"Is this the Sword Garden?"

In the mutterings, the wind swirled with grey fog, twirling around Yu Ci as it passed by. If one listened closely, the wind's hum seemed sharper and colder than outside.

Yu Ci took a deep breath. The air flowing into his nostrils was far from pure, as if mixed with fine iron sand, causing a slight pain in his throat and lungs. However, upon careful tasting, one would discover that these "iron sands" were actually tiny crystals of Primordial Qi, floating and scattering in the air.

Ever since advancing the Primordial Root Qi Method to the preliminary stage of "Energy introduction", and learning about the Yin-Yang Qi perception with He Qing, Yu Ci's sensitivity to External Primordial Qi had been growing day by day. Feeling it firsthand, he nodded in secret: just as Li You had said, within the Sword Garden, the stern killing aura of the sword and the thick death aura were mixed together. It was too much for ordinary people to bear, but if one could refine it properly, it was a blessed land for Sword cultivation.

"Unfortunately, I'm not a Sword cultivator after all. I can't bear the Innate Geng Metal Qi, and besides, the Sword Garden is not a place to stay for long."

Yu Ci shook his head, walking slowly forward with his hands behind his back. On the vast field, even a hill was rare to see. This was the Broken Realm Mountain Range, a constant reminder that this was a wondrous space opened up by the divine power of Sword immortals. Countless opportunities and treasures were buried here, waiting for Cultivators to unearth.

It was a temptation that could drive people mad. Moreover, for some people, "treasure" didn't necessarily mean grave robbing.

"Is this kid blind?" Guo Yuan stared at the figure slowly moving across the field, grinding his teeth.

They had been following this kid for almost twenty miles now, and he hadn't even glanced at the three Mechanisms they had set up. They had invested a lot, especially in the last one, where they had used a "Sword Ghost" they had accidentally obtained the night before. A Sword Ghost was a spectral entity unique to the Sword Garden. Everyone knew that each Sword Ghost was the resentment transformed from a Sword cultivator who died unwillingly before the Five Tribulations, but it also preserved a thread of Sword aura, and even residual memories.

In this sense, every Sword Ghost on the wasteland was a clue to find the relics and heritage of Senior Sword Cultivators. How could there be someone who could ignore it?

If only that person would approach it. Underneath the Sword Ghost, they had laid out a "Sky Extreme Yin Thunder Golden Silk Net". As soon as he stepped on it, a Yin Thunder would rise from the ground, half-cooking him, making it easier for Guo Yuan to deal with him later. Guo Yuan's tongue, tinged red, licked his thick lips as he watched Yu Ci with even more fervor in his eyes.

"Don't rush, Old Huang and the others have gone ahead. He's just one man, we're bound to win!"

Beside Guo Yuan, Pang Ji spoke in a deep voice. He was the leader of this group, his face thin and slightly sunken, a sinister green light flickering in his eyes. At first glance, he resembled a ruthless wolf. After observing for a while, he had confirmed that the "fat sheep" up ahead, with a cultivation level of Nature-Connecting Upper Stage, was not ordinary. But under their joint surprise attack, he would have no chance of survival.

Watching Yu Ci gradually moving away, Pang Ji felt as if he had the world in his hands. He asked Guo Yuan to protect him while he took out a conch-like magical instrument called the "Curse Sword Conch Shell". This item had been refined for thirty-six layers, and as a Six Heavens magical instrument, it was top-tier among those of the Spirit-Connecting level. When blown in a special way, its sound waves could transform into invisible curse swords, devastating the Divine Soul within a thousand steps. Even if the initial strike was unsuccessful, it could still shake one's soul, allowing Old Huang and the others to seize the opportunity and finish the job in one fell swoop.

Under Guo Yuan's envious gaze, Pang Ji mustered all his strength to blow the conch. He put in all his effort, but the sound waves exceeded the range of human hearing, seeming silent. In his perception, an invisible Curse Sound had condensed into a sword, crossing a thousand Vacuum Walking spaces, striking directly at the target's Divine Soul. The next moment, the target's figure abruptly stopped.

With a loud "bang", several groups of flames exploded in front of the man, the roaring heat wave swallowing him in an instant. Then came the six people led by Old Huang, their Flying Swords slashing. From the Curse Sword to the Fire Talisman to the Flying Swords, three waves in succession, leaving no room for escape. This was a routine that Pang Ji had drilled into them, even a Golden Elixir cultivator would be thrown into chaos, let alone others.

Looking at the dust and smoke raised by the distant heat wave, Pang Ji and Guo Yuan both burst into laughter. However, before the laughter died away, the fire and smoke suddenly twisted and then dispersed in all directions. By this time, Old Huang and the others had already revealed themselves. Thinking about this unexpected turn of events, they tried to return their swords to save themselves, but it was too late.

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Blood spurted out, not from one place, but one after another. A thousand steps away, Pang Ji and Guo Yuan were stunned, only to see that the sword light was illusory, but irresistible. In the blink of an eye, three people were lying dead on the ground.

