Five Phases Overlap

When Gu Jingchuan and his group arrived, the Han Court soldiers were confronting Liu Yunshen. Seeing the Demon Sect disciples' corpses strewn across the ground, he shoved the crowd aside!

The Commandant of Jingzhao was greatly alarmed. "Young Master Gu!"

"The Demon Sect runs rampant, slaughtering the common people. You are an official of the Han Court, yet you did nothing—and now you even intend to harm my dear friend!"

"But this is, after all, a matter of our Han Court. He..." The Commandant of Jingzhao pointed at Liu Yunshen. Gu Jingchuan roared, "Even His Majesty the Han Emperor must show me three parts respect. What the hell are you? Get lost!"

After Gu Jingchuan's rebuke, the Commandant of Jingzhao turned and left in disgrace.

Cao Langao and Shui Xuanshuang gathered around the young girl and the old woman, weeping in grief.

Liu Yunshen wiped the crimson from his lips, loosened his hair, removed his outer garment, and draped it over the dying girl. "Can you hear me?"

Everyone looked at the girl's hollow eye sockets, and their hearts trembled.

Liu Yunshen gazed deeply at her. A sorrowful smile appeared on her face, and she used her hand to write two words upon the ground.

"Revenge!!!"

"I have already avenged you. Those thieves are all dead!" Hot tears rolled down Liu Yunshen's face. The girl forced herself to kowtow, then quickly rose and smashed her head against a tree, her life vanishing like fragrance and jade!

"This—"

Everyone cried out and rushed forward. The old woman threw back her head in laughter, clawed apart her hair, and also slammed her head against the tree. Holding her daughter's corpse tightly, she passed away with a smile!

As they watched the tragic scene, no one could feel any joy despite their overwhelming victory!

An hour later, the young people gathered before two earthen mounds.

Liu Yunshen dropped to one knee, holding his longsword aloft. "I, Liu Yunshen, swear here and now that I will use this sword to slay every evil ghost beneath heaven!"

A thunderous boom erupted!

Nine bolts of purple lightning merged into one and fell from the sky! Its might was terrifying beyond measure!

"The oath has been answered!" Gu Jingchuan said in fear, unable to calm his heart for a long while.

"What a hero!" Gu Feibai sighed, then looked back at Gu Jingchuan.

"Brother Liu..."

"I am younger than Brother Gu in years. I would never dare call you brother!" Liu Yunshen bowed and stepped back.

Gu Jingchuan smiled. "What are your plans from here, worthy brother Liu? Why not come to my Great Chu? I will persuade my father and personally recommend you before the King of Chu!"

"Brother Gu, what do you mean by that? Brother Liu is coming with us to the Myriad Swords Sect!"

This time, Lei Zhaoye and Gong Liefeng said nothing. Instead, Cai Yuelin, the youngest of them all, spoke indignantly.

"Your Four Swords Gate can barely look after itself right now. If one day you come into conflict with the other sects, would that not drag worthy brother Liu into disaster for nothing?" Gu Jingchuan smiled. "Besides, I am not poaching him. After what Brother Liu and all of you have been through, your bond runs deep without question. In the future, he can still count as half a Four Swords Sect disciple. What difference does it make where he goes first?"

"Heh! That little mouth of yours is so slick, I'm almost convinced!" Gong Liefeng chuckled. Lei Zhaoye smiled. "Let worthy brother Liu decide!"

Everyone looked at him. Cao Langao even stepped forward and hooked her arm around Liu Yunshen's. "Senior Brother Liu, stay with us. Don't go with Big Brother Gu! You won't be used to the food Chu people eat! And they're stingy, too—you won't get enough to eat! In Qing Prefecture, we eat huge platters of meat and drink great mouthfuls of wine every meal!"

"Is Miss Cao using her charms to sell us on this?" Gu Jingchuan asked with a bitter smile, glancing at Shui Xuanshuang beside Gu Feibai. Gu Feibai snapped, "Big Brother, don't you dare set your sights on Xuanshuang!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Shui Xuanshuang removed that treasured sword and respectfully handed it to Liu Yunshen. "Thank you, Brother Liu, for lending me your sword."

Liu Yunshen stroked the treasured sword, then hung it once more at his waist.

While the young people chatted together, the Han Emperor, Empress Yang, and the assembled court officials watched them from afar atop the walls of Heavenly Capital!

Yang Qingchan stood among them, her heart thumping wildly and her face flushed with excitement. "So he really is here!!!"

The sight of Liu Yunshen raising his sword to slaughter the fiends and rebuking the Han Court official, his righteous aura vast and his divine majesty awe-inspiring, sent ripples through Yu Wan's heart again and again!

