The imposing Sword Pressure was not only felt by the slender figure, but the female cultivator was merely the first to bear the brunt.
In no more than two or three breaths, the Sword Pressure emanating from the collapsed ground had swept across a hundred miles, sharply raising the density of the predestined Geng Metal Qi in this area by several levels. Pure Sword cultivators like Ye Ming and Su Yu felt this even more intensely.
Faced with this strange occurrence, everyone ceased their battles, releasing their Aura to investigate. Among them, Ye Ming closed his eyes to sense it for a while and praised, "What a place filled with Omnipresent Sword Qi. The density of the Predestined Geng Metal Qi is acceptable, but there is not a trace of the vengeful Ferocious Kill within. The purity of this Geng Metal Qi is truly unimaginable. It seems that the Sword Way predecessor buried here must have been a person of great vision and magnanimity, indifferent to life and death, and unconcerned with success or failure."
"If that's the case, this place might be as valuable as the Eastern Tomb controlled by the Lichen Sect." Someone nearby speculated, "Cultivating here should yield twice the result with half the effort."
Ye Ming nodded silently. At this moment, Su Yu brushed aside her disheveled hair from the battle and frowned, saying:
"Elder Brother Ye!"
"Hmm?"
"What happened to that strange kid just now?" The female cultivator spoke in an impolite tone, but everyone knew that "Azure Wave Flying Flame" had such a temperament. Often, she was quite blunt, not hiding her likes and dislikes. She greatly admired Yu Ci's courage and swordsmanship, but she didn't like his mysterious demeanor, which was reflected in her words.
Of course, just with the Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent, in Su Yu's eyes, Yu Ci was considered "one of us."
Ye Ming was slightly taken aback, then shook his head and said, "It's not good. He was able to wound Di Tianluo with his sword in a desperate situation. I'm afraid he used something like the 'Shattered Pill Strike'. Such resolve is unexpected."
"How could this be?" Su Yu's eyebrows furrowed even tighter. Her gaze swept over the slender figure below, Di Tianluo, clearly showing some displeasure. "The Sword Method used by that man seems to have captured the essence of my Half Mountain Mirage. The Sword Embryo he formed also follows the Mirage Light Lineage. Could it be the Master or Aunt Luo's external connection?"
The Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent was a unique sword technique comprehended by Ye Bin. Although it was very famous, there were not many cultivators on Half Mountain Island who practiced it diligently. As for those qualified to pass on the technique, apart from Ye Bin herself, there was only her nominal personal female attendant, who was actually a Sect Elder Level's Celestial Master Luo Cai. Hence, Su Yu made such a guess.
As for matters concerning his elders, Ye Ming always maintained the propriety of a junior disciple and never discussed them. However, he had a clearer view on Su Yu's other questions:
"The man is not a true Formed Sword Embryo. I suspect he has just found an opportunity to consolidate his Internal Qi, and is in the initial stage of merging with his Divine Soul Vitality. Procedures such as the Evil Nurturing Solid Fetus have not been properly executed, making him merely a 'False Embryo' or a 'False Fetus'. Have you noticed that he has never flown using Sword Control? It seems he is not unwilling, but unable.
"Engaging in battle at this time is not a casual matter. Di Tianluo's Polar Light Primordial Magnetism specifically damages a person's Taoist Foundation. He would certainly not be able to withstand it, and can only stake everything on one throw, shattering his half-formed Sword Embryo in the process, in order to seek a glimmer of hope... What a pity."
Su Yu understood his meaning. If that young man could calm his heart, find a peaceful place, and retreat for a few days to complete his preparations, he could truly step into the Golden Elixir Stage. The difference in achievement would be like heaven and earth compared to his current situation of forsaking all his previous efforts, which was even more frustrating.
As the two of them discussed, their Fellow Sect Members on the side grew restless. That was a secret stash of Sword cultivation, and judging by the momentum when it was opened, there might be a precious relic left by a Sword cultivation expert from the past.
At this moment, Di Tianluo's slender figure swayed and disappeared into the billowing dust. As soon as she left, Di She let out a strange scream, disregarding his half-dead Puppet Substitute, and charged down, causing a slight disturbance on Half Mountain Island. However, under Ye Ming's stern gaze, none pursued, watching as Di She and others escaped.
Everyone was eagerly watching, but Half Mountain Island was always strict on such matters of principle. Without Ye Ming's permission, they had to suppress their impatience.
Su Yu suddenly realized something. "We should hurry down. If that young man is lucky enough to survive, encountering Di Tianluo again could mean certain death."
Only she would say such a thing, and no one would think it was an excuse. Ye Ming was originally recalling the Sword cultivation information buried in the sword garden in his mind, comparing it with the current situation. Hearing her words, he temporarily set it aside and nodded in agreement.
"It's better to go early. I expect that in less than half a day, Cultivators from miles around will swarm here."
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Di Tianluo hovered expressionlessly in the center of the massive Underground Cave. Looking up, millions of cubic meters of earth poured down like a waterfall. Looking down, the Predestined Geng Metal Qi surged up, cutting countless deep marks into the cave walls, also obscuring most of the perception, making the bottom still deep and invisible.
She was delicate and beautiful, always preferring to dress as a man, making her appear even more frail. However, her eyes were icy cold, sharp as blades, chilling to the touch, and no one dared to underestimate her. At this moment, she was silent in the Underground Cave. Even the usually cunning and slippery Di She kept his distance, not daring to disturb her.
Compared to Di Tianluo's calm, Di She seemed somewhat anxious. His arm had been injured by Su Yu in the previous melee, almost completely severed. Although he had applied spells and medicine, he could not expect to use it freely in a short time. But the injury was not the main issue. Since entering the Underground Cave, he knew that Di Tianluo was very dissatisfied with him. He had failed to properly handle the Patronus for Xiaofu Yun, and had lost many men - if one or two of his Puppet Substitutes survived, it would be quite good.
