Chapter 453: Seven Sword Immortals

“Defective product?”

Xu Xiaoshou was immediately surprised.

He almost blurted out, Do you know what kind of combat power A-Jie has?

But Elder Qiao clearly knew.

Perhaps he knew even more than Xu Xiaoshou did.

“What do you mean?”

Xu Xiaoshou steadied his mind.

Qiao Qianzhi sighed and said, “Telling you this now might be a bit premature.”

“But your growth has been so rapid that during your trip to Bai Ku, you might even encounter them.”

“I’ll just lay it out for you!”

Elder Qiao fixed his gaze on Xu Xiaoshou and spoke gravely:

“The Tianji Puppet was originally a new experiment by Shengshen Hall, aimed at creating a combat machine similar to ghost beasts—something that never tires.”

“Then, to use it against the ghost beasts.”

“But clearly, it’s not that simple.”

“Even someone as powerful as the hall master failed in the first batch of trials.” Qiao Qianzhi lowered his head.

“A-Jie is the only semi-successful product from that first batch.”

“It gained self-awareness and intelligence, but it couldn’t be controlled, turning it into a being that only knew how to kill, which led to it being sealed and destroyed.”

“So, calling it a defective product is entirely accurate.”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded, quickly picking up on the inconsistency in Elder Qiao’s words.

“Destroyed?”

“Yes.”

Qiao Qianzhi didn’t deny it.

“If it was destroyed, how did you manage to bring it back?”

Xu Xiaoshou was puzzled.

It couldn’t be that after destroying it, Dao Qiong Cang just handed it over to Elder Qiao, could it?

What kind of connection would that be!

With that level of relationship, why would he still be serving as an elder in this small Ling Palace?

Qiao Qianzhi paced back and forth, saying, “At that time, A-Jie had indeed been destroyed—its consciousness completely erased—and it was discarded into the Void Island.”

“Void Island?”

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow.

That was another term he’d never heard before.

“Yes.”

A hint of wariness flashed in Qiao Qianzhi’s eyes, but he didn’t elaborate on “Void Island” and changed the subject.

“A-Jie ending up in Tian Sang Ling Palace was truly an accident.”

“Let me put it this way.”

He paused and continued, “A-Jie was actually brought here by Sang Lao.”

“They say that when he found it, the thing had undergone some changes, but they weren’t for the better.”

“Still, it was a creation of the hall master, so even as a defective product, its combat power was extraordinarily formidable.”

“Because of my presence, Sang Lao decided to bring it along.”

“But!”

Elder Qiao gave a helpless smile. “If even the hall master couldn’t fully solve the problem, how could I?”

“So, after A-Jie arrived, it basically just became a test subject for analyzing Tianji techniques.”

“Its full combat power couldn’t be unleashed.”

“In fact, to seal its power, we had to apply a triple seal.”

“Triple?”

Xu Xiaoshou was baffled.

Wasn’t it double?

When he found A-Jie at Tianxuan Gate, it did have an extra seal compared to others.

Elder Qiao smiled, clearly aware of what Xu Xiaoshou was thinking.

“Tianxuan Gate was the third seal.”

“Those first two seals couldn’t hold it down. Sometimes, it would just break free.”

“Maybe it doesn’t escape because it doesn’t want to.”

“So, we have to go back periodically to reinforce those two seals.”

“I see.” Xu Xiaoshou nodded, finally resolving the confusion in his mind.

A-Jie was actually a product of the current hall master of Shengshen Hall.

No wonder it could possess Tai Xu power.

A combat puppet designed to fight ghost beasts couldn’t possibly be low-level.

After all, ghost beasts start at the Wangzuo level and go up from there!

Soon, Xu Xiaoshou connected the dots and spotted something off.

“If that’s the case, according to what you’re saying, Elder Qiao, A-Jie was from the first batch of experiments, which means…”

Qiao Qianzhi nodded solemnly.