"Why isn't he afraid of the Curse Sword?"

"What kind of sword technique is that?"

The two had different thoughts, but their feelings were remarkably similar. After unconsciously exchanging a glance, they suddenly understood their current situation. Without uttering a word, they split up and ran in different directions. As for their "companions" in the distance, what were they?

"A bunch of thieves."

Yu Ci made a footnote for these people. In Cliff City and Sky Rift Valley, he had experienced too many grand scenes. All the people he had met and fought against were far superior to him. Even in the Mountain Gate of the Lichen Sect, he was used to dealing with the best of his generation. Accustomed to living in such an environment, he felt a sense of disdain when he encountered these sorts of people. For a moment, he felt somewhat bored and almost lost interest in pursuing them.

However, what needs to be done, must be done. Yu Ci contemplated for a moment, took out the Shooting Star Plate, silently chanted the spell, and in an instant, a sword light shot out from the center, turning into a streak of light, heading towards a fleeing individual. It was indeed the Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Sword Talisman.

After mastering this talisman, Yu Ci finally resolved the awkward situation of having to use the Five-Thunder Talismans for long-range attacks of substantial power. Moreover, using a sword talisman gave him a sense of manipulating a Flying Sword, except that what he was controlling was not a sword made of five metals, but the pure, tangible Primordial Qi.

One of the significant differences between using a Flying Sword and a sword talisman was that the latter had no weight. When it moved, it was truly like a flash of lightning, its speed far surpassing that of a regular Flying Sword. The target was already scared out of their wits, just managing to flee for their life. By the time the sword light arrived, it was too late for them to do anything. The sword light swirled around, and the Qi and Blood, stirred up by the frantic run, spurted out tens of steps away.

At this moment, the mutilated body barely fell out of Yu Ci's line of sight.

When Yu Ci turned his attention to another person, that guy had already run more than ten miles away, beyond a rare hill, and out of Yu Ci's sight. This speed was extraordinary, clearly using some means to stimulate potential. Yu Ci remembered that this person should be the one who ambushed him with a cursed sword. As for how he knew what was happening thousands of steps away, the "little guy" leisurely flying and following above the fleeing person's head had the most say.

During the four months at the Mountain Gate of the Lichen Sect, the little Fish-Dragon spent most of its time in a free-range state. The abundant Primordial Qi environment of the Sect's Mountain Gate was simply paradise for the little guy. After a few months, when Yu Ci saw it again, the little guy had grown a bit larger, now looking like a small snake, only much more slender.

Bringing the Fish-Dragon to the Sword Garden was probably the most suitable place for it to display its abilities. With the Fish-Dragon, Yu Ci's "field of vision" could break free from its inherent limitations, allowing him to search this area more extensively, always giving him a few more chances. As for its current use, it was just a convenience.

From the perspective of Fish-Dragon, every move of the fleeing man was under control. Yu Ci could even vaguely grasp the fluctuation of the man's Aura. After several months of sedimentation, the Divine consciousness starlight had completely merged with the simple Divine Soul of Fish-Dragon. Perhaps this could be considered a successful "parasitism", and thus, the rich sensory perception of Fish-Dragon could more or less transmit some information back.

At this moment, the fleeing man suddenly saw something and screamed, "Elder Ma, Elder Ma, someone ahead has stolen the treasure, the legacy of the Senior Sword Cultivator!"

The chaotic Aura was captured by Fish-Dragon and transmitted back to Yu Ci through their mysterious connection. Yu Ci was about to recall the Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Sword Talisman, but his heart was moved. The feeling was very peculiar, as if the distance between him and the man had suddenly shortened, as if they were face to face.

How would he react when an enemy in front of him fell into such a frenzied state?

Suddenly, the Aura pulled, triggering the instinct of a swordmaster. Yu Ci had no sword in his hand, but the Sword aura was attached to the Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Sword Talisman. A Divine Light, like a bonfire lit up in the dark night, became the only guide in the void.

At this moment, Yu Ci recalled the "opportunistic" method demonstrated by Tu Rilun for him that day. He raised his eyebrows and shouted "hit". The Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Sword Talisman, thousands of steps away, shone brightly, disappearing into the void, and reappeared above the head of the wailing man, ten miles away.

"Legacy of the Sword Cultivation, where is it?"

The muffled roar was also transmitted through Fish-Dragon, but the only response was a splash of bloodlight. The corpse of Pang Ji, still with momentum, rolled down a slope and stopped more than ten feet away, at the feet of a group of people.

"How dare you!" The same muffled roar, but it stirred up a wave of air, echoing for ten miles, "Who dares to kill and silence in front of the Heavy Weapon Sect?"

Heavy Weapon Sect? This name sounded very unfamiliar. Yu Ci looked there through the perspective of Fish-Dragon, but was taken aback. Were those people Cultivators?

What entered Fish-Dragon's field of vision were several extremely robust and sturdy figures.

Had he arrived at the battlefield? Ten miles away, Yu Ci couldn't help but widen his eyes. If he hadn't arrived at the battlefield, how could he have seen such a scene?

...