Phantom Shadow Demon Trace

Volume 2: Phantom Shadow Demon Trace Chapter 22: There Are No Human Rights in the Qi Refining Stage

Bai Qiuran replied, "Hmph, kill the Crown Prince, then sit back and watch the Princes fight for the throne, only to intervene at the final moment to install a puppet. They think they can control the future of Dingguo that way? From the perspective of the mortal world, it's not a bad idea, but they've misunderstood what is truly important in the Cultivation World, and they chose the wrong target to frame."

Pei Yuan's expression was pained. "We are on the water, and he is a fire-element cultivator. Fighting against someone like me with a Water Spirit Root—isn't that just digging his own grave?"

"However, we can't just leave it be. If that creature Cuiluo goes mad, I fear there will be friction between the human and Yao races again. I must go and stop her."

Because of her diligent practice of the Fortune Body Forging Technique, Tang Ruowei's physical fitness was even superior to that of Zuo Yanfei, who had come from the Divine Martial Heavenly Army, which specialized in close-quarters combat. The foundation that Bai Qiuran had forced her to build played a massive role, and the girl's True Essence was far more profound than that of an average Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator.

"Why are you rushing me away? Is something the matter?"

"Very well."

"I'm just concerned about you."

Zuo Yanfei felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze and said softly, "That fire-element cultivator has already left Baiyuan City. We should hurry and pursue him."

Zuo Yanfei's eyelids twitched as she heard this, and she asked, "By the way, what was that move you used at the end? I've never heard of the Qingming Sword Technique having such a move, and what was the attribute of that black color..."

"Older Sister is truly amazing."

Zuo Yanfei scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed. "The village I grew up in was threatened by a Yao Mo in the mountains before I was even born. That Yao Mo declared itself a mountain god and demanded we offer living people as tribute. At the time, even my mother was chosen as a sacrifice. But later, an Immortal from the Azure Nether Sword Sect with white hair and white eyebrows slew that Yao Mo and saved our village. My parents and grandfather told me this story since I was a child, so I admire him very much."

"As expected of a disciple of the Azure Nether Sword Sect."

Bai Qiuran glanced at Su Xiangxue.

"This..." Tang Ruowei's expression became subtle.

The leading male cultivator took the corpse of Pei Shan, whom Tang Ruowei had killed.

"The master of Baiyue Temple believes that by controlling a major nation, they can allow the sect to develop rapidly."

Zuo Yanfei retracted her long spear and asked Tang Ruowei.

After thinking for a moment, Tang Ruowei said, "Whether it is my sword technique or my movement techniques, you always say [As expected of a disciple of the Azure Nether Sword Sect]. Could it be that you are very fond of our sect?"

Tang Ruowei looked at the scorched floor nearby.

"This is an emerging sect; it hasn't even joined the Righteous Path Alliance, so of course you haven't heard of it."

"Are you leaving?"

Seeing his oblivious attitude, Su Xiangxue suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness in her heart.

"Get lost and go find your disciple!"

A moment later, after confirming that those cultivators would not return, two figures suddenly emerged from the ground of this hilltop.

Inside the courtyard of the Joyful Realm, Bai Qiuran asked curiously, "What kind of sect is this? I haven't heard of this sect in Cangzhou."

"If you want to get lost, then get lost! I won't see you out!"

The fire-element cultivator known as Pei Yuan said sorrowfully, "We failed. The ones investigating the case this time were not mortals. Those two female cultivators were extremely troublesome; Pei Shan was killed in the mishap."

Zuo Yanfei laughed heartily. "Junior Brother Bai is cute, that's true, but his cultivation is only at the Qi Refining Stage. How could he possibly kill that great Yao Mo?"

"They are both Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators; it is impossible for them to catch up to me." Zuo Yanfei said while shaking her head.

"It's fine."

"The progress of your Phantom Traces is a bit slow for a Demonic Cultivator. Have you not been practicing dual cultivation lately?"

"But Sister Yanfei, you seem to hold our Azure Nether Sword Sect in high regard," Su Xiangxue asked.

"Yes, I understand." Zuo Yanfei was confident.

Pei Qing replied, "Ding Jiangshan."

Muttering to himself, Bai Qiuran took a step and left the Joyful Realm.

"It doesn't matter."

"No, I have been eating Qi-replenishing pills the whole way, flying here in one breath from the capital of Dingguo."

"Senior Brother Pei Qing." Tang Ruowei's eyes shone as she praised him.

