Wuling Immortal Sect, Sword Cave, third level.
In an enormous stone cavern, icy killing intent ran wild. At its center sat a black-robed man with his legs crossed, his expression stern and his eyes lowered.
Behind him, an invisible long sword seemed to hover between reality and illusion. Its oppressive might was immense, filling the entire cavern with pressure until even the air seemed about to freeze.
The man remained absolutely motionless, like a rock that had existed since the beginning of time, seemingly devoid of all emotion.
He appeared to be asleep. Yet a faint sword-shaped marking between his brows quivered almost imperceptibly, revealing a trace of activity.
There was no one else in the cavern.
The surrounding rocks and stone walls were covered with white ice crystals condensed from sword intent. Every crystal carried overpowering killing intent, and the slightest touch could injure a person’s soul.
The man was tempering his sword intent, making it more solid and even sharper.
Suddenly, something stirred in his mind.
The realm of swordsmanship in which he had been immersed was instantly broken. The ice crystals filling the cavern melted rapidly, like frost encountering the spring sun.
The icy killing aura within the Sword Cave also dispersed as though swept away by the wind.
Only a faint strand of killing intent remained, lingering around the man.
He rose, left the cave, and descended.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived before the first level of the Sword Cave.
There, the sword cultivator guarding the entrance rose to his feet as well, the register in his hands flipping rapidly with a series of sharp snapping sounds.
The guardian looked up and saw the black-robed man land before him. “You’ve come at the right time.” But as soon as he sensed the visitor’s aura, his expression changed. A trace of fervor flashed in his eyes. “So it’s Perfected Yun! May I ask what relationship Xu Ziqing, who came with you earlier, has to you?”
The person who had been tempering his sword intent on the third level was none other than Yun Lie.
His state of mind was ordinarily undisturbed, but something had suddenly stirred within him. He could only imagine that it concerned Xu Ziqing, so he had naturally descended to make inquiries.
Yun Lie replied, “He’s my junior martial brother.”
The sword cultivator guarding the cave became even more serious. “After entering the Sword Cave, Xu Ziqing chose a chamber and practiced inside for three months. He then refined his techniques among the Five Elements astral winds. But for some reason, he accidentally entered the Heavenly Demon Gate at the lowest level. He’s gone down there now.”
Yun Lie’s gaze shifted slightly. “I’ll go find him. Record my name.”
The guardian naturally did not object. Instead, he reminded him, “Perfected Yun, would you like to obtain a Swift-Travel Command Talisman before going?”
Yun Lie shook his head slightly. “No. There may not be enough time.”
Having heard that, the guardian did not stop him and allowed him into the Sword Cave.
Yun Lie had cultivated in this Sword Cave for many years when he was at Foundation Establishment, so he knew the way well. Now he walked straight toward its depths. The Five Elements astral winds had long since ceased to affect him, and before long he had reached the interior.
Inside the Sword Cave, chambers were nested within chambers and rings within rings. Yet one path led directly to the Heavenly Demon Gate.
Yun Lie’s figure flickered as he moved, shrinking the ground beneath his feet. After only a few steps, he arrived at a broad, empty place.
There were very few stone chambers or rings here, and no road continued ahead. Ordinarily, it should have been almost deserted.
Yet someone was standing directly in front of him.
The chill emanating from Yun Lie grew several degrees colder.
It was a short, thin man with a withered frame and a long sword in his hand. Signs of a battle covered the surrounding walls and the ground, and those traces carried an aura Yun Lie knew extremely well.
There was the mood of the Spring Rain Sword Art, together with violent and desolate qualities that nevertheless blended with the lingering atmosphere of spring. Clearly, all belonged to the moods of a single set of sword techniques.
Without question, this short man had just fought Xu Ziqing.
Xu Ziqing was usually cautious and was not someone who needlessly made enemies. If he had fought another person here, he could hardly have been the one to instigate it.
Moreover…
Yun Lie slowly took a step forward.
The man’s killing intent had not yet dispersed, and he had just been fighting Xu Ziqing…
He intended to kill Xu Ziqing.
