Beichen Sword Sect's Headmaster's Secret Records

Chapter 395 Starry Night View

To be honest, Huangfu Yi himself was confused about how he survived the ordeal, but the system was indeed right. He leveled up and when he left the secret realm, Huangfu Yi had indeed reached the Core Formation stage, which was probably close to the threshold of becoming a waste.

As for the 'sword core' he forged within his body using a wisp of sword energy as its core, transforming it into a green bamboo leaf sword tip, seemingly gestating within his abdomen, it had now stabilized. It could be simultaneously controlled by the sword control technique, freely traversing his meridians and internal organs, opening up the Qi channels throughout his body, and expanding his meridians.

Thus, with each breath, the heart, spirit, and fetus resonate as if in perfect harmony, feeling the muscles and bones stretch and relax, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth caressing the face like a whirlwind, enveloping the body, and being exhaled into the lungs, while a faint warmth rises between the marrow and spine, as if the whole person is in a period of growth again, with the Qi power constantly increasing and strengthening, indescribably smooth and free.

Traveling and practicing his skills simultaneously, day and night, moving at lightning speed, Huangfu Yi finally saw the distant signs of human habitation before he knew it.

Calling it human habitation might not be accurate; it was more like the smoke signals of an army encampment, a place of vigilance and alert. As we approached, we saw a fortified village on the plain. Judging from the surrounding ruins, it had once been a large city, but it had clearly been destroyed by war several times. However, given its location at a transportation hub, troops would often come here to encamp and rebuild.

Huangfu Yi gazed at the black flag atop the city wall, embroidered with a dragon soaring through the clouds, and knew that the area was now occupied by the Heavenly King's rebel army, probably the same winged tribesmen he had fought a minor skirmish with before. But strangely, there were still quite a few civilians outside the fortified village.

Yes, as we got closer, we could see a large slum across the river, probably inhabited by military families, servants, artisans, camp prostitutes, captured serfs, and homeless refugees.

The soldiers in the city did not drive away or imprison these people. From time to time, soldiers could be seen leaving the camp to indulge their lust in the brothels of the slums or to trade with slave traders. Their attitude of driving away, beating, cursing, and readily drawing their swords to kill people was certainly not that of righteous soldiers who would not harm a single thing. But despite this, crowds continued to gather, swarming to this place like ants.

After all, demons and gods descend from all directions, and demon lairs cause trouble, often slaughtering thousands of miles and turning the land into a scorched earth and a sea of ​​blood. It's always safer to stick together with other people.

Perhaps the woodcutter was right.

There's never been true fairness in this world; where there's strength, there's weakness. The weak can only survive by clinging to the wings of the strong. These days, few who wield knives are good people; they're often oppressed, exploited, and killed at the drop of a hat. But that's still better than wandering the streets, becoming prey for demons…

So did you try to manage it? Could you even manage it? And even if you did, would it really be a good thing?

Huangfu Yi was momentarily lost in thought, caught in a dilemma about whether or not he should intervene and change the railway tracks.

However, he didn't dwell on it for long, because the situation quickly changed.

Warning smoke signals rose one after another from the southwest. The cavalrymen in the camp donned their armor and mounted their horses. In a short while, nearly four hundred riders rode out of the camp, sounded their bugles, formed a wedge formation, and rushed towards the smoke signals like a dark cloud.

Huangfu Yi recognized the military orders from the north and saw that the cavalry were carrying crossbows for hunting demons, so he knew that demons were attacking. Without saying a word, he burrowed underground and followed behind the cavalry.

After fleeing for more than ten miles, Huangfu Yi peeked out from a hill and saw a demonic aura soaring into the sky. A huge crack appeared in the flat ground, like a deep ravine caused by an earthquake.

Another demon has appeared! It's never-ending...

But demons are not the only problem. Or rather, the Heavenly King's army all practiced the Gangquan style and were not afraid of any demons. Moreover, there were people everywhere to eat, so demons would not bother to gnaw on these tough bones covered in iron.

Therefore, the cavalry gathered here not to subdue demons and monsters, but to ward off evil and bring good fortune. The demon-hunting crossbow was only there as a precaution. Their target was someone else entirely.

"Uuuuuu——"

A loud bugle call came from afar, and the cavalry immediately spread out their battle formation on both flanks. Huangfu Yi, standing on the high ground, could also see clearly that a troop of soldiers was galloping in from the south, also forming a battle formation, facing off against the Heavenly King's army across the deep ravines and crevices.

This army flew a purple flag, on which was faintly embroidered a bird, resembling a large duck, with blood-red eyes. Behind them followed two large banners, one inscribed with "Relieve Trouble" and the other with "Tiger Warriors." The knights all carried long spears, were equipped with short weapons, wore rhinoceros armor, helmets, and tiger tails. The chariots were packed tightly together, the banners obscuring the sun. A thousand riders swept in, their imposing presence clearly showing that they were all seasoned veterans, elite soldiers who had charged into battle.

Are the Purple Phoenix and the Phoenix a vassal army of the Xun Kingdom?

