Embers of Sword

Chapter 436: Qianyuan Taoist
For this campaign to eliminate the demons in southern Xinjiang, the troops will be divided into three groups.

Twenty treasure ships set out from the imperial city and headed for different cities along the southern border, fighting on their own according to their different camps.

There are hundreds of thousands of mountains in southern Xinjiang, filled with miasma and with steep terrain.

For Monk Da Chu... although he can fly with a sword, it is really too dangerous.

Unless one reaches the Qi Controlling Stage, it is almost impossible to resist the erosion of the "poisonous miasma".

Although the three major sects have expressed their "submission" to the imperial city, they still cannot be fully trusted.

Those evil practitioners hiding in southern Xinjiang to practice are all desperate criminals who ignore the law.

The treasure ship that Xie Xuanyi was on finally landed in front of Lingqu City.

Landing with them were also some disciples from Qingzhou noble families and sects.

This front line was mainly attacked by the Qingzhou family holy land and the Taoist Yuqingzhai, cutting in from the west and was referred to as the "Southwest Front".

Yuqingzhai master Shu Ning did not come in person.

Therefore, Ye Qinglian was the nominal leader of the southwestern front.

When the four huge treasure ships were hovering over the wilderness outside the city, the Lord of Lingqu City had already brought his men to wait below.

The treasure ship came from the imperial city of Da Chu.

In the eyes of the Lord of Lingqu City, the "big shots" on these treasure ships are as bright as the moon in the sky.

Lingqu City arranged a grand banquet, saying it was to welcome everyone.

Xie Xuanyi made an excuse and did not attend.

In his opinion, the war was imminent and it was ridiculous to hold a banquet to "celebrate" before fighting with the paper man.

He didn't like it very much.

……

……

After nightfall, Lingqu City was brightly lit and bustling with people.

Although this small town is close to southern Xinjiang, it is very lively and the streets are filled with the sounds of hawkers.

Before Emperor Chu passed away, he left behind extremely strict laws specifically for killing evil practitioners.

Once any evil cultivator is discovered within the territory of Chu State, any cultivator will be executed immediately without having to report it!
There will be a huge reward afterwards!

In those years, there was no need to "slay the demons" at all, and the southern border was in complete silence. The evil cultivators of the three major sects all hid in the sect gates, not daring to leave their caves... Later, when Emperor Chu passed away and Renshou Palace took charge of the government, these evil cultivators finally had a chance to breathe, but the shadow left by Emperor Chu still existed, and these evil cultivators dared not act rashly when they entered Chu territory.

This is why this small town has peace and prosperity.

Xie Xuanyi was walking alone in the streets. This was not his first time in Lingqu City.

After he killed Master Chihun, he brought Jiang Huang north and came here.

Do the math carefully.

It's been a year.

This second life passed so quickly.

It seemed as if I had just woken up from Yuzhu Town yesterday.

Xie Xuanyi came to Mingyue Tower, the most bustling and prosperous restaurant in Lingqu City... He did not sit down in the hall, nor did he book a private room. He sat on the top of the octagonal pavilion of the restaurant, with a panoramic view of the entire Lingqu City. Not far away was the City Lord's Mansion where a banquet was held to celebrate. Many treasure ship monks were enjoying the music in the City Lord's Mansion.

The night was lit up by lights everywhere.

But in the center of the most prosperous light and fire, there is darkness.

Xie Xuanyi sat in the darkness, enjoying the silence.

now.

Xie Xuanyi's divine consciousness radiated out, almost covering the entire Lingqu City... Thanks to Chen Chong's "secrecy", no one knows his true strength yet. Whether it is the strength of his divine consciousness, his physical physique, or the level of comprehension of the Tao, he is already above Ye Qinglian.

Every figure in the City Lord’s Mansion.

Xie Xuanyi can see it "clearly".

The Lord of Lingqu City seemed to understand the ways of the world very well. He held a banquet and tried to please others, so even Ye Qinglian drank a lot of wine.

"Xie brother, did you arrive at Lingqu City safely?"

At this moment, Ruyi Ling vibrated. It was a message from Jiang Qihu.

The Imperial City Department controls information from the four realms.

Jiang Qihu naturally knew that the southwest treasure ship had arrived. This stupid tiger could never hide his thoughts.

His intention to send the message was very obvious: "By the way...what did you say to Ye Qinglian during the day? Why did her attitude towards me change? This woman just invited me to travel with her after I exorcise the demons. It's really weird!"

It seems that Ye Qinglian has indeed drunk too much...

Some people run away, some people chase, and some people are destined to never be able to escape.

Xie Xuanyi pretended not to see the message and decided not to reply to Jiang Qihu.

At this moment.

The Ruyi Order vibrated for the second time, and just when Xie Xuanyi subconsciously decided to skip it, he suddenly stopped.

This message came from Chen Jingxuan.

"Lingqu City Lord Zongbi has practiced the Hehuan Sect's 'Soul Pulling Technique'."

A message.

This made Xie Xuanyi unable to help but stand up.

The restaurant's flag fluttered.

