Xuanqing had no idea how to describe the absurd scene before him. Until the deep-autumn cold wind blew down his collar and chilled his entire body, he finally snapped out of his dream-like state and raised his head to look at the figure opposite him, but the other party was already hidden within the darkness beyond the reach of the light, feeling much like a hunting beast that was licking its claws and talons.
The long sword clattered to the ground, and Xuanqing howled as he pounced forward, reaching out to grab those few "lice" on the mountain ridge:
"Godfather, I'm right here, Godfather! Come this way, he's right here, that little thief Yu Ci is right here..."
His cry was comparable to a night owl flitting through the night sky. He rushed forward, his fingers brushing against the cyan light and mist, but they passed straight through before he pitched forward onto the ground. Before he even hit the ground, the back of his neck grew cold, and his field of vision suddenly shifted to a bizarre angle, then coated with a sheet of crimson red.
Beside the campfire, ever since Xuanqing and that cultivator lord had successively departed just moments before, the atmosphere had turned rather abnormal. Xuanqing's gang and the herb gatherers avoided each other's gazes, unsure of what attitude to adopt when facing "companions" they had spent nearly two months with.
Until half a quarter-hour later, Yu Ci paced out from the outer darkness with unhurried steps, still holding something in his hand.
Once he entered the range of the firelight, the curious people cast their gazes over, and then they seemed to plunge into a bone-chilling ice cellar. "X-Xuanqing Big Brother... head?"
Uncertainty over who had described that object made the campfire quiet down for a moment before it suddenly exploded into chaos. At least seven or eight people let out miserable shrieks, scrambling up regardless of anything to run away; some knelt down to beg for mercy, while others maintained their original postures, their eyes glazing over in blank helplessness.
Whether they were running, kneeling, or dazed, Yu Ci ignored them entirely. He grabbed the hair-knot of Xuanqing's head and walked all the way to the edge of the campfire, suddenly and without warning kicking out. Where the fierce wind arose, the fiercely burning bonfire scattered with a bang, and the brightness in the valley dimmed instantly.
Everyone shuddered once. Then, they heard Yu Ci's gentle voice:
"All of you go, run far away, and find another place to camp. I'm using this place to entertain guests."
At that very moment, a sharp whistle echoed down from the mountain peak on the southern side of the valley: "Lu Ding and Si Long of Bai Ri Mansion are here, little thief Yu Ci, don't you run!"
Amidst the whistling sound, nine figures pounced down, startling the roosting birds in the mountain forest into panicked flight, throwing everything into a mess.
Yu Ci did not move at all, yet the majority of the surrounding herb gatherers no longer even possessed the courage to run. Among Xuanqing's gang, Zheng Da—who had just sold out his own boss—originally had a chance to escape, but because his mind went blank, he ran in the wrong direction and almost crashed into Yu Ci. Staggering, he caught sight of Xuanqing's head, which was incomparably ferocious due to terror and despair, and instantly collapsed onto his backside, wailing bitterly:
"I didn't say anything, I didn't say anything... Spare my life, spare my life!"
Yu Ci couldn't be bothered to deal with such trash, casually flicking his wrist to toss Xuanqing's head to the other side of the stream that cut through the valley, where it happened to roll right before the feet of the Bai Ri Mansion cultivators who had pounced down the mountain.
With a bang, Lu Ding raised a foot and kicked his godson's head into the mountain stream, but his charging momentum halted right there. He merely shot a cold glare over, and after a long moment, finally spoke: "Is this Yu Ci?"
He was asking the guards accompanying him behind him, and someone answered in the affirmative. It was difficult to see clearly in the darkness, but presumably, they were also the personal guards who had originally attended Jin Huan.
Lu Ding grunted, and only then spoke to Yu Ci: "The little thief is quite shrewd as well. If you know what's good for you, tie yourself up and submit, allowing me to take you back to the mansion to await the Mansion Lord's disposition. Who knows, you might even get to keep your life!"
Yu Ci had seen this person countless times within the Zhaoshen Map, but in reality, this was indeed his first time seeing him. He simply felt that this person was ten times more annoying than in the map and completely lacked the desire to engage with him. However, if it had been any other fellow with slightly more capability, he wouldn't have decided to take the risk of meeting the enemy head-on this time.
He shifted his gaze to the side of Lu Ding, toward that Si Long.
