Embers of Sword

Chapter 748 The Change of Embracing the Moon
The world was desolate and bleak, a vast expanse of silver-white, and the entire Baoyue Tower was enveloped by Uncle Yao's Dao Domain!

"..."

Zhu Shuo collapsed to the ground, staring blankly into the distance.

He is very clear.

How terrifying is the power of the Dao Domain of a Yin God Realm expert?

No matter how powerful the Dao principles Xie Yueying comprehended were, they were still just Dao principles. Under the crushing force of a complete Dao realm... these meager Dao principles were like fireflies, easily dispersed with a breath.

"It's over..."

Zhu Shuo's voice was hoarse, and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

He knew that after this attack, Xie Yueying was likely doomed...

Although Uncle Yao was a servant in the Marquis's mansion.

But his strength was even greater than that of his uncle.

Uncle Yao can take action without my consent.

He had finally managed to "scam" such a beautiful woman from Jiangning, but before he could even take off his hat, he died a violent death... Zhu Shuo had made many preparations for tonight, but now they were all in vain.

He sighed and prepared to stand up.

A gentle breeze blew, tearing the gauze curtains of Baoyue Tower, and layers of moonlight fell with the wind and snow.

A chill is creeping in.

Zhu Shuo realized something was wrong.

After Uncle Yao's domain enveloped the place, Baoyue Tower became eerily quiet... a silence that seemed almost unsettling.

"……Snapped!"

A crisp cracking sound came from the direction of the Dao Domain.

Zhu Shuo swayed as he stood up, leaning on a large pillar, and looked towards the Dao Domain. The wind and snow were blown away by the strong energy, revealing a terrifying scene.

Uncle Yao stood silently, his palm outstretched, his figure as tall as a stone mountain.

Crimson blood flowed from his palm, spreading along the tip of the sword that had pierced his palm, gradually reaching the blade and hilt, staining the entire silver-white longsword red.

At last.

A drop of blood fell, frozen in mid-air by the wind and snow, and shattered on the ground.

This is the source of the crisp cracking sound from before.

"How can this be!"

Zhu Shuo's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking to a straight line.

Uncle Yao is a spirit of the underworld, a spirit of the underworld!

How could mere Dao principles possibly pierce through a Dao domain!

This snow-white Dao Domain only revealed half of its scenery. On the other half, which Zhu Shuo could not see, wind and snow swept through the void, blocked by an invisible barrier, piling up again and again.

Xie Yueying held the sword with both hands, maintaining the posture of thrusting with all her might.

She has exhausted all her energy and spirit, and may collapse at any moment.

Fortunately, a hand grasped her hand, and also grasped the sword.

I don’t know when.

This third figure appeared within the Dao Domain.

Within the Dao domain worshipped by the Yin God of Xining Prefecture, the raging wind and snow crashed down upon this figure. What weighed heavily on Xie Yueying was merely a gentle breeze and light snow to her slender frame.

The wind and snow didn't even have the chance to touch the hem of the man in black's clothes!
"That's it."

Within the Dao Domain, a voice of indistinguishable gender resounded.

Xie Yueying turned around, trying her best to see the face of the person who had helped her.

But she couldn't see anything clearly.

Even without the shelter of wind and snow.

The black robe contained only an empty space.

Little did he know... this was also what Uncle Yao was seeing. At this moment, the mind of this Yin God Realm expert was in turmoil, and he couldn't care less about the stinging pain in his palm.

Being stabbed is a minor matter.

The sudden appearance of such a person in Xining City is a major event!

What level of existence is this?

Uncle Yao stared intently at the figure in black amidst the wind and snow. Despite his full power of Dao Domain attack, the opponent had not revealed even the slightest trace of "Dao Realm," "Divine Power," "Dharma Form," or "Treasure Artifact"!
He couldn't discern the slightest bit of the other party's true nature!

What does this mean...?

This shows that the opponent's strength is far superior to ours!

Uncle Yao is already at the eighth level of Yin God. Although he is not too strong at the twentieth level, he can easily withstand a full-force attack from an eighth-level being... at least he is at the peak of Yin God.

The Great Perfection?
Or...

Uncle Yao dared not think about anything higher.

"senior."

The retainer of the Marquis of Xining took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and said respectfully, "Senior, your presence is an honor... The Marquis's residence has not been able to welcome you properly. May I ask what brings you here?"

He didn't know the other party's identity, but he was certain that... such an existence was a rare top-tier expert, even in the entire Great Li Dynasty!
How could such an important person be here?

He appeared just when Xie Yueying was comprehending the Dao of Annihilation!

This is too much of a coincidence!

Could it be that this important figure has been following Xie Yueying the whole time?
Various thoughts appeared in Uncle Yao's mind.

