Need a Human Test Subject

The cave was even larger than Sang Ying had imagined. It branched off in so many directions that it was nearly as complex as the dungeon they had escaped.

Fortunately, the sharp sword winds showed them the way. The denser the sword winds, the closer they were to their destination.

"Miss, what do you think could be producing such sharp Sword Qi?" The farther they went, the more uneasy Nan Gurong became.

When the venomous creatures caught up to them, the sword winds seemed to have eyes, striking only at the creatures and showing no intention of harming the group.

But she had not overlooked how sharp those sword winds were. What kind of thing or person could have produced sword winds so formidable?

If the other party had a good temper, perhaps they could escape disaster with its help. But if the other party had a bad temper, how would barging in be any different from running into the Cold Crow Devil Lord?

Sang Ying thought for a moment. Having read the original book, she naturally knew there was no danger inside, but Nan Gurong and her companions did not. Besides, if so many people followed her, what if the Sword Qi struck the wrong person?

So Sang Ying said, "Find another way out. I'll lure the Devil Lord to the place those sword winds are coming from."

Nan Gurong's expression changed at once. Grabbing Sang Ying's sleeve, she said nervously, "Miss, please don't misunderstand. I didn't mean that. I was just worried there might be danger inside. I wasn't..."

Sang Ying smiled at her. "I know you meant no harm. It's just that I know exactly what's in there. I came here to use it to get rid of that Devil Lord! If so many of you came along, you'd only ruin my plans."

To keep Nan Gurong from misunderstanding, Sang Ying had deliberately made her words a little harsh.

She was no saint, nor would she deliberately try to win people over for the sake of a good reputation like Su Fuyun. Sang Ying was willing to risk luring him away alone for two reasons. First, it would make it easier for the Cold Crow Devil Lord to be injured by the Sword Qi, just as he had been in the original book. Second, a sword cultivator's inheritance might have been left inside.

The male companion in the original book had been a music cultivator, so he had never been skilled in swordsmanship and had missed out on this fortuitous opportunity that might have been an inheritance. Now that Sang Ying had been lucky enough to enter the cave, she naturally intended to take a chance for herself.

Although she was an elder's daughter and Immortal Venerable Yanchen's disciple, Gu Huaiwei had shown no intention of teaching her all these years. She had only ever practiced the Flowing Light Sword Sect's most basic swordsmanship.

It had been enough before, but it would not suffice in the future.

Sang Ying dared not pin her hopes on anyone else. She only wanted to find a way to grow stronger quickly on her own.

Even if she failed to obtain the swordsmanship inheritance, witnessing the sword strike that gravely injured a Nascent Soul Cultivator with her own eyes would give Sang Ying considerable insight.

But Nan Gurong was no fool. Naturally, she would not overlook Sang Ying's earlier help because of a few words from her.

She hesitated. "But miss, can you really manage on your own?"

Before Sang Ying could answer, the youth urged her, "Since this fellow cultivator said so, she must have thought it through. Senior sister, we should hurry and leave. Let's not let her efforts go to waste!"

Sang Ying turned to look at the youth, and he nodded openly at her.

"Your junior brother is right. Hurry and leave! The Cold Crow Devil Lord will probably be here any moment," Sang Ying said in agreement, casually cutting down a venomous spider.

More and more venomous creatures were catching up, and the sword winds in the cave were no longer enough to hold them off. Nan Gurong had no time to consider further and could only grit her teeth and accept Sang Ying's plan.

Before leaving, however, everyone scattered the insect-repelling powder they carried over themselves, lest the venomous creatures follow and give away their whereabouts.

Nan Gurong handed all the remaining powder to Sang Ying.

"My fellow disciples who escaped should have notified the sect elders by now. Use the Sword Qi to hold that man off for a while. I'll bring people back to save you!" Nan Gurong grasped Sang Ying's hand and made her a solemn promise.

Sang Ying neither said she believed her nor said she did not. She merely nodded and urged them to leave quickly.

As it turned out, Sang Ying had been right to hurry them along. Not long after Nan Gurong and her companions left, the Cold Crow Devil Lord, dressed all in black, came after them.

The moment Sang Ying saw him, she turned and shouted behind her, "Go! Don't worry about me!"

Only after making sure she had drawn the Cold Crow Devil Lord's attention did she slip into the cave behind her.

Their guess had been right. The farther in they went, the sharper and more fearsome the sword winds became. Even though they deliberately avoided her, they were so dense that Sang Ying could not help being caught by them.

After going a dozen or so meters farther in, Sang Ying had dozens of bloody cuts on her body.

"Judging by your skills, miss, I presume you are a cultivator as well. Since you are a cultivator, why bring trouble upon yourself for the sake of those mortals?" the Cold Crow Devil Lord called out from a distance, trying to persuade her.

Sang Ying sneered inwardly. "Since you look down on those mortals, Devil Lord, why should you care now that they've run away?"

"Hah!" the Cold Crow Devil Lord said coldly. "How reckless!"

Countless venomous creatures were slain by the Sword Qi, and the smell mingled with the scent of Sang Ying's blood. The cave smelled truly foul, but Sang Ying acted as though she could not smell it at all, leading the Cold Crow Devil Lord on while going deeper inside.

It was only because the Cold Crow Devil Lord had deliberately decided to play with her that Sang Ying had been able to keep running for so long. Otherwise, she would have been captured long ago.

Fortunately, after she had fled a little farther, the passage finally came to an end. The Sword Qi that had been sealed away for many years finally came into Sang Ying's sight.

It was a beautiful longsword. Though only a phantom, it still bore traces of its former majestic appearance.

The moment this phantom longsword formed from Sword Qi appeared, Sang Ying's heart trembled.

Most sword cultivators' Sword Qi in this world was formless. Even the current Sword Master, Immortal Venerable Yanchen, could not make Sword Qi take shape like this.

From this, it was clear just how dazzlingly talented the owner of this Sword Qi had been in those days!

"What's the matter? Done running already?" The Cold Crow Devil Lord's teasing voice came from behind her.

He soon appeared in the stone chamber as well. Seeing that Sang Ying was alone, he was not surprised in the least, as though he had known their plan all along.

Sang Ying's gaze sharpened, and she immediately understood. "You knew all along that we'd split up!" Her tone was certain.

A smile finally appeared on the Cold Crow Devil Lord's face beneath his black hood. He chuckled softly. "Did you really think your little tricks could fool me?"

Sang Ying's face paled. She had been too naive this time, thinking such a scheme could fool a Devil Cultivator.

"Then why did you follow me?" Sang Ying asked.

Now that things had come to this, the Cold Crow Devil Lord did not mind telling Sang Ying a little of the truth. "Why, because I still need a young female cultivator to serve as a human test subject!"

With those words, the Cold Crow Devil Lord curled his five fingers into a claw and lunged at Sang Ying!