Deng Baiyi sat beneath the shade of a tree on Little Barren Mountain, waiting for Xie Zhen to emerge from seclusion.
She was deeply worried about Xie Zhen's injuries... but her cultivation was low, and after controlling the Ninefold Phoenix Fire Array, she had exhausted far too much mental energy.
After waiting for quite some time, she propped up her chin and began to doze off, her head bobbing like a chick pecking at grain.
"Snore... snore..."
A gust of wind swept across the mountaintop.
Having successfully broken through, Xie Xuanyi flicked his sleeve to disperse the lingering medicinal aura of the Violet Origin Pill, then reached out to remove the Purification Talismans hanging in formation one by one.
He looked ahead and could not help but smile.
Beneath the tree shade, Deng Baiyi and Jiang Huang, one grown and one small, were both nodding off.
The breeze gently stirred.
Deng Baiyi abruptly raised her head. Through her bleary sleepiness, she saw the lean figure in black sitting beside her, reaching up to peel the resin mask from his face.
Her vision gradually sharpened from a blur.
Xie Xuanyi's handsome face came into view.
"Awake?"
Xie Xuanyi spoke softly as he neatly stacked the thick pile of Purification Talismans and returned them to Deng Baiyi.
"You..."
Deng Baiyi raised the back of her hand and gently wiped away her drool. A flicker of astonishment suddenly lit her eyes. "You're all right?"
She stared at Xie Xuanyi's right shoulder in disbelief.
If she remembered correctly... there had been a bloody hole the size of a fist there earlier!
And how long had it been? Not even half a night.
His black shirt was torn to shreds, but the skin beneath was smooth as jade. Forget a bloody hole—even a scab was nowhere to be seen!
Deng Baiyi's eyes were filled with disbelief.
She cautiously leaned closer, curled the back of her fingers, and lightly tapped and patted his shoulder as though knocking on stone.
Xie Xuanyi smiled. "Don't worry. It's healed."
"The great thousand worlds hold every strange wonder."
After a pause, Xie Xuanyi said leisurely, "The reason cultivators draw upon the primordial energy of heaven and earth to empower themselves is to cleanse the meridians and forge the marrow. Only after remaking one's sinews and bones can one live longer... Flesh-regeneration methods like this are nothing remarkable in the Buddhist sect. Many great cultivators can do it."
Deng Baiyi blinked. "...The Buddhist sect?"
Just what kind of background did Xie Zhen have?
How did he know a little of everything?
Seeing Deng Baiyi's reaction, Xie Xuanyi sighed inwardly. He could hardly explain that such rapid flesh regeneration had been brought about by the Immortal Spring, could he?
Xie Xuanyi explained, "It's not limited to the Buddhist sect. Many great sects possess such methods."
"You don't need to explain anything to me. As long as you're fine, that's enough."
Deng Baiyi shook her head. She was no longer curious about Xie Zhen's sect background. "That evil cultivator has already been reduced to scattered soul fragments... Did you find any clues about your flying sword?"
At those words—
Xie Xuanyi fell silent for a moment.
He had not yet told Deng Baiyi about the Demon Kingdom and the Bai Ze Secret Realm.
The girl thought he had performed Soul Searching to locate the flying sword.
After pondering for a moment, Xie Xuanyi decided to keep the matter buried... Deng Baiyi was merely a Qi Refiner. There was no benefit in letting her know.
He decided to handle what came next alone.
"There are some clues, but nothing is clear yet."
Yet upon hearing this answer, Deng Baiyi's eyes gained an extra measure of delight.
She wished she could remain by Xie Zhen's side a little longer.
If the flying sword had not been found, then the matter of Carp Tide City was not yet over.
Deng Baiyi blinked and asked, "Then is there anything else you need me to help with?"
"There's no need."
How could Xie Xuanyi not know what she was thinking? He shook his head. "Over the next few days, you should rest properly. Don't worry about what comes next. I'll handle the flying sword myself."
Deng Baiyi hugged Jiang Huang and fell into a deep sleep beneath the tree shade.
Xie Xuanyi stood alone atop Little Barren Mountain.
The great battle tonight had come to an end. Those two were exhausted beyond measure, but Xie Xuanyi was brimming with energy. His Heart Lake was utterly clear, without the slightest trace of drowsiness.
Xie Xuanyi silently considered what he needed to do next.
To obtain the Chronic Ailment, he needed to enter the Bai Ze Secret Realm.
Within Azure Prefecture, there were two great Aristocratic Clans.
The Jiang Clan and the Chu Family!
Beyond them, there was also Hundred Flowers Valley, a massive sect not to be underestimated, whose strength and standing could both rank among the top ten within Great Chu.
Now that the Bai Ze Secret Realm had appeared, these three great powers would surely join hands to suppress the news.
A few days ago, Xie Xuanyi had still had a headache over this...
Once the Bai Ze Secret Realm emerged and these three great powers jointly sealed off the news, ordinary people would have no chance to set foot within.
But now that he had obtained the intelligence in Rank Six's Soul Sea, Xie Xuanyi had some idea of what to do.
According to Dragonwood Revered One's arrangements, once he obtained the White Marsh Finger Bone, he could contact that "important figure of Azure Prefecture." If that person truly wished to cooperate with the Demon Kingdom... then he would surely arrange for access near the secret realm.
The finger bone could be used to verify the secret realm's authenticity without entering it.
