Mortal: Fifteenth Realm Sword Cultivator

Zhuang Huayi pointed her fingers like a sword, and a streak of ink-colored sword energy struck first, accurately hitting the cyan fire thunderbolt.

A soft tearing sound rang out, and the Azure Fire Lightning was split in two by the sharp sword energy.

Most of its power was instantly wiped out by the sword energy.

However, a small wisp of lightning still managed to escape from the crack.

In an instant, blinding lightning and purple flames, intertwined with blue and white light, swept out.

Yanli was the first to be hit, and her delicate body was instantly engulfed by the missed lightning and fire.

Under Yuan Yao's gaze.

The senior sister's flesh and blood were rapidly charred, carbonized, and disintegrated in the terrifying thunder and fire.

In just one or two breaths, without even uttering a cry of pain, Yanli's body was completely reduced to ashes.

Zhuang Huayi's face was frosty as she turned to look at the so-called young master of Qingyang Sect.

The young master of Qingyang Sect still had a mad and triumphant grin on his face the moment he threw out the Azure Fire Thunder.

However, after seeing Zhuang Huayi's cold and murderous eyes, he belatedly realized that he might have made a mistake.

"Senior, this...this is a misunderstanding!"

The words of pleading had barely left his mouth.

Zhuang Huayi disregarded the fact that the other party was the only son of the Three Yang Old Demon, and directly drew the black longsword in her hand and swung it down.

The young man and his carriage were instantly torn apart.

Its momentum continued unabated, splitting a small mountain in the distance and carving out a huge ravine that stretched for hundreds of meters.

She didn't even give him a chance to explain. I never expected this person to dare to act like this. He really deserves to die!

Zhuang Huayi instantly flashed to the place where Yanli had disappeared, and forcibly restrained and gathered the pure soul power containing Yanli's three souls and seven spirits that was about to dissipate into her palm using a forbidden technique.

Yuan Yao was completely numb and lost in thought, her face expressionless.

Zhuang Huayi looked at the shimmering soul light in her palm and sighed inwardly.

She acted in time; although she couldn't save Yanli's physical body, she managed to preserve her spirit and essence intact.

A beautiful, illusory image appeared in her palm. She shook her head slightly from side to side, unable to make a sound.

There was no trace of regret or lingering fear on her face. She simply stared intently at Yuan Yao, who was weeping below, as if silently saying, "It's alright, Senior Sister is alright."

Yuan Yao felt her senior sister's gaze, forcibly composed herself, and looked at the soul shadow in Zhuang Huayi's palm with teary eyes.

Zhuang Huayi's tone carried a hint of annoyance, "This was my miscalculation. I thought that letting that Qingyang Sect brat leave would be enough, but I never expected him to dare to use such despicable means right under my nose. I also didn't expect the residual power of this Azure Fire Thunder to be so cunning... However, fortunately, her soul gathered together and did not disperse, and I managed to gather it in time. Although she has lost her physical body and foundation, if she can find a suitable body to possess, or find a method of ghost cultivation to switch to, it is not impossible for her to embark on the path of cultivation again."

In her spirit form, Yanli turned and bowed to Zhuang Huayi. Though silent, her gratitude was clearly evident.

Yuan Yao finally regained a bit of strength, staggered to Zhuang Huayi's side, knelt down, and kowtowed heavily, her voice choked and hoarse: "Thank you so much for saving my life, senior! Thank you so much for saving my senior sister's soul! Senior's kindness is boundless, Yuan Yao... Yuan Yao..."

She wept uncontrollably, overwhelmed with grief and relief at surviving the ordeal, leaving her almost speechless.

Zhuang Huayi looked at Yuan Yao, who was kneeling on the ground with her shoulders trembling, and then glanced at the gentle but weak soul light in her palm.

What happened today was nothing more than a small favor for her, and in fact, her momentary negligence led to this disaster. It was hardly a kindness.

But for these two spirited young girls, it was nothing short of a catastrophe.

Get up.

Zhuang Huayi's voice was flat.

"This place is not suitable for a long stay. The only son of the Three Yang Old Demon has died, and he must have sensed it. Your senior sister's soul is newly formed and extremely unstable. She needs to find a place where yin energy gathers or a place to calm and nourish her soul."

After saying that, Zhuang Huayi casually waved her hand, and a storage bag flew out from the mass of flesh and blood.

He casually probed into it and swept it.

There's quite a lot of stuff.

For a Nascent Soul cultivator to comment "quite a lot," that must be quite significant.

It seems that the Three Yang Old Demon truly dotes on his only son.

There were more than ten Azure Fire Thunders among them, along with a dazzling array of cultivation materials.

If these resources were used on cultivators with decent aptitude, they would be more than enough to support two or three people in their cultivation to the Core Formation stage.

"Huh? A Soul-Crying Beast?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhuang Huayi's eyes.

These rare items, which are specifically designed to subdue evil spirits and are coveted even by Nascent Soul cultivators, were actually allowed to be carried by the Three Yang Old Demon's good-for-nothing son.

This pampering is simply beyond comprehension.

Even with her usually detached and aloof demeanor, she couldn't help but feel a strange fluctuation at this moment.

But the thought quickly passed, and she suppressed it.

Then, she gently tossed the storage bag, causing it to slowly fly to Yuan Yao's front.

Zhuang Huayi's voice was unquestionable.

