Reinforcements

This is the trouble with dealing with people rather than demons.

With a demon, you can recognize it at a single glance, but with a person, you know their face but not their heart.

This Lu Xing, her skill at concealing her aura was truly formidable. Li Fan had laid his cards on the table and provoked her so openly, trying to force her into a misstep, ideally into attacking him.

But to his surprise, Lu Xing showed no reaction at all. She even managed to display just the right amount of shock—'How could this be, it's really like this'—and the grievance of 'you're wronging me.' When she came back to keep watch after a long while, she showed not the slightest hint of anything amiss in front of Zhang He. As if Li Fan had only been having an ordinary conversation with her, and she hadn't taken it to heart.

Regardless, Li Fan figured that faced with his interrogation, she would be on high alert and would probably not make any move to harm Fuling for now, lest she draw unwanted attention.

That way, Fuling's safety could be set aside for the short term, and Li Fan's next task was to find a way to confirm matters concerning Yuan Xuanbao.

Unfortunately, rescuing Yuan Xuanbao was not something he could accomplish with his current strength alone; he would have to wait for reinforcements to take charge.

Fortunately, around midnight, reinforcements from the Ink Bamboo Mountain Sect finally arrived.

There were only two people in the reinforcement party—two Real Persons.

The black-robed Lou Guan Dao Nascent Soul Real Persons, one tall and one short, one black and one white, one thin and one fat, one with an iron-gray face and one like a smiling Buddha, like a comedy duo, descended together on sword light into the formation.

Real Person Yan came out personally to greet them. Li Fan naturally followed the crowd in making a series of bows and salutations.

The tall, dark, horse-faced one, unsmiling and stern, was Real Person Wei, the disciplinary officer of Lou Guan Dao, who had come to inspect the corpse and Devil Embryo. He directly collected the coffin placed in the nunnery hall into his sleeve.

And the fat, round-faced white one, with a kindly demeanor, was Real Person Yao, the current superintendent of Lou Guan Dao's miscellaneous affairs and the personal disciple of the sect leader.

"Is this the number one expert of the Nascent Soul Realm in Lou Guan Dao..." Li Fan was a bit skeptical. Though one shouldn't judge by appearances, this Real Person Yao looked just like some rice shop owner, with none of the immortal swordsman aesthetic at all.

And honestly, it wasn't just Real Person Yao. The four Nascent Soul cultivators Li Fan had seen from Lou Guan Dao—Wei, Yan, Liang, and Yao—all had very down-to-earth appearances. Zhang Jiugao was similarly unkempt, but as one could tell from Zhang He, the Zhang Family's foundation was simply too handsome, barely propping up a hint of immortal elegance through sheer baseline charm...

Speaking of sword intent, was this Real Person Yao stronger than Real Person Liang?

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, need to observe more. Being formidable in sword combat doesn't necessarily mean the highest cultivation; it could also be that the flying sword is exceptionally powerful. Or perhaps rich experience. No rush, let's see first.'

Now that the presiding Real Person Yao had arrived, a pre-war meeting was naturally called for everyone to exchange intelligence.

So Real Person Yan and Lu Xing came forward to explain again. And upon closer comparison, some things became clear.

For instance, why the Nangong Immortal Family was gritting its teeth to shelter the heretics of Tiantai Mountain, willing to fall out with Ink Bamboo Mountain right now.

Because someone from the Nangong Family was also enjoying themselves in the Devil's Lair on Tiantai Mountain, and happened to be caught red-handed, even personally acquainted with Real Person Yan. They simply tore off all pretense, detained a group of Ink Bamboo Mountain disciples, and demanded that all the captured corpses be returned. After all, using living people to refine corpses—if solid evidence were obtained and spread abroad—would inevitably invite condemnation from the Three Great Sects, branding them as demonic cultists and drawing a siege from the entire world. And Ink Bamboo Mountain, naturally, couldn't just abandon over a dozen disciples and walk away.