He had heard that the Xie family of Jiangning was a prestigious clan that had weathered centuries of hardship and decline during the Great Chu Dynasty, only to fall into ruin due to unforeseen circumstances. Such powerful families often had one or two exceptionally powerful ancestors who refused to pass away, forcibly prolonging their lives to preserve the family line. The rumor that Xie Xuanyi had died and Xie Sheng had become the heir of the Crimson Dragon was rampant for a time… but later it became a joke.

If the Xie family truly had an extraordinary protector, how could they have fallen to such a state?

However, Uncle Yao had changed his mind at this moment.

His first reaction was that the other party was related to the Xie family.

"Do I need to report my arrival in Xining to you?"

The man in black, standing in the snowstorm, did not respond directly, but spoke softly.

These words sent a chill down Uncle Yao's spine.

"I wouldn't dare! This junior wouldn't dare!"

Uncle Yao lowered his head and immediately realized his mistake.

Now that the demon kingdom has moved south, the relationship between Chu and Li is delicate.

If this mysterious person is indeed a powerful figure from the Great Chu Kingdom, crossing the border would surely have alerted the Iron Curtain. Given Nalan Xuance's abilities, he couldn't possibly be without a backup plan.

Could it be that this is a person who has left?
"The Zhu family is incredibly audacious."

The man in black chuckled lightly, then suddenly changed the subject: "Embezzling grain transport and falsifying account books, Zhu Gong really thinks of Xining City as his own little territory. Is he trying to become a local tyrant?"

This second sentence is even more devastating, it's like killing someone by attacking their spirit.

Uncle Yao's back was covered in cold sweat.

A powerhouse of this caliber would be impossible for me to detect upon entering Xining City, given my current level of cultivation.

[Iron Curtain] No alarms.

This means that... Nalan Xuance tacitly approved of this guy's entry into Xining City!

obviously.

This powerful figure had already thoroughly explored all the forbidden areas of the Marquis of Xining's residence. The discrepancies in the canal transport accounts over the years had naturally been meticulously investigated… This was a trivial matter, so insignificant that none of the seven marquises under the Crown Prince could withstand such meticulous scrutiny. However, the fact that such a powerful figure was offering this reminder now carried a chilling undertone.

"A powerful figure like you, senior, wouldn't be like those hook-and-pincher masters..."

Uncle Yao spoke nervously.

"rest assured."

The man in black said casually, "I can't be bothered with the messy affairs of the Marquis of Xining's mansion. But you'd better not try anything with her again."

"..."

Xie Yueying's expression was quite complicated at this moment, but fortunately, she was covered by a straw hat.

She had no idea who the mysterious expert who appeared at Baoyue Tower was or why he was helping her.

"Understood!"

Uncle Yao quickly said, "The Xie family's debts will be repaid in Xining City before dawn. If you don't mind, senior, Xining will restore all the trade routes previously operated with the Xie family and give up 30% of the profits."

"..."

Hearing this, Xie Yueying's feelings became even more complicated.

Logically speaking.

This is a good thing.

For her, the long journey by boat, the humiliation she endured, and the act of serving drinks and banquets in Xining were all for the sake of recovering the debts she owed.

Now, the debt has been recovered, and business has resumed.

The Xie family's predicament was resolved.

But no matter what she did, she couldn't be happy.

Tonight at Baoyue Tower, she saw the true colors of those old fogies in the Xie clan. Xie Yueying's heart was broken.

And dead ashes... cannot be rekindled.

"Owes money..."

The man in black smiled again, but this time his laughter carried a hint of sarcasm.

The matter of owing money seems like a joke.

"Don't be so clever. The life or death of the Xie family is not important to me."

The man in black said, "I'm taking this man with me. I don't want anyone to know what happened tonight. You should understand... what I mean..."

These words calmed Uncle Yao down a little.

The previous conjecture has been further confirmed as three-way.

As expected, the Xie family had few protectors.

This powerful figure was likely just passing by and happened to witness Xie Yueying comprehending the "Dao of Annihilation".

Xie Yueying is really lucky...

He had already fallen into a desperate situation, but through a sudden enlightenment, he directly attracted the attention of experts at the Great Perfection stage and even the Yang God stage.

The snowstorm has subsided.

The rooftop of Baoyue Tower was deserted again after a strong wind blew through.

Xie Yueying and Tongniu had both disappeared without a trace.

The only remaining trace on the ground was the bloodstains that had dripped from Uncle Yao's palm.

"Uncle Yao... Uncle Yao!"

Zhu Shuo, his voice hoarse, staggered over, groping around. His voice trembled as he asked, "Where's Miss Yueying? She's gone! Didn't you say there wouldn't be any accidents?"

"..."

Uncle Yao stared silently at this spoiled brat.

Snapped!
He stretched out his hand and slapped her hard across the face.

Zhu Shuo was sent flying into the air by the blow, crashing heavily into a large pillar.

He grew up in luxury and was pampered.

This was the first time he had been punished like this!

"Uncle Yao..."

Zhu Shuo was stunned by the beating and sat blankly on the ground, half of his cheek bulging out.

