Chapter 135: Yin and Yang
“Those Yellow Spring Path beasts are clearly about to flee!”
He hurriedly channeled demonic power, unleashing monstrous demonic flames.
With the elite forces of the six sects gathered together, if the Yellow Spring Path cultivators had no intention of resisting, how could he, the Corpse Abyss, possibly contend against them?
He immediately led his demon kin and retreated toward the Corpse Abyss.
Fu Xiao narrowed his eyes. “Disciples of the six sects, hear my command! Leave none of the Yellow Spring Path demonic cultivators alive!”
Compared to those perceptive local demons, what the six sects wanted to eliminate even more were, of course, these Yellow Spring Path demonic cultivators who had suddenly appeared in Changping.
At that moment, several Foundation Establishment cultivators struck simultaneously!
Countless artifacts and spells surged toward the Yellow Spring Path demonic cultivators!
Liu Ciming did not hesitate. Spiritual energy surged, and he actually pushed three Qi Refining Stage Yellow Spring Path cultivators out of the barrier.
“Ugh… ah…”
Those three Qi Refining Stage cultivators’ faces were filled with terror, their mouths stiffly agape, a few hoarse sounds rolling from their throats.
“Uncle-Master Liu…”
Irregular flesh tumors and bulges began to rise on their foreheads, cheeks, and necks.
As though something was writhing beneath their skin and blood vessels.
BOOM!!!
In the night, a blinding blood-red light erupted, and immediately after, a deafening explosion resounded across all of Shiguping.
The thunderous roar surged like a tide, spreading frantically in all directions.
It dissipated the tidal onslaught of the six sects’ cultivators.
As the roar and dust gradually subsided, the figures of the Yellow Spring Path demonic cultivators had vanished without a trace.
That teleportation talisman was of very high grade; it seemed they had been prepared all along.
“Hmph!”
Shen Yu waved his great sleeve and led the cultivators of the Xuan Yuan Sect away from Shiguping.
If not for the presence of outside enemies, he would not have wanted to stay for so long!
Now that the demons were all gone, he was naturally unwilling to linger.
The Hanging Sword Mountain departed next.
Song Yan had already returned to Xu Ziqing’s side. Elder Xu looked him up and down and nodded with considerable satisfaction.
One who dared to kill a Xuan Yuan Sect disciple in front of everyone was certainly a promising talent!
Several great masters of the Huadu Temple were already chanting sutras to guide the souls of the departed.
Elder Fu Xiao, as the current person in charge here, began arranging the follow-up matters.
“Yuzhen, go summon the Changping Prefecture Magistrate.”
“All other sects, count your casualties and return to Changping Prefecture to recuperate!”
“Yes, Elder.”
…
By all accounts, now that the demonic cultivators had gone and all matters in Changping had concluded, it should have been a relaxing time for the six sects’ cultivators to exchange for treasures.
But the Xuan Yuan Sect was not so.
Shen Yu used “the urgent matters in Changping have been settled” as his reason, and ceased participating in any of the work.
He furthermore ordered his disciples to complete all work handovers within a single day, including the exchange of treasures.
After a single day, whether it was the Elder Hall or the Nurturing Hall, the Xuan Yuan Sect’s quarters stood empty.
They did not even attend the memorial ceremony that the Huadu Temple had held for the cultivators.
Before departing, Shen Yu had held a private meeting with several elders of the Hanging Sword Mountain.
As for the contents of that private meeting, only those involved could know.
Xu Ziqing, however, was in no hurry. Together with Cong Yuzhen of the Sun-Shooting Sect, she took the lead on numerous follow-up matters in Changping.
The two sects worked together to eliminate remaining demonic traces, comfort the surrounding mortals, and take control of the Shiguping ruins.
The Huadu Temple and the Lingfu Sect also contributed effort.
Since the Changping affairs had ended much earlier than expected, battle merits could only be distributed based on the settlement after the current rotation concluded.
This was a good thing for the vast majority of disciples.
They saved several months of garrison duty and could still obtain the treasures they wanted to exchange for.
Song Yan was no exception. Now, beyond the battle merits needed for the Breakthrough Pill, he could also exchange for small items like spirit-refining pills and cloud iron for artifact crafting.
