Xie Yunling tensed up. An oppressive and cold energy shrouded his body.
Who the heck was this black-robed man?
He suddenly appeared behind Xie Yunling and put his hand, in the shape of orchid fingers, on the latter’s shoulder. Xie Yunling did not even come to himself. This man’s speed and strength… How on earth could he be that strong?
As the leader of the Daoist Pavilion, Xie Yunling was not weak. He was one of the philosophers of the Hundred Schools, after all.
“I heard Daoist School is now under the command of White Jade City. It’s now called Daoist Pavilion?”
The black-robed man burst out laughing. His hoarse voice had some coquetry in it.
It made Xie Yunling’s hair stand on end.
What the heck is that?!
“You should be able to approach White Jade City easily…”
The voice that came from behind the black robe sounded a little sarcastic.
Xie Yunling’s eyes narrowed to slits.
This man was going to go against White Jade City?
There were people in the world who had the nerve to challenge White Jade City?
White Jade City, under the Young Master’s command, was literally the most difficult place to capture in the world. Even thousands of troops would not be able to eliminate it.
Xie Yunling took a deep breath.
Then he said slowly, “Why do you want to approach White Jade City?”
He stroked Xie Yunling’s shoulder gently with his stubby orchid fingers. Then, he moved his hand up along Xie Yunling’s hair to the latter’s forehead and pressed his hand against the top of Xie Yunling’s skull.
“You don’t need to know,” the black-robed man said with a smile.
As soon as he finished speaking…
Xie Yunling acted. Why would he wait for death without fighting back?
Spirit Qi surged out of his Qi Core. Soon, it formed a round formation around his feet. The formation kept whirling. A blast of gale started from there.
Bang!
The wind struck the black-robed man instantly.
His hood was blown down.
A ferocious and hideous face showed up, with a little coquetry and sarcasm on it.
Xie Yunling looked back. He was shocked when he had seen that face in the dim candlelight.
“Barbarian from Nanman?”
Xie Yunling had never imagined this black-robed man was from Nanman!
A barbarian from Nanman wanted to challenge White Jade City?
This was the biggest joke in the world.
“Old man, you have a good talent for formation. But unfortunately, your attainments are too low to exert the power of your formation,” the black-robed man said.
Pressing his fingers together, he cracked the formation.
The next second, ripples like stars sparkling in the night sky burst forth in the black-robed man’s eyes.
Xie Yunling trembled. The light in his eyes dimmed.
He flopped into his chair and became motionless.
The black-robed man covered his mouth with his orchid fingers, smiling. He pointed at the top of Xie Yunling’s skull and then pulled his hand back hard.
A thread of Spirit Qi wound around his orchid fingers from the top of Xie Yunling’s skull.
He pulled the thread gently.
And Xie Yunling, who had been motionless, got to his feet.
He walked toward the main gate of Daoist School.
The moonlight spilled on Xie Yunling’s body as he walked across the field. He went down the ancient stone stairs that led to the foot of the mountain slowly.
******
In the corridor of the central palace, Dragon Gate Secret Realm.
The battle was instantly extremely critical.
Nie Changqing’s knife attack could not even crack the physical defense of the ancient cultivator in the Internal Organs.
“Five Spirit Qi swirls. He is truly an Internal Organs Realm cultivator who had refined all of his five organs!”
“Watch out.”
The butcher knife kept attacking under Nie Changqing’s control. It whizzed across the sky again and again, leaving white lights behind it.
Ning Zhao and Li Sansi were fighting the black shadow.
That black shadow was moving so fast that Li Sansi and Ning Zhao could hardly follow it.
The Overlord, holding his axe and shield, got to his feet again. He stared fixedly at that black shadow.
He was panting.
He struck his giant shield against the long axe in his hand.
“Bring it on!” the Overlord roared.
He wanted the black shadow to rush at him.
The black shadow turned into a black ray of light in an instant to rush at the Overlord, as if it had heard the Overlord’s call and challenge.
The shadow lifted its knee to strike the shield hard.
Dong!
The Overlord’s shield was dented again, and the great impact pushed him several feet back in the corridor.
Ning Zhao and Li Sansi’s eyes lit up. They seized the chance.
They charged down. Raising the Cicada Wing Sword and the wooden sword, they cut off the black shadow’s retreat while it was punching the Overlord.
With a swirl over her head, the Spirit Qi in Ning Zhao’s Qi Core was madly activated. In an instant, her sword gave off a shining light. The sword, as thin as cicada wing, hit out frequently while chiming, leaving dense sword lights in the air.
It got one arm of the black shadow. The arm exploded immediately.
This black shadow’s defense was way worse than the real body of the ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator.
Li Sansi raised his wooden sword lightly. Dong! It got the black shadow and sent it flying.
In the distance…
The Overlord sprang to his feet. He wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth, with Demonic Qi surrounding him.
The long axe was struck against the shield once more. Then, waving the axe and the shield, he roared loudly. His voice echoed in the corridor of the palace.
“Bring it on! One more time!” the Overlord roared.
The black shadow seemed to be irritated by the Overlord again. It charged out again and jumped. Waving the only arm it had, it punched the Overlord’s shield heavily.
