Chapter 166: Li Yi
Sword Tempering Realm, central region. Deer Hunt Plain.
A burly, handsome youth sat atop a small earthen mound, a massive halberd strapped across his back.
In his hands he held a map, his expression somewhat vexed.
“Why is no one coming? Isn’t this the central region?”
With no one to fight, he was bored to the point of distraction, his mind clawing in frustration.
The token at his waist bore a gleaming number: eighty-nine.
He was Li Yi.
In such a compelling environment of combat and killing, as an extreme warmonger, Li Yi—unable to enter a state of battle—found every passing second steeped in the anxiety of “wasting his life and time.”
“Thinking back on it, it was far more satisfying on the battlefield…”
He recalled the days of following General Xiao into war across the sands, the crushing pressure of ten thousand cavalry charging toward him.
A flash of excitement flickered in Li Yi’s eyes.
Later, by twists of fate, he had stepped into the cultivation world, and had presumed that battles between immortals would prove thrilling.
In truth, however, there were no great immortal battles to be found.
He had originally applied to travel to Changping, but because he needed to join the Demon Subjugation Peak and had undergone various trials beforehand, his application could not be approved.
The closest he had come to a grand battle was perhaps when a person named Song Yan provoked the Profound Abyss Sect on multiple occasions.
Yet even that had ultimately failed to escalate into a real fight.
The sparring matches on Sword Trial Peak were nothing more than petty scuffles.
Now that he had advanced to the ninth level of Qi Refining, this was even more so.
Within the Qi Refining Stage, there were scarcely a handful who could exchange more than two moves with him, and Foundation Establishment cultivators would not deign to engage.
He now harbored only one wish: to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm as soon as possible, so that he might properly exchange blows with the seniors of the Demon Subjugation Peak.
“Dull.”
At the very instant the Sword Tempering began, he had been teleported to the edge of the southwest region.
He believed that, owing to the barrier’s advancing rules, everyone would gradually converge toward the central region.
And so he had done precisely that—hacking his way from the southwestern edge all the way to Deer Hunt Plain at the very heart of the Sword Tempering zone.
Yet he discovered, with some astonishment, that the central region held surprisingly few people.
After cutting down every last one of them and checking his token, including those earlier unfortunates, he had only eighty-nine markings.
This left him somewhat displeased.
“Where in the hells did everyone go?!”
He grumbled.
Utterly tedious.
But when he considered that in a few hours, every surviving cultivator would converge here for a grand melee, he was so excited he could have wept.
He rubbed his hands together, about to put the map away.
Then he noticed a marker appear upon it.
“Hm? Someone’s there!”
Li Yi’s eyes lit up.
Spiritual energy fluctuations from the southeast roused him, and he sprang to his feet in a single bound.
He seized the great halberd from his back and charged toward the southeast.
“Huh? Senior Brother Li?”
The disciple was startled. Upon recognizing the newcomer, his face lit with joy. “It’s me—do you remember? I am…”
“Let us fight first, then speak!”
“Wait, no—Senior Brother Li, please show mercy…”
***
Since the Sword-Tempering Competition had begun, eight and a half double-hours had elapsed.
The second-to-last movement of the barrier had long since concluded.
Now, the area within which cultivators could operate had shrunk to the central Deer Hunt Plain and the four surrounding terrains.
After several rounds of brutal combat, only seventy-odd cultivators remained.
Among them, some still lingered at the outermost periphery, waiting to scavenge easy prey.
Some were powerful cultivators who had established themselves as kings of their respective domains along the central region’s outer ring.
And still others were lucky souls who drifted about aimlessly, somehow managing to remain within the realm.
At this moment, due south.
A dense forest at the barrier’s edge.
Gu Qingqing was making her way northward with an anxious expression, frequently casting glances over her shoulder.
To onlookers, she appeared to be a lone female cultivator guarding against a potential ambush from behind.
Gu Qingqing’s movements were attracting the attention of two cultivators.
“Rustle…”
From the ancient trees on either side, the sound of leaves turning suddenly emerged.
“…Who?”
Gu Qingqing called out at once, yet her voice held no trace of panic.
Two figures descended from the trees and alighted before Gu Qingqing.
Judging by their attire, they were disciples of Harmony Peak.
Gu Qingqing stumbled backward several steps, appearing frightened.
“There, there, Junior Sister—no need for alarm.”
One of them spoke with honeyed words. “I am Chen Youcai, and this is Junior Brother Bai He.”
Bai He, standing beside Chen Youcai, offered a slight bow, his features warm and genial.
“The two of us have been looking out for one another, and have fortunately avoided elimination thus far.”
“I observe that Junior Sister’s cultivation runs shallow, and yet you have traveled here alone. You must be a person of great fortune.”
They conversed casually, yet all the while they edged imperceptibly closer to Gu Qingqing.
“Alas… this Sword-Tempering Competition is nothing but a stage for those sect geniuses to display their talents.”
“What place could there be for nameless disciples such as ourselves?”
“As it happens, might Junior Sister be interested in traveling with us? We could watch each other’s backs.”
The two exchanged a sidelong glance.
Female cultivator.
Qi Refining, sixth level.
Traveling alone.
The spirit markings on her token showed only “two.”
All these factors combined gave the pair the impression of free markings to be claimed.
“Junior Sister—where did you come from? Have you not encountered anyone else?”
The cultivator named Bai He inquired as he casually produced his map and glanced at it.
It seemed as if he were studying the terrain, but in truth he merely wished to confirm whether any other cultivators were nearby.
“I greet you both, Senior Brothers.”
Gu Qingqing appeared to have let down her guard. She shook her head gently.
“I am Gu Qingqing. I have not encountered any fellow disciples along the way.”
How fortunate.
According to the map, there was indeed no one else in the vicinity.
Bai He grinned and whispered, “Senior Brother Chen, today must be our lucky day.”
Chen Youcai sauntered to Gu Qingqing’s side, spiritual light beginning to coalesce faintly in his palm.
“Junior Sister Gu, today the two of us shall teach you a lesson—one that goes…”
“Wait.”
Gu Qingqing suddenly spoke, a cunning gleam shimmering in her eyes.
“Qingqing does not understand such things.”
She smiled, revealing two small fangs. “If you have any lessons, go tell my Senior Brother Song!”
“Hm?”
Hum—
A streak of black-and-white spiritual light shot forth from some unseen source!
The light was blindingly fast, and with both men’s attention fixed squarely upon Gu Qingqing, they had no time to react.
Tsk.
The natal flying sword, empowered by Untethered Vessel.
Their faint protective spiritual auras were cleaved apart on the spot, and the spirit-marked jade tokens at their waists fell with a clatter.
“Come.”
The two jade tokens drifted slowly toward the space behind Gu Qingqing.
“Who?!”
Both men were horrified. They hastily circulated their spiritual energy to shield themselves while reaching for the jade tokens in midair.
Rustle—
Turbulent sword qi swept up the fallen leaves across the ground. A figure had materialized behind them at some unknown moment.
It lightly patted them on the back.
“Senior Brothers—I shall borrow your spirit markings…”
“Pray, do not take offense.”