Chapter 157: Battle at the Lake
The scene before him unfurled like ink dispersing in water.
“…”
His scattered thoughts gradually clarified as Song Yan regained consciousness within the Twin Jade Realm.
This was his third descent into the illusory realm, and he had grown accustomed to the discomfort that followed his exit.
Yet unlike the previous two occasions, this time there seemed to be no lingering spiritual essence left behind by a predecessor for him to absorb and refine.
Perhaps it was because Ji Lin Jun was merely an ordinary iron sword, and had subsequently been replaced by Senior Nie Chao.
No matter. The harvest this time had already been bountiful.
Now he knew what those two treasures left behind by the predecessor were.
Nie Chao, with the assistance of the sword-robed Daoist, had obtained three scale fragments from the ferocious qilin — its heart-protecting scales — along with three portions of qilin essence blood.
He had used one portion for himself and left two behind here.
One of the remaining portions had apparently already been claimed by the Sect Master.
The heart-protecting scales could be used to forge flying swords, elevate the grade of a sword body, or refine other magical artifacts.
The qilin essence blood could be used to strengthen the physical body.
The Wuyong Jianxia could only hold two flying swords, so Ji Lin Jun would have to remain content within the Twin Jade Realm.
In Song Yan’s subconscious estimation, Ji Lin Jun was merely an ordinary weapon, and would likely see little opportunity to be wielded in the future.
He would keep it within the Twin Jade Realm as a keepsake.
After all, it was a flying once wielded by a sword cultivator predecessor.
Hum…
Just as Song Yan prepared to leave the Twin Jade Realm, he keenly noticed that the birth-and-death cycle of the black and white runes surrounding him was moving considerably faster than usual.
And accelerating.
“Oh?”
Immediately, ink-black rune patterns leapt free from the cycle and began circling around him.
This scene was so familiar.
At some moment, these rune patterns hurtled directly toward him, flooding into the space between his brows.
The sensation of dizziness lasted only a brief instant.
“This is…”
After sorting through the impressions in his mind for a moment, Song Yan’s expression shifted with surprise.
If he was not mistaken, this was the body-tempering technique that the sword-robed Daoist had once taught to Senior Nie Chao!
It could refine beast essence blood and use it to strengthen the physical body.
Song Yan was overjoyed.
Such was the way of human nature — when one had already steeled oneself for loss, yet that misfortune did not come to pass.
The joy of recovering something lost far exceeded the satisfaction of possessing it from the start.
But after reveling in his delight for a time, he sank into contemplation.
Thus far, Song Yan had never spoken to anyone about the Twin Jade Realm.
All knowledge of its miraculous properties, its functions, and its patterns of use was based entirely upon his own experience and speculation.
The two previous encounters had both occurred because the original sword’s owner was already dead, and within the blade lingered the spiritual resonance of a Dao Heart and Sword Intent.
He had therefore naturally assumed that all ancient swords worked in this way.
These flying swords, having endured centuries of change, had long since had the original owner’s will eroded by the passage of time and circumstance.
These spiritual resonances could strengthen his own sword qi and increase his cultivation.
They were like… pills without pill toxins or any other side effects.
Yet the appearance of Ji Lin Jun had overturned his prior theory on this matter.
The situation seemed rather different from what he had imagined.
For a sword cultivator to receive the legacy of a predecessor and see a modest improvement in sword cultivation was perfectly understandable.
But why could the Twin Jade Realm allow him to learn techniques that a predecessor had once practiced?
Such knowledge should have reached the level of memory.
“…”
“In any case, it is a good thing.”
After not deliberating for too long, Song Yan decided to wait until the Sword Testing Assembly concluded before beginning to cultivate this body-tempering technique.
Within the Minor Heavens Secret Realm, there might well be many people observing him through the illusory barrier. It would not be convenient.
He withdrew from the Twin Jade Realm and opened his eyes. Xiao He had assumed her human form and sat primly upon a stone she had procured from somewhere, her gaze fixed upon her with great anxiety.
Seeing him finally open his eyes, the little snake let out a sigh of relief: “You’re awake at last.”
Xiao He did not know what Song Yan had been doing, but whatever he did, he surely had her reasons.
What vexed her was that the restriction barrier had already moved past them.
She reverted to her small serpentine form and coiled her tail around Song Yan’s neck.
“Hurry, hurry, or we’ll lose!”
Song Yan retrieved the jade token bearing the spiritual markings from his waist and found that much of the “five” displayed upon it had already grown dim.
This was the rule of the Sword Testing Assembly — when a cultivator remained outside the restriction barrier for too long and the spiritual markings completely faded, they would be transported out.
This measure was primarily intended to prevent those cultivators who avoided combat from seizing positions at the top of the rankings.
Fortunately, this was only the second movement of the restriction barrier, and the rate at which the spiritual markings dissipated was not yet swift.
He had remained within the Twin Jade Realm for nearly four hours.
The second barrier movement was already nearing its end.
Xiao He was registered as Song Yan’s personal spirit pet for this assembly. If Song Yan was teleported out, Xiao He would be eliminated alongside her.
The little serpent possessed a fiercely competitive spirit.
“There should still be time!”
Song Yan bowed three times toward the autobiography inscribed upon the cave wall.
He strode swiftly out of the cavern and assessed his bearings.
Then, with sword qi surging throughout his body and his Cloud-Traversing Intent fully unleashed, he bounded toward the central region of the Sword Testing Domain.
…
Flowing Cloud Cliff.
Three cultivators concealed themselves among the cliff’s hidden recesses, their attention devoted to the misty white fog beyond the restriction barrier.
Judging by their robes, they appeared to be three disciples of the Same Dust Peak.
One at the eighth level of Qi Refining, and two at the seventh level.
“Brother Guo, at this hour, will anyone still come?”
One of the cultivators asked: “It feels as though there aren’t many people around here.”
The cultivator addressed as Brother Guo slowly shook his head.
“Though the teleportation is random, there are simply too many participating disciples. On the whole, the number of people in each region should be roughly equivalent.”
“However, it would not be unusual for no one to come. The southwestern region has few resource points, though the west and northwest do have several areas marked with spirit herbs.”
“If we cannot lie in wait for anyone, they have likely moved on ahead.”
The three were naturally lying in wait here, hoping to catch any solitary cultivator who had just crossed back into the safe zone from outside the restriction barrier, so they might earn a portion of spiritual markings.
Cultivators who had just emerged from beyond the barrier typically let down their guard, making them easy prey.
Moreover, the terrain of Flowing Cloud Cliff was complex and advantageous, and concealment came easily.
“… Brother Guo!”
The younger cultivator was about to say something when he suddenly spotted a figure emerging from the white fog beyond the barrier, approaching rapidly in their direction.
“Oh?”
The cultivator surnamed Guo also detected the movement and issued his command without hesitation: “Zhe, take the left. Long, take the right. I will attack from the front. There is only one opponent — we finish this quickly.”
“Understood.”
The three readied themselves in concentration, waiting in silence.
Yet the speed at which the figure approached felt somehow wrong to them.
In the span of a single blink, the person’s form was already within their sight.
He wore the robes of the Sword Trial Peak, and upon his back rested a sword box.
It was Song Yan.