Chapter 518: Senior Brother, Immortal Corroding Demon
Roaring—
The residual shockwaves from the battle between the two Nascent Soul cultivators outside the Heavenly Chasm shook the entire Tian Bei City, causing the streets to flicker with alternating light and darkness from the spiritual arts displayed in the sky.
The Demonic Path Rogue Cultivators on the street, who had previously felt confident that Tian Bei City could not be breached, changed their minds after the golden dragon appeared in the south. Under the instigation of a few people, chaos erupted.
Ye Anping stood on his flying sword, clutching his abdomen, his gaze calmly scanning the Demonic Cultivators scattering on the streets. Simultaneously, he delved into his spiritual sense to assess his injuries: “Three ribs are broken, more than half of the meridians in my abdomen are shattered, but the Nascent Soul and Golden Core are fine…”
He could already foresee that after this matter was over, he would need to sleep for at least ten days to half a month. He even felt like finding a place to squat down and sleep right now. Regardless, he had already explained the necessary tasks in detail to Yun Jiujiu, Gu Mingxin, and Feng Yu Die. As long as they followed the plan, there wouldn’t be any problems.
However, whether it was his overprotective nature or his lack of trust in Gu Mingxin and Yun Jiujiu, Ye Anping was worried that if he wasn’t present, they might cause some trouble or accidentally get themselves into trouble.
“Hoo…”
Closing his eyes and exhaling deeply, Ye Anping took a bitter pill from his Storage Bag and held it in his mouth, the acrid taste forcefully dispelling his drowsiness.
At this very moment, a seven-story pill pavilion not far ahead creaked and tilted sideways.
Boom—
It crushed several neighboring rooms and pavilions, stirring up a sky full of dust.
The next moment, a small golden figure burst through the dust and smoke, his back dragging heavily on the street. After tumbling several times, he managed to stop.
“Damn it!!!”
Yun Jiujiu flipped over and stood up, spitting out a broken tooth. Looking at the gully her body had scraped on the street ahead, she gritted her teeth in anger and immediately clasped her greatsword with both hands, planting it in front of her.
A black-robed cultivator wearing a ghost mask emerged from the dust, his spiritual sword aimed directly at the face of her greatsword.
Ding—!
Sparks flew, and a blast of energy instantly blew away the dust surrounding them.
Yun Jiujiu bit her teeth with some effort, then twisted and hoisted her greatsword, roaring: “Damn it!! I’ll fight you to the death!!”
She raised her greatsword vertically and suddenly slashed towards the black-robed cultivator’s face. Yun Jiujiu put all her might into this strike, causing the air to tremble and wail. However, her opponent was no weakling; he sidestepped, causing her strike to miss. The greatsword, embroidered with golden script motifs, slammed heavily onto the ground.
Boom—
A crack, like a tree branch, spread from the tip of the sword towards the end of the street a thousand feet away. Hundreds of houses along the way collapsed into rubble, burying the Demonic Cultivators on the street who hadn’t reacted.
The black-robed cultivator was clearly startled by Yun Jiujiu’s strength. His eyes widened in shock for a moment, and he immediately raised his sword to exploit Yun Jiujiu’s opening and thrust it towards her face. Yun Jiujiu had no follow-up after her sword strike; the force was too great for her spiritual sword to retract. As the enemy’s spiritual sword lunged, she was helpless and gritted her teeth, trying to shift her body to avoid a fatal blow.
“Damn it!!”
Just as the enemy’s spiritual sword was about to reach Yun Jiujiu’s shoulder, a silver-white pháp kiếm shot down from above, intercepting the sword’s momentum halfway.
Ding—
Realizing there was still an expert, the black-robed cultivator glanced up at Ye Anping, who was standing on his flying sword. But it was this moment of distraction. By the time he refocused on Yun Jiujiu, a small, delicate fist had already appeared beside his cheek.
“Go to hell!!”
Boom—
The seemingly harmless little sandbag, upon hitting the ghost mask on his face, caused the mask to instantly crumble. With a “crack,” the black-robed cultivator’s head spun ten times, then burst from his neck, flying into the air, scattering blood like a heavenly maiden scattering flowers.
Yun Jiujiu didn’t hesitate; she delivered a whip kick, sending the falling body into the ruins of a nearby tavern.
Boom—
“Hoo… hoo… hoo…”
Yun Jiujiu panted heavily, looking at the spiritual sword planted on the ground beside her that had blocked the attack. She immediately looked up at Ye Anping, who was hovering above on his flying sword, and waved enthusiastically, her face beaming with joy.
“Brother-in-law!!! Thanks!!”
