Looking back at Ye Bin, it seemed as if she hadn't lifted a finger. Her attire, light as gossamer, fluttered ethereally. However, a hint of regret was visible on her exquisite face. "The Illusion Power of Rakshasa is indeed as legendary as they say. I lured it forward and gathered my strength, but still missed the vital point... Yet, I believe that after more than a decade, this beast will no longer be able to wreak havoc in this valley."
Yu Ci finally understood. The Ghost Beasts had returned with the intention of launching a surprise attack, but Ye Bin had anticipated their move, severely injuring them with a single strike. Regrettably, he still hadn't seen how Ye Bin had drawn her sword.
At this moment, the female cultivator laughed again, "I released two strikes, yet they were not as effective as your single one. This Heart-Tugging Horn, which you severed, take it back as a memento."
Of course, this was a joke. Ye Bin extended her hand, and in her pale palm lay the broken horn, still glowing. Yet, her hand, as delicate as jade, was far more pleasing to the eye than the broken horn. Yu Ci, without any pretense, reached out to take it.
Ye Bin explained further, "This horn, when held in the mouth, can block most illusion smoke in the world, and it has a particularly potent effect on the Ghost Beasts..."
Their distance was close enough to touch. The Wind of the Canyon seemed to change its direction in front of the unmatched elegance of the female cultivator, carrying a faint fragrance that swirled around his nose.
Yu Ci suddenly realized he was somewhat nervous. Not wishing to embarrass himself, he forced himself to calm down and picked up the broken horn with three fingers.
That should have been the end of it, but in that instant, for some unknown reason, perhaps due to a sudden surge of courage, Yu Ci deliberately or unintentionally touched the palm of the female cultivator with his fingertips. The soft, warm sensation transmitted back to him was faint, but it was deeply etched in his memory.
Neither of their expressions changed. Yu Ci took the broken horn and thanked her.
Ye Bin picked up her unconscious disciple, preparing to leave. It seemed she did not intend to let Ye Tu say goodbye to Yu Ci. However, before she left, she suddenly asked, "Do you also like swords?"
Thinking of the feeling of holding a sword, where the hand, eye, and heart were completely unified, Yu Ci naturally nodded.
The female cultivator's eyes were like a lake, a slight smile rippling within them, "I see you are brave and determined, likely a risk-taker. You might want to take a look at this mist..."
She pointed to the area where the Ghost Beasts had been injured again. As Yu Ci watched, there was a flash of sword light, and the female cultivator and Ye Tu had disappeared. Yu Ci turned his head, only to see a wisp of faint mist rising, which dissipated at a touch.
Where had they gone? Almost instinctively, Yu Ci summoned the Divine Map and looked eastward. But apart from the vast void, he saw nothing. A range of fifty miles in radius and ten miles high was already quite vast, but under Ye Bin's sword control, this range was meaningless.
"This is the true essence of a Cultivator!"
Yu Ci deeply felt that only characters like Ye Bin, who could split the clouds, venture into the azure abyss, and float around with an ethereal grace, represented the goal he should strive for. Figures such as Yan Daoist, Viper Monk, and Xu Elder were nothing more than commoners, tarnishing the name of a Cultivator!
Yet, he wondered when he would be able to reach such a level.
After putting away the Divine Map, Yu Ci sighed deeply, lamenting the long road to Immortality, but never considering whether he had the strength to climb it. Doubting his own strength was less practical than focusing and taking one step at a time.
So, he quickly regained his composure. As per Ye Bin's words, he turned to look at the rolling clouds at the edge of the cliff. He felt no difference between this Cloud Sea and other places, not understanding why Ye Bin had specifically pointed it out.
If there was a difference, it was that Ye Bin had once used her Sword Energy to pierce through these clouds and severely injure the Ghost Beasts. But after some time had passed, no traces would remain... Huh?
Just as he was pondering the absence of any trace, the incoming mist brought a different scent. Yu Ci noticed something unusual and reached out to touch the rolling clouds at the edge of the cliff. When his fingertips touched a certain point, his senses suddenly became clear. It seemed that within the ever-changing clouds, there was a layer of constant coolness. This coolness had evidently seeped in later, yet it permeated every particle of the mist, not affecting its original form, making it hard to imagine the technique behind it.
Yu Ci felt it, that layer of coolness, was clearly the residual Sword Energy from Ye Bin's attack on the Ghost Beasts. Ye Bin showed him these not to show off, but to tell him a method of using the sword, a concept of using the sword, a direction of using the sword, in short, a Sword aura!
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Without realizing it, Yu Ci extended his arm further, hoping to feel the subtleties of the Sword aura more clearly. He did not expect to understand it immediately, in fact, that was impossible. He just wanted to remember this Sword aura clearly, engrave it deep in his heart, and in the long time to come, carefully ponder and comprehend it. At this moment, a humming sound of sword resonance suddenly rose beside his ear!
This was not an illusion, but the cool Sword Energy in the clouds seemed to be stimulated by some cause and exploded at this moment. Even though it was an explosion, it wasn't shockingly loud, but turned into something like mist, elusive, and went straight through Yu Ci.
The distance was too close, Yu Ci had no time to react, the mist catalyzed by the Sword Energy had already penetrated his body, dissipated from behind, and there was no similar Sword aura left in the Cloud Sea ahead. At this moment, Yu Ci's face turned pale, cold sweat uncontrollably burst from every pore of his body, instantly draining his strength, leaving him almost collapsed.