During his lingering days in Changping, rumors about him had already spread everywhere.
The scene of him shooting Shen Huai dead and then beheading him with a single sword stroke had been embellished with added details.
Among many Qi Refining cultivators, rumors spread that Song Yan of the Eastern Abyss Sect “tortured and killed his peers, drunk on blood.” He was truly a demonic righteous-path traitor!
Some said that not only were his methods cruel, but when he failed to seize the supreme treasure, he had not hesitated to destroy a Nascent Soul transformation opportunity, robbing the cultivators of the Chu Kingdom of their fortune.
He seemed to have become a selfish madman as well.
However, there were also cultivators who had been present that day who spoke in his defense.
Rumors spread that the Xuan Yuan Sect had failed to seize the treasure and lost a disciple in the process — truly a case of losing both the wife and the soldiers.
Now they were secretly slandering Song Yan; their magnanimity was truly lacking.
The disciples of the Huadu Temple and the Lingfu Sect did not much participate in this war of rumors and slander, but privately, their assessments of Song Yan himself were somewhat polarized.
Some thought him calm and decisive, while others criticized him for being “excessively violent.”
However, regardless of what judgment the six sects’ cultivators made after hearing these rumors, all Qi Refining Stage cultivators shared a common understanding in their hearts.
The disciples of the Eastern Abyss Sect acted without restraint, and this Fellow Daoist Song was exceptionally skilled in killing.
When there was nothing to be gained, it was best not to provoke him.
…
None of the rumors from the outside world caused Song Yan himself to take any particular action.
He sat inside his room, the Untethered Vessel resting across his lap, both eyes tightly closed.
Only at this moment did he have the leisure to carefully feel his natal flying sword.
Beneath the Sword-Forging Palace, a small black-and-white sword hovered above the tender sprout of the Sword Dao seed.
Its shape was identical to that of the Untethered Vessel.
Perhaps he had grown so accustomed to the Untethered Vessel that his mind had already accepted it as the form of his natal flying sword.
Thinking about it, it truly was an inversion of the natural order.
At last, having comprehended Sword Intent, Song Yan’s natal flying sword had finally formed.
He could now truly be said to have set foot on the path of the ancient sword cultivators, worthy of being called a “sword cultivator.”
The comprehension of Sword Intent had propelled many things forward.
With the natal flying sword condensed, the Sword Dao seed had begun to sprout, and the spiritual energy cultivation within his body had likewise been pushed forward a great distance.
“It’s just unclear whether such good fortune will come again in the future.”
The remaining sword techniques and sword stances recorded in the Sword Planting Art and the Sword Technique Compendium could now be placed on the agenda.
The Cloud Sword had already been mastered to perfection; it was time to explore new techniques and moves.
First, within the Sword Planting Art, beyond the Hidden Sword Spirit-Gathering Stance, two more were recorded.
They were the “Immortal-Wandering Sword-Riding Stance” and the “Heaven-Gazing Sword-Leaning Stance.”
The Immortal-Wandering Sword-Riding Stance recorded a movement technique and an escape art.
One was called Cloud-Surpassing Intent, the other Wandering the Great Void.
Song Yan glanced at them briefly. The latter was a secret sword art of unified man and sword, enabling rapid flight — well suited for pursuing enemies or making an escape.
However, cultivating this secret art required at minimum the Foundation Establishment realm.
He thus set it aside for the time being.
The Cloud-Surpassing Intent’s effect was similar to a Wind Escape Talisman, commanding sword qi to circulate around the body, enabling one’s movements to become swifter.
Of course, it was not specifically designed for travel.
In combat, one’s movements would become more agile, which was why the Sword Planting Art labeled it a “movement technique.”
The Heaven-Gazing Sword-Leaning Stance recorded two special techniques.
One was the Sword Dao Clone, which similarly required the Foundation Establishment realm to cultivate; Song Yan temporarily passed over it.
The other was an eye technique.
“Void-Gazing Sword Eye…”
Beneath its name, only a single line of small characters served as an introduction.
“Pierce the void, shatter illusions; observe the wind, seek the gap…”
“One sword strike to slay the enemy.”