"They even used the Divine Fire Cover? That's simple enough. I'll have a discussion with that Nangong fellow. Winner takes all, isn't that right?" Real Person Yao asked with a smile, speaking slowly and deliberately.

Real Person Yan hesitated, then glanced at Zhang Jiugao.

Zhang Jiugao stepped forward and said, "Real Person, please allow me to explain. The direct descendant of the Nangong Family in Tiantai Mountain is named Nangong Wuchen. Years ago, Jiugao destroyed his physical body, but unfortunately he escaped, successfully reincarnated through sword dissolution, and even cultivated to the Nascent Soul Realm. However, perhaps because he had just broken through and his Dao base was shallow, he was engaging in dual cultivation on Tiantai Mountain when Senior Brother Yan encountered him and severely wounded his vitality."

Real Person Yao wore an expression of understanding, still speaking slowly, "Oh, Wuchen... I see. That means he won't come to face me in person. The Nangong Family will send someone else, won't they?"

"Exactly. They likely agreed to a sword duel just to buy time to find reinforcements. That Nangong Wuchen is the one hundred and forty-ninth son of the Immortal King. He might seek help from his brothers..."

Before Zhang Jiugao could finish, a sudden thunderclap sounded from outside.

Boom, boom, boom-boom-boom!

The thunder drew closer, shaking heaven and earth. The crowd hurried out of the hall to look, and saw the skyline awash with golden light, lightning serpents writhing wildly, clouds piled like city walls, wind rolling and clouds unfurling, pressing down from the firmament. In moments, it crashed overhead with irresistible force.

Heavenly soldiers and generals, golden-armored warriors, arrayed in ranks, banners touching the sky, horns and drums sounding in unison, displaying gleaming blades and swords—a thousand rays of cold light piled like snow, dawn colors stirring the banners on three sides.

Kua Fu giants beat the Kui Niu Drum, nine peals bringing gale-force winds, torrential rain, lightning and thunder, shaking the land for five hundred li.

Three battle formations stood left, center, and right, fully armed with divine armor and shining weapons—five hundred Foundation Establishment Realm body-refining heavenly soldiers each. Behind them, six Coiled Dragons pulled a chariot, dragging a mobile palace from the piled clouds at the zenith.

At the palace's heavenly gate, a hundred Golden Core Realm feathered guards stood watch, each with plumes fluttering, riding divine steeds with sweat-blooded crimson manes, fierce and extraordinary. These Golden Core guards were all handsome men and beautiful women, elegant and valiant, with two bright flames rising from their shoulders like phoenix wings, their fire-feathered red plumes echoing in unison, dazzling and splendid.

On the palace's terraces, six faint flames flickered indistinctly, like stars hanging overhead, their brilliance blinding, their forms unclear—naturally, all were Nascent Soul Realm grand cultivators.

From the high pavilions, one could hear bells chiming, metal striking, ethereal music wafting, zithers and harps harmonizing, as if a lantern-lit dance party were in full swing, radiant with color.

And honestly, with this kind of setup, they might really be holding a victory banquet.

"..." Li Fan craned his neck to look at the celestial palace's momentum in the sky, then turned his head to survey his own side's lineup.

Real Person Yao, Real Person Wei, Real Person Yan—three in total. Zhang Jiugao had brought six people, and Lu Xing's side had about thirty. All together, fewer than fifty. And at this moment, the group of Foundation Establishment cultivators were still in meditation around the alchemy furnace, recovering from the internal injuries sustained in the previous great battle. It was also clear that these people, stuck at the threshold of the Golden Core Stage for many years, were indeed of mediocre talent...

And they still wanted a sword duel? Even if most of the enemy were clearly ceremonial guards, one spit from each of them would drown this side, wouldn't it? The gap in combat power was a bit too large...

