Chapter 187:

"Do you want to meet the Former Earth Sword Immortal?" When Qiao Mu finished explaining his purpose, Wooden Sword Walker Lu Yanbei’s face showed a strange expression. It wasn’t just him, when Qiao Mu mentioned the name Earth Sword Immortal, Captain Hai beside him also showed a puzzled look, wanting to speak but hesitating, and his brow furrowed. Earth Sword Immortal was one of the reasons why Qiao Mu came to this lonely city. He usually liked to deal with strong people because strong people were often dangerous and brought a lot of trouble, easily causing death. So he eagerly approached them. But Captain Hai frowned heavily at this moment. "Elder Lao, although Earth Sword Immortal is powerful, he has a heart of stone. Why are you looking for him?" "He has been in this lonely city for thirty years, never drawing his sword or fighting for the soldiers and people in the city. He just watched us soldiers die on the battlefield." "Twenty years ago, General Li Changge went to ask him for help before dying, but he was unmoved. He still hid in the Taoist temple in the city until today." If it were just ordinary residents of the city, Hai Siyuan could understand their lack of strength and courage to fight the enemy. But he would still despise cowards. However, Earth Sword Immortal was different. In the previous generation of martial arts, Earth Sword Immortal was a very bright figure. At that time, the Martial Saint was only the eleventh in the world, and there were ten more dazzling people in the martial arts world. Earth Sword Immortal was the leader of martial arts at that time, the leader of swordsmanship. He was also known as "Earth Sword Immortal" by martial artists all over the world. Even if it was just the title of exile immortal, even the nickname given by martial artists in the martial arts world, it was not insignificant. Because there are immortals in this world, and they do possess powers far beyond ordinary martial artists. Earth Sword Immortal, as a martial artist of the rivers and lakes, being bestowed the title of "Immortal of the Sword" by the world is quite incredible. It represents that in the eyes of martial artists in the previous generation of martial arts, he is their "exiled immortal," a person like a land-bound sword immortal. Such a person, clearly possessing unparalleled martial arts skills, but always refusing to draw his sword and hiding in the city, naturally makes Captain Hai and other soldiers despise his character. He is very powerful, so even if Captain Hai and the others have grievances in their hearts, they can only hold it in and dare not provoke him. But it is impossible for Captain Hai and the other experienced soldiers in the city to have a good impression of Earth Sword Immortal. After listening to Captain Hai briefly talk about Earth Sword Immortal’s life story, Qiao Mu was greatly amazed. The one who reacted even more significantly was Lu Yanbei. His face was rather embarrassed, not knowing whether to advance or retreat, standing there awkwardly. "Uncle Lu, don’t worry, let’s stick to the matter at hand," Captain Hai also noticed Lu Yanbei’s embarrassment and waved his hand, saying: "What Earth Sword Immortal does is up to Earth Sword Immortal. Since Uncle Lu arrived in the city a year ago, he has fought alongside us several times, and naturally, we understand his sincere intentions." "Uncle Lu, don’t overthink it. You are you, and he is he. You don’t need to go to such lengths for him." Qiao Mu pondered, it seems like there is quite a deep connection between Lu Yanbei and that Earth Sword Immortal? "Could Uncle Lu possibly be the disciple of Earth Sword Immortal?" Qiao Mu asked casually. This time, he didn’t call him "nephew" but changed to a more formal title. But as soon as these words came out, Lu Yanbei’s face became even stranger, he sighed softly and said: "To be honest, Earth Sword Immortal’s real name is Lu Yannan, he is my own younger brother." "When I was young, I taught him swordsmanship, but as he grew up, his swordsmanship became even better than mine. Eventually, he ended up teaching me swordsmanship." "People in the martial arts world call me ‘Wooden Sword Walker’, saying that I am a master of swordsmanship who is skilled and not bound by the sword. The truth is, if it wasn’t for my younger brother’s guidance, I may not have reached where I am today." Qiao Mu pondered for a while and suddenly asked: "Besides swordsmanship, did Master Lu also practice Iron Crotch Skill?" "Iron Crotch Skill? Why would Brother Qiao ask about that?" Lu Yanbei was puzzled. Because your second brother is invincible in the world… Qiao Mu thought to himself, suddenly reminded of Old Huang he had met in Yan City before. Speaking of which, Old Huang’s Iron Crotch Skill is truly amazing. He is now 109 years old and still as strong as a rock, free from worries about his health. While the two people were talking, Hai Siyuan took a few steps back and planned to leave. He wasn’t interested in talking about the Earth Sword Immortal. But before he went far, Qiao Mu called him back. "Captain Hai, do you remember what I said before? Your own brother is waiting outside Anxi Pass." Hai Siyuan stopped in his tracks and saw Qiao Mu take out a stack of envelopes from his bag. He picked one out and handed it to Hai Siyuan. Anxi