He Huan and Mu Rong Su Yue were momentarily stunned, but soon understood each other's intentions; they were planning to take action against those sects.
"Brother Hongchen, remain calm. We are merely going to rob, not to fight to the death. Not to mention anything else, our sect's protective law enforcers would never allow such reckless behavior."
Both of them had protective law enforcers, but the requirements for disciples of major sects were higher.
Generally, without special circumstances, they would not receive close protection, allowing the disciples to better hone their skills.
If one were to perish during training, it could only be said to be bad luck or insufficient strength; the sect could simply promote another candidate.
A disciple could have dozens of potential successors.
Losing a disciple was a significant loss, but cultivating a mere figurehead to manage the sect was not a loss; it could even lead to the sect's demise.
What was more terrifying was that in an overly protective model, there would be a tendency to continuously cultivate figureheads, and eventually, there would be a generation that would fall short to the extreme.
For the great sects that had existed for millennia, their legacies were as cold as iron.
Those that relied on bloodline ties for their legacies were merely small sects with histories of less than a thousand years.
"Moreover, they do not know who exactly is robbing them; we have left no traces."
Gu Wen did not lose his composure and shook his head, saying, "I do not intend to act recklessly. This matter requires careful planning. If there is no opportunity, I will abandon it. However, I may need Brother He to inquire a bit."
"As long as you know your limits."
He Huan let out a sigh of relief and then said, "This is my fault; seeing over a thousand jin of spiritual herbs made me a bit restless, and I did not consider that those families would set a trap for us."
Gu Wen then asked, "There is one more thing. What does Brother He know about Tianquan Mountain?"
He remembered that the other party's sect was supposed to be involved in intelligence trading, as they had previously uncovered the Zhao family's dealings with him.
As soon as this topic was brought up, the atmosphere changed instantly.
He Huan retracted his smile and did not respond as straightforwardly as usual.
Instead, he asked, "Brother Hongchen, can you trust me?"
Gu Wen's gaze shifted slightly.
After a moment of thought, he roughly understood the other party's meaning.
Everyone knew he was searching for the Immortal Pill, a chance to ascend to immortality; any cultivator would inevitably covet it.
He Huan and his sect, the Yin Yang Two Qi Sect, were no exception.
How could he ensure that what He Huan said was true?
Everyone was an enemy, all yearning for eternal life.
But since the other party had spoken, there was some degree of trust to be had.
He replied, "I will listen selectively."
He Huan smiled and said, "Thank you for your trust, Brother Hongchen. My reasoning is quite simple; I do not believe I can obtain the Immortal Pill. Right now, I have established a connection with a future Daoist Sect leader, so there is no need to seek distant opportunities. Is this reason sufficient?"
It would be impossible to say he was not tempted at all; doing so would only invite suspicion.
Cultivation was for the sake of becoming an immortal; countless individuals throughout history had devoted their lives to this pursuit, with many driven to madness.
The opportunity to become an immortal placed before one was irresistible, but if it were not within reach or if one lacked the ability to seize it, some rational individuals would manage to control themselves.
Gu Wen nodded and said, "That is sufficient."
He Huan glanced at Mu Rong Su Yue, who also expressed her stance, saying, "Qianlong Mountain Manor does not seek longevity, and our generation has only one True Monarch left. Engaging in this matter would undoubtedly lead to the extinction of our legacy. I will not sacrifice our sect's inheritance for a chance of one in a million."
Gu Wen nodded again, and only then did He Huan speak, "Due to the issue with the Daoist Emperor, the world now knows the possible locations of the Immortal Pill and that only the Daoist Sect's Heavenly Maiden can draw it out."
"My sect has long investigated the matter regarding Tianquan Mountain. I did not bring it up earlier to avoid arousing Brother Hongchen's suspicion. Firstly, it has already been closed, but this is a tradition of the Sword Washing Pool for thousands of years; whenever the place of ascension opens, it will give birth to a Daoist weapon."
Gu Wen asked, "Is it possible to forcefully break in?"
"Not possible. The sword formation of the Sword Pool is naturally formed, and there are countless remnants of sword intent left by powerful sword cultivators. Forcing an entry would be as difficult as killing a Daoist Emperor with a dragon vein; the advantage lies with the terrain."
He Huan described it briefly, and Gu Wen immediately understood.
"How can we break through?"
"Tianquan Mountain has ten thousand sword paths, with a total of ten thousand steps; one sword per step. To reach the peak, one must overcome ten thousand swords, but only one person can enter."
He Huan sized up Gu Wen and recalled the image of him as a reckless bandit, saying, "Brother Hongchen, you probably haven't practiced swordsmanship, have you?"
"I know the Yuqing Sword Art." Gu Wen gathered a strand of sword qi in his hand.
The Yuqing Sword Art had nine levels, and he was currently at the second level.
