Uninvited Guest (Part Two)

Twenty days later,

On the grassland.

Blood Ink Jade - Waltz!

The sword blade concealed a blood-black divine light, drawing out a watercolor-like pattern in the air.

Compared to the first time, Xu Yuan's mastery of this terrifying sword technique was clearly several levels higher, but unfortunately, this time Xu Yuan couldn't even touch the hem of Tianyan's clothes.

With a single "Instant" incantation, Xu Yuan teleported more than twenty meters away, his sword technique striking only the air.

The girl stood in mid-air, watching the chilling sword mark gradually disappear into the air, gently shook her head, and smiled:

"You idiot, don't try that trick on me again, it won't work."

Xu Yuan gripped his sword, a hint of helplessness on his face.

Just as the Saint's Remnant Soul had told him before, cultivation level cannot determine everything; intelligence and combat talent can both influence the outcome of a battle.

Nobody is a fool, especially not Tianyan.

Xu Yuan can deliver a powerful blow to the main character by timing the end of the invincibility frame, and naturally, so can the others.

The starting stance of the Void-Stepping Slash is too obvious. While the initial attack is indeed very strong, its threat level drops sharply once the user becomes familiar with the move.

However, this initial stance serves as a guide for the Void-Stepping Slash, just as Tianyan needed to form hand seals when using the Heavenly Word Mantra. Xu Yuan cannot make up for this deficiency for the time being.

It slowly fell to the ground from mid-air.

Tianyan lightly stepped on the lawn, glancing at Xu Yuan:

"You've made some progress today; at least you can control the flow of Qi in your moves. Do you still have some energy left? Shall we continue?"

Xu Yuan shook his head upon hearing this:

"No, I need to go back and practice my internal energy to recover my Source Qi. Continuing like this will affect tomorrow's training."

Unlike the first time he used Blood Ink Jade Dance, he was now able to roughly control the power of this sword technique.

The first time, Xu Yuan used up all his Source Qi to unleash that sword strike, and the result was obvious: the power overflowed far too much.

The power of a Secret Method combat technique is not fixed like in a game; the amount of Source Qi supplied will affect its power.

With the power of the Blood Ink Jade Sword Technique, if used properly, it would only require one-fifth or even one-sixth of the Source Qi to kill a third-rank opponent, without needing to exhaust all Source Qi at once.

This is what Tianyan taught him.

A true Rank 3 expert can precisely control every Source Qi within their body, while Xu Yuan wastes a lot of it in every battle, at least half of it.

However, his current Tianyan is an effort to solve this problem.

Upon hearing this, Tianyan asked:

"You only use your internal energy to heal your injuries every day, but don't practice breathing exercises?"

Xu Yuan shrugged upon hearing this, making no attempt to hide anything:

"My body's cultivation level increases on its own every day; I don't need to cultivate."

"What?" Tianyan's eyes were strange.

Xu Yuan shrugged. "It's probably because of Jing He's body; it's synchronizing with his cultivation level from ten thousand years ago. Otherwise, I wouldn't have so much free time to do other things every day."

Upon hearing Tianyan frowned, then smiled and said lightly:

"That's good. Your cultivation is almost at the peak of the third rank now, and you might even be able to break through to the second rank in the future. This is a good thing for us."

Xu Yuan straightened his clothes and replied with a smile:

"You can do it too, but unfortunately, it's your own body."

Tianyan snorted lightly, sounding quite disdainful:

"I don't need this thing. If it were someone else's physique, my Yantian Art wouldn't be able to be used at all."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan glanced in the direction of Qionghua Main Peak:

"By the way, it seems like Bai Fan and his group don't remember what kind of Cultivation Method you practice."

These days, this group of spoiled brats have been coming to see them frequently.

They enjoy sightseeing, hiking, and sparring together, and also go to the Martial Practice Arena to practice and hone their skills.

To avoid revealing his combat strength, Xu Yuan had always kept his distance from Tian Yan under the pretext of cultivating secret techniques, but Tianyan frequently visited him.

Bai Fan and the others had no doubts about her use of the Yantian Art Technique in combat.

Tianyan pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice:

"Since I have already destroyed Yuchu's identity, any details about her identity will naturally be erased."

Xu Yuan gently shook his head:

"Alright, let's go back now."

As they were talking,

Xu Yuan then saw Tian Tianyan suddenly raise his eyebrows slightly and look up at the distant sky.

As he inquired, Xu Yuan sensed a fluctuation of Source Qi coming from afar.

He then channeled his Source Qi into his eyes and looked up. There, in mid-air, were two people flying slowly toward the main peak.

The distance was quite far, and their escape speed wasn't fast, so their cultivation levels couldn't be discerned. However, since they could fly, they must be quite powerful.

Xu Yuan Xu Yuan recognized the old man, who was an elder of the Criminal Justice Hall, but he had never seen the young man beside him before.