"Whether you choose a suitable body for your senior sister to possess or to cultivate the ghost path is your decision. I will not interfere with the former, but you must know that the latter path leads away from reincarnation. The most important thing right now is to find a Yin Soul artifact to house her soul. This storage bag contains one. We solemnly recommend this book to you: 'Mortal: Fifteen Realms of Sword Cultivation,' available here. Take it yourself."

Her gaze fell on Yuan Yao's beautiful face, which was tear-streaked yet still exuded natural charm. Her tone, unusually, carried a hint of admonition: "Remember, as a woman, no matter your circumstances, relying on others is ultimately a lowly thing to do. It's better to rely on yourself than to ask others for help."

However, as soon as the words left her mouth, Zhuang Huayi felt that it was inappropriate.

Her words, especially those of a beautiful but helpless woman, seemed somewhat like "talking without understanding the situation."

The path of cultivation is inherently difficult, and beautiful women are more likely to become targets of others' covetousness. Seeking protection by attaching themselves to the strong is sometimes a helpless choice under the harsh reality.

Yuan Yao remained silent, but quietly took the storage bag and took out a small bell-shaped magical artifact that emitted a cool aura.

It was exactly the Yin Soul Artifact that Zhuang Huayi had mentioned.

She carefully guided her senior sister Yanli's soul into the bell, her movements gentle.

After doing all this, she carefully put the bell away from her body, then held the storage bag with both hands, respectfully raised it above her head, and returned it to Zhuang Huayi.

"If it weren't for your righteous intervention, senior, my sister and I would surely have met our demise today. Now that my senior sister... she's become like this, I truly don't know what the future holds, senior..."

She slowly raised her head.

"Yuan Yao humbly requests that this junior become a disciple of the senior, or even just serve as a lowly maid who serves tea and water and sweeps the courtyard, to serve the senior by his side, only begging for the senior's mercy."

Zhuang Huayi sighed softly, "Get up first. Keep the storage bag for now. No matter what you choose in the future, you will need a lot of resources."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao's hand holding the storage bag trembled slightly, but she dared not get up and simply looked at the other person.

Zhuang Huayi's eyes held a complex expression.

The lineage of the White Cliff Mountain sect has been severed; how can it accept disciples?

To be a maid?

She's already someone else's maid, how can she turn around and take in another one?

"There's no need to mention the formalities of visiting again."

Zhuang Huayi's calm and even voice interrupted the eagerness in Yuan Yao's eyes.

"As for serving others, I am now... following others in my cultivation, and I myself am merely a guest in their practice, how can I possibly lead others?"

The light in Yuan Yao's eyes dimmed instantly.

"Senior, you are a Nascent Soul cultivator. Do you still need to depend on others like us rogue cultivators?"

She said this out of sheer willpower, almost without thinking.

Zhuang Huayi didn't argue with her, but simply shook her head gently, her voice carrying a calmness born of experience.

"Life's ups and downs are determined by fate. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator is not free to choose their own path. For example, right now, you are willing to depend on me to survive, and I, too, am dependent on others. We don't judge people by their cultivation level, but by their circumstances. If my lineage still exists, and I'm lacking a sword-wielding maid, taking you in wouldn't be out of the question..."

"You might not believe it, but not long ago, my White Wall Mountain still had two Core Formation disciples and hundreds of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining disciples. Yet, in an instant, they were all refined... Right before our eyes, what good are Nascent Soul cultivators?"

Yuan Yao looked dazed.

Seeing her distraught appearance, Zhuang Huayi felt a ripple in her heart.

"Alright, you may come with me for a while. Whether you stay or not is not up to me; it depends on whether that person... agrees."

When you think you've reached the end of the road, a new village appears amidst the willows.

Yuan Yao immediately kowtowed repeatedly, so excited that her lips flushed as if she had drunk wine.

Seeing this, Zhuang Huayi said no more, raised her hand and wrapped it around Yuan Yao.

The latter felt a blur before his eyes, and the world spun around him. When he came to his senses, he found himself on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea.

The mountain wind howled, fluttering the clothes of the three people on the cliff.

Yuan Yao knew she couldn't be as reckless as before, so she quickly bowed deeply, clasped her hands in prayer, lowered her head, and fixed her gaze on the ground a few inches in front of her toes, not daring to even breathe.

She could only sense that there was a figure standing not far ahead, but she didn't even have the courage to look up. She could only hold her breath and wait for her fate.

"Mr. Lu..."

Just as Zhuang Huayi was about to speak about Yuan Yao's matter, Lu Jianghe waved his hand casually, interrupting her.

"You don't need to consult me ​​about such trivial matters. Just remember our agreement, and make your own decisions on everything else."

He changed the subject slightly, "However, when you return to Tianxing City, you'd better conceal your appearance a little."

Yuan Yao felt a great weight lifted from her heart, but secretly grumbled to herself.

It turns out his surname is Lu.

The female senior is already a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage, so who exactly is that Mr. Lu?

Could it be the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm?!

And judging from his words, he was actually going to Tianxing City.

That's where the Twin Saints of the Heavenly Stars reside...

Yuan Yao felt a moment of disbelief and excitement.

I never imagined that a rogue cultivator like her would have the opportunity to step into this world in this lifetime.

Zhuang Huayi turned to Yuan Yao and solemnly said, "Since Mr. Lu has agreed, would you be willing to temporarily become an unofficial disciple under me? You can become a formal disciple after you one day achieve the Core Formation. As for whether you can truly inherit the lineage of my White Cliff Mountain..."

She paused slightly, then slowly said, "That depends on your fortune, whether you can... reach the Nascent Soul realm."