“That’s right.”

“If there’s one, there’s a second.”

“And after decades of research, I have to say, Shengshen Hall is incredibly powerful.”

“They succeeded?” Xu Xiaoshou asked in surprise.

“Yes!”

Qiao Qianzhi affirmed. “By the seventh generation of experiments, Shengshen Hall successfully developed a new Tianji Puppet.”

“But the production cost was too high, and the side effects were unknown, so they hadn’t started deploying it yet.”

“When the eleventh-generation Tianji Puppet appeared, everything changed.”

Qiao Qianzhi’s eyes grew extremely serious as he said slowly, “The eleventh-generation Tianji Puppet is also known as the warfare machine.”

“It’s a completely successful product. Each one is born for battle and has the power to instantly kill Wangzuo-level ghost beasts!”

“Instantly kill?” Xu Xiaoshou jumped in shock. “That’s terrifying!”

Each warfare machine would essentially be at the Tai Xu level, or even… higher?

Xu Xiaoshou couldn’t even imagine it.

If they were at the Bansheng level…

Was that possible?

The current hall master of Shengshen Hall was only at that level, right?

“Can these things be mass-produced?”

Qiao Qianzhi chuckled at the question.

“Do you think warfare machines are like cabbages?”

“I told you, producing Tianji Puppets is extremely costly. The total number in use across the entire continent doesn’t even exceed three digits.”

Xu Xiaoshou clicked his tongue in admiration. “Three digits is already a lot.”

“Not really…”

Qiao Qianzhi shook his head, a flash of fear in his eyes. “Compared to the openings of various dimensional rifts across the continent, this number is just a drop in the bucket.”

“But their existence does have meaning.”

“At least, the success of the warfare machines has given the higher-ups tremendous confidence.”

“If there’s one and a second, why not a third?”

“As long as resources are sufficient and Tianji techniques advance to higher levels, they might even create warfare machines capable of instantly killing Wangzuo or even Dao-cutting levels.”

Qiao Qianzhi’s voice was full of awe. “The hall master is just that strong—that’s one reason he’s the current leader of Shengshen Hall.”

But Xu Xiaoshou’s thoughts had completely wandered.

He looked at the iron ball in his hand, glowing red, and felt a bit uneasy.

He’d thought A-Jie was unique, but now, there were so many others like it?

“So, does that mean A-Jie is outdated?”

He sighed softly.

Faced with this question, Elder Qiao shook his head with a laugh.

“Outdated?”

“Not at all.”

He denied it. “The fundamental reason warfare machines can’t be mass-produced is whether they can be fully controlled.”

“If any of them lost control during a mission, the damage it would cause…”

Qiao Qianzhi couldn’t even imagine it.

Wangzuo levels have been banned from warfare on the continent.

Any battles have to be in boundary domains or special spaces.

But something even more terrifying like a warfare machine, if it went out of control, could wipe out an entire city in an instant!

Xu Xiaoshou had clearly thought of this too, and with his quick mind, he immediately understood Elder Qiao’s point.

“So, to ensure complete control, the new-generation warfare machines are all without intelligence?”

“Not just the new generation.”

Qiao Qianzhi corrected precisely: “All of them!”

“Any warfare machine that shows signs of developing intelligence must be destroyed immediately. Otherwise, the cleanup afterward would be far more complicated than producing one.”

“If it wasn’t contained right away and it roamed free for two or three days, the world could plunge into a new war.”

Xu Xiaoshou felt a chill run down his spine.

Roaming free for two or three days…

He couldn’t even fathom the consequences of such a terrifying warfare machine rampaging across the human continent.

It would probably mean the destruction of countless Tian Sang Counties!

“Tsk tsk…”

Xu Xiaoshou was hearing about such continent secrets for the first time.

“So, in that case, A-Jie’s existence is still one-of-a-kind?”

He looked at the iron ball in his hand.

