The Long Sword hummed and trembled incessantly.
At last, all the power gathered along the blade, where a hazy, blood-red glow flickered.
Sword Qi coiled like a dragon, transforming into a massive Sword Shadow that slashed toward the empty space before him.
The air quivered faintly. The Sword Shadow shot forward, nearly cleaving through the void, and a sharp tearing sound rang out.
Yun Shu gazed at the skill before him in delighted astonishment. Releasing Sword Qi outward was something only those in the Foundation Establishment Realm could nearly accomplish.
With the Body Refining Technique at Great Accomplishment, his blood and qi could truly be used like Spiritual Energy and projected outward. Just now, he'd even had the illusion that this one sword could slay immortals and gods!
Though his strength was nearly spent, and his hands were still trembling slightly, nothing could conceal the exhilaration in his heart.
Dawn was breaking as Yun Shu left the sect.
He had just stepped beyond the Mountain Gate when he spotted Lin Yang, already packed and waiting.
"You brought quite a lot," Yun Shu said with a smile.
"I had no choice. Some of this is medicine for treating wounds, and some is to replenish blood and qi..." Lin Yang glanced at Yun Shu, then frowned slightly. "Junior Brother Yun, what happened to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Why are you so pale?" Lin Yang asked, startled.
"Oh, I got like this from practicing my sword," Yun Shu said, shaking his head.
Practicing swordsmanship could make someone that pale?
Lin Yang wasn't sure whether to believe him.
Then he noticed that Yun Shu's hands were still trembling.
"Do you always use both hands, Junior Brother?" Lin Yang asked.
"What?" Yun Shu looked puzzled. Why did Lin Yang seem a little envious?
"Oh, nothing. Sword practice, I get it," Lin Yang said. "Take care of yourself, Junior Brother Yun."
Yun Shu gave Lin Yang a questioning look but didn't think much of it.
The two set off from there, went down the mountain, and rented two horses.
A little awkwardly, Yun Shu said, "Senior Brother, could you cover the cost of this bottle of Hundred Herbs Liquid for me?"
He had exchanged all his belongings for Cultivation Resources. He didn't even have a single bottle of Hundred Herbs Liquid left.
"Sure, no problem," Lin Yang said.
Lin Yang didn't think much of it. He assumed Yun Shu simply hadn't brought any with him.
"Thanks."
The two traveled together toward the Mortal Dynasty.
One of their five days had already passed, and a mission like this would take a full day just to reach their destination.
Yun Shu figured this mission wouldn't be easy.
On the road, Yun Shu studied the intelligence and maps they'd received, and got a clear sense of things.
Yunzhou was vast. Few could measure its breadth on foot. As far as Yun Shu knew, even the Sect Master of the Myriad Sword Pavilion couldn't do it.
Countless Mortal Dynasties and innumerable cultivation sects held sway across the region.
At its height, the Myriad Sword Pavilion had been one of the most powerful forces in Yunzhou, standing atop the land and looking down upon the masses.
But now...
It was no more than a drop in the ocean.
After countless years of upheaval, most of its legacy had been lost.
Of Yunzhou's countless dynasties, only three still had ties to the Myriad Sword Pavilion.
Dynasties and sects supported one another.
The number of dynasties under a sect's control directly affected its pool of potential disciples.
The more dynasties it controlled, the better the new disciples it could recruit. That was only natural.
At its peak, the Myriad Sword Pavilion had boasted control over three thousand dynasties, its splendor unmatched.
Today, they were heading to the Gufeng Dynasty, one of the Three Great Dynasties.
It wasn't especially powerful, but it wasn't weak, either.
Yun Shu had to report to the dynasty first, then learn the details of the mission. The whole process seemed like quite a hassle.
Still, since they were paying well, Yun Shu didn't mind.
They reached the dynasty's capital in the middle of the night.
An official from the Ministry of Rites received them with great formality.
Yun Shu didn't care for that sort of thing. He asked for a detailed map, then mounted his horse and left at once.
The Ministry of Rites officials were left staring at one another.
"The Gufeng Dynasty is far too presumptuous. When a disciple of the Myriad Sword Pavilion arrives, the Lord of the Dynasty should receive him in person," Lin Yang said indignantly.
Yun Shu only smiled. "Maybe we're not important enough. I can sense three auras within the dynasty at the Body Refining Peak. As for whether anyone has reached beyond Body Refining, I don't know."
The powerful blood and qi of those at the Body Refining Peak couldn't be concealed.
With figures of that level in the dynasty, there was no need for them to bow and scrape before two disciples in the Body Refining Realm. Regardless of their different statuses, one master and one subordinate, they only yielded to strength.
The fact that a high-ranking Ministry of Rites official had received them in person was already a sign of courtesy.
"Body Refining Peak?" Lin Yang paused, then asked solemnly, "Then why didn't they deal with it themselves? Why make us come and take the mission?"
"Maybe we're cheaper," Yun Shu said. "There's no point dwelling on it. Let's head over first."
On the way, the two changed into commoners' clothes they'd gotten from the Ministry of Rites. Aside from their swords, Yun Shu had Lin Yang carry only the bundles of medicine for stopping bleeding and treating poison.
The rest would make little difference.
Under the cover of night, the two finally reached their destination.
The place was quite crude. The bandits' stronghold lay not far from the main road, with a vast mountain range just behind it.
The bandits were difficult to wipe out because whenever the soldiers came to suppress them, they would flee into the forest, making an attack extremely difficult.
On top of that, the bandits had been entrenched here for a long time and had countless informants in the area. They could easily escape before the soldiers arrived.
The Ministry of Rites officials had briefed them about this.
The two didn't want to alert the bandits, so they hadn't come in force.
Taking advantage of the darkness, Yun Shu said, "If we let the three ringleaders escape, the mission will fail. We'll have to sneak in quietly."
"That might be difficult. The guards are extremely vigilant. Sneaking in there would be harder than charging straight in..." Lin Yang glanced beside him. "Where'd he go?"
"Wait here for me." Yun Shu's figure darted away in a few swift bounds.
Lin Yang: "..."
Yun Shu moved carefully, slipping past some guards. When he couldn't get around the others, he found a secluded spot and killed them with his sword in an instant.
They didn't even have time to scream.
But this was the bandits' lair, after all, so Yun Shu didn't let his guard down.
Before long, he had taken a young-looking bandit hostage.
"Where are the three leaders?" Yun Shu pressed his sword to the man's neck and asked.
"They're... I'll tell you, just don't kill me..."
"Relax. If you tell me the truth, I won't kill you," Yun Shu said gently.
"All right. They're in the Council Hall, discussing tomorrow's raid on Wealthy Master Liu." The young bandit's voice trembled. He clearly didn't want to die.
Squelch.
Terror and resentment filled the young man's eyes.
Yun Shu emerged from the darkness. "How was I supposed to know if you were telling the truth?"
A few swift bounds took him toward the Main Council Hall at the center of the stronghold.
As soon as he reached it, he sensed several powerful auras of blood and qi pouring from inside like billowing smoke.
"One at Body Tempering Stage Six, two at Body Refining Fifth Level. Those must be the three leaders," Yun Shu murmured.
Just as Yun Shu was about to enter, he saw a middle-aged man dressed like a server approaching with a tea tray.
A flash of sword light, and the man collapsed to the ground.
Yun Shu caught the falling tea tray without a tremor. His powerful blood and qi kept even a drop from spilling. Carrying the tray, he walked inside and gently knocked on the door without saying a word. The more he said, the more likely he was to give himself away.
At the sound, the men inside fell silent at once.
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