https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-277-A-Single-Sword-Execution-Part-1-/12587166/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-278-277-Second-Rank-Opportunity-Divine-Court-Foundation/12587169/
Chapter 277: A Single Sword Execution (Part 2)
Chapter 277: A Single Sword Execution (Part 2)
The previous Xuanwu Elder, Gu Han, was now believed to be a spy for the Worldly Dao Sect and the main culprit behind the fall of Pure Yang Palace during the demon chaos. He was replaced by Yuxiling, who had broken through to the Eighth Heaven after the chaos.
The rest of the high-achieving elders of the Seventh Heaven of Pure Yang Palace were now stabilizing the current situation of the sect under the leadership of Rong Guangchen and Guan Jing.
Lu Jinduan, Jiang Yu, and the others from Pure Yang Palace received the Western Regions' Buddhist monks and passed by Beiguang Mountain without stopping, continuing their journey south towards Pure Yang Palace.
However, not long after they left, Lei Jun sensed a violent disturbance in the Beiguang Mountain area.
The spiritual qi veins were fluctuating, causing the entire Beiguang Mountain to seem like it was shaking.
"I wonder what Senior Sister is up to in Pure Yang Palace?" Lei Jun wondered curiously.
After observing carefully, he found that aside from the changes in Beiguang Mountain, the rest of Zhongnan Mountain seemed peaceful.
Lei Jun immediately began searching within Beiguang Mountain.
Soon, he discovered a valley where the mountain rocks had split open.
Within the mountain's belly, there seemed to be a hidden world.
Lei Jun descended through the split in the mountain rocks.
Then, he found that within the mountain's belly, there was an abundance of gale-force winds.
However, these gale-force winds did not leak out but revolved on their own, constantly turning as if forming a small, independent world.
But this world, entirely made of gale-force winds, was not stable.
Rather than calling it a separate world, Lei Jun felt that this place resembled a cage more.
The reason why it had evaded his spiritual sense and the detection of the Mystical Subtle Mirror was due to those peculiar gale-force winds.
The gale-force winds revolved, forming walls that seemed like airflow yet solid, appearing rather strange but imbued with a rich spiritual essence and profound mysteries.
Lei Jun took a few more steps to examine it and was surprised to find that the walls formed by the gale-force winds were not perfectly round but octagonal.
The gale-force winds formed eight walls, enclosing a separate small world.
Lei Jun approached one of the walls, and at that moment, his heart stirred slightly, and a name automatically appeared in his mind:
The Eight Scenic Winds
There was a profound mystery within the spiritual nature of these gale-force winds... Lei Jun's current level of comprehension was exceptionally high, rarely matched in the world, and upon encountering these wondrous spiritual beings, his mind immediately sparked with insights, feeling that there was something about them that resonated with his current cultivation.
However, the timing was not right, and it was not the moment for detailed investigation, so Lei Jun calmed his mind, staying vigilant of his surroundings while considering how to cut through these gale-force winds that seemed to have a physical form.
He had ready tools at hand—powerful ones, at that.
And not just one, but several.
A purple light flashed, and Lei Jun's figure merged with the immortal seed's purple light from Shu Mountain's Chen Donglou, transforming into Chen Donglou's appearance, with seven flying swords floating around his body.
While he, a Fu Lu sect cultivator, could not achieve the same level of sword control as a true Daoist artificer, he had his own methods.
With the activation of the Yuan Magnetic Force, the Seven Star Sword immediately began to pierce into the gale-force winds.
The power of the gale-force winds was strong enough to shred various magical artifacts to pieces, but fortunately, the Seven Star Sword was a high-level treasure that could withstand the pressure.
However, as the Seven Star Sword "cut" through the winds, the octagonal world formed by the Eight Scenic Winds became unstable, and other spiritual forces and magical powers began to leak out from within.
This place truly served as a cage.
The magical powers that leaked out formed strands of fire in the air, with a color between white and gold.
This fire made Lei Jun feel both familiar and unfamiliar.
It was familiar because it was the Pure Yang True Fire.
He had seen it countless times with Tang Xiaotang.
It was unfamiliar because the Pure Yang True Fire here was slightly different from Tang Xiaotang's, as they originated from completely different cultivation methods.
This was the Pure Yang True Fire cultivated through the inheritance of the Pure Yang Palace's Daoist tradition.
The octagonal world formed by the Eight Scenic Winds had not completely disintegrated yet, so the person trapped within could not escape.
