The Moon's Essence

Li Fan flew through the air with his Sword Light, arriving at the forbidden hunting grounds of the Ruler of Xun Country in an instant. As far as the eye could see, the mountains were ablaze with fire, and the sounds of battle were incessant. Outside the hunting grounds, men and horses neighed, and there were armies everywhere. It was unclear whether they were rebels or imperial guards, but all he could see along the way were many troops carrying torches, surging towards the foot of the mountain to fight.

At this moment, Yang Fu had clearly begun his killing spree, trapping the Ruler of Xun Country and officials inside the hunting grounds. Many forces outside, including celestial armies of unknown affiliation and cultivators hiding their true identities, were unable to enter and instead engaged in fierce battles at the foot of the mountain. The brilliance of magical treasures and spells was so intense that it almost illuminated the night sky.

It's hard to believe that Yang Sheng could have stirred up Xun Kingdom to this state with just a few rebels and two gatekeepers. Now Li Fan suspects that there are many people behind this, and that it was all arranged by the Ruler of Xun Country himself. Now that things are in such chaos, isn't it perfect for him to hide in the carnage and break through safely?

"Those who stand in my way, senior brother of the Beichen Sword Sect, shall die!"

Li Fan wielded the Golden Dragon White Star swords in his hands, roared, and unleashed the Taiyin Haoguang Sword Technique from afar. A sword rainbow and bright lightning pierced through the clouds and streaked across the night sky, forcing the fighting cultivators and generals to scatter to the sides to dodge the domineering Sword Light. At the same time, Li Fan protected himself with the Moon Soul Flying Sword, using the Taiyin Sword Light to clear a path, rushing straight through the dense array of soldiers on the horizon amidst the dark clouds, and landing directly in the Forbidden Garden.

However, the Taiyin Sword Light cleared the way ahead with unparalleled dominance. Although it immediately dispersed a large number of trashy rogue cultivators, making those who were just there for a paycheck and knew their own limitations dare not come up to risk their lives, it also attracted the attention of True Cultivator.

Before Li Fan could rush into the forbidden garden and kill the Ruler of Xun Country, a blue rainbow shot straight from the clouds, splitting into three lightning-fast Sword Light in the sky, cutting off Yue Po's path. The three Sword Light collided like branches, and each time they collided, they would transform into three more Sword Light, instantly forming a sky-covering sword net that enveloped the Sword Light controlled by Li Fan!

Moon Soul screamed, "The Three Immortal Swords of Penglai! We can't clash with them head-on! One touch and we get three more swords!"

"Damn it, you've got more swords than me!"

Li Fan let out a loud shout and instantly leaped away from Yue Po's sword escape. He flung out the Golden Dragon White Star, and two dragonfly-like golden swords circled around him, forming a golden ring. They pulled Li Fan's figure in the air like a golden snake, moving in the opposite direction to evade the pursuit of the blue sword net!

Meanwhile, without being held back by Li Fan, Yuepo also unleashed her sword speed, accelerating her rampage!

A streak of silver light shot straight into the moonlit sky, as if a strong light had pierced through the clouds, cutting Daotong them and instantly penetrating the heavens!

From above the clouds came a 'crack' sound, like the sound of glass breaking. The rain clouds shattered instantly like a broken mirror, revealing a sword immortal sitting on the back of a crane, dressed in celestial shoes and sashes, making hand seals and performing magic. He was a true immortal from Penglai!

"Wow! What a sword! What skill!"

The Penglai Sword Immortal in the sky was greatly surprised, clearly not expecting that his opponent could detect his hiding place and shatter his magic weapon with a single sword strike. At this moment, his left hand was still forming a sword incantation, while his right hand flicked, replacing the shattered glass mirror in his hand with a wide-mouthed celadon cup, which he tossed from the sky, catching the moonlight Sword Light falling towards his head!

With a series of clear, tinkling sounds, the moonlight was enveloped by the jade cup. The sword pellet, like a pearl, struck the jade cup, rolled around with a tinkling sound, and spun rapidly inside, bouncing up and down and left and right!

