Location: Viet Quoc.
Time unknown…
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What is born must die, what lives must eventually perish; this has always been the natural order. Yet mortals cling to life and fear death; how many can truly face birth and death with equanimity?
In ancient times as today, most people fear death. They do not know where they will go after death, or what they will become. And precisely because of this ignorance, this lack of clarity, they begin to conjure up realms of the unknown, deities, heavenly courts, and hells in their minds…
From person to person, generation to generation, theory upon theory, these realms of the unknown and various deities accumulated, becoming a shared perception, a common knowledge. From then on, future generations passed it down, and everyone believed that there were gods in heaven and underworld forces on earth, offering sacrifices day and night, lamenting their woes and praying for blessings…
From this point, mortals began to pursue the legend of immortality…
Birth, old age, sickness, death – no one can escape them. A sprouting seed will inevitably wither one day, leaves fall, branches dry, decaying into the earth. Only immortals are imperishable. To achieve immortality, one must cultivate to become an immortal.
Bearing this thought, mortals generation after generation diligently sought and pursued methods of cultivating immortality and practicing the Dao. Alas, the path of immortality is as elusive and obscure as a needle at the bottom of the sea; how could it be easily found?
"Eternal life and immortality" – these four words remained a distant dream.
However, this does not mean that the efforts of mortals over countless generations were all in vain. Among all beings, humans are the most intelligent, with the highest comprehension; with their innate wisdom, although no human has truly reached the realm of immortality, they have at least discovered paths to approach the gates of divinity, and living for one or two thousand years is not uncommon.
After tens of thousands of years of ancestors pouring all their energy into this pursuit, countless methods of cultivating immortality and practicing the Dao now exist. These are held and passed down by none other than the sects…
In the world today, immortal cultivation sects are everywhere, too numerous to count, but the most renowned are six names: Baiyue Jiao, Tianjian Men, Yinfeng Gu, Jiuhua Gong, Lanyan Si, and Sanxian Dao. Among them, Yinfeng Gu and Baiyue Jiao are considered heterodox sects.
This is hardly surprising. Different ideologies and different cultivation methods naturally lead to distinctions. Yinfeng Gu and Baiyue Jiao, the disciples of these two factions, have always acted with disregard for righteousness, often employing sinister means against others. Being labeled "heretical paths" is indeed not unjust.
Where there is heterodoxy, there must be orthodoxy. If Baiyue Jiao and Yinfeng Gu represent an extreme, pragmatic cultivation ideology, then Tianjian Men, Jiuhua Gong, Lanyan Si, and Sanxian Dao – these four great sects – follow the opposite direction, emphasizing righteousness and conforming to nature. Especially Tianjian Men…
Tianjian Men is located in the south of Viet Quoc, situated on Mount Wutai. It is formed by five smaller peaks: Jinjian Feng, Zhujian Feng, Mojian Feng, Liejian Feng, and Xiangjian Feng, each corresponding to one of its five branches. Among them, the main branch is Jinjian Feng.
As for its origins, the Heavenly Sword Sect has existed for over three thousand years since its establishment. Its founding patriarch, named Lý Bất Tri, was a legendary and exceedingly mysterious figure in the world of immortal cultivation. Even now, more than two thousand years after his passing, the mysteries surrounding him remain unsolved. Mortals only know that Lý Bất Tri was a Kinh tribesman, who emerged into the world at sixty years old, wielding a single sword to traverse Việt Quốc, the Central Plains, and the outer regions. From north to south, there was no place he hadn't visited or fought in.
In those days, regardless of their status or tribe, anyone who heard the three words "Lý Bất Tri" would immediately be moved, either with reverence or fear.
Two thousand years ago, if Lý Bất Tri wasn't the "Foremost Immortal Cultivator," then no one else was worthy of the title.
Such was the past, but considering the present…
Lý Bất Tri, of course, is long gone. Though his Daoist arts were profound, his achievements rivaled creation itself, and he transcended the mortal realm to become a saint, he was ultimately still a mortal. A lifespan of a thousand years is finite; how could he escape death? All that remains now are perhaps his legacies.
The Heavenly Sword Sect is precisely one of them.
In Lý Bất Tri's era, with his profound Daoist techniques, it was only natural for him to found a sect and lead it to great prosperity; there was nothing remarkable about that. But today, two thousand years after his death…
It's unclear whether it was due to the heavens' favor or Lý Bất Tri's meticulous arrangements for the future, but over the past two millennia, after countless upheavals, the Heavenly Sword Sect still stands majestically atop Mount Ngũ Đài, dominating a region of Việt Quốc. Its five branches—Kim Kiếm Phong, Trúc Kiếm Phong, Mặc Kiếm Phong, Liệt Kiếm Phong, and Tương Kiếm Phong—have also grown increasingly prosperous, with disciples ever increasing and no shortage of talented individuals.
