Maple leaves scattered, raining gold and crimson.
Zang Yu landed beside Jiang Yang and surveyed the red maple leaves carpeting the ground. Awe rose in him as though he were gazing up at a towering mountain, and he praised Jiang Yang repeatedly:
"Brother Jiang, your mastery of the sword Dao has reached the realm of perfection. With strength like this, you must be the foremost Foundation Establishment cultivator of our generation!"
Jiang Yang turned at his words and waved a hand with a smile.
"You jest, Senior Brother Zang. The foremost? That's far too much praise."
Though Jiang Yang denied it, Zang Yu believed he truly was. Sometimes the gulf between two people was wider than that between a man and a dog. He shook his head and sighed.
"I'm ashamed. I couldn't help at all, from beginning to end."
Praise and recognition always warmed the heart, and Jiang Yang was no exception. Still, he did not grow complacent, and offered Zang Yu a graceful way to save face.
"Not at all. Don't sell yourself short, Senior Brother Zang. With you holding the line, I had someone to rely on and didn't have to divide my attention. How could you say you were no help?"
"Hahahaha! You have a point, Brother Jiang."
Zang Yu threw back his head and laughed. On second thought, that was true. In the company of such a prodigy, simply avoiding becoming a hindrance could count as a contribution.
After they exchanged a few lighthearted words, Jiang Yang remembered the business at hand. He raised a hand and summoned the corpses scattered in various directions, bringing them together as he casually explained:
"These are Foundation Establishment bodies, after all, with supernatural properties born within them. If we leave them unattended, certain evil cultivators will surely exploit