"According to what that villager said, the place where the Mountain God's Advent occurred back then should be just ahead."
Guided by Wang Zhu, the three of them climbed over mountains and ridges. After spending two hours crossing rugged valleys and rivers, they finally climbed over a lofty mountain.
Standing at the mountaintop, Wang Zhu pointed toward the valley shrouded in thick clouds and mist and said.
Yang Qingyun narrowed his eyes and gazed over.
From their high vantage point, vast mountains and rivers rose and fell in endless succession.
The green forests looked like a surging emerald sea, rolling up wave after wave.
However,
over that stretch of valley,
a vast expanse of dense white mist shrouded the area, obscuring the valley and everything around it. Only the vague shadows of some towering trees could be seen.
The place Wang Zhu was pointing at was that valley deep within the ancient mountain forest, enveloped in heavy white mist!
"You two wait here. I'll go in and take a look."
Gazing at the mist-shrouded valley ahead, Yang Qingyun's expression was solemn.
After leaving those words behind, he did not wait for Wang Zhu and his son to say anything. His figure leaped into the air, and after several flashes, he vanished into the depths of the distant forest.
This left Wang Zhu and his son waiting behind, their expressions somewhat anxious.
This was not because Yang Qingyun was impatient to seize whatever opportunity might lie ahead. Having lived Three Lifetimes of Experience, his temperament was not that poor.
What truly made him wary was the sudden arrival of people from the Six Doors.
If his previous guess was correct, and this world truly was showing signs of Spiritual Qi Resurgence, with scattered opportunities falling throughout the land,
then the force most certain to seize the greatest number of opportunities would be the imperial court!
For now, he did not want to clash with the imperial court's forces.
If possible,
it would be best to take whatever opportunity might exist inside before the people from the Six Doors arrived!
For that,
taking a little risk was well worth it!
"In my Previous Life, I knew nothing about this situation. Perhaps the great clans and noble families of the imperial court joined forces to seal away the news. Or perhaps my level was simply too low back then, and I had no way of coming into contact with these opportunities!"
Yang Qingyun's figure moved through the forest, his heart filled with solemnity.
Being reborn
did not mean he knew everything about the future.
Before long,
Yang Qingyun arrived in front of the misty valley.
Dense white mist shrouded the area ahead. Where he stood, however, apart from the sunlight overhead being blocked by towering trees, there was no other abnormality.
It was as if an invisible boundary divided the two sides.
The surroundings were utterly silent. There was not even the cry of a bird. The densely packed old trees blocked the mountain wind, filling the air with a rotten odor.
"According to that mountain villager's description of the 'Mountain God,' it should be a civet that has only recently become a demon."
Yang Qingyun pondered for a moment. Memories of battles in which he had hunted mountain demons in his Previous Life rapidly flashed through his mind as he simulated the possible battle in advance.
After the Large-scale Spiritual Qi Resurgence in his Previous Life, the beasts in the mountains had also benefited. One after another, they became demons and grew into terrifying demon beasts.
Humanity's sphere of activity had suffered considerable upheaval as a result.
In that era, Yang Qingyun naturally had no shortage of experience dealing with demon beasts.
"There are still twenty years before the Large-scale Spiritual Qi Resurgence. Even if there are signs of it now, a demon beast that has only just begun transforming shouldn't be too powerful."
Yang Qingyun thought it over,
then drew his saber and entered the mist-shrouded forest within the valley, holding the long saber cautiously.
Thick fog shrouded the surroundings.
The light was somewhat dim.
His vision was severely obstructed.
With all kinds of lush weeds and towering trees blocking his view, being able to see eight or nine meters ahead was already about the limit.
However, the surroundings were utterly quiet. There were no cries of birds or insects, nor even the slightest breeze.
This spared him auditory interference.
Yang Qingyun simply focused the vast majority of his attention on his hearing.
At the same time, following the general shape of the valley he had seen from above on the mountain, he explored toward its center.
He proceeded cautiously the entire way.
Nothing unexpected happened,
but Yang Qingyun did not dare relax for even an instant.
