Chapter 44: A Thunderclap in the Literary Department, Ink Pool Sword Pierces the Peach Tree

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Ever since the establishment of the Literary Department 10,000 years ago, It had been closely related to the change of every dynasty.

Sacred Mountain was transcendent and independent. The Literary Department and the Martial Temple actually wanted to imitate the Sacred Mountain, but as the bond between the dynasty and the Literary Department deepened, this imitation naturally became impossible.

From a faction that originally focused on Spirit Refinement cultivators, the Literary Department slowly evolved into a gathering place for scholars in the world.

All kinds of thoughts burst forth in the Literary Department. Gradually, the

Confucian Dao was the most important. The Great Confucian of the Imperial Court, the Headmasters of the Literary Department, and so on even nurtured a vast power that was different from Qi Blood and mental power.

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Compared to the purity of the Martial Temple, the Literary Department was actually much more complicated. The three Headmasters were divided into three factions. Three different ideas were attacking the Literary Department like undercurrents.

The spring rain poured down between the white walls and black tiles of the Literary Department building complex. It was like a beautiful painting of mountains and rivers, with a hint of the downstream river’s water village. Past the White Jade Plaque Workshop of the Literary Department, through the deep path, along the young flowers that had been scattered by the rain, one could see a straw hut hidden in a few banana trees.

The hut was in the human realm, and there were no carriages or horses.

Under the straw hut, the spring breeze blew slowly, blowing away the steam rising from the charcoal stove.

Under the eaves of the straw hut, the water droplets formed by the spring rain flowed into a curtain and fell to the ground. The sound of banana leaves hitting the rain beside the river was like bamboo music.

Two old figures were setting up a chessboard. There were a few black and white chess pieces scattered around and they were discussing.

The old man of the Imperial Ancestral Temple held the black chess piece and narrowed his eyes, staring at the chessboard.

Opposite him was the old Confucian-robed man he had met in the pavilion that day. He was also the Third Headmaster of the Literary Department, Wang

Banshan.

The Third Headmaster took a white piece and ate one of Zhao Huangting’s black pieces.

“You think so highly of that young painter and even gave him Green Mountain.

Why do you have the time to talk to me now?”

The Third Headmaster smiled at his old friend.

“There’s nothing to see. There’s not much suspense. The person who holds my Green Mountain is naturally outstanding.”

Zhao Huangting took a sip of the top-notch West Lake Longjing tea and raised his long eyebrows. He reached out to retrieve the black piece that had just fallen, but Third Headmaster slapped his outstretched hand.

“Oh? Do you think so highly of this artist? This time, when the Sixth Mountain

Lord opens the mountain, the people fighting for the position of Mountain

Guardian are not ordinary. I heard that even Luo Qingchen, Ye Chong, and Zhong Shunchao from the Ye Residence, put down the arrogance in their hearts and went.”

The Third Headmaster was all smiles. He placed another piece and ate a large black piece from the chessboard opposite him.

Zhao Huangting’s face darkened. He took a big gulp of the Longjing tea and was so angry that his long eyebrows were trembling. So what if he regretted his last move?!

“Luo Qingchen? The guy with a Tofu Dao heart? With the Sixth Mountain Lord’s temperament, he doesn’t fancy such a person. As for the Zhuo family and the Ye family, if that girl from the Ye family, Ye Wenxi, is willing to compete, it’s almost certain to be her. However, Ye Wenxi’s talent is comparable to the Ye family’s Great General who oversees the Blue Wave River. She’s not low-spirited and naturally won’t be willing to be a Mountain Guardian. Her goal is definitely to compete for the Little Sacred Ranking, converse with the

Sacred Teacher, and create the Seventh Mountain.”

Zhao Huangting stopped playing chess and drank his tea.

After all, if this chess game continued, he would definitely lose. As long as he did not make his move, he would not lose.

The Third Headmaster naturally saw through Zhao Huangting’s shameless actions. He smiled and did not expose him.

“From the looks of it, that young painter will definitely enter the Sixth Mountain. This is good news for the Lin family.” The Third Headmaster sighed softly. “The Lin family is loyal. Unfortunately, it’s precisely because of this loyalty that they’re in such an awkward situation now. The imperial family is the most heartless. That benefactor from the Heavenly Profound Palace has to see the outcome of the battle for the throne. The influence of the Lin, Zhong, and Ye families is too great.”

