The sound of sword Qi slicing through the night alarmed everyone on Dan Cliff.
Many wished for Yu Ci’s death, yet none dared to let him die on Dan Cliff or within Cliff City.
The moment the secluded courtyard was blasted apart by sword Qi, both overt and covert watchers swiftly relayed the news. By the time Yu Ci’s Pure Yang Talisman Sword pierced the intruder’s throat, more than ten members of the Sun Light Sect had already rushed to the scene. Each of them stood frozen in shock, unable to utter a word at the sight before them.
Li You, who had just arrived, had barely called out Xie Yan’s name before he too was stunned. Concerned for Yu Ci’s safety in the Sun Light Sect, he had decided to stay an extra night, intending to leave only after Yu Ci officially met Xie Yan. Yet, he never expected to wake in the middle of the night to witness such a scene.
Fortunately, Li You was well aware of his elder’s temperament. After his initial shock, he chuckled. “Master Xie, what kind of performance are you and Junior Brother Yu putting on?”
It was indeed Xie Yan!
This immortal, described as extremely reclusive by both Daoist Yu Zhou and Li You, truly gave off that impression. His cheekbones were high, making his face appear gaunt, and his lips were always pressed tightly together, exuding severity. What left the deepest impression, however, were his water-colored eyes—his pupils were nearly transparent, resembling either glass or eyes veiled by a layer of frost. Staring directly at him was unsettling, and when combined with his stern expression, it felt as though he was constantly scrutinizing others for faults.
Overall, he was someone who was difficult to warm up to at first sight.
At this moment, this immortal was staring at Yu Ci with those peculiar eyes. Only then did Yu Ci realize that his Talisman Sword was still pressed against Xie Yan’s throat. He hurriedly withdrew it, only to find that his legs had gone weak. However, now was not the time to falter, so he forced himself to straighten up and clasped his hands in greeting.
“Disciple Yu Ci greets Immortal Xie.”
Xie Yan did not respond immediately. He simply observed Yu Ci for a long moment before finally speaking.
“Straightforward. But you have a heavy killing intent…”
He was, of course, not referring to Yu Ci’s greeting, but rather to his swordplay. Yu Ci remembered nothing of the battle, but judging from the aftermath, he must have fought with a reckless, life-for-life approach. For him, it was an instinct.
Judging by his tone and expression, Xie Yan did not seem to mind the throat-piercing strike. In fact, it almost seemed like he had been waiting for Yu Ci to make that move.
Yu Ci’s gaze shifted to the black-sheathed longsword in Xie Yan’s hand. Its design was simple and unadorned, and it was clear that its wielder never parted with it. That alone gave Yu Ci some insight—this was someone who let his sword do the talking.
Perhaps he believed that “a sword reflects its wielder”… A rather narrow perspective.
Xie Yan, however, had no interest in Yu Ci’s thoughts. In fact, after his remark, he didn’t spare Li You—who was grinning at him—even a glance. Instead, he turned to the gathered Sun Light Sect members and asked,
“Where is Jin Huan?”
To them, Xie Yan and Yu Ci were on entirely different levels. Even when their sect leader was addressed by name, they found it completely natural. Immediately, Lu Yang, who had just arrived, stepped forward respectfully and replied, “Immortal, the sect leader has gone out to the western mountains in pursuit of demonic traces…”
Xie Yan cut him off. “Summon him back.”
Lu Yang hastily acknowledged the order and passed it down at once.
Watching this exchange, Yu Ci suddenly grew curious—how would the arrogant Jin Huan act in front of Xie Yan? Would he maintain his usual attitude, or would he put on a different face? If it was the latter, Yu Ci would certainly enjoy seeing it.
Meanwhile, Li You, long accustomed to being ignored by Xie Yan, showed no sign of awkwardness. He simply sidled up to Yu Ci, gave him a thumbs-up, and whispered with a smirk, “In all these years, I’ve never seen anyone dare to stab Master Xie in the throat. That was a damn fine strike!”
“It was the immortal who allowed me to…”
“Of course he did! Master Xie is at the upper ranks of Void Stepping, just a step away from the True Immortal realm. Without a doubt, he’s the strongest of our third-generation disciples. But how many juniors in the sect have ever dared to counterattack when sparring with him? You’d probably laugh, but the first time I faced Master Xie in a duel, I threw my sword away immediately. It ended badly for me…”
Yu Ci had just begun to smile when Xie Yan’s voice interrupted from the side.
“A decent specimen, but it has no vigor at all. Waiting for those crooked merchants to haggle over the price?”
As he spoke, Xie Yan picked up a cage from the ground.
During the recent sword Qi storm, Yu Ci’s courtyard had completely collapsed. Yet, remarkably, the Dragon Fish inside the cage was completely unharmed—it had clearly been given special protection.
Just as Yu Ci was about to respond, Xie Yan suddenly pressed a hand against the top of the cage.
With a low hum, the restrictive formation of the “Three Yin Soul Snare” was instantly nullified.
At first, the Dragon Fish inside did not react. Tilting its tiny head, it seemed puzzled. But the moment it understood its newfound freedom, its form flickered and, in the blink of an eye, it darted through the cage bars and vanished into the darkness, showcasing its astonishing speed.
Li You exclaimed, “Hey, it’s getting away—”
Before he could finish, Xie Yan’s longsword trembled ever so slightly.
A dazzling burst of sword light illuminated the darkness, its radiance so overwhelming that the surrounding Sun Light Sect attendants and stewards were sent sprawling in all directions.
