Reversal

Wan Songran walked slowly over to the two Demon Beasts, cutting open their corpses and extracting their cores with practiced ease.

"Take this one as a meeting gift."

He casually tossed one Demon Beast Core to Song Yan and put the other away himself.

"You certainly are full of sincerity, Fellow Daoist Wan..."

Song Yan accepted the Demon Beast Core without much warmth.

He had taken the initiative to reveal that "Immortal Flute," then given him this precious late first-tier Demon Beast Core as a show of sincerity...

It seemed that, in the end, it would come down to who could leave this secret realm alive.

The two exchanged smiles, killing intent equally concealed in their eyes.

"Let's go."

"Where?"

"To find Wang Xi a burial ground."

Song Yan said nothing and followed Wan Songran to a stretch of marshland.

"The Xuanyuan Sect wants the Spirit Vein, but doesn't want to give anyone grounds for criticism, so it needs to stage a little play: 'disciples of the two sects kick a man when he's down and attempt to murder an Inner Sect disciple of the Xuanyuan Sect.'"

"That will make it easier to come begging from our two sects afterward."

The Peachwood Gengjin Flying Sword circled beside Song Yan with a hum. "How can you be certain he'll come looking alone?"

"The Xuanyuan Sect wants more than just the Spirit Vein. This joint mission involves many things, including sounding out the strength and capabilities of the two Inner Sect disciples..."

Wan Songran brushed his fingertips over the flute, and the vines on the ground began to writhe strangely.

"This Wang Xi is arrogant and conceited. More than anything, he can't stand being looked down on. Naturally, he wouldn't ask anyone to help him kill 'ants' like us."

"For all we know, he may already have killed a few of the sect disciples who were swept into this secret realm with us..."

"That's also our opportunity."

Song Yan's expression darkened, but before he could speak, Wan Songran's expression turned grave.

"...He's here."

Before his words had faded, Wan Songran turned to look. Deep in the dense forest behind them, a yellow-robed figure slowly emerged, his robes stained with blood and earthen-yellow spiritual light flickering in his palm.

It was none other than Wang Xi of the Xuanyuan Sect's Inner Sect.

"Oh... both of you are here."

"That saves me the trouble of finding you one by one."

On his way here, Wang Xi had separately encountered two Spirit Talisman Sect disciples and one Dongyuan Sect disciple.

He had killed one of the Spirit Talisman Sect disciples, intending to pin that death on them as well when the time came.

He would leave the other two alive to muddy the waters.

He glanced at Wan Songran, his gaze lingering on the red-and-black transverse flute in his hand, then sneered. "A disciple of the Wan family? A pity you'll meet your end here today too!"

Song Yan rolled his fingers, lightly brushing his fingertips along the edge of the Peachwood Gengjin Sword.

Wang Xi snorted coldly and formed a Method Formula with his hand. Three Earth Incantation Spirits shot toward them in unison.

Battle erupted at the slightest spark!

Song Yan rapidly shifted his sword hand seals. The flying sword whirled, sparks scattering as the Earth Incantation Spirits struck its blade.

The decaying forest soil beneath Wang Xi's feet suddenly collapsed and churned, surging like waves. Several Rock Pythons burst from the ground and lunged at Song Yan and Wan Songran to crush them in their coils!

Wan Songran sneered and held the black flute horizontally before him. A strange melody rang out.

"Parlor tricks!"

Fierce light burst from Wang Xi's knuckles, and a beam of earthen-yellow spiritual light rose from his palm.

In an instant, all the surrounding vegetation bowed low. A small earthen-colored seal swelled in the wind, and the Bixi relief crouching at its center opened its stone eyes. Densely packed spiritual patterns flowed down the seal, forming the phantom of a mountain in midair.

The seal's might was just like that of the Law Technique that had crushed the Crucian Qiu demon to death in Hidden Moon Pool Ravine.

Song Yan's flying sword swept the Rock Pythons aside. Before his feet could leave the ground, he felt an immense weight of spiritual power press down on the crown of his head. His protective Spiritual Qi shattered like thin ice, and his kneecaps creaked with a teeth-grating sound.

The entire marshland sank two inches under the pressure. Foul-smelling mud mixed with broken branches forced him down into the swamp, as though a pair of invisible hands were grinding him over and over.

"Wan... Song... ran!"

Bang!

