Reinforcements

This was what made dealing with people more troublesome than dealing with demons.

You could recognize a demon at a glance, but you couldn't tell what someone was really like just by looking at them.

Lu Xing was truly skilled at keeping her composure. Li Fan had practically laid his cards on the table and tried to provoke her into losing her cool, hoping she'd let her guard down—ideally by attacking him.

But who could have guessed that Lu Xing wouldn't react at all? She even managed to look appropriately shocked, as if to say, "How could this happen?" and aggrieved, as if to say, "You've wronged me." When she returned to take her turn on night watch a good while later, she didn't show the slightest sign of unease in front of Zhang He. It was as if Li Fan had merely made ordinary conversation with her and she hadn't taken it to heart.

At any rate, Li Fan figured she would be extremely wary after his interrogation. She probably wouldn't do anything to harm Fuling for the time being, lest she attract unwanted attention.

That meant Fuling's safety wasn't something he needed to worry about in the short term. Next, Li Fan had to find a way to confirm what was happening with Yuan Xuanbao.

Unfortunately, rescuing Yuan Xuanbao was beyond what he could do with his current abilities. He'd have to wait for reinforcements to take charge.

Fortunately, reinforcements from Ink Bamboo Mountain arrived around midnight.

There were only two of them, both Real Persons.

The two Nascent Soul Real Persons from Lou Guan wore black Daoist robes. One was tall, one short; one was dark, one pale; one thin, one fat. One had a grim, bluish face, while the other looked like a smiling Buddha. They seemed like a comedy duo as they rode Sword Lights down into the formation together.

Real Person Yan personally went out to welcome them, and Li Fan naturally followed the others in greeting them with a bow.

The tall, dark man with the horse-like face and stern expression was Real Person Wei, who handled discipline at Lou Guan. He had come to investigate the evil corpse and Devil Embryo. He immediately collected the coffin from the convent into his sleeve.

The other was a round-faced, fair, chubby man with a rather genial appearance. He was Real Person Yao, the temple supervisor currently in charge of Lou Guan's miscellaneous affairs and the sect master's direct disciple.

"So this is Lou Guan's strongest Nascent Soul cultivator..." Li Fan was a little skeptical. People couldn't be judged by their appearance, but Real Person Yao looked like the owner of a rice shop. He didn't seem the least bit like someone out of a xianxia story.

And honestly, it wasn't just Real Person Yao. The four Nascent Soul cultivators Li Fan had encountered from Lou Guan—Wei, Yan, Liang, and Yao—all looked remarkably down-to-earth. Zhang Jiugao was much the same, actually rather unkempt. But Zhang He made it clear that the Zhang Family simply had such good looks that they could barely manage an air of transcendence. Their looks alone were carrying them...

Speaking of Sword Intent, was Real Person Yao stronger than Real Person Liang?

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says it needs to take another look. Being good at sword duels doesn't necessarily mean one has the highest cultivation. He might have an especially powerful flying sword, or particularly seasoned experience. No need to rush. Let's watch first.

With Real Person Yao, the person in charge, now present, they naturally had to hold a pre-battle meeting to discuss and exchange information.

So Real Person Yan and Lu Xing came forward again to explain what had happened. As they compared details, some things became clear.

For instance, why had the Nangong Immortal Family stubbornly come out to protect the evil cultivators at Tiantai Mountain, even going so far as to turn against Ink Bamboo Mountain now?

Because someone from the Nangong Family was enjoying himself in Tiantai Mountain's demonic lair, and had been caught in the act. He also happened to know Real Person Yan, so he had simply dropped all pretense and detained a group of Ink Bamboo Mountain disciples, demanding that they return all the evil corpses they had obtained. After all, if they had solid evidence that living people were being refined into corpses, and word got out, the Three Great Sects would condemn them as a demonic cult, provoking the people of the world to attack them. Ink Bamboo Mountain, for its part, couldn't just abandon more than a dozen disciples and turn around to leave.