He stood in the darkness and looked out at the City Lord's Mansion, frowning at the Lingqu City Lord who was toasting with the guests around him... The Lingqu City Lord was at a decent level, having entered the Yinshen Realm seven or eight years ago. Although he was strong enough, he had "no ambition" and had been stationed in this remote southern town.

No wonder Ye Qinglian, who is naturally cold and indifferent, would drink so much alcohol.

The soul-pulling technique can make people let down their guard.

"I'm going to kill him?"

Xie Xuanyi's mind passed by and roughly confirmed the city lord's cultivation realm, which was probably at the fifth or sixth realm of Yin God. Even if he could condense a Dharma image, he could not withstand the attack of the martial arts fetus.

"No need."

Chen Jingxuan said calmly, "I'm just saying this to you... I heard that the Lord of Lingqu City is hosting a banquet tonight and many people are going. I don't think you will participate in such an occasion."

There was a pause.

Chen Jingxuan continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you should have found a quiet and dark place with no one around. The Mingyue Tower in Lingqu City has a nice view. If I were you, I would choose to enjoy the moon alone on the top of the Mingyue Tower."

"...?"

Xie Xuanyi looked around subconsciously.

I didn’t see anything unusual... Did the man surnamed Chen put a talisman to find qi on himself?

He said with a strange look: "The life span of a sky monitor is limited, you'd better not waste your life on me..."

"It seems I guessed it right."

Chen Jingxuan smiled and said, "You don't have to rush to act. Zongbi doesn't know that he has been 'exposed' yet. There are actually many people like him. Now Da Chu is in a turbulent time. There are hundreds of cities in the four borders. How can all the people be innocent? If Zongbi hadn't practiced the evil sect's magic, how could Lingqu City have been peaceful for so long?"

"..."

Xie Xuanyi seemed to be thinking about something.

He thought of Xu You, the former Lord of Tai'an City...

Perhaps Chen Jingxuan has always had information about these "traitors", but he is not in a hurry to clean them up. He will wait until the right time to catch them all in one fell swoop.

Chen Jingxuan's style of doing things is indeed different from his own.

"these years."

"The three major sects have been trying to 'penetrate' outside. After all, if they stay in this barren and desolate land of Southern Xinjiang without any cultivation resources, they will be exterminated sooner or later."

Chen Jingxuan said: "Whether it is Yinshan, Tiangui Sect, or Hehuan Sect, they are all trying to find a blessed land... Although they are in Southern Xinjiang, they want to leave Southern Xinjiang more than anyone else."

One day you practice evil, one day you cannot see the light.

Wherever I go, people are shouting and beating me.

But if it is recognized by the Da Chu Dynasty, it can survive under the law.

So……

They can then stand in the light. "The three major sects' magic skills actually all come from the 'Great Stone Tablet' excavated thousands of years ago. There is no vitality in the barren mountains of southern Xinjiang. If these people want to practice openly, they need to find another way..."

The Hehuan Sect uses humans as a cauldron to squeeze out their essence and improve themselves.

Yinshan, refining soul flags and enslaving the soul.

Tiangui Sect, mending flesh and blood, driving corpses to fight.

None of these three avenues require vital energy, and none of them are recognized by the Great Chu Dynasty. Judging from the current situation, even if the Saint Queen allows evil cultivators to enter, the three major sects will need to improve their cultivation methods if they want to "survive"... No matter what, they cannot continue to "poison living beings."

"Zongbi's soul-pulling technique comes from the 'Qianyuan Taoist' of the Hehuan Sect."

Chen Jingxuan continued, "This Taoist Qianyuan is quite powerful, but his cultivation method is not evil. Ordinary Hehuan Sect cultivators use men and women as furnaces, but he abandons the furnace technique and focuses on the art of soul enchantment."

"I don't believe they can change."

Xie Xuanyi had a blank expression on his face: "If you have any plans, I can kill him later."

"That's the truth."

Chen Jingxuan was silent for a moment, and said: "However, Zongbi is quite useful at the moment... Among the three major sects, Tiangui Sect and Yinshan Sect took the initiative to show weakness to the Imperial City, and Hehuan Sect did not express its position from beginning to end. This time, they were forced to join forces in the "Demon Suppression". "

Halfway through.

Xie Xuanyi understood what the young imperial teacher meant: "The library needs to confirm the loyalty of the Hehuan Sect?"

"good."

Chen Jingxuan nodded: "If the situation permits, it would be best if Zongbi is alive and willing to be used by the Book House."

"I understand."

Xie Xuanyi lowered his eyes and said, "Directly seize the Heart Lake?"

"You can use any means you want. It's up to you."

Chen Jingxuan said solemnly: "Qian San is now near Southern Xinjiang. If you need it, Fangyuanfang near Lingqu City will provide you with help."

The conversation ended here.

Xie Xuanyi sat quietly on the roof of Mingyue Tower, his spiritual thoughts covering the sky above the City Lord's Mansion.