After a while, he crossed over a huge dead tree lying across the path. His vision suddenly brightened, and the white mist dispersed throughout this area.
At a glance, he saw a stretch of lush greenery, so verdant it seemed to drip with color. Yang Qingyun looked as if he had seen something unbelievable.
His pupils abruptly contracted.
His originally calm mind was violently shaken at that moment!
But at that very instant,
"Not good!"
Yang Qingyun suddenly shouted.
He abruptly swung his saber backward. Brilliant saber light tore through the air and flashed like lightning, slashing toward his rear!
Almost at the same time,
a gray afterimage suddenly appeared. Carrying a fierce gust of wind, it silently tore through the air like a ghost and clawed toward the back of Yang Qingyun's head!
Clang!
As the fierce gust descended, the saber light happened to sweep across and collide with it, unexpectedly producing the sound of metal striking metal.
Sparks flew in all directions, and the long saber's blade trembled violently!
"What a beast!"
Feeling the enormous force transmitted through the blade, which left the hand gripping the saber numb, Yang Qingyun's expression shifted slightly.
Invulnerable to blades and spears,
with claws like refined steel!
This was a demon beast comparable to the Viscera Refining Realm!
If he had encountered such a monster half a month ago, when he had been in the early-Entry Realm, he might not have been able to deal with it!
Fortunately, half a month had passed.
He had not only entered the mid-Entry Realm, but his strength had also advanced tremendously. He no longer needed to fear it!
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Yang Qingyun borrowed the force created by the clash between the beast's claws and his saber to retreat and open some distance.
Then his entire body leaped into the air.
Whoosh!
At that moment, the long saber in his hand spun into a whirling mass of dazzling light. His figure soared forward, man and saber light merging into one as he carried razor-sharp, terrifying force toward the attacking shadow!
Clang, clang, clang!
Yang Qingyun's saber light flashed like lightning. In the space of a single breath, he had already struck seven times!
Even more terrifying was that
each strike surpassed the speed the eye could capture, repeatedly landing on the exact same spot!
The accumulated force drove the attacking shadow back step by step, leaving its claws numb from the impacts!
And Yang Qingyun pressed his advantage without mercy.
The saber light closed in like lightning, as fierce as wind and rain!
Clang, clang, clang!!!
A continuous series of metallic clashes rang out without end. The attacks came like a violent storm, forcing the shadow into frantic disarray. For a time, it even lost its rhythm and could no longer defend itself!
The shadow panicked.
"Yaoooo!"
A sharp, strange cry rang out. The shadow's entire body shook, and a cloud of black mist suddenly spread and exploded outward.
As the black mist streamed away, Yang Qingyun's saber light cut through it,
but the blade struck empty air.
The strike had missed!
"Demon art?!"
Yang Qingyun focused his gaze. Three black afterimages had appeared ahead, each darting in a different direction, preparing to rush into the mist-shrouded forest!
The three shadows kept shifting, now left, now right, flickering unpredictably like ghosts, making their trajectories impossible to grasp.
It was even impossible to tell which one was its true body!
If anyone else had been here,
even a Blood Changing Realm expert might not have been able to distinguish the true body. They would have been deceived by the demon art and allowed it to escape.
But unfortunately,
it had encountered Yang Qingyun!
In his Previous Life, he had reached the Viscera Refining Realm and had even slain Innate experts while in the Viscera Refining Realm. How could such a small trick possibly deceive him?
The instant the afterimages split apart, Yang Qingyun "heard" the direction in which its true body was escaping!
"Six Harmonies Saber!"
Yang Qingyun slashed out, ignoring the afterimages on either side and disregarding its unpredictable movements. He struck straight toward the empty air ahead!
A resonant hum split the air. Brilliant saber light poured down like silver cascading from the heavens, while terrifying force surged into the sky and swept across eight or nine zhang in an instant!
Almost at the same time,
the shadow that had been darting unpredictably left and right happened to rush beneath the saber light!
Not deviating by even a fraction,
as if he had foreseen the future,
the saber struck the shadow dead center!
Whoosh!
Blood sprayed into the air. A pitch-black head fell to the ground and rolled a long way with a gurgle.
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