"Who is Yu Qingxuan?"
Yu Ci was dragged along by Xie Yan, flying on his sword. His words were just uttered when they were torn apart by the force of their flight. Xie Yan did not respond to him.
At that moment, a grey fog exploded, the first wave reaching a ten-mile radius. It seemed to retract slightly before the second wave burst forth. The area where Yu Ci and his companions were standing was instantly engulfed. Within it, the Heart Demon's Evil Energy intertwined with the Primordial Qi of heaven and earth, creating a myriad of bizarre and monstrous creatures, intent on devouring the group.
But in the next moment, Xie Yan unleashed his fierce Sword Energy, like boiling water melting snow, instantly blasting a large hole through the layers of grey-green mist. Any monstrous creatures, regardless of their form or lack thereof, were instantly reduced to ashes. Under such formidable power, not just Yu Ci, but even Yu Zhou and Elder Jie Liang behind him, were quite at ease. As for He Qing who was a distance away and not under their protection, an unknown serpent shadow descended from the sky and coiled around her, shaking its head and wagging its tail, seemingly possessing protective abilities.
At this distance, Yu Ci could see more clearly: "It's indeed a Fish-Dragon!"
He didn't voice out the rest of his thoughts: It's so huge!
Before today, Yu Ci had only ever seen two Fish-Dragons in his life. The first was a "larva" formed by the Qi Mechanism of Fish-Dragon Grass, which wasn't noteworthy. The second was personally captured by him, with Piercing Scales and Ascending Horns, its quality was extraordinary. It was later bought by Xie Yan but its essence was largely drained when it was transferred to his "Inner Void of the Heart" in Cliff City, causing a significant reduction in its Primordial Qi and quality. Now, it could only be kept as a pet.
Even if the second Fish-Dragon was in perfect condition, it would still pale in comparison to the Fish-Dragon of Immortal He Qing. Even from this distance, the Fish-Dragon appeared colossal, stretching out to about forty feet. If not for its slender body, which was only as thick as a cup's mouth, it would not resemble a Fish-Dragon, but a giant python.
Of course, no python would have two short, golden horns on its head, nor would any python float in the air, devouring the Heart Demon's Evil Energy for pleasure. With the protection of the Fish-Dragon, He Qing could focus on controlling the "Law Sky Prison" without being distracted by external factors. Such a spiritual creature made Yu Ci quite envious. He thought back to his own Fish-Dragon that had devolved into a pet.
Wait, where was his Fish-Dragon?
When Red Yin suddenly attacked and destroyed the carriage, his Fish-Dragon had wisely fled, leaving no trace. At this moment, Yu Ci focused his mind and sensed its Aura. It was also within the range of the grey fog and was hurrying over. In the past, its speed might not have been much slower than Xie Yan's, but now, with its Primordial Qi damaged, it struggled to catch up. Yu Ci couldn't ask Xie Yan to stop and wait, so he could only deepen his connection with its Aura and remotely guide it, planning to deal with it after they left the gloomy land of the Heart Demon's Evil Energy.
"But at this moment, Xie Yan came to a halt.
"Yin Demons are taking shape. We must slay them first; otherwise, if they scatter, it will be a nuisance."
Yu Zhou paused with a smile, just about to speak, when Xie Yan's second sentence followed up, "What's the situation with He Qing?"
His tone clearly showed his displeasure.
Old Daoist glanced at Yu Ci's face and said softly, "It's about the incident in Cliff City. The casualties that night were too severe, and it provoked Jin Bo Cang. The Sect's Mountain Gate then instructed her to descend the mountain to investigate the matter. Coincidentally, you guys sent a letter over, and upon seeing it, she wanted to come over and take a look. Naturally, I had to accompany her, and since Junior Brother Jie was in the temple, we decided to come together."
Only then did Yu Ci understand why such a large force had been mobilized because of a Red Yin. As for Yu Zhou's presence, he was probably worried about Immortal He causing difficulties for him.
