Golden Crow Gathers Yang Essence

Whoosh!

As it flew, the "sun" completely changed shape, no longer round, but bird-shaped, its entire body ablaze with fire. However, behind this bird, there was a fireball—that was the real sun.

Just now, this bird transformed into the "sun" and blocked out the real sun. Of course, it didn't cover the sun with its body, but because it was closer to the ground, it used a change in perspective and Technique Method to make people mistake the sun.

Now, propelled by the surge of Qi and Blood, the bird took flight. As its wings flapped, feathers drifted down, but before they even touched the ground, they burst into flames in mid-air.

Call!

The surrounding temperature suddenly rose!

"So that's how it is. I've now Unity Realm. To set up an array without my knowledge, either one's cultivation is far superior to mine, or they exploit blind spots and loopholes in my thinking to set up the array right under my nose! If their cultivation is exceptionally high, why would they need to rely on restrictions? They could just attack directly! Therefore, it can only be the second one..."

As Qiu Yan walked, he felt as if he were walking towards a dead end. This was not out of thin air, but rather because he had been tricked and trapped in a restriction. However, the restriction and the Dao Arts could not be used silently; they still needed to rely on external forces.

Qiu Yan is now facing a situation where someone has used the surrounding "power" to create a situation, and this "power" is not hidden, but rather open and aboveboard, just like the sun that you encounter every moment of the day!

People tend to subconsciously ignore what's right in front of them; this is a blind spot in thinking.

At that moment, the burning bird sent forth a thought—

"You saw through 'Yang Radiance on the Surface' so quickly; you are indeed extraordinary. I am Jinwu Daoren, the leader of Golden Crow Dao Golden Crow Daoist. I have come here with no ill intentions. My junior brother went missing after fighting with you, so I have come to inquire about his whereabouts."

"Oh? No ill intent? Inquiring about my junior brother's whereabouts?"

If Qiu Yan hadn't planted the Heart Demon Seed in Prince Yan's heart beforehand, he might have wavered. But now that he knew this Golden Crow Daoist was a master Prince Yan had brought in, how could he still be deceived? If he truly wanted to ask questions, why wait until Qiu Yan left the city?

"Even if he wanted to find out where the Crow Daoist was, his plan was definitely to capture me and interrogate me. However, this thought originated from that golden bird, which can transform into Yang and ignite with its falling feathers. Could it really be the legendary Golden Crow?"

In ancient times, the Golden Crow was even used as a metaphor for the sun.

The sun hangs in the sky, spreading light and heat, and has been worshipped since ancient times, giving rise to many deities, such as the Golden Crow, which is said to have been formed from the worship of demons and is known as the High Antiquity demon emperor.

"The Soul Dao is yin, making it difficult to cultivate Yang Qi. I am currently Unity Return to three, but to ignite the Yang Fire, I must wait for my body and soul to unite. However, this bird is entirely covered in flames, and when it transforms, it blocks out the sun, making it almost indistinguishable from the real thing. I don't know if it's due to its superior cultivation or its profound Cultivation Method. Regardless of the reason, scorching Yang Qi is like a deadly poison to the soul. The fact that it can transform and control it is truly not to be underestimated!"

As his thoughts shifted, Qiu Yan didn't hesitate. A tremor ran through him, Martial Dao Will surged forth like a tidal wave, vast and seemingly endless. Wherever it went, even Spiritual Qi was restrained by Qiu Yan's will. The Five Elements manifested out of thin air, and with the surge of his Qi and Blood, a strange figure slowly emerged—

It was also a Crow, but it rode the Black Wind, appearing ferocious and tyrannical, howling as it pounced on the Golden Crow!

"Hmm? Soul Shadow like Crow?" The Golden Crow paused slightly, seemingly surprised by Qiu Yan's unexpected reaction. In fact, the Golden Crow had intended to use words to confuse Qiu Yan and then take advantage of the situation, but Qiu Yan did not hesitate at all and directly released his Qi and Blood and Soul Shadow to bombard him!

