This Is My Planet - Chapter 126 - Chapter 126 – Sword Heart
Yan Wuyue, who had been miserably tossed around, walked with Yin Xiaoru, casually linking arms with her, looking quite chic as if she hadn’t been the one paralyzed just now, acting nonchalant.
Why should I, Yan Wuyue, who has been through the fire and flames of life, be so hesitant?
On the other hand, Xia Guixuan, who appeared to have floated away on a cloud, was still seated there, not leaving, watching as the two women got into Yin Xiaoru’s chubby car. Only then did he raise his hand, looking at the traces left on his fingertips.
What the hell… doing something like that.
And yet, it feels quite exhilarating.
He wasn’t sure if this was acting on his desires or falling into depravity. Such things often walk a fine line, and it’s hard to distinguish between the two.
What’s most difficult to discern is that it varies from person to person. For an old scholar, this would be depravity.
But for someone like Xia Hou, the Immortal Emperor, is it?
Xia Guixuan admitted that this was indeed a part of himself that he had long suppressed and hidden, something he once thought needed to be eradicated.
“The lust hidden deepest in the Heavenly Dao, even the Divine Creator couldn’t erase it.”
The difference between buddha and demon is, after all… a matter of degree?
Whether one is consumed by it or is reborn from it?
Xia Guixuan took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and sensed Ling Moxue’s location, appearing beside her in an instant.
……
Ling Moxue was currently “clearing dungeons.”
This referred to the secret realm trials controlled by their Heavenly Dao Sect.
Although they were called trials, they held multiple meanings.
This organization’s outer facade was the “Cultivators’ Association,” but its core was the “Heavenly Dao Sect.” While the association was a loose group, the core disciples formed a very formidable force, even including many of Great Xia’s high-ranking human officials.
According to their previous plan, this was a force that could change the fate of the country.
However, after the “Divine Creator’s meddling,” the Sect Leader Shang Zhaoye’s identity as a divine descendant had been exposed, as had several elders. It was now difficult for them to continue their operations in human society. They either had to kill the informed Ling Moxue or collectively withdraw.
But obviously, Ling Moxue couldn’t be killed, so they could only withdraw pitifully from this century-long scheme, leaving it to be seen whether they could reach some agreements with Ling Moxue in the future.
One could only imagine how much Shang Zhaoye cursed that meddling Divine Creator.
Ling Moxue had been laying groundwork within the Heavenly Dao Sect for some time now, coupled with her status as the “Holy Maiden,” her own cultivation had skyrocketed, and now was the perfect time to consolidate her power. Choosing to enter the secret realm was not only to integrate their forces but also to showcase her own cultivation, intimidating those who were not submissive.
There was also personal significance to her trials. She had gained much from Xia Guixuan, and a battle against Zerterians hadn’t been enough to fully digest it. On the contrary, the ancient lands of the divine descendants were more suitable for honing her understanding of sword cultivation.
Before bidding farewell to Xia Guixuan, Ling Moxue had decided to focus on her cultivation. It was not only to enhance her strength but also to sharpen her sword intent to avoid being constantly entangled in those strange thoughts of romance, which were detrimental to the Dao. Developing a kind of worshipful attachment and dependence to a man who had enslaved her was simply absurd. It was good enough if she didn’t hate him according to common sense…
She needed to set her mind straight, absolutely.
“Reporting to the Holy Maiden, up ahead…”
A black-clad elder reported respectfully, but he couldn’t continue halfway through.
Ling Moxue’s sharp gaze was like a sword, coldly piercing into him. The icy sword aura that swirled around her seemed to penetrate to his very bones, freezing his soul under its pressure.
The elder, suddenly enlightened, quickly corrected himself: “Reporting to the Sect Leader.”
The sword intent converged, and Ling Moxue lightly uttered, “Hmm.”
The high-level members of the Heavenly Dao Sect around her and the large group of core disciples behind her all collectively lowered their eyes, solemn and silent.
