Starting My Cultivation With Time Management-Chapter 957 - 97 Sending a Sheep into the Tiger’s Mouth
Chapter 957 -97 Sending a Sheep into the Tiger’s Mouth
Ever since Su Jian emerged from seclusion and became the Sect Leader, An Zhisu’s status in Shushan naturally rose along with him. She had access to any cultivation resources she desired, as plentiful as they could be.
However, she hadn’t taken the opportunity to squander these cultivation resources or replenish the cultivation she’d missed in the past. Instead, she continued to remain in the Qingluo Peak temple day after day, enjoying herself leisurely with a pot of wine and a sword.
If Ling Yunpo hadn’t given her the opportunity to achieve Great Perfection in the Golden Core Realm last time, who knows how many more years Senior Sister An would have needed to form her Nascent Soul!
“The heavenly tribulation is about half a month away,” An Zhisu softly remarked, “Did you ask because you’re worried about your senior sister?”
“I’m not worried about Senior Sister,” Ling Yunpo replied with a grin. “If even the Sect Leader’s daughter can’t survive the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation, then what’s the point of the Shushan Shangqing Faction competing with Kunlun for first? We should just retire altogether!”
“How can you speak such nonsense?” An Zhisu quickly signaled him to hush. “Junior Brother, you are now the Tai Yin Sword Master and cannot say such reckless things. If someone overhears, they might seize the chance to stir up trouble or exploit the situation.”
“Who would dare stir up trouble for the Tai Yin Sword Master?” Ling Yunpo sneered coldly. “See if I don’t cut them down!”
The two joked and laughed for a while before someone arrived on a flying sword, saying that the Sect Leader of Shushan had summoned Ling Yunpo for a discussion.
Ling Yunpo bade farewell to Senior Sister An and then left Qingluo Peak on his flying sword.
An Zhisu watched Ling Yunpo’s retreating figure in silence for a long time before returning quietly to the temple.
She couldn’t help but feel as though there was now some invisible barrier or divide between her and her junior brother.
How strange.
Ling Yunpo arrived at the depths of the Demon Locking Tower to find Su Jian conversing with the Long Eyebrow Immortal.
This wasn’t exactly an official sect meeting but rather a private consultation between a master and his disciple.
“Qing Heng, you’ve come at just the right time,” Su Jian greeted him, beckoning him closer. “How have things been going with your attunement to the Tai Yin Suming Sword lately?”
“Same as before.” Ling Yunpo replied smoothly, lying effortlessly. “Tai Yin Suming, being a Divine Sword, is quite prideful and aloof. It hardly deigns to speak to me. Typically, I say three sentences, and it responds with just one.”
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Tai Yin Suming Sword couldn’t hold back and angrily shouted:
“Wow, Sword Master! Your words are utterly shameless!”
“What do you mean by ‘aloof’? Did I not promptly respond to you every single time you sought my help?”
“Fine, let’s see if you dare not call on me from now on! Tarnishing my reputation right in front of me, huh? Claiming I’m prideful as a Divine Sword, huh? I’ll show you what true arrogance looks like!”
While the sword was busy furiously protesting in the Sea of Consciousness, Su Jian and the Long Eyebrow Immortal, unable to hear its outburst, exchanged glances, their expressions full of helplessness.
Since the Tai Yin Suming Sword had remained hidden for so long, no one truly understood its nature. But what Ling Yunpo described certainly aligned with the general assumption about Divine Swords.
Arrogance was only to be expected from such artifacts, wasn’t it?
It seemed the Tai Yin Sword Master still had a long way to go in unlocking the full potential of this Divine Sword.
“Ahem,” Su Jian continued speaking. “I’ve more or less grasped the situation surrounding the Tai Yin Suming Sword. Now, as for the Solar True Obscure Sword… You’re the only one who has ever interacted with the last Sun Sword Master. Can you tell me what you know?”
The Solar True Obscure Sword? Ling Yunpo froze for a moment before realizing that his master was eyeing that sword next.
After all, “always seeking more” was a common disposition among the Human Race. With the Tai Yin Sword Master already secured, why not make an effort to bring forth a Sun Sword Master as well? Not thinking about this would be unusual.
Thus, Ling Yunpo proceeded to recount Ouyang Zhao’s plight in detail to Su Jian.
“…In short, even though Ouyang Zhao perished, he remained fixated on finding the whereabouts of his wife and daughter. This obsession kept a sliver of his spirit from dissipating completely. To acquire the Solar True Obscure Sword, someone must uncover intelligence from the Eastern Emperor Realm about this matter first.”
The intelligence from the Eastern Emperor Realm was something Ling Yunpo had already secured.
