Chapter 1204: Chapter 53: Sword Cultivators Head West
Many years later, whenever the Human Race looks back on the grand and tumultuous war in the Central Spirit Domain, they always mark the beginning of the Human Race’s counterattack with the moment when the old Sect Master Xie Qingyun and the new Young Sect Leader Lu Qingshan led the Sword Sect’s Sword Cultivators on a westward expedition, reaching the Central Spirit Domain.
However, in fact, the beginning of the Human Race’s counterattack had nothing to do with the Sword Sect, nor was it the eastward journey of Candle Dragon Hall, nor even the unilateral dispatch of the Jade Forest Guard and Chang’an Guard by Xia Zhao; it actually started with an ordinary Sword Cultivator.
...
In the northwestern frontier of the Central Spirit Domain, there is a wilderness area spanning over five thousand kilometers.
At the edge of this wilderness area, there is a small frontier town.
This is a lonely frontier town, the only Human Race city in the vast wilderness spanning over five thousand kilometers.
Other than that, it is no different from any other city in Great Xia.
A clear river traverses through the small town.
It is because of this small river that the town was established.
Small bridges, made of stone or wood, cross over the river.
The riverbanks are lined with banana trees, and behind them are numerous taverns, from which an enduring aroma of alcohol wafts.
In front of the banana trees are bustling streets, crowded with people, lively and vibrant.
As a frontier town, the number of cultivators here is not large, nor is their strength significant.
In the western residential area of the town, there is a large house.
Currently, the courtyard of the house is constantly filled with the sound of weapons slicing through the void.
A plaque hangs at the entrance, inscribed with: Flying Swallow Sword Li
This is a Sword Pavilion opened by a Sword Cultivator named Li Si.
No one knows Li Si’s background, only that twenty years ago, he quietly entered the small town, acquired a large house, and opened the Sword Pavilion.
The unique characteristic of the town is that all its forces and classes have long been entrenched, and to open a business here requires their consent and adherence to their rules.
Even if it’s just a Sword Pavilion.
Li Si privately opened the Sword Pavilion in town, and trouble arrived swiftly.
Someone came knocking at the door.
No one knows what happened.
They only know that the door closed, and an hour later the door opened again, and the cultivator who came to cause trouble left with an embarrassed look.
Since then, "Flying Swallow Sword Li" took root in the town and rapidly expanded, becoming the largest Sword Pavilion there.
The reason is simple: the Sword Pavilion charges only a symbolic Spirit Stone as "tuition", and teaches anyone willing, without discrimination, whether they are a Loose Cultivator, Sect disciple, or family cultivator, Li Si was willing to impart his knowledge.
The only entrance requirement was the couplet on either side of the door.
"Those who bully the weak go elsewhere, those who fear death do not enter here."
But merely saying it means little; who wouldn’t make empty promises?
Thus, this requirement was virtually nonexistent.
....
Inside the courtyard, Li Si sits on a reclining chair, leisurely drinking a small cup of wine.
Below are dozens of young Sword Cultivators engaged in daily practice.
The Flying Swallow Sword is known for its speed, requiring tedious and continuous practice to be both fast and stable.
Li Si squints as he observes the disciples below.
His eyes are small, but that doesn’t affect his sharp gaze, which always accurately points out the disciples’ mistakes in time.
Like many Sword Cultivators, Li Si in his youth was extremely adept at killing, with many lives claimed by his hand.
Later, he ventured to Dragon City Pass, cutting down Demon Race Demonic Cultivators.
His Flying Swallow Sword was honed in battles against Demonic Cultivators.
Eventually, as he aged, his cultivation stopped progressing, his Qi-Blood gradually drained, and his energy and combat power were not as before, so he retired from Dragon City Pass, not wasting unnecessary resources.
After leaving the battlefield, Li Si was lost for a while, unsure where to go or what to do.
Accustomed to a life filled with tension and fighting, he felt at a loss when days suddenly became quiet.
He began to reminisce about his earlier life, about the exciting days at Dragon City Pass, and his youthful days of sword control across the land.
Then, Li Si remembered practicing sword by the river, recalled the girl named Flying Swallow who loved wearing skirts and watching him practice.
Finally, when he was about to leave home to pursue the Sword Dao, the girl leaned on the dock railing, gazing at him longingly and said:
"Brother Si, I’ll wait here for you. Once you return, let’s find a small town to settle down, buy a big house, have many children, and you teach them swordsmanship..."
But this parting lasted a century.
Turning back, a hundred years have passed.
Time has already turned that beauty into a pile of yellow earth.
Thus, Li Si knew what he had to do.
He found a frontier town, opened a Sword Pavilion named after the girl, and opened its gates wide.
As Li Si’s heart grew more tranquil, he took a light sip from his drink and got up, ready to call it a day.
In that instant.
He seemed to sense something, furrowing his brow and looking up.
Li Si saw flying ships, as numerous as flying swallows, numbering a thousand, sweeping in like a dark cloud.
"What’s going on?!"
First feeling shocked, his heart skipped a beat, sensing something amiss.
"Master Li, Master Li." Just then, a voice called urgently from outside.