Chapter 403: The Third Path

It must be said, this old man’s internal energy had already reached its peak. His entire body was shrouded in inner force; although he could not extend his senses as far as Zhang Xiaohua’s divine sense, he could still distinguish all movements in his immediate vicinity. As Zhang Xiaohua’s flying sword, along with his body, was about to pierce the old man’s forehead, at this critical moment, the old man took a desperate risk. He used his internal energy to lock onto the small sword and, daringly, channeled his inner force into his left hand. With a single move, he succeeded, seizing Zhang Xiaohua’s flying sword in his grasp.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua was utterly shocked, his face turning ashen with fright.

In truth, this was because Zhang Xiaohua had been too careless. In previous attempts, as long as he moved his divine sense, the flying sword would act as nimbly as his will desired, always evading others’ attempts to capture it. This time, Zhang Xiaohua assumed it would be the same and only made a slight, simple change to its trajectory, which allowed the old man to take advantage and snatch his flying sword.

When Zhang Xiaohua again tried to use his divine sense to control the small sword, the sword in the old man’s hand was like a snake caught by the neck. No matter how it struggled or flickered left and right, it could not break free from the old man’s now somewhat thickened left hand.

The mysterious old man saw the flying sword struggle a few times in his hand but fail to escape his palm. He couldn’t help but burst out laughing, saying: “Young man, so you actually practice the Immortal Dao! Hahaha, who would have thought that after ten thousand years of the Immortal Dao’s extinction, this old man would see a practitioner of the Immortal Dao? Truly, one searches high and low only to find it effortlessly! Had I known I would meet someone of the Immortal Dao today, why would we have bothered with all those formations? As long as I capture you and force you to reveal the Immortal Dao’s techniques, that would suffice.”

Zhang Xiaohua forced a smile and said: “Old Man, your martial arts are indeed superb, and I am impressed. But if you wish to capture me, that is absolutely impossible.”

“This?” The old man hesitated a bit and asked: “What kind of lightness skill did you just use? How could you escape from here to there in an instant?”

Zhang Xiaohua curled his lips into a smile and said: “If you return my small sword, I might consider telling you.”

Upon hearing this, the old man tightened his grip even more. He knew in his heart that he had only succeeded by taking a desperate chance just now. Most likely, this young man was still a novice and had not yet mastered the essence of the flying sword. Otherwise, he had never heard of anyone in the martial world being able to seize an Immortal Dao flying sword with their bare hands—such a thing would be the biggest joke in the world.

The old man advised: “Young man, although I cannot see your face, I can more or less guess your age. Moreover, I know your build and your silhouette. You should think this through carefully. Granted, I may not be able to capture you, but as things stand, you can’t do anything to me either. Today, you are free to leave—this Lord will absolutely not make things difficult for you. However, the moment you step out of this hall, I will depart and have my disciples spread word throughout the entire martial world: that you are a person of the Immortal Dao, that you carry the legacy of the Immortal Dao, and I will have your profile and silhouette drawn as illustrations. That’s right, and the fact that you can perform the Piaomiao Steps will also be announced to the martial world. Tell me, even if I cannot capture you, do you think the entire martial world won’t be able to?”

In an instant, Zhang Xiaohua’s expression changed dramatically, and his thoughts spun several times over. What the old man said was true—if news of him inheriting the Immortal Dao were to spread, he would instantly become the most coveted prize in the entire martial world, the target everyone would want to capture. What was the Immortal Dao? It was a cultivation path with the power to overturn rivers and seas! After just a few years of cultivation, he could already face this mysterious old man without falling behind in the slightest. If he cultivated for a few more years, this old man would certainly not be his match. Such a temptation was something no one could refuse.

What was even more terrifying was that there were super sects in the martial world that also possessed the Immortal Dao’s legacy. They had never been able to discover the cause of the Immortal Dao’s extinction, and thus had never been able to cultivate the Immortal Dao techniques passed down in their sects. If they learned that someone could cultivate Immortal Dao techniques and knew the secrets to doing so, they would turn the entire martial world upside down to find him.

By then, it would no longer be just his own problem.

Everything about him, including his family and so on, would become the focus of everyone in the martial world.

The old man’s intentions were truly vicious. Knowing he could not force Zhang Xiaohua to submit, he brought the entire martial world to bear, coercing Zhang Xiaohua.

And this was precisely Zhang Xiaohua’s weakness. Originally, he had already formed a hand seal and was preparing to escape, but now, hesitation arose in his heart, and he stopped where he was!

In truth, the old man was also afraid of Zhang Xiaohua’s utterly unpredictable lightness skill from earlier. If Zhang Xiaohua was truly determined to leave, there was absolutely no way he could stop him. That was why he resorted to threats. Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s reaction, he naturally understood that his words had struck right at the other’s weakness. He then smiled and said: “Young friend, my promise is the same as before: if you agree to join my sect and explain all the Immortal Dao techniques you know, and teach me how to cultivate them, I swear on my life to keep your secret absolutely safe. Moreover, when we elders are gone, the entire power of this sect will be handed over to you. At that time, you will be the leader above all others. With your Immortal Dao techniques and the help of the brothers in the sect, unifying the entire martial world and becoming its master would not be impossible at all.”