* * *
Xu Ziqing swung his sword, killed a Green Heavenly Demon, and flicked its demonic crystal into the air.
Ji Rui smiled and released a small stream of water to wash the crystal clean.
Xu Ziqing glanced at her, then stored the crystal in a storage pouch.
Wu Anyi smiled. Rather than hovering beside them, he cleaned his own demonic crystals and teased, “My junior martial sister is usually so delicate that she won’t lift a finger for me. Yet you’ve only just met Fellow Daoist Xu, and suddenly you don’t mind getting your hands dirty?”
Ji Rui said with feigned annoyance, “Senior Martial Brother and I both know Water-attributed spells. Fellow Daoist Xu uses Wood-attributed ones. Since we’re traveling together, it’s only natural that I help him and save everyone a little trouble.” As she finished, she glanced toward Xu Ziqing, her eyes expressive, with a trace of shy affection.
Xu Ziqing smiled faintly and said only, “Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ji.”
Then he raised his sword to fight another group of Green Heavenly Demons surrounding them, inwardly sighing as he did so.
When Xu Ziqing first saw the two martial siblings helping each other, he had developed a favorable impression of them, which was why he had decided to ask for their assistance. Later, when the three began traveling together, it was somewhat less convenient than going alone, but he had no wish to offend them by leaving too quickly. Somehow, however, the pair had become… excessively attentive.
It would have been one thing if they merely stayed close to help whenever Green Heavenly Demons surrounded him. That could at least be considered kindness. But each time he collected a demonic crystal, Ji Rui personally cast a Water spell to clean it. The tender emotions in her gaze were also unmistakable, leaving him deeply embarrassed.
Xu Ziqing had suffered enough setbacks in life. Since reaching Foundation Establishment, he had become exceptionally sensitive to changes in other people’s auras. He could tell plainly that Ji Rui did not genuinely harbor romantic feelings toward him, yet she kept behaving this way. How could it not give him a headache? Unfortunately, she had never said anything outright, so he had no clear grounds to reject her.
It had to be said that after seeing the sexual arrangements between many inner and outer disciples during the recent disciple recruitment, Xu Ziqing had gained some understanding of such matters.
He now knew that the Zixia Sect was a sixth-rank sect, while the Wuling Immortal Sect, whose name he had given, was second-rank. He had some idea what these martial siblings were after.
Understanding their motives was one thing. He also understood that Ji Rui probably had no intention of entering a sincere relationship with him. She merely hoped to use feminine charms to approach him for benefits. Female cultivators from smaller sects frequently sought favor with inner disciples of major sects in this way, and a single night’s liaison was hardly unusual. Xu Ziqing, however, had no intention of becoming entangled with Ji Rui.
Her intentions were impure to begin with, and he himself felt no interest in her whatsoever. Her conduct therefore displeased him, erasing some of the goodwill he had previously felt toward both martial siblings.
Consequently, whenever Wu Anyi made a suggestive remark or Ji Rui secretly conveyed affection, Xu Ziqing simply declined to respond, pretending not to understand. Inwardly, he was looking for an opportunity to separate from them as quickly as possible.
Seeing Xu Ziqing behave as though he understood nothing, a fleeting trace of annoyance appeared in Ji Rui’s eyes. She flew over to Wu Anyi’s side, fighting the demons beside him as she transmitted a private message. “Senior Martial Brother, do you think he really doesn’t understand, or…?”
Wu Anyi frowned too. “Judging from his eyes, he can’t be very old. Perhaps he hasn’t awakened to such matters yet.”
Ji Rui took a deep breath. Embarrassment colored her words. “If that’s so, should I keep trying?”
For a female cultivator to hint that she wished to form an intimate connection with a male cultivator was humiliating enough. She had listened to her senior martial brother’s advice only because the opportunity was rare. If Xu Ziqing truly did not understand, that would be one thing. But if he did… wouldn’t she have turned herself into a complete laughingstock?