This Holy Maiden… no, the Sect Leader’s cultivation had become even more formidable, as had her temperament. She was as cold as ice and as sharp as a sword. Compared to the previous Sect Leader, who was deep and unfathomable, she might appear more direct, but the effect was the same. She didn’t need to speak; just looking at you could make it hard to breathe.
There were a few who had been somewhat unconvinced, thinking that this girl was too young and lacked real strength, but now, they dared not speak.
The elder reporting let out a sigh of relief. “Ahead is the Heart of Time. Entering under the sun’s rays will lead to confusion in space and time. If the Sect Leader intends to proceed, it’s best to select late-stage Hui Yang realm elders to accompany…”
Ling Moxue inquired, “What lies within?”
“We don’t know either. In the past, when we came here with the previous Sect Leader, we always stopped at this point. The previous Sect Leader entered alone. He did mention that the inside is chaotic in terms of space and time, extremely dangerous, and only those at the Hui Yang stage can enter. It’s also unknown if there are other creatures inside. The Sect Leader should proceed cautiously.”
Ling Moxue pondered over this. These non-core areas had always been quite strange. Although there were no monsters, there was the natural invasion of “time and illusion,” where people would find themselves trapped in illusions and nightmares, with bizarre pasts and futures intertwining in their minds. Those lacking sufficient cultivation or strong will could easily get lost in the river of time, unable to find the present or even their own sense of self.
For cultivators, this experience was indeed beneficial for tempering their state of mind, and for her, it further solidified her sword heart. After enduring the invasions of illusions and time in these areas, Ling Moxue felt she could see her heart more clearly, like a sword polished to a brilliant shine, capable of reflecting all ghosts and demons, illuminating the dust in her own heart, and seeing through all illusions and falsehoods.
This was what it meant to have a clear sword intent.
But ultimately, without the tempering of blood and fire, it was not sharp enough, not resolute enough, not truly a sword, but merely a mirror.
If one couldn’t break free from the chains of the heart, couldn’t escape the prison of the self, what was the point of cultivation?
“Four elders, follow me inside. The others shall cultivate outside,” Ling Moxue declared as she strode into the rift ahead, which was the heart of intertwining time and space.
The four elders—trusted allies who had accompanied her in seeking the Sacred Blood—were both powerful members cultivated by the Ling family and steadfast allies within the human upper echelons. They exchanged a glance and followed her inside.
As soon as they stepped into the rift, Ling Moxue’s mind exploded.
Although it was only a deep underground cave, it shouldn’t have been too expansive, yet before her eyes, it turned into a vast universe, with no sight of the four cardinal directions, no past or future, lost and wandering as if in a dream.
In the dream, there was an endless sea of blood, with no end in sight.
Above the sea of blood, she knelt in mid-air, facing the pressure of heaven and earth, her back soaked in cold sweat, filled with awe for the heavens and reverence for the Dao. The pursuit of the Dao and the fear of it alternated in her soul, irresistibly kneeling in homage, uttering “master” from the depths of her soul.
Deep down, there was resistance, but also submission. Lost and struggling, unable to break free.
Time, the most fragile reflection.
It was also an inexorable descent into submission, the insignificance of humanity in the face of the heavens and earth.
Her sword heart told her that this was no ordinary illusion. It was a tearing of time, with a genuine pull on the soul. If one couldn’t break free, they might forever plunge into the sea of blood below, with their soul wandering and their body becoming a shell.
But how to break free?
Her sword heart also warned her that someone behind her harbored ill intent… someone who clearly knew how to resist this illusion but hadn’t said anything, waiting for her to step in, and then…
Ambush?
A chill swept over her from behind, freezing her to the bone.
She tried to dodge, but couldn’t move. Her soul was in the past, her body in the present, unable to unify.
But this… was something Ling Moxue had anticipated. She had a powerful weapon and was also luring her enemies in.