A-Jie seemed to sense his emotions.

“Mama…”

Qiao Qianzhi’s body trembled, and he quickly stepped back.

He didn’t give a definitive answer, just said ambiguously, “Perhaps.”

“At least, that sound is a clear difference between the first generation and the later ones.”

“A-Jie has the potential to grow, but its risks are far greater than you imagine.”

“Have you ever thought about what would happen if it lost control?” Elder Qiao asked in a low voice.

Xu Xiaoshou’s heart tightened. “It’s been fine so far.”

“Just because it’s fine now doesn’t mean it will be forever.”

Qiao Qianzhi retorted, “If something triggers its emotions, A-Jie could completely lose control and not even recognize you.”

“Though you two getting along is a miracle, uncertainty is uncertainty—there’s always a chance.”

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent.

There was no doubt he agreed with Elder Qiao’s words.

“So, what do you plan to do?”

But he didn’t believe that the big shots in Ling Palace, who had hidden A-Jie for so many years, would suddenly decide to destroy it just because he took it out.

Sure enough, Elder Qiao’s expression turned awkward.

This was originally meant as a warning and a stern talk for Xu Xiaoshou.

But the kid had just thrown it right back at him.

“You clever little rascal…”

He scolded with a laugh, “Ling Palace has no intention of destroying it—in fact, we couldn’t even if we wanted to.”

“So, if A-Jie shows any signs of losing control, your only option is…”

Xu Xiaoshou leaned in, his eyes full of expectation.

“What?”

“Run!”

Elder Qiao said firmly: “Don’t hesitate for a second, and don’t let anyone find out that A-Jie is connected to you. Otherwise, things will get really bad.”

Xu Xiaoshou: “…”

He hadn’t expected such a serious moment to end with that answer from Elder Qiao.

But thinking about it, was there really a better response?

Still, abandoning A-Jie?

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated.

Smack!

Qiao Qianzhi swung a hand at his head, but it got bounced back.

His face darkened.

“What are you thinking?”

“If it comes to that, you don’t run and just wait to die?”

“If it’s lost control, there’s nothing to regret.”

“I’m telling you all this because I don’t want to see you get into trouble and drag yourself down with it!”

“Oh.” Xu Xiaoshou could only nod.

“Right.”

Qiao Qianzhi suddenly snapped to attention, his expression alert.

“This is a continent secret—you absolutely can’t blab about it.”

“Also, within Shengshen Hall, plenty of people know about the warfare machines, but they’re mostly high-ups. The lower ranks might have heard rumors but rarely seen them.”

“But even so, if it’s one of their people, you can never let A-Jie appear in front of them.”

“If it’s exposed, not only will they immediately initiate destruction, but they might even take you out along with it.”

“Got it?”

Xu Xiaoshou’s heart skipped a beat. “Got it, I understand—keep wealth hidden!”

Qiao Qianzhi wasn’t reassured yet, adding, “Especially the red-clothed and the white-clothed…”

“White-clothed…”

He drew out the words, hesitated, then continued: “This time, with Bai Ku opening, even a white-clothed might show up, so you need to be careful of one person.”

“Who?”

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow.

He had to watch out for a white-clothed?

Was he even qualified?

He was self-aware enough to know that with his Yuan Court cultivation, a white-clothed might only glance at him because he looked decent.

Qiao Qianzhi didn’t dwell on that and said somberly, “Gou Wuyue.”

“Who’s that?”

“One of the Seven Sword Immortals—Wuyue Sword Immortal!”

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned for several seconds before he processed it.

The Seven Sword Immortals?

The legendary Seven Sword Immortals?

Those were god-like figures on the continent—the top seven sword cultivators!

You could only read about them in textbooks.

After all, even the revered Eighth Sword Immortal hadn’t earned a spot among them and was only posthumously called half a sword immortal.

And now, Elder Qiao was saying…

That he needed to watch out for one of them?