"He truly has the bearing of dragon and phoenix!" Empress Yang praised the youth without pause.

The Han Emperor's eyes narrowed sharply, but he did not say a word!

Beside the Emperor stood Li Zheng, head of the Li Clan of Longxi in the Qin Kingdom, along with his daughter Li Qinghui.

"So it was him!" Li Qinghui's chest rose and fell as she breathed lightly. Seeing this, Li Zheng asked with a smile, "My daughter, are you feeling unwell?"

"Ah! No!" Li Qinghui's voice was clear and melodious, like rolling pearls and jade. Everyone present found it strangely captivating and turned to look at her.

Yang Qingchan was quite curious. Tilting her head, she gave her a bright smile. Li Qinghui smiled back, then looked to her father. When she saw him nod, she quickly walked toward Yang Qingchan.

The two of them hit it off at once.

"Little sister! How many days will you be staying in Heavenly Capital this time?"

"I do not know Father's arrangements either."

"Why didn't you come find me?"

"I only arrived today!" Li Qinghui looked toward the outskirts several miles beyond the city. Her eyesight seemed untouched by the setting sun, and she could not help smiling dreamily.

Yang Qingchan was slightly startled. She turned her head, and the aspect of the Pure Cassia Jade Toad emerged in her eyes. Within ten li, nothing could hide from her sight. Liu Yunshen was heading east with the others. Could little sister like Senior Brother too? Or is it just my imagination?

Li Qinghui withdrew her gaze. Seeing Yang Qingchan's gloomy expression, she asked in surprise, "What is wrong, Sister?"

"Nothing." A bitterness unlike any she had ever known rose in Yang Qingchan's heart. Then she suddenly started. What am I even guessing at?

"My daughter!"

"Ah! Father Emperor!" Yang Qingchan hurried over, then turned and mouthed to Li Qinghui, "Let's play again tomorrow!"

"Father!"

"Does my daughter like that boy?" Li Zheng asked, lowering his head. Li Qinghui's cheeks reddened, and she shook her head. "Qinghui does not wish to take what another loves."

Li Zheng gently held his daughter and looked at the figure below. No one can contend with my daughter for anything in this world!

That night, the heroes had no desire to return to Heavenly Capital, so they camped out in the wilderness.

Liu Yunshen once more leaped to the top of a tree and began circulating the third-level formula of the Sleep Skill.

"Today, in order to save them, I forcibly broke through to the third stage of the first realm, Earth Vein Rooting. According to Master, I must not absorb too much earth qi at this level. I need to absorb the qi of vegetation to balance it!"

Liu Yunshen exhaled and inhaled his astral qi. Threads of moonlight gathered around him and converged among the trees. Yet Lei Zhaoye, Gong Liefeng, and the other cultivators rested nearby, their formidable presence frightening tigers, leopards, wolves, and jackals away—let alone weaker beasts and birds.

The yellow sprout in his dantian was caressed by the moonlight and grew sturdily. Though its roots did not extend any further, they became thicker. The purple-black demonic qi in his dantian's earth veins was also purified, and the water in the little rivers of his meridians gradually cleared!

"This is truly inconceivable. What was going on with the sun today?" As Liu Yunshen pondered, the blazing sun rose again. Above the yellow sprout appeared the aspect of Sun-and-Moon Convergence, and its growth rate more than doubled!

"This!" As Liu Yunshen reeled in shock, five kinds of qi emerged around him. The blazing sun drew in red qi, while the moonlight gradually changed from silver into pure, profound black qi. The trees beside him gave off the qi of vegetation, and the land of the Nine Provinces surged with the grand qi of yellow earth. Yet the nutrients in the soil that nourished the yellow sprout in his dantian continued to diminish!

"Black water, crimson fire, yellow earth, green wood... could it be..." Inspiration flashed through Liu Yunshen's mind. A portion of the demonic qi flew out from the six-foot broken sword and entered his dantian! The demonic qi slowly changed from pitch-black and blood-red into a fierce white light, joining the other four kinds of qi!

"Five-Element Qi!" As all five streams of qi nourished it together, the yellow sprout's roots grew thicker, and the little rivers of his meridians faintly expanded! The hidden danger from absorbing too much demonic qi during the day was temporarily resolved.

"The third stage truly is extraordinary. The enormous amount of astral qi it consumes would probably have been enough for those brothers Li Zhong and Li Yi, whom I first fought, to break through to the second realm of Qi Refining!" Liu Yunshen closed his eyes and looked inward, then raised his head toward the blazing sun hanging above the yellow sprout. Warmth filled his heart. It is a pity neither of my masters is here.

"What does my good disciple need his master for! Ha!"