"Golden Dragon White Star! Go!" Seeing that Yue Po was trapped, Li Fan immediately released the Golden Dragon White Star, which went straight for the Penglai sword cultivator. He then used the Ice River Escape to continue fighting amidst the Sword Light that had almost formed a net.

However, Golden Dragon White Star's sword speed was slightly slower. The Penglai Sword Immortal's eyes were half-closed, and he didn't even glance at the other two golden lights that were attacking. He just kept chanting and making hand seals with both hands, still suppressing Yue Po on one side and setting up a sword formation on the other. The crane beneath him let out a cry and took off into the sky! The golden light of the two swords couldn't catch up with him for a while!

Damn, three Nascent Soul Stage flying swords combined with my escape technique is already my limit. Being chased by the Sword Light, I have no chance to stop and use the Taiyin Sword Art! What should I do? Should I take the sword head-on and rush in for close combat? This carbonized skin is impervious to blades and spears that can block Golden Core cultivators, but I probably can't withstand damage from Nascent Soul Stage level cultivators. Should I use the Qiongqi Dao Body and sacrifice my life...?

However, in the blink of an eye, before Li Fan could even come up with a reliable solution, the situation suddenly changed!

A series of soft ringing sounds rang out, followed by a crisp "ping" as a crack suddenly appeared in the jade cup magic treasure. In the next instant, it exploded into specks of blue light and shattered!

The sword pellet, Moon Soul, shimmered like a firefly in the gradually widening pupils of the Penglai Sword Immortal, emitting a milky white, cool moonlight. Then, it drew a silver line across the night sky, piercing straight into his pupils.

Li Fan's mood improved slightly.

Holy crap... he killed him with a single sword strike...

Although Li Fan knew that a flying sword could kill someone in just one or two strikes, he was still somewhat shocked to see the corpse of the Penglai immortal falling from the sky, his head severed from his body.

The crane let out a mournful cry, swooped down, and endured the Golden Dragon White Star's slash, which slashed it twice, turning its feathers crimson. Despite the pain, it still carried its master's corpse, picked up its master's head, and flew away.

The sword net that had been chasing Li Fan vanished instantly, its Sword Light and shadow dissipating, turning into a streak of blue light that streaked across the sky and disappeared without a trace.

Hiss... Is this the power of a first-grade sword pellet...?

The silvery moonlight swirled and flew back, circling around Li Fan and enveloping him with Sword Light. In comparison, the Golden Dragon White Star truly seemed to be flying back as leisurely as a dragonfly...

Moon Soul said arrogantly, "I never imagined that someone in this world could actually forge the Taiyin Sword Ghost God's Treasury... Fine, your talent is indeed rare, it would be a real shame to waste it. This time, I'll make an exception and lend it to you! Humph!"

... Is the Five Luo Sword Ghosts so difficult to forge?

The Moon Soul had won a decisive victory, slaying a true Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. Seemingly in a good mood, it kept talking incessantly, "Difficult to refine? This Divine Hidden Sword Ghost is a technique that successive sect leaders comprehended from the Heavenly Book. By separating the primordial spirit and refining it into a sword ghost, it can lend its full sword power to our weapon spirit, achieving the state of oneness between man and sword! This is the first step to reaching the pinnacle of sword intent! Most people can't even take this step in their entire lives!"

However, among the Nine Qi of Taiji, there are more Cultivation Method and flying swords based on the Five Qi of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, there are also members of the Five Luo Sword Ghosts Treasure Society. But the four luminaries—Taiyin, Taiyang, Rahu, Ketu —all require the assistance of celestial power. Therefore, the secret refining methods for these four luminaries are all derived from the principles of Qi. As for the Taiyin Divine Treasure Sword Ghost, I have never heard of anyone successfully refining it...