This Crow riding the Black Wind actually originated from Qiu Yan's first Soul Shadow, the Power Soul. Judging from its momentum, it was clearly meant to completely envelop the Golden Crow and strangle it with force!

This also indicates that Qiu Yan is nourishing his body, and the Seven Souls within him are about to take form.

The Black Wind surged, just about to engulf the Golden Crow, when it suddenly dispersed, turning into countless feathers that drifted in the wind. Each feather carried flames, bypassing the Black Wind and charging towards Qiu Yan!

"You scholar, how unreasonable of you to suddenly resort to such ruthless means! Could it be, as the Prince said, that you have truly harmed my junior brother?"

A series of thoughts emanated from each feather, radiating a sense of grief, indignation, and innocence, as if to interrogate Qiu Yan's conscience.

But Qiu Yan remained unmoved. He scanned the feathers with his senses and found that each one exuded an artistic conception, as hot as fire and as intense as the sun!

"Hmm? These feathers seem to be derived from Cultivation Method, similar to my Divine Sense. Could these feathers be Divine Sense itself?"

Qiu Yan now possesses ten Divine Sense, but the one he truly controls and refines is the Manifest Law Spirit originating from the Legalist School. Facing the sky full of blazing feathers and the constant interrogations, Qiu Yan merely responded calmly, "If you're questioning me, why set a trap, ambush me on the road, and separate me from my surroundings? Your junior brother harbored ill intentions from the start, and your senior brother is equally secretive. If you want to know his whereabouts, it's simple. Once I capture you, I will naturally reunite you and your fellow disciples."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and formed a hand seal. A wisp of Divine Sense forth from his body, radiating an open and revealed aura wherever it went. The Divine Sense was like light, swirling around him and stirring up a whirlwind as it spread outwards.

The feathers that came whistling in were blown by the wind, and their true nature was immediately revealed. They were actually all transformed from a bit of soul power!

"So it was just a bluff, no, it was a lie with a hidden truth!" Before Qiu Yan could even form a thought, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept past him from behind!

Then, a feather was touched by the Manifest Law Divine Sense, revealing its true form—it was actually a Golden Crow's Divine Soul!

This Divine Soul transformed into a feather, drifting among the other feathers. Because it carried the Yang Qi, it was difficult to distinguish. Now that it was exposed, it immediately sprang into action!

As the Golden Crow's Divine Soul flew over, the blazing light and shadow on its body gradually condensed, transforming into a sharp sword blade, which thrust forward, the tip of the sword pointing directly at the back of Qiu Yan's head!

Unlike ordinary Divine Soul, this blade did not resemble a thought, but rather a tangible object!

Instantly, the air was scalding hot, and the heat wave hit Qiu Yan's back, causing his clothes to dry, wrinkle, and even Fire Star to fly, as if that sharp point was about to pierce him!

Just then, Qiu Yan suddenly swung his arm, his tendons and bones vibrating and crackling. His Qi and Blood surged, condensing into a whip-like force, and lashed out at the sword blade!

Seeing this, Golden Crow Daoist was secretly pleased, thinking that Qiu Yan had underestimated him because he hadn't seen through the true nature of the sword.

Sure enough, the long whip of Qi and Blood and blood collided with the sword blade and broke into pieces. However, the Golden Crow Daoist's joy did not last long and vanished in an instant. Those pieces of Qi and Blood wrapped around the sword blade, imprisoning it for a moment!

"Not good!" Golden Crow Daoist thought to himself, but it was too late. A violent roar was heard, and a thick tail emerged from behind Qiu Yan, whipping the sword blade and Golden Crow's Divine Soul with swirling thoughts!

Boom!

Chaotic thoughts tainted the Golden Crow's Divine Soul, while the sword blade sliced through the fur on the Heart Ape's tail and embedded itself within!