Real Person Yao smiled. "The Nangong Family came in quite a hurry, arriving just after midnight to keep the appointment, putting on these little shows. It seems they don't intend to have a proper sword duel. Fortunately, I arrived a step early. I'll go say hello."

As he spoke, a black sword like a crow's feather fell from his sleeve. The blade seemed to freeze in midair for an instant, then spun violently around Real Person Yao's plump body, wrapping him entirely in a black wind sphere. In a flash of golden light and lightning, the black sphere shot into the sky, trailing a beam of gold, bursting out of Ink Bamboo Mountain's formation to meet the heavenly army.

Just him alone, no problem? Profound Heaven Sword Intent, did you see anything?

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, no rush. Let's watch a bit more.'

So Li Fan shaded his eyes and gazed into the distance. On the celestial palace's terraces, six streaks of light also floated up, accompanied by sharp, high-pitched flute and zither music, welcoming Real Person Yao's golden light. It seemed to push the sword duel's atmosphere to its climax!

Seven points of starlight seemed to face off in the sky for a moment, probably exchanging trash talk according to international convention before the duel.

Li Fan strained his eyes, sharpening his vision to the utmost, and stared for a moment. Then he saw Real Person Yao's golden light seem to flicker once, and in the next frame, the other six points of starlight in the sky went out.

Eh?

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, Ooh—this level is actually pretty decent.'

Then the golden light swept down. Real Person Yao was holding six beautiful heads—male, female, male, male, female, male—and said to Real Person Wei, "I'm done negotiating. It's rare that they sent so much meat. Senior Brother, sorry for disturbing your early seclusion. Don't stand on ceremony."

Eh? Not... it's over?

Li Fan stared at the head in his hand, identical to the ones with bulging eyes and gaping mouths, his mind not yet catching up.

No one reacted, not even the celestial music on the tower still blaring away, the climax not yet over.

But Real Person Wei had already nodded coldly, pulled a black gourd from his sleeve, uncorked it, and chanted a spell with hand seals. A patch of black cloud rose from the gourd, shooting straight up into the clouds like an arrow, exploding with a boom into thousands of black arrows that swept toward the heavenly soldiers and generals on the celestial court, who clearly had no idea what was happening. In an instant, the sky was covered in dark clouds, and no one could escape.

Real Person Wei himself spread his arms like a great crow and soared into the sky, charging straight into the cloud-wrapped layer to slaughter (feast).

The thunderous roar of the Kui Niu Drum and the lingering celestial music from the tower stopped in an instant. From the clouds, one could occasionally glimpse some terrifyingly massive form rolling about, revealing only claws and scales, accompanied by faint, horrified screams. Blood rain began to pour down from the sky, along with shredded flesh and bone fragments splattering everywhere, filling the entire peak of Tiantai Mountain with a stench of blood.

Real Person Yao raised the head in his hand toward Real Person Yan and asked, "Junior Brother Yan, is Nangong Wuchen among these?"

Zhang Jiugao and Real Person Yan carefully examined it and shook their heads in unison. "He should still be holed up in the temple."

Real Person Yao let out a relieved laugh. "Good, then you two handle the rest."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." "Thank you, Real Person Yao."

Then Zhang Jiugao said to the stunned Li Fan and Zhang He, "I'll go ahead and block the retreat of the demon horde so they don't scatter. You two follow Xuanji. Senior Brother Yan will bring the other disciples to reinforce us later."

He must have taken some kind of pill, because he was incredibly brave, driven by a blood feud, charging ahead alone on his flying sword and disappearing into the distance.

...Huh? Wait, is it really over just like that?

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, now you know. Compared to flying swords, other cultivation methods are just trash.'

Li Fan thought, Holy shit! They really are trash! Calling them trash is an insult to trash! What's the point of learning so many techniques? In a sword duel like this, you get one-shot instantly, completely useless!