In short, these nine divine treasures are the secret cultivation methods of my Beichen Sword Sect to complete the Nine Luminaries Sword Scripture, the Nine Luminaries Divine Sword Secrets. Where did you obtain these secret scrolls? Didn't the Sun Essence Sword say that the outlines of the Sun and Moon divine treasures are with Brother Yan? Did you obtain his inheritance? What else did you obtain? Don't you think there are any Cultivation Method suitable for the Moon Sword Infant to practice among them?"

Uh... there is something called the <North Star Taiyin Ice Wheel True Explanation>...

"You possess the <North Star Taiyin Ice Wheel True Explanation>! Isn't that the most suitable for cultivating the Taiyin Divine Sword? Why don't you practice it!? And what is that purple Nascent Soul Stage in your Divine Court! Does it have some kind of sword technique or supernatural power to complement it?"

... Maybe... we could add a bit of mood.

Moon Soul, "???"

Sigh, when you're adding skill points to level up, who knows if you'll find some amazing gear later... Oh well! We'll worry about that later! Let's get through this first!

Li Fan's method of killing the Penglai Immortal with a single sword strike terrified all the low-level cultivators nearby. For a moment, no one dared to surround him, and they made way for him.

But Li Fan didn't expect that he couldn't directly enter the mountain. The Moon Soul Sword Light swept around the mountaintop three times, but couldn't land, so he had to stop.

Li Fan was shocked, "What's going on!"

Even Yuepo was startled, "Why can't I get in! Are you not in the calamity?"

Li Fan was furious. "Huh? How come I'm not caught in the calamity?! I get calamities everywhere I go, why am I the only one not caught in one?!"

The Moon Spirit was also angry, "You're asking me? Who should I ask?! Humph!"

Are you kidding me? Are we supposed to take the shortcut and turn into a Kun to jump in again? That would mean we'd spend ages fighting and still not reach the mood cap! We haven't even entered the dungeon yet, and the genuine Penglai Sword Immortal elite monsters have already spawned at the entrance. Going in and killing a bunch of True Cultivator, only to gain a little bit of mood from each one, would be such a waste!

"Damn it! Is it because the wooden token alone isn't enough?! It's all Baldy's fault!" Li Fan was furious. Then, he looked up and saw a black triple star formation not far away. Cough cough, three experts dressed in black night clothes, cloaks covering their faces, hiding their heads and tails, were like three spinning tops, rushing and crashing through the immortal soldier killing formation, flattening and beating the soldiers and generals in the sky, knocking them all down from the clouds, yet not a single one of them died.

Incidentally, although they were dressed in black robes, masks, and straw hats, their appearance clearly indicated that one was a young man—one with dark skin and the other with long eyebrows—making them quite distinctive and easy to identify...

"It's them! Cut off the one with the long eyebrows!" As soon as Li Fan finished speaking, Yue Po had already swung her sword, aiming at the masked cultivator he had casually pointed to from the side! The Sword Light circled around the head and then returned, the sword wind carrying back two strands of eyebrows.

"Holy crap! You really only brought back two clumps of hair?!"

"Didn't you want eyebrows? If you want your head, just say you want your head!"

"Ah, forget it! I'll save my sword energy and do it myself! Hey old man! Your eyebrows are in my hands! If you don't want anything to happen to them, give me an iron token to use! Otherwise, the next sword will be your head!" Li Fan roared and charged forward.

"Hmph! Let this old man experience your superior skills! Dragon Whirlwind Palm!" The old monk, whose eyebrows had been shaved off by a sword and now had short eyebrows, was greatly shocked and enraged. He rushed forward with a streak of light and struck with a palm at close range.

"Ghost Hand!" This time, Li Fan didn't bother with any tricks and just slapped him with all his might.

With a loud "bang!", Short Eyebrows coughed up blood and flew backward, both arms snapping off.

Actually, this monk's skill was not bad either, and his combat power was comparable to that of Martial God. However, compared to those Super Greater Chi demons strengthened by the newly refined corpse pills, his strength was ultimately inferior. Moreover, he did not use his full strength at the beginning, probably because he was holding back. It is unknown whether he had a backup plan or was afraid of killing the person. In any case, he suffered a hidden loss in the palm strike.