Due to the need for his heart sword to continuously cultivate, Gu Wen could only use it to defend against soul attacks for now, unable to use it to kill enemies of the same or even higher realms. "But this alone is not enough; at least half a step into the Law Manifestation is required for a chance. Moreover, only one person can go at a time, and you would have to compete with Xiao Yunyi. It would be better to seek his help directly."
He Huan suggested, "As long as you make a big favor, you should be able to persuade him. If not, you could ask your Heavenly Maiden to help."
Gu Wen pondered for a moment without responding.
Given the current situation, wanting to ascend Tianquan Mountain without any losses indeed required seeking help from Zhe Jian Mountain.
But would Zhe Jian Mountain help them? Did they not want the Immortal Pill as well?
At midnight, the sound of the watchman's gongs echoed.
The three bid farewell to each other, leaving with their respective spoils.
Gu Wen found a small pouch of elixirs and a spiritual treasure shaped like an iron pestle on a corpse.
He sold the spiritual treasure to Mu Rong Su Yue, asking her to help forge a long spear, while the ordinary weapon he had was considered a gift.
Returning to the inn, Gu Wen left his room and lightly knocked on the door of Yu Hua.
"Come in."
Gu Wen pushed the door open and entered.
Yu Hua was sitting cross-legged on the bed, meditating.
She said, "There is no need to knock in the future."
"I seem to have found clues regarding the Immortal Pill and Tianquan Mountain. Half a month ago, there was a surge of spiritual herbs in Luoshui, amounting to over a thousand jin."
Gu Wen briefly recounted the events leading up to this point.
During this time, Ao Tang entered from the next room and was scolded by Yu Hua for not knocking.
Both the person and the dragon showed thoughtful expressions after listening, only to be drawn in by another question posed by Gu Wen.
"Previously, you mentioned that wherever the Immortal Pill lingers, a treasure ground will form. Is it possible that the Immortal Pill is within the Sword Washing Pool, thus causing the nearby spiritual herb pearls to surge?"
Ao Tang's expression suddenly became grave, saying, "The Sword Pool is not easy to breach. If it is true, I fear Zhe Jian Mountain will use the terrain to prevent us from passing. If there is an opportunity, no one can resist the temptation of the Immortal Pill."
"I can break through, but I cannot guarantee the consequences." Yu Hua sat in a chair, turning to look at Gu Wen by the window, her eyes revealing a hint of inquiry. "Can you ascend Tianquan Mountain?"
Before Gu Wen could respond, Ao Tang interjected, "The Second Ancestor specializes in spear techniques; can he really compare to Xiao Yunyi? Stop joking. It would be better to send a message and involve the entire Dao Sect, creating a cataclysmic battle; perhaps we might have a slim chance."
But this chance was very slim, as doing so would cause the Sanqing Dao Sect to lose the advantage of obtaining the Immortal Pill first, and they could not be a hundred percent sure that the Immortal Pill was indeed inside.
"Little Ancestor, we currently have two choices: either seek Xiao Yunyi from Zhe Jian Mountain first or go straight to war."
Yu Hua ignored Ao Tang, paying no heed to his words, and looked at Gu Wen again, asking, "To ascend to Tianquan, face ten thousand swords, and enter the Sword Pool, can you do it?"
She knew that Gu Wen had once refined a spiritual treasure in an hour, which was enough to place him second on the Zhe Jian Mountain's refining list, second only to one of the immortals, the ancestor of Zhe Jian Mountain.
Gu Wen met her gaze, quiet and profound.
For a moment, he was transported back to several months ago when she always held some extraordinary expectations and trust in him.
Unexpectedly, he did not refuse, softly saying, "This requires the Sword Dao's Law Manifestation."
Ao Tang was stunned; it did not understand why Gu Wen did not refuse.
He was about to face the number one prodigy of Zhe Jian Mountain, the foremost in the martial arts world.
In the realm of swordsmanship, defeating Xiao Yunyi, the number one prodigy.
It could not comprehend Yu Hua's expectations for Gu Wen, as if she truly believed he was capable of anything, that he was indeed that unparalleled prodigy.
Ao Tang became an outsider, unable to insert itself even half an inch between their gazes, the moonlight illuminating the black and white of their garments.
After a long silence, Yu Hua smiled and said, "I believe you can do it. If not, I will personally flatten Tianquan Mountain, but it may be difficult to conclude this matter."
At this moment, Gu Wen's thoughts were not of romantic feelings, but rather the phrase 'a scholar dies for his confidant.' The relationship between her and him had never begun with ambiguity, nor was it based on appearance; it all stemmed from talent.
"Ah."
Gu Wen sighed slightly, smiling helplessly, "If you trust me, I can certainly do it. However, the Sword Dao's Law Manifestation requires the resonance of ten thousand swords."
With a single thought, the Heavenly Essence stirred.
In just a breath, the Yuqing Sword Art broke through two levels, reaching the fourth level.
The might of the heart sword was silent and unnoticed by the two, waiting for Gu Wen to turn his back to the bright moon, his gaze a flash of snow white, as if sword light stirred across ten thousand miles.
(End of Chapter)