“Are you kidding me?”

“No.”

Xu Xiaoshou quickly corrected himself: “Elder Qiao, you’re joking, right?”

Qiao Qianzhi: “…”

“Received curse, passive value, 1.”

This guy was way too unruly!

But he didn’t mind Xu Xiaoshou’s tone, since their rapport came from his lack of formality.

“If I’m saying it, it’s not a joke.”

Qiao Qianzhi rolled his eyes and said, “You need to think about what in Bai Ku could attract someone like that.”

“The You Si Sword?” Xu Xiaoshou blurted out.

“Exactly!”

Getting that confirmation, Xu Xiaoshou’s face darkened.

Damn it, Sang Lao, have you lost your mind?

With someone like that coming to compete for the You Si Sword, and in his letter, Sang Lao had made it sound so casual, like it was no big deal, even encouraging him to go for it?

Wasnt that just suicide?

“This is insane.”

“Such a dangerous place—maybe I should just skip the Bai Ku spots.”

“Not only can’t I use A-Jie there, but the You Si Sword is probably a huge trap too.”

“If they’re sending a Seven Sword Immortal openly, who knows how many even more terrifying sword wielders are lurking in the shadows?”

Xu Xiaoshou didn’t believe the continent had no other sword experts besides the Seven Sword Immortals.

On the contrary, those who hadn’t made the list but were just as terrifying were likely the real contenders for the You Si Sword!

After all, for them, it might be the key to earning a spot among the Seven!

“Hee hee hee…”

Qiao Qianzhi burst out laughing at Xu Xiaoshou’s panicked, pale face.

“Xu Xiaoshou, are you nuts?”

“I just said to keep an eye out, not that you’d actually face a Seven Sword Immortal.”

“Entry to Bai Ku has restrictions—at least, anyone at Wangzuo level or above can’t go in openly unless they sneak in.”

Xu Xiaoshou was even more horrified. “You mentioned sneaking in, right? Can anyone handle those who sneak in?”

“Those things?”

Qiao Qianzhi’s gaze turned playful.

It seemed Xu Xiaoshou knew more than he let on.

“Ahem, those guys…”

Xu Xiaoshou twitched his mouth and quickly changed the topic. “So, only those below Wangzuo can enter?”

“Yes.”

Qiao Qianzhi confirmed, “After all, on the surface, the opening of Bai Ku is just a normal secret realm trial.”

Xu Xiaoshou felt helpless.

What a joke of a “normal” secret realm trial.

Anyone who still believed that must be incredibly stubborn.

“Has Ling Palace sent a lot of people?”

Xu Xiaoshou thought of the two teams. “Probably all the promising ones, right?”

“Exactly!”

“Isn’t that sending them to their deaths?”

Xu Xiaoshou was anxious.

He didn’t have deep feelings for Ling Palace, but that didn’t mean he had none.

People are like that—even squatting in the same public restroom for a while creates a sense of familiarity, let alone living in Ling Palace since he arrived.

Qiao Qianzhi nodded with a smile, seeming pleased by his concern.

But his words were sharp.

“Without facing life-and-death trials, how can they prepare for the world after the mirror breaks?”

Xu Xiaoshou disagreed. “If everyone dies, what future is there? That day would be the end.”

“They won’t all die.”

Qiao Qianzhi smiled slyly. “Those who are meant to die will, and those who are meant to survive will find a way.”

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless.

This was too cruel—it was basically sending people to die!

“No Ling Palace would give up on nurturing even one talent who could rise above the county.”

Qiao Qianzhi sighed softly and looked up at the sky.

He was silent for a long time before asking:

“Xu Xiaoshou, do you really think Bai Ku is that dangerous?”

Xu Xiaoshou paused.

Wasn’t it dangerous?

With the You Si Sword and geniuses everywhere, if that wasn’t dangerous, what was?

Qiao Qianzhi saw he wasn’t speaking and smiled, shaking his head slightly.