The issue lay in the consequences: once the Solar True Obscure Sword was taken from Ouyang Zhao, the barrier of Solar True Fire separating the two realms would vanish. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
At that point, not only would the Human Race know that the Solar True Obscure Sword had chosen a master, but the Demon Race could exploit the breach in the Boundary Gate to invade the Cultivation Realm. The situation would spiral into chaos.
As a spy, Ling Yunpo abhorred uncontrollable variables.
If the Solar True Obscure Sword had to be acquired, it would only make sense to wait until after obtaining fragments of the Heaven-Mending Stone and completing the grand Heaven-Mending plan.
After Ling Yunpo finished speaking, Su Jian wasn’t particularly surprised.
He had already reviewed the situation in detail with the Long Eyebrow Immortal prior. This inquiry was merely a precaution to hear it directly from the involved party again.
The main obstacle in acquiring the Solar True Obscure Sword still revolved around resolving the matter with the last Sun Sword Master’s spirit. His obsessive commitment to his family’s fate clearly ran so deep that circumventing the issue through indirect means was impossible.
To address it head-on and fulfill his lingering wish, however, would inevitably lead to what’s commonly known as the “Chicken-and-Egg Paradox”:
Without the Solar True Obscure Sword, one couldn’t pass through the Solar True Fire to enter the Eastern Emperor Realm.
Without entering the Eastern Emperor Realm, one couldn’t investigate the whereabouts of the Sun Sword Master’s wife and daughter, making it impossible to obtain the Solar True Obscure Sword.
An impossible loop.
Su Jian sighed softly, finally letting go of the thought, only to hear the Long Eyebrow Immortal speak:
“Qing Heng, aside from discussing the Tai Yin and Solar swords, there’s another matter I must ask you about.”
“What do you think of the Shushan Demon Locking Tower?”
The Shushan Demon Locking Tower? Ling Yunpo felt a bit puzzled.
You ask me what I think of it? Naturally, I see it from above while flying on my sword—how else would I view it?
Unable to discern the Long Eyebrow Immortal’s intentions, Ling Yunpo carefully organized his words and responded conservatively and slowly:
“The Shushan Demon Locking Tower is a crucial site where we suppress the demons and protect the Human Race. It plays a vital role in safeguarding humanity.”
“Beyond that, it also provides Shushan with a wealth of precious cultivation resources, making its significance undeniable.”
“Indeed,” the Long Eyebrow Immortal nodded, “Well said.”
“Within the Demon Locking Tower, countless powerful demons are imprisoned. They constantly plot to escape and wreak havoc upon the Mortal World. Although the tower itself is equipped with formidable restrictions, these are but lifeless mechanisms. A capable individual is still required to guard it.”
“The person entrusted with this task must not only possess great strength but also be someone Shushan can absolutely trust. Otherwise, collusion with the imprisoned demons could endanger the entire world.”
Though phrased diplomatically, Ling Yunpo immediately understood that this was an invitation—or rather, a proposal—for him to guard the Demon Locking Tower.
Sounds good! I’m definitely interested in the Heaven-Mending Stone fragments hidden within the tower’s restrictions… I mean, of course, I’m deeply passionate about guarding the Demon Locking Tower. Please, do continue speaking.
“Naturally, maintaining the Demon Locking Tower has always been the solemn duty of the immortals throughout Shushan’s history. I certainly don’t intend to shirk this responsibility.” The Long Eyebrow Immortal, observing no unusual reaction in Ling Yunpo, cautiously continued, “However, Kunlun appears to have recently acquired information leading to the Seven Treasures Mysterious Garden secret realm.”
“Should the Seven Treasures Mysterious Garden open, then the Great Bright Hall shall also be within reach. I must make the journey to the Great Bright Hall. If you could help me guard the Demon Locking Tower in the meantime, that would be ideal.”
The immortal’s humble demeanor left Ling Yunpo both amused and exasperated. Expressing apparent guilt on his face, he readily agreed:
“Since the immortal calls upon me, how could Qing Heng refuse? Moreover, the Demon Locking Tower is a cornerstone of Shushan, directly linked to the safety of the Human Race. As the Tai Yin Sword Master, Qing Heng naturally considers this a duty he cannot shirk!”
“Excellent!” The Long Eyebrow Immortal rejoiced. “In that case, you will stay in the Demon Locking Tower for the next few days while I explain the various restrictions to you and transfer their access permissions. Agreed?”
What truly defines “sending the sheep into the tiger’s den”? Ling Yunpo maintained a serious façade and nodded solemnly, while a sly smirk lurked in his heart.