“…”
Ye Anping didn’t respond. Seeing that there were no further issues, he continued to control his flying sword, turning into a streak of green light and rushing towards the City Lord’s Mansion. Seeing that her brother-in-law wasn’t even acknowledging her, Yun Jiujiu felt inexplicably awkward. Her smile turned into a strained one, and she lowered her hand. However, she didn’t think too much about it. She pulled her greatsword from the ground, slung it over her shoulder, and hurried towards the next location Ye Anping had arranged.
… …
Roaring—
The sound of Yun Jiujiu’s swift footsteps echoed down the street behind him, kicking up dust and sending the corpses of Demonic Cultivators flying into the air. Ye Anping glanced back, then refocused, looking up at the snake’s eye that had gathered countless killing auras and calculating the time.
The Blood Sea, Yin Sorrow Formation was attributed to the spiritual arts formed from the killing aura of heaven and earth. Since Tian Bei City was built on the core of a spiritual脉 in the Eastern Domain, and four subsidiary脉 connected to it, this snake eye was now gathering the killing aura of four spiritual脉.
When Nangong City led the Imperial Sect cultivators to attack Tian Bei City back then, they were unaware of the formation’s power. Nangong City directly bore the brunt of it. Although he managed to withstand it, he was heavily injured and had to retreat. He spent several months recovering. Now, even if the formation’s core was not Gong Yue but Gong Yimo, once this formation was unleashed, it would undoubtedly cause massive casualties to the Sword Sect disciples’ Immortal Ships outside the Heavenly Chasm.
At this moment, the killing aura around the giant snake eye had already condensed into blood-thin threads. According to his plan, Gu Mingxin should have already killed the four Nascent Soul Demonic Cultivators in the City Lord’s Mansion and Gong Yimo by now. However, in his eyes, the City Lord’s Mansion remained unchanged from when he had just left.
Ye Anping couldn’t help but have a bad premonition. Gu Mingxin had likely encountered trouble. The four Nascent Soul Demonic Cultivators shouldn’t have been difficult for Gu Mingxin; Ye Anping knew Ah Gu’s strength well. Therefore, the only problem was Gong Yimo.
To be honest, Ye Anping wasn’t sure of Gong Yimo’s true strength. He didn’t exist in the game, and his information about Gong Yimo came mostly from Mo Chi Ling and the discussions among the Demonic Cultivators in the city. He knew that Gong Yimo had great fortune, obtained many opportunities in the Eastern Domain, and had excellent potential. However, based on their previous interactions, Gong Yimo seemed like a spoiled brat with no real power, and thus shouldn’t be a threat. But now, it seemed he might have underestimated Gong Yimo. Could he really contend with Gu Mingxin without a clear victor?
The more Ye Anping thought, the deeper his frown became. Gritting his teeth, he accelerated his flying sword, flying directly over the wall of the City Lord’s Mansion and into the square of the Tian Ge.
… …
——
Meanwhile, above the square in front of the Tian Ge.
Swish—
The blood-colored spiritual sword pierced through the chest of a Nascent Soul cultivator like a needle through cloth, pinning him to the ground. Gu Mingxin calmly scanned the surroundings, which were littered with corpses covered in formation diagrams. She then smiled at Gong Yimo, who was still meditating at the center of the formation, and chuckled, “Little Brother Gong, only you are left~”
Gong Yimo, bound to maintain the formation, dared not move. He looked at Gu Mingxin, who was covered in blood and wearing Gong Tianchan’s face, and asked with lingering doubt, “Who exactly are you?”
Gu Mingxin, slightly tired from dealing with the four Demonic Cultivators, stretched her shoulders and smiled as she tore off the mask, revealing her true face. The moment Gong Yimo saw Gu Mingxin’s face, he recognized her identity, but a hint of relief appeared on his face. He lowered his gaze and pondered for a moment before saying, “So that’s it, Young Master Gu. No wonder I found you somewhat familiar. You pretended to be Brother Liang’s cauldron to infiltrate Tian Bei City, all to help the Immortal Cultivators breach it? It’s no wonder Brother Liang didn’t see through it. Who would have thought that you, the former Young Master of the Tian Mo Sect, would deliberately pose as the cauldron of a Nascent Soul rogue cultivator to help the Immortal Cultivators… Heh heh…”
?
Xue E, who was observing their surroundings beside Gu Mingxin, was clearly taken aback. It seemed he still believed that “Brother Liang Da Liu” was on his side.
「What is he talking about…」
Gu Mingxin was also stunned and couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re so clever~ I’ve rested enough, and it’s time for you to go too, hee hee…”
Her bell-like laughter spilled from her lips. She wiped the bloodstains from her face and then dashed into the formation diagram at the core of the formation, reaching Gong Yimo’s side in an instant. The blood-colored spiritual sword slashed like a crescent moon towards Gong Yimo’s side neck.