Pass was built twenty years ago, and Hai Siyuan had heard about its existence from martial artists like Lu Yanbei in the outside world. The letter in Qiao Mu’s hand was actually a family letter from Mr. Hai outside Anxi Pass. He had a total of 31 letters like this in his possession, sent by the settled people from the town outside Anxi Pass. They said they wanted Qiao Mu to help them enter the desert and burn this letter sent to the underworld, secretly hoping that their own relatives didn’t die in the Inhuman War and still held onto a glimmer of hope… "Please give me these letters as well," said Hai Siyuan with a slightly heavy tone. "They were all my former colleagues… Although these 31 family letters were delivered to this lonely city, how many of the old soldiers who could survive until now are left…" Hai Siyuan took the stack of family letters and walked away. ……… Inside the lonely city, there was a Taoist temple. This city had been trapped in the desert by inhuman beings for forty years, so it was obviously impossible for there to be a Taoist temple that worships inhuman beings in the city. Therefore, it was clear that this Taoist temple had long been abandoned, worn out with time, and its walls were covered in faded marks. The courtyard was covered with a layer of fallen leaves that made a crunchy sound when stepped on, and there was an Immortal Statue leaning sideways in the mud in the courtyard. The Immortal Statue was similar to the Immortal Statue Qiao Mu had seen before, with a transcendent temperament, ethereal and godlike, giving off a sense of compassion for the world. The Immortal Statue had fallen over, with half of its face buried in the mud. What concerned Qiao Mu more than the Immortal Statue in the courtyard were the people in the courtyard. The person was wearing a green robe, with white hair like frost. They were sitting on the head of the Immortal Statue as if using it as a chair. From the side, although this person’s temples were already white as snow, their face didn’t look old. They were clearly much younger than the old man, Lu Yanbei. They had a stubble on their face, and their appearance was somewhat untidy. They were just casually sitting in this abandoned courtyard. However, their appearance was undeniably handsome, even though it was untidy, it still made people’s eyes light up. It was sigh-inducing to think that if this person were still young, let alone their swordsmanship, just based on their face, they would probably be enough to become a popular person in the martial arts world. This middle-aged person in the green robe sat on top of the head of the Immortal Statue, holding a carving knife in their hand. They were deeply focused, meticulously carving a statue of a woman. Their carving skills were truly extraordinary. They had carved a figure of a woman in a palace dress to be lifelike, as if her eyes would open in the next moment. And the area that this middle-aged person was currently carving was the eyes. It is said that adding the finishing touch is important whether it’s carving or painting. The eyes are the key. If the finishing touch is done well, this sculpture will have a divine charm and won’t just be a lifeless stone figure, but will be lively like a real person. At that moment, the middle-aged man put down the carving knife in his hand. "Love always brings emptiness and regret, and the best dreams are the easiest to wake up from." "After many years, I still can’t escape from this city in my heart. Ah Zhen, I’m ashamed to let your eyes see how I am now." He sighed softly, and the outline of his face in the evening sunlight became coated with a delicate golden edge. "Let’s not carve these eyes after all." With his back turned to Qiao Mu, who entered the courtyard, it seemed like he was talking to him, but also like he was talking to himself. "Thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and beauty fades. Have you also grown old now?" "I regret that my skills are limited, I dare not carve your eyes, I dare not fully capture your beauty." "He is a sentimental person." This thought crossed Qiao Mu’s mind. However, Lu Yanbei, who was leading Qiao Mu, suddenly moved. He ignored the "Earth Sword Immortal" who was carving a female statue and walked straight towards the main hall of the Taoist temple. He pushed open the tightly closed door. The door made a creaking sound, and the things in the main hall came into Qiao Mu’s view, causing him to pause. On the altar of the main hall, there were as many as ten stone statues…. They were not the usual Immortal Statues found in Taoist temples. Without exception, all these stone statues were of women. There were delicate and petite women, graceful and elegant swordswomen holding long swords, and voluptuous women who seemed like they could be molded out of water…. The postures and figures of these dozen or so female stone statues were all different, vivid and lifelike, competing for attention on the altar. "Big brother, you’re ruining my spotlight again." The middle-aged man said absentmindedly. He simply laid back on the head of the tall Immortal Statue in the courtyard and let out a yawn. "Didn’t you lose face by not carving the eyes? Let them have a good look at how you look now, aren’t you embarrassed?" Lu Yanbei said impatiently. "The main hall of the Taoist