With a quick smile toward the other side, Yu Ci held his breath, sealed his pores, and minimized the fluctuations of his soul.
In the next instant, a shadow emerged soundlessly from the depths of the mist. It flew toward the top of the Sun Soul Banner, and only when it was nearly upon it did thunderous sounds burst from the wings at its back. The intense gust of wind pressed the Bone-Piercing Flames so hard that they almost extinguished. Seizing the opportunity, the shadow lunged, aiming to tear the long banner with its claws.
The turbulent surge of energy all around indicated that this shadow was likely a Core Refinement realm demon!
“You and I are sworn enemies!”
This roar was the curse of Tu Du’s Yin Spirit, spreading across the air, stirring the atmosphere. Yet, the target of his fury wasn’t the demon threatening him, but the bystander watching the chaos from a mile away.
The deafening sound wave reached Yu Ci, making his brow twitch. In response, he immediately dropped from his current position. Not a moment too soon, for at the spot where the Sun Soul Banner stood a mile away, an explosion of fierce flames erupted. The surge of energy even blew the Core Refinement realm demon backward, sending it flying.
However, the blast of flames did not spread uncontrollably. At about ten feet from the banner, the fire abruptly retracted, forming a whirlpool. From the center of the vortex, a dark red flame shot out like a streak of light, crossing the mile distance in an instant and exploding where Yu Ci had previously stood. Every stone fragment scattered by the blast was ignited, burning as they flew in all directions.
By then, Yu Ci had fallen more than thirty feet. Although some of the burning fragments still flew toward him, his quick reflexes and precise strikes with the Pure Yang Talisman Sword deflected each one.
Tu Du’s enraged strike was undoubtedly terrifying. After deflecting ten pieces of burning debris, Yu Ci’s arm was already numb and exhausted. Looking up, he saw that the flames had scorched the entire cliff wall, where they burned fiercely even against the iron-hard rock. Not even the canyon’s gusts could extinguish the fire; instead, sparks flew further, spreading the blaze.
Yet Tu Du wouldn’t get another chance to strike. The Core Refinement realm demon, swept away by the heat wave, charged again. Below, countless demons, drawn by the Yin Spirit’s presence, rushed forward relentlessly, ignoring their own safety. They crossed the line of Bone-Piercing Fire, advancing wave after wave.
The Sun Soul Banner flared again, but the light it emitted no longer carried its initial, invincible power.
Yu Ci continued his descent, quickly disappearing into the rolling mist below. Even from this distance, he could still hear the explosions of fire, though their sound gradually weakened amidst the chaotic roars of the demons.
A silent grin spread across Yu Ci’s face—he truly didn’t care about Tu Du’s fate. Not one bit.
*****
Gripping a long vine jutting out from the cliff wall, Yu Ci halted his descent.
He was exhausted—deeply so—especially in his physical body.
Yet he should have felt exhilarated.
Whether it was riding the sword through the mist and soaring into the sky, or channeling energy into talisman inscriptions to summon a heavenly thunderbolt, he had surpassed his previous limits, entering an entirely new realm. The latter could be attributed to the catalytic effects of “Innate Qi” on his talisman arts. However, the former represented a complete metamorphosis.
At that moment, Yu Ci thought of Ye Bin—of how she wielded her sword with an ethereal grace, leaving an indelible mark on his body and soul through her sword intent. That imprint had resonated with his soul and energy, guiding him to unleash a seamless, powerful strike.
He finally understood the value of the sword intent Ye Bin had bestowed upon him and admired her mastery with absolute awe. The enigmatic female immortal had been incredibly generous in her gift—a generosity that was almost beyond belief.
Yu Ci’s guess wasn’t far from the truth.
On that day, Ye Bin had infused her sword intent into the mist, imprinting it deeply upon Yu Ci’s soul. Though the method was a bit forceful, the gift itself was invaluable. Hidden within it was a glimpse of the renowned “Half-Mountain Mirage” sword intent, a technique coveted by cultivators across the realm. If Yu Ci possessed extraordinary talent in the way of the sword, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to grasp even a fraction of its essence.
This was Ye Bin’s way of repaying him for saving her disciple. However, things had not gone exactly as she had anticipated.
In Ye Bin’s original plan, without the use of secret transmission techniques, the imprint on Yu Ci’s soul would have faded gradually over time, eventually vanishing without a trace. Given Yu Ci’s low cultivation at the time—barely at the initial stage of Divine Connectivity—and his lack of exceptional talent, it was unlikely he would have been able to comprehend the intricacies of the Half-Mountain Mirage sword intent. Ye Bin had slightly amplified the imprint, hoping to ensure that this bold young man could at least gain some benefit from it.
What she hadn’t expected was that Yu Ci, accustomed to life-or-death battles where mind, hand, and sword worked as one, had already taken his first steps into the realm of sword mastery. Even more unexpected was that with the help of the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror, Yu Ci had acquired “Innate Qi”—a power normally reserved for cultivators at the Core Refinement stage. In the instant that he achieved this breakthrough, he intuitively grasped the essence of the sword intent imprinted on his soul.