With his hair loose and his clothes slouching, he wore a loose white robe, carried a cloth bag on his back, and casually held a dark blue Xiuchun Long Blade in his hand, looking carefree and unrestrained.

I stared at it for a while.

Xu Yuan remembered which sect the white-robed man belonged to; all the books he had read these past few days hadn't been in vain.

Taiqing Dao Palace.

Xu Yuan turned his gaze away and looked at Tianyan:

"This person seems to be from the Taiqing Dao Palace."

Tianyan also withdrew his gaze:

"Yes, I know."

"What are the people from the Taiqing Dao Palace doing here at this time?" Xu Yuan asked thoughtfully.

Before obtaining the Charm God Cherry Tree, the Qionghua Sect had not yet reached its peak strength; at best, it could only be considered to be in a corner of the world, and its strength was far from what it was when it was destroyed.

Today, the Taiqing Dao Palace is the second largest sect in the world.

What are the people from the Taiqing Dao Palace trying to do in the Qionghua Realm at this time?

Tianyan shook his head and smiled slightly:

"I'm more curious about the world beyond the Qionghua Realm within this illusionary realm than what they're here for."

Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed upon hearing this.

The Qionghua Realm is very large. Although it is not as vast and enormous as it was before entering the illusion realm, it is still about one-fifth the size of the original realm.

Maintaining an illusion of this scale is already extremely terrifying, but if the area outside the Qionghua Realm is also an illusionary space, they might be able to simply leave and avoid being turned into the Charm God Cherry Tree and the Water Leech King.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan gently shook his head:

"Thinking about these things is useless. The source of the illusion you mentioned is most likely this Qionghua Realm. Even if we get out, we'll have to come back sooner or later."

Tianyan gazed at the sky with her beautiful eyes and sighed softly:

"This illusion is truly bizarre."

"This is really weird. Let's figure out a way to get out of here quickly," Xu Yuan said. "I don't want to stay here with you for the rest of my life."

"Heh." Tianyan rolled his eyes at him.

The arrival of the young talent from the Taiqing Dao Palace did not affect Xu Yuan and Tianyan's daily life. In fact, they hadn't even been to Qionghua Main Peak these past few days, staying at their residence and on the grassland, living a very simple life.

About four or five days later,

Master bedroom annex

Tianyan sat cross-legged on the large bed, quietly practicing his breathing exercises. The only sound in the room was the rustling of Xu Yuan turning the pages of paper from time to time.

suddenly,

"Clang--"

A melodious bell rang out from the summit of Qionghua Main Peak, its sound spreading far and wide, startling flocks of birds into flight, and echoing throughout the entire Qionghua Mountain Range.

Xu Yuan's gaze faltered as he read, and he placed the book on the red sandalwood table, his brows immediately furrowing.

Tianyan remained silent for several breaths before ceasing the circulation of his Cultivation Method.

They stared at each other in silence, their gazes heavy.

The Heavenly Qiong Bell on the Qionghua Main Peak is only rung on important days or events for the Qionghua Sect.

The number of times the bell tolls increases depending on the importance of the event or day.

1, 3, 6, 9, 13.

The melodious chimes lingered on and on, and silence gradually spread throughout the room.

Three times.

The Heavenly Qiong Bell was struck three times, and according to clan rules and etiquette, the Holy Maiden's coronation ceremony was also performed three times.

Tianyan jumped off the bed expressionlessly, straightened his clothes, and said in a low voice:

"Let's go."

No matter Heavenly Qiong Bell is struck, as soon as it rings, the core disciples of the Qionghua Sect must gather at the Qionghua Hall.

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then stood up and said in a low voice;

"It shouldn't be the coronation ceremony of the saintess."

"Why?" Tianyan was clearly in a bad mood and glanced at him. "The Holy Maiden of the Qionghua Sect is directly appointed by the sect leaders and elders, not selected through a process."

Xu Yuan gently shook his head and said in a low voice:

"Judging from Yuchu's previous cultivation level and talent, there's no way you'd be a suitable candidate for the position of Holy Maiden. You didn't even report your breakthrough to the third rank; even if it were to be decided internally, it would at least require the public's approval."

Jing He twenty-five years old this year and is at the peak of the third rank.

Yuchu was also twenty-three years old, but he was only a fourth-rank Body Fusion cultivator.

While such cultivation is rare within the Qionghua Sect, it is not the pinnacle.

Tianyan's beautiful eyes flickered for a moment, then she let out a long breath:

"So what do you think it is?"

The coronation ceremony of a saint involves striking the Heavenly Qiong Bell three times, but striking the Heavenly Qiong Bell three times does not necessarily mean that the coronation ceremony of a saint is taking place.

When important visitors enter the territory, the Qionghua Sect will ring the Heavenly Qiong Bell to show respect and demonstrate its importance.

Xu Yuan pondered for a while, then said in a low voice:

"I feel it's related to that young disciple from the Taiqing Dao Palace who arrived these past few days."

Tianyan frowned:

"Even the chief disciple of the Taiqing Dao Palace would not use such etiquette."

