Demon-Transcending, Grudge-Transforming

A flash of cold light streaked past. The girl hurriedly wrapped her robes tight, snatched up her longsword, and ducked behind a tree!

The burly man picked up the demonic saber glowing with an eerie green light. The flesh on his face trembled as he leered. "This old man's luck with women ain't bad. First I get a virgin from the Four Swords Sect, then I run into a handsome little boy. How did you know this old man likes men!"

The Water Sword Xue Zhen had given him—Benevolent Heart Ripples—shot forth like a dragon surging from the water! Ten thousand threads of blue light burst into view!

The burly man dodged in shock and fury. When his demonic saber clashed with the sword, a corner of its blade chipped away. "Little bastard, what rank immortal artifact is that in your hand?"

Liu Yunshen's first strike missed, but follow-up attacks came in an endless stream, pinning the burly man into a corner! The demonic saber in the man's hand was fierce and tyrannical, while the demonic power throughout his body manifested Two Aspects!

"Young hero, beware this demon's Heavenly Demon Art! Of the Six Desires of the Heavenly Demon, he has already cultivated to the realm of 'Two Aspects'!" The girl's voice was clear and melodious, delightful to the ear.

As the burly man's saber techniques unfolded, he gradually fought Liu Yunshen to a standstill. He stared at the handsome youth before him, then kept glancing at the girl behind the tree, his expression growing ever more savage.

This bastard really is formidable. My ambush only lightly wounded his shoulder, and I struck first again just now, yet I still couldn't kill him! Liu Yunshen was gradually being suppressed. The saber force was like an invisible net, tightening bit by bit! From time to time, several-foot-long saber auras swept through the air, chopping down the surrounding trees one after another.

"Little bastard! This old man is called Cao Zhan. What's your name?" The burly Cao Zhan grinned viciously, his saber unleashing nine consecutive blasts. Liu Yunshen resisted with all his strength. The Qi in his dantian's Yellow Sprout grew stronger against strength and erupted with fierce force!

Cao Zhan was blasted several steps back. His brows shot upward. "Could it be that you cultivate a demonic art too, brat?"

"Though one-handed swordsmanship is powerful, it excels in agility and clarity. It doesn't suit my sword path!" Liu Yunshen slung Benevolent Heart Ripples onto his back, removed the Black-Iron Staff over six feet long from behind him, gripped it steadily with both hands, and fixed his gaze on Cao Zhan!

"You couldn't beat this old man even with a divine weapon in hand. What can you do with a fire poker instead?" Cao Zhan gave a shrill, eerie laugh as three saber auras thundered toward him. The girl cried out in alarm, raising her sword at an angle to catch one wave of saber force!

Liu Yunshen bellowed. His body moved like a swimming dragon as he used the swordsmanship footwork his teacher had taught him, weaving through the battlefield. The Black-Iron Staff slanted forward in a point, striking directly at the Yuzhen acupoint behind Cao Zhan's head!

Before the iron staff arrived, Sword Qi had already pierced three inches into the back of his head! Cao Zhan's head felt as though it would split apart. In his terror, he whirled his saber sideways. "Get lost!!!"

Liu Yunshen and the girl retreated. Cao Zhan's face had turned green. Sword force had entered his brain, and his head throbbed as though it would burst. Four figures now stood before his eyes. He pulled out medicinal pills and swallowed them, but the Black-Iron Staff had already crashed down upon his head!

"You're courting death!" Cao Zhan roared, gathering all his cultivation and choosing life for life!

"Young master! Don't take it head-on!!"

The girl's cry was drowned out by the crack of the demonic saber breaking and the roar of surging airwaves. Cao Zhan, whose sins filled the measure, had his skull caved in and died miserably on the spot. Blood streamed from Liu Yunshen's abdomen as he dropped to his knees, unable to rise!

"Oh no! Young master, your fatal wound..."

"It's nothing!" Liu Yunshen clenched his teeth and set his broken ribs back in place, producing a chilling series of cracks. Then he pressed tightly over the wound in his right chest and staggered toward Cao Zhan, grasping the Black-Iron Staff embedded in the ground!

In an instant, the Black-Iron Staff actually stripped Cao Zhan of all his demonic Qi. When it touched Liu Yunshen, less than one-tenth of it drilled into his body as well! The soil around the Yellow Sprout's roots immediately turned purple-black, and the river-like Qi of his meridians became blood-red.

The girl was shocked and snapped, "I never thought you were a demonic cultivator!"

Liu Yunshen stared blankly. "May I ask the lady's surname? What do you mean by that?"

"My name is..." The girl hesitated for a moment, then thrust her sword at him. Liu Yunshen had no time to dodge and remained seated on the ground!

The girl sighed. "Why didn't you dodge?"

"I haven't done anything bad. Why should I dodge?" Liu Yunshen activated the secret art, Transmute Demonic Path into Divine Ability, taught by the black-robed Daoist. The demonic Qi in his dantian was purified strand by strand, layer by layer, drop by drop, then flowed into his dantian and the river of his meridians. The fracture in his breastbone also slowly healed. Liu Yunshen closed his eyes and inspected himself inwardly, delight rising in his heart. He tightened his clothes around himself. The speed at which this body heals is far too unbelievable. Unless necessary, I must not reveal it to outsiders!