The misty Sword Energy only existed in his body for a fleeting moment, but that was the full power of Ye Bin's residual Sword aura, equivalent to the unfathomable female cultivator swinging a sword at him — the control was exquisite, but the feeling was terrible.
Indeed, he remembered, and much more profoundly than he had imagined, but in such a way...
Yu Ci, drained of all strength, lay supine on the ground, gazing at the immaculate sky, as if seeing once again the placid eyes of Ye Bin, akin to a serene lake, and the formidable Sword Energy concealed within. After a long silence, he suddenly heaved a sigh, which was soon followed by hearty laughter.
Within the laughter, the figure in the apricot-yellow robe transformed from an unreachable goal into a profound mark, etched on the still distant Path of Ascension, temporarily obscured by thick clouds, indiscernible.
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As the summer drew to a close, the Broken Realm Mountain Range, the unique source of two rivers in the world, remained vibrant with verdant mountains. In the southern foothills, an unknown number of miles away from the main peak, a territory of black soil and iron rock was formed. The highest mountain around was named Cinnabar Cliff, towering thousands of feet high, its main body already separated from the Broken Realm Mountain Range. Between the two, there was a basin with fertile soil, suitable for human settlement. Sheer Cliff City was built on this territory, becoming the undeniable hub within tens of thousands of miles.
After a torrential rain, the accumulated water poured down the mountains on both sides, thoroughly washing the city. The unique mountainous roads were not muddy but rather cleaner than before.
Zhao Wu hurried along the road, stepping over shallow puddles on the stone steps, never stopping. Despite the cool air after the rain, he quickly broke into a sweat. He held the Stone Box in his arms, not heavy, but it weighed heavily on his heart.
Zhao Wu was an ordinary resident of Sheer Cliff City. With quick feet and a sharp mind, he usually served as an onlooker for others, earning some spare money to cover his expenses, and his life was manageable. Running around the city all year round, he knew that there were some so-called "immortals" coming and going in Sheer Cliff City. These people were not easy to serve, but if things were done satisfactorily, they would not be stingy with rewards. His neighbor, Second Elder Sun, once ran an errand and was rewarded with an unknown amount of silver, suddenly becoming wealthy. Envious as he was, Zhao Wu never thought that one day such good fortune would fall on him...
However, with a slight lapse in judgement, a blessing could turn into a disaster!
He shivered, suppressing the instinctive greed in his heart, hurried a few more steps, and entered the territory of "New City".
Over hundreds of years of development, Sheer Cliff City naturally formed three areas: the "Upper City" initially built on Cinnabar Cliff, the "Lower City" in the central basin, and the relatively recently developed "New City" connected to the Broken Realm Mountain Range.
These were not artificially divided blocks, but merely customary. However, in the hearts of commoners like Zhao Wu, a pattern had formed: the Upper City was where the immortals of White Sun Mansion resided, mysterious and unfathomable; the Lower City was the nest of commoners like them, the Mud-legs; and the most bustling and expensive district was naturally the New City.
The White Sun Mansion's acquisition of the Shrimp Whisker Grass shop was situated at the crossroads of New City and Lower City. The storefront was vast, yet only a small door was currently open, with a shop assistant lazily seated inside.
This situation was not unusual, for it was the off-season for Shrimp Whisker Grass. Shrimp Whisker Grass sprouts in the spring and withers by late autumn. As such, the herb gatherers of Sheer Cliff City set off in early spring and do not return until late autumn or early winter. Coupled with the long journey, the real bustling days only come around the end of the year.
Zhao Wu entered the shop quietly. The shop assistant at the counter seemed somewhat taken aback upon seeing him, staring at him in surprise. Zhao Wu was well aware that any shop assistant here could easily knock down a dozen men like him. Hence, he was even more cautious, softly asking, "Um... do you still buy Shrimp Whisker Grass here?"
"Yes, why wouldn't we?"
The shop assistant stood up, even managing to squeeze out a smile. He tapped on the counter, signaling the dozing apothecary inside to prepare. The apothecary quickly fetched the exchange form and a brush soaked in ink, placing them in front of Zhao Wu. Zhao Wu carefully took out the Stone Box from his chest, which was almost warm from his body heat, and placed it on the counter. The apothecary and shop assistant immediately focused their attention on it.
Zhao Wu could recognize a few characters. He first circled the "*" column on the form, quickly found the most prominent item at the top of the list, circled that, and finally signed his name before handing it back nervously.
The apothecary and the shop assistant only saw the black circle after the "*" character, their faces falling. Upon seeing the second black circle and the item in front of it, their faces turned even paler. Zhao Wu had been observing their reactions and felt uneasy. However, thinking of the generous reward, he timidly asked, "Will you exchange it?"
"Yes, why wouldn't we?"
The apothecary's tone was identical to the shop assistant's. He took back the form, gave it another hard stare, then suddenly asked, "Three Yang Talisman Sword?"
"Yes, Three Yang Talisman Sword."
Zhao Wu felt uneasy but forced himself to respond calmly. Even though he had checked the merchandise beforehand, his heart still pounded when the apothecary asked. However, he was confused by the apothecary and the shop assistant's strange reactions.
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