Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao-Chapter 176 - 073: Ancient People Truly Did Not Deceive Me

Between heaven and earth, a cold wind raged.

The dim luster was suddenly reflected off the enormous, rusty vulture, illuminating Jia Yongheng’s face at that moment.

His face still bore a shocked expression, and the muscles at the corners of his eyes twitched slightly.

Yet, the vulture snatched by his Sword Intent and dropped into the Black Water, even as powerful as it was, had already decomposed into pitch-black particles, as if encountering a massive amount of highly corrosive liquid, and was instantly corroded beyond recognition.

On the water’s surface, a few pitch-black, shiny feathers as tough as steel floated lonely, nearly identical to the solitary white Spirit Armor that Zhou Yan had seen earlier.

They were also incredibly lonely.

This was a momentum.

A momentum that made one feel loneliness and solitude at a glance.

"Sigh..."

Exhaling a turbid breath, Jia Yongheng came back to his senses. He silently watched the vulture corrode into lonely feathers in the Black Water, his expression unavoidably filled with a sense of melancholy.

He had always appeared optimistic and casual, and Zhou Yan was seeing this melancholic side for the first time.

Zhou Yan sighed softly, witnessing the powerful vulture disintegrate into feathers in the blink of an eye; he couldn’t help but recall the moment Zhou Lingyi had called out to him.

That scene was illusory, yet it seemed real. But whether it was true or false, even now, Zhou Yan still couldn’t determine.

Yet, he suddenly became very worried about Zhou Lingyi.

Although this woman had not been kind to him initially, it was Zhou Lingyi’s calling that had awakened him when he had previously been turned into a walking corpse by the allure of the Netherworld.

"This power, you saw it, didn’t you?"

Jia Yongheng suddenly spoke as Zhou Yan walked out of the Netherworld River.

"It’s strong and terrifying."

Zhou Yan nodded in agreement.

"Yes, but it cannot harm you. There’s a saying, ’Having the Heavenly Mechanism Soul Stone protects one from the Netherworld Water.’ If you don’t need my help, then return the Black Iron chunk you took from me."

Jia Yongheng stared at Zhou Yan, his gaze intensifying.

"Black Iron, haven’t you already checked it? Could it be, this is the Heavenly Mechanism Soul Stone?"

Zhou Yan asked in surprise.

"Yes, an initial estimate says probably not wrong, otherwise you wouldn’t be unafraid of the Netherworld Water. But that’s just one reason," Jia Yongheng explained, frowning slightly.

"If that’s really the case, then I can only regret to tell you, I threw it away," Zhou Yan said calmly, looking at Jia Yongheng.

After speaking, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the river in the distance, as if recalling the scene of ’Zhou Lingyi awakening him’ earlier.

From his arrival here, casually throwing the ’Black Iron’ into the lake, to being lured by the lake water and nearly dying—

He deliberately recalled the entire sequence of events.

But this time, Zhou Yan didn’t specifically recall anything about the Purple Flame Lotus or the space between his brows.

In his memory, the Black Iron was thrown into the Netherworld, not refined by the Purple Flame.

This thought was even somewhat unguarded.

Indeed, while recalling this, Zhou Yan felt an energy like the Law of Time circulating inside and outside his body as if at that moment, everything about him was completely exposed.

Some secrets could be spied on by the powerful.

Although this sensation lasted only a moment, Zhou Yan still knew that Jia Yongheng had used some incredibly powerful method to subtly probe some matters.

Zhou Yan remained silent, pretending to be unaware of this scene while continuing to ’reminisce’ about Zhou Lingyi.

Because this too was his true mental state.

As expected, a short while later, Jia Yongheng’s expression became lively again.

He suddenly pointed at Zhou Yan with a somewhat inexplicable trembling, "Indeed, bad things happen whenever I meet you... I should have known, I just didn’t believe it would be so, tried it out foolishly anyway.

Indeed, the Emperor Qi Sword Body can subtly suppress other Sword Bodies."

Jia Yongheng’s eyes clearly showed disappointment, and he did not consider Zhou Yan’s feelings as he began to sigh heavily.

Zhou Yan felt slightly settled inside and asked, "Jia Lingzhe, what are you doing?"

"I’m heartbroken, this time really unlucky to the extreme, encountering your supreme Sword Body! Alas, the ancients say, the Emperor Qi Sword Body suppresses all Sword Bodies, and I didn’t believe it. Now it seems, the ancients did not deceive me!"

Jia Yongheng’s tone was filled with a profound sense of resentment.

Zhou Yan inwardly shuddered slightly, not knowing much about the Emperor Qi Sword Body, yet even if he began to understand something at this moment, he still pretended to be clueless, frowning and saying, "Jia Lingzhe, why do you so easily believe my mere words? Are you not worried that I might be deceiving you?"

Jia Yongheng glanced at Zhou Yan, that look containing a hint of disdain, then earnestly and trustingly said, "Given the character and integrity of Zhou Lingzhe, loyal to his word, naturally trustworthy."

"Trusting my ass, if it weren’t for your special method to sense the outcome, thereby learning about the earlier ’events’, how could you so easily believe me?"