“Don’t mention that guy. It’s annoying and embarrassing to our Zhao family.”

Zhao Huangting chewed the Longjing tea leaves with the tip of his tongue. The rich fragrance of the tea burst out of his mouth. He glanced at Third Headmaster and said angrily.

The Third Headmaster smiled. Even though the benefactor in the Heavenly Profound Palace had a noble status, the two of them didn’t have any taboos when talking about it.

“You’re wrong about one thing. Young Friend An might not enter the Sixth Mountain.”

Zhao Huangting changed the topic.

Third Headmaster stroked his beard and chuckled, seemingly unsurprised. “I’d like to hear the details.”

“Putting aside the fact that the Hua family’s Jade Guanyin has gone, just based on my understanding of Young Friend An, he might not choose to become a

Mountain Guardian.”

Zhao Huangting made hot tea again and blew away the steam on the teacup. “In fact, if he really accepted the Mountain Guardian qualification, I would be disappointed. Although the Mountain Guardian has a noble status and can be considered a member of the Sacred Mountain Sect, in a sense, he is a servant of the Mountain Lord. After all, it is an inferior position and will destroy his pride.

As for Green Mountain… he might not be able to hold it after that.”

When Third Headmaster heard this, he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

“Young Friend An has just been enlightened not long ago. It’s indeed a little late for him to be enlightened at the age of 18 and have missed the golden period of establishing a firm cultivation foundation when he was young. However,

Young Friend An’s talent is really not bad. He’s even more talented in the Sword Dao.”

“Therefore, I’m more willing for Young Friend An to take the Little Sacred

Token and take the most difficult path to obtain a chance to talk to the Sacred

Teacher. Who knows, he might even have a chance to enter the Seventh

Mountain which has been empty for a long time, and become the Seventh

Mountain Lord?”

“I still have high hopes for him. After all… Green Mountain was covered in dust in my hands. I hope that he can release the sword qi contained in Green

Mountain. If there’s a chance, he’ll slash at the number one expert in the world, Emperor Yuan Meng. ”

Zhao Huangting smiled and looked at the spring rain with hazy eyes.

“My attitude is hidden in the Green Mountain sword qi. As the sword qi entangles, the Sixth Mountain Lord should know my intentions. If that youth wants to become a Mountain Guardian, it will be as he wishes. If he’s unwilling, the Sixth Mountain Lord will naturally give him a Little Sacred Token.

However, the Lin family’s Hua Jiebing must have gone for the Little Sacred

Token. I can save this favor.’

“However, with the Little Sacred Token in hand, he has to enter the Little

Sacred Ranking. Whether he can emerge victorious or not is the real test.”

As soon as it was said, the spring rain suddenly intensified, and the raindrops fell with crackling sounds.

A thunderclap sounded behind the cloud. The heavy rain was majestic and contained sword qi.

The Third Headmaster and Zhao Huangting turned their heads to look into the distance. A Green Mountain vaguely appeared in the hazy rain.

“Look, Jade Guanyin has drawn her sword.”

An Le looked at Madam Hua beside him in surprise.

Her majestic mental power seemed to distort the light in the world. It was as if he was looking at a Bodhisattva sitting alone on a lotus flower. With a flick of her finger, the sky was filled with sword qi!

In the name of An Le, Madam Hua asked for a Little Sacred Token..

An Le had heard from Madam Hua that the Little Sacred Token was the second condition for meeting the Sacred Teacher!

So, the Little Sacred Token was to be obtained from the Mountain Lord?

In a pavilion halfway up the mountain.

The green-robed middle-aged man looked at Hua Jiebing, who was holding the flower sword qi, and his expression returned to coldness.

“You want to take the Little Sacred Token for him?”

The green-robed man’s palm landed on the sword case, and the sword in the case trembled.

Madam Hua’s exquisite face was filled with solemnity. She nodded slightly and her majestic mental power gathered into a blurry Guanyin phantom. “The Sensory Temple’s Legacy Heart Sword is indeed not bad.”

“Save some strength to face the trouble that the Lin Residence is about to encounter. There’s no need to compete with me. Someone used a favor to give him a Little Sacred Token already,” the green-robed man said calmly.