Xie Yan, however, snorted coldly, "Take a look? Doesn't it seem like she's here to cause trouble?"
Yu Zhou smiled faintly, "Elder brother, your words are a bit too harsh. If it weren't for her Law Sky Prison, the True Yang Spirit would indeed be difficult to deal with. From her tone, it's clear that she was personally sealed by Yu Qingxuan. And elder brother, did you notice? There seems to be a problem with the Great Mysterious Star Lock too. Junior Brother Jie, what do you think?"
Elder Jie Liang, who had just dispelled the lightning from his body, had an expressionless face. He simply said, "If it is the Great Mysterious Star Lock, one of the star gates it seals is missing."
"Exactly, the Seven Stars Command Life represents the Great Mysterious Star Lock. But if the seven stars were complete, the True Yang Spirit would have turned into nothingness long ago. How could it have been able to command the Moon Demon Puppet to fight you all?"
As Yu Zhou spoke, he glanced back at the path. He Qing, realizing the situation was hopeless, had already begun to withdraw her "Law Sky Prison", slowing her pace even further.
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"Yu Qingxuan is still one of the most outstanding individuals since this calamity began. She is a grandmaster on par with Elder Fang, and even though she failed to accomplish her goal entirely, her True Yang Spirit still managed to retain its honor in defeat. At its peak, its power was likely far beyond our reach."
Xie Yan sneered, but he didn't deny it. Yu Ci, on the other hand, felt his heart pounding as he recalled the events in Sky Rift Valley. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke, "Such a figure, hiding behind a mask and making things difficult for an outer disciple like me, even using the guise of a Moon Demon, isn’t it a bit..."
"This is indeed something worth pondering," said Yu Zhou, nodding at him. Just as he was about to speak, Elder Jie Liang suddenly uttered three words: "Sky Rift Valley."
Everyone's eyes turned to him.
"Seventy years ago, the catastrophe in Sky Rift Valley was initiated by two individuals: Rakshasa Ghost King and Great Mysterious Demon Mother," Elder Jie Liang said solemnly.
Apart from Yu Ci, who was utterly confused, everyone else's faces changed, as if they had come to some realization.
"So that's it. This disturbance in Sky Rift Valley involves the Rakshasa Sect and Rui Zhu Palace?" The one who spoke was He Qing, who had just caught up with them. Yu Ci could see clearly that when this female cultivator spoke, the atmosphere on Xie Yan's side became somewhat unusual. Not to mention Xie Yan, even the usually taciturn Elder Jie Liang's lips tightened.
However, Old Daoist Yu Zhou remained calm, so calm that it seemed a bit excessive. He even took the time to explain the unfamiliar names to the confused Yu Ci.
Under these circumstances, the Old Daoist could only provide a brief explanation, letting Yu Ci know that the so-called Rui Zhu Palace was a very significant sect in the southern part of the Cultivation World, founded by the Great Mysterious Demon Mother herself. The Great Mysterious Demon Mother was one of the top figures in this realm, having survived the Four Nine Heavy Tribulations three times and achieved the Body of the Earth Immortal.
However, compared to her cultivation level, the people in this realm respected her more for her ability to train disciples. She probably started accepting disciples at the end of the previous tribulation period. Over the past thousand years or so, she has only taken in a handful of disciples, but even the least accomplished among them were of True Immortal standards, making a name for themselves in this realm. Especially her senior disciple, Yu Qingxuan, who surpassed her teacher in talent. After cultivating for a hundred years, she successfully passed the Four Nine Heavy Tribulations, achieving the Power of the Great Tribulation.
It was only the duo of master and disciple that managed to elevate the Rui Zhu Palace, a sect established less than five hundred years ago with a population of no more than a hundred, into one of the most renowned sects in the world. Even the mighty Lichen Sect, a behemoth of the central and western regions with a lineage spanning thousands of years, had to yield a portion of its respect to them.