"They even used a Divine Fire Cover? Then this is simple. I'll have a contest with the Nangong Family's representative. The winner takes all. Is that right?" Real Person Yao asked slowly, smiling.

Real Person Yan hesitated, then glanced at Zhang Jiugao.

Zhang Jiugao stepped forward. "Please allow me to explain, Real Person. The Nangong direct descendant at Tiantai Mountain is called Nangong Wuchen. I crippled his body years ago, but unfortunately he escaped, successfully used body dissolution to reincarnate, and cultivated all the way to the Nascent Soul Realm. But perhaps he had only just broken through and his cultivation was still shallow. He was gathering essence at Tiantai Mountain when Senior Brother Yan ran into him and severely damaged his vitality."

Real Person Yao looked as if he understood. He continued in the same unhurried tone, "Oh, Wuchen... I see. So he won't come challenge me himself, and the Nangong Family will send someone else, is that it?"

"Precisely. I imagine they arranged the sword duel to find more help. Nangong Wuchen is the Immortal King's one hundred and forty-ninth son. Perhaps he'll call on one of his brothers..."

Before Zhang Jiugao could finish, a rumble of thunder suddenly came from outside.

Boom, boom, boom-boom-boom!

The thunder drew nearer, shaking heaven and earth. Everyone hurried out of the hall to look. They saw golden light in the distance, lightning snakes dancing wildly, and dense clouds rolling together like a city wall. Wind and clouds churned as they pressed down from the open sky. In moments, they swept over them with irresistible force.

There were celestial soldiers and generals, armored warriors in golden armor, arrayed in ranks beneath banners that blotted out the sky. Horns and drums blared in unison. Their gleaming blades and swords shone with myriad icy lights, while the dawn light stirred the banners on three sides.

The giant warriors beat the Kui Niu Drum. Nine booms unleashed raging wind and rain, flashes of lightning, and thunder that shook everything within five hundred miles.

The forces were arrayed in three formations, left, center, and right, all fully armed with sturdy armor and divine weapons. Five hundred body-tempering celestial soldiers at the Foundation Establishment Stage stood in each formation, their radiance blazing. Behind them, six Coiled Dragons pulled a carriage, dragging a palace down from the clouds above.

On the palace's celestial gate stood a hundred Golden Core Stage imperial guards. Their feathered plumes fluttered, and beneath them pranced divine steeds with blood-red manes, all magnificent and imposing. These Golden Core imperial guards were all handsome men and beautiful women, graceful and valiant. Two bright flames rose from each of their shoulders, like phoenixes spreading their wings. Scarlet feathers answered one another in blazing waves of light—a dazzling sight.

On the palace's terraces, six more flickering flames could be seen, like stars suspended overhead, shining so brightly that their forms were indistinguishable. They were naturally great cultivators of the Nascent Soul Stage.

From far away, the sound of bells and striking metal drifted down from the palace pavilions, along with ethereal music and the harmonies of strings. The dazzling spectacle looked like a lantern-lit dance party.

Come to think of it, they might really have been holding a victory feast.

"..." Li Fan craned his neck to look at the Immortal Palace overhead, then turned to examine their own numbers.

There were Real Person Yao, Real Person Wei, and Real Person Yan; the six people Zhang Jiugao had brought; and about thirty people with Lu Xing. There were fewer than fifty of them in all. At that moment, a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators were still sitting around the pill furnace in meditation, cultivating. They were also treating the hidden injuries in their meridians from the earlier battle. It was clear enough that their aptitudes weren't all that impressive, given how many years they'd been stuck at the Golden Core threshold...

And they were going to duel? Even if most of the other side were just there for show, wouldn't they drown them in spit alone? The difference in strength was a little too great...

Real Person Yao smiled. "The Nangong Family came in a hurry, arriving just after midnight. They're putting on these little theatrics, so it seems they don't intend to hold a proper sword duel. Fortunately, I got here first. I'll go say hello."

