Zhang Yuanqing pulled a blade from his inventory. It had no scabbard and no tsuba. One side of the blade was white, and the other black. With a total length of fifty centimeters, it looked like a shrunken Tang dao or katana, shaped like an island nation's wakizashi.
"Why is it an island blade?" Zhang Yuanqing was somewhat startled. He had seen this kind of weapon on television many times; people from the small island nation often used it for seppuku apologies and close-quarters ambushes.
In reality, cadres of the Thousand Cranes Group also wore short blades of this style at their waists.
The Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade had a sleek, handsome appearance, but Zhang Yuanqing found it hard to accept that it was an island short blade.
Empress Sandao cast a glance at it. "This is a hengdao from the Tang Dynasty."
"Aren't hengdao long blades? Why is it a short blade?" Zhang Yuanqing blinked in surprise.
Empress Sandao gave him a deep look. Without explaining, she said coldly, "Do you not claim to be a scholar of the Imperial College? Why do you not even know such common knowledge?"
Her expression turned visibly disdainful.
Hm? Zhang Yuanqing noticed the displeasure and disdain in the old crone's eyes and suddenly recalled that she was an imperial princess of the Song Dynasty. He thought to himself, 'Does this woman practice academic elitism too?'
Immediately sighing and lamenting, he explained, "Your Ladyship may not know, but in modern times we also suffered catastrophic wars akin to the Uprising of the Five Barbarians, fracturing our cultural heritage. Nowadays, the imperial court has culturally castrated itself while foreign nations mount cultural invasions. Domestic scholars yearn for foreign cultures just as foreign lands once worshipped the Great Tang, casting aside our own heritage like worn-out shoes. Facing this phenomenon, the court shouts slogans and hangs high its banners, yet in truth looks on coldly with apathy. Let alone an Imperial College scholar like me, even the current Grand Academician of Wenyuan Hall likely wouldn't know a hengdao is a short blade."
Hearing this, the old crone fell silent.
Right then, the item properties surfaced:
[Name: Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade]
[Type: Weapon]
[Function: Slay Spirit and Destroy Form]
[Description: Forged by the renowned Tang Dynasty swordsmith XXX, this blade was smelted from numerous precious heavenly treasures and earthly materials. Taking ten years to emerge into the world, its birth triggered phenomena between heaven and earth. It has two sides, black and white: the white side slays the physical body, and the black side slays the primordial spirit. The black and white sides can be switched at the master's will.]
[Remark 1: Once drawn, this blade must drink blood and slaughter a soul, or it will backfire on its master.]
[Remark 2: Every 24 hours, it requires one soul and one life to feed it, or it will backfire on its master.]
[Remark 3: Below the Dominator stage, it cannot be used for more than thirty seconds, or it will backfire.]
White Face Skills: Armor Break, Bleed, Poison, Form Sever.
Form Sever: Every 12 hours, a sword qi slash can be unleashed, ignoring the enemy's physical defense.
Black Face Skills: Soul Suppress, Soul Sever, Soul Snatch.
Soul Suppress: Has a 30% weakening effect against vengeful spirits, spirit bodies, and mental power.
Soul Sever: Can directly annihilate a soul. If the target is a living being, cutting their physical body with the black blade produces an effect equivalent to striking their soul directly.
Soul Snatch: Can pull a projection of a living being's soul out of their physical body (Soul Sever effect halved).
Looking at the item properties, only one phrase echoed in Zhang Yuanqing's mind: 'Holy shit.' He thought to himself, 'No wonder it's called the Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade. If struck by this thing, whether it's an Earth Monster proficient in defense or an Illusionist with an immortal soul, they'd all have to call it GG.'
Armor Break, Bleed, and Poison were common properties frequently seen even in Transcendent stage items. However, the Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade was a Dominator-grade item, so these effects naturally corresponded to the Dominator stage as well.
What did this mean? It meant one slash, one adoptive father dead.
And compared to the white face, the black face was even more critical. Although Night Wanderers could suppress spirit bodies, they truly only possessed Deterrence and Devour.