“You think Bai Ku is dangerous because you’ve only ever stood on this ground.”

He pointed to the earth.

“The land of Tian Sang County limits many people’s perspectives.”

“For every refining spirit master, pursuit is what matters most.”

Qiao Qianzhi turned back, speaking meaningfully: “Always striving for higher goals is the capital that allows a refining spirit master to break through to greater realms.”

Xu Xiaoshou was slightly stunned.

He understood the principle, but what did it have to do with Bai Ku?

Qiao Qianzhi saw he still didn’t get it and laughed.

Xu Xiaoshou was smart, but some things required a broader view to see.

“Bai Ku is indeed dangerous.”

“But that’s only compared to the various trial secret realms in Tian Sang County.”

“If you take away the You Si Sword, Bai Ku is just another Tianxuan Gate with a bit more difficulty.”

“And even with the You Si Sword added, some things are still beyond the reach of you trial participants.”

Watching Xu Xiaoshou in a daze, Qiao Qianzhi continued his lesson.

“Compared to other terrifying dimensional spaces in the world, or legendary forbidden grounds like the ‘Seven Breaks Forbidden Zone’…”

“Even with the You Si Sword, I’d say Bai Ku is only of medium difficulty!”

Xu Xiaoshou’s mind reeled.

He realized that, subconsciously, due to all the pressures, he’d already developed a defeatist attitude toward Bai Ku.

“Medium difficulty?” he murmured unconsciously.

“Yes.”

Qiao Qianzhi’s eyes held a hint of reminiscence: “Once you leave Tian Sang Ling Palace, or even Tian Sang County, and see the true face of this continent…”

“You’ll understand that one Bai Ku is nothing; one You Si Sword is equally insignificant!”

Xu Xiaoshou was lost in thought again, impacted by those words.

After a long pause, he said, “If the You Si Sword is nothing special, why would one of the Seven Sword Immortals come for it?”

Qiao Qianzhi was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Received curse, passive value, 1.”

“The You Si Sword has nothing to do with you—why are you overthinking it?”

Elder Qiao was annoyed, blowing his beard and glaring. “Didn’t your master tell you to take it easy?”

“Once you’re in Bai Ku, just focus on finding resources and your ‘Jin Zhao Great Fire Seed.’ Leave everything else alone!”

“Oh.”

Xu Xiaoshou got it.

So, Sang Lao’s instructions for him were completely unknown to others.

Even Elder Qiao probably still saw him as just another trial participant.

How ignorant!

“Alright, I understand. I’ve learned something.” Xu Xiaoshou cupped his hands slightly.

Qiao Qianzhi looked at the young man’s casual, indifferent demeanor and felt irritated.

This kid…

He was asking for a beating.

How dare he act like that toward an elder?

Ah, whatever.

“You just be careful. I won’t say more.”

Qiao Qianzhi felt like leaving; he couldn’t stay any longer.

“Oh, and about that person I told you to watch out for—it’s not a joke.”

“If you run into him in Bai Ku, steer clear.”

“Why?” Xu Xiaoshou didn’t understand.

He didn’t think he could spark any conflict with a legendary Seven Sword Immortal.

Only then did Qiao Qianzhi chuckle. “No reason—your master has a grudge with him!”

Xu Xiaoshou: “…”

Old thief, you’re setting me up!

You ran off, but you sent me to get the sword!

Fine, getting the sword is one thing, but you didn’t warn me about the dangers!

And now you’ve brought in an old enemy?

A Seven Sword Immortal, no less!

Seven Sword Immortal…

“Hmm?”

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized—that old man could be a rival to a former Seven Sword Immortal?

No.

More like, he could be a rival to one back in the day?

“Sang Lao is that strong?”

Qiao Qianzhi’s smile faded, and a trace of confusion and faint strangeness appeared in his eyes.

“Him?”

“I’m not entirely sure about him either…”