Lightly Touching

Looking back at Ye Bin, it seemed she hadn't even made a move. Her sleeves, light and gauzy, fluttered like those of an immortal. A hint of regret crossed her jade-like face. "Rakshasa Illusory Power truly lives up to its name. I lured it forward and gathered my strength, yet still missed the vital spot... but I suppose this beast won't be able to wreak havoc in this valley for over ten years."

Yu Ci finally understood. The ghost beast had turned back earlier, intending to launch a surprise attack, but Ye Bin had turned the tables on it, heavily wounding it with a single sword strike. It was a shame, though, he still hadn't seen how Ye Bin had drawn her sword.

At this moment, the female cultivator chuckled again. "I made two strikes, but they weren't as effective as your one. This Heart-Pulling Horn was cut off by you, so take it back as a souvenir."

This was, of course, a joke. Ye Bin extended her hand, and on her plain white palm lay the broken horn, still glowing faintly. However, her delicate hand, like jade, was far more pleasing to the eye than the broken horn. Yu Ci, not one to be overly modest, reached out to take it.

Ye Bin added an explanation, "If you hold this horn in your mouth, it can block most of the world's illusory 'daze' smoke, and it has a particularly potent effect against the illusions emitted by ghost beasts themselves..."

The distance between them was now within arm's reach. The canyon wind seemed to shift in deference to the female cultivator's peerless grace, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance that swirled around his nostrils.

Yu Ci suddenly found himself a little nervous. He certainly didn't want to make a fool of himself, so he forced himself to calm down and picked up the broken horn with three fingers.

This should have been the end of it, but at that moment, for reasons unknown, though it was certainly due to a surge of boldness, Yu Ci intentionally or unintentionally brushed his fingertips against the palm of the female cultivator. A delicate, warm sensation transmitted back from his fingertips, faint yet deeply imprinted in his memory.

Neither of their expressions changed. Yu Ci took the broken horn and bowed in thanks.

Ye Bin picked up her unconscious disciple, preparing to leave. It seemed she didn't intend to let Ye Tu and Yu Ci say goodbye again. However, before departing, she suddenly asked, "Do you also favor the sword?"

Yu Ci thought of the crisp satisfaction of holding a sword, when his eyes, hands, heart, and courage became one, and he nodded.

The female cultivator's eyes were like a lake, with a faint smile rippling within. "I observe your courage is astonishing, and you are quite thoughtful. You must be someone who enjoys taking risks. Why don't you take a look at this patch of mist..."

With a sweep of her delicate hand, she indicated the sea of clouds where the ghost beast had been injured again. As Yu Ci watched, a flash of sword light appeared, and the female cultivator and Ye Tu vanished. Yu Ci turned his head, only to see a faint wisp of mist rising gently. When he touched it with his finger, it dissipated.

Where had she gone? Yu Ci almost instinctively summoned the Zhaoshen Map, looking towards the northern sky. But apart from the vast emptiness, he saw nothing. A range of ten miles high and fifty miles in circumference was already quite broad, but under Ye Bin's sword-riding, this range meant nothing.

"This is what a true cultivator is like!"

Yu Ci deeply felt that only figures like Ye Bin, who could part the clouds, ascend to the heavens, and drift like immortals, were the goals he should pursue. Those like Daoist Yan, the Poisonous Snake Monk, or Xu Lao Er were merely common folk, tarnishing the name of cultivators!

He wondered when, or if, he would ever reach such a realm.

Putting away the Zhaoshen Map, Yu Ci sighed, looking up at the sky. He was lamenting the long road to immortality, never considering whether he had the strength to climb it. Rather than doubting his own strength, it was more realistic to calm his mind and move forward step by step.

Therefore, he quickly regained his composure and, as Ye Bin had instructed, turned to look at the layers of swirling mist at the edge of the cliff. In his perception, this sea of clouds was no different from any other part, and he didn't know why Ye Bin had specifically pointed it out.

If there was anything, it was that Ye Bin had pierced this mist with her sword energy, heavily wounding the ghost beast. But after this much time, no traces should remain... Huh?

Just as he thought about the presence or absence of traces, the mist that rushed towards him carried a different scent. Yu Ci discovered the anomaly and couldn't help but reach out, brushing towards the swirling mist at the cliff's edge. As his fingertips touched a certain point, the sensation became suddenly clear. It seemed that within this ever-changing mist, there was a layer of relatively constant coolness. The coolness had clearly been introduced later, yet it permeated every particle of the mist without affecting its original form, making it difficult to imagine what kind of technique this was.

Yu Ci felt it. That layer of coolness was clearly the residual aftermath of Ye Bin's sword energy that had heavily wounded the ghost beast. Ye Bin showing him this was clearly not to show off, but to tell him about a way of wielding a sword, a philosophy of the sword, a direction for the sword – in short, a sword intent!

Yu Ci unconsciously extended his arm further, hoping to perceive the subtle nuances of the sword intent more clearly. He didn't expect to comprehend it immediately, as that was impossible. He just wanted to remember this sword intent clearly, to engrave it deep in his heart, and to ponder and comprehend it carefully over the long time to come. At this very moment, a buzzing sword hum suddenly arose in his ears!

This was not an illusion, but the layer of cool sword energy within the mist seemed to be stimulated by some trigger and erupted violently at this moment. Even in its eruption, it did not possess the usual astonishing momentum, but rather transformed into something like mist, its form and substance elusive, passing directly through Yu Ci's body.