And once a vengeful spirit's level was too high, Devour was useless—after all, no one wanted to swallow poison to commit suicide—leaving only Deterrence. Spiritual talismans likewise couldn't deal with vengeful spirits above one's own level.
Now, he finally had a weapon capable of hacking vengeful spirits to death directly, making up for his shortcoming.
Best of all was the Soul Snatch skill, which could pull out a rival's soul projection directly; paired with a strike from Soul Sever, even with halved effect, it would severely wound their soul.
This move was simply too effective against Illusionists.
The Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade was the Demon Lord's item, so he shouldn't use it lightly, lest his identity as the Demon Lord's successor be exposed—unless he donned an alter ego.
Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the old crone and said, "Your Ladyship, see you shortly!"
His figure vanished from the instance.
***
Yuanshi Tianzun had gone missing. The first to learn of it was Xiao Yuan. After the call was abruptly cut off, she initially assumed the signal was poor and redialed, but she could no longer reach him.
As an astute evil class, she immediately realized something was wrong and promptly @Guan Ya in the Return of the Dead faction chat, hoping to contact Yuanshi Tianzun through official channels.
—Guan Ya and Xiao Yuan had not added each other as friends.
After failing to reach Yuanshi Tianzun, Guan Ya contacted the airport through the Bunny Girl and received the grim news that the Gulfstream jet had lost contact.
As a Scout, she suppressed her anxiety and relayed the news to both the Return of the Dead group and Elder Dog.
The group chat erupted instantly. Brother Red Chicken, Xiahou Aotian, and the others were completely bewildered, knowing nothing of the circumstances.
[Guan Ya: A Gulfstream wouldn't lose contact out of nowhere. He must have been ambushed. He's been out of contact for more than ten minutes now, life or death unknown.]
[Guan Ya: Yuanshi Tianzun said this morning that he had business to attend to outside, but didn't give me details. Right now, we don't even know the basic situation.]
[Sun Miaomiao: I know. An evil-class friend of his was arrested by the Baila Branch. @Xiao Yuan, you definitely know about this. Hurry up and speak!]
Her tone was palpably frantic.
[Xiao Yuan: A companion of mine accidentally injured someone and was apprehended by the Baila Branch. I was the one who begged Yuanshi Tianzun to save them.]
'So it was you!' Seeing this message, Guan Ya gritted her teeth in fury, wishing she could hunt down that woman and run a sword through her!
In her eyes, neither Xiao Yuan nor Xiao Yuan's companion was worth a single hair on Yuanshi's head. Placing himself in mortal danger for them was the least worthwhile thing imaginable.
[Tianxia Guihuo: This is a setup. Otherwise, the timing wouldn't be so coincidental. Fu Qingyang just took a long leave, and Yuanshi Tianzun was lured out of Songhai by this very matter, only to be ambushed. An evil organization's intelligence couldn't possibly move that fast, which means the enemy behind this scheme is Dark Night Rose.]
The Disgrace of Fire Masters analyzed the situation calmly and precisely.
[Sun Miaomiao: I'll have my grandfather come to Songhai immediately to divine his fortune using his DNA.]
[Xiahou Aotian: Better make it quick, because the faction warehouse won't open anymore.]
[Zhao Chenghuang: Did he enter an instance? No, that's not it—he's trapped inside some special containment barrier.]
This meant Yuanshi Tianzun was trapped like a dog behind closed doors.
If someone at the peak of the Saint stage faced Dominator-grade enemies while trapped in closed containment, the outcome spoke for itself.
And by now, fifteen minutes had already elapsed since Yuanshi Tianzun lost contact.
Waves of dizziness struck Guan Ya's brain, her heartbeat accelerating wildly. Only after taking a deep breath did she steady her emotions, quickly relaying the information to Elder Dog and Lingjun.
The elders of the Songhai Branch convened an emergency meeting and swiftly formulated three search plans: first, use military satellites to scan and search; second, apply to headquarters for tracking items; third, invite Taiyi Sect elders to deduce Yuanshi Tianzun's whereabouts and have a Dominator from the Scholar clans divine whether his fortune was auspicious or ominous.