As long as one came within a certain range—
Rank Six could discover the "truth" and report it to Dragonwood Revered One.
At that point, the mission would be complete.
Now, Rank Six was dead... and Xie Xuanyi possessed Rank Six's remnant soul, thumb ring, and, most importantly, the White Marsh Finger Bone.
In a sense, anything "Rank Six" could do—
He could do as well.
Xie Xuanyi rubbed his brow, then inadvertently caught sight of a glimmer of light in the distance.
To ambush Rank Six, the formation point of this Nine Bright Phoenix Fire Formation had deliberately been chosen high up. From here, he could see Sunken Chime Mountain, which was slightly shorter, and gaze beyond the mountain scenery toward Carp Tide City nearby. It was now past midnight; the lights of this prosperous ancient city had all gone out, and silence blanketed every direction.
Yet amid the darkness blanketing the entire city, one tall building stood like a tower, its lights still shining brightly.
Carp Tide City was renowned throughout the world for its annual great tide.
And that tower-like building was Carp Tide City's most famous "sight," as well as the best place to watch the tide.
Tide Watching Pavilion.
"I heard King Youhai is holding a banquet at Tide Watching Pavilion tonight..."
Xie Xuanyi narrowed his eyes.
"The only people worthy of a banquet hosted by King Youhai are those few."
More than a decade ago, when he had been hunted under an arrest order... he had once fled to Azure Prefecture.
Hundred Flowers Valley, the Jiang Clan, and the Chu Family.
Xie Xuanyi had dealt with all three great powers.
The one he knew best was probably Hundred Flowers Valley, because he had crossed paths with them many times even before the arrest order was issued.
Xie Xuanyi had risen to fame in his youth. Before he truly fought his way across the four regions, many people had refused to acknowledge his title of "Sword Immortal."
For a long time—
Countless cultivators had climbed his mountain to pay visits and challenge him in swordsmanship.
Those too weak could not even make it through the sect gate.
The reason Xie Xuanyi remembered Hundred Flowers Valley so deeply... was because the disciples who came from Hundred Flowers Valley were first-rate in both cultivation realm and innate talent.
Although the Dao Sect and the Sword Palace were the two most renowned sects within Great Chu—
That did not mean Great Chu had only those two sects.
Of the three thousand Great Daos, all could lead to ascension.
Beyond the Dao Sect and the Sword Palace, other sects also had stunning figures capable of founding mountains, establishing lineages, and reigning over the pinnacle of an era.
Hundred Flowers Valley was precisely such a first-rate sect, one worthy of ranking among Great Chu's top ten.
--
As for the Chu Family's story, everyone in Azure Prefecture likely knew it.
The entirety of Great Chu had only enfeoffed three kings of different surnames. King Youhai, Chu Lin, was one of them... Yet this prince's lofty status had little to do with his family. It was entirely due to his own "fortune." Many years ago, internal conflict within the Great Chu Dynasty had been fierce. Before the previous Chu Emperor ascended the throne, before he had even been confirmed as crown prince, he had endured a bleak period of hardship.
At that time, Chu Lin and the young Chu Emperor had been close friends. Chu Lin had supported him with all his strength, and when the true dragon later rose, he naturally ascended with it.
One could tell from this king of different surname's title alone.
Youhai, Youhai.
Never overstepping the rules, free and unfettered.
After the Chu Emperor died, King Youhai was not implicated. From beginning to end, this prince had held only an idle post. Though his status was extraordinary, he possessed little actual authority. He could never interfere with the institutions or laws within the imperial city, and could only live freely and happily within his own fief.
Even so, that was enough to make the Chu Family a mighty power in its own right.
--
Lastly, the Jiang Clan.
Of the three great powers, this was actually the one Xie Xuanyi knew best.
Its current patriarch, Jiang Lie, was a renowned Garrison Envoy of the northern frontier.
During the northern frontier campaign, Jiang Lie had stood firm with sword in hand, chewing through several crucial hard-fought battles. He had also taken part in the final battle that killed Grandmaster Mozhen. His military achievements were illustrious, dazzling and brilliant.
He had already been an old general back then, and now he was nearing eighty.
Over recent years, the Great Chu Dynasty had stripped all Garrison Envoys of their posts, recalling the overwhelming majority to the imperial city... A small number had returned to their fiefs instead. Old Master Jiang was one of those rare "homecomers."
The Jiang Clan had been a prestigious family entrenched in Azure Prefecture for many years.
Citing his advanced age, Jiang Lie declined the journey to the imperial city and laid down his armor to return home in retirement. The imperial city had no choice but to approve.
Over these years—
Old Master Jiang had stopped going out to socialize.
The Jiang Clan's vast foundation had also gradually been handed over to the younger generation.
The reason Xie Xuanyi knew the Jiang Clan so well was that his relationship with them was anything but ordinary...
Back when he was fleeing, everyone in the world had wanted to kill him.
Only the Jiang Clan had been willing to lend him a hand.
It could be said that without the Jiang Clan, he would have died in Azure Prefecture long ago.
"Hoo."
Xie Xuanyi spent the time it took half an incense stick to sort out his thoughts and gather his scattered memories of Azure Prefecture into order.
Then he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
As he looked at the swaying lantern atop Tide Watching Pavilion, Xie Xuanyi's gaze became somewhat complicated.
He was thinking, and he was hesitating.
"Should I go see..."
"The traitor Dragonwood Revered One spoke of?"
"Ka-ching—Alipay payment received."
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