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Sixty *dặm* northeast of the foot of Mount Ngũ Đài…
This place is called Đào Hoa, an isolated village quite far from any town, with exactly fifty households. The villagers here are all honest and kind-hearted; they have almost never engaged in conflict, and scheming is unthinkable. They live very peacefully, trusting one another…
Spring has now arrived, and peach blossoms are in full bloom everywhere. From front verandas to back alleys, on every rooftop, almost the entire village is dyed with the color of the blossoms, creating a beautiful and incredibly poetic scene.
Similar to other households, Lăng Thành Trụ's home also has peach trees, and their blossoms are also blooming profusely. Beneath the eaves, dressed in a simple, plain earth-brown long robe, Lăng Thành Trụ paced back and forth incessantly, looking quite agitated and worried.
It was hardly surprising. Inside the house, his wife, Lăng Tiểu Linh, was crying out in agony; how could Lăng Thành Trụ not be anxious? She had been in labor for over two hours already…
"Why is it taking so long? It's been over two hours already…"
Lăng Thành Trụ clasped his left hand with his right, worrying silently in his heart, muttering to himself…
"Tiểu Linh has always been frail; to be in labor for so long…"
Looking up at the sky, Lăng Thành Trụ clasped his hands in prayer: "Divine beings above, I beg you to have mercy and protect Tiểu Linh; please don't let any harm befall her…"
It was unclear whether the heavens had heard his plea, but no sooner had Lăng Thành Trụ finished praying than a cry echoed from inside the house: "Waa… waa… waa…"
It was clear then; it was the sound of a baby. Lăng Tiểu Linh had just given birth.
"She's given birth… She's given birth… She's given birth!"
Lăng Thành Trụ was so overjoyed that tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly turned, opened the door, and rushed straight into the house.
"Big brother, congratulations!"
As soon as Lăng Thành Trụ ran in, his younger sister, Lăng Ngọc Yến, handed him the baby she was holding.
"It's a boy, Big Brother!"
"My son..."
After taking the infant into his arms, Lăng Thành Trụ sat down on the bed. With one hand, he reached out to brush aside some messy, already drenched strands of his wife's hair, asking with concern, "Tiểu Linh, how are you feeling?"
"I... I'm fine," Lăng Tiểu Linh replied weakly. "Where's the baby...? Let me see him."
"Here he is."
Lăng Thành Trụ quickly placed the baby from his arms onto the bed, right beside his wife.
Her thin hand moved, and Lăng Tiểu Linh gently touched her son's cheek, softly uttering, "My mother's child..."
Then, she smiled happily...
But...
That smile, however, very quickly withered. Along with her arm going limp, two streams of tears slowly flowed from her eyes.
Sensing something was wrong, Lăng Thành Trụ's expression changed drastically, and he immediately cried out, "Tiểu Linh... Tiểu Linh... Tiểu Linh!"
"No... Tiểu Linh..."
Spinning around abruptly, Lăng Thành Trụ grabbed his younger sister Lăng Ngọc Yến's hand and pulled her closer.
"Ngọc Yến, look at her. Quickly, look at her!"
In truth, Lăng Ngọc Yến was already about to do so even without Lăng Thành Trụ telling her. She had already seen the resigned expression on her sister-in-law's face.
Not daring to hesitate for another second, Lăng Ngọc Yến immediately checked...
A moment later...
Lăng Ngọc Yến withdrew her hand, her eyes not daring to turn to look at her elder brother. She didn't dare to speak.
Seeing his younger sister like that, Lăng Thành Trụ's last ray of hope vanished into thin air. He fell silent, and it took him a long moment to open his mouth.
"Ngọc Yến... Tiểu Linh... she..."
At that point, Lăng Thành Trụ couldn't speak anymore. It was as if something was blocking his throat.
His wife, she was gone. She was gone...
"Hic... hic..."
Bitter tears began to flow. Lăng Thành Trụ cried, Lăng Ngọc Yến cried, and the newborn baby on the bed was also crying.
A life had ended. Lăng Tiểu Linh had departed from the mortal world, leaving behind her infant child whose eyes had not yet had a chance to open.
"Oh, Heaven..." Lăng Thành Trụ closed his eyes tightly, choking out, "Why are you so cruel?"
"Tiểu Linh was only nineteen this year, why did you take her away?"
"... What sin did Tiểu Linh commit...?"
"Big Brother..." Beside him, Lăng Ngọc Yến watched her heartbroken elder brother, and tears flowed from her own eyes. She wanted to say something to comfort him, but in the end, she could only lower her head and sob.
Speak? What could she say? This loss, this pain of separation... it was truly too immense.
Joy turned to sorrow. Inside the house, people were drenched in tears; outside on the porch, flowers gently fell. The sky remained unruffled...