Of course, his understanding wasn’t perfect—it was more like a moment of epiphany, fleeting and elusive. Still, Yu Ci wasted no time in applying this insight during real battles, using the stewards and warriors of the Sun Light Sect to hone his understanding of sword intent.
Until he encountered Tu Du.
It was within the pressure of the battle at Sky Rift Valley, under Tu Du’s relentless pursuit, that Yu Ci’s accumulated insight erupted. Charging thirty miles with unstoppable momentum, he poured all his intent into a single strike. Like a dam breaking, the sword intent surged forth, wild and uncontrollable, achieving devastating results.
In that instant, Yu Ci had fully absorbed the sword intent imprint far faster than Ye Bin could have imagined. At that point, the imprint hadn’t even begun to fade, allowing Yu Ci to reap unimaginable benefits. That flawless strike was as if Ye Bin had personally guided his hand, ensuring that the sword intent’s power was absolute.
However, it would now be nearly impossible for Yu Ci to replicate that strike. Though he had mastered the technique to wield sword intent, the key lay in how Ye Bin’s imprint had once served as a core, harmonizing his body and energy into perfect alignment. Without it, he would need to exert far more effort to achieve the same level of precision.
Now, although he fully understood the theory, the sword intent mark left behind by Ye Bin had been completely absorbed.
As a result, when he utilized it, there was no longer any sword intent mark guiding his body’s True Qi. For a long time, he wouldn’t be able to achieve the level where he could harness every ounce of his potential and use it seamlessly. Even with such a delicate sword intent, any small flaw would require ten times the effort to compensate. The elegance of that heavenly flying sword technique was still far from his reach.
However, the most urgent issue at the moment was not that.
What mattered now was the unstoppable fatigue overwhelming his body and the mental exhaustion that came with it.
This was the price Yu Ci had to pay for prematurely obtaining the immeasurable benefits of Ye Bin’s sword intent.
Normally, using the mist-like sword intent already placed significant stress on the body, which was why there was a limit of “five swords.” But activating the mark Ye Bin had left in his soul to drive the sword intent had pushed his body beyond its limits, drawing out even hidden potential that exceeded his endurance. At the brink of physical collapse, he performed that nearly perfect flying sword strike.
Yu Ci not only absorbed the essence of Ye Bin’s sword intent but also bore the immense strain that came with wielding it.
Needless to say, with his precise awareness of his own body, Yu Ci was certain that he now weighed at least five pounds less than before he executed the flying sword strike. He had lost a significant amount of water, and his vitality was slightly depleted. Every bone and muscle had been pushed to the edge of collapse, and even now, they were slowly recovering.
His body was indeed at its limit. Yu Ci didn’t dare stop, fearing that if his energy slipped, it would take a long time to recover. If he encountered any demons, he might end up getting himself trapped.
No one understood the activities of the demons in this dark region better than Yu Ci. Until tonight, he had used the “One Breath, Three Calls” technique daily to activate the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror, observing the situation and tracking the demons’ movements.
Overall, the situation wasn’t as severe as he had initially imagined. At least the frequency of Earthly Immortal-level demons had greatly diminished. Over the past few days, including those from the battle with the ghost beasts, there were only about a hundred of them.
Though still an alarming number, these demons were not organized like an army and rarely gathered together. Aside from that large-scale battle with the ghost beasts, Yu Ci hadn’t seen more than three Earthly Immortal demons together at once. When they were scattered across the vast expanse of the Sky Rift Valley, they became less of a threat.
Moreover, during the past few days, Yu Ci had seen numerous flying creatures heading west toward the endless mist, where Earthly Immortal-level demons were also plentiful.
Perhaps they were trying to reach the other side of the Sky Rift Valley?
But that wasn’t Yu Ci’s concern at the moment. Whether the situation was “severe” or not referred to the broader perspective. From his personal standpoint, the danger level in this dark region was evident from the chaotic imagery displayed on the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror.
The Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror hovered beside him, flickering with a dim blue light. However, the scenes on the mirror were highly chaotic—”flames” formed by clusters of powerful demons had nearly shattered the mirror.
At times, Yu Ci could barely discern the surroundings within a few miles of himself.
Using the “One Breath, Three Calls” technique would immediately resolve this issue, but unfortunately, even normal breathing had become a challenge for Yu Ci in his current state.
He needed to leave this area quickly to avoid falling into the trap prepared by Old Monster Tu Du.
Through the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror, Yu Ci barely managed to find a path leading upward and began his arduous ascent.
As he climbed, he continued assessing the changing situation. Fortunately, luck seemed to be on his side. He managed to avoid many wandering demons along the way and had almost reached the top of the dark region. A little farther up, he would be able to find a safe place to rest.
Just then, the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror revealed a demon blocking his path.
The demon’s appearance on the mirror was particularly menacing. It had rough, gray-black skin, with a disproportionately small head on a stocky four-foot-tall frame. Its limbs were thick and short, but its claws were long, thin, and sharp—dry and brittle but deadly. What made it even more unsettling was the single eye on its bumpy, uneven face, glowing with a sinister green light at the center of its forehead. It looked grotesque and terrifying.
But something seemed off about the demon’s condition, didn’t it?
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