Stellar Transformations

B8C16: Holder of the 9th jade sword

"Which passage should I choose?" Qin Yu looks at each of those 9 passages carefully.

However, after looking at them, he discovers that these 9 passages are similarly bottomless. Only they bend in slightly different manners. In this situation, how can he possibly choose the right way? If Qin Yu were one man, alone, he would still feel pressured, but not too much.

However, now he is responsible for Hou Fei's and Xiao Hei's lives.

"There are basically no big differences between the 9 passages. That immortal told us to choose, but without even a hint, how are we supposed to choose? Choosing 1 from 9, the chance of death is too high." Qin Yu's calm heart gradually becomes agitated.

The more he looks, the angrier he gets: "What a shitty immortal. If he wants to give people the jade swords then just give. Why the hell did he create these 9 passages for them to choose? Also, there's only 1 passage of life!" Beads of sweat ooze out on his forehead. His eyes also gradually redden a little.

Azure Dragon's expression is solemn. Di Long is obviously very anxious. Old Freak Three-Eyed however has sat down with legs crossed. Reverend Yan Xu, Reverend Huo Tian and Reverend Di Feng are discussing something.

"Oh my, why look so serious, Azure Dragon? Di Long, you're so afraid of death that you've become this way. You're really too weak. Reverend Yan Xu, could you already have an idea? Ha-ha … quit thinking, Qin Yu, why don't you just choose and go into a passage at random?" Yi Da says with evil laughter.

Qin Yu takes a cold look at him: "Why don't you choose yourself?"

"Me?" Yi Da says while fiddling with his long purple hair. "Does this question still need asking? I'm going to wait until you've all chosen. After you've died one by one, I'll know which way is the passage of life, won't I?"

"Idiot." Hou Fei says with strange laughter. "You're an idiot, Yi Da. Don't you see that these 9 passages are all winding and bottomless? How can you know if someone who has gone into one of them is dead or alive? Also, you don't have everybody's soul jade slip."

"Yi Da, there aren't many of us here, why do you think all 9 passages will be chosen?" Old Freak Three-Eyed opens his eyes and asks.

Yi Da, however, does not care about his question: "Three-Eyed, why are you sitting in meditation here at this moment?"

Old Freak Three-Eyed bursts into strange laughter: "There's only 1 passage of life among the 9 passages. If I can't ascertain which one it is, I definitely won't choose. I'd rather practice quietly in this cave until my tribulation comes!"

Practice until his tribulation!

Qin Yu, Azure Dragon, Yi Da and the others all look at him in disbelief. Even Reverend Yan Xu, who is discussing, also stops talking and looks at him in disbelief.

He says with a cold laugh: "I don't believe that the 9-from-9th Heaven Tribulation can't destroy this place when it strikes down. If it can't, that'll be a good thing too, because I'll be able to go through it easily." His words leave everybody speechless.

What Old Freak Three-Eyed said is indeed a solution.

The thing is … it requires the user to endure loneliness.

"Even if the 9-from-9th Heaven Tribulation can't destroy this place, when I achieve ascension, I'll ascend straight to another world from this world. This place surely won't be able to stop me again." A hint of haughtiness appears in the eyes of Old Freak Three-Eyed.

When one achieves ascension, they will go straight to another world no matter where they are in this world.

Almost everybody says nothing.

"You're something, Three-Eyed." Finding him both funny and annoying, Azure Dragon merely says these words.

Practicing alone in this cave all the time until the arrival of the 9-from-9th Heaven Tribulation, not many Xiuzhenists can endure this kind of loneliness.

"Throw stones to learn about the way." Di Long says coldly, but his eyes glance at those 10-odd common Xiuzhenists who were lucky to survive.

Hearing what he says, everybody's eyes brighten at once. Right, throw stones to learn about the way. The experts such as Teng Shan and Hou Fei will not agree to go check out the passages so now only those Jindan stage Xiuzhenists are usable.

"Please save me, Reverend." Knowing that the situation is bad for them, those 10-odd Xiuzhenists immediately kneel down. These Xiuzhenists are all men of the Penglai Immortal Region.

However, Reverend Yan Xu frowns then makes a cut with a hand, separating them into 2 groups. He tells the newly-formed group of 9 with a sigh: "The 9 of you need to sacrifice yourself. First, create your own soul jade slips."

"Reverend, please spare us, Reverend!"

These 9 Xiuzhenists are extremely terrified but the look in Reverend Yan Xu's eyes turns grim.

Old Freak Three-Eyed gives them an ice-cold look and says: "The 9 of you listen up. On behalf of the Blue Water Mansion, I order you to quickly make your own soul jade slips and go into different passages. Otherwise … not only will you all die, your schools will also be destroyed."

The 9 people's faces change color greatly.