As he spoke, a Black Sword like a crow's feather slipped from his sleeve. The blade seemed to freeze in midair for an instant, then spun wildly around Real Person Yao's plump body, enveloping him in a dark whirlwind. A flash of golden lightning followed. The black sphere flickered, shot into the sky, and streaked out of Ink Bamboo Mountain's formation toward the celestial army.

It was just him, so there was nothing to worry about, right? Profound Heaven Sword Intent, did you see anything?

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, no need to rush. Let's watch.

Li Fan shaded his eyes and looked into the distance. On the palace's terraces, six figures of light rose one after another and flew toward Real Person Yao's golden streak, accompanied by the piercing, soaring notes of flutes and zithers. It seemed the atmosphere of the sword duel had reached its climax!

Seven points of light appeared to face off in the sky for a moment. Presumably, in keeping with international custom, they were trading insults before the fight.

Li Fan widened his eyes and focused his vision. After staring for a moment, he saw Real Person Yao's golden light flicker. In the very next instant, the other six points of light went dark.

Huh?

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, ooh—his skill is pretty decent.

Then the golden light swept back down. Real Person Yao held six beautiful heads—men and women alike—and said to Real Person Wei, "I'm done talking. They even brought us so much meat. Senior Brother, you came out of seclusion early on my account, so don't hold back."

Huh? Wait... that was it?

Li Fan stared at the heads in his hands. They looked just like the others, their eyes wide and mouths agape. His brain still hadn't caught up.

No one else had caught on, either. Even the celestial music on the palace terraces was still playing away. It hadn't even stopped at its climax.

Real Person Wei gave a cold nod, then took a black gourd from his sleeve. He pulled out the stopper, formed a hand seal, and chanted an incantation. A cloud of black smoke surged from the gourd, shooting into the clouds like a sharp arrow before exploding with a boom. It split into thousands upon thousands of black bolts and swept toward the celestial soldiers and generals, who clearly had no idea what was happening. In an instant, dark clouds covered the sky, leaving no one a way to escape.

Real Person Wei spread his arms and shot into the sky like a giant crow, diving straight into the cloud-wrapped mass to slaughter—and feast on—them.

The thunder of the Kui Niu Drum and the ethereal music on the palace terraces stopped in an instant. From time to time, a terrifyingly huge shape could be seen tumbling in the clouds, revealing a claw or a patch of something. Faint cries of terror and agony drifted down. Then rain began to fall from the sky: bloody rain, bits of torn flesh and shattered bone pattering down. A foul stench spread across Tiantai Mountain.

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

Zhang Jiugao and Real Person Yan carefully examined them, then shook their heads. "He must still be lurking at the temple."

Real Person Yao smiled in what seemed like relief. "Good. Then you can deal with the rest."

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

Then Zhang Jiugao turned to Li Fan and Zhang He, both of whom were gaping in astonishment. "I'll go ahead and block the demons' escape route so they can't scatter. You two go with Xuanji. Senior Brother Yan will bring the other disciples to reinforce you shortly."

Perhaps he'd taken some kind of drug. He seemed to have a tremendous blood feud with them, and was remarkably brave. He flew ahead alone on his sword, heading straight for the front.

...Huh? Wait, was it really over already?

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, now you understand, right? Compared to flying swords, every other cultivation method is trash.

Li Fan could only think, holy crap! They really were trash! Calling them trash was an insult to trash. What was the point of learning so many cultivation methods? In a sword duel like that, you got killed in an instant. They didn't help at all!

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, though, to be fair, the difference in strength was enormous. Four of those six heads belonged to furnace cauldrons who'd been brought along to make up the numbers. The other two were wastes from the Immortal Palace, built up through bloodline-based dual cultivation. They wouldn't stand a chance against someone of Yao Xuanzhou's caliber. At the Beichen Sword Sect, he'd rank around third grade. How could they possibly stop him? And they had the nerve to come challenge him with such a big show. They brought humiliation upon themselves.

