At this moment, Liu Ruyan and the other disciples had already summoned their flying swords and followed Elder Willow Wood by sword.
Seeing this, Chen Changqing took a deep breath and rapidly formed hand seals with his fingers.
"Chengying! Rise!"
"Clang!"
With a clear sword cry, the Chengying Sword Elder Willow Wood had just gifted him flew from its sheath at the command, hovering before Chen Changqing with a cold, ghostly gleam shimmering across its blade.
Chen Changqing did not overthink it. He tapped the ground with his foot, leaped into the air, and landed steadily atop the sword.
Essence Qi circulated within him, and the sword blade trembled faintly.
In the next instant, he had transformed into a streak of silver light, riding his sword through the sky.
"So this is... sword flight?"
Chen Changqing's heart surged with excitement as he felt the fierce wind howl past him, clouds rushing against his face, while the mountains and rivers below rapidly receded.
He was tense and exhilarated all at once.
After all, this was his first time truly flying on a sword.
"I'd only ever seen this in television dramas before. Who would have thought that one day, I'd be able to ride a sword through the skies too!"
Before long, Chen Changqing had adapted to riding the Chengying Sword.
He easily kept pace with Elder Willow Wood and the others.
"Hmm?"
Seeing Chen Changqing's calm and composed manner, a trace of surprise flickered in Liu Ruyan's eyes.
"His first time riding a sword, yet he is this steady?"
"Why do I feel like he doesn't look like someone at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining?"
At that thought, Liu Ruyan furrowed her brows slightly. She vaguely felt that there was something unusual about Chen Changqing that she had yet to discover.
Otherwise, Elder Willow Wood would not have treated him so well.
He had even given Chen Changqing a High-grade Magic Tool.
The other disciples were filled with envy at the sight.
Although they all had flying Dharma Artifacts, none of them could compare to Chen Changqing's High-grade Magic Tool, the Chengying Sword. They could not help but feel somewhat jealous.
"Why does he get one? A disciple at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining is using a High-grade Magic Tool?"
"Many Foundation Establishment disciples do not even have a Dharma Artifact like that."
"Elder is far too biased."
"Just what is this kid's relationship with Elder?"
Though they felt dissatisfied, they did not dare reveal it.
Chen Changqing casually controlled the Chengying Sword, and everything came as naturally as moving his own limbs.
Though this was his first time flying on a sword.
The Sword Control Technique he had gained through more than two months of AFK Cultivation had already reached perfection.
After extracting it, every essential principle of the Sword Control Technique seemed to have been etched into his heart as though he had been born with them.
After flying by sword for some time, Liu Ruyan curiously glanced at Chen Changqing.
"Junior Brother Chen, why have I never seen you in the Seven Courtyards before?"
Chen Changqing smiled faintly and replied.
"Senior Sister Liu."
"I usually guard the Mountain Gate."
"You are busy cultivating, Senior Sister, so it is not strange that you have not seen me."
Hearing Chen Changqing's answer, Liu Ruyan was utterly shaken, her face full of disbelief.
She had never imagined that Chen Changqing was merely a disciple who guarded the Mountain Gate.
The others grew even more dissatisfied upon hearing this.
They could not understand why a mere Mountain Gate guard would be treated so favorably by Elder Willow Wood.
Time quietly slipped away.
Before they knew it, a day had passed.
At this moment, Elder Willow Wood led Chen Changqing and the other disciples to their destination—Qingxi Village.
Before they had even descended, a thick stench of blood rushed at them.
Beyond that, they could see black clouds pressing down over Qingxi Village. Dense grievances had condensed into tangible gray mist, shrouding the entire area as though even sunlight had been swallowed.
"What heavy grievances!"
One disciple cried out in alarm, his face turning somewhat pale.
The others did not fare much better.
Clearly, they had all been affected by the grievances blanketing the village.
Seeing this, Elder Willow Wood's expression became grave as well. He said in a low voice.
"Descend. Stay alert!"
Chen Changqing and the others nodded, then flew their swords toward the village.
Soon, the group had landed within Qingxi Village.
The moment they saw the scene before them, everyone's pupils suddenly contracted.
Looking closely, they saw corpses strewn everywhere throughout the village, blood flowing into rivers!
The villagers' bodies lay scattered across the roadside and inside houses. Every one of them was shriveled like dead wood, their skin grayish-white, their eye sockets sunken, all the blood drained from their bodies.
"Elder, all of these people had their blood essence drained."
One disciple suppressed his nausea as he inspected the corpses and reported.
Willow Wood's brows were tightly furrowed, his face extremely grim as he said coldly.
"This method... does not seem to be the work of ordinary demons or evil spirits!"
Just then, Chen Changqing's gaze sharpened, and he shouted in a low voice.
"Elder, look over there!"
Hearing Chen Changqing's words, Willow Wood and the others were startled. They hurriedly followed Chen Changqing's gaze.
Looking over, they saw several shadows furtively gathered beneath an ancient tree in the distance. They held something in their hands and appeared to be collecting it.
"Those are... Blood Refining Gourds?"
Willow Wood's heart trembled at the sight.
He recognized at a glance that the objects in those shadows' hands were Blood Refining Gourds.
This Dharma Artifact was unique to the Demonic Sect.
"The sect thought it was demons or evil spirits causing trouble. Who would have thought that Demonic Sect cultivators had slaughtered an entire village to refine blood!"
Elder Willow Wood said in a deep voice, fury blazing within his heart.
Chen Changqing could not help but be startled upon hearing that.
"People from the Demonic Sect?"
"They actually slaughtered all of Qingxi Village and drained the villagers' blood essence."
"This is far too cruel."
"They truly... deserve to die!"
Just as Chen Changqing and the others were observing those Demonic Sect cultivators.
The Demonic Sect cultivators also noticed their presence.
One of them suddenly turned around!
The moment he saw Chen Changqing and the others, his expression changed drastically, and he cried out uncontrollably.
"Not good! They are from a righteous sect!"
Hearing this, the others also turned in alarm, fear and unease filling their eyes.
"Damn it, how did they get here so quickly?"
"Looks like they are from Mount Shu Sect."
"They certainly got wind of it fast!"
"..."
As he spoke, the leading Demonic Sect cultivator gave a savage grin and said coldly.
"Since they have run into us, do not let them leave."
"Kill!"
In an instant, the Demonic Sect cultivators all attacked. Blood light surged into the heavens, and demonic Qi churned.
They charged straight at Chen Changqing and the others.
"Hmph!"
Seeing this, Elder Willow Wood roared in fury.
"Wretches, die!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he flicked his sleeve.
"Boom!"
"Whoosh!"
Immediately after, a brilliant streak of Sword Qi, like a Rainbow Piercing the Sun, slashed directly toward the Demonic Sect cultivators.
"Bang!"
In less than a moment, the waves of demonic Qi charging at the front were cleaved apart by Elder Willow Wood's Sword Qi.
"Kill!"
Then, Willow Wood spread his figure and took the lead in charging toward the Demonic Sect cultivators.
Seeing this, Liu Ruyan and the other disciples all attacked as well.
"Whoosh!"
With a light tap of Liu Ruyan's jade-like finger, a frosty Sword Qi froze the air as it shot straight for a Demonic Sect cultivator's throat.
The remaining disciples each unleashed their own methods, talismans, spells, and sword light weaving together into a net!
Within only a few breaths, Willow Wood and the others were locked in fierce battle with the Demonic Sect cultivators.
Seeing this, Chen Changqing's eyes turned cold, and the Chengying Sword buzzed and trembled.
"My first real battle... I'll use you lot to test my sword!"
Before you continue