Xue Ying'an took the eight-sided sword, filled with shock and delight. Ever since his trip to Taiyi Lesser Mysterious Heaven, where his magical artifact had been ruined, he had been trapped in the predicament of having nothing to wield.
Xu Ying could do without magical artifacts, commanding an ever-changing variety of divine powers and Nuo arts, but Xue Ying'an, after all, specialized in bell and sword techniques. Having a magical artifact would give his strength a tremendous boost.
Furthermore, he still had three unopened secret depositories. He had already opened three, and as his cultivation rose, the difficulty of opening the remaining three had increased considerably. Ordinary artifacts were no longer capable of prying them open.
Yet with the eight-sided sword in his hands, he could open all three of the remaining depositories!
The sky of flesh and blood suddenly sagged downward, like a colossal sphere of meat drooping from the heavens. A clamorous din echoed deep within everyone's minds, muddling their senses and thoughts.
All at once, the meatball split open, revealing an enormous eye. In that instant, the chaotic clamor reached its crescendo, threatening to drive their minds into madness!
Behind Jin Buyi, the two massive divine sabers suddenly rang with resonant clangs. The cacophony vanished, supplanted solely by the crisp humming of the blades.
The giant eyeball rolled about, fixing its gaze from afar upon Jin Buyi.
*Clang!*
Saber light burst forth behind Jin Buyi. A slash of saber qi tens of thousands of feet long cleaved the sky asunder, constantly shearing apart the nearby flesh.
The aged golden crow stood motionless in place, allowing his saber qi to unfurl freely, sweeping across the vast expanse.
The eye seemed incensed and was about to strike, but before it could, the saber brilliance reflected across its vision. In the very next moment, the colossal eyeball split cleanly in two!
The two streams of saber qi behind Jin Buyi grew ever more formidable, the blades' light shining ever brighter. Wherever the light reached, everything was torn apart! A cold snort resonated from the mass of flesh covering the sky, and all at once, the gore retreated rapidly, not daring to contend with the saber light.
Meanwhile, the saber qi behind Jin Buyi became increasingly overbearing. Centered on Jiucai Ridge, it expanded in all directions, encompassing an ever-wider expanse until it occupied half the sky.
"Hurry up, you lot," Jin Buyi muttered under his breath. "I'm old, and my vitality has waned. I can't hold out for long."
Xu Ying felt a chill in his heart and hurried to help Fairy Qingbi treat her physical injuries. However, the wounds within her Realm of Xiyi and the damage to her Primordial Spirit were beyond his power to heal.
Xu Ying retrieved a jade vial and said, "I still have some primordial Dao essence here, Miss Qingbi. Taking it should help you quickly restore your cultivation."
Yuan Qi asked in astonishment, "Ah Ying, where did you get primordial Dao essence?"
The bronze bell hanging from his neck also gave a feeble sway, as though it had something to say.
Xu Ying said, "Before I returned it to Grand Preceptor Jiang, I poured out a tiny bit to keep for myself."
"A tiny bit?"
"A tiny bit."
Yuan Qi remained half-convinced and half-doubtful. Yet he watched as Fairy Qingbi took the jade vial, drank a mouthful, and handed it back to Xu Ying—there was clearly still essence left inside.
"Ah Ying, is it really just a tiny bit? Let me see!" the giant serpent clamored.
Xu Ying promptly stowed the jade vial away and said with utmost sincerity, "Seventh Master, you know I'm not getting any younger. I have to think about the rest of my life and prepare a betrothal gift early. Otherwise, what young lady would be willing to marry me? I'm probably already twenty thousand years old—would you have the heart to watch me stay a bachelor forever?"
Yuan Qi muttered, "So that's how it is. I misjudged you. I thought you kept a massive heap for yourself and only gave Grand Preceptor Jiang a tiny bit."
Xu Ying stated with solemn gravity, "Absolutely not!"
Yuan Qi peeked toward the jade vial a couple of times, but still could not see how much primordial Dao essence remained, leaving his heart itching with curiosity.
Xu Ying then helped that gentle-natured Heavenly Dragon restore its physical form, allowing the dragon to grow considerably larger. Compared to its massive head, however, its body still appeared quite spindly.
