary”.
The moment she stepped into the Sword Mound, the world changed.
Swords… the two walls that make up the slender, narrow path are embedded with swords exuding some kind of formidable oppressive power.
It’s like they are warning her not to move forward.
After a pause, Shui Yuner ignored it and continued ahead.
… Suddenly, there was a sound, a buzzing sound.
The swords deeply embedded in the rock walls emitted sad cries.
In the next moment, as if they gained life, countless swords left the rock walls and floated in midair.
Before Shui Yuner could react, the swords turned in the air and shot at her.
“…!”
Too fast.
Before she could even take a breath, the swords were already in front of her.
Am I going to die… Shui Yuner closed her eyes subconsciously.
“…?”
After a long time, the pain still hasn’t stricken her. The girl slowly opened her eyes.
Cold light stung her eyes.
There are countless swords hovering around Shui Yuner, and the cold aura exuding from their tips is piercing her skin
Shui Yuner couldn’t help shivering.
She knows she’s at the brink of death.
If these swords go any further, they will puncture her skin and pierce her flesh, and she will suffer an agonizing death.
Not daring to act rashly, she can only hold her breath.
What do I do? Shui Yuner didn’t expect this to happen.
It wasn’t easy to get here! She bit her lower lip unwillingly, anxious.
However, to her surprise…
The swords suddenly retreated and returned to their original positions.
Everything before seemed like an illusion.
“What… what’s going on?”
All bark but no bite.
Why did the swords move suddenly? And why did they retreat suddenly? Shui Yuner doesn’t understand what happened.
However, this isn’t the time to ponder this problem.
Perhaps the abnormal changes just now have attracted the attention of the temples Heaven Realm masters. She has to hurry up.
Shortly after, her field of view expanded suddenly.
There are still swords in her field of view.
The towering rock wall surrounding the wide open space is full of swords erected upright.
The swords are of different types and sizes.
The first thing Shui Yuner noticed was an old wooden hut. The wooden hut looks very simple, and is in a state of disrepair.
It is said that the Great Ancestor Qi Guiyuan has gone into seclusion in the Sword Mound for many years. The wooden hut is probably where he stayed at that time.
“Ah?”
Shui Yuner found something in front of the wooden hut.
It was strange pants and shoes, a style of clothes she has never seen before.
Although the girl is a little curious, but that is not what she came here for, so she quickly looked away.
Her gaze finally fell on…
In the middle of the Sword Mound, there is a small hillock.
No, perhaps the term sword hillock suits that place better.
Swords, a dense forest of swords, countless swords.
It gives of a stifling feeling.
It is uncomfortable, and the girl wanted to turn her gaze away.
However, before that, she saw a sword at the top of the sword hillock.
This sword looks like an ordinary practice sword of the Merak Temple.
But the girl knows that the two are fundamentally different.
They are worlds apart.
No one will pay attention to a practice sword.
In comparison, although the one on the top of the sword hillock isn’t conspicuous, but once noticed, it is difficult to ignore it.
The Merak Temple’s practice swords are imitations that use a famous sword as the template.
The name of the sword is Phecda, it is the sword of the founder of the Merak Temple.
At the same time, it is also Shui Yuner’s target.
She suppressed the excitement in her heart, and the walked towards Phecda step by step.
“It’s really here…”
As if responding to the girl’s call, Phecda shook a little.
Shui Yuner extended a trembling hand and slowly approached Phecda’s hilt.
The girl pulled out Phecda gently.
“This is…”
Phecda? The second half of the sentence stuck in her throat.
All of a sudden, the sword blade emitted dazzling white light, which covered Shui Yuner’s sight. Even if you cover your eyes with a sleeve, it’s still impossible to resist that nearly violent light.
Then…
Something, something invaded Shui Yuner’s body and spread along her qi passageways like silk threads.
“… Can you hear me?”
A tender voice appearing to come both from afar and from nearby sounded in her head.
[1] – This is a reference to Luo Qing, the girl who effectively committed suicide in the previous volume. She used to wear green
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