Chapter 146 Previous Master
The disciples of various sects were extremely excited and vied with each other to capture the fleeting treasures.
Shangguan Jiannan's face changed drastically at this moment, and he was extremely anxious.
A stream of red spiritual energy suddenly broke away from his control and rushed towards the depths of the Taoist Palace Square like a wild horse.
Although he tried his best to control this power, he seemed to be led by an invisible hand and found himself in an illusory yet real scene - the Lingtai Hall was full of lights and colors, but he could only watch the treasures pass by and was unable to touch them.
"What on earth is going on?" Shangguan Jiannan looked around in shock, his face filled with dismay and his heart was filled with shock.
He was supposed to control the spiritual energy to search for treasure at the edge of the seal, but unexpectedly he was "immersive" and experienced an unprecedented strange journey.
The red spiritual energy rushed across the square and finally disappeared among the numerous lights, becoming a streak among the myriad streams of light.
Shangguan Jiannan's consciousness followed the movement, and the magnificent scenes in the Taoist palace were revealed one by one: the vast square, the towering main hall was like a hill, standing tall and attracting everyone's attention.
His spiritual energy is just a drop of water in this vast ocean of spiritual energy, small and powerless.
The spiritual energy around was so dense that it was almost touchable. It flowed freely, uncontrolled by anyone, including Shangguan Jiannan.
His spiritual energy was carried away by this force, passing through the void and heading straight into the depths of the Taoist Palace.
"Where on earth are you taking me?" Shangguan Jiannan exclaimed in his heart, his nerves tense. Everything around him was as clear as a mirror, reflected in his mind.
He knew very well that the interior of the Taoist Palace had always been a forbidden area and no one dared to set foot there. But now he had no choice but to rush towards that unknown place.
Suddenly, a red light streaked across the sky, and Shangguan Jiannan's spiritual energy left a brilliant trail in the void, continuing its uncontrolled journey towards the unknown and mysterious realm deep in the Taoist Palace.
Shangguan Jiannan rushed towards the depths of the Taoist Palace, exclaiming in his heart: "I'm about to hit it!" Outside the Taoist Palace, golden light was flowing, and the power of the seal was doubled. Although the speed was fierce, it was already very close and there was no way to avoid it.
He was extremely anxious and kept saying to himself, "Hide quickly!" His eyes were fixed on the heavy door, and finally he could only close his eyes in despair.
In an instant, golden light flashed, and a powerful spiritual energy surged in, its speed increasing instead of decreasing, and it crashed straight into the Taoist Palace.
The expected obstacle did not occur. The red spiritual energy penetrated the golden seal like the light of dawn, like raindrops falling into a quiet lake, causing ripples before returning to calm.
The spiritual energy penetrated the wall without any obstruction. Shangguan Jiannan was astonished and deeply shocked by the scene before him.
The hall is magnificent and the space is vast. People standing in it feel as small as dust.
The main hall is more than thirty meters wide, with simple colors and intricate carvings on the walls. The figures, monsters, and martial arts patterns are lifelike. Time seems to have forgotten this place, and everything retains its past prosperity, except for the lack of the hustle and bustle of people.
Opposite the door, there is a desk standing quietly, the incense burner next to it is empty and there is no incense to be found, and an unusual silence permeates the surroundings.
Shangguan Jiannan's eyes were firmly attracted by the items on the desk - next to the four treasures of the study, an ink painting was particularly eye-catching.
The figure in the painting is a middle-aged swordsman in a grey robe, with his sword pointed to the sky. He is full of vigor and vitality, standing barefoot among thorns and demons, as if he is determined to cut through all obstacles in the world.
This picture not only demonstrates the painter's superb skills, but also reveals an indomitable and courageous spiritual power, which made Shangguan Jiannan stare at it for a long time with a surge of emotion.
The blood color is like a demon, staining the black and white painting alone, with a touch of bright red, making people mistake it for real blood dripping.
Shangguan Jiannan stared at the scene and was certain that it was not paint but real blood marks.
The scroll is divided into two parts. In the upper half, the sword fairy is soaring into the sky with majestic momentum, pointing directly to the sky, showing his transcendence; in the lower half, demons are rampant, blood-soaked, as if staring into the abyss, leading people to sink.
One immortal and one demon, good and evil intertwined, yet coexisting harmoniously, come alive on paper with extraordinary vividness.