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, but to be fair, the gap in strength here is too big. Four of those six heads were just furnace cauldrons padding the numbers, and the other two were waste products from the celestial palace relying on bloodline dual cultivation. Against someone of Yao Xuanzhou's caliber, he can be rated around third-grade in the Beichen Sword Sect. How could they possibly block him? And they even dared to come challenge him with drums and gongs—they brought humiliation upon themselves.

In This Seat's opinion, Ink Bamboo Mountain has been hiding too deep. Claiming to be ranked in the top ten might even be modest...'

Wait, only around third-grade?? Sword Intent, your standards are way too strict!

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, the main issue is that his sword isn't good enough. It's clearly an imitation refined after the Black Sword, barely making it into the ranks. Giving him a comprehensive third-grade rating is already fair.

Back in the day, he might have roamed the world unchallenged and barely qualified to be This Seat's disciple. But in this era, with no shortage of Heavenly Treasures, if he runs into core disciples from truly top sects wielding heavy treasures, he'll definitely suffer.'

Holy shit, has combat power already inflated this ridiculously?

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, Host need not worry. Once you reach the Golden Core stage and unlock This Seat's flying sword, you'll literally be unmatched among your peers. For now, just mess around with gold liquid, fire oil, ballistae, and the like. It'll be lonely when you're invincible later.'

...Your version's flying swords are way too imbalanced...

What the hell are those things anyway? Are they really 'swords'?

But there was no time to think. Xuanji the Hermit drove the flying boat straight to the peak of Tiantai Mountain, and Li Fan and Zhang He stood boldly at the bow to watch. After all, Yao Xuanzhou was standing right there too—cough, he only said 'handle it yourselves,' not 'I'm leaving and washing my hands of it.' With a super big shot tagging along for leveling, what was there to fear?

In less than half an incense stick's time, the group arrived to find a bloody mess at the mountain gate, with several bald heads rolling down the steps. It was clear Zhang Jiugao had already fought a battle, driving the demon monks who had tried to flee the temple back inside.

Now, the sword rainbow he had transformed into was circling above Luo Temple, forming a golden ring. From time to time, a red electric serpent would flash out, cutting in half any monk or novice trying to sneak out of the temple.

After all, the heretics in the temple were at most at the Golden Core Stage, and no flying sword could outrun an infant soul-level Chi Qiu. Seeing the tide turn, they tried to flee the formation together, but were quickly caught and severed by the sword light one by one. The rest had no choice but to hole up inside the formation.

Of course, holing up wouldn't last long either. The three scattered cultivators activated their magic treasures. Xuanji's hairpin rose into the air, its pearl pendants glowing like white-hot bulbs, emitting tens of thousands of rays that shone onto the formation above the temple, melting holes into it like water.

"The Golden Core experts have retreated to the inner hall. I'll go wipe them out! You break the outer bandits first, then rescue the trapped disciples!" Seeing the barrier broken, Zhang Jiugao roared, flicked his sleeve to retrieve the Chi Qiu sword, and shot into Luo Temple like the wind.

The others also made their moves.

Qingguo's olive jade hammer plunged down, cleanly cracking open the skulls of the demon monks guarding the formation, smashing their heads to bits and completely destroying the forbidden formation.

Meanwhile, Jinzao's spittoon slowly floated down, shining a red light on people's heads, and with a flash, it peeled off their skin. The skinned, blood-red human forms fled in panic and screams, only to be cut down by the Chi Qiu sword, which flashed red as it pierced through them, burning them into dry wood and charcoal.

Even Zhang He threw his jade sword, stabbing down and slicing off two bald heads in the courtyard.

Li Fan watched from the side and decided not to bother showing off his bed crossbow.

This was really too much. A top-grade flying sword with a realm advantage was just a massacre, holy shit!

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, Host misunderstands. That Chi Qiu isn't top-grade; it barely qualifies as seventh-grade lower. So strictly speaking, any flying sword that has entered the ranks can massacre.'

Absolutely insane...