temple is becoming like an exhibition hall for a harem because of you." "Big brother, I am sincere with them." Lu Yannan said softly. "But my heart has already broken, shattered into many pieces, each piece loving a different person." "You cannot belittle the sincerity between me and them just because you were not as popular as me when we were young." Lu Yanbei took a deep breath, almost suffocating. Sёarch* The novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "So he is the Earth Sword Immortal?" Qiao Mu carefully observed this so-called Earth Sword Immortal. Although this person has a good reputation, now it seems that besides his attractive appearance, nothing reflects the demeanor of a celestial being. "Never mind the celestial being, what about your sword? It seems there is not a single sword inside this Taoist temple," Qiao Mu looked around and asked. This so-called Earth Sword Immortal has no weapons, only a penknife used for carving? What kind of Earth Sword Immortal is this? "Haha," the Earth Sword Immortal chuckled softly. "Big Brother’s swordsmanship is still at the level of ‘unmatched wooden sword’." "While I have already reached the state of ‘no sword in hand, no sword in heart’." Beside him, Lu Yanbei said coldly: "In other words, he doesn’t have a sword in his hand, and he has lost the spirit and determination of a swordsman in his heart." "The entire lonely city is facing the siege of inhuman beings, with a strong fighting spirit to fight to the death, but he has long lost this spirit." The former number one Earth Sword Immortal no longer exists, now he is just the number one loser in the world. Speaking of this, Lu Yanbei also felt a surge of frustration in his heart, as if hating that iron cannot become steel. Thirty years ago, his own younger brother, Earth Sword Immortal, inexplicably disappeared. In fact, he also had the intention to find him, but later he was deceived by a disciple of the Great Dao Sect and trapped in this lonely city. It doesn’t matter if you don’t enter the lonely city, but once you enter the lonely city, you will know what Earth Sword Immortal, Lu Yannan, has been doing all these years. Captain Hai said it well. Over this past year, Lu Yanbei fought alongside the old soldiers, protecting the lonely city. In fact, it also meant taking care of his own younger brother, and he felt a little guilty about it. "Isn’t that right?" Qiao Mu frowned secretly. It was a bit different from what he had heard about the Earth Sword Immortal beforehand. "Earth Sword Immortal, I came here today because I have something to ask." Qiao Mu thought for a moment and said. "I have heard the Martial Saint talk about the past." "Forty years ago, after the Inhuman War, the Martial Saint who escaped alone created the ‘Martial Saint Spiritual Technique.’" "According to him, at that time, he quickly found the top ten martial artists in the world, which includes you, right?" The half-reclining Earth Sword Immortal thought for a moment and nodded. "That was a long time ago, about thirty years ago. As an old man like you, are you still concerned about such old matters?" Qiao Mu continued speaking. "Martial Saint said that at that time, he and the other ten people made a ten-year agreement to teach you the ‘Martial Saint Spiritual Technique’ and decided to have a competition to determine the only survivor after ten years… Is this true?" "Yeah, what’s up?" Earth Sword Immortal said casually. "If that’s the case, why are you still alive?" Qiao Mu asked directly. And now, Earth Sword Immortal was standing right in front of him, and he could tell that this person had not practiced the ‘Martial Saint Spiritual Technique’. This contradicted Martial Saint’s initial statement. "You’re talking about this matter." After thinking for a while, Earth Sword Immortal said: "That Martial Saint kid made a big deal out of this." "I never intended to agree to practice that ‘Martial Saint Spiritual Technique’, but he was acting so serious and the atmosphere was all serious, so I nodded along without realizing that Martial Saint was being serious…" Earth Sword Immortal shrugged his shoulders, looking helpless. "We are just ordinary people. Should we, the ordinary people, have to bear the burden of the world?" "That Martial Saint guy comes from a government official background. He wants to take on the impossible." "But I am different. With my three-foot sword, I can only protect myself and have no grand ambitions like Defeating Immortals with Martial Arts." "So, you ran away? Hiding in this lonely city?" Qiao Mu asked sharply, disregarding the other person’s identity. Earth Sword Immortal smiled but didn’t confirm or deny. "Do you think the other nine people, besides me, would willingly sacrifice their lives?" "When the ten-year agreement just started, maybe they were still full of ambitions." "But they also have families and friends. After another ten years, they may not have the same initial aspirations. One or two of them indeed feel regret now, but it’s too late." "Once you shoot an arrow, you can’t take it back. Once they have mastered the Martial Saint Spiritual Technique, there is no turning back. Only one of them among them is destined to survive." Earth Sword Immortal said calmly. "So the other nine people all achieved the martial path of the Martial Saint."