This punch dented the shield again. In fact, it almost shattered the shield.
However…
It was another good opportunity for Ning Zhao and Li Sansi.
“This black shadow must hate the Overlord a lot.”
Li Sansi was shocked.
But he was not moving slowly at all. He seized the chance when the black shadow’s strength had not recovered from the punch yet. His wooden sword came with his Spirit Qi to whip the black shadow’s body.
The black shadow was sent flying again.
Ning Zhao was even more decisive. She threw her sword over again and cut off the other arm of the black shadow.
The black shadow intended to flee.
But Ning Zhao and Li Sansi had cut off his attempted escape.
So the black shadow gave up the idea of trying to escape. It started to rush at the Overlord madly. It jumped and intended to kick the Overlord.
But the Overlord was so angry that he roared again.
That was too much!
Him again?!
So just because he was weak, he deserved to be bullied?
The Overlord did not retreat. Instead, he put down his axe and shield and raised his fist. His muscles bulging, Demonic Qi broke out.
His fist met the black shadow’s leg.
Since the black shadow had the strength of Internal Organs, the Overlord felt that the black shadow’s kick would break his arm.
The tremendous force pushed him to retreat. Blood flowed out of his mouth and nose.
Ning Zhao and Li Sansi approached. They both threw their swords over. And they both pierced through the black shadow’s body.
In an instant, the black shadow fell apart into black rays of light that vanished in the air.
In the distance…
Nie Changqing was sent flying.
“Internal Organs Realm aims to refine the five organs. Every time you finish refining an organ, a Spirit Qi swirl will be formed. When you have five Spirit Qi swirls, it means you’ve finished refining the five organs… Even elemental Spirit Qi might be produced.”
“This ancient cultivator in the Internal Organs Realm had finished refining the five organs, but he has no elemental Spirit Qi. Besides, he is too old, so his Spirit Qi isn’t very active. We still have a shot…”
“Let’s deal with him together!” Nie Changqing declared as he stood with his butcher knife.
His white clothes were fluttering. Li Sansi and Ning Zhao activated the Spirit Qi in their Qi Cores without hesitation so that their Spirit Qi would surround them.
The Overlord got to his feet. He stared fixedly at the ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator with a muscular body and a thin long-toothed livid face.
The four charged together once more.
The ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator was chained, thus restricting his movements.
It was an opportunity for Nie Changqing and his companions.
Dong!
A low roar came.
The Overlord was sent flying.
Nie Changqing and the other two kept attacking the ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator together.
The Overlord roared in a low voice. Brandishing his axe and shield, he rushed out again.
“Focus on one point. Let’s attack one of the five Spirit Qi swirls together. Once one of them is cracked, his defense will be broken!” Nie Changqing shouted.
His hair was blowing.
The ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator had an impressive defense. All of the attacks from his enemies were parried. Their attacks simply produced a repeated metallic ringing sound and then turned into some white traces.
The defense was formed by the intertwining and connection of the five Spirit Qi swirls.
“Overlord!”
Something occurred to Li Sansi. His eyes lit up.
“Distract him!” Li Sansi shouted.
In the distance, the Overlord’s face grew livid. He almost threw his axe at Li Sansi.
“Damn!” the Overlord cursed in a low voice.
However, he still chose to attract the hatred of the ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator. He opened his mouth. Blood vessels all stood out on his neck.
Holding the long axe in one hand and the heavy shield in the other, he struck them against each other.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
It sounded like war cries echoing incessantly in the long, quiet corridor.
The ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator had a fierce light in his eyes. His stare was fixed at the Overlord. The chain on his body kept producing a slow cling-clang.
In the next second…
The ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator rushed out, dragging his chain with him. He punched the Overlord’s shield hard.
The ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator had refined all of his five organs. Although he was chained…
The Overlord was still not a match for him.
After that punch…
The Overlord was almost freaked out.
That dreadful force broke his shield in pieces.
The long axe was sent flying, and so was he. He fell on the ground dozens of feet away, coughing up blood.
Nie Changqing, Li Sansi, and Ning Zhao seized this fleeting chance.
Li Sansi pointed his wooden sword at the ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator’s throat.
Ning Zhao’s sword pierced into the swirl in the Internal Organ Realm’s heart.
Nie Changqing moved his hand, and the butcher knife spiraled into the air with a harsh roar. Thrown over suddenly, it gave the swirl in the Internal Organ Realm’s heart a hard strike as well.
The swirl in the Internal Organ Realm’s heart slowed down. There was even a crack in it.
“As expected!”
Li Sansi was pleased.
And the ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator snarled in anger too.
Dreadful energy broke out, sending Nie Changqing and the others flying.
However, they were not disappointed because they saw hope. They saw a way to defeat this ruler of the Secret Realm.
******
Late at night…
Tang Xiansheng went back to the capital city. He looked awkward.
Lu Fan’s refusal put the proud Tang Xiansheng angry. He didn’t even get a chance to see Lu Fan.
However, as the number one cultivator in the world, Lu Ping’an from Beiluo certainly had his pride.
