The Brute Ox, a type of demonic creature, was considered a high-level monster ten thousand years ago. Its pair of horns could split mountains and crack the earth. However, after the War of Gods and Demons, the God Clan fell, and demonic creatures ceased to exist.
The world fell into a long period of primitive silence. Later, the Ji Clan of Immortals rose to prominence with divine blessings, and the Human Race began to flourish, achieving today's prosperous state of Human Cultivators.
The Brute Ox before them was not the actual great demon, but merely a remnant of its demonic breath, temporarily manifested through Xue Chenjing's blood array. Its magical power was no longer what it once was.
After Pei Jingchao and Yao Yuxiu were both knocked flying, the Brute Ox approached Xue Chenjing's hand, begging for another drop of his blood before obediently transforming into a black shadow and being retrieved by him.
Yu Yi recalled the strange four-legged black shadow she had seen earlier under that clear array, with countless beast and human shadows within its enormous form, symbiotic with Xue Chenjing.
The Spiritual Platform and Heart Sea is the most important place for a cultivator, yet he kept so many dangerous demonic shadows nurtured there, turning himself into a monster that was neither human nor demon. It was clear he had gone mad beyond measure. Was he truly not afraid of being consumed by the demons and ultimately becoming a mere vessel for them?
Thinking of this, Yu Yi increasingly wanted to distance herself from him. She had no desire to be with him in the future, constantly guessing whether the body before her contained the Brute Ox from earlier, the blood-red bone demon, or a writhing mass of tentacles.
It was quite possible that the shell of Xue Chenjing now housed a demon. The true soul of Xue Chenjing might be imprisoned in the mountain temple deep within his Heart Sea, repeating the same day over and over.
As Xue Chenjing finished retrieving the Brute Ox and turned around, he saw the talisman paper in her hand turn to ash. The talisman's light swiftly enveloped her entire body from her fingertips, causing her figure to vanish from the spot.
A Teleportation Talisman.
She always seemed ready to run.
This time, however, Xue Chenjing didn't stop her. He even smiled at her, with a look of confidence that she couldn't escape his grasp.
Yu Yi's Teleportation Talisman was of her own making. Her talent in talisman crafting wasn't as strong as her swordsmanship, and this talisman was quite ordinary. During the teleportation process, it could easily be affected by external interference. Earlier, with chaotic sword energies everywhere, she hadn't dared to use it.
The battle between the Brute Ox and Pei Jingchao had dispersed much of the rampant sword energy in the vicinity, so she no longer had to worry about being caught in the sword currents. Only then did she dare to use the Teleportation Talisman.
As the light of the Teleportation Talisman faded, a sea of green bamboo appeared before her eyes. This time, the talisman had safely transported her to her destination, just outside a secret realm within a bamboo forest.
The black mountains in the clouds stretched for hundreds of miles, shrouding the surrounding area in dark clouds. The forest was dim and lightless. Just as Yu Yi emerged from the Sword-Sealing Stone, she heard a tremendous rumbling from the mountains above.
A circular array appeared above the Sword-Sealing Stone. The spiritual energy from the array flowed into the red "seal" character on the black mountains. The character glowed brightly, and the massive mountains began to shrink rapidly, inch by inch.
Only when the dark shadow overhead moved away could Yu Yi see the Lishan Sword Sect disciples standing on their flying swords around the Sword-Sealing Stone. The cultivators still in the mountains began to fly out, and the Lishan Sword Sect disciples didn't stop them, truly keeping their Sect Leader's promise to let them take swords and leave.
Yu Yi's storage bag was full of high-grade spirit swords she had "harvested," making her one of the most successful among this army of "wool-gatherers."
Now that Lishan Sword Sect disciples were everywhere, she didn't want to get involved with Pei Jingchao and was also worried that Xue Chenjing might come looking for her. So she left immediately without lingering.
Previously, to avoid the plot, Yu Yi had lived in seclusion here for five years, and the place she visited most often was just the small Rounan County. However, this didn't prevent her from wanting to tour the heart of the four seas.
She had collected several versions of maps of the Nine Provinces and Four Seas alone, including mundane maps of provinces and prefectures that only circulated among ordinary people, as well as celestial realm maps bought at high prices from cultivators. In addition, she had read countless geography books, travelogues, and anecdotes about immortal sects. She had long planned her route.
Yu Yi left the Rounan County area and headed east, intending to go to Yinzhou City.
Yinzhou City is a large city where immortals and mortals coexist, belonging to the territory of Zhaohua Palace, one of the twelve great immortal sects. It is most famous for its market.