In addition, Elder Huangsha Baizhan and Elder Tianhuo Liaoyuan of Songhai set out in person to the high-altitude airspace where the Gulfstream vanished; if Yuanshi Tianzun was trapped in place, there might still be a chance of rescue once they arrived.
Soon, the news of Yuanshi Tianzun falling into an ambush and losing contact on his way back to Songhai began circulating through the Taiyi Sect and Five Elements Alliance Headquarters.
***
Five Elements Alliance Headquarters.
Secretary Zhou dialed Elder Cai's cell phone and smiled. "Leader, I have good news for you: something happened to Yuanshi Tianzun. He lost contact en route from the Baila Branch to Songhai. The entire plane has vanished from communications, suspected of being ambushed."
If Yuanshi Tianzun had entered an instance, the airplane would not have lost contact.
Elder Cai pondered for a few seconds before saying, "Commit fully to the rescue operation. Yuanshi Tianzun is a genius the official faction relies upon heavily; we cannot afford to lose him. However, not a single required procedure may be skipped."
Secretary Zhou curved his lips. "The search and rescue effort falls under Patrol Headquarters and has nothing to do with our Investigation Department. However, we have the authority to review procedures. Even in a dire emergency, due process must be observed. After all, what if someone takes advantage of the situation to embezzle headquarters' items or misappropriate funds? Before calling you, I already sent people to oversee it."
Elder Cai let out an indifferent "Mm." "What was he doing at the Baila Branch?"
"Still looking into it," Secretary Zhou replied.
Elder Cai gave another "Mm." "Report back to me once you find out."
***
Baila Branch.
Having just finished a simple lunch, Zhao Xintong lowered her head to take the straw into her mouth and sipped some water. Just then, she saw a young man wearing loose trousers and a loose T-shirt push open the soundproof door and walk in.
"You can leave!" The young man seemed to be facing a dire emergency, radiating palpable anxiety and worry.
"I can leave?" Zhao Xintong was both surprised and delighted.
"Now, immediately!" Lingjun said impatiently. "Any later and no one will be able to save you."
As he spoke, he leaned down to unlock the handcuffs and pulled out the wooden spikes from Zhao Xintong's back.
Taking advantage of his preoccupation, Zhao Xintong probed, "Who are you?"
"I am Yuanshi Tianzun's teacher."
Only then did Zhao Xintong let down her guard. They were standing very close, and she could see the irritation and worry between his brows. She asked, "What happened?"
Lingjun said coldly, "Yuanshi Tianzun lost contact on his way back. He was likely ambushed. Thinking about it now, the reason your emotions spiraled out of control was probably due to the influence of a high-tier Illusionist.
"None of that is the main point. Headquarters is currently mounting a search and rescue for Yuanshi Tianzun, and someone will definitely come to investigate his whereabouts. If headquarters finds out he came to the Baila Branch to save you, you're dead, and he's finished too."
The joy on Zhao Xintong's face instantly froze, and she asked frantically, "Could... could something happen to him?"
"Don't know. He might already be dead. That kid has plenty of tricks, but whoever ambushed him is definitely a Dominator. None of that is your concern." With the handcuffs and wooden spikes removed, Lingjun hauled Zhao Xintong to her feet. "Scram, quickly. I don't want to look at you right now."
Looking at this young girl reminded him of Victoria's warning.
Yuanshi shouldn't have associated with this bunch of evil classes in the first place.
Zhao Xintong donned a mask and a peaked cap, hurriedly leaving the Public Security General Bureau.
On the street, in a blind spot out of surveillance camera range, she used an item to bewitch a pedestrian, took a cell phone from him, and dialed Xiao Yuan's number.
The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.
"Xiao Yuan, I'm out," Zhao Xintong said.
An "Mm" came from the other end of the line.
"I heard something happened to Yuanshi Tianzun?" Zhao Xintong murmured. "I'm sorry..."
Xiao Yuan gave no response to that. "Don't go home for now. Come stay at the Wuhen Hotel for a while. I'll arrange a new school for you..."
She spoke to herself, her tone weary and hollow.
***
The Gulfstream flew thousands of meters up in the sky, heading toward the desolate northwest.