However, through the strands of fire leaking out from the wind walls, Lei Jun could vaguely hear someone speaking:
"Elder Rong, there's no need for more words. Not only am I uninterested in your so-called 'Country of the Human Path,' but also because of Gu Han's collusion with the demon race to betray our sect, I will never join forces with you. No matter how long you keep me here, my answer will not change, so you might as well stop wasting your efforts and give everyone a quick resolution!"
The voice was unfamiliar to Lei Jun.
However, he had a guess about the speaker's identity:
Wang Xuan?
Rather than his identity, the name "Elder Rong" that he mentioned pointed directly to the eldest and most senior elder of Pure Yang Palace, the Qinglong Elder, Rong Guangchen!
For a moment, Lei Jun felt the urge to facepalm.
Well, Hong Jie from Shu Mountain, Rong Guangchen from Pure Yang Palace... this was an old folks' alliance!
...No, wait, instead of saying that they were old but acted young, perhaps it was precisely because of their advanced age that they wanted to make this last-ditch effort?
Senior Sister said she had refined something and wanted to visit Zhongnan Mountain's Pure Yang Palace to try her luck.
And she certainly did strike gold.
Whether it was out of a desire for talent or some other scheme, Rong Guangchen had kept Wang Xuan's Nascent Soul imprisoned in Beiguang Mountain for so long without exposing it.
But because of Xu Yuanzhen's visit, the secret of Beiguang Mountain had finally been revealed...
As Lei Jun thought, he did not stop his actions, and the Seven Star Sword continued to cut and decompose the Eight Scenic Winds in front of him.
Suddenly, his heart stirred slightly.
Deep within his eyes, the Heaven-Penetrating Earth-Illuminating Canon shone once again.
Before entering the mountain's belly, the Heaven-Seeing Earth-Hearing Talisman that he had left outside as a precaution had quietly taken effect, alerting Lei Jun that someone else was also approaching this place.
Lei Jun's vision was filled with a man and a woman, both dressed as Daoists.
The man was dressed as a Pure Yang Palace cultivator, while the woman was dressed as a Shu Mountain sect cultivator.
The man was Guo Ling, a former elder of Pure Yang Palace whom Lei Jun had met outside the New Yellow Heaven Sect altar in the snowy mountains of Western Sichuan.
However, at that time, he had been in a state of detached Nascent Soul, and now he had returned to his physical body.
As for the female Daoist from Shu Mountain, she was Zheng Dongying, a personal disciple of Wei Qiuyue and a former elder of Shu Mountain.
Both of them had solemn expressions, and Zheng Dongying asked, "Where are we?"
Guo Ling's eyebrows were tightly knit together, forming a worried expression as he stated, "I only know that this place is of great importance, and I was ordered to come here to inspect it, but..."
Just as he was about to enter the mountain's belly, his expression suddenly changed.
Zheng Dongying, standing beside him, immediately turned her head in the opposite direction.
There, to their surprise, stood another person who had found their way here—Jing Yu of Pure Yang Palace.
Sensing the unusual changes in Beiguang Mountain, Lu Jinduan stayed behind to entertain the guests while she came to investigate the situation.
Although the specifics of the changes in this place were unclear, the first thing that caught Jing Yu's eye was the presence of Guo Ling, who was rumored to have perished, alongside Zheng Dongying, who had been declared a rebel by the Tang imperial court.
Guo Ling and Zheng Dongying intended to strike up a conversation, but Jing Yu had no intention of engaging in pleasantries.
With their intentions at odds, the three of them immediately engaged in combat.
Guo Ling and Jing Yu, both cultivators of the Dan Ding Sect at the Seventh Heaven realm, were well aware of each other's capabilities.
Encountering each other on this narrow road, neither of them manifested their Nascent Souls, opting instead for close-quarters combat.
The toughness of the Dan Ding Sect cultivators' physical bodies was vividly demonstrated in this confined space.
Although they lacked the speed of martial artists, each of their movements carried immense destructive power, and both their physical bodies and soul defenses were extraordinarily robust. In an instant, their clash reduced the surrounding mountains and rivers to rubble, as if an immense earthquake had struck.
Usually, when Dan Ding Sect cultivators of the same realm fought, it was difficult to determine a victor in a short period.
This was because their defenses were simply too formidable.
Even if one party managed to exploit a slight lapse in the other's defense, it would still be challenging to gain a significant advantage. The only option was to slowly accumulate damage until the opponent was overwhelmed.
Zheng Dongying, who was watching from the sidelines, had her flying sword already suspended in mid-air, yet she didn't immediately intervene to assist Guo Ling.