Xu Yuan shrugged:

"I don't know then. Let's talk about it later. Maybe they have some elders visiting in the next Celestial Person."

Tianyan let out a soft breath and nodded.

After saying that, the two pushed open the door and flew swiftly towards the direction of the Qionghua Hall.

Half an hour

Qionghua Hall is located at the very top of Qionghua Main Peak. It is surrounded by a towering palace wall made of white jade bricks and stones. The surrounding area is lush with trees and shrouded in mist. Only a straight staircase leads directly to the palace gate.

Due to the distance, Xu Yuan and Tianyan arrived rather late.

At this moment, the main gate of the tall palace wall Qionghua Hall is closed; to get in, one must go through a side gate.

However, as soon as he stepped inside, even through the barrier of the Dao Palace, Xu Yuan could still sense a sharp fluctuation of Source Qi emanating from within.

Is someone fighting over magic inside?

Below the steps in the Qionghua Hall, a huge flat plaza has been built, where the sect's annual core disciples' grand meeting is held every year.

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes at this thought.

Were those men from the Taiqing Dao Palace here to compete at the Qionghua Sect?

Slightly puzzled, but remaining silent, the inner disciple on duty opened the side door of the palace, and the two stepped inside.

"Buzz!!!!"

After a loud clang of a blade, a powerful aura enveloped almost the entire arena.

Sure enough, a contest was taking place in the Qionghua Hall.

Qionghua Sect versus Taiqing Dao Palace

The dandy big brother, Senior Brother Li, faced off against that careless man in white robe.

But he also admitted that he was somewhat frightened by the scene before him.

because,

After the sword rang out,

Senior Brother Li's head was chopped off by the lazy young man.

After the fall,

It spun around several times before finally stopping, with bright red blood seeping from beneath the severed corpse, a stark contrast against the white jade brick floor.

Senior Brother Li's cultivation level is only at the third rank, so he cannot yet achieve rebirth through a drop of blood.

He died.

Xu Yuan felt it was somewhat absurd.

He actually had a very good impression of this Senior Brother Li.

In the past few months, he would visit him and Tianyan from time to time, bringing them precious pills that could either heal injuries or aid in cultivation.

In Senior Brother Li's view, among their group, only Xu Yuan, the younger brother, and Tianyan, the younger sister, did not have elders to take care of them, so he, as the eldest brother, had to shoulder this responsibility.

And now, he has been beheaded.

In the most important and important place of the Qionghua Sect

In front of the palace gate of the Qionghua Hall,

In front of a group of elders from various sects.

What's going on?

The entire Qionghua Hall was deathly silent, with only the soft sound of blood gushing from Senior Brother Li's corpse.

With a hint of bewilderment, Xu Yuan glanced past the dark-faced elders of the sect at the edge of the arena, then looked up at the entrance of the Qionghua Hall as he ascended the steps.

There,

He saw an elderly man with a slightly weathered face standing quietly at the palace entrance.

This old man is Bai Fan's father, the sect leader of the Qionghua Sect.

Xu Yuan was unaware of this in secret, but on the surface, this old man was the only Saint-level expert in the Qionghua Sect.

He... just watched as Senior Brother Li was beheaded?

Why didn't you intervene?

When Xu Changge went to the Tianyuan Grand Competition to kill people, the elders of the sects in later generations all knew to intervene and stop him.

You, a saintly powerhouse, just stood by and watched your important descendant be killed by an outsider in your own backyard?

The Qionghua Sect seemed to have noticed Xu Yuan's gaze, but after a few breaths of silence, he simply shook his head at him with a forlorn look in his eyes.

But the next moment,

Xu Yuan then saw the Qionghua Sect slightly turn his head and calmly transmit something to someone beside him.

Only then did Xu Yuan notice that there was another person standing next to the Qionghua Sect.

This is a young man in a long-sleeved black robe.

He was only about sixteen or seventeen years old, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, handsome and dashing. There was a faint golden light flowing in his narrow eyes, but his expression was indifferent.

Xu Yuan frowned slightly.

This young man's cultivation level should only be around the third rank, so why is he standing next to the Qionghua Sect?

Moreover, even the dignified sect leader, a saintly powerhouse, treated him as an equal.

As doubts arose in his mind, the girl beside him suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand.

Feeling the warmth from her slender fingertips,

Xu Yuan glanced to the side and heard her voice resonate in his heart:

"It's likely that the matter of the Charm God Cherry Tree has leaked out, and these powerful sects have joined forces to try and get a share of the spoils. They're probably engaged in a gamble now."

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, preparing to transmit his voice, but Tianyan spoke first:

"Don't transmit your voice, the guy up the steps might hear you."

ah?

Xu Yuan looked at Tianyan with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Tianyan didn't look at him, his golden eyes fixed on the golden-eyed youth in front of the palace, his voice full of interest:

"He is the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Holy Son of this era."

The two-in-one service finally arrived on time today.