Before long, Fairy Qingbi recovered a portion of her cultivation. She summoned her Primordial Spirit, and Jiucai Ridge on Jiulong Mountain immediately began retracting toward the depths of the sky.
Heaven and earth rumbled and shook—Jiucai Ridge was returning from this world back to Yuanshou!
Suddenly, the flesh and blood that occupied half the sky surged back with a vengeance, rushing swiftly toward Jiucai Ridge!
Jin Buyi let out a sharp cry as flames flared abruptly into being. Fire fused with the saber light, sharpening it further and cleaving apart countless pieces of flesh. As the gore fell, it spontaneously ignited.
The mass of flesh billowing across the sky tore with ripping sounds. Large meatballs dangled down one after another from the heavens; as they rotated, each turned out to be an enormous eyeball!
*Whoosh!*
Countless monstrous eyes beamed divine rays down upon Jiucai Ridge! Jin Buyi's wings swept up the pair of sabers, swinging them down with resounding force.
Watching this, Xu Ying, Yuan Qi, Xue Ying'an, and the others felt their hearts leap into their throats, breaking into a cold sweat for the aged golden crow. Suddenly, Jiucai Ridge jolted violently, vanishing from the Land of Heaven's Scourge.
A blaze of radiance burst before their eyes—dazzling sunlight, swiftly followed by an even more blinding saber brilliance carrying solar true fire that swept across the skies of Jiulong Mountain, scorching the heavens crimson!
With two sharp rings, the divine sabers struck the earth, standing planted behind Jin Buyi just as before.
The saber brilliance and flames filling the sky whistled and converged back into the two divine blades, while the fiery light sank into Jin Buyi's body.
Xu Ying and Yuan Qi stared wide-eyed, their eyeballs practically popping out with envy.
Xu Ying said to Yuan Qi, "I'm sure I must have prepared such a formidable magical artifact for myself as well! It has to be hidden somewhere waiting for my call, and it will come flying to me!"
Yuan Qi nodded repeatedly, and the battered bell beneath his neck chimed with a dull, hoarse tone.
Jin Buyi said, "Ah Ying, you've forgotten: you never used magical artifacts."
Xu Ying froze, suddenly recalling that in Jin Buyi's memories of those ancient years, he really had never seemed to wield magical artifacts!
Even when he did use one, it was only once or twice before casually setting it aside.
Yuan Qi cautiously chimed in, "Ah Ying, remember our experience in Taiyi Lesser Mysterious Heaven? The fragments of artifacts belonging to mighty figures from the myriad realms are buried there. More often than not, those shattered artifacts bore your palm prints. That goes to show you truly don't use artifacts."
Xu Ying's eyelids twitched. He turned his gaze to Xue Ying'an, coughed lightly, and said, "Ah'an, your master Li Xiaoke is still alive. He is bound to try to take back this eight-sided sword. Leaving it with you is something you can't handle."
Xue Ying'an quickly said, "Brother Xu, I can handle it."
"No, you can't!"
The two youths were squabbling over the eight-sided sword when Fairy Qingbi walked over, her gaze resting on the blade. Blushing slightly, Xu Ying let go of the eight-sided sword and mumbled, "I'm just afraid he won't be able to handle it..."
Suppressing a smile, Fairy Qingbi said, "Does an ageless immortal snatch things from juniors too?"
Xu Ying gave it up with a pang of reluctance, feeling privately chagrined.
Fairy Qingbi said, "My injuries have improved somewhat. I intend to hunt down Li Xiaoke until one of us is dead. I've come to take my leave of you. Have you recovered any of your past memories?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "Scenes always drift before my eyes, but I can never see them clearly."
The Primordial Spirit behind Fairy Qingbi reached out gently, plucking away the plume of Pure Yang anomalous fire she had previously placed inside Xu Ying's Realm of Xiyi. She said, "I originally thought this Pure Yang anomalous fire would help dispel your confusion and restore some of your memories. Little did I expect it would have little effect. You still haven't remembered our past."
She cradled the flame upon her fingertips, parted her lips slightly, and blew gently upon it.