"Have mercy! The cloak... Subduing Demon Technique!" The young cultivator flung his cloak out, using it to support his junior brother and dissipate the domineering force emanating from him.

Li Fan didn't have time to waste words with them. He caught up and rushed forward, reaching straight for the short-browed man's waist token and iron command arrow.

The disguised black monk also quickly rushed over to cover his fellow disciple, his iron claws reaching for Li Fan's head!

"Eagle Claw Technique!"

"Ghost Hand!"

Li Fan wielded his claws and exchanged two moves with the black-skinned monk. The gusts of wind clashed together like knives. It must be said that this Eagle Claw Technique Gao Ming ruthless and skillful, far more refined than the Ghost Hand technique that the mountain lord casually used to grab heads. Therefore, the black monk was indeed able to hold out for two rounds thanks to his superb claw skills.

But his skill was still a little lacking, not to mention that Li Fan's entire body was covered in charcoal skin, making him impervious to blades and spears. So the two grappled with each other seven or eight times, tearing their sleeves in the process. Li Fan's arms were covered in white scratches, while the black monk fought so hard that all ten fingers of both hands were broken, and he was sent flying by Li Fan's claw!

"Junior brother! Wei Tuo isn't... the Opening Stele Palm!" Fa Jue had just saved one junior brother when he saw another flying out. He quickly bit his tongue and jumped out, spreading his arms wide and unleashing a barrage of Veda Palm.

But how could a trick that had been used once in front of Li Fan possibly work again?

"Ghost Hand!" It's still Ghost Hand, same old formula, but Li Fan added a little technique. Not bad, your Eagle Claw Technique was pretty good just now, but now it's my Eagle Claw Technique.

Li Fan's hands moved like ghostly claws, incorporating the black monk's powerful variations into his own Ghost Hand. He deflected the force of the Veda Palm, finding a weakness in the signature moves of the Veda Palm that he had memorized after only one encounter. With a palm strike to the chest, he Fa Jue flying with a "poof!"

"Senior brother!" x2

"Cough cough cough cough! Okay, okay, stop fighting, you're strong, we surrender..." Fa Jue's protective divine skill was still powerful; he was able to get up and speak even after taking a palm strike from Li Fan to the chest.

"Ironclad Order!"

Seeing that these three bald men weren't too bad, Li Fan decided not to go all out and push the limit. He grabbed the five iron tokens that Fa Jue had thrown at him and shouted, "Flying Sword!"

Then Li Fan transformed into a streak of silver light, soared into the sky, circled the mountain five times, and then landed.

Li Fan grabbed Fa Jue by the collar and lifted him up, "Why can't you get in?! Don't delay my tribulation!"

Fa Jue was bewildered, "... Huh? Are they rushing to face this tribulation?"

The man with short eyebrows coughed and said, "Does Your Excellency intend to enter the mountains to rescue the Ruler of Xun Country?"

The black-robed monk frowned. "Then why did he kill the reinforcements from Zhen Country...?"

"Stop talking nonsense! So how do we get in?"

"Well, the person in charge has already set up three layers of formations outside to block reinforcements from entering the mountain. Not only are there Iron Token Envoys blocking the way, but we also have to break through three formations and obtain three jade tokens before we can enter..."

"Ugh! This is too much trouble! Fine! If we can't make money, we can't make money! Exorcising demons is the priority! You all better get as far away as possible! If you don't want your evil spirit to transform into Devil Embryo, don't come near us again tonight!"

Li Fan discarded the Fa Jue, rode the Sword Light straight to the foot of the mountain, retrieved the Moon Soul, rolled on the spot and transformed into Li Kun.

Moon Soul, "... You can also turn into a fish?"

"I can transform into many things! And this isn't a fish! It's a Kun!"

As Li Kun said this, he sprang into the mountains.