Chapter 84

Finally, three beams of sword light flew out from the peak of Xianyun Mountain, landing one after another at the foot of Tiandu Peak. Xi Huzi, Deng Yuantong, and Wei Rongniang arrived late. Seeing the corpses scattered everywhere, Deng Yuantong's eyes turned red with rage. He extended his fingers, and the Qingfeng Sword flew out of its scabbard like a comet, striking the murderer.

Wei Shizhao saw the sword light and immediately felt relieved. The stage was now left to the senior members of the sect. He suddenly sped up his staff technique, creating a small opening and smoothly retreating. Miaozi had no interest in纠缠 (entanglement) either. Her eyes, fixed on the rapidly approaching Qingfeng Sword, glowed with an increasingly intense green light.

Thirty years ago, she had been caught off guard and suffered a great loss at the hands of the sword cultivators. This time, she came prepared, ready to show them her true colors. She spread her fingers and slowly clenched them into a fist, forcefully activating her demonic arts. The corpse at her feet instantly withered, and a cloud of blood mist escaped from its pores, coalescing into a tough blood membrane. It lunged at the Qingfeng Sword, enveloping it completely. The flying sword fell to the ground like a broken kite, powerless.

"Hehehe..." Miaozi stepped on the Qingfeng Sword with her foot and said viciously, "A toothless rat, let's see what tricks you can still pull!"

Deng Yuantong, who was closely aligned with the wood element, used the energy of the Yi Wood to drive his flying sword. Not known for its speed, the Qingfeng Sword was caught off guard by the blood membrane. His face changed slightly as he continuously activated the sword technique, but the sword remained unresponsive. The blood membrane had severed the subtle connection between the Dao embryo and the sword, turning the Qingfeng Sword into a dead fish.

Xi Huzi, sensing the situation, flicked his sleeve, and a plain-looking flying sword appeared in his hand. Named Qiqin, the sword was less than three feet long and dull. With a casual wave, a yellow glow flashed and a sword qi shot through the air, appearing before Miaozi the next moment.

Miaozi's hair stood on end, and she bent her head slightly to the side, narrowly avoiding the sword qi. A bloodline appeared on her pale skin, and half of her ear fell to the snow. After thirty years, Xi Huzi had broken through the sword glow barrier. Miaozi's heart sank as she assessed the situation, realizing she was at a disadvantage. She was a decisive person and, without waiting for Xi Huzi to release a second sword qi, she vanished into the dense forest.

Xi Huzi put away the Qiqin Sword, his face suddenly flushed. He coughed a few times, and Deng Yuantong quickly supported him, knowing that his master's hidden injuries had not yet healed, and the forced activation of the sword glow had severely damaged his body.

Xi Huzi suppressed the surging blood in his chest and said, "Rongniang, have the trial disciples come out and send their deceased fellow disciples on their way."

Wei Rongniang agreed and called out the trial disciples hiding in the stone room. Everyone looked at the corpses scattered on the ground in silence, feeling both sorrow and relief.

"Qin Zhen, a disciple of Senior Brother Qi, was not here. She was cultivating on Tiandu Peak and did not return. Junior Sister Zhang lost one disciple, Hu Yong. Senior Brother Lu's lineage... none survived."

Finally, someone couldn't hold back and sobbed softly. A disciple named Shi Ben, under Zhang Jing, lost his composure and pointed at Wei Shizhao angrily, "I heard everything inside. The murderer used the lives of our fellow disciples to threaten him, but he remained silent, watching as our fellow disciples..."

His voice choked, and he couldn't continue.

Xi Huzi looked at Wei Shizhao and asked, "Is this true?"

"Yes. The demon moved like the wind, and I was no match for it. It probably didn't want to waste its energy on me, so it used the sword to threaten my fellow disciples, demanding that I drop the iron staff and kneel to beg for mercy. I ignored it."

"Why didn't you try to stop it from slaughtering our fellow disciples?"

"At the time, my back and thighs were severely injured, and I needed time to recover. Rushing in recklessly would have only cost me my life and endangered everyone. Weighing the pros and cons, I had to take this course of action."

Everyone looked at him with strange expressions, seeing him as someone who treated human life as nothing and disregarded the bonds of fellowship, cold and ruthless. Only now did they notice that Wei Shizhao's clothes were tattered, and his body was covered in countless wounds. How had he managed to survive? The amount of blood lost from these wounds would have drained him.

Xi Huzi neither confirmed nor denied, and did not pursue the matter further. Deng Yuantong, however, looked at him with some surprise. In the critical moment when his fellow disciples' lives were threatened, he neither acted impulsively nor fled in fear. Instead, he quickly assessed the situation and made the best decision within his capabilities. This level of composure was not typical of a young disciple who had been in the sect for less than two years.

"Say your goodbyes to your fellow disciples, and bury them at the foot of Tiandu Peak, where they will rest in peace."

Having seen many lives come and go, Xi Huzi turned and patted Wei Shizhao's shoulder, saying, "Follow me." He then activated his sword light, carrying Wei Shizhao to Xianyun Peak.

Returning from Jietian Ridge to Xianyun Peak, Xi Huzi used the "Sword in the Universe" technique, which felt like flying in an airplane to Wei Shizhao, except for some ear ringing and dizziness. This time, he experienced the true sensation of "riding a sword."

In his imagination, riding a sword meant standing with hands behind his back, lightly stepping on the sword, and flying through the vast sky, treating obstacles as nothing, traveling a thousand miles a day. But standing on a flying sword was a different experience altogether.

Strictly speaking, he was still "riding" the sword, while Xi Huzi was the one controlling it.

The Qiqin Sword flew three feet above the ground at a moderate speed. Standing on the narrow sword, Wei Shizhao was initially clumsy and unsure, but he quickly calmed down. Having experience with skateboarding, the techniques were similar: slightly bending the knees, lowering the center of gravity, maintaining balance, and paying attention to the airflow.

Falling off a flying sword and getting injured was not uncommon, but Xi Huzi had no need to help him. The body's instinctive reactions were more reliable than conscious thought, and Wei Shizhao stood steadily, unaffected by the flight.

Xi Huzi was secretly amazed. He activated the sword technique, and the flying sword transformed into a rainbow, heading straight for Xianyun Peak.

The moon rose over the Tian Mountains, and the sea of clouds stretched endlessly. Xianyun Peak stood majestically between heaven and earth, unchanged for ages. The howling mountain wind cut like a knife, and Wei Shizhao squinted, focusing on the approaching rocks and ancient trees, lowering his body even more.

In a short while, they arrived at the Lotus Platform. Xi Huzi slowly landed the flying sword and put it away in his sword pouch, gazing at the sea of clouds without speaking for a long time.

The past seemed vivid, as if it had happened yesterday.

After a long while, Xi Huzi asked about the demon. Wei Shizhao did not hide anything, recounting the entire story in detail, leaving out no details. In fact, there was nothing to hide.

Xi Huzi sighed and said, "Her name is Miaozi. Her true form is a three-eyed spirit cat, a fire elemental demon. She was injured by the Qiqin Sword over thirty years ago and has now returned. The body she possessed was actually my niece."