The underground demon cavern was utterly silent. Xu Ziqing rested against Yun Lie’s back, his arms clasped around his senior brother’s shoulders and his legs wrapped around his waist, feeling thoroughly ill at ease.
Although they had known each other for nearly ten years and had long since become intimately familiar with each other’s habits, this was the first time they had been so physically close. Xu Ziqing had just lost all composure in front of Yun Lie. Even though Yun Lie’s expression remained perfectly ordinary, Xu Ziqing could not help feeling conflicted. On any other day, being carried by his senior brother would have left him pleasantly overwhelmed and more than a little happy. Now it was different, and he could not calm his mind.
Remembering that his senior brother had heard everything that happened earlier, Xu Ziqing’s face grew hot again.
Because of that, he temporarily forgot about the problem with his weakened body.
Suddenly, Yun Lie spoke. “Do not dwell on it. Regulate your breathing.”
Xu Ziqing started and immediately replied, “Yes, Senior Brother.”
He had made one mistake after another today. It was truly shameful.
Xu Ziqing swiftly drove away his distracting thoughts, silently circulated his cultivation method, and sent his true essence coursing rapidly through his body.
To recover as quickly as possible, he took a stalk of Origin-Wood Grass from his storage ring and ate it raw. A rich surge of Yi-Wood qi instantly flowed down his throat and through his entire body, quickly merging with the true essence in his dantian and stimulating the production of more.
As the energy circulated without pause, the vital blood in Xu Ziqing’s body gradually revived and increased, drop by drop. A delightful song seemed to ring through his meridians. The surging of his qi and blood played a melody with the meridians as strings, the drops of blood as notes, and the flow of qi as music, all joining into one beautiful harmony.
Xu Ziqing’s eyes were half-closed, and green light flashed faintly within them. A soft green radiance also covered his body, lending his whole figure a gentle air.
Only wood-attributed cultivators could give others that sense of life and natural closeness. With his single wood spiritual root, Xu Ziqing was exceptional even among them.
Thus, this young man barely past his twentieth year, surrounded by a layer of tantalizing vitality, was an enormous temptation to the many evil creatures dwelling in the Heavenly Demon Cavern.
In countless dark corners along its innumerable branching passages, multitudes of cold and vicious beings began to stir.
The surrounding air grew even stranger. A sense of danger and ill omen seemed to be closing in from every direction, accompanied by bloodthirsty greed that drew ever nearer.
Xu Ziqing, completely absorbed in cultivation, noticed none of it.
Through the boundless darkness walked a man dressed in white. A youth wearing an oversized black robe rested quietly on his back, his breathing warm and even. Life-filled spiritual energy flowed actively through the youth, making the white-robed man himself seem a little less cold.
Suddenly, the man raised his eyes. A strangely dangerous and razor-sharp conception seemed to lie within their black depths. At the same time, the aura within several feet of him abruptly formed a domain, enveloping the young man’s aura and slowly drawing it inward.
In an instant, the white-robed man’s icy killing intent mingled with the vitality circling within this domain, achieving an unexpected harmony.
The young man remained entirely unaware.
Gradually, the perilous conception contained within the man’s gaze unfolded, spreading outward at a measured pace. It transformed into countless tiny golden swords as thin as steel needles, which shot forth like a sudden rainstorm and pierced innumerable places in the darkness!
Piercing, mournful shrieks erupted from the dense shadows, followed by a succession of heavy bodies falling to the ground with dull thuds.
Yet within that domain, everything remained quiet and peaceful.
The white-robed man had been supporting the youth with both hands. Now he gently freed one hand and swept his sleeve before him. In the blink of an eye, dozens of black crystals, each the size of a heart, floated upward and were rapidly gathered into his sleeve.
But the turbulent undercurrent within the darkness did not cease. Rather, it surged more fiercely, like the rising tide.
The white-robed man’s expression remained stern. His sword intent broke apart into innumerable golden swords, holding the countless concealed Heavenly Demons at bay a hundred paces away. If any dared approach even an inch closer, it was killed on the spot without mercy!
They traveled in this manner for one shichen, two full hours, and the man collected nearly a thousand demon crystals.
Ordinary Heavenly Demons dared not easily provoke him. Consequently, even the smallest crystals he collected were the size of a fist, while the largest approached the size of a human head. The energy within them was pure and dark, immensely powerful and strangely compelling.
They were the crystallized cores formed within Heavenly Demons. Yet even after being extracted, not one of them bore so much as a trace of blood. All were gathered into the man’s sleeve.
Then the youth on his back stirred and opened his eyes.
Xu Ziqing had awakened. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw dozens of demon crystals suspended before him and could not help staring in surprise.
Yun Lie asked, “How much of your true essence have you recovered?” As he spoke, he swept his sleeve and put the crystals away.
Xu Ziqing promptly replied, “More than half. Once we return, if I take another stalk of Origin-Wood Grass and absorb it, I should be completely restored.”
Yun Lie nodded. “Very good.”
After this short exchange, silence settled between them again.
The period of cultivation had calmed Xu Ziqing’s previously unsettled mind. Although he still felt that he was rather too close to his senior brother, he was no longer so anxious about it. Seeing Yun Lie put away the crystals, he thought for a moment and asked, “Senior Brother Yun, I’ve heard demon crystals can be exchanged for sect resources. What does the sect use them for?”