Wu Anyi did not take her concern seriously. “You’re worrying too much, Junior Martial Sister. At his age, his blood must run hot, and his Dao heart can’t yet be entirely steady. If he understood what you were offering, with your beauty, how could he bear to refuse?”
Ji Rui nodded reluctantly. “Senior Martial Brother has a point.”
Wu Anyi continued persuading her. “It’s rare to encounter such an inexperienced young man of high status. If you can become intimate with him, your primordial yin is still intact and so is his primordial yang. With the two mingling in harmony, your cultivation would certainly advance substantially. Moreover, if you’re the first woman he experiences intimacy with, you’ll undoubtedly hold a special place in his heart even if he cannot marry you. If you play your cards well and truly win him over, you might even become dual-cultivation Dao companions… In that case, you’d be the one gaining the advantage.”
Ji Rui knew that Wu Anyi was offering this advice for her own benefit.
A sixth-rank sect might sound respectable, being considered a medium-sized sect. In truth, however, it stood at the very bottom of that category. It had to guard constantly against seventh-rank sects rising and displacing it, and disciples of fourth- and fifth-rank sects looked down on it.
The Zixia Sect was a modest sixth-rank sect in the Eastern Region. Its location was remote, and it had no allied sects to reinforce it. Only a few eighth- and ninth-rank small sects were subordinate to it. Its existence was consequently fraught with difficulty.
Resources within the sect were limited. Many beautiful female disciples, and even male disciples, sought outside support when traveling, whether through marriage alliances or by serving others, gaining resources for themselves and certain benefits for the sect.
Unfortunately, the sect had failed to produce a truly exceptional genius for many years. If it could produce even one, the entire sect could pool its strength behind that person and perhaps overturn its declining fortunes!
Ji Rui was among the most outstanding female disciples of the Zixia Sect. She had long understood that the sect could not provide many more resources for her. Accordingly, she had prepared herself to seek favor with disciples of major sects. The difficulty was that she had no connections and had been forced to wait for an opportunity year after year.
Now, at last, an excellent prospect had appeared. Even if her chances were slight, she absolutely could not let him slip away.
After weighing the matter carefully, determination flashed in Ji Rui’s eyes. “Don’t worry, Senior Martial Brother. I understand.”
Wu Anyi smiled with relief, then reminded her, “Junior Martial Sister, if this succeeds, don’t forget the other matter the sect entrusted to us.”
Ji Rui nodded solemnly. “I certainly won’t forget.”
The great powers of the world had long since established their domains, and their struggles were often exceedingly brutal.
Small and medium-sized sects without powerful patrons usually ended up as sacrificial pawns. Yet attaching themselves to a major sect was far from easy.
The Zixia Sect had no avenue by which it could seek the protection of a major sect. That was why its disciples had to proceed so cautiously, as though walking on thin ice.
But if Ji Rui could truly win the heart of a disciple from a major sect and become someone he could not bear to part with, then on his return to the sect, he could use various channels to present the Zixia Sect’s petition for submission. That would create at least some opportunity for negotiation.
Things that seemed effortless to an inner disciple of a major sect could be almost impossible for a small or medium-sized sect outside its gates…
* * *
Pan Hong saw Xu Ziqing’s figure flicker and disappear. Startled, he hurried over.
There he found a deep, dark opening in the ground. Peering downward, he could just make out something like a doorway, emanating an extremely ominous aura.
After spending so many years in the inner sect, he naturally recognized it. That doorway was unmistakably a Heavenly Demon Gate! Xu Ziqing must have jumped through it and been transported to the Heavenly Demon Cavern!
Once Pan Hong confirmed this, his face alternated between red and white.
Given Xu Ziqing’s cultivation, falling into the Heavenly Demon Cavern would most likely leave him trapped there, unable to return. He would probably die, which naturally pleased Pan Hong… But Pan Hong had not killed him with his own hands. How was he supposed to complete his commission?
Regret rose in his heart.
He should have been more ruthless when he first attacked!
Just then, Pan Hong suddenly felt a bone-piercing chill approach from behind.
Every hair on his body stood on end as he spun around.
It was Yun Lie!