For many years, Di She, a male member of the sect, had been acutely aware that this slender woman, who was significantly less experienced than him, had not become the most outstanding disciple of the sect by chance. He saw her humbly offer help to control the injuries when Xiao Fuyun was conscious, and without batting an eyelid, she turned him into a Blood Shadow Demon when he was incapacitated.
She was patient, decisive, and methodical in her actions. She was not arrogant in victory nor disheartened in defeat. All the elements of success were embodied in her. The only area where she fell short was perhaps that the reputation of the Light Demon Sect was not yet at a level that would allow her to fully showcase her strengths.
Sensing the rapidly approaching Sword Energy radiating from above, Di Tianluo, another male member, waved his hand, slightly distorting the surrounding air. The blood shadow formed by Xiao Fuyun converged here. It had just been shattered by Ye Ming's remote Sword Energy, causing severe damage to the Primordial Qi, but it still had some utility.
The chaotic aura of the blood shadow swept around, quickly becoming focused and transformed into a Blood Light, heading downwards. Di Tianluo did not utter a word and followed it. Di She, of course, followed suit but was somewhat confused:
"So we just keep going down, following Xiao Fuyun, er, I mean, this thing?"
"Creatures acting purely on instinct can always see something drastically different from us. This Underground Cave is peculiar; we need to gather information from both sides. And there's that man who just fell down; it's always trouble to leave him behind."
The Blood Shadow Demon formed by Xiao Fuyun harbored all its resentment towards Yu Ci. It was indeed apt for tracking him. Di She was surprised and asked, "Is he still alive?"
Di Tianluo did not respond. Her wound had stopped bleeding, but a scar remained on her flawless forehead. It was uncertain how long it would take to fade.
Seeing her silent, Di She dared not ask more and obediently followed. However, in the next moment, the female cultivator in front suddenly struck out with her palm. The Polar Light Primordial Magnetism swept past, eroding a layer of the approaching cave wall. The structure here was inherently unstable, and a large amount of earth and stone immediately collapsed with a rumbling sound, startling Di She.
Was she venting her anger?
"There's a little thing that has been following us nearby, running so fast..."
Di Tianluo's eyes turned a demonic red, scanning all around: "What kind of creature born and bred in the Sword Garden would be here?"
Such a sharp woman!
Yu Ci was further down in the Underground Cave, smirking. He was about ten miles away from the two above, which was relatively close, but he wasn't worried for the time being.
He had the unique advantage of the Fish-Dragon, and he had already surveyed the environment here thoroughly. To his knowledge, this Underground Cave was at least forty miles deep— he said "at least" because the Fish-Dragon could not go further beyond forty miles. The density of the Predestined Geng Metal aura had reached a point of solidification, and a chilling Sword aura was stored within, driving the Predestined Geng Metal aura. Any living creature that reached this point would be instantly slain by the Sword Energy.
The "little fellow" initially underestimated the severity of the situation, crossing the forty-mile boundary and triggering a retaliatory Sword aura. If not for its inherently weak aura and the relatively weak Sword Energy it attracted, coupled with its astonishing speed, it would have already been shredded to pieces.
However, such a predicament does not necessarily equate to a dead end. In fact, Yu Ci's current location, whether naturally formed or for some other reasons, is riddled with hundreds, if not thousands, of caves, densely scattered within a circular band spanning about five miles vertically. Most of these caves are incredibly deep and seemingly interconnected, creating a complex environment that is mind-boggling. Even with the Fish-Dragon by his side, exploring these caves would be an impossible task for Yu Ci.
On the flip side, this makes for an excellent hiding place.
As for the vengeful pursuit of the Blood Shadow Demon formed by Xiao Fuyun, Yu Ci is not worried. He had already used the Supreme Polaris Star Pivot Avatar once, casting his aura deep into a cave on the opposite side, winding and turning, and with the help of the Fish-Dragon, it's enough for Di Tianluo and the others to deal with. He, on the other hand, concealed his aura using the Light Extinguishing Escape Method, hiding here to seize this rare moment of respite, trying to figure out what was going on inside his body.
At that time, he was able to break through Di Tianluo's Polar Light Primordial Magnetism blockade, injuring his forehead, indeed by using the "Pill Breaking" method—taking advantage of the Polar Light Primordial Magnetism tearing at the Aura in his Dantian Organ, he guided all of the destructive power out, using only the Sword aura to gather it slightly, and with one strike, he emptied nearly eighty percent of the Primordial Qi in his body. His entire body, muscles, and bones withstood an intense moment of high pressure, and it was rather fortunate that he did not collapse.
But the situation inside his body is not as bad as some people might think.
The Life Death Talisman within the Inner Void of the Heart is still ingesting a massive amount of Primordial Qi. Of course, the process of transformation is not so fast, but it is continuous, like rain falling into a lake, seemingly insignificant, but steadily raising the water level. In just a few breaths, his body was full of True Qi again. Even more miraculous, this time he didn't even need to move his thoughts. In the center of his Dantian Organ, a small amount of Aura was already forming and growing like a snowball, attracting all the Primordial Qi that Yu Ci could not digest for the moment. In a blink of an eye, it was back to the old situation.
What is this? Let them attack me from all sides, and I will remain unmoved by the eight winds?
Yu Ci pondered for a moment, then submerged his Heart-Mind, connecting with it, breaking through the layers of Aura, and introspecting its roots. When his Heart-Mind delved into a certain level, it suddenly moved, and the view in front of his eyes suddenly unfolded.
Inner Void of the Heart?
...