The cabin was in utter shambles. The gloomy Third Protector and the cloaked Sixth Elder stood one behind the other in the aisle.
Holding a glass of fruit juice, Sect Master Chunyang leaned lazily against the window, his pretty face alternating between sneers, calm, and madness.
Flying from the eastern coast to the northwest would take at least six hours; even flying at maximum speed regardless of cost, it would take four hours.
Yet only forty minutes had passed since Yuanshi Tianzun entered the instance.
If they could fly the plane to the northwest over these three-plus hours, Yuanshi Tianzun would surely die.
If intercepted mid-flight by a Dominator or even a demigod, all would be lost.
Amid the silence, the Sixth Elder broke the quiet. "There are plenty of people at Five Elements Alliance Headquarters who want Yuanshi Tianzun dead. They will stall for time on our behalf. But demigods are not bound by Five Elements Alliance Headquarters."
If the Grand Marshal wanted to save Yuanshi Tianzun, no one could stop her.
The Third Protector suddenly scoffed, "Rest easy. That woman is completely directionally challenged. Without navigation, she could circle the entire globe trying to go from the capital to Songhai."
Pausing, he added, "Besides, Fear Heavenly King is lurking outside the capital. The moment a demigod makes a move, he will definitely intercept them."
As for Dominators, locking onto a plane that had lost all communication was simply too difficult.
Just as they were speaking, a figure abruptly materialized in the cabin—none other than Yuanshi Tianzun.
"???"
Sect Master Chunyang, the Third Protector, and the Sixth Elder were all caught off guard. How did he come out?
He was out!
In the next second, the Sixth Elder immediately unleashed Mental Strike, opening his mouth to emit a shrill shriek, while the Third Protector summoned a blazing sun above his head to purify all spiritual power, preventing Yuanshi Tianzun from using the Five Elements Trial Card.
Zhang Yuanqing was prepared. Before the screech arrived, he executed a sliding tackle to evade the Mental Strike, channeling spiritual power into the Demon-Subduing Pestle and parchment scroll wrapped inside his coat.
Seeing that Mental Strike had failed, the Sixth Elder moved toward the sliding Yuanshi Tianzun and lifted his head, transparent whirlpools surfacing in his eye sockets.
Dream Inducement!
Yet Zhang Yuanqing chained into a second sliding tackle seamlessly, placing himself in an untargetable state as he surged right before the Sixth Elder.
Before rising, relying on superb muscle control, he launched into yet another sliding tackle, evading a spear of golden light hurled from behind.
After three consecutive sliding tackles, the parchment scroll, having drained the materials' spiritual nature, erupted with dazzling golden radiance, seemingly establishing contact with an existence in the unseen.
"A summoning ritual! This is a summoning ritual!" Sect Master Chunyang recognized the spell's roots at a glance and shrieked, "This brat wants to summon that treacherous disciple of mine!"
Treacherous disciple?
The Third Protector and Sixth Elder blanked for a moment, then quickly caught on. They were well aware of Sect Master Chunyang's background.
The treacherous disciple this ancient cultivator spoke of was Empress Sandao, a Day Wanderer suspected of being at the peak of the Dominator stage.
Yuanshi Tianzun had entered the instance to fetch reinforcements?
His expression twisting with hatred and dread, Sect Master Chunyang could no longer watch idly. Coordinating with the Sixth Elder, he cast Mental Strike, illusions, Dream Inducement, and other spells while scribing various spiritual talismans in an attempt to attack Yuanshi Tianzun.
Zhang Yuanqing slid all the way to the front of the cabin, blocked by the containment barrier of the board game item. By this point, he had already slid a fourth time.
Without the slightest hesitation, he turned around with another slide, evading the torrential onslaught from all three enemies.
Next, he retrieved the Craftsman Ring and executed his sixth slide.
At last, the parchment scroll finished absorbing the spiritual nature of the materials, shooting up a pillar of light connecting to the void, with the Demon-Subduing Pestle bathed within it.
Zhang Yuanqing cast aside the spent materials and cried out, "We beseech Your Ladyship to descend!"
An ethereal silhouette descended from within the pillar of light, grasping the Demon-Subduing Pestle.
Chapter 604