Huangfu Yi had heard a lot about the current situation along the way, so he naturally knew that the Three Dukes were now in power under the Xie family's Grand Tutor. This title of Three Dukes was not just an honorary one; he was a legitimate hereditary duke of the highest rank, the Duke of Xun, and the lord of the Eight Feudatories.

After all, the Xie family, the second most powerful immortal clan in the world, relied on generations of marriage alliances with relatives and nobles to govern the eight vassal states and control the finances and manpower of the country. Now that the royal clan has lost power, the Xie family not only took the opportunity to take over Taiwei, but also became the father-in-law of the current emperor, ruling half of the immortal palace. They have great power and everything in the country is theirs. So naturally, they have to do some work for the court and have to transfer the vassal army of Xun Kingdom to the Central Plains to quell the rebellion.

Of course, this group of trouble-relieving tiger warriors probably didn't actually come to fight. They were likely also alarmed by the sudden appearance of the demon seal and came to see what was going on.

Since the opposing sides had collided, there was no need for further discussion. Men's communication is the simplest and most straightforward. The two armies from the north and south faced off across the demon cave for a short while before each side sent out a dozen or so scouts to gallop out of the formation. The two groups of men circled the valley counterclockwise, scouting the enemy's situation as they went. When they got close, they opened fire with their bows.

However, this duel revealed a problem: while the Tiger Warriors of Xun Kingdom were undeniably elite, their archery and horsemanship skills were clearly inferior. The cavalry, on the other hand, could draw their bows with both hands, disarm their opponents, fire three arrows in quick succession, hit a target from a hundred paces away, and penetrate armor with their power, multiplying their firepower several times over.

So, after only two rounds of pursuit and exchange of fire, the cavalry, without losing a single man, had already killed seven or eight elite Tiger Warriors. In the end, only one survived, relying on his exceptional talent and thick skin, managing to escape back with a load of arrows and a horse…

The Southern Army of Xun Kingdom suffered a crushing defeat right from the start, and its morale plummeted. The Tiger Warriors were furious, and Jie Fanchao was forced to retreat about a mile to avoid being overwhelmed by the enemy's momentum. Meanwhile, the Northern Army of Tianwang, seeing how weak their opponents were, seemed to genuinely intend to launch a counterattack, but ultimately did not pursue them.

Because the monster has been drawn in by the smell of blood.

The monster in this cave is a huge swarm of centipedes, yes, giant centipedes. With a whooshing sound, the swarm of insects gushed out from the cracks in the ground, densely packed like gushing black oil, instantly filling the mountain stream and fissures completely.

These centipedes ranged in size from several meters to over seven feet. Their backs were either dark brown or bluish-black, their bellies were yellow, their heads were red with long whiskers, their mouths had hooked teeth, and their legs were countless. They were extremely venomous and would pounce on the tigers and beasts, devouring their carcasses in the blink of an eye. They tore the rhinoceros armor into pieces like paper and even chewed up the bones.

The scene was truly terrifying. Not only did the warhorses beneath them neigh in fear, but even seasoned cavalrymen dared not approach.

The scouts only fired a few arrows from a distance, discovering that ordinary arrows couldn't penetrate the armor at all, breaking off upon hitting the centipede's shell. Only rune-inscribed arrowheads with armor-piercing properties could be effective. They immediately lost interest in leveling up. With a blast of a horn, they turned their horses around, the rear guard becoming the front, and retreated cleanly and efficiently.

Looking at the scene before him, Huangfu Yi had nothing to say.

It's pitiful and lamentable. Not to mention the garrison troops of Xun Kingdom, even these rebel cavalrymen before us were once the guards of Yinshan in the north, heroes who protected the borders and defended the land. How could they lack the ability to deal with demons? Even if thousands of troops were to trample over them, this swarm of poisonous insects would be no problem to defeat.

Unfortunately, the people of the world do not take the sacrifices and protection of the former generals seriously, and the traitors of today are only concerned with their own wealth and glory, no longer caring about the lives of the common people.

Let whoever wants to manage it manage it; it's none of my business.

Huangfu Yi, Huangfu Yi, you said you would stand up for the people, but aren't the Kan people the common people who helped the Immortal Palace expand its territory? Where were you when they were freezing to death in the icy snow of Yinshan Mountain, when they were holding off the demon nest that is now like this? Who stood up for them?

Every drink and every bite has its predetermined fate; cause and effect are all karmic retribution.

Just as Huangfu Yi was deeply immersed in self-examination and self-doubt, seemingly stuck in a rut, he suddenly noticed the sky darkening. Looking up, he saw a colorful cloud drifting in, radiant with divine light, thousands of auspicious wisps of energy, and flakes of gold, obscuring half the sky. "Which hermit has foreseen the emergence of demons and the arrival of calamity?" he thought. "Whatever. Nine times out of ten, it'll all come down to him in the end..."

brush--

Unexpectedly, the colorful clouds didn't stop, but continued southward, passing over the demon's lair and engulfing all the white clouds in the sky...

Uh, this plot is moving way too fast! Why is nobody wanting all these centipede materials lying around? They could be used to make soup or some kind of elixir...

