128 The Heir

"Do not talk nonsense. I have told you both: you are both successors of the Xuanxu Temple. The Taoist arts and martial arts I teach do not distinguish between you. You must remember: when brothers are of one mind, their combined strength can cut through metal."

"It is just like this Earth-Polar Sword; without the coordination of the Heaven-Polar Sword, it is merely an ordinary precious blade."

Zhao Yaoyang barked at Zhao Longjie, then withdrew an Earth-Polar Sword from the spatial ring on his finger.

"Master, why have you never mentioned the Heaven-Polar Sword?" Zhou You asked, feeling a spark of interest.

"Father, where is the Heaven-Polar Sword now?" Zhao Longjie wondered silently, already plotting how to seize it.

"The Heaven-Polar and Earth-Polar swords have always been the sacred treasures passed down to our sect's leaders. According to records, about a hundred years ago, a disciple of our sect was controlled by evil forces, sparking an internal struggle. In the end, our sect leader emerged from seclusion to eradicate the evil, but our sect suffered heavy casualties. Because the Heaven-Polar Sword had been stained with the blood of the wicked, it transformed into a demonic blade."

"Ultimately, the sect leader had no choice but to cast the Heaven-Polar Sword into the Tomb of Ten Thousand Swords, using the sword qi there to suppress it, hoping that it might one day return to its normal state," Zhao Yaoyang said slowly.

"To find the Heaven-Polar Sword in the Tomb of Ten Thousand Swords, one must first find the Sword Heart Stone. Both of you are successors of the Xuanxu Temple. No matter who becomes the leader in the future, you must always remember the ancestral teachings of our predecessors. You must work together in harmony and protect this Earth-Polar Sword well." Zhao Yaoyang sighed.

"That is all for today. Zhou You, go have your meal. Longjie, come with me; after we eat, you must practice the Ice Heart Formula." With that, Zhao Yaoyang looked up at the sky and walked away.

As Zhao Longjie left, his expression was arrogant and overbearing. He patted his chest and cast a provocative glance at Zhou You.

Zhou You ignored him. Once Zhao Yaoyang and Zhao Longjie were gone, he clutched his chest and coughed until he recovered, only then leaving the back mountain.

Half a month later, at night, in the ancestral hall of the Xuanxu Temple.

"Qingqing, we will be reunited soon. I am so fortunate that my poison has not flared up for over a decade. I hope that under my guidance, Longjie can walk the righteous path. May your spirit in heaven..."

Zhao Yaoyang picked up Liu Qingqing’s spirit tablet, but before he could finish, he began to cough violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The blood landed on the tablet, and he quickly used his sleeve to wipe it off, terrified of dirtying it.

"Father once said that our child carries residual toxicity. I truly fear that one day, Longjie’s poison will flare up, causing him to go insane and become a cold-blooded demon. Now that there is a chance, I must let him spend more time with kind people to help dissolve the bitterness in his heart."

"Father passed away ten years ago. Even after I am gone, there is still my uncle; he will surely preserve the legacy of the Xuanxu Temple." Zhao Yaoyang wiped the tablet clean and placed it back, his eyes filled with tenderness, love, and deep reluctance.

He walked to the side of the ancestral hall, sat down, and picked up a brush to write.

"It is so late, why haven't you rested? Why is your complexion so poor? Has the poison flared up?" Chen Wangsheng, his head shaved and his eyebrows and beard turned to silver threads, approached with vigorous steps.

"Uncle, you are here." Zhao Yaoyang had sensed his approach, channeled his energy to dry the ink, folded the paper, and stood up.

"Do not get up." Chen Wangsheng already knew why Zhao Yaoyang had summoned him and helped him up.

"It is fine, Uncle. I can still hold on. I have a request, cough, cough..." Zhao Yaoyang began to cough before he could finish his sentence.

"Yaoyang, the black aura on you is growing heavier. Is the poison truly flaring up? Let me examine you," Chen Wangsheng said, seeing the black mist covering Zhao Yaoyang’s face.

"Uncle, there is no need. I should have died long ago; it was only thanks to the Hundred Rivers Soul-Returning Medicine that I lasted until today. Now that Longjie is grown, I have finally fulfilled Qingqing’s wish. Even if I die, I will die without regrets. I have already implicated my father; I cannot implicate you, or the Xuanxu Temple will truly fall. I cannot become a sinner against our sect." Zhao Yaoyang suppressed the evil poison within him.