However, the sword light emanating from her flying sword continued to intensify, becoming increasingly vibrant.
If she continued to accumulate her power in this manner, it would undoubtedly culminate in a breathtaking display of swordplay.
But before Zheng Dongying could fully unleash the potential of her flying sword and her own sword techniques, she was forced to employ two of her signature artifacts to aid Guo Ling, who was on the verge of collapse.
Guo Ling's body showed no apparent injuries, yet a layer of black ice had formed on its surface.
The encroaching black ice slowed his movements, leaving him vulnerable to his opponent's attacks.
Guo Ling took a deep breath, and a bright, fiery platinum light ignited on his body.
With the aid of the Pure Yang True Fire, he was able to withstand his opponent's freezing pure yin spirit ice.
However, their clash resembled the struggle between water and fire. When the water prevailed, it could extinguish the fire, but when the fire gained the upper hand, the situation would be entirely different.
While the Pure Yang True Fire could counter the pure yin spirit ice, Guo Ling's Pure Yang True Fire was no match for Jing Yu's!
Jing Yu, the newly emerged star of Pure Yang Palace, was enveloped in a chilling aura, and black spirit ice emanated from her body, continuously freezing Guo Ling while also protecting herself.
Zheng Dongying's two sword-like artifacts slashed at the black spirit ice, but to her surprise, they were unable to breach its defense.
One of her artifacts was even frozen solid by the black ice, rendering it immovable.
Zheng Dongying scoffed and immediately unleashed her signature artifact, the Silk Sword.
The sword light it emitted was not overwhelmingly powerful, but it was exceptionally refined and concentrated.
A thin strand of sword light shot out, appearing frail yet surprisingly resilient. It not only evaded being frozen by the black spirit ice but also managed to slice through it.
Jing Yu's relentless offensive finally slowed as she shifted her body to avoid the delicate sword light.
The swordplay of the Shu Mountain swordsman, after building up momentum, forced Jing Yu to be cautious.
While she could rely on her robust physical body to withstand the attacks, the thin strand of sword light hinted at the possibility of being entangled, which would put her at a disadvantage in the long run.
However, as Jing Yu retreated, Guo Ling seized the opportunity to regain his composure. The black ice on his body began to melt under the influence of his Pure Yang True Fire.
But the look in his eyes as he faced Jing Yu became more solemn.
Even with prior knowledge of Jing Yu's capabilities, the experience of direct combat brought a new level of understanding.
Guo Ling and Zheng Dongying did not press their advantage, merely holding their ground at the entrance of the mountain's belly.
Zheng Dongying kept a watchful eye on Jing Yu, anticipating her next move, while also attempting to persuade her to join the Country of the Human Path, painting a picture of a magnificent future should she switch sides.
Jing Yu remained unmoved: "Although Elder Hong, Elder Wei, and Master Fu are on your side, Shu Mountain has officially informed its ancestors and expelled you from the sect."
Zheng Dongying scoffed: "We are the rightful lineage of Shu Mountain."
Jing Yu countered: "I've never seen a so-called rightful lineage that hides in the shadows and refuses to show itself. Even Chen Donglou invited Master Fu to meet, but he never received a response."
Zheng Dongying's expression darkened: "Who knows if that Chen Donglou is real or fake? As far as I know, the real Chen Donglou has long perished, and the one the Tang imperial court parades around is a fake! Besides, even if he's real, so what? What Master Wei, Master Hong, and Master Fu have accomplished is a grand endeavor that surpasses the ages. A minor setback like this is nothing compared to their achievements."
Zheng Dongying smiled: "His life, when examined closely, has indeed been full of grand adventures. But if you look at the details, he has accomplished nothing of significance."
Jing Yu was about to retort when her eyes suddenly flickered.
Her gaze shifted to Zheng Dongying's back.
Without needing Zheng Dongying to assess whether this was a ploy, a voice sounded from behind her:
"Did Wei Qiuyue only teach you how to talk but not how to wield a sword?"
Zheng Dongying spun around, her eyes widening in shock. She couldn't believe that Chen Donglou, the very person she had just mentioned, had appeared from within the mountain's belly.
"Then I shall teach you." Chen Donglou made no attempt to ambush her. He simply nodded and waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly.
But in that instant, a sword light flashed.
It seemed to ignore the distance between them, slicing through the air in the blink of an eye.
Zheng Dongying's Silk Sword transformed into a thin strand, but before it could block the attack, the sword light had already grazed her neck.
Her head, still filled with ambitious thoughts, flew into the air!
PS: 7k chapter
(End of Chapter)
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