Xu Ying felt a fragrant breeze brush across his face as she blew the Pure Yang anomalous fire into his body, where it vanished without a trace.
Fairy Qingbi smiled softly, turned around, and said, "I have planted this flame within your soul. Ageless immortal, until we meet again."
She beckoned the Heavenly Dragon. Carrying its massive head on its small body, the dragon hopped along after her. It looked back and hollered, "Xu Ying, this lord—"
Catching sight of Jin Buyi standing behind Xu Ying, it shrank back and corrected itself, "This humble one won't hold the fact that you killed my former master against you. Don't let it happen again! If you dare kill another master of mine next time, I'll finish you off!"
It leaped onto the black coffin and crouched down, saying, "Qingbi, once we finish off Li Xiaoke, let's settle our score. Though I probably can't beat you, so go easy on me and don't hit too hard."
Fairy Qingbi gave a soft hum of assent.
Xu Ying called out loudly, "Miss Qingbi, if you ever wish to cultivate both Qi and Nuo, come find me! I've already gathered all six secret depositories!"
Fairy Qingbi waved her hand, and the black coffin tore through the air, speeding away.
Crouching on the coffin, the Heavenly Dragon muttered, "That brat Xu Ying killed my former master. My feud with him is irreconcilable, but for the sake of him treating my wounds, I'll let it slide... Wait, this little rascal altered the heavenly Dao runes on my body!"
It flew into a rage, hopping frantically on the coffin and bellowing, "The runes on my body were born with me! He went and changed them into... huh, they're better!"
It crouched back down, standing firm against the wind, and said, "I can feel that the way he changed them is the correct way. Strange, how does he understand heavenly Dao runes? Qingbi, how did you get to know him?"
Fairy Qingbi fell into deep thought. Observing her profile, the dragon noticed a smile gracing the maiden's face.
The dragon was puzzled.
Fairy Qingbi said softly, "Back then, I was very curious about him, and we crossed paths a few times."
Curious, the dragon asked, "What kind of paths?"
Fairy Qingbi said nothing more.
Atop Jiulong Mountain, Xu Ying bade farewell to Xue Ying'an. Xue Ying'an was currently helping the disciples of Jiulong Mountain treat their wounds while explaining Li Xiaoke's evil deeds to them. Hearing that Xu Ying was about to depart, a wave of reluctance washed over him.
"Brother Xu, I would love to follow you, but I fear my fellow disciples on Jiulong Mountain are too innocent and might be deceived by Li Xiaoke again. I can only stay behind," Xue Ying'an said. "Now that Jiulong Mountain has no master, I will assume the role of sect master, imparting the techniques of the six secrets to my fellow disciples so they can walk the righteous path." His eyes shone fervently as he added, "Brother Xu, your knowledge is a hundred times greater than mine. Why not stay? If you do, you can be the sect master of Jiulong Mountain!"
Xu Ying declined gently: "The battle between Qingbi and Li Xiaoke shook me profoundly. It made me realize that I possess immense shortcomings."
Xue Ying'an blurted out, "You are so powerful, mastering the six secrets and commanding heavenly Dao divine powers. How could you have shortcomings?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "I am merely one step ahead of others in grasping the six secrets. In the future, cultivating both Qi and Nuo will become orthodox, and everyone will be able to master the six secrets. As for heavenly Dao divine powers, that is the might of the heavenly Dao; what does that have to do with me? If someone else were proficient in heavenly Dao runes, they wouldn't necessarily do any worse than I do. Watching the battle between Qingbi and Li Xiaoke, it suddenly dawned on me that my path might have gone astray."
When Xue Ying'an inquired further, Xu Ying said, "Miss Qingbi relied purely on Qi refinement to fight Li Xiaoke to a mutual standstill. This shows that Qi refinement holds tremendous potential."
Xue Ying'an nodded gently and praised, "The fairy's divine powers were transcendent, utterly beyond words. If the transformations of divine powers possess a realm of immortals, she must have already stepped into it."
Xu Ying said, "Li Xiaoke transplanted the six secret cave-heavens of others to unleash the power of the six secrets. While his magic power was boundless and his Nuo arts remarkable, in my view, his Nuo arts still cannot compare to Zhou Qiyun's."
