Roar

In that instant, his pupils dilated, all external light and shadow imprinted within them, flowing through his heart like clear water. Yu Ci suddenly felt as if everything around him had fallen silent, while his own body vibrated, like the pulsing of blood, but at a far more wondrous frequency.

Then, he found his true pulse. His blood was roaring like a drum from the impact of the sword energy, and simultaneously, the newly generated vibration continued to display its power.

It was as if he had suddenly gained an extra heart, or perhaps, an entirely new "self."

The wondrous sensation continued. Slowly, or perhaps in an infinitesimally brief moment, the familiar pulse of his blood receded into the background, naturally masking the pain in his physical body. Only this newborn "self" expanded limitlessly, connecting with the surrounding world in an indescribable way, drawing unimaginable amounts of complex information from it, and feeding it back into his brain.

His mind had ceased to function, unable to comprehend any of it, yet he felt an inexplicable joy. Confusion and clarity intertwined, ultimately dissolving into a state of chaos, with only a single spark of spiritual light suspended in the void, guiding him back to his original, simple thought:

That Daoist in front of me, kill him!

As the thought arose, it was as if divinely answered!

Within the chaos, boundless void suddenly opened up, with stars filling the sky, all shining brightly. Among them, a few stars, as large as chicken eggs and luminous as jade, cast their light downwards. In response, the half-severed Seven Star Talisman Sword, which had been tumbling through the air, suddenly flared with an outward radiance. Its green light and blood-red shadow, like smoke or mist, then surged in speed, transforming into a blurred rainbow, and in a flash, it zipped past Daoist Yan's neck.

Daoist Yan didn't even attempt to block. He was truly riddled with openings.

Then, the man's head fell.

It was a speed that surpassed thought. Daoist Yan didn't even have time to change his expression before he was beheaded. The Nine Yang Talisman Sword remained in his hand, and his tall, sturdy body still stood, but he was undeniably dead. He died cleanly, decisively, to the point of absurdity.

Yu Ci's eyes didn't blink as he watched the scene unfold before him, until the opponent's decapitated head landed on the ground.

"It must be the spirit and soul vibrating. Truly wondrous!"

In truth, calling the Seven Star Talisman Sword a "talisman sword" wasn't entirely accurate. Even though it could condense the vital energy of heaven and earth, using essence and blood as its framework to form a physical object, it was, in the end, still a talisman. As a talisman, it naturally required spiritual resonance to activate. The feeling of his spirit and soul vibrating, the void opening, and the spiritual resonance erupting just now was unprecedented and incredibly exhilarating.

Yu Ci, having tasted the sweetness of power, was eager to try casting another talisman.

However, at this moment, his mood suddenly relaxed, and a heavy weariness descended upon him. A sense of weakness swept through his entire body. Yu Ci quickly bit his tongue. The wound left from spitting blood at the Seven Star Talisman Sword earlier was still there, stinging fiercely. The pain made him shiver, and his sleepiness receded somewhat.

This place was not safe. Yu Ci reminded himself. He painstakingly got to his feet and staggered towards Daoist Yan's severed corpse, about ten feet away.

At some point, a fine, misty rain began to fall in the forest. The raindrops suppressed the raging wildfire, causing wisps of smoke to rise. Coolness seeped into his skin, further dispelling his drowsiness.

After taking just two steps, Daoist Yan's headless corpse crashed to the ground, landing in the damp soil.

As he walked before the corpse, Yu Ci was still somewhat dazed. Had he really just killed a legendary Spirit 통 cultivator?

Of course, based purely on facts, Yu Ci didn't believe it was luck. From beginning to end, his and Daoist Yan's grasp on life and death had been a fifty-fifty chance. It was just that he was more familiar with this kind of gambling choice, while Daoist Yan lacked that skill and deserved to be killed here.

He just felt that Daoist Yan was a bit weaker than he had imagined.

During the fight, the greatest threat to him was naturally Daoist Yan's final move of sending his sword remotely. That indeed possessed the power of a Spirit 통 cultivator as imagined. Other aspects, such as sharper senses, more skillful swordsmanship, or deeper cultivation… these didn't present any fundamental difference.

With this doubt, Yu Ci lowered his head to examine the Nine Yang Talisman Sword that had caused him so much trouble. It lay in the mud, its crimson glow dimmed to the point of near extinction. But up close, he could still feel a heat radiating around it, distinctly different from the surrounding air.

"Is this the sword?" Yu Ci picked up the talisman sword and played with it in his hand. To his surprise, the body of this incomparably sharp Nine Yang Talisman Sword was actually made of wood. It was only a foot long, no wonder it looked like a short club from a distance. The sword body was engraved with countless dark red patterns using spiritual inscriptions similar to cinnabar, almost completely obscuring the original color of the sword's material.

He swung it a couple of times, and it made a whistling sound in the air, lacking any feeling of a sharp blade cutting through the air. Only when he injected his true qi did it ignite the blazing crimson light he had seen the previous night. However, even with the sound of golden blades cleaving the wind, it didn't feel as sharp as it had in Daoist Yan's hand.

Was this a difference in realm? Yu Ci didn't dwell on it and began to search Daoist Yan's body, to see if the man had any other treasures on him.

The result was very strange.

"Nothing… absolutely nothing?"

After searching for a long time, he found nothing. Not only were there no treasures, but there wasn't even a single item one would normally carry when traveling. It was as if this villain, apart from a talisman sword and a set of clothes covering his body, was a complete pauper. And that was clearly impossible!

Yu Ci considered himself not wealthy, but when living outside, one always had to carry some everyday items. Over the years, these accumulated into a small collection, and the treasure pouch at his waist was always packed full. Applying the same logic, those who roamed the martial world should be similar. Yet, this Daoist Yan was so clean. Could it be that he truly didn't eat the food of mortals, and once stripped of his clothes, he was free of all attachments?

Impossible. Daoist Yan had used the excuse of picking Shrimp Whisker Grass to infiltrate the herb gatherers. Wouldn't he at least have prepared a stone box?

Seizing upon this anomaly, Yu Ci felt no frustration whatsoever. His gaze was steady as he scanned Daoist Yan's body again and again.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed, locking onto Daoist Yan's left little finger.

There was a black line there, like a ring, worn at the base of the finger. For some reason, the moment Yu Ci's gaze fell upon the ring, his mind seemed to make a "click" sound, as if two forces had collided, faint but clear.

What was that?

With that thought, Yu Ci bent down, pulled off the ring, and brought it before his eyes to examine.