When Madam Hua heard this, her solemn expression froze. Then, she thought of something and looked at the broken bamboo sword at An Le’s waist.

That senior actually did this for An Le?

However, it made sense when she thought about it. Since he had given away the bamboo sword, letting An Le fight for the Mountain Guardian did not match the domineering personality of that senior who dared to swing his sword to try and kill Emperor Yuan Meng.

After Madam Hua thought it through, she smiled and bowed gracefully to the

Sixth Mountain Lord. “Then I’ll have to trouble Mountain Lord.”

The Sixth Mountain Lord’s lips stiffened. “When it comes to repaying favors, every little bit counts.”

Madam Hua covered her mouth and chuckled. What he said made sense.

At this moment, she could even imagine the old senior beating his chest and stomping his feet in anger.

An Le held the dark green sword and met the gazes of Madam Hua and the Sixth Mountain Lord at the same time, causing him to turn serious.

The Sixth Mountain Lord bent his finger, and the dark green sword in An Le’s hand immediately flew out, hanging beside the Sixth Mountain Lord.

“This sword came out of the sword case on its own. It’s called the Ink Pool

Sword. It’s fated with you, so the Little Sacred Token will be within it.”

After Mountain Lord finished speaking, he swiped his sword with his sword finger, and a resplendent golden light disappeared.

He flicked again and the Ink Pool Sword flew out. It landed 300 steps below the pavilion and stabbed into the trunk of a peach tree beside the path.

“Climb the mountain to retrieve the sword. If you can, you will obtain the Little Sacred Token. If not, you will be my Mountain Guardian. Forget about opening the mountain again. How about that?” The Mountain Lord looked at An Le and asked.

Madam Hua frowned. “Mountain Lord, An Le’s cultivation level is a little low.

Ascending the Sixth Mountain…”

“I’m only asking him to reach the 300th step and not the peak. Moreover, my Sixth Mountain’s staircase tests his perception of the sword. It’s not too much.” The Mountain Lord interrupted Madam Hua.

Madam Hua didn’t say anything else and let An Le choose. This was actually an opportunity for him. Personally obtaining the Little Sacred Token was very different from her asking for the token on his behalf.

Moreover, climbing the Sixth Mountain… was also an opportunity that countless cultivators dreamed of.

An Le looked at the dark green sword stuck under the peach tree at the top of the green mountain.

Under the trembling of the Innate Swordsman Dao Fruit, the sword seemed to be calling out to him from afar with desire, hope, and begging.

An Le took a deep breath and said without hesitation, “I’m willing to climb the mountain to get the sword.”

The Sixth Mountain Lord and Madam Hua nodded.

Then, Mountain Lord flicked his sleeve and An Le’s figure was wrapped in sword light. He landed at the foot of the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, the misty rain rose again.

The cultivators were still in shock when the young man rushed into the sky with a sword in his hand. Suddenly, they saw a flash of sword light. The young man in white actually returned to the foot of the mountain.

Everyone was stunned and puzzled.

Luo Qingchen, Zhong Shunchao, and Ye Chong, who had just walked down from the mountain, were also stunned when they saw An Le.

Wasn’t he guided to become a Mountain Guardian?

Why did he come down again?

However, An Le ignored everyone’s gazes. His expression was unprecedentedly solemn. He exhaled softly and walked up the mountain.

The moment he stepped onto the mountain path, the sword qi of the entire Green Mountain seemed to have awakened in an instant. The sword hum was like the ringing of an ancient bell, causing an invisible pressure to appear out of thin air.

Luo Qingchen and the other two understood what had happened, and their gazes towards An Le changed.

“This person gave up on becoming the Mountain Guardian to dream of obtaining the Little Sacred Token and take a chance to converse with the Sacred Teacher?!”

Zhong Shunchao and Ye Chong looked at each other in surprise and even admiration.

However, Luo Qingchen felt as if he had been stabbed in the back. The Mountain Guardian identity that he cared about was actually delivered to the other party’s mouth, but the other party was actually unwilling to accept it. For a moment, Luo Qingchen only felt the dust on his Dao heart that had risen because of the youth…

It was like a black fog that grew larger and larger..