"However," the narrative continued, "perhaps it was because they were too conspicuous that the Great Mysterious Demon Mother fell into disagreement with the Rakshasa Ghost King for unknown reasons. They agreed to battle in the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens. Their conflict lasted for months, then spanned millions of miles from the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens to the Sky Rift Valley, triggering the Tribulation that occurred seventy years ago. After that battle, it seemed that both sides suffered significant damage to their Primordial Qi and have been much more low-key in their actions. The Rui Zhu Palace has had fewer people practicing outside in recent years. Ah, in that battle, Yu Qingxuan did indeed accompany them as a protector of the law."
As the story unfolded, a piercing howl suddenly rose from the outskirts. The formed Yin Demons, sensing the rich vitality of this place, were rushing over.
Yu Zhou stopped speaking. Xie Yan glanced towards the outskirts and frowned, "These are all low-level demons. The True Yang Spirit Heart Demon exploded, and all we have are these insignificant creatures?"
He Qing responded indifferently, "What if the formed Yin Demons, possessing spiritual intelligence, sensed danger and fled far away?"
Xie Yan gave her a cold glance and shook his head, choosing not to respond.
Without further ado, the crowd unleashed a barrage of Sword Energy, lightning, and Curse techniques, quickly annihilating the incoming Yin Demons. These low-level demons posed no threat to them.
Yu Ci watched from the side. The names and deeds of the Great Mysterious Demon Mother and Yu Qingxuan and others that he had heard earlier were all sinking in. These figures standing at the pinnacle of the world were too far away from him, just like the Rakshasa Ghost King. Even though he knew they were related to the Sky Rift Valley, could he really fathom the thoughts of these "giants"?
He shifted his attention to the matter at hand, watching the Immortal Elders nonchalantly obliterate the surrounding Heart Demon's Evil Energy and formed Yin Demons.
What particularly piqued his interest were Xie Yan and Yu Zhou.
Both Immortal Elders wielded swords, radiating Sword Energy at this moment, using no other means. Yet, it was this Sword Energy that, once swept across, obliterated even the substantial Yin Demons into dust. This was the same during Xie Yan's breakout earlier, but due to the urgency of the situation, Yu Ci didn't think much of it. Now, however, it appeared to be incredibly powerful.
He had witnessed similar phenomena before. At Nanfrost Lake and on the mountain path outside the Still Heart Temple, Nan Songzi had repeatedly demonstrated the power of Heart Demon's Evil Energy. Yu Ci knew well that this, although seemingly insubstantial, was designed to attack the Divine Soul and pollute the spiritual clarity. Using Curse technique Talisman was the right remedy, but using Sword Energy, Yu Ci had also been left in the dust, not knowing how Xie Yan and Yu Zhou managed it.
Hearing his praise, Xie Yan glanced at him and frowned, "The sun hangs high, its body unmoving, its light reaches far and wide. With your heart's Sword aura strictly regulated, how do you not understand this principle?"
Yu Ci was slightly taken aback. His Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent was forcefully instilled by Ye Bin, and the way of the sword was something he had pondered on his own. No one had ever explained to him the principles of using the sword.
Seeing his reaction, Xie Yan felt a strange stir in his heart. With a thought, he simply recited a mantra to him. It was just thirty to fifty words, precisely the method to Break Evil Illusions with Sword Intent. The Immortal Elder then cracked a smile, "These are just minor tricks. Once you understand the key, it's nothing. There are things at hand to practice on, you should give it a try."
Huh?
Yu Ci turned around in surprise, only to see Xie Yan not looking at him, but coldly staring at He Qing. The female cultivator's slender eyebrows were furrowed.
***********
Although the aftermath was still unsettled, the focus had shifted. Starting from this chapter, Brother Fishbone would be involved in higher levels. Starting with Rui Zhu Palace, it would involve a more profound background, well, just the background.
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e