Yu Ci’s eyes widened. He saw it clearly—the thin, thread-like silhouette of the Dragon Fish was instantly engulfed by the sword light, reduced to a minuscule dark speck within its brilliance. Then, as the sword Qi surged upward, the tiny creature was lifted into the air like a thread caught in a raging storm.
“Follow me!”
Xie Yan’s voice rang in his ears before Yu Ci could react. His body suddenly felt light. The face of Li You blurred before him, and in the next instant, a fierce wind howled as he was enveloped by Xie Yan’s sword Qi. They soared through the sky, rising thousands of feet in the blink of an eye.
Yu Ci had experienced something similar once before with Ye Bin, so he quickly regained his composure, guessing that Xie Yan had something to tell him and had brought him to this secluded place for that purpose. At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel envious of Void Stepping cultivators and their ability to fly.
High in the sky, the cold night shimmered with stars, and the fierce wind howled around them. With nothing beneath his feet, Yu Ci remained perfectly steady—Xie Yan’s sword Qi shielded him so well that he didn’t need to exert any effort. From this height, the view was breathtaking, allowing him to overlook the entirety of Cliff City and even the distant, hazy mountain ranges.
The grand sight made Yu Ci miss the Divine Map.
Glancing around, he saw that the Dragon Fish was also caught in the sword Qi, flying and spiraling through the night sky. It no longer had the sluggish demeanor it had in the cage. Under the darkness, the strange creature flashed across a hundred feet in a single movement, yet no matter how it tried to escape, the moment it reached the boundary of five miles, a swirling vortex of sword Qi would form out of thin air, sweeping it back inside.
After several attempts, the Dragon Fish became dizzy from being tossed around. However, compared to being confined in a cage, this was far more enjoyable. Its simple mind gradually adapted to the situation and even found it entertaining. It dashed forward and was thrown back repeatedly, playing with delight.
Seeing Xie Yan’s sword Qi restriction, Yu Ci was deeply impressed. If he had such an ability back in Sky Rift Valley, capturing the Dragon Fish wouldn’t have been nearly as difficult.
At that moment, Xie Yan spoke. “Among all the Dragon Fish I’ve seen, this one ranks second.”
Yu Ci was curious—what kind of Dragon Fish ranked first? However, before he could ask, Xie Yan shifted the topic. “But being caged for too long has dulled its vitality, making it unsuitable for sale. For the next few days, do not keep it in a cage. Let it roam free.”
“Huh?” Yu Ci immediately sensed something off in his words. Wasn’t his task complete once he handed the Dragon Fish over to Xie Yan? Why did it sound like he still had to take care of it in the coming days?
Before he could voice his doubts, Xie Yan cut him off. “Before a Dragon Fish is awakened, its mind is extremely simple. I have a method to control spirits. If you learn it tonight, you’ll be able to command the Dragon Fish yourself. Until the Treasure Exchange Banquet, you must not only ensure its safety but also synchronize your Qi with it and nourish it with your own essence. Even if its quality cannot be further improved, at the very least, it must appear in peak condition.”
His tone was absolute, leaving Yu Ci no room to argue.
Yu Ci frowned, displeased with Xie Yan’s attitude. “Immortal Xie—”
As soon as he began speaking, Xie Yan’s nearly colorless eyes locked onto him, cutting him off. “I know you have other matters to attend to in Cliff City. What you do after the Treasure Exchange Banquet is none of my concern. But in the days leading up to it, your only task is to look after the Dragon Fish. Everything else—put it aside!”
Yu Ci’s brows furrowed deeply.
A commanding tone like this was not entirely unacceptable when coming from a senior of his sect. However, if such a demand were made by Yu Zhou or Xie Liang, he would have accepted it with respect, as both had guided and helped him.
But this man—he might have a good relationship with Yu Zhou and Xie Liang, but they were meeting for the first time tonight, and he was already acting so forcefully. Worse yet, this had nothing to do with the situation in Cliff City—it was purely for a personal matter.
Did this so-called immortal not realize that Yu Ci had never been one to submit to force?
“To uphold one’s dignity and backbone, one must first have solid ground to stand on.”
The frigid high-altitude wind swept past Yu Ci’s ears along with Xie Yan’s words.
Only then did Yu Ci remember—he was thousands of feet above the ground, entirely reliant on Xie Yan’s sword Qi to keep him aloft. If Xie Yan wished to harm him, he wouldn’t even need to strike. Simply withdrawing his sword Qi would send Yu Ci plummeting to his death against the cliffs below.
At that moment, Xie Yan lowered his head and took out a jade slip—presumably containing the spirit control technique he had mentioned. However, his attention was clearly not focused on it. His tone turned casual, a stark contrast to the forceful command from earlier.
“Your swordsmanship is precise, ruthless, and daring. Even when in an absolute disadvantage, you still choose to counterattack head-on, putting yourself in a life-or-death situation to turn the tides. Not bad. Typically, people like that—regardless of their outward demeanor—have a strong will and an indomitable spirit.”
Was that… a compliment?
Yu Ci found Xie Yan’s tone oddly nuanced. Then he heard him chuckle. “Indomitable…Senior Brother Yu was like that too, back in the day. You resemble him quite a bit. Perhaps that’s why he looks after you so well.”
Yu Ci’s brows remained furrowed as he replied, “Regardless of the reason, I will always remember Master Yu’s kindness.”
Xie Yan raised his head, his strange eyes unreadable. “You remember? Then do you know… he’s dying?”
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