In this Seat's opinion, Ink Bamboo Mountain is just hiding its strength too well. Its claim to rank among the top ten might actually be modest...

Wait, people like him only ranked around third grade? Your standards are too strict, Sword Intent!

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, the main issue is that his sword isn't very good. It's clearly a replica forged in imitation of the Black Sword, and barely meets the standards for a ranked sword. Giving him an overall ranking of third grade is already quite fair.

In the past, he could probably have roamed the world undefeated and barely qualified to become a disciple of this Seat. But these days, Heavenly Treasures aren't scarce. If he ran into a true top sect and its core disciples wielding precious treasures, he'd definitely be at a disadvantage.

Holy crap, was the power creep really this absurd?

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, host, don't worry. Once you reach the Golden Core stage and unlock this Seat's flying sword, you'll literally be invincible among cultivators of the same realm. For now, just do whatever you like with the gunpowder, fire oil, and cannons. Once you're invincible, life will be pretty lonely.

...Flying swords in your version of the world are way too overpowered...

What even were those things? Were they really "swords"?

But there was no time to think about it. Hermit Xuanji piloted the flying boat straight to the summit of Tiantai Mountain with everyone aboard. Li Fan and Zhang He stood openly at the bow to watch. After all, Yao Xuanzhou was right there beside them. Ahem, he'd only said, "Leave it to you," not, "I'm leaving and won't help." With a super-high-level player along to carry them, what was there to fear?

Not even half a stick of incense later, the others arrived. The temple gates were a bloody mess, and several shaved heads had rolled down the steps. It was obvious that Zhang Jiugao had already fought a battle. The demonic monks who had seen the bloody rain from the clouds and tried to escape the temple had been driven back inside.

Now the sword rainbow that Zhang Jiugao had transformed into circled above Luo Temple, forming a golden ring. Every so often, a red lightning snake flashed out, cutting in half the monks and novices who tried to sneak out.

The evil cultivators inside the temple were at most at the Golden Core Stage. No matter how fast they were, they couldn't escape the Nascent Soul-level Red Dragon. Seeing that things were going badly, they all fled the formation together, but in the blink of an eye, the flying sword caught up with them one by one and cut them down. The rest had no choice but to stay trapped inside the formation with the gates shut.

Of course, staying behind closed doors wouldn't help for long. The three wandering cultivators raised their magic treasures. Xuanji's hairpin floated into the air, and the pearls hanging from it shone like incandescent bulbs, emitting countless rays of light. They poured onto the formation above the temple like water, opening one hole after another.

"The Golden Core cultivators have retreated into the inner hall. I'll go eliminate them! The rest of you, break through the outer defenses and wipe out the other bandits! Then go rescue the trapped disciples!" Seeing that the formation had been breached, Zhang Jiugao shouted. He swept his sleeve and recalled the Red Dragon Sword, then shot toward Luo Temple at breakneck speed.

The others also sprang into action.

Qingguo's olive-green jade hammer plunged down like a spear, cleanly smashing open the heads of the demonic monks guarding the formation one by one, shattering their skulls and breaking the array's restraints for good.

Jinzǎo's spittoon drifted down leisurely as well. It shone over a person's head, flashed red, and snatched away their skin in an instant. The figures, stripped down to bloody strips, fled in frantic screams, only to be caught by the Red Dragon Sword as it darted in and out among them, burning them into dried-up chunks of flesh and charcoal.

Zhang He even threw the jade sword in his hand. It plunged down and lopped off a couple of the shaved heads in the courtyard.

Li Fan watched from the side and decided not to take out his bed crossbow and embarrass himself.

This was just too much. An upper-grade flying sword with a realm advantage simply slaughtered everyone, holy crap!