“Unify the martial world?!” Zhang Xiaohua was stunned and said, “What use is that?”

“Hahaha,” the old man laughed, as if he had heard a great joke. “The benefits of unifying the martial world are endless. I can’t explain them all at once. Once you swear a deadly oath and join us, I will explain everything in detail. What do you think?”

At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua was facing a tremendous trial.

Looking at the old man in the underground hall, who had used the lives of seventy-seven women to set up such a heaven-defying formation, Zhang Xiaohua knew he was definitely not a man of righteousness, at least not an upright and honorable person. This was someone Zhang Xiaohua disliked and disdained to associate with. But if Zhang Xiaohua did not choose to cooperate and become his disciple, the old man would reveal his secret to the entire martial world. Although the Piaomiao Sect had been destroyed for many years, those who could cultivate the Piaomiao Steps were extremely few. There were a handful of people who had obtained the Piaomiao Steps technique. Although Zhang Chengyue was dead and He Tianshu’s whereabouts were unknown, at the Martial Arts Conference, not only the elite disciples of the Piaomiao Sect, but even the young and old monks of Dalin Temple had witnessed his display. With their intelligence, it would be easy for them to guess the truth.

After all, the Piaomiao Sect was gone, yet someone outside Piaomiao Manor could still perform the Piaomiao Steps. Anyone could figure it out, and with a little investigation, places like Lu Town, Guo Village, and even the newborn Bairen would surely fall under their scrutiny. By then, it would no longer be something he could protect alone.

A dilemma, a true dilemma—this was a test of conscience, morality, and chivalry!

Zhang Xiaohua did not know how to answer.

Should he aid the wicked?

Or become the enemy of the entire martial world?

Never before had he faced such a difficult choice!

In an instant, Zhang Xiaohua thought of many things: his mother, his grandmother, his father, Meng, his second brother, and even Nie Qianyu in Pingyang City. If it were them, what would they choose?

A chivalrous heart, a compassionate heart—since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been hard to reconcile. In that moment of hesitation, Zhang Xiaohua seemed to have made up his mind. Perhaps, it was time for him to let something go.

But, was such a sacrifice worth it? Would it be recognized by others?

Zhang Xiaohua had not the slightest confidence!

Yet, if he did not make this choice, did he have a better one?

Of course, the best option would be to kill this mysterious old man before him, not giving him the slightest chance to speak. However, his martial arts were so profound that even with all of Zhang Xiaohua’s techniques, he could only manage a draw. Silencing him was nothing more than wishful thinking—an extravagant hope.

Did he have any other trump cards?

The old man, seeing Zhang Xiaohua deep in thought, did not rush him. He knew how weighty his bargaining chip was and was not afraid that this young man before him would not fall into his trap.

Opposite him, Zhang Xiaohua pondered over and over, yet still could not come up with a good way to defeat his enemy. He had learned much from Elder Fire Dragon’s jade slip, but none of it was effective here. His comprehension of the Dao of Heaven could only be used for cultivation, and he was sorely lacking in the aspect of spells. Zhang Xiaohua secretly resolved that, as soon as he escaped this predicament, his first priority would be to seek out jade slips containing spells and train in more offensive techniques, rather than simply relying on his flying sword and escape arts.

Running away was always the inferior option!

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Zhang Xiaohua’s mind, as if he had remembered something. He reached into his robe, and after a moment, a faint smile appeared on his face. He drew his hand out from his chest, his right hand slightly clenched, as if holding something.

The old man grew wary as well, circulating his inner energy throughout his body, letting it flow rapidly through his meridians and fortifying himself completely. He then asked: “Young man, have you considered the terms I offered?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “You have only given me two paths to take.”

The old man nodded and said: “One is to acknowledge me as your master, reveal the Immortal Dao techniques to me, and I will reciprocate by using all my strength to help you unify the martial world. The second is for you to leave now, and I will immediately announce to the entire martial world that you possess the legacy of the Immortal Dao. You can then wait to face the pursuit of the whole martial world.”

Zhang Xiaohua laughed loudly and said: “One is to make me an accomplice to evil, which my conscience cannot accept. The other endangers my own safety, which I naturally do not wish to choose.”

“Do you have a third path to choose from?” 

The old man sneered.

“Yes,” Zhang Xiaohua sneered in return, “I have just found a new path, but I’ll need your cooperation.”

“Oh? What path?” The old man feigned surprise.

“That is—to kill you and silence you!!” Zhang Xiaohua said sternly.

“Hahahahaha!” The old man threw his head back and laughed, “Then let me tell you plainly—this path is blocked!”

As soon as the old man’s words had barely fallen, Zhang Xiaohua formed a hand seal and twisted his body, his figure instantly vanished without a trace. The old man, circulating his inner force, kept a close watch on his surroundings. Sure enough, after just a brief moment, Zhang Xiaohua’s figure flickered into existence behind the old man. It was as if the old man had eyes on his back; he immediately spun around and thrust his short sword. Zhang Xiaohua did not dodge, but instead leapt high into the air, raised his right hand, and swung it down toward the old man!

ps: What is the secret weapon?