The one who had just whistled was this person, whose fierce appearance made one unforgettable at a single glance. Yu Ci had also seen him twice within the Zhaoshen Map, knowing that his martial might was formidable. At around thirty years of age, he was already on the verge of entering the mid-stage of Spirit cultivation, condensing his Yin Spirit. In terms of realm, he was on par with Yu Ci, but in terms of inner cultivation, he was even higher. It was just that this person lacked a bit of wits; although his status within the mansion was above Lu Ding's, when acting outwardly, he could only serve as a muscle-bound enforcer.
Regardless, this person was a formidable enemy.
Yu Ci's gaze shifted again, sweeping over the guards behind the two stewards. Judging by their attire, these guards were all personal guards of the Mansion Lord. These people were all at the Orifice Enlightenment level, not far from the Spirit cultivation realm, and they had practiced together for years, boasting astonishing tacit understanding. With the seven of them joining forces, if their opponent were merely at the early stage of Spirit cultivation, they might not even be enough for them to slaughter. With such combat strength, even with Bai Ri Mansion's vast resources, they only numbered slightly over fifty people in total, all of whom were top-tier talents plucked from the mansion.
As he evaluated the enemy situation on his end, he completely cast Lu Ding aside. Head Steward Lu, who had always bullied the weak and feared the strong, considered himself to possess an absolute advantage, so how could he stomach this? Spitting out a curse, he pulled off a decisive move as well: "If you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeiture, make your move!"
As the words fell, his body remained still while Si Long and the accompanying guards charged forward in unison, pouncing across the mountain stream in the blink of an eye. The surrounding herb gatherers finally found the sensation of fleeing for their lives, scattering in a roar, leaving only Yu Ci standing immovably in the center of the clearing, his gaze locked onto Lu Ding without shifting the slightest bit.
Being stared at by Yu Ci, Lu Ding didn't know why, but he only felt a chill strike his heart, involuntarily taking a few steps back before drawing his personal treasured sword, which allowed him to catch his breath. He shouted again: "Form the formation, live or die!"
Lu Ding believed that this was the most secure course of action. Yet at the instant he shouted, Yu Ci's figure dropped downward, and beside the mountain stream—still abundant with lingering snow—a half-moon arc of dark red color suddenly flashed, pouncing toward the lower legs of Si Long and the others. The sharpness of its edge was something no one dared to meet head-on, causing them to scatter and dodge in haste.
Si Long possessed high arts and a bold courage, only leaping up at the very last moment to gently collide his protective True Qi and Sword Qi against it in order to test its depth. Amidst a hissing shriek, he was suddenly startled as an intensely familiar scorching sensation surged up from the soles of his feet. At first it was like warm water, but in the blink of an eye, it transformed into molten iron, pouring straight in. Where the sword light passed, the accumulated snow by the stream melted away without leaving the slightest trace.
"Nine Yang... no, Pure Yang Talisman Sword!"
Amidst an angry roar, Si Long rolled sideways in extremely disheveled fashion, springing far away.
Unlike the overbearing nature of the Nine Yang Talisman Sword, the Pure Yang Talisman Sword had undergone high-level seals, causing the Killing Intent within the sword to condense without dispersing. At first glance it did not look conspicuous, but its lethality was at least fifty percent stronger than the former. Si Long understood this all too well, immediately dropping to a distant spot to buy time to dissolve the fire-force that had invaded his body. Lacking this Spirit cultivator to hold him back, Yu Ci let out a low whistle and his figure erupted violently, the Pure Yang Talisman Sword piercing consecutively through empty space to attack all seven guards almost simultaneously.
Every single guard was an elite within Bai Ri Mansion, possessing firm and resolute wills incomparable to ordinary people. Since Lu Ding had given the order to form the formation, they disregarded all other matters; even Si Long being knocked back by a single sword strike could not disrupt their wills. In the span of an eye, they dispersed and re-gathered, adjusting their stances. In merely the span of a breath, they surrounded him in a roughly arched circle, the long swords in their hands vibrating with a humming sound as they resonated with one another. The focal point of their convergence was locked squarely onto Yu Ci.
At that exact moment, the sword light of the Pure Yang Talisman Sword in Yu Ci's hand twisted and blurred, nearly causing the gazes everyone had concentrated upon it to warp out of shape.
No matter how well-trained the guards were, they could not avoid a momentary lapse of focus at this instant. By the time they reacted, they saw that Yu Ci—man and sword as one—had already slaughtered his way to the apex of their formed arc. Right there, three people were blocking the way!
