“Quite a lot.” Tushan Yi’s smile didn’t waver. “After all, I come from the Mountains and Seas. How can ordinary matters escape me? After you left, someone entered Head Hill Cave and made arrangements, attempting to use my ‘obsession’ to foster the birth of a Ghost Domain. You must know that Xie Chaoyun was buried atop the dragon vein. Once she transformed into a malicious ghost, it represented that the section of dragon vein that had been nurturing her had rotted and died. And the dragon vein of Jiang City—” Tushan Yi’s eyes flickered meaningfully, and she didn’t continue.
The evil Daoist gulped. He had never, not even in his wildest thoughts, considered the idea of “rotting and dying.” He had only wanted to borrow the dragon vein for cultivation. As for that person behind the scenes—could it be they harbored the same thought as him? Only, constrained by their identity, they had to act through covert means. “No.” The evil Daoist suddenly spoke, cold sweat beading on his forehead. His eyes turned subtly strange. “If I damage the dragon vein, wouldn’t that accelerate the Revival of Mountains and Seas Realm? Your aim, milady, is to use my hands to bring the Mountains and Seas into the mortal world, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Tushan Yi answered with frank openness. “I simply wish for Azure Hill to return to the mortal world. Don’t you want to see the Elixir of Immortality from Kunlun? Don’t you wish to possess the exotic treasures of the Mountains and Seas?” Tushan Yi’s voice carried a trace of bewitchment; this was the inherent divine power of a Nine-Tailed Fox. The evil Daoist’s reverence for the “Mountains and Seas” wasn’t deep enough; his greed climbed ceaselessly amidst that conjured vision of beautiful prospects.
Tushan Yi added, “The Mountains and Seas teem with man-eating great demons and evil beasts. It was for this reason King Yu suppressed the Mountains and Seas. But do not forget, King Yu’s wife was the old ancestor of our Tushan Clan of Azure Hill. Our Azure Hill’s stance aligns with the human race. When the Mountains and Seas revive, wouldn’t humanity want an extra ally? If you were to become a Friend of Azure Hill, you could even use this matter to wash away your past sins.”
Tushan Yi wasn’t worried the evil Daoist wouldn’t take the bait. Was her blood so easily taken?
The evil Daoist’s thoughts were turbulent; an inexplicable restlessness surging within him prevented him from maintaining his former tranquil heart. Since he practiced the Liu family’s Dragon-Slaying Art, he naturally also possessed the method of seeking dragon veins. The cave where he now stood was a small Dragon Lair; the spiritual energy gathered there could aid his cultivation with half the effort, double the results. It wasn’t any concern for “righteousness” that held him back from severing the dragon vein, but his own safety. But what if there was someone else to bear the consequences for him? The more the evil Daoist pondered Tushan Yi’s words, the more reasonable they seemed. He didn’t even consider the possibility that Tushan Yi might be deceiving him. Forming a hand seal, his ritual sword shot out with a resonant hum. In bygone days, the Earl of Chengyi had severed all the dragon veins with just one sword; he was far inferior to his ancestor, but to ruin the Feng Shui and Dragon Qi within a small Dragon Lair—that he could easily manage.
At that time, Jiang Yiguang, Fu Juan, and the others were speeding toward the cave. But just as they drew near, a fierce Yin wind howled, sand and stones flew, and heaven and earth grew dim, as if something were wailing in lament. There was clearly no moisture in the air, yet a torrential rain came crashing down with a roar, rapidly obscuring all sight.
Zhao Zhi frowned. “The towering mountain beside this cave has the posture of a flying dragon and crouching tiger; it’s a precious lair. The spiritual energy particulates in the rain are much more active than usual—this is abnormal.” He had barely finished speaking when a snow-bright sword light pierced through the clouds and rain, stabbing straight into the heavens! Amid the thick, somber clouds, a faint dragon silhouette appeared, precisely struck by that ritual sword!
Fu Juan’s expression darkened instantly. “The Dragon-Slaying Art.” That single sword couldn’t sever the entire Shenzhou dragon vein, but the spiritual essence nurtured within this section of the vein was destroyed by that one strike. A wound appeared on the great dragon spanning the Shenzhou land, signifying the loosening of Shenzhou’s seal over the Mountains and Seas.
Wang Xuanming said grimly, “It’s that evil Daoist?” He reached out to summon his ritual sword, but by the time he attacked, it was too late. That dragon silhouette had already been cleaved into two segments; the dragon head plummeted, scattering a shower of golden blood that fell toward their position.
It was the quintessence of this segment of the dragon vein! Zhao Zhi’s eyes flickered. He suddenly cast out a talisman to catch that cluster of golden blood. But just as the talisman ignited, yet another ritual sword, wreathed in Scarlet Fire, shot forward at high speed. Through the curtain of rain, the evil Daoist in his blue Daoist robes strode forth, eyes piercing and sharp, cold light radiating everywhere.
Wang Xuanming said, “It truly is him.”
Jiang Yiguang saw the evil Daoist, but simultaneously caught sight of that cluster of “Dragon Blood,” brimming with dense spiritual energy. It was quintessence severed from the dragon vein—good stuff! Letting it fall into that scoundrel Zhao Zhi’s hands would be a gift squandered. Her mind stirred; before she could even decide, the evil Daoist caught his ritual sword and stretched out his left hand, directly using a divine power to retrieve objects from afar! The evil Daoist had already damaged the dragon vein; this mass of quintessence absolutely could not fall into his hands. Jiang Yiguang drew her ritual sword. What filled her mind was the Dark Lady Sword Art!
