Chapter 45: Sword Energy Piercing the Heavens

Lu Xin stepped out to save someone, not out of spite. Yang Xiu found herself in danger precisely because she risked her life to stop the doppelgangers. Such righteousness cannot be ignored; otherwise, how could one call oneself human?

Watching the youth march forth alone with his sword, the White Tiger Envoy, who had just been cursing, suddenly froze. But then his eyes turned cold and he sneered.

"Hmph. Mere mortal, playing the hero in vain; if he dies, he deserves it!"

"Young Master Lu, come back! Don’t throw your life away out there!" Yang Qin cried out in alarm. Though she earnestly wished to save her sister, Lu Xin showed no sign of magical power. As a martial artist at his age, how strong could he truly be? Even if he possessed extraordinary skills, how could he contend with the sorcery of ancient cultivators?

In the eyes of all, Lu Xin’s actions were tantamount to suicide.

But in the next instant, everyone was stunned. The youth charged into the crowd, his sword slashing through a doppelganger, severing it in two. The doppelganger dissolved into a cloud of black mist and vanished.

After destroying one, Lu Xin moved swiftly to stand before Yang Xiu. With a swing of his sword, a thousand shadowy blades appeared. The doppelgangers seemed to fear the Wandering Immortal Sword in his hand and dared not approach.

"What a domineering power! So you are also an Onmyoji?"

Yang Xiu breathed a sigh of relief, both surprised and delighted as she looked at Lu Xin's sword. Moments ago, surrounded by dozens of doppelgangers, she had nearly faltered. Thankfully, the youth appeared just in time, granting her a moment to recover. Lu Xin said nothing, merely signaling with his eyes for her to retreat into the formation.

Just then, a streak of violet light fell from the night sky, crashing deep into the earth. The resulting tremor shook the entire land.

Immediately, the lofty voice from before reappeared, resounding across the wilderness.

"Ao Tian, you possess barely a tenth of your former strength. Now, you are at most at the fifth realm of Divine State. Speak not of humanity’s doom—today, you best look after yourself."

As the shout faded, a golden sword light shot from the northern mountain peak, slicing through the night sky, dazzling and fierce. With its appearance, the sword light multiplied into thousands, bombarding the wilderness like artillery shells. Even the area where Lu Xin stood was enveloped in a haze of sword energy.

At the same time, a golden cloud flew from the depths of the eastern mountains. It moved just as swiftly, and upon reaching above the dark clouds, transformed into a beautiful woman. She wore a phoenix crown and robes woven from multicolored clouds. Her gaze was regal, and as she stepped onto the cloud, golden light radiated from her entire being.

Beneath her feet, flowers and grasses of every hue sprouted, blooming instantly across the void.

With each step, lotuses blossomed; a hundred blooms erupted at once!

The mist exhaled by Ao Tian scattered in an instant, as if absorbed by the flowers and grasses. The world cleared, leaving only endless golden sword energy.

"The Sect Master of Supreme Heaven Sect, Yan Fu, and the Mistress of Hundred Flowers Valley, Ji Yunmeng. How did these two arrive in Chizhou?"

The disciples of the Five Elephants Gate saw the arrival of the two masters and, instead of joy, grew even more terrified. Though the pair had suppressed Ao Tian, their presence here meant their true bodies were already within Chizhou’s borders. Thus, the Five Elephants Gate disciples, in a sense, had become mere pawns in their hands.

"Senior Brother, this may be a trap. We must find a way out of this place at once."

"Junior Sister Ru is right. Senior Brother, Yan Fu flattened Sacred Immortal Mountain alone ten years ago and wiped out the entire sect. That villain has countless lives on his hands, and Supreme Heaven Sect is an enemy of our Five Elephants Gate. If they attack us, we’re doomed!"

---

"Enough, don’t panic. I know what to do."

The Qilin Envoy's face was grim. As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the youth outside the barrier. Lu Xin, trapped by dozens of doppelgangers, struggled to move. Now, sharp sword energy rained down from above, forcing him to break free from the encirclement. But as he moved, all the doppelgangers pounced upon him.

"This is bad! Young Master Lu, you must escape!" Yang Xiu was terrified, fully aware of Ao Tian's doppelganger's terror. Lu Xin was knocked to the ground and vanished beneath the swarm, not even a shadow visible. She tried to rush to his aid, but Yang Qin suddenly burst from the formation and pulled her back.

"Sister, you can’t save him. Get inside first."

"But what about him? He’ll die!"

"Don’t hesitate, Sister! If you die too, what meaning is there to what Young Master Lu has done?" Yang Qin cried out in anguish, her voice wracked with sorrow. In this moment of life and death, failing to drag Yang Xiu into the formation meant there would be no second chance. As for Lu Xin, though it pained her, she could not bear to see her sister perish as well.