The distance was too close, and Yu Ci had no time to react. The light mist catalyzed by the sword energy had already penetrated his body and dissipated behind him. There was no similar sword intent remaining in the sea of clouds ahead. At this moment, Yu Ci's face turned pale, and cold sweat poured uncontrollably from the pores of his entire body, draining him of all his strength in an instant, leaving him nearly exhausted.

The mist-like sword energy existed within his body for only a tenth of a breath, but that was the full power of the sword intent left by Ye Bin, equivalent to that unfathomable female cultivator striking him with a sword. The control was exquisite, but the sensation was terrible.

He had indeed remembered it, and far more profoundly than he had imagined, but this method...

Yu Ci's body felt weak, and he lay on his back on the ground, gazing at the pure, unblemished sky. He seemed to see Ye Bin's calm, lake-like eyes again, and the chilling sword intent hidden within them. After a long silence, he suddenly let out a long sigh. Before the sigh had ended, he burst into laughter.

Amidst his laughter, the figure in the goose-yellow dress transformed from an unreachable goal into a deep, indelible mark on the still distant path to immortality, temporarily obscured by the thick mist, its clarity lost.

It was the end of summer, and as the unique source of the Two Rivers, the Duanjie Mountain Range was still vibrant with green mountains and full of life. On its southern foothills, many tens of thousands of miles from the main peak, lay a region formed from black soil and iron rock. The tallest surrounding mountain was called Dan Cliff, reaching a thousand ren. However, its main body had already been separated from the Duanjie Mountain Range, with a basin sandwiched between them. The soil was fertile, making it suitable for human settlement. Juebi City was built on this land, becoming the undisputed central hub within a radius of ten thousand miles.

Having just experienced a heavy rain, the accumulated water cascaded down the mountain slopes on both sides, thoroughly washing the city. The unique rocky roads, free of mud, actually became much cleaner.

Zhao Wu walked hurriedly along the road, stepping over the shallow puddles accumulated on the stone steps. He didn't stop. Although the air after the rain was cool, a layer of oily sweat quickly formed on his body. He clutched the stone box in his arms. The box wasn't heavy, but it weighed heavily on his heart.

Zhao Wu was a very ordinary resident of Juebi City. Relying on his quick legs and sharp mind, he usually worked as a handyman, earning some pocket money to get by. Having run errands all over the city for years, he knew that some so-called "immortals" came and went in Juebi City. These people were difficult to serve, but if a task was completed satisfactorily, they were not stingy with their rewards. His neighbor, Sun Lao Er, had become wealthy overnight after running an errand, receiving countless silver coins as a reward. While he envied it, Zhao Wu never thought that such good fortune would one day fall upon him...

However, with just a slight change of thought, good fortune could turn into disaster!

He shivered, extinguishing the instinctive greed in his heart. Picking up his pace, he entered the "New City" district.

In the course of Juebi City's development over thousands of years, three districts had naturally formed: the "Upper City," originally built on Dan Cliff; the "Lower City," located within the central basin; and the "New City," developed relatively later, connecting to the Duanjie Mountain Range.

These were not artificially demarcated areas, but rather established conventions. However, in the minds of commoners like Zhao Wu, a fixed notion had formed: the Upper City was where the immortals of Bai Ri Mansion resided, mysterious and unfathomable. The Lower City was the den for commoners like them. As for the most prosperous and expensive area, it was naturally the New City.

The shop where Bai Ri Mansion purchased Shrimp Whisker Grass was located at the junction of the New City and the Lower City. The storefront was massive, but at the moment, only a small door was open, with a lazy shop assistant sitting inside.

This situation was not unusual, as it was currently the off-season for purchasing Shrimp Whisker Grass. Shrimp Whisker Grass sprouted in spring and withered in late autumn, so the great army of herb gatherers from Juebi City set out in early spring and did not return until late autumn or early winter. Coupled with the long journey, the truly bustling days would only be near the end of the year.

Zhao Wu tiptoed into the shop. The shop assistant at the counter seemed taken aback when he saw him, staring at him. Zhao Wu knew very well that any one of the shop assistants could easily defeat ten like him, so he was even more cautious, saying softly:

"Um... do you still buy Shrimp Whisker Grass here?"

"Yes, why wouldn't we."

The shop assistant stood up, even managing a smile. He tapped the counter, signaling the pharmacist inside, who was dozing, to prepare. The pharmacist stood up, quickly took out the exchange form and a brush dipped in ink, and placed them before Zhao Wu. Zhao Wu then carefully took out the stone box he had almost warmed up in his arms and placed it on the counter. The pharmacist and the shop assistant's gazes immediately fell upon it.

Zhao Wu knew a few characters. He first circled "Consignment" on the form, then quickly found the topmost and most prominent column in the item list and circled it. Finally, he signed his name before tremblingly handing it back.

The pharmacist and the shop assistant saw the black circle after the word "Consignment" and their faces immediately lengthened. Seeing the item before the second black circle, their faces turned even greener. Zhao Wu kept observing their expressions. Seeing this, he felt flustered, but remembering the generous reward, he timidly asked, "Exchange?"

"Exchange, why wouldn't we?"

The pharmacist's tone was identical to the shop assistant's. He took back the form, stared at it for a moment longer, and then suddenly asked, "Three Yang Talisman Sword?"

"Yes, the Three Yang Talisman Sword."

Zhao Wu's heart was uneasy, but he forced himself to respond calmly. Although he had already inspected the goods, his heart still pounded fiercely when the pharmacist asked. However, he was also confused. Why were the pharmacist's and the shop assistant's reactions so strange?