There are two major markets in the cultivation world. One is the Sea Market, held annually on Penglai Immortal Island. The other is the Land Market, located in Yinzhou City.
Sitting on the back of her crane senior brother, Yu Yi took out the spirit swords from her storage bag and laid them out in a row. She had harvested a total of sixteen spirit swords from the Sword-Sealing Stone. She took each one in hand and swung it a few times, feeling the sword energy, intending to select those incompatible with her spirit root attributes to sell first and use them to exchange for some travel funds.
She originally had an innate Single Lightning Spirit Root, but because Juechen Zi primarily cultivated fire-based swordsmanship, he had passed on his lifelong cultivation to her before his death, inducing a secondary Spirit Root in her body—a Fire Spirit Root.
Over these five years, Yu Yi had been practicing the same sword technique to refine the spiritual energy her master had infused into her body.
Her sword energy was intense, sprouting from wooden swords, with both lightning and fire attributes. It was most consumptive of spirit swords. Earlier, when dealing with Xue Chenjing, forcibly summoning the Red-crowned Crane Sword Spirit left by her master had already caused two cracks to appear on this bamboo sword.
During the five years of cultivation in the secret realm, she had swept through a large area of thousand-year-old bamboo in the realm, using it all to craft bamboo swords.
Now, among the sixteen high-grade spirit swords in her hand, after excluding the nine incompatible with her attributes, the remaining spirit swords could be reforged and integrated into her bamboo sword, elevating its grade.
As a sword cultivator, one is destined to spend a lifetime journeying to practice swordsmanship, forge swords, and search for sword-forging materials. Being able to obtain so many sword-forging materials at once made Yu Yi unable to suppress the smile on her face.
Now, whether in small towns of the mortal world or among cultivators encountered on the way, everyone's topic of conversation was the Lishan Sword Sect.
Cultivators who had obtained spirit swords were full of praise for the Lishan Sword Sect, which had kept its promise.
Ordinary people viewed that huge mountain in the clouds as a calamity sent by heaven. With the mountain looming overhead, potentially falling at any moment, people were filled with fear. From the day the mountain appeared, the people living under its shadow began to flee with their families.
When the disciples of the Lishan Sword Sect arrived, re-sealed the Sword-Sealing Stone, and retrieved it, then went about comforting the affected villages and towns, the displaced people gradually began to return.
The people were immensely grateful to the immortals who had saved their homes. The first thing they did upon returning was to organize rituals, burning incense and bowing towards the direction of Mount Li. Wisps of smoke rose into the air, and the wind carried the scent of sandalwood.
Both in the cultivation world and among mortals, the reputation of the Lishan Sword Sect had soared. And as the main person responsible for handling this Sword-Sealing Stone incident, Pei Jingchao had also gained a good reputation.
In the Xiangfu Inn on the main street of Rounan County.
Pei Jingchao stood by the window, flipping to the last page of the document in his hand. After quickly scanning it, he gently closed it and asked, "Have all the people affected by the Sword-Sealing Stone been sent back?"
"Yes," the disciple behind him replied. "We have followed Senior Brother's instructions and sent all the displaced people back, repaired their damaged houses, and compensated for the crops and gardens affected by the sword energy. The people are all grateful to us."
Pei Jingchao nodded, "That's good. Now that matters here are settled, you lead the remaining disciples along with your Senior Sister Yuxiu back to Mount Li first."
"Then, Senior Brother, you..."
Before the disciple could finish his question, Pei Jingchao had already explained, "The Weapon Tempering Platform has collapsed, and we still haven't found the person who controlled the demons. I need to stay here to continue investigating, otherwise I won't be able to give a proper account to the Master when we return to the mountain."
The disciple said, "We could also stay here to investigate with Senior Brother."
Pei Jingchao shook his head and turned to place the document in his hand into the disciple's, "You're all too conspicuous here. How would those evil spirits dare to show themselves? Lianqing, your Senior Sister Yuxiu is severely injured and needs to return to the mountain to recuperate in the Spirit Pool. I can't spare the time, so I need you to escort her back."
Qi Lianqing followed his gaze to the woman lying on the bed. Yao Yuxiu's eyes were tightly shut, her face pale, brows furrowed. Even in her unconscious state, she looked to be in great pain.
It was the first time he had seen his senior sister so weak, like the rose outside his window after being battered by a storm—her beautiful face in ruins, evoking a deep sense of pity.
Feeling Pei Jingchao's gaze upon her, Qi Lianqing quickly lowered her head, concealing her eyes beneath lowered lashes, and nodded obediently, "Yes, Lianqing will surely escort Senior Sister safely back to Lishan Sword Sect."