The Xiuxianists mobilized by the Penglai Immortal Region all live near the Qian Long continent and are not the Penglai Immortal Region's core forces. These men all belong to small schools so Old Freak Three-Eyed really can destroy their schools.

"If we listen to the order, one of us can live. Otherwise, all of us will die. Good luck, my fellow Xiuxianists."

A middle-aged man among the 9 kneeling people suddenly stands up and looks at Reverend Yan Xu, Old Freak Three-Eyed and the others. His eyes are full of hatred. Afterwards, a chunk of jade appears in his hand. He creates a soul jade slip for himself very quickly.

The other 8 people also stand up in a while. Having resigned themselves to death too, they make their own soul jade slips.

The leading middle-aged man collects the 9 people's soul jade slips then hands them over to Reverend Yan Xu. He stares at Reverend Yan Xu, saying seriously: "Reverend, please take them." Reverend Yan Xu receives them with an expressionless face.

"Good luck, everybody. I'll be the first to go." The leading middle-aged man walks straight into an outermost passage.

"Good luck, everybody." Another man walks into the 2nd passage.

…

One after another, those men step into the passages. Reverend Yan Xu then puts the 9 soul jade slips on the ground in correct order with each jade slip corresponding to the direction in which its owner has entered a passage. Now those 9 people have already gone into the passages while these 9 jade slips are lying steadily on the ground.

Azure Dragon, Reverend Yan Xu, Qin Yu and the others all look at those 9 jade slips. Those 9 people have already disappeared in those deep passages so everybody can only observe their soul jade slips to conclude whether they are dead or alive.

Bang!

The 2nd soul jade slip shatters …

Soon afterwards, the 3rd soul jade slip also shatters, then the 4th one, the 5th one …

In just a while, the 2nd to the 9th soul jade slips have shattered. Everybody looks at the 1st jade slip with glittering eyes.

"It seems the 1st passage is the passage of life." Di Long says smilingly. "Why haven't you started yet, everybody? Could it be you want to let that Jindan stage Xiuzhenist go off with the 9th jade sword?" After saying so, he goes straight towards the 1st passage. Di Jian and Di Xu immediately follow him.

Bang!

At the moment, the only undamaged jade slip, the 1st jade slip, also … shatters!

The 3 Di brothers stop completely in the blink of an eye as if their acupoints have been hit. They then look back in disbelief. That 1st soul jade slip has already shattered too. At this very moment, they are baffled. Azure Dragon, Old Freak Three-Eyed, Qin Yu and the others are also baffled.

"9 soul jade slips have all shattered. This means those 9 people have all died. What actually happened?" Di Long just cannot understand.

The immortal's message says that there is one passage of life among the 9 passages so there should be a passage of life. But why have all 9 people died? After the 9 soul jade slips have shattered, everybody does not know what to do as before. Do they have to check the passages out again using other Xiuzhenists?

Silence.

The entire cave is frighteningly silent. Every expert is frowning.

"Kaka, all of you are idiots." Hou Fei says with strange laughter. "Only 1 of the 9 passages is the passage of life so naturally that passage leads to the 9th jade sword. If we find out the location of the 9th jade sword, we'll know which one it is, won't we?"

Di Xu reproves him loudly: "If we knew the 9th jade sword's location, why would we have to go to such trouble?"

"Idiot." Hou Fei says disdainfully.

Qin Yu's eyes brighten and look at Hou Fei in disbelief: "Fei Fei, you're really smart."

Now Azure Dragon, Yi Da and some others have also figured out the solution almost simultaneously. Azure Dragon laughs out loud and says: "Hou Fei is really smart, ha-ha … that's right, we only need to find out the 9th jade sword's location. Reverend Yan Xu, last time you failed to find the 9th jade word with that secret method of yours, but let's try it again this time."

Qin Yu, Yi Da, Situ Xue and the others all look at Reverend Yan Xu.

Reverend Yan Xu is startled then bursts out laughing: "I'm really old already. This method is not bad. Last time the 8 jade swords unexpectedly split up for no reason after entering the Wilderness. Some problem must have occurred. This time I'll try it again, maybe it'll succeed."

After saying so, he sits in midair with legs crossed.

The holders of the jade swords present throw their respective swords to him one after another. Now nobody hesitates because Reverend Yan Xu's method is not only related to the 9th jade sword, it is even related to everyone's life. Who would dare to fool around at this moment?

Reverend Yan Xu begins to execute that secret method again.

The 8 jade swords shoot out various beams of light, which connect them with his body. With a solemn expression, he makes many hand signs … Second after second, minute after minute. When a long time has passed, sweat even appears on his eyebrows.

"Everybody, it's successful." Reverend Yan Xu suddenly breathes out and says.

The 8 jade swords then fly side by side straight towards … the 1st passage!

"The 1st passage?" Qin Yu is shocked.