In myths and legends, the Dark Lady was the teacher of the Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor, and also transmitted sword techniques to the gibbon. What she excelled in was not only arcane gates and the arts of Jiugong and Liuren—her swordsmanship was equally transcendent. The cold gleam shimmering on Jiang Yiguang’s ritual sword scraped against that gust of strong energy, deflecting the mass of dragon vein quintessence away. Immersed in the Sword Dao, although she had only mastered one form, it was enough for her to use. The sword energy was robust and forceful; the blade’s edge showed its sharpness fully, instantly cutting through the talismanic divine power!
The evil Daoist let out an “Oh?”, and on the other side, Wang Xuanming had already cast a spell talisman and begun attacking him. Yet he was somewhat distracted, glancing sidelong at Jiang Yiguang, puzzled that she could actually wield sword techniques. Just a day ago, she’d been swinging a sword around chopping like a melon knife, without any trace of “technique.”
“Dark Lady Sword?” Fu Juan’s eyelid twitched. She had once seen the 《The Dark Lady’s Sword Sutra》. It had been prepared by Aunt Jiang for Jiang Yiguang, but that idea had ultimately been shelved due to Jiang Yiguang’s clumsiness and stubborn laziness. Recently, Aunt Jiang hadn’t been around. Could it be that Jiang Yiguang had found the sword scripture herself and started practicing? Fu Juan’s face darkened. She didn’t join the close-quarters fight with the evil Daoist. Instead, the moment Zhao Zhi shifted his steps, aiming to seize the dragon vein quintessence, she made her move, her eyes icy cold. “That’s not yours.”
The burning fire talisman nearly grazed Zhao Zhi’s cheek. He felt a searing, stinging pain; his expression stiffened instantly.
Fu Juan was on guard not only against the evil Daoist, but also against him.
“Zhao Zhi!” Wang Xuanming shouted.
Zhao Zhi frowned. Recalling his ultimate objective, a ruthless glint flashed through his eyes. A mere clump of dragon vein quintessence—there was no need to fuss over it. Once this matter was accomplished, there would be plenty of opportunities. He was a direct heir of the Zhao family and had many magical artifacts on him. At this moment, he flipped out a Five Thunders Command Token to command Thor and expel evil. With the Thunder Command Token in hand, he didn’t even need to pace the Pace of Yu. Simply chanting the incantation, he could sense the Five Qis and summon thunderbolts to serve him. Wang Xuanming also happened to hold an Ancient Thunder Talisman. Seeing Zhao Zhi bring out the Thunder Command Token, he too formed a seal and chanted, instantly causing thunderbolts to descend! Thunder light intertwined like dragons and serpents, and purple lightning snaked wildly in all directions.
The evil Daoist, however, neither dodged nor evaded. He directed a mocking smirk toward Zhao Zhi and Wang Xuanming, his form flickering, and suddenly three silhouettes appeared! It was precisely the Doppelganger Technique of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends. Before his foundation was damaged, he could manifest at least eight doppelgangers. Now, even with some replenishment from the dragon vein and demon blood, he could only manage three!
The terrifying thunderbolts, radiating destructive power, smashed down but only scattered one of the evil Daoist’s doppelgangers. Another continued to tangle with Wang Xuanming, while the third charged straight toward Fu Juan. Among the four present, Fu Juan’s physical condition was the worst, yet the Dao-nature emanating from her made the evil Daoist somewhat uneasy. Moreover, the clump of dragon vein quintessence had landed in her hands, so the evil Daoist prioritized her as his target.
Jiang Yiguang gripped her sword, eyes blazing bright like stars. She silently counted down in her heart, and as expected, by the time she reached “1,” the system’s task promptly issued. The options were either to flee, or worse, to use Fu Juan as a shield to stall for time and find a chance to live. The only selectable option was the third: “Dharma Protector.” Its reward wasn’t the richest—only a single Physical Strength Point. Yet Jiang Yiguang had only this path to choose. She had come here; she did still harbor fear, but since she had learned these skills, she would not be a defeated dog or a deserter. She would change her own destiny.
She knew she was a person of contradictions, but hesitation only ever happened before she acted.
When there was no longer any road ahead, anyone could only become resolute.
Fu Juan tilted her head slightly, but she did not tell Jiang Yiguang to retreat.
Since they had chosen this path, they couldn’t afford the timidity of the mundane world.
She sensed the change in Jiang Yiguang’s aura. The ritual sword Jiang Yiguang held, its cloud patterned blade shimmering with uncanny light. Yet this was just an ordinary ritual sword. If Jiang Yiguang intended to walk the Sword Dao, then what should be used to forge her a sword?
Jiang Yiguang thrust her sword forward. The spiritual light on its blade swirled and flowed. When it clashed with the evil Daoist’s sword, Jiang Yiguang felt immense pressure. Compared to yesterday, this evil Daoist had clearly grown much stronger. Yet under the debuff Fate gave her, she could barely be considered an “immortal-type.” A mere evil Daoist! The texts said the fastest way to train the sword was actual combat, and the evil Daoist’s doppelganger gave her that opportunity.
She didn’t seek a world-cleaving Qiankun sword intent that could split Mount Buzhou, but she at least had to have the dashing, unrestrained flair of those roving swordsmen of old Chang’an, right?
Thunder roared and boomed; muffled peal rolled wave after wave, sweeping in all directions. But amidst the thunderous cacophony, Jiang Yiguang’s eyes held only her sword.
Maybe she should just pursue the Sword Dao from now on!
As she slashed out with her sword, Jiang Yiguang thought this.
The Dark Lady Sword possessed a beauty like a startled swan, like a swimming dragon—without the bloodiness of the Five Thunders blasting heads. Even if one day she broke free and no longer needed to attend to Mystic Sect matters, she could still absolutely take to the streets and busk.
“Jiang Yiguang, step the Eight Trigrams Steps, move from Qian to Li.”
Fu Juan’s clear, cold voice came from behind her.