What shocked him even more than the slap was the blood on the ground after the Dao Domain dissipated.

All of this is Uncle Yao's blood.

"remember!"

Uncle Yao said expressionlessly, "Stop thinking about Xie Yueying. This woman is not someone you can touch... Also, keep quiet about what happened at Baoyue Tower tonight. Don't let any information about the 'Way of Annihilation' leak out."

……

……

Xining City, a remote suburb.

A wisp of sword energy fell from the sky and landed in the desolate mountains in the distant suburbs.

"That's it."

Xie Xuanyi released his grip and threw the bronze ox away.

This guy was poisoned by Zhu Shuo... His entire face was infected by the poison. Under normal circumstances, even if he could save his life, it would be difficult to save the flesh and blood of his cheeks.

However, Xie Xuanyi's Dao of Life has already reached perfection.

Wisps of water vapor rose up.

The bronze bull remained unconscious, but the flesh on its cheeks gradually returned to normal.

"The realm of life..."

Xie Xuanyi wouldn't usually use such methods lightly.

Because it's too easy to expose one's identity.

At that moment, Xie Yueying, who was staring at the bronze bull's face, recognized her. The woman in white squatted down beside the servant, looked at him for a moment, and then cautiously said, "You really are Uncle Xuanyi!"

"...Uncle?"

Xie Xuanyi remained expressionless, but the corner of his lips twitched slightly.

What the hell.

Am I already at the age where people call me "uncle"?

But upon closer inspection, it seems that's really the case... The last time I guided this young girl in her cultivation was twenty years ago.

"How did you recognize me?"

Xie Xuanyi stood with his hands behind his back, his tone relaxed, and asked with great interest.

When he made his move at Baoyue Tower, he didn't even use his Dao Realm.

What Xie Xuanyi did was very simple: he used his Vajra body to traverse the void and forcibly entered the Dao Domain of Xining Prefecture, and then used Xie Yueying's sword to unleash the [Yuan Tun] divine power.

That venerable elder from the Marquis's mansion was only at the eighth realm; his Dao Domain cultivation was far from complete.

With just a slight use of the Devouring Dao Scroll, he was able to absorb all the power of this Dao Domain!

then.

A sword pierces the palm.

It could even be said that Xie Yueying's sword strike... relied on the power of her own Dao principles.

Xie Xuanyi merely absorbed the other party's Dao Domain, bridging the gap between them.

"I……"

Xie Yueying was a little embarrassed: "I was just guessing."

"Just guessing?"

"Actually, it's not hard to guess."

Xie Yueying said with a bitter smile, "The Xie family has already fallen. Those old guys, for a little profit, didn't even bother to send me to Xining City... If the Xie family really had some powerful protector, they wouldn't be so hesitant to take action now."

She knew all the rumors circulating outside better than anyone else.

It couldn't be more fake.

If there were truly protectors, they should have taken action during the Beihai Incident twelve years ago!

The Xie family's protectors would never stand by and watch someone like Xie Xuanyi die in the pursuit!

"This is my first time setting foot in a foreign country."

As Xie Yueying spoke, her voice grew softer and softer: "The friendship that the Xie family has built with the Li Kingdom over the years... is nothing but pretense. If a truly powerful figure were willing to help, things wouldn't have turned out this way..."

In fact, to put it bluntly.

In Xie Yueying's heart, after thinking it over, the only person she had contact with and remembered was...

Only Xie Xuanyi remained.

"It seems you were just guessing."

Xie Xuanyi said, "However... you're lucky."

"..."

Xie Yueying gave a self-deprecating laugh.

She is self-aware.

The Xie family and Xie Xuanyi had long since severed their ties. He was merely an insignificant Cave Heaven Realm cultivator; what merit or ability did he possess to allow someone of Xie Xuanyi's level to cross the sea to this place and provide protection?

It has been a full six months since the Great Sui Sword Palace began its sermons, and there has been no news of the Black-Clad Sword Immortal.

It is said.

For the past six months, the Black-Clad Sword Immortal has been in seclusion in the Thirty-Three Grotto Heavens!
This "Top Ten Heroes" level mountain cultivator has now quietly arrived in Liguo... He must have something extremely important to do.

So our meeting tonight is truly fate and luck.

"senior."

Xie Yueying was very clever. She did not try to establish a connection with him again, but instead said respectfully and politely, "Thank you for saving me tonight. When I return to Chu, I will definitely remember your kindness."

"Return to the Kingdom of Chu..."

Xie Xuanyi smiled and said meaningfully, "You... still want to go back?"

"I……"

Xie Yueying's expression was complicated.

For her, Jiangning was once her hometown.

But now... there's nothing left in this hometown worth cherishing.

"I'm sorry, it will be difficult for you to go back."

Xie Xuanyi looked up at the sky, observing the moonlight, and said calmly, "After what happened at Baoyue Tower tonight, you'll probably have to stay within the territory of Li Kingdom."

(End of this chapter)