A warmth emanated from the sword in her hand.
The frozen sea of blood seemed to start circulating, as if flowing through the river of time. In the ripples was the origin of her mother planet. It seemed as though the war drums of Xuanyuan were sounding, the guide carriage aligning with the Big Dipper, and the ancient human emperor of China was holding a sword to offer sacrifices to heaven.
A frail woman knelt at Kunlun, drawing silk from a silkworm to ward off the cold of the world.
Great floods engulfed the world, a hero stepped forward to pacify the nine regions, stabilizing the peace of the empire.
Why these early images of civilization on her home planet flashed before her eyes, not even at their very beginnings, she didn’t know. Perhaps it had something to do with the Xuanyuan sword in her hand—the Sword of Mountains and Rivers, the sword to challenge heaven itself.
“Clang!”
The sword in her hand sliced through time and pierced into the sea of blood.
The illusion shattered, and within the crystalline mist of time, Ling Moxue’s long hair fluttered, her white robes stained with blood. A long sword pierced through the chest of the elder behind her, his blood failing to seep through the sword, dripping to the ground and splashing into the illusory sea.
“You…” The elder muttered in disbelief, “You were prepared for this?”
“Of course.” Ling Moxue said calmly, “Though Shang Zhaoye intentionally leaked the information about the Sacred Blood, and it’s not entirely your fault… but when I absorbed the Sacred Blood and she found out, it was clear I had a traitor by my side. And you’re not Shang Zhaoye’s spy, you’re a provocateur, with your own agenda.”
The other elders stood by, holding their swords, hearts pounding with fear, unsure of what to do.
“Shang Zhaoye fled south, abandoning this place, leaving only a young Holy Maiden who wasn’t even at the Hui Yang stage just recently. There are many who are dissatisfied… Someone has always been inciting discord between Shang Zhaoye and me, and now it seems like a good opportunity for them. A late-stage Hui Yang expert could easily seize this chance to take control of the sect….”
Ling Moxue suddenly laughed, “You must have thought that if you could lead this Holy Maiden astray in this illusion of time, she would become your slave… isn’t that right? Otherwise, why would the first illusion I faced be one of submission? This is the result of your external manipulation. It’s tough being a woman—there’s always some clueless men trying to take female slaves.”
“You…” The elder, clutching the sword in his chest, struggled to speak. “How… could you… break free… This is the Heart of Time, something only a Qian Yuan level could resist…”
“With the intent of Xuanyuan, the cauldron of King Yu, humans can overcome the heavens—what is time?” Ling Moxue said as she withdrew her sword back into its sheath.
The elder fell to the ground with a thud, not even closing his eyes in death, completely unaware of what Ling Moxue’s last few words meant.
Ling Moxue’s sharp gaze swept over the other three elders, who retreated half a step in fear and hesitation, saying, “Sect Leader, we are not with him.”
Ling Moxue didn’t care whether they were with him or not. Perhaps some were, some weren’t, and some were just watching from the sidelines. But there was no need to expose it further—the purpose of establishing her authority had already been achieved.
“I understand. Leave, I’ll meditate here alone.” Ling Moxue didn’t look at them anymore, her slender figure walking into the misty haze in the Heart of Time, straight as a sword.
The three elders, drenched in cold sweat, quickly and obediently retreated, none of them daring to underestimate the heart of this young holy maiden anymore.
In the center of the mist, a man’s figure appeared.
Ling Moxue stood straight in front of him, quietly watching.
Xia Guixuan also watched her quietly.
Ling Moxue’s cold and sharp gaze gradually softened, as if ripples were spreading on the surface of a sword, showing some blurry tenderness.
The terrified elders could never have imagined that the Sect Leader, who had just established her authority in their minds, was now slowly bending her once straight posture, like a sharp sword wrapped around a finger, yielding to the ground.
She bowed her head and softly whispered, “Master.”