Li Fan didn't want to watch this one-sided slaughter anymore. With magic treasures blasting everywhere, jumping in as a close-range fighter would just be feeding kills to his allies. So he smoothly sidled up to the big shot, Real Person Yao, and offered him tea.

Yao Xuanzhou was quite polite and even asked, "What's the boy's name? Are you Master Zhang's disciple?"

"This humble one is Li Qingyue, an attendant under Real Person Wanshu. Seeing Real Person Yao's sword duel today fills me with utmost admiration and respect. Please, have some tea, Real Person."

"Oh, it's you. I see." Yao Xuanzhou smiled at him. "I haven't reached the threshold in my cultivation yet. Give me another two years to refine, and I'll come discuss the Dao with you, young friend.

What, aren't you going to make a move and earn some fortune?"

Li Fan poured him more tea. "Real Person Yao, you're too kind. This humble one only came because a friend is trapped. Now that the demon cultivators below are mostly dealt with, when will we go rescue our fellow disciples?"

Real Person Yao was in no hurry. "Since a trapping treasure like the Divine Fire Cover has been activated, it's safer to have a formation master well-versed in the Book of Changes dismantle it carefully. If we smash it recklessly with force, it might cause a disaster—scorching the land for a thousand li, burning mountains and cities, and bringing calamity to all living beings. Don't worry. Once Senior Brother Wei has eaten his fill, he'll go rescue the trapped disciples."

Li Fan felt a bit more at ease and offered tea again. "Coming to watch the sword duel today has truly opened my eyes and laid the foundation for my future life plans and development goals. It's immensely meaningful. I deeply appreciate your teachings, Real Person!

Also, I'd like to ask you, Real Person, how did you train such exquisite swordsmanship? Are there any secret techniques?"

Yao Xuanzhou waved his hand with a smile. "That's simple. Once you get a flying sword, don't be too precious about wearing it out. Just cut down more people. Break seventeen or eighteen of them, and you'll be about there. In a word—practice makes perfect."

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, That's the honest truth. Flying swords are never enough. Hmm? But where does Ink Bamboo Mountain get so many flying swords?'

Li Fan couldn't help but ask, "Real Person Yao, are you also a master sword forger? Did you forge all those flying swords just for practice?"

Yao Xuanzhou chuckled. "How could that be? I don't know any secret forging techniques. Back in the day, the Beichen Sword Sect's secret techniques were all snatched up by the Three Great Sects. We at Ink Bamboo Mountain never got a turn."

Now I only have this one left, and it was painstakingly crafted by our sect—its quality is barely passable, truly no match for those ancient sects. If not for an occasion as grand as the sword duel, I wouldn't bear to use it now.

Thinking back, it was still my great fortune back in my Golden Core Stage, when I was wandering through Lei Marsh and stumbled upon two cases of flying swords of decent quality. That's how I got the chance to practice with flying swords and elevate my sword techniques to this level—truly a rare opportunity, hahaha!"

Profound Heaven Sword Intent thought, oh, I see, that really is some good luck! For a sword immortal, being able to pick up flying swords for free and start practicing during the Golden Core Stage is truly a heaven-sent opportunity, hahaha! This Seat knows that if a sword cultivator disciple could get such a chance, they'd be overjoyed, hahaha! Ha... what the hell!

Li Fan, "..."

Profound Heaven Sword Intent thought, H-H-Host, don't panic, don't panic, maybe, possibly, who knows, it's become popular in recent years to hide flying swords in Lei Marsh...

Yao Xuanzhou sighed with emotion as he sipped his tea, "I really wonder which senior of the Beichen Sword Sect had the whim to hide so many flying swords in that remote corner of Lei Marsh for future generations. Without those two cases of flying swords, perhaps Xuanzhou wouldn't have achieved what I have today. If I ever meet them, I'd truly want to thank them properly."

Profound Heaven Sword Intent, Li Fan, "..."

This book is purely fictional, for entertainment purposes only. Thank you to all the readers for your support.