Zhou Yan felt deep disdain for this somewhat ’shameless’ person deep in his spirit, yet he didn’t dwell on this point, and instead maintained a sorrowful demeanor.

"Fortune comes by grace, loss by destiny. Jia Lingzhe, you should try to come to terms with it. If this is the case and you missed out on the Heavenly Mechanism Soul Stone, then it must simply be that the opportunity had not yet arrived."

Zhou Yan said this with a sense of melancholy.

"After all, Zhou Lingzhe, next time I definitely won’t accompany you again. The first time I nearly lost my life, and this time I even lost the Heavenly Mechanism Soul Stone that was practically in my hands. Comparatively, I really wish I could chop off my own hands! My hands are too impulsive!

Ancient sayings, I did not believe them, this is what I deserve! The ancients, indeed do not deceive me!"

Jia Yongheng continued to mutter to himself, his face full of regret.

"I’ve come to view these matters more indifferently. Rather... Previously, I didn’t know what was true or false, it all felt very illusive, and then a scene appeared featuring a once ’family member,’ who, because of me, seemed to have encountered danger."

Zhou Yan explained.

"That should have been more likely to bring misfortune than fortune, Netherworld, it is actually a true projection. True and false, false and true, this world, it is just like this.

Look at that Spiritual Armor, the waters of the Netherworld, eventually, are dust to dust, earth to earth, what remains must be nothing but a strand of obsession. The vultures leave behind a few feathers, representing their numerous harrowing experiences riddled with wounds.

And that white Spiritual Armor, it represents, perhaps, a trace of her imprinted in the memories."

Jia Yongheng, looking at the feathers and Spiritual Armor floating on the Netherworld water in the distance, couldn’t help but explain.

"Is that so?"

Zhou Yan frowned, feeling somewhat disheartened inside.

"Yes. Don’t believe, let me show you once more," said Jia Yongheng. He suddenly addressed the few glossy black Iron Feathers floating, "Life and death are the creations of Heaven and Earth. Those with opportunity live, those without, die in chaos.

Thus, why harbor any unwilling obsessions? Dissipate swiftly, return to the Tao, and reincorporate into Heaven and Earth, for only then can one undergo a brand new cycle of life!"

Jia Yongheng’s voice was piercingly clear.

Even for someone as accomplished as Zhou Yan, who had cultivated up until now, he had never heard such charming words.

But aside from its charm, more so, it was a natural law from the depths of the heart, a law carrying genuine Tao Rules and charisma, compelling serious contemplation.

Zhou Yan’s attention was quickly captured by the next scene, for the feathers floating on the black water had begun to fragment and disperse.

They disappeared quickly.

"So, does that mean only those who have truly perished and left behind obsessions end up like this?"

Zhou Yan asked deeply.

"Yes."

Jia Yongheng affirmed.

"But, it’s impossible for Zhou Lingyi to have come here. Why then is her Spirit Armor here?"

Zhou Yan asked curiously.

"True and false, false and true. She doesn’t have to come here; as long as she is connected to you, and you are here, that’s already enough."

Jia Yongheng continued to explain.

But his explanation only added to the heaviness of Zhou Yan’s mood.

When Zhou Yan recalled Zhou Lingyi, the first thing that came to mind was the scene of the Cold Pond crane shadow, Cold Moon, and Qing Qiu.

Yet before that, he had had many more encounters with Zhou Lingyi.

He vividly remembered, the first time, having a piece of clothing with merely a trace of Spiritual Energy, not yet qualifying as Spirit Armor, she was proud like a swan.

That moment, she was genuinely happy.

That moment, she didn’t have such a proud heart.

That moment, to him, Zhou Yan, she was still a beloved little brother.

That moment, she was actually very simple, just simply admiring Zhou Yan for his talented comprehension.

...

Now, what does this floating Piece of Spiritual Armor indicate?

Zhou Yan remained silent, eventually letting out a sigh.

He didn’t speak but took out a flask, tipped his head back, and took a big gulp, allowing the scorching liquor to burn through his life and soul.

"Don’t be too sad, getting used to the cycles of life and death is best. Well, I won’t say more, you’ve lost the Heavenly Mechanism Soul Stone to the Netherworld, but since you’ve proved that the waters of the Netherworld don’t scare you, how about you help me retrieve it?"

Jia Yongheng hesitated for a moment then made a quite unexpected request.

Zhou Yan, upon hearing this, his expression changed and said, "This Netherworld, since it’s a certain death route, how can you ask me to go down to find the Heavenly Mechanism Soul Stone?"

"I can’t make the Netherworld water harmless to me, but you can! I speculate that your flames will surely protect you! How about it? Help me find it, and you surely won’t be treated unfairly!"

Jia Yongheng, with an enticing tone, seemed to try to make Zhou Yan agree to his arrangement.

"You really think too highly of me!" Zhou Yan responded with a bitter smile, then continued, "It’s only possible because I have a Spirit Armor crafted from a lotus that lived in a similar environment.

This Spirit Armor can withstand the corrosion of the Netherworld, but, how long it can last, no one can be sure."