Pei Jingchao patted his shoulder approvingly, "Go prepare for the journey back. I'll tend to Yuxiu's meridians once more. You'll set off early tomorrow morning."
Qi Lianqing obediently withdrew from the room. Pei Jingchao sat on the edge of the bed, helping Yao Yuxiu into a cross-legged position. He grasped her wrists, channeling spiritual energy to dispel the chaotic sword qi within her body.
The day they were struck by the Brute Ox and flung from the Weapon Tempering Platform, Pei Jingchao had also sustained internal injuries, though not as severe as Yao Yuxiu's.
This junior sister of his had an arrogant temperament, impulsive and quick to anger, with a heart heavy with jealousy. If not for her birth into the Yao family, with such a disposition, she wouldn't have reached her current stage on the path of cultivation. Her Nascent Soul cultivation was mostly built up through precious spiritual materials.
The master had only this one daughter. The usually stern and humorless Sword Venerable became a man without principles before Yao Yuxiu, giving her whatever she wanted and spoiling her beyond measure.
Yao Yuxiu had admired him since childhood, always trying to keep pace with him, yet she was naturally indolent and couldn't endure the hardships of cultivation. When she wanted to build her foundation, Juechen Zi sacrificed a hundred years of his own cultivation to forge her sword foundation.
After he reached the Core Formation stage, Yao Yuxiu also wanted to form her golden core. Juechen Zi personally went to Medicine King Valley to request pills, and joined with the sect elders to assist her in forming her core over three months of seclusion.
Now that Pei Jingchao had reached the Nascent Soul stage, Yao Yuxiu naturally wanted to follow closely behind. Juechen Zi even procured the White Spirit Pill left behind by the Ji Clan of Immortals, feeding her one pill a day for thirty days to help her successfully form her Nascent Soul.
However, cultivation hastened in this manner was ultimately superficial. Yao Yuxiu's sword foundation wasn't built solidly enough, her sword qi was unstable, and after being struck by the Brute Ox, the sword qi immediately reversed course, injuring her meridians and internal organs.
As Pei Jingchao circulated his spiritual energy to clear the sword qi in her body, Yao Yuxiu's pained expression finally eased somewhat. She collapsed softly against his shoulder, muttering resentfully even in her sleep, "Senior Brother, you're not allowed to look at anyone else. I forbid you to look at her..."
The woman's heavy scent of cosmetics assailed his nostrils, and Pei Jingchao's eyes revealed unconcealed irritation.
He had heard such words far too many times. Yao Yuxiu couldn't stand any female cultivator coming near him, whether within the sect or outside. She always acted as if he were her personal possession.
She wanted him, so he could only be hers.
Pei Jingchao's expression was cold, but his hands were exceedingly gentle as he supported her shoulders, laying her back down on the bed. His voice remained as warm and soft as ever, "Sleep peacefully. With you by my side, how could I look at anyone else?"
Yao Yuxiu's brow smoothed out. She mumbled a few more words, then pulled his hand to her bosom, embracing it possessively before falling into deep sleep.
Pei Jingchao sat on the edge of the bed, looking at their interlocked fingers. He slowly adjusted the position of his wrist, shifting from being tightly pinned beneath to resting on top.
From this angle, it appeared as if he were the one holding her hand of his own volition, rather than being forcibly possessed by her.
Having endured for so many years, he wasn't in a hurry now. His master's cultivation had stagnated, and in recent years he had become increasingly obsessed with worldly desires, his state of mind deteriorating day by day.
This could be seen from how he had been trapped in an illusion cast by demonic creatures this time, suffering severe mental damage before barely breaking free.
Before long, control of Lishan Sword Sect would fall into his hands. Then he could decide for himself whose hand he truly wished to hold.
Outside the window, the setting sun sank towards the west, and twilight quickly enveloped the small county town.
On the roof of a tavern opposite Xiangfu Inn, Xue Chenjing perched with his toes touching a moss-covered blue tile.
Between his fingers, he held a plump little black bug. The bug squirmed as if unable to bear his grip, struggling to release a bubble.
Inside the bubble appeared an elm wood lattice window, beyond which was the scene of Pei Jingchao tenderly watching over Yao Yuxiu's bedside.
Watching their intimately clasped hands, Xue Chenjing's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Are you sure this 'original wife' truly has lingering feelings for her and can threaten my position?"
The system paused before countering, "Is the master referring to your position with only 6% favorability?"
Xue Chenjing: "..."