"Hmm?" Qiu Yan's heart skipped a beat.

"Ah!" The Golden Crow's Divine Soul cried out in agony, then flapped its wings, and its Divine Soul instantly turned bright red, stimulating the vital energy and yang Qi and Blood within its soul!

Relying on the heat wave emanating from the burst of masculine Qi and Blood, the Golden Crow's Divine Soul condensed into a form amidst layers of distracting thoughts. The flaming sword blade connected to it slashed a few times, and the flames condensed to the extreme, actually severing the fur of the Heart Ape, creating a piece of air, allowing the Golden Crow to break free!

"What exactly is this sword blade made of? It can so easily sever ape thoughts!"

Qiu Yan was surprised. Each hair of the Heart Ape was composed of distracting thoughts. Individually, it would be a great threat to ordinary people. For cultivators, it was not impossible to fight against. However, the Heart Ape had thousands of hairs. When bombarded by distracting thoughts, even the most determined person would be disoriented. Moreover, the Heart Ape itself was full of violent aura that could impact State of Mind. Even the most powerful cultivator would tremble when surrounded by a vast sea of distracting thoughts and then impacted by its fierce aura.

But the Golden Crow Daoist's sharp blade could sever all distracting thoughts, which shows its power!

However, several nicks were also chipped into the blade, with hot flames flowing inside and Fire Star flying everywhere!

"What is the origin of this sword blade? Speaking of which, since this Golden Crow Dao dares to name itself after High Antiquity demon emperor, it must possess some extraordinary abilities!"

With his eyes slightly narrowed, Qiu Yan's Heart Fire began to pulsate. Incense Faith surged continuously from the Soul Aperture, transforming into the power of the Heart Ape. Gradually, the figure of the giant ape condensed around Qiu Yan!

However, compared to when it was in the Yin Side of the Scholar Forest, this ape's shadow was much smaller. The reason was simple: every move the giant ape made consumed a great deal of energy.

In Scholar Forest, thoughts were everywhere, even the air was filled with them. This giant ape could absorb the surrounding thoughts to replenish itself when it leaped and bounded. But now that it has come to the outside world, every move it makes can only be sustained by Qiu Yan. And that's only because he has Incense Faith to replenish it. If it were anyone else, even if they had subdued the Heart Ape, they wouldn't be able to afford it!

However, when facing the Golden Crow's Divine Soul, Qiu Yan did not fully unleash the power of his Heart Ape. Otherwise, relying solely on the transmission of thoughts through the Soul Aperture would not be enough to sustain him for long.

Of course, even with only 30-40% of its power, the power of the Heart Ape is still incredibly strong, the trump card of the Fleshly Body. Unleashing it now, it is clearly intended to decide the outcome in one fell swoop!

Having probed earlier, Qiu Yan had already gauged the Golden Crow Daoist's strength. The opponent's cultivation was at the peak of the Third Realm, but the flames on his body were somewhat strange, making him an unpredictable variable.

"Now that we know this Daoist's true strength and weakness, there's no need to hide it anymore. Let's take him down in one fell swoop!"

Thinking this, the Heart Ape howled, and a jumble of thoughts arose within, colliding and turning into Thought Fire, which condensed in the mouth. Suddenly, it was exhaled, and a thick Fire Pillar shot out!

This is no ordinary fire, but a flame born from the burning of will, a death warrant for souls and ghosts!

"Not good!" the Golden Crow's Divine Soul cried out upon seeing this, "Solar True Essence, explode!"

As the words were spoken, the flaming sword blade exploded with a deafening roar, releasing rays of sunlight that merged into a pillar of light that met the attack head-on!

ps:

Thank you to "Wan Bu Xiala" for the donation!

Thank you to "Unity Return" and "Fengchenhui" for the monthly votes!

I got back yesterday. My colleague's child had a one-month celebration today, so I went over for the celebratory noodles and got back a little late. That's why the update is late. The second update will probably be after 10 PM.