Xue Ying'an had no idea who Zhou Qiyun was, but he figured anyone Xu Ying remembered so vividly had to be extraordinary.
"Since leaving Jiang Family Fields, I have never systematically studied divine powers, nor have I properly practiced swordsmanship, and I never received a true lineage of Nuo arts," Xu Ying said solemnly. "If I wish to fuse the six secrets with Qi refinement, I must first master both. If I fail to master either, even if I cultivate to the pinnacle, I will merely become another Li Xiaoke."
He smiled faintly and added, "Ying'an, I'm a bit greedy. I want my Qi refinement to reach Miss Qingbi's level, and my Nuo arts to match Zhou Qiyun's standard. Only when I unite the two at that point might I reach the ultimate realm."
Hearing this, Xue Ying'an no longer pressed him to stay. "Your aspirations are vast and far-reaching; I cannot hold you back. Wait a couple of days, and I will compile our sect's swordsmanship to pass down to you."
Xu Ying shook his head with a smile. "No need. I have already learned it."
Xue Ying'an looked at him in astonishment.
Xu Ying waved his hand and led Yuan Qi and Jin Buyi down the mountain. Watching their retreating figures, a surge of heroic pride suddenly welled up within Xue Ying'an's heart. He called out loudly, "Brother Xu, ever since we met, we have never had a contest. Wouldn't you like to experience Jiulong Mountain's swordsmanship for yourself?"
Xu Ying stopped in his tracks and looked back, fighting spirit surging within him as he chuckled, "Sure!"
Standing on the mountain peak, sword qi suddenly erupted from Xue Ying'an's hand, brilliant light swirling as the youth rode his sword into the air like a sword immortal, striking across the vast sky!
Xu Ying bounded forward, transforming into a streak of light that pierced the air. Behind him, countless strands of sword qi converged into a long, trailing plume that swept toward Xue Ying'an.
Yuan Qi and Jin Buyi halted to watch. Before them, the ridges of Jiulong Mountain rolled in undulating waves—where gentle, the slopes lay low; where precipitous, even agile apes could scarcely climb. Between these hills and streams, two streaks of sword light darted back and forth. Sword gleams collided and shattered, spilling a downpour of radiant light like silver vessels bursting apart!
Those flashes of sword light did not disperse; instead, they lay in ambush, lingering between the rivers and mountains, or concealing themselves beneath trees and leaves.
As the two combatants flew past, the sword lights and sword qi erupted abruptly like a blizzard of silver snow, their figures darting and clashing within the flurry!
The snowstorm grew ever fiercer, drawing the disciples of Jiulong Mountain out to watch in awe.
They were all masters of swordsmanship who had received Li Xiaoke's true teachings, yet even they were left dazzled and breathless by the spectacle.
The snowy flurry gradually blanketed the ridges, coiling like dragons, as if the dragon veins of Jiulong Mountain had revived and were charging forth from separate peaks!
The Jiulong Mountain disciples' hearts tightened: *Is this a fight to the death?*
Yet just as the two dragon-shaped streams of sword qi were about to collide, they suddenly swerved, veering left and right to bypass one another.
Xu Ying landed atop Yuan Qi's head, while Xue Ying'an descended onto the mountain peak.
The moment their feet touched down, sword qi descended from the heavens in a flurry of whooshes, sinking back into their bodies.
The dazzling snowy landscape vanished without a trace.
Xu Ying offered a bow of farewell from afar, and Xue Ying'an bowed in return.
Yuan Qi carried Xu Ying as he slithered down the mountain. Jin Buyi strode along on his three legs, swaying from side to side as he kept pace with the great serpent, his gaze fixed squarely on its tail.
Unnerved by the stare, Yuan Qi quickly asked, "Lord Jin, don't you want your sabers?"
The two divine sabers stood planted atop Jiucai Ridge on Jiulong Mountain, shining brilliantly and catching the eye from afar.
"Leave them there."
Jin Buyi reached out a claw to swipe at the slithering tail, replying casually, "My sabers are fast. They come the moment I call."
Chapter 173