Hearing her sister's cry, Yang Xiu's hand trembled violently. After three seconds of hesitation, she abruptly turned and entered the formation. Her eyes brimmed with tears.

"Xin, are you alright? Fox, Fox, wake up! Go save him!"

At the edge of the cliff, the scholar still attended to the unconscious Yue Buhei. Seeing Lu Xin overwhelmed by the doppelgangers, he ran about in panic. Though the scholar usually appeared carefree, greedy, and lustful, he was not of ill character; otherwise, Lu Xin would not have kept him close. But no matter how he called, the fox spirit remained motionless, lying on the ground. The fox’s face was blue, lips black—clear signs of poisoning.

Driven to desperation, the scholar suddenly knelt before the Five Elephants Gate disciples.

"Masters, I beg you—please save him. Xin is a good man. I’m begging you, please…"

"Hmph, begging us is useless. Life and death are fated; those who bring calamity on themselves, how can we save them?"

"How can you be like this? Miss Yang Xiu risked her life for everyone. Xin went to save her for our sake. Yet you Onmyoji, always calling mortals beneath you—when death comes, you’re the most shameless!"

The scholar raged, ignoring his own identity and theirs, grabbing fistfuls of earth as he shouted. His answer was a surge of invisible power. The White Tiger Envoy flicked his sleeve, sending the scholar flying into the cliff wall.

"If you know you’re a mere mortal, then tell me—which matters more, your life or ours?"

"Cough…you…you don’t deserve to live at all."

"Poor scholar, if you keep acting out, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

The White Tiger Envoy, the most hot-tempered, stepped forward to strike. Yang Xiu raised her eyebrows and blocked him with a dagger.

"In times of life and death, let’s not turn on each other. If I recall correctly, the Five Elephants Gate and Supreme Heaven Sect do not get along, do they?"

"Miss Yang Xiu, are you threatening me?"

---

"It’s not a threat! As Onmyoji, to kill a mortal over a few words is against the heavenly way."

"Fine, fine. Brother Hong, give Miss Yang some respect. Let’s not argue. Our priority is to find a way to get out of here."

The Qilin Envoy glanced at Lu Xin, then up at the top of the barrier. Countless sword energies fell, making the barrier flicker. At the center of the wilderness, Ji Yunmeng, Mistress of Hundred Flowers Valley, hovered in the air, her power covering the void and suppressing all directions.

In his view, Lu Xin was as good as dead. The death of someone unrelated did not trouble him in the slightest.

"Miss Yang Xiu, Xin can’t die! Make them save him, I beg you…"

The scholar crawled up, blood staining his lips, but he did not bother to wipe it clean. He knelt before Yang Xiu, his spirit shattered, consumed only by the urge to save. Seeing his state, Yang Qin’s tears began to flow once more. She called “Sister,” but stopped halfway and bowed her head.

She and Yang Xiu had barely any power left; even if they left, it would mean certain death. The disciples of Five Elephants Gate would not heed them.

"Hahahaha…A man’s knees are worth gold. Poor scholar, you’ve surprised me. Crawl over here and kowtow three times, and I’ll save him for you."

"Fine, fine, as long as you save him, I’ll do anything. I beg you…"

The White Tiger Envoy's words gave the despairing scholar a thread of hope. He hurriedly crawled over, but before he could move half a step, a thunderous shout stopped him.

"Brother Tu, don’t beg them—stand up!"

The shout rang like thunder. Where Lu Xin was, the doppelgangers were suddenly engulfed by blinding white light and vanished in an instant. Not only that, the sword energy, even those dozens of meters away, all converged upon Lu Xin’s position, as if some force was drawing them in.

The scholar’s eyes widened as he looked toward the barrier. Lu Xin stood, the Wandering Immortal Sword in his hand radiating a blinding white light that pierced the heavens.

That light swept away dust, obscured stars and moon, and became the sole brilliance between heaven and earth.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward him, even Ao Tian in the darkness opened his crimson eyes.

"Onmyoji, Wandering Immortal, Sword…Guo Pu, isn’t Guo Pu dead?"

"Divine weapon? What terrifying sword energy—is this…"

Yan Fu, Sect Master of Supreme Heaven Sect, soared high above, looking down in utter shock. A master of swordsmanship himself, he knew that his own sword energy was nothing compared to this dazzling light—he was but an ant before it.

"The divine weapon has appeared. It seems the world will not know peace yet. If Hundred Flowers Valley could obtain its protection, we could survive any calamity!"

Ji Yunmeng, closest of all, saw Lu Xin and the Wandering Immortal Sword at a glance. Her words of awe had barely faded when she rushed toward the youth. Meanwhile, Yan Fu ceased his assault on Ao Tian, transforming into golden sword light and descending upon the wilderness.