Looking back at Ye Bin, it seemed she hadn’t moved at all. Her garments flowed like light silk, drifting like an immortal. There was only a trace of regret on her jade-like face: “The Rakshasa Demon King’s Illusory Power truly lives up to its reputation. I led it forward and gathered my strength, yet I still failed to strike the fatal point… But considering the past decade, this beast will no longer be able to wreak havoc in this valley.”
Yu Ci finally understood. The demon beast had returned, intending to launch a surprise attack, but Ye Bin had turned the tables with a counter-strike, severely wounding it. Unfortunately, he still hadn’t seen how Ye Bin had struck.
At this moment, the female cultivator smiled again: “I made two strikes, yet it was your single blow that achieved success. This Heart-Binding Horn was severed by you, so take it as a keepsake.”
Ye Bin extended her hand, and the severed horn rested on her pale palm, still glowing faintly. Yet her delicate hand, as beautiful as jade, was far more pleasing to the eye than the horn itself. Yu Ci didn’t hesitate and reached out to take it.
Ye Bin added, “This horn, when held in the mouth, can block most illusions and magical smoke in the world. It has even greater effects against the demon beast’s own illusions…”
The distance between them was truly within reach. The wind in the canyon seemed to change direction in the face of the female cultivator’s unparalleled elegance, swirling with a faint, fragrant aroma around Yu Ci’s nose.
Yu Ci suddenly realized he was a bit nervous. Naturally, he didn’t want to embarrass himself, and he forced himself to calm down as he picked up the severed horn with three fingers.
It should have ended there, but at that moment, for reasons unknown—though it was clear that his courage had been emboldened—Yu Ci inadvertently touched the female cultivator’s palm with his fingertip. The delicate warmth from her hand transmitted back to him, faint but deeply etched in his memory.
Neither of their expressions changed. Yu Ci took the horn and thanked her with a bow.
Ye Bin picked up her unconscious disciple, preparing to leave. It seemed she did not plan to let Ye Tu and Yu Ci say goodbye, but just before leaving, she suddenly asked, “Do you also like swords?”
Yu Ci thought of holding a sword, feeling the unity of hand, eye, heart, and courage, and nodded in agreement.
The female cultivator’s eyes were like a lake, with a slight smile rippling within: “I see your courage is astonishing, and you are quite thoughtful. You must be someone who enjoys taking risks. Feel free to examine this mist…”
She pointed out the area of the cloud sea where the demon beast had been injured again. As Yu Ci focused, a flash of sword light appeared, and the female cultivator and Ye Tu were already gone. Yu Ci turned around and saw a faint, almost imperceptible water vapor rising, which dissipated upon touching it.
Where did they go? Yu Ci almost instinctively called forth the Divine Map, looking towards the eastern horizon. But apart from the vast emptiness, he saw nothing. The area of ten miles and fifty miles in radius was already very broad, but under Ye Bin’s sword control, such a range had no significance.
“This is a true cultivator!”
Yu Ci deeply felt that only figures like Ye Bin, who could part clouds and enter the azure sky, floating like an immortal, were the goals he should pursue. Characters like Daoist Yan, the Snake-like Monk, and Old Xu were merely mediocre, tainting the reputation of cultivators!
He wondered when he might reach such a realm.
Putting away the Divine Map, Yu Ci sighed deeply, lamenting the long road to immortality, but never considering whether he had the strength to climb it. It was more practical to focus on progressing steadily step by step rather than doubting his own strength.
Thus, he quickly regained his composure and, following Ye Bin’s instructions, turned to look at the swirling mist by the cliff. He felt that this cloud sea was no different from other locations and wondered why Ye Bin had specifically pointed it out.
If there was any difference, it was that Ye Bin had used sword Qi to penetrate this mist and severely injure the demon beast. However, after this time, there should be no remaining traces… Huh?
As soon as he thought of the traces left behind, a peculiar aura accompanied by mist surged towards him. Yu Ci noticed the anomaly and instinctively reached out to brush the swirling mist at the edge of the cliff. When his fingertips touched a certain point, the sensation suddenly became clearer. It was as if this ever-changing mist carried a layer of relatively constant coolness. This coolness was evidently a later addition, yet it permeated every particle of the mist without affecting its original form, making it hard to imagine what kind of technique could achieve this.
Yu Ci felt that this layer of coolness was clearly the residual sword Qi from Ye Bin’s severe attack on the demonic beast. Ye Bin wasn’t showing this to impress him or for any show-off; instead, he was demonstrating a sword technique, sword philosophy, and sword direction—a kind of sword intent!
Unconsciously, Yu Ci extended his arm further to better perceive the subtle aspects of the sword intent. He didn’t seek immediate comprehension—indeed, that was impossible—but he wanted to remember this sword intent clearly, etching it deeply in his heart, and ponder and comprehend it over time. At that moment, a buzzing sword hum suddenly resonated in his ears!
This was not an illusion. The cool sword Qi in the mist seemed to be triggered by some stimulus, and it erupted explosively at that instant. Even though it was an explosion, it was not as grand as usual; it transformed into something mist-like, elusive and intangible, passing directly through Yu Ci’s body.