Double swords intersected, ringing with a clang. The talisman sword in Yu Ci's hand condensed fire into a blade, shattering the sword of the leading guard out of the central palace with a single strike. Simultaneously, the Sword Qi of the flanking guards stabbed inward from his ribs. Although the leading guard's vital midsection lay completely wide open, he neither dodged nor evaded; as long as he could stall Yu Ci for even a moment, the converging Sword Qi from all four sides would ensure that even if he died himself, the one to win would inevitably be his side.
"Good!" Lu Ding watched clearly from behind, blurting out in praise. Bringing the Mansion Lord's personal guards out to Sky Valley this time truly was a brilliant move; if it were anyone else, even if another steward from the mansion had come here, they wouldn't have won so crisply and neatly.
Yet the next moment, he beheld the mist of blood spraying in all directions, along with Yu Ci's icy eyes behind that blood-mist.
No one knew what had happened in the split second before. The two stewards and the remaining guards present only saw the three people blocking in front of Yu Ci splattered with blood all over, massive mists of blood gushing forth as they toppled over like logs. Meanwhile, Yu Ci didn't pause at all, breaking through the blood-mist and wielding his sword to slaughter his way across the mountain stream toward Head Steward Ding, who stood rigidly unmoving.
Purely in terms of cultivation, Lu Ding surpassed any single personal guard, but in terms of willpower and daring, having long handled miscellaneous affairs within the mansion, he had lost the striving momentum of his youth years ago. Seeing Yu Ci slaughtering his way over drenched in blood and wielding a sword, his first reaction was not to wave his sword in defense, but to shriek and retreat further, stepping back seven or eight paces. Seeing that no one could rush over to help, he then flailed his sword wildly in a panic, attempting to block Yu Ci's unfathomable sword arts.
In a split second, Yu Ci pounced forward, dark red sword light flashing as clanging sounds merged into a continuous sheet. A miracle occurred: Lu Ding's fragmented sword screen actually blocked the majority of the Sword Qi, and the occasional leaks failed to land on vital points. He actually managed to endure... no, he successfully blocked Yu Ci's attacks for a full two breaths of time! And this duration was already enough for Si Long and the personal guards to reinforce him, forming a three-sided pincer movement!
The first to arrive was Si Long. As a figure of real authority in Bai Ri Mansion, how many years had it been since he suffered such a loss? Consumed by shame and anger, the very first moment he finished dissolving the fire-force within his body, he exerted his strength to catch up, launching a full-out offensive while taking advantage of Lu Ding blocking the opponent.
Si Long was one of the five major stewards in the mansion who had received Jin Huan's personal transmission of the Supreme Blazing Sun Method; if it weren't for his poor aptitude in scheming, his status shouldn't have stopped here. Yet due to his personality traits as well, his cultivation had progressed with extreme swiftness. In terms of seniority, he lagged far behind Lu Ding, but in terms of cultivation, the reverse was true.
As he launched his full strength at this moment, it truly looked to everyone's eyes as though a sun had lit up. Stifling heat waves that could scorch skin and melt bones pressed over, instantly driving away the late-autumn chill in the mountains. Where the light passed, let alone the snow by the stream, even the freezing stream water threatened to boil. Furthermore, steaming fire-toxins surged into their facial features and orifices, suffocating their minds to the point where they couldn't function, causing some of the herb gatherers who hadn't run far to tumble face-first and prove unable to climb back up.
Seeing the heat wave wash toward his face and knowing his companion had arrived to reinforce him, Lu Ding couldn't help his morale surging greatly. With a sharp shriek and roar, he actually drove his sharp sword like a violent storm, trapping Yu Ci in the outer perimeter—right until Si Long, carrying rolling heat waves, snatched the lead ahead of the guards and pursued him.
Five zhang away, Si Long formed hand seals with both hands; this was the distance where he could best unleash the might of the Supreme Blazing Sun Method.
As his hand seals were pushed out, the roaring heat wave nearly condensed into a tangible sheet of rosy light that swept across horizontally. Yu Ci still had his back to him and failed to notice, but Lu Ding saw it dead-on and was startled badly by the sight. This "sea of fire" technique disregarded friend and foe alike; it might very well roast the two entangled figures together into ashes!
His heart flinched, and he instantly drew his sword and retreated. Since he still held the initiative, naturally he retreated easily. Yu Ci seemed affected by the attack from behind as well, refraining from entangling further and instead turning his head backward.
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