The girl was astonished. Seeing the demonic Qi over the youth's body vanish in an instant, she let out a long breath and slowly lowered her sword.

A moment later, Liu Yunshen had reached his limit in absorbing demonic Qi. Once he stabilized his realm, he could break through from the second-stage Yellow Sprout Breaking Darkness into the third level, Earth Vein Rooting, at any time!

When the girl saw him stand, she hurried forward in delight. "I understand now! What you used just now was the Demon-Transcending Method. You dissolved the demonic power and resentment within that villain Cao Zhan's body, restoring balance to the Heavenly Dao! Isn't that right? I never imagined you possessed such skill!"

"Exactly!" Though Liu Yunshen had the heart of an innocent child, he was not foolish. He constantly recalled his teacher's solemn face. A common man commits no crime, yet becomes guilty for possessing jade. The Alchemical Method Master taught me must be among the very finest. I absolutely cannot expose it lightly!

"I still do not know the lady's name!" Liu Yunshen's face reddened from his lie. He cupped his fists with a smile and changed the subject.

"My name is Cao Langao." The girl's cheeks reddened. He really is so handsome!

"Your swordsmanship is extraordinary, and your Alchemical Method is profound as well. Why were you alone in such a place?"

"I'm only at the fourth rank of the Qi Refinement realm. How could my cultivation be called profound? If it truly were profound, I would not have been forced into such straits by that villain." Cao Langao covered her mouth and smiled. "Our Four Swords Sect was originally escorting a merchant caravan. When we passed through here, the Demon Sect ambushed us. I became separated from the group, and that was why..."

"Four Swords Sect?" Liu Yunshen was greatly surprised.

"It is actually the Myriad Swords Sect, except..." The girl trailed off, then asked softly, "Can you escort me back?"

"Of course!" Liu Yunshen searched Cao Zhan's body and found some silver and several medicinal pills, which he unceremoniously pocketed. Just as the two were about to head back, a man's shout came from afar!

"Junior sister! Junior sister!" There was a sobbing note in the cries, and he was clearly frantic!

Cao Langao was overjoyed. "Senior brother! I'm here!"

"It's Junior Sister Cao!" The voice trembled with excitement. Before long, a towering man eight feet four inches tall rushed forward, tightly grasped Cao Langao's hand, and cried, "Junior sister! I thought I would never see you again..."

Cao Langao smiled shyly. "Fool!"

"This person is..." The man looked warily at Liu Yunshen.

Cao Langao's eyes were full of admiration as she looked at Liu Yunshen. She pulled the man over. "Young Master Liu, this is my senior brother, Gong Liefeng. Senior brother, this is Young Hero Liu Yunshen."

Liu Yunshen cupped his fists in greeting. "A pleasure!"

Gong Liefeng stared at him, his eyes filled with hostility.

Cao Langao pulled Gong Liefeng aside and reproached him, "Senior brother, Young Master Liu is my lifesaver. How can you act like this..."

Gong Liefeng was shocked and furious. "I was wondering why you still hadn't returned. So you fell for this pretty boy..."

Cao Langao's heart jolted. Tears fell like jade beads as she turned and ran into the mountains. Gong Liefeng panicked. Seeing his junior sister head deeper and deeper into the wilderness, he immediately activated his Alchemical Method and leapt dozens of zhang through the air, tightly catching Cao Langao by the wrist. "Junior sister, I... I didn't mean that!"

"You're jealous!" Seeing his face as red as a monkey's backside, Cao Langao could not help laughing. Gong Liefeng scratched his head and gave an honest smile, but did not know how to respond.

"There's only you in my heart... No matter how handsome other men are, I... Besides, Young Master Liu obviously already has someone he loves!" Cao Langao's voice was nearly inaudible. Gong Liefeng leaped up in joy and grabbed Junior Sister Cao's hand. "How do you know, junior sister?"

"You!" Cao Langao raised a slender jade finger and poked his forehead. "When you arrived, didn't you notice? Young Master Liu's sword is gorgeous, with elaborate decorations, and the writing of the three words 'Benevolent Heart Ripples' is delicate and beautiful. At a glance, it is clearly a woman's sword! If it had not been given by his beloved, why would it be in his hands?"

"That's right! How did I not think of that?" Gong Liefeng looked ashamed, then suddenly cried out in alarm. "Oh no, we left Young Master Liu back there..."

"Isn't it all because you threw a tantrum?" Cao Langao giggled.

The two hurried back. Fortunately, Liu Yunshen needed their help, and his injuries had yet to fully heal, so he was still waiting where he was.

"Young Hero Liu! Please forgive me! I offended you just now!" Gong Liefeng was polite and refined as he bowed deeply.

"Due to certain circumstances, I wish to join the Myriad Swords Sect. I happened to pass by here today. Young Hero Gong and Heroine Cao are such a talented and beautiful pair. To meet the two of you is truly a blessing earned over three lifetimes!"

Liu Yunshen returned the salute.

Cao Langao's cheeks flushed crimson, while Gong Liefeng was overjoyed. He tightly gripped Liu Yunshen's hand. "Good brother! Your business is my business! Isn't it just joining a sect? My father is the master of one of the sects within the Myriad Swords Sect! Let's go!"