"If that is the case, what do you need me to do?" Chen Wangsheng asked, turning his back as he tried to hide his sorrow, having long seen through the vanities of the world.

"Tomorrow is the day of the competition to select the new leader. I wish to pass the position to Zhou You. What does Uncle think?" Zhao Yaoyang knew his time was running out.

"And what about Longjie?" Chen Wangsheng asked.

"That boy, Longjie, is too filled with violent energy. Given his temperament, he is not fit to shoulder the position of leader. I hope that one day he will understand that what I am doing is for his own good." Zhao Yaoyang sighed.

"Does Zhou You know?" Chen Wangsheng began to calculate.

"I have not told him yet. It is hard on the child," Zhao Yaoyang shook his head gently.

"Oh, right." Remembering the note he had written, Zhao Yaoyang picked it up and tucked it into the Five Elements Pagoda formation. "Uncle, this is for the next leader. I hope Zhou You never has to use it." He handed the formation to Chen Wangsheng.

"Yaoyang, this Five Elements Pagoda was left by our ancestors to help the descendants avert disaster. Do you have concerns?"

Chen Wangsheng looked at the object; it was a five-colored cylinder about the size of an infant’s arm, capped at both ends with black material.

"This Five Elements Pagoda needs to absorb the essence of the sun and moon for ten years before it can be activated. Uncle, I leave the future to you." Zhao Yaoyang could no longer suppress the poison and needed to spend the night fighting it.

"Very well. I will see it done." Knowing Zhao Yaoyang needed to heal, Chen Wangsheng withdrew from the ancestral hall.

The next day, at the leadership competition, Zhao Yaoyang and Chen Wangsheng sat to one side to watch.

Zhao Longjie took the stage first, followed by another disciple. Within a few exchanges, Longjie struck the disciple down, kicking him off the stage with brutal force. Zhao Yaoyang watched, feeling a wave of disappointment; Longjie was already steeped in violence.

"Which other junior brother wishes to come up for instruction? Come on!" Zhao Longjie, oblivious to his master's disappointment, shouted.

"I will come. Senior Brother, please instruct me." Another disciple climbed onto the stage, sword in hand.

"Fine, I will give you three moves!" Zhao Longjie bragged.

The disciple did not stand on ceremony, thrusting, sweeping, and slashing with his sword. Zhao Longjie dodged them all easily, seized the disciple’s wrist, disarmed him, and with the blade pointed at the disciple's own throat, struck his chest hard. He then moved to slit the disciple's throat.

"Longjie, stop!" Sensing his intent, Zhao Yaoyang shouted. The effort caused the poison in his body to surge wildly.

Hearing the shout, Zhao Longjie feigned stopping and turned the blade away. Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly slashed the disciple’s throat and kicked him off the stage. A sense of satisfaction washed over him.

Others turned their eyes away, unable to bear the sight of infighting.

"Longjie, you..." Zhao Yaoyang, who had just sat down, saw the murder. The poison surged into his five internal organs, stopping just short of his heart. He stood up, pointing at Longjie, unable to speak. If he moved any further, he would surely die on the spot. He channeled all his energy to guard his heart. Chen Wangsheng noticed his condition and pulled him back to his seat.

"Senior Brother, let me challenge you!" Zhou You said, his heart burning with indignation.

"Oh? Finally couldn't hold it in? Come!" Zhao Longjie knew Zhou You had his eyes on the position.

Both channeled their energy, and wooden stakes appeared around them as they began to clash. Longjie’s hands were covered in black energy, while Zhou You’s were covered in white. They traded blows, the shockwaves shattering the floor of the arena until the other disciples fled to watch from a distance.

Longjie kicked out, but Zhou You caught his foot, sliding back several meters before twisting to break the hold. Longjie spun in mid-air, firing a bolt of black lightning from his palm. Zhou You channeled his energy into a Bagua formation, redirecting the lightning into the floor.

"Boom!" A black crater exploded, sending debris flying. Zhou You countered with a kick, sending a wooden stake flying toward the airborne Longjie. Realizing he couldn't dodge, Longjie channeled energy into his palm and blasted the stake to pieces.

Zhou You, cloaked in energy, appeared before Longjie and slammed a palm into his stomach. Longjie tumbled backward, landing hard. He refused to yield, using his energy to create a gust of wind to stabilize himself, his heart filled with the urge to kill Zhou You.

