Immortal

3. The Road to the Mountain [III]

"Please tell us, uncle."

"This matter was not a secret at that time, it's just that it happened a long time ago. You young people today just don't seem to care about the past."

"But we care, uncle."

"We just didn't know who to ask?"

"Pfft..." Zastan asked in irritation. "Couldn't you have asked me?"

"We are sorry, uncle."

"Anyway, everyone knows that Haldor the Bloodmane, the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance, is the best swordsman in the world today. But in the eyes of old bones like us, there is only one person who can truly be called the best swordsman in the last three hundred years, and that was Lachlan the Skyripper, ​​the leader of the martial arts alliance two hundred years ago. His chasing wind swordsmanship was truly the best in the world."

All the people standing in front of the huge rock gathered around and listened attentively to Zastan as his voice echoed far and wide in the cold wind.

Lachlan continued to walk forward with a calm expression, but when he heard the old man mentioned his name, he suddenly stopped. "It's been over two hundred years. Is there anyone who still remembers me?"

He took a deep breath as his shoulders trembled slightly and continued to move forward.

"Lachlan was a teenager, and rose to prominence with his wind-chasing sword skills. At the age of twenty-one, he shined in the alliance trials held on the top of this same dragon mountain, over two hundred years ago, and defeated many masters to become the leader of martial arts, and was known as the world's number one sword. But unfortunately, he's dead." Zastan sighed softly, his voice was hoarse and a little uncomfortable to the ears, but the martial arts masters surrounding him were listening intently.

"The Dreadgods Sect..." Lachlan murmured as he passed by Zastan. His face looked unchanged, but murderous intent flashed through his mind, and the hatchet on his back moved without wind. 

However, everyone standing in front of the huge rock was attracted by Zastan's story, and no one noticed this unknown boy carrying a hatchet on his back.

"In that battle, the martial arts leader Lachlan broke through the Innate realm, and gathered all his strength to make a divine sword move that no one could stop. In the end, the blade stopped only when it struck this stone. Although he died, the essence of his martial arts remained on this stone. After the bloody battle, everyone was busy looking for the dragon treasure Book. No one paid attention to this stone except for one. His name is Haldor. He was a boy with great fortune who accidentally discovered the secret. He stood in front of the Heavenly Sword Enlightenment Rock for seven days and seven nights, looking at the blade mark to comprehend the essence of martial arts and absorb the martial arts ideas on it, achieving innateness in one go. Although his world-famous Infinite Light swordsmanship was created by himself, in the eyes of old bones like us, it is simply derived from the chasing wind swordsmanship of the dead Alliance Leader, Lachlan. Although there is no martial arts essence in this stone now, if you carefully observe the trend of the blade marks on it, you can still comprehend a lot of martial arts principles from it."

Lachlan walked farther and farther away, and in the vast wind and snow, Zastan's voice came from afar.

"But uncle, how do we know everything you're saying is true or just some wild tales?" Lyndon exclaimed, somewhat skeptical.

"You brat..." Zastan was furious, his eyes wide open.

"Uncle, don't mind him.." Lysandra, who was standing aside, walked up and pulled Zastan away. "Lyn, you dare to doubt uncle's words? You're really hopeless. Uncle, please let's go."

"Lysandra, wait a minute, wait for me..." Lyndon was anxious and hurried to catch up. He was not afraid of his uncle Zastan, but only of Lysandra.

The three of them were moving very fast, leaving no trace on the snowy mountain. They caught up with Lachlan and passed by him in a short while. 

After they had walked hundreds of meters, Zastan suddenly stopped and turned to walk in front of Lachlan, ​​"Hey, boy, are you here to participate in the trials as well?"

"You'll see." Lachlan replied. He had been asked this question countless times since he went up the mountain. No matter who asked the question, the answer was always the same.

"That's ambitious of you, but very good at the same time. If every young man in our empire is like you, why worry about the decline of martial arts and no one to fight against the Dreadgods Sect? Good, that's very good." Zastan nodded repeatedly, looking up and down at Lachlan, ​​who resembled someone from a very poor family, with eyes full of appreciation, "Boy, what's your name?"

"Lachlan." Lachlan answered, neither arrogant nor humble, just as calm as water.

Zastan was stunned for a moment, and it took him a while to come back to his senses. "Hahaha, you actually have the same name as the alliance leader from two hundred years ago. Good, good. If you practice well, maybe you can become a martial arts master who can conquer the world in the future. Hahaha..."

Zastan continued to laugh loudly as he led the Emerald Twin Swords, Lysandra and Lyndon away. 

With a slight thudding sound, a pair of shoes were thrown from the wind and snow and landed in front of Lachlan. Lysandra's voice came from afar, "It's cold in the mountains, change your shoes."

"Junior sister, didn't you say that those shoes were made specially for me, your senior brother? How come..." Lyndon's voice came, and he looked back at Lachlan from a distance with a somewhat unfriendly look.

"Junior sister, who the hell is your junior sister? You cow can walk barefoot for all I care?"

"Hey, Lysandra, don't be angry...."

The group of three people quickly set off, and in the blink of an eye they turned into three small black dots, submerged in the wind and snow. Only their voices could be heard faintly in the distance.

"Well, you are called the saint of divination, and you know everything about astronomy and geography?" Looking at Zastan's receding back, Lachlan smiled slightly, and then sighed faintly.

Zastan was known as the sage of divination, but even in his dreams, he probably couldn't imagine Lachlan's true identity.