Yun Lie answered, “Demon crystals contain exceptionally pure demonic qi. Their uses are too numerous to list. Visit the Ten Directions Pavilion when you return, and you will understand.”
Xu Ziqing nodded first. Then, remembering that his senior brother could not see the gesture, he said aloud, “I understand.” At that moment, he also discovered the domain enclosing them.
Within a radius of several feet, it seemed as though they occupied a dead world. Apart from Yun Lie’s aura and his own, every other trace had been excluded, leaving the air extraordinarily still.
But this was merely what his spiritual senses told him. None of his ordinary senses found the space uncomfortable. Even though he understood something unusual was happening, it felt as natural as always.
Xu Ziqing realized this must be one of his senior brother’s techniques. Because it accepted Xu Ziqing’s presence, he could remain so comfortable within it.
The technique was so unusual that he became curious. “Senior Brother Yun, how are you doing this? Can I learn it too?”
Yun Lie said, “This is my sword domain. One cannot obtain it without comprehending sword intent.”
Xu Ziqing was terribly disappointed. If he needed to comprehend sword intent and become a sword cultivator to acquire such a domain, he feared it would not be possible for him. It was not a path he particularly wanted to follow, either.
Perhaps Yun Lie detected how disappointed he was, for he said, “Different paths of magical arts may reach the same destination. You can contemplate the principles for yourself.”
Xu Ziqing brightened. “Yes. Thank you for the instruction, Senior Brother.”
In the past, he had never truly been apart from Yun Lie. Now, however, they had not seen one another for five months, and Xu Ziqing had missed his senior brother quite a bit.
Whenever he had gained insight or learned a new technique, he had always asked “Brother Yun” within his ring to correct him. Even after entering the sect, he had been almost inseparable from his senior brother. During these past months he had made many gains, yet had been forced to keep them to himself. It had felt very strange.
Now Xu Ziqing was resting on Yun Lie’s back, and his true essence was slowly recovering. He suddenly found that he had a great many things he wanted to tell the senior brother closest to him.
Without realizing it, he grew increasingly talkative.
“Senior Brother, during these past months I’ve become proficient in the Four Seasons Sword Art, cultivated Sword-Light, and practiced for a long time amid the Five Elements astral winds. With my present strength, what chance do I have of succeeding in the sect tournament?”
“If you have mastered those skills, you should be able to put up a fight. There will be many opponents in the tournament. Meeting them will give you opportunities to temper yourself. Do not become arrogant in victory or discouraged in defeat.”
“Yes. I will certainly make good use of the experience.”
“Very good.”
“Senior Brother, when I first entered the Heavenly Demon Cavern, I saw cultivators fighting Heavenly Demons with talismans. Those talismans seemed very different from the ones I’ve encountered before.”
“The study of talismans is among the miscellaneous arts, and it has countless varieties. You have already learned sword techniques. If you want to achieve something in magical arts as well, talismans can serve as an aid.”
“That was what I thought. But how do I learn the art? In the library tower I saw many cultivation methods, but no books explaining talismans.”
“Since it is one of the miscellaneous arts, you should seek it in the Ten Directions Pavilion.”
“Senior Brother, do you have a Swift-Travel Command Talisman? I’ve heard that without one, we cannot return.”
“There is another exit from the cavern. You need not worry.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
“Senior Brother, our agreed date has not yet arrived. How did you know I had wandered into the Heavenly Demon Cavern?”
“That day I had a sudden intuition, and so I sensed it.”
“Thank you for being concerned about me, Senior Brother… But the Heavenly Demon Cavern is so vast. How did you manage to find me?”
“The bamboo tube on your head carries my aura. By following it, I could locate you.”
“So that was it…”
“When you return, you can refine that object. It will have useful properties.”
“Yes. Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother.”
As they continued walking, Xu Ziqing maintained his cultivation circulation and happily chatted with his senior brother.
Only when something brushed against his cheek did he pause.
Turning his head, he discovered two snow-white vines emerging from the robe, rubbing their leaf buds against him in an affectionate plea.
He considered them for a moment and understood what the demon vine wanted. With a smile, he asked, “Senior Brother, Rong Jin seems capable of feeding on Heavenly Demons. I usually keep it hungry. Can I let it out now and allow it to eat?”
Yun Lie was already aware of the vine’s movements and replied, “Your qi and blood are depleted. You may not be able to keep it under control. Let it out after you recover.”
Xu Ziqing understood and nodded. “You’re right, Senior Brother.”
When its efforts at pleading failed, the demon vine reluctantly retreated beneath the black robe and wrapped itself twice around Xu Ziqing’s arms, looking terribly aggrieved. Xu Ziqing laughed to himself and patted it twice to soothe it.
After another day, Xu Ziqing had fully recovered. He stopped riding on Yun Lie’s back and descended to the ground.
Yun Lie said, “I originally intended to bring you here to temper yourself after the tournament. Since you entered by mistake, you may stay several more days.”
Xu Ziqing was puzzled. “There are fewer than two days left before the date we agreed upon. If we don’t leave the cavern, won’t we miss the sect tournament?”
Yun Lie glanced at him and said calmly, “There is still a month before the tournament.”
Xu Ziqing understood at once.
Thereafter, he followed his senior brother’s instructions and began fighting the many Heavenly Demons within the cavern.