The sound of something enormous breaking through the marsh came from its center. A massive mid-first-tier Hard-Shelled Giant Crab overturned the mud, brandishing its enormous claws as it barreled toward Wang Xi.

"Hmph, unorthodox tricks!"

Wang Xi stirred his spiritual power, transferring the might of the Mountain-Subduing Seal in his hand onto the giant crab. Only then did Song Yan gain a chance to catch his breath.

He formed a Method Formula with his fingertips, and several green vines shot out of the marsh, winding toward Wang Xi.

"Just submit to death. Why waste time!"

Boom!!!

The mountain phantom above the Mountain-Subduing Seal crashed down, crushing the Hard-Shelled Giant Crab into the marsh.

By then, the green vines had already wound around Wang Xi. Song Yan clenched his left hand from afar, and roaring flames suddenly engulfed the vines.

"Tch..."

Spiritual Qi surged around Wang Xi, and an earthen-yellow spiritual pattern blazed with light, abruptly sweeping away the tangled, burning vines.

"There really is something unusual about your Divine Sense. At the fifth layer of Qi Refining, you can control a Law Technique from over twenty zhang away without it dissipating. Once I've killed you, I'll have to take a good look at what Secret Method you're using!"

"Even at the late Qi Refining stage... can the difference in the effectiveness of Law Techniques really be this great...?"

Wan Songran, meanwhile, silently cursed Song Yan's uselessness. Was he really going to have to use his final killing move?

Was the Dongyuan Sect truly so destitute, every one of its disciples a mediocrity?

He gritted his teeth and brought out half a Remnant Talisman.

"Song Yan! We're facing a mortal enemy here. Whatever trump cards you have, bring them out! If you still won't get serious..."

"You may never get another chance!"

Song Yan's heart tightened. He brought out three Pale Talismans, igniting them with spiritual power. They turned into dark streaks of light and vanished into the clouds.

Essentials of Swordsmanship recorded many techniques and methods for wielding flying swords.

But most required opening the Sword Mansion of the Dao-Subduing and planting a Sword Dao Seed, then wielding the sword with both natal Sword Qi and spiritual power before their might could manifest.

Only a small number could be performed without a sword seed, and even those had many restrictions.

Rumble!

Thunderclouds filled the sky, with faint flashes of lightning flickering overhead.

"What trick are you playing?!"

Spiritual power surged throughout Wang Xi's body, and unprecedented fluctuations of spiritual power swept through the marsh!

Pure spiritual power poured out of his body, condensing into an earthen-yellow sphere. Several streams of spiritual power transformed into mountain rocks, while clods of earth and hard stones from all around gathered toward it as well.

"That move again!"

The fish demon at Hidden Moon Pool had died beneath this very move, the Earth-Crumbling Mountain-Shaking Incantation.

Wan Songran's eyes were tightly shut, his spiritual power surging. The half Remnant Talisman before him finally lit up.

A dangerous smile curled his lips. "Wang Xi, no matter what happens, you're going to die today!"

Rumble...

Beneath the swamp, the earth's veins suddenly began to tremble violently. Deep in the forest, the vast root systems beneath the towering ancient trees actually surged toward this marshland!

The earth spiritual power here collapsed and dispersed like floodwater released through the gates.

At that same moment, the inverted mountain suspended in the air also began to crumble.

"Yi Wood Spirit-Severing Talisman!"

Wang Xi's eyes nearly split with fury. For the first time, a sense of danger rose within him, and he was about to turn and leave the talisman's range.

Boom!

Dragging its mangled body, the Hard-Shelled Giant Crab blocked Wang Xi's path.

"Get out of my way!!"

Rumble!

Just then, Song Yan's flying sword hovered several zhang above and before him. A thunderbolt descended with tremendous force, striking the blade directly, yet the sword showed no change.

Song Yan formed a Daoist hand seal. Several green vines wound around the blade, then flames ignited, burning away the vines and leaving a roaring blaze coating it.

Rumble!

The second heavenly thunderbolt fell!

Blue-and-white flames around the blade of the Peachwood Gengjin Flying Sword rang with thunder, and the blade gave a resounding crack, unable to bear the strain.

Song Yan pressed two fingers together and lightly brushed them along the blade. The protective Spiritual Qi around him abruptly dissipated upon touching this thunderfire Qi.

"Heavenly Thunderfall Sword Stance!"