Before Huangfu Yi could react, a dazzling beam of light suddenly appeared! It swept across overhead, like a bright lamp sweeping across the sky, splitting the heavens in two!
Not only that, the radiance was accompanied by an overwhelming and domineering divine sense, sweeping straight down from his scalp. In an instant, Huangfu Yi felt as if he had been electrocuted, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

Holy crap, it's sword light! Such a huge cloud of sword light! Definitely the work of a top-tier master from the Xuanmen sect! Probably not even at the Nascent Soul stage! Is it chasing after that cloud? And why… does it look like a bird fleeing for its life…?

But it gave people no time to tremble with fear. The auspicious clouds and the sword light flashed by and disappeared in an instant, but then another strange change occurred in the world!

Suddenly, it got light.

Huangfu Yi gazed intently into the vast, cloudless sky, towards the highest reaches of the celestial realm.

He could vaguely see thunder dragons and lightning, countless bolts of lightning, and branching currents roaring and flashing in the sky, so much so that the entire heavens seemed to shatter like a broken mirror, cracked paint, or an eggshell, slowly peeling away and crumbling. It was as if... the sky had collapsed...

At this moment, not only Huangfu Yi was stunned, but even the cavalry of the two armies that were retreating slowed down their horses and looked up, wondering what was happening in the world.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

It wasn't just people! Even the centipedes on the ground stood upright with their backs to the people! The earth was covered with a dense forest of centipedes, like swaying water plants or standing hairs on end!

At this moment! Right now! Here! All living beings! Look up at the starry sky!

Looking up at the boundless sky! Gazing at the unknown future! I am gripped by nameless fear!
Yes, fear. Huangfu Yi was not a small man, and he had long been numb to demons and monsters, but at this moment he felt genuinely panicked and his heart was pounding. No matter how strong his biceps were or how tough his body was, he was terrified.

That involuntary sense of bewilderment and terror towards the future, the unknown, and the unseen. The genes of humanity, carried since ancient times, are screaming, erupting, and shouting.

fear
fear
Great Fear

Then, right before the eyes of all living beings, in the vast and boundless sky, in the bright blue heavens, in an instant, that thing suddenly appeared in the eastern sky.

Is this...the moon?
But if this is the moon... then what is that next to it...?

Yes, a crescent moon hangs like a hook, and a full moon shines like a wheel. The two moons hang high in the east, reflected in the eyes of all living beings.

It was as if the heavens had finally opened their eyes, revealing a pair of bright, pearl-like pupils.

Huangfu Yi stared blankly at the pair of bright moons, and for a moment, he even forgot to breathe and cultivate his Qi.

Then the sky suddenly began to flash! A sudden burst of bright, verdant light almost blinded him! A dazzling star appeared, hurtling towards him! It pierced the sky! It hurtled overhead!

“Whoosh—Boom!”

Then came another deafening, earth-shattering thunderclap! And then the sky brightened again!

Huangfu Yi turned his head and saw an unprecedentedly huge fireball rising slowly behind him!

Then came the second one, the third one, and so on, until the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh!

Thousands upon thousands! A sky full of dazzling light! Starlight of extraordinary brilliance! Some long, some short, some large, some small, stretching across the Milky Way! Piercing the clear sky! Plunging straight into the mountains and rivers!
This, this is...

"Meteor shower! Meteor shower!"

"The Emperor's Dew! The Emperor's Dew!"

"A rare treasure! A meteorite has fallen!"

The soldiers and horses nearby cheered, and the demons all over the mountains and plains were in an uproar. All three forces moved at the same time, rushing towards the fireball in the distance to seize the opportunity that had fallen from the sky.

Only Huangfu Yi stood there, frozen in place, gazing up at the starry sky, feeling a chill run through him and his hair stand on end.

Are you kidding me? That's... a shooting star?

In autumn, the stars are visible in the daytime, almost like the moon, appearing in the southeast. Two moons follow one another, visible in the east at dawn, with the five planets traversing the sky in an unpredictable pattern.

The stars flowed northwest, some like urns, some like dippers, piercing through the weakest point; the smaller ones were countless. All the stars in the sky shook until dawn.

A loud sound like thunder came from the sky, followed shortly by another tremor. A meteor fell into the camp and crashed down right there. It was visible to all, both near and far. The flames illuminated the sky, and the clouds rose like a collapsing mountain. In an instant, all the fences and forests were burned.

At that time, the fire died down, and they saw a hole in the ground, as large as a pool, extremely deep. Looking down, they saw stars shining brightly within it. After a long time, it gradually dimmed, but it was still too hot to approach. After even longer, they opened the hole, which was more than nine feet deep, and found a round stone, still hot, about the size of a cauldron, with one end slightly pointed, the color of iron, and the same weight.

Taichang played the zither.
Meteors are symbols of war. A red star falling to earth foretells war. I urge the cessation of entertainment and the reduction of meals, the investigation of prisoners, the relief of the famine-stricken, the encouragement of agricultural work, the offering of sacrifices to Heaven, and the granting of a general amnesty.

The Emperor refused.

(End of this chapter)