The Ruyi Order vibrated again and sent the case files of Zongbi and Hehuan Sect... It turned out that after the death of Emperor Chu, the Hehuan Sect wanted to control Lingqu City through "Zongbi", and Zongbi wanted to use the Hehuan Sect's magic to practice. The two sides hit it off and started an eight-year cooperation.

Over the years, the Hehuan Sect has taken away a lot of "furnace tripods" from Lingqu City for free.

Zongbi, on the other hand, obtained the soul-binding technique he had always dreamed of.

However, practicing the Soul Binding Technique requires a considerable price to pay.

Every month, Zongbi needs to suck the brain marrow of a young child. The purer the child is, the better the tonic effect will be.

Because Lingqu City is adjacent to southern Xinjiang and is rife with evil cultivators, it is not a big deal if a "child" occasionally gets lost in the city.

Compared with the turbulent Liguo Yuanzhou.

Lingqu City can definitely be described as peaceful.

Just after reading the case file, Xie Xuanyi was not in a relaxed mood... He looked down woodenly at this prosperous town with flickering lights. In order to welcome the distinguished guests, brilliant fireworks shot up into the sky, instantly dyeing the night into day. The city lord's mansion was filled with singing and dancing. The filth of this small town was concealed by the fireworks and dyed white.

The banquet is coming to an end.

Lingqu City Lord Zongbi was smiling and toasting the last round of wine.

Xie Xuanyi silently suppressed his murderous intent and prepared to get up and leave the rooftop of Mingyue Tower.

At this moment.

Suddenly, an extremely subtle cracking sound rang in his ears.

The sound was like tearing paper.

No one is more familiar with this voice than Xie Xuanyi.

This is... the sound of a flying sword!
On the rooftop of Mingyue Tower, the dark gloom was suddenly torn apart by the sword light.

The moonlight poured down, and a silver flying sword appeared without warning, tearing through the void and stabbing fiercely at Xie Xuanyi's neck.

Xie Xuanyi had a blank expression on his face. He took a step back and stretched out his hand at the same time!

He grabbed the flying sword directly.

"Clang clang clang!"

The flying sword collided with the palm, and a series of sparks burst out!

All this happened too quickly. Xie Xuanyi only held the flying sword for a moment, and the sword brushed past his cheek and missed. He immediately fled away and disappeared into the void.

Silence returned to the rooftop of Mingyue Tower.

Xie Xuanyi had a gloomy expression as he stared at the source of the sword energy. That was the outskirts of Lingqu City five miles away, and it was also the only "blind spot" after his divine sense covered it.

He lowered his head and looked at his palm which was scratched with blood.

This sword... broke his skin and injured him, but the injury was very minor. Blood flowed out, and he was immediately healed by the Dao of Life.

This sword is different from ordinary flying swords——

Its real horror does not lie in its sharp blade.

When Xie Xuanyi grasped the flying sword just now, a circle of dark Taoist power swung out and directly hit his soul!

It is clear.

The person who drew the sword calculated Xie Xuanyi's "reaction".

The opponent expected that this sudden sword attack would be dodged.

Even anticipating that this sword would be grasped——

Therefore, the real murderous intent is hidden behind the contact of the swords!
Unfortunately.

The strength of Xie Xuanyi's soul was beyond the other party's imagination. After being promoted to Yin God, the dual realms of life and death enveloped the Purple Mansion, and the entire heart lake was as solid as a rock. This trace of Dao realm power was like an egg hitting a rock, and it annihilated itself after the collision!
……

……

The outskirts of Lingqu.

A tall figure in a black robe stood on the top of the mountain, with his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on the roof of Mingyue Tower, the tallest building in Lingqu City.

"Buzzing."

The void shattered and the flying sword returned.

The tall figure let out a soft "hmm", somewhat surprised.

This flying sword attack ended in failure...

Not unexpected.

However, there was one thing that was beyond his imagination. The tall figure frowned as he looked at the flying sword lying in his palm. After only a moment of contact with the target, the flying sword was deformed and bent, and almost broke.

What kind of physique is this? What kind of reaction is this?

Adhere to the principle of escaping immediately if the attack fails.

The tall figure took back the flying sword and without hesitation, he flew directly towards the southern border. He rose from the ground and turned into a long rainbow.

However, the good times didn’t last long…

After ten breaths.

The long rainbow stopped abruptly.

I saw a dark sword energy shooting out from the top of Mingyue Tower, silently penetrating into the ceiling, and then its speed increased rapidly, and finally fell heavily in front of Changhong.

The long rainbow shattered, revealing a face wearing a green evil ghost mask.

Even through the mask, one could see the shock on the latter's face.

Was he caught up with this?

This is too fast!
The cold wind blew from the sky, but it could not blow away the white chill condensed in the dark clouds.

Two black robes were suspended in mid-air facing each other.

The invisible murderous intent swayed gently, unable to be blown away by the wind, and became increasingly solid.

"Now that you're here, why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

Xie Xuanyi put his hands behind his back and his sleeves fluttered.

He looked at the black-robed figure hovering in front of him and said, "You still have a chance now... Give me the master behind you, and I can keep your body intact."

(End of this chapter)