Bai Qiuran stood at the entrance, looking at the tightly closed gate, and rubbed his nose...

"Look, my junior brother also has white hair and white eyebrows..."

A hundred miles outside the capital of Dingguo, on a hilltop, a cloud of fire descended from the sky and transformed into that fire-element cultivator. He was carrying a person on his shoulder as he landed on the peak.

Tang Ruowei shook her head.

Bai Qiuran grinned.

"That's right! I'm going out to find a man for dual cultivation!"

"It's fine. Although we can't track them anymore, I left a mark on that fire-element cultivator during our exchange."

"No, no, that must be a coincidence."

"This sword technique was created by my Master only after I entered the sect. I only know this one move, and I don't know how many he actually created. As for my attribute, I have an Earth Spirit Root; that black sword light is just a special effect of the technique."

"Ding Jiangshan, where is that?"

"Off we go, I won't disturb your cultivation anymore."

"And then, a month later, the Crown Prince died."

Tang Ruowei replied, "However, I didn't expect that I would be able to chase them all the way here in one breath."

Zuo Yanfei said, "However, Ruowei, your movement technique also opened my eyes. As expected of a disciple of the Azure Nether Sword Sect."

Tang Ruowei said bashfully, "Although I am not as powerful as Sister Yanfei, capable of calmly blocking the attacker's strikes, my Master still taught me a few things. The person I fought was countered by my attribute, so he should be dead by now."

Su Xiangxue pushed Bai Qiuran out of the courtyard and then slammed the door shut with a bang.

Several men and women in the same attire gathered around on the mountain. Seeing the fire-element cultivator land, they hurriedly asked, "Pei Yuan, you've returned... What happened to Pei Shan?"

Pei Yuan handed Pei Shan's corpse to a junior brother with low strength nearby and then asked, "Senior Brother, where is the location for the encirclement?"

The few cultivators discussed the details further, then carried Pei Shan's corpse and left the area.

Tang Ruowei straightened her clothes while discreetly adjusting her chest.

"This move is already terrifying enough; I wouldn't have the confidence to escape unscathed either."

"Ruowei, are you alright?"

"Southern Dingguo."

"This is what my Master taught me for self-preservation. He said if you can't win, you must at least run faster than others..."

"What a pity." After a pause, Zuo Yanfei added hurriedly, "Ah, apologies. After all, you and I belong to different sects. I only asked out of curiosity; I meant no offense. You don't have to answer."

"Such a temper. I don't believe you haven't practiced dual cultivation..."

The male cultivator who asked the question immediately became vigilant and asked, "You weren't followed, were you?"

"That strand of hair was destroyed. If it were still here, we might have been able to track its owner."

"Baiyue Temple?"

Su Xiangxue also said, "But they don't realize that the most important thing in the Cultivation World is one's fists. A few juniors at the Golden Core stage want to swallow the resources of an entire nation? Not to mention whether they can do it, even if they succeeded, would the other sects in Cangzhou sit idly by? At that point, any one or two Nascent Soul stage cultivators could cause Baiyue Temple to be destroyed."

"Heard something good." Bai Qiuran rose lazily.

Su Xiangxue played her Jade Zither while saying, "This sect is located on Baiyue Mountain within Dingguo. There are a few Golden Core stage cultivators in the sect, which barely meets the requirements to establish a sect. But what's interesting is that our Hehuan Sect's intelligence network found that the Second Prince and Third Prince of Dingguo once visited Baiyue Temple together a month ago to discuss important matters with the master of Baiyue Temple."

Su Xiangxue became angry for some reason and said, "Whether I practice dual cultivation or not is none of your business."

"Rest assured, Master will avenge him later, and our Baiyue Temple will remember his contribution. Compared to this, the Martial Uncles have already issued a summons. The location where those little beasts are hiding has been found. Let's go participate in the encirclement first. It has been a long time since anyone heard of shapeshifting Yao appearing in the Ten Lands of Jiuzhou. If we obtain the inner core of any one of them this time, it could help Master and the Martial Uncles break through the Golden Core stage. Then, the strength of our Baiyue Temple will surely rise to the next level, and perhaps we will be able to join the Righteous Path Alliance smoothly by then."

"Sigh, that is why I tell Qingming disciples not to think about useless things and to focus on cultivating to become stronger; that is the right path."

"This, how should I put it? Actually, I really wanted to join the Azure Nether Sword Sect back then, but my home was just too far from Guzhou, so I had no choice but to join the Divine Martial Heavenly Army nearby."