The 3 Di brothers are also shocked, as is everyone else at the scene. Some time ago the soul jade slip corresponding to the 1st passage shattered, causing everybody to lose hope. But now these jade swords are automatically flying in that passage's direction.

"If the 1st passage is the way out, why did the man entering it die?" Di Long asks instantly.

"There's only 1 passage of life among the 9 passages. If you don't choose this one, which one will you choose?" Yi Da says with a cold laugh then takes the lead in flying into the 1st passage. At the same time, the flying jade swords are taken back by their owners.

Qin Yu, his 2 sworn brothers, Azure Dragon and Teng Shan quickly enter the 1st passage after Yi Da.

Reverend Yan Xu, Old Freak Three-Eyed and some others follow them closely. Di Long and his 2 brothers eventually also have no choice but to go into this passage.

Nobody dares to relax. Even though the 8 jade swords pointed to this passage, everybody is still very careful. After all, that Xiuzhenist who entered this passage before them died so it is still dangerous.

But nobody knows how dangerous it is.

"Be careful, big brother." Hou Fei is looking around with his fiery eyes, appearing very vigilant. Qin Yu nods. He is very vigilant at the moment too. Xiao Hei is going alongside Qin Yu, his eagle eyes sweeping the surroundings.

Holy senses are useless in this passage. A place constructed by an immortal is not something they can check out at will.

Yi Da is in the front. Azure Dragon, Teng Shan, Qin Yu and his 2 brothers are just a little behind. Reverend Yan Xu, Di Long, Old Freak Three-Eyed and the others are at the rear. These top figures of the overseas Xiuzhen world now are all very careful.

After some time, it seems everyone guessed wrong because by now they have yet to see any traces.

"Why haven't we seen the corpse of that Xiuzhenist?" Qin Yu frowns deeply. That man died, but there should be a corpse here. Why, after going forwards for such a long time, has nobody seen his corpse? This is really strange.

However, at this moment --

Hu hu ~~~

From the other end of the passage, a current of a dark red liquid rushes towards them extremely fast like tidewater, filling the entire passage. To be exact, it is a liquid akin to lava. There are even flames on the surface of this current of the liquid.

"Deep-ground lava, be careful!"

Old Freak Three-Eyed's voice resounds through the passage. In an instant, the current enfolds everybody like tidewater. The few Jindan stage Xiuzhenists who were lucky not to be used as guinea pigs are burnt to ashes even before coming into contact with the lava.

Among the remaining experts, Xiao Hei has the easiest time.

In the lava, he does not even have to use his protective demonic elemental energy and only relies on his black feathers, which can rival high-grade holy weapons. Under the protection of the feathers, Xiao Hei is not harmed by the deep-ground lava at all. Among the others, Di Xu and the 4 human experts consisting of Situ Xue, Jiao Jiu, Reverend Huo Tian and Reverend Di Feng have a little difficulty dealing with the lava.

Qin Yu and the rest protect their bodies with their energies and withstand the lava easily. Qin Yu and the Xiuyaoists such as Azure Dragon, Teng Shan and Old Freak Three-Eyed have extremely strong bodies so even though their protective energies only neutralize more than half of the lava's power, they do not mind its residual power.

The Xiuxianists and Xiumoists have weak bodies but in the end all of them survive.

"A bit faster, everybody." Azure Dragon shouts then becomes the first to rush extremely fast towards the other end of the passage. Qin Yu, his brothers and everyone else quickly follow him. In just a while, they go through the other end of the passage.

There are unexpectedly no other attacks following the deep-ground lava.

After getting out of the passage, everybody sees a luxurious hall which is even much more luxurious and lager than the audience hall of an imperial palace. The shocking thing is that -- at the moment, there are 2 huge divine beasts on the lower part of this hall.

The one on the left has a dark red, 100 m long body. Its neck has 6 thick sharp spines and its head has a golden single horn. The surface of its entire body looks like various rocks and has a stronger defense than even a divine dragon's. This is a Dragon Rocky lion.

The one on the right is a huge, several tens meter tall, two-winged bird. Flames are moving around every place on its body. It has a distinct air of grandeur. This is none other than a Hong Luan.

A black-robed man is sitting on the higher part of the hall. A snowy kitten is lying on his thighs. At the moment, this man is playing with a jade sword with his head lowered. Suddenly he raises his head and looks smilingly at everybody who has just rushed out from the passage to come into the hall.

Now the 10 something experts such as Azure Dragon, Qin Yu and Old Freak Three-Eyed are watching the scene before their eyes with shock -- 2 divine beasts, the snowy kitten, the black-robed man and that jade sword.

The black-robed man tells the shocked comers with a smile: "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce myself a bit. I am the holder of the 9th jade sword and also the ruler of the outermost 3 million li of the Wilderness -- Yan Mo!"

End of b8c16.

End of book 8.