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, host, you misunderstand. The Red Dragon isn't an upper-grade sword. It only barely counts as a seventh-grade sword, so to be precise, any flying sword with a rank can slaughter them.

This was utterly insane...

Li Fan didn't want to watch such a one-sided slaughter, either. Magic treasures were raining down everywhere, and if he jumped in as a close-combat fighter, he'd just be giving his allies another body to trip over. So he took the familiar route and went over to serve tea to the big shot, Real Person Yao.

Yao Xuanzhou was quite polite. He even asked, "What's your name, young lad? Are you Master Zhang's disciple?"

"This junior is Li Qingyue, an attendant of Real Person Wanshu. Seeing you duel with swords today has filled me with admiration. I'm truly in awe, Real Person. Please have some tea."

"Oh, it's you. I remember now." Yao Xuanzhou smiled at him. "I haven't quite reached the threshold of cultivation yet. I'll refine my skills for another two years, then come find you to discuss the Dao."

"What, aren't you going to fight and earn some fortune?"

Li Fan refilled his tea. "Real Person Yao, you're too kind. I only came because a friend of mine was trapped. The evil cultivators below have nearly all been wiped out. When should we go rescue our fellow disciples?"

Real Person Yao wasn't in a hurry. "Once a restraining treasure like the Divine Fire Cover has been activated, it's safest to have a formation master skilled in numerology break it. If someone rushes in and forcefully breaks it, the result could be a thousand miles of scorched earth, mountains and cities burned to the ground, and countless lives lost. Don't be anxious. Once Senior Brother Wei has eaten his fill, he'll go rescue the trapped disciples."

Li Fan felt a little reassured and offered him more tea. "Coming here to watch the duel has truly opened my eyes. It's given me a clear plan for my future and set my goals. Your guidance means a lot to me, Real Person!"

"I'd also like to ask you something, if I may. How did you train such exquisite swordsmanship? Do you have any secret techniques to share?"

Yao Xuanzhou smiled and waved his hand. "It's actually quite simple. Once you get a flying sword, don't worry so much about wearing it down. Just cut down a few people with it. Break seventeen or eighteen swords, and you'll get the hang of it. In a word, practice makes perfect."

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, that's the honest truth. There are never enough flying swords. Hm? But where did Ink Bamboo Mountain get so many flying swords?

Li Fan couldn't help asking, "So you're a master swordsmith too, Real Person Yao? You forged all those flying swords yourself?"

Yao Xuanzhou chuckled. "How could I be? I don't know the secret art of sword forging. Back then, the Three Great Sects took all the Beichen Sword Sect's secret techniques. Our Ink Bamboo Mountain never stood a chance of getting them."

"I only have this one sword left now. It was painstakingly developed and forged by our sect. Its quality is indeed only passable, nowhere near that of the ancient sects. I wouldn't have been willing to use it if this hadn't been such a grand occasion for a sword duel."

"Looking back, I was lucky during my Golden Core days. While traveling in Lei Marsh, I stumbled across two cases of decent-quality flying swords. That gave me the chance to start practicing with flying swords and improve my swordsmanship to this level. It really was a rare stroke of fortune, hahaha!"

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, oh, I see. He really was lucky! For a sword immortal, finding flying swords lying around during the Golden Core Stage and having them to practice with is an incredible stroke of fortune, hahaha! This Seat knew that if a sword cultivator got that kind of opportunity, they'd be overjoyed, hahaha! Ha... holy crap!

Li Fan: "..."

Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, h-host, don't panic, don't panic. Maybe, just maybe, hiding flying swords in Lei Marsh has become more popular in recent years...

As Yao Xuanzhou sipped his tea, he sighed. "I really wonder which senior from the Beichen Sword Sect took it into his head to hide so many flying swords in a remote corner like Lei Marsh for future generations to find. If I hadn't found those two cases of swords, perhaps I wouldn't have achieved what I have today. If I ever meet him, I'd really like to thank him properly."

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