The distance was too close for Yu Ci to react in time. The mist catalyzed by the sword Qi had already penetrated his body and dispersed from the back, leaving no trace of sword intent in the mist ahead. At this moment, Yu Ci’s face turned pale, cold sweat uncontrollably gushing from every pore, swiftly draining his strength and nearly exhausting him.
The mist-like sword Qi existed within him for only a brief moment, but it represented the full power of Ye Bin’s sword intent—equivalent to a sword strike from that profound female cultivator, perfectly controlled but with a terrible feeling.
He did remember it, and far more deeply than he had imagined, but this method…
Yu Ci, powerless, lay on his back on the ground, gazing at the clear and unblemished sky. It seemed as if he saw Ye Bin’s lake-like serene eyes and the chilling sword Qi contained within. After a moment of silence, he suddenly sighed deeply, and before the sigh had even faded, burst into hearty laughter.
In that laughter, the yellow dress, from that unreachable goal, turned into a deep mark, remaining on the still distant path to immortality, temporarily obscured by thick clouds, remaining unclear.
****
At the end of summer, the Broken Boundary Mountains, the unique source of the Two Rivers, was still lush with green and full of vitality. On its southern foothills, miles away from the main peak, there was a region of black soil and iron rock. The highest mountain in the area was named Dan Cliff, towering a thousand fathoms, but it had already separated from the Broken Boundary Mountains. Between the two lay a basin with fertile soil, suitable for human habitation.
Cliff City was built on this land, becoming the undisputed central hub within a radius of thousands of miles.
After a recent heavy rain, the accumulated water cascaded down the mountain slopes on both sides, thoroughly washing the city. The unique rocky paths were not muddy but had become much cleaner.
Zhao Wu hurried along the road, stepping over shallow puddles on the stone steps, his pace relentless. Despite the refreshing post-rain air, he quickly accumulated a layer of sweat. He held the stone box tightly in his arms; the box wasn’t heavy, but it weighed heavily on his chest.
Zhao Wu was an ordinary resident of Cliff City, known for his swift legs and sharp mind. He often took on odd jobs, earning a bit of spare change to get by. Having run errands throughout the city for years, he knew that there were so-called “immortals” coming and going in Cliff City. These people were difficult to serve, but if the task was completed well, they were generous with rewards. His neighbor, Old Sun, had once become quite wealthy just by running an errand and receiving an unexpected amount of silver. Though Zhao Wu envied this, he never expected such luck to fall upon him one day…
However, with just a small misjudgment, a good thing can turn into a disaster!
He shivered, extinguished the tiny spark of greed in his heart, and quickened his pace as he entered the “New City” area.
In the development over thousands of years, Cliff City had naturally formed three regions: the “Upper City” initially built on the Dan Cliff, the “Lower City” in the central basin, and the relatively newer “New City” connected to the Broken Boundary Mountains.
This wasn’t an artificial division but rather a customary understanding. In the minds of commoners like Zhao Wu, it had become a fixed idea: the Upper City was where the upper immortals of the Sun Light Sect resided, shrouded in mystery; the Lower City was the den of the common folks; and the most prosperous, expensive area was undoubtedly the New City.
The Sun Light Sect’s store for purchasing Shrimp Whisker Grass was located at the junction between the New City and the Lower City. The storefront was quite large, but currently, only a small door was open, and a store assistant was lazily sitting inside.
This wasn’t unusual, as it was still the off-season for purchasing Shrimp Whisker Grass. The grass grew in spring and withered by late autumn, so the medicinal army of Cliff City typically set out in early spring and returned only in late autumn or early winter. Additionally, the journey was long, and the real bustling days would only be closer to the year-end.
Zhao Wu entered quietly. Seeing him, the assistant at the counter seemed a bit taken aback and stared at him. Zhao Wu knew well that any assistant in this shop could easily handle ten of him, so he was extra cautious and spoke softly:
“Um… do you still buy Shrimp Whisker Grass here?”
“Yes, we do.”
The store assistant stood up, even managing a slight smile. He tapped the counter to wake up the pharmacist who had been dozing. The pharmacist stood up, quickly took out the exchange form and a well-inked brush, and placed them in front of Zhao Wu. Zhao Wu carefully took out the stone box from his chest, which was almost warmed, and placed it on the counter. The pharmacist and the assistant immediately turned their attention to it.
Zhao Wu could recognize a few characters, so he first circled the “Consignment” section on the form. Then he quickly found the top, most prominent section in the item list and circled it too, finally signing his name before nervously handing it back.
Seeing the black circle next to “Consignment,” the pharmacist and the assistant’s faces darkened. When they saw the section with the second black circle, their faces turned even more ashen. Zhao Wu, observing their reactions, felt anxious but was still thinking about the generous reward. He timidly asked, “Do you still exchange it?”
“Yes, we do.”
The pharmacist’s tone was the same as the assistant’s. He took back the form, glared at it again, and suddenly asked, “Three Yang Talisman Sword?”
“Yes, Three Yang Talisman Sword.”
Zhao Wu’s heart raced despite trying to stay calm. Although he had already checked the goods, he still felt nervous when the pharmacist asked. He was also puzzled by the strange reactions of the pharmacist and the assistant.
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