Chapter 572: Chapter 331: Tens of Thousands of Corpse Soldiers, Ask Tian’s Trump Card, Chunxia, Li Xian, Exposed by Accident

Li Xian silently memorized the timing. The clock chimes once every nineteen breaths, and each chime dissolves the evolution of martial arts, the use of Inner Qi... Once the sound passes, it returns to normal. Li Xian has always been cautious, did not dare to be vague on this unusual factor, so he first refrained from acting and gathered the elders Zhao Chunxia, Yi Qianqian, Peng Sanluo, He Lijun, Yang Piaoxue, and others for a consultation.

The elders were all newly appointed, with limited experience. Although they were knowledgeable, they were quite composed. Yet it was difficult to discern the reason behind this, and they sat opposite Li Xian for discussion. He Lijun said, "Could it be the miraculous effect of a rare treasure? I know from classical records that there are strange clock devices; the chime can resonate across the four realms, or perhaps it’s a similar ancient clock?"

Yang Piaoxue said, "Or the chime is secondary, and the unique feng shui of this place subtly affects us?"

Zhao Chunxia said, "It shouldn’t be so. I suspect it is a natural resonance. Just like the Ethereal Immortal Sound within us, possessing peculiar effects. Natural landscapes can also emit mystical sounds and rhythms."

...

...

Various opinions were expressed. Li Xian pondered: "In the past encounter at Tiger Cry Ridge, the crying sound of tiger beasts resonated amidst the mountain cliffs, making one feel sorrowful to the point of wishing for immediate relief from worldly suffering through self-sacrifice. The natural sound of the world... possessing many miraculous effects seems reasonable. Predecessor Chunxia’s words seem most plausible."

A plan was devised to solve the issue. At the moment the chime sounded, they tried using ’Ethereal Immortal Sound’ for defense. The Five Great Sword Sects have complete traditions, and there are many ’Immortal Sounds’ with various miraculous effects. There is the ’Soft Sword Immortal Sound’ that uses bone vibration to play the sound, transmitting it through the wrist bone into the sword, making the sword soft like a ribbon, allowing for unexpected strikes during combat. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

There’s the ’Sword Dragon Immortal Sound’, which starts with a calm momentum but ends with the sword roaring like a dragon, making the sword’s edge extremely sharp, capable of cutting through iron like clay. Moreover, there’s the ’Summoning Sword Immortal Sound’; when the longsword falls somewhere unable to reach with hands and feet, one can play this sound to resonate with the sword, making it fly back towards the summoner. However, the ’Summoning Sword Immortal Sound’ requires chanting a formula, the prelude being quite long, accumulating for a long time. The rhythm and tone vary, resulting in different swords being summoned.

Li Xian listened to the "clang clang" of sword sounds, various Immortal Sounds resonating. The women tried to resist using Immortal Sounds, sometimes merging them with martial arts techniques, requiring corresponding postures to smoothly play them.

Li Xian observed attentively, secretly absorbing the essence of the swords. He knew martial arts were not to be transmitted externally, thus he did not inquire but secretly peeked. Whatever little he noticed, he memorized and made it his own. If he couldn’t discern any clues, he merely noted the superficial aspects, intending to ponder them later.

He was naturally eager to learn, aware that martial arts were rare, resources scarce, and martial arts hard to find. Whenever there was an opportunity, he seized it tightly. This kind of watching and listening was both eye-opening and informative... becoming the bricks and tiles of the martial arts high tower, a rare encounter indeed.

Yet, after various attempts by the women, when the clock chimes resonated, they all returned to being clay embryos. Exhausted from trying, they gained no more insights and thus rested and gave up. Li Xian quietly played ’Protective Sound’ and ’Sun Immortal Sound’, both proving useless.

He continuously speculated: "If it is a natural resonance, even if we play Immortal Sounds, it should dissolve a bit, even if not entirely. Why is it of no use? It seems the origin of this clock chime is mysterious, beyond our comprehension. The only plan now is to proceed further."

Li Xian said, "Sisters and brothers, this sound is peculiar and difficult to resist. We can only adapt to its rhythm. Perform martial arts moves according to the timing of the chime. Let’s adapt for a moment and then move forward!"

The women nodded in agreement. Each practiced sword techniques, withdrawing and defending naturally when the clock chimes, immediately attacking when the chime ceased... this way, they were not caught off guard by the clock chime. Advance and retreat in order, attacking and defending with ease.

Li Xian held the Ghost Python Spear, also following the logic of advance and retreat, attack and defense. He deemed himself adapted to the clock chime’s rhythm, leading the group forward. In the distance stood an ancient hall, black and majestic, the clock chime coming from within.

The road still stretched ahead. The group remained fully vigilant, alertly observing their surroundings. After traveling two miles, they saw a lake in the middle of the ground. The women were overjoyed, looking at Li Xian, pleading with their beautiful eyes, hoping to enter the lake for a refreshing bath.

Li Xian recalled the ’Heart Blood’, knowing there was a deep cavern here; the sudden appearance of the lake was unusual, so he ordered the group to skirt around the lake, avoiding contact. The women had gone through many dangers: Prisoner Canyon, Swamp Path, Ten Thousand Lizards Path, Siguoya... exhausting and perilous along the way, clothes couldn’t be changed, and shoes were wet with perspiration. Finally seeing abundant water sources, the lake was clear and crystal-clear. But they dared not disobey Li Xian’s order and could only cross past it.

Once they left the lake behind, a sharp-eyed woman exclaimed, seeing several skeletons floating in the lake. It turns out... this lake was another bizarre landscape of the Nine Orifice Dragon Heart Acupoint, ’Heart Lake’, concealing hidden dangers. Li Xian arranged cautiously, avoiding this peril.

The women felt even more convinced.

Continuing further, the women looked into the distance, successively seeing the black hall. They felt anxious, fearing danger within the hall. But there was no retreat, only forward. Ahead was a single log narrow bridge about ten yards long, the depth below unfathomable, evoking fear at a glance.

Li Xian crossed over first, followed by the women in order. Fortunately, they passed smoothly, without alarm, crossing this obstacle safely. Once over the long narrow bridge, traces of human activity became apparent.

Footprints appeared on the ground; slightly inferred, they appeared to be from heavily armored soldiers. Li Xian thought: "This place is deep within the cavern; I don’t know where it leads. That black hall should be the center of the sepulcher. The closer to the Black Hall, the more urgent the clock chime becomes. The chime interval is now less than nineteen breaths. If there are strong enemies hidden, it’s best to actively eliminate them and seize the initiative."

He immediately consulted with the elders, guessing that the Flying Dragon City troops might be nearby. The elders were full of hatred, and the disciples were burning with anger... all agreed to strike actively, kill the enemy, and seek revenge. Thus, they followed the trace to investigate, indeed discovering a camp hidden in a very discrete location.