Watching the immortals is like being in a fairyland, detached from the mundane world; looking at the devils, a sea of blood boils, and all living beings suffer.
Shangguan Jiannan stared for a long time and finally let out a long sigh. His spirit was almost exhausted. Fortunately, he was protected by spiritual energy and red light and was able to survive.
The ink stains on the table and the handwriting were messy, obviously a hastily done work.
In the lower half of the painting, there are still a few blank areas, but they have been stained with blood and have blossomed into strange flowers.
Shangguan Jiannan murmured to himself: "Who painted this picture? It is full of mysteries."
It is difficult to tell whether the characters in the painting are good or evil; the painting style is bold and completed in one go; however, the details seem hasty.
All of this was like a fog, leaving Shangguan Jiannan extremely confused.
Looking around, there was only the quiet interior furnishings, and my eyes were once again focused on the strange painting.
"Why are there shadows of demons in the netherworld, the ruins of an ancient sect, and a holy place for practicing Taoism?" Shangguan Jiannan's mind was filled with doubts, but suddenly a light flashed in his mind, as if he had realized something.
It is unreasonable for immortals, demons and monsters to coexist in the same painting, let alone within the orthodox sect.
He examined it carefully, and his doubts grew even more.
At this moment, Shangguan Jiannan's eyes were fixed on a certain place in the painting, as if he had discovered something. All the mysteries might be revealed from this... Shangguan Jiannan's eyes inadvertently fell on the brush beside him. The four small seal characters "Lord of the Slaughtering Heaven Sword" on the pen were shining brightly, instantly attracting all his attention.
He opened his eyes wide in shock, his disbelief evident in his words.
These four words were like a key, quietly opening the door of doubt in his heart.
"Could it be that this was the place where the legendary Lord of the Slaying Sky Sword lived?" Shangguan Jiannan speculated secretly in his heart, closely connecting everything in front of him with that name.
He deduced that the author of the ink painting must be the Lord of the Killing Heaven Sword.
The brushstrokes create storms and the paintings make ghosts and gods weep; the connection between the two is self-evident.
The ruins of the Taoist palace still exist, but thousands of miles away, under the ruins, the Sky-Slaying Sword is sealed alone.
This seemingly contradictory layout made Shangguan Jiannan frown, and his heart was full of confusion.
The Lord of the Slaying Heaven Sword regards the sword as his soul. As long as the sword is alive, the man is alive; when the sword dies, the man dies. This is the ultimate attachment of a warrior to his weapon.
However, why was his sword so far away from here and sealed somewhere else? Shangguan Jiannan knew that for a warrior, a weapon is not only a tool for fighting, but also an extension of the soul, a partner in life and death.
He recalled the remains of warriors that had decayed along with their weapons in the underground secret room, and felt even more emotional.
But the scene before him left him completely baffled.
He gazed at the ink painting again. The painting was full of spirit, as if it could lead people through time and space and experience the scene firsthand.
This shock even exceeds the scope of spiritual perception.
Although he didn't understand the reason, Shangguan Jiannan was deeply attracted by this posthumous work, and all his attention was focused on the ink and the blank space.
At this moment, he felt both doubt and awe in his heart.
This is not only a search for the identity of the Lord of the Slaughtering Sword, but also a profound understanding of the indissoluble bond between warriors and weapons.
In this quiet Taoist palace, Shangguan Jiannan seemed to be able to hear the echoes of history and feel the loyalty and companionship that transcended time and space.
Shangguan Jiannan's eyes suddenly froze, unable to conceal his shock.
Next to the rice paper and ink painting on the desk, a few lines of small characters were faintly visible, causing his heart to tremble and doubts to arise.
The wind blows, and the scroll moves slightly, revealing the dusty secrets underneath.
Shangguan Jiannan took a closer look and the words on the desk jumped into his eyes. His breathing became rapid and his eyes were fixed on them.
"What... does this record?" he muttered to himself, his curiosity burning in his heart.
Although the words are sloppy and unrestrained, they reveal a heroic spirit, as if one can glimpse into the writer's extraordinary life.
After a long while, Shangguan Jiannan sighed, his eyes full of amazement: "With just a few strokes, he outlined a brilliant life."
It turned out that this was a record of the life story of the Lord of the Slaying Heaven Sword.