There was little Tang Xiansheng could do.
No wonder Yuwen Xiu and Jiang Li did not stop him. They apparently knew Tang Xiansheng’s aim to visit Beiluo City, but they did not think it a big deal.
Because Yuwen Xiu and Jiang Li knew Lu Ping’an would not be persuaded by Tang Xiansheng.
“Cultivators… Standing aloof from the mortal world?”
In the room, candle flames were flickering.
Tang Xiansheng took a deep breath.
He got to his feet and left his room. He came to Tang Yimo’s room after taking a long walk.
He rolled up his sleeve and raised his hand to knock the door gently.
“Yimo, are you awake?”
Tang Xiansheng asked in a quiet voice. He sounded affectionate.
Creak.
The door was open.
Tang Yimo showed up in the moonlight.
“What’s up?” Tang Yimo said flatly, throwing Tang Xiansheng a look.
“Just checking up on you. Wondering whether you are sleeping well. You must miss your mother and your sister,” Tang Xiansheng said with a smile.
Tang Yimo did not speak. He was simply looking at Tang Xiansheng.
“Shall we have a talk?” Tang Xiansheng asked as he arranged his silk robe.
Tang Yimo did not decline. He walked out of the room, and they took a walk along the cold flagstone road.
Tang Xiansheng’s laughter came from time to time.
They did look like father and son at this moment.
******
Daoist School, Tiandang Mountain.
Li Sansui walked out of the Dragon Gate. This night’s moonlight was a little hazy.
Li Sansui walked through the Dragon Gate and went into the central palace in the deepest part. She wasn’t qualified to go there yet, but she was cultivating hard to improve herself, in the hopes that one day she could go there as well.
She came to the Daoist temple after walking out of the Dragon Gate.
Oh?
She slightly frowned.
She saw an unfinished formation pattern on the table.
The writing brush was not where it usually was.
Li Sansui smelled something unusual.
She sped up to walk out of the Daoist temple. She came to the main gate and saw that Daoist disciple was standing there in a daze, holding a broom in his arms.
Li Sansui came up to him. She realized he had been possessed.
A wisp of Spirit Qi of hers surged. She extended her hand to point at the middle of the Daoist disciple’s forehead.
Her Spirit Qi fluctuated and spread.
The Daoist disciple woke up shivering immediately.
As soon as he woke up, he went weak at the knees and flopped onto the ground, as if he had been mistreated. Even the broom could not help him stand. He burst out crying.
A barbarian from Nanman!
A barbarian from Nanman with his hand in the shape of orchid fingers and full of coquetry!
He was freaked out.
“Did you see His Excellency?” Li Sansui asked.
The Daoist disciple couldn’t stop crying at all. He was literally scared out of his wits.
Li Sansui was a little disturbed. She had a hunch that something terrible had happened.
Judging from the Daoist disciple’s look, someone must have intruded into Daoist School and taken Xie Yunling away.
However, except for Lu Ping’an from White Jade City, who else in this world could take Xie Yunling away unnoticedly?
And why would they take Xie Yunling away?
Li Sansui looked back at Catching Stars Peak.
She knew she could not count on Li Sansi.
She went into the Daoist temple. There, she took a wooden sword and packed up. Then she went down the mountain.
******
At daybreak…
The early morning sunlight shone on Beiluo’s city tower.
Standing straight and holding spears in each of their hands, the soldiers guarding the city were high-spirited.
On the quiet city tower, only the sound of the wind blowing ashes away from the torches could be heard.
All of a sudden…
A soldier was slightly stunned.
He looked at the horizon, illuminated by the morning light.
A man was approaching the city slowly, unhurriedly, with his Daoist robe blowing.
The soldier hurried to report what he saw.
Luo Yue went onto the city tower. Looking into the distance, he felt that man looked familiar.
He seemed to be one of the philosophers who had been in Beiluo a few days ago.
“The philosopher of Daoist School? Why is he here again?” Luo Yue said to himself.
However, Daoist School had been White Jade City’s Daoist Pavilion by then.
In short, it was a force that belonged to Beiluo City.
Therefore, Luo Yue went down the city tower in person with some elite soldiers to open the city gate.
The Daoist priest was walking unhurriedly on the plain. He finally showed up before the gates of Beiluo City.
Luo Yue, in armor, came up to him with a smile. Cupping his hands, he asked, “Senior, it’s very late. Did you come to Beiluo to see the Young Master?”
Xie Yunling’s face was a little stiff. He kept looking straight into the distance.
However, he turned his head slightly when he had heard Luo Yue’s question. He showed a stiff smile and raised his hand in the shape of orchid fingers, but he seemed to recall something, so he released his fingers.
At this moment…
Lake Island, Beiluo.
Lu Fan, in the middle of setting up Wind Rain Strategy, suddenly stopped placing the chess piece he had intended to put on the chessboard.
He looked at the city gate of Beiluo. His hair was blowing. He raised his eyebrow slightly.
He vaguely perceived strange energy.
Thinking, he placed the chess piece on the chessboard. A clear sound came.
A smile tugged at the corners of Lu Fan’s lips.
“Is he finally here?”