"Stop!" Both frozen in their tracks.

"You need not fight anymore. We have already made our decision." Sensing Longjie’s murderous intent, Zhao Yaoyang stood up and spoke slowly.

"Father, we haven't finished! The winner has not been decided!" Longjie, still unaware of his father's condition, protested indignantly.

"Enough. Your Uncle and I have already decided." Zhao Yaoyang looked at him with disappointment.

"Indeed. I now formally announce that the eighteenth successor to the Xuanxu Temple is... Zhou You." Chen Wangsheng stood up and finished the announcement.

"Good!" The disciples cheered.

"That's great! My master is the leader!" Bian Yiyuan, who was quite stout, shouted in agreement.

Zhao Longjie, seething with rage, turned and left. Zhao Yaoyang watched him go and sighed.

That night, dressed in black and wearing a mask, Zhao Longjie returned to the ancestral hall to steal the sect’s supreme techniques. After failing to find any mechanism on the statues, he turned to the spirit tablets in frustration. He grabbed Liu Qingqing’s tablet, his eyes burning with malice. He dropped it by accident, and as he picked it up, he noticed seven white dots on the base—the Big Dipper. He realized the secret.

Walking to the center of the hall, he performed the Seven Star steps. With each step, the floor sank, and when he finished, a hole appeared. With a look of joy, he pulled out a black stone carved into the shape of a palm-sized sword—the Sword Heart Stone. He tucked it away and then retrieved a manual of the "Heaven and Earth Dual Absolute Sword Techniques." Before he could open it, he heard footsteps and hid on the rafters.

It was Zhao Yaoyang.

Zhao Yaoyang saw the hole in the floor and knew someone had been there. He feigned ignorance, straightened Liu Qingqing’s tablet, and began to light incense.

Taking advantage of this, Longjie descended from the rafters and tried to flee. Zhao Yaoyang channeled his energy, flicking the three sticks of incense like hidden weapons. Longjie dodged, but one stick tore off his mask.

"You beast! You dare to steal the sect’s supreme techniques!" Zhao Yaoyang gasped, seeing Longjie, and was forced to withdraw his energy, coughing.

Stealing the sect's techniques was a capital crime.

"This stuff belongs to me! It’s all your fault—because you were biased, I couldn't be the leader!" Longjie realized he was exposed and clutched the manual to his chest.

"You beast, do you know what you are doing?" Zhao Yaoyang scolded, furious.

"I was supposed to be the leader! I came to take—" Before Longjie could finish, Zhao Yaoyang slapped him, the sound echoing through the hall.

"Give it back! Give it back!" Zhao Yaoyang struck him again, but his inner rage remained unquenched.

"You forced my hand!" Longjie struck Zhao Yaoyang in the chest. The blow shattered the energy Zhao Yaoyang had been using to guard his heart, and his body spiraled out of control.

"Longjie, stop this madness!" Zhao Yaoyang knew that with the poison consuming him, he could no longer stop his son. He pleaded with him to turn back.

"I... Father, I didn't want it to be this way, you forced me!" Longjie looked at his own hands, his heart hardening. He turned and fled, colliding with Zhou You at the entrance.

"Senior Brother!" Zhou You caught him, concerned.

Longjie said nothing, his eyes filled with hatred, and he shoved Zhou You aside.

"Master!" Zhou You noticed something wrong and rushed to Zhao Yaoyang's side.

Longjie glanced back once before vanishing into the night, leaving the Xuanxu Temple.

"Master, what happened? Was it Senior Brother?" Zhou You helped him sit, watching as Zhao Yaoyang spat out more blood.

"It is not his fault. My poison has flared up. I know I cannot last... my only concern is your Senior Brother." Zhao Yaoyang gripped Zhou You’s hand. "Zhou You, you are the leader of the Xuanxu Temple now. You must find a way to save him!"

"Master, I will bring him back. Don't worry." Zhou You promised without hesitation.

"If you cannot persuade him, give him this talisman!" Zhao Yaoyang pulled a folded triangular talisman from his robes, gave it to Zhou You, and then transferred his "Heavenly Eye" power into Zhou You’s forehead before his breath faded away.

No matter how Zhou You sobbed and called out to him, Zhao Yaoyang was gone.