Chapter 337: Before the Clearwater Pool

Words : 1382 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 337: Before the Clearwater Pool "Among all sword moves in the world, speed reigns supreme—nothing breaks what is faster!" Before the Clearwater Pool, a white-robed sword cultivator cupped his hands and said with a hearty laugh: "I am Mu Congyu, disciple of the Sword Pavilion. It’s an honor to exchange swordsmanship with all of you today!" "A disciple of the Sword Pavilion! No wonder you walk like a dragon and stride like a tiger—such noble bearing! I’m Lin Dong, a rogue cultivator. Brother Mu, I hope you’ll show mercy in our bout!" “Hahaha! No problem, no problem!” Conversations like this echoed nonstop around the Clearwater Pool. Just half a month ago, this place was a godforsaken dump. But one day, a burst of soaring sword qi suddenly erupted from the Clearwater Pool, blowing away all the clouds within a hundred-mile radius. Heaven and earth were laid bare—people could see a black and a white curtain of sword qi stretching skyward from miles away. Though this spot was near mortal territory, it quickly attracted large crowds of cultivators hoping to comprehend the sword qi. Plenty of them even tried diving into the pool to search for some peerless sword treasure. Unfortunately, the moment anyone entered the water, they were immediately transported back to shore by an invisible force. Humans are naturally drawn to the forbidden. The more mysterious the Clearwater Pool seemed, the more curious cultivators and mortals became. They wouldn’t be satisfied until they went under and saw what was down there. Someone even seized the opportunity and set up betting tables along the shore. "Is this Mu Congyu really a Sword Pavilion disciple? Do you think he can comprehend the sword intent, or even enter the Clearwater Pool?" "If he really is from the Sword Pavilion, then maybe. But to be honest, this Mu Congyu doesn’t quite seem like it." "And why do you say that?" The betting master took a sip of tea, then pointed to the white-robed swordsman standing on a small flat boat in the middle of the pool. "Mu Congyu’s bearing and sword intent are clearly those of a Sword Pavilion disciple. Look at the Sword Pavilion jade token hanging from his waist! If he’s not a disciple... then are you?" Chen Huaian, disguised as an ordinary cultivator, stared speechlessly at the bookmaker. Why? Because he was the Sword Pavilion Ancestor himself. If someone named Mu Congyu existed in the Sword Pavilion, would he not know? As for that so-called Sword Pavilion jade token... totally fake. One glance was all it took. “Place your bets, place your bets! Can Mu Congyu comprehend the sword intent? Will he enter the Clearwater Pool within three days?” As the drumbeat sounded, the crowd of bored cultivators flocked to the betting table. Most of them had already given up on trying to comprehend the sword intent or enter the pool themselves. They were among the earliest to arrive and had already tried countless times. Since they couldn’t get anything good themselves, they wanted to see others fail too. And if someone did get something good—well, they could always just take it from them, right? Killing for treasure was daily life in the cutthroat Cangyun Realm, especially among rogue cultivators. No one cared what sect you were from. Unless you traveled with your entire sect, being killed was just part of the deal. Chen Huaian didn’t join in on the betting. These rogue cultivators didn’t have many spirit stones—it wasn’t worth it. His attention was focused on the Clearwater Pool, but he didn’t act recklessly. Why? Because he wasn’t the only Void Fusion cultivator in the crowd. And more importantly, he still hadn’t figured out what was going on with the sword spirit inside the pool. Even using Heavenly Insight divination couldn’t reveal anything—his "customer service" only told him to follow the rules. While he was deep in thought, the sword cultivator calling himself Mu Congyu had already maneuvered his boat to the center of the pool. He bowed three times toward the sword intent above the water and called out loudly: "Disciple Mu Congyu seeks to learn from the master’s sword intent!" His voice echoed, followed by murmurs from the crowd: “It’s starting.” “Let’s see what happens to this guy.” The waters of the Clearwater Pool trembled and began to boil. Yin and yang energy rose up from the pool, slowly dyeing the water itself into black and white. Eventually, from above, the circular pool looked like a massive taiji diagram—a yin-yang fish. The two sword intents that had been fused together began to split apart. The Yang Sword hovered over the eye of the Yin Fish. The Yin Sword hovered over the eye of the Yang Fish. Mu Congyu stood right at the line connecting the two fish eyes. The young sword cultivator’s face turned pale—he was clearly terrified by the spectacle before him, legs trembling uncontrollably. “Please, Senior, don’t mess with this junior. Please show yourself and offer guidance!” Mu Congyu stiffened his neck to give himself some courage, glancing around nervously. Just as he began to panic— Clang—! A clear sword cry rang out from the pool. As the sound faded, the sword intents within the fish eyes contracted, eventually condensing into two sword cultivator projections. The Yang Sword projection wore his blade at his waist, fingers resting on the sword guard—the blade drawn three inches from the sheath. The Yin Sword projection held the sword behind his back, gripping the hilt with only a half-inch of cold gleam peeking from his sleeve. Mu Congyu stared blankly at the two figures. Chen Huaian shook his head. This kid had some talent, but his mentality and comprehension were still lacking. The two sword projections had appeared—what else would happen next? Obviously, they were going to fight! Just as Chen Huaian was thinking that and about to scoff— A majestic voice erupted from the waters of the pool: 【Trial begins. Please listen to the question!】 Chen Huaian slowly blinked and formed a mental question mark. The h**l? All that spectacle and it wasn’t a duel—it was a quiz? What kind of broken sword spirit does this? Mu Congyu, standing on the flat boat, clearly let out a sigh of relief. He wasn’t very strong—only mid-Foundation Establishment. If it came to a fight with those two sword projections, he wouldn’t stand a chance. But if it was a Q&A, then he had hope! 【Please listen to the question! You are using the toilet when a thug suddenly bursts in and stabs you. At that moment, do you finish your poop, or do you chase the attacker?】 As soon as the question dropped, the entire crowd of cultivators fell silent. Mu Congyu, who had been brimming with confidence a moment ago, was completely dumbfounded. “Genius! Pure genius!” After a long pause, the bookmaker next to Chen Huaian slapped his thigh and nearly choked. “Sword spirit questions are always this absurd!” Chen Huaian stayed quiet for a full thirty seconds, but he’d already come up with the perfect answer in his head. Now the question was: how would this little brother Mu Congyu answer? “I… I…” He stammered for a long time, seemingly picturing the scene in his head. At last, he gritted his teeth and said, “As a sword cultivator, maintaining one’s dignity and cleanliness is paramount. So I would cover my wound, finish my poop, and then go settle the score with that thief!” Chen Huaian covered his face. It was over. That answer was way too lowbrow. Sure enough, the Clearwater Pool was silent for a moment. Then a voice pronounced Mu Congyu’s fate: 【Disqualified!】【Please listen to the next question!】 As the voice fell, the yin and yang sword cultivator projections merged and sank into the water. Mu Congyu’s flying sword, held in his hand, was suddenly pulled down into the pool by an unseen force. Then, a new sword cultivator projection, made entirely of water, appeared in front of him. Smiling with squinting eyes, it asked: “Young man, the sword that just fell into the water—was it an ordinary flying sword, a high-grade magic weapon, or... a spiritual artifact?” … …

Chapter 337: Before the Clearwater Pool

Comments (0)