Whoosh—
Xue E stared intently at the sword her Mingxin had swung. The moment it was unleashed, it felt as if Gong Yimo had no chance of survival. Gu Mingxin, seeing no change in Gong Yimo’s expression, thought he might not have reacted in time and felt that the task Ye Anping had given her was far too easy.
However, Gong Yimo, who had seemed to be dazed, staring straight ahead, suddenly turned his eyeballs the moment the blood-colored spiritual sword was about to touch his neck.
Ding—!
Swoosh—
After a clang like that of iron striking iron, several black lights instantly expanded outwards from Gong Yimo’s chest, shredding the remains of the four Nascent Soul cultivators Gu Mingxin had just killed. Gu Mingxin reacted quickly. The moment she heard the clang and felt something was wrong, she retreated ten feet. Her steps carried her back until she hit the edge of the formation platform, barely stopping herself.
Xue E also panicked and quickly flew over, forming a sword finger with its hand held at its chest, ready to summon A Mang to protect its Mingxin. However, A Mang was its trump card. Ye Anping had asked them not to destroy the formation’s core, and A Mang’s appearance would shatter it. Gu Mingxin looked at her wrist and saw a blood ring slowly appearing. Her entire left hand then detached from her wrist, falling to the ground and splattering blood. She frowned slightly, then drew her wrist back to reattach it. Her eyes no longer held the casual confidence from before as she looked back at Gong Yimo.
His face was still Gong Yimo’s, and his body was the same. However, the aura he exuded while wielding the “Corroding Demon” was no longer the Gong Yimo Gu Mingxin had seen before.
“Blood Fiend Body, Demonic Cultivator…” A low and hoarse voice emanated from Gong Yimo. He looked at Gu Mingxin, his eyes blazing with a chilling killing intent, causing Gu Mingxin to involuntarily shift a step to the side.
“What’s going on…” Xue E naturally noticed the change in Gong Yimo. Its eyes darted left and right, finally settling on the hilt of the Corroding Demon sword. It saw a sharp spike piercing Gong Yimo’s palm and immediately realized: “Mingxin!! It’s the Fú Jí art… ”
“Fú Jí…” Hearing the word, Gu Mingxin understood that Gong Yimo had likely summoned the spiritual sword’s soul, allowing the soul to temporarily possess his body. In other words, the person standing before her was the master of the “Corroding Demon,” the Immortal Family cultivator named “Shen Xin,” who had struck fear into the hearts of Demonic Cultivators in the Eastern Domain a thousand years ago.
“Tsk…” Gong Yimo slightly raised the pitch-black spiritual sword in his hand and said, “This seat has slain several Heavenly Fiends; I don’t mind slaying another. The Demonic Cultivators of the Eastern Domain should have been wiped out long ago…” As he spoke, he swung the pitch-black spiritual sword horizontally. The dark spiritual light instantly reached Gu Mingxin, causing her crimson eyes to widen slightly. She quickly dodged and stomped her foot again, charging into the formation diagram. Immediately, a red and a black spiritual sword turned into countless streams of light around them. Several City Guards from the City Lord’s Mansion, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, were caught in the aftermath of their battle as soon as they stepped into the corridor, turning into chunks of meat and scattering.
Seeing that her Mingxin was being suppressed, Xue E no longer hesitated and called out, “A Mang!!”
“No need!! I can handle it!!”
“Mingxin, but…”
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Gales swept with the swords, and the piercing sword cries were like raindrops, with no pause. However, during this rapid exchange of swordplay, the wounds on Gu Mingxin’s arm and neck continuously increased. Although her Blood Fiend Body made it not too dangerous, after only five breaths, a flaw appeared, and Gong Yimo grabbed her wrist, severing her arm with a sword and forcing her to retreat. Gu Mingxin reversed her grip with her left hand, planting the sword on the ground, and glared at Gong Yimo, who was holding her right hand. She immediately retracted her spiritual sword into her soul realm, then let the spiritual sword land in her right palm ten feet away.
Swish—
Gong Yimo, possessed by Shen Xin, clearly didn’t expect this maneuver. He dodged too late, and his ear was sliced off by the blood-colored spiritual sword. A roar then erupted from Gong Yimo’s mouth: “Ahhhh… My ear… It hurts so much!!” Gu Mingxin looked at him, who was acting as if harboring two souls, and immediately stepped forward, reattaching her arm to her right arm and slashing horizontally with her sword. However, Gong Yimo, who had been contorted in pain, instantly regained his composure and easily blocked her spiritual sword.
Ding—
“It’s just an ear, and you can’t stand it?”
“Tsk…” Gu Mingxin’s face clearly showed distress. Knowing that her sword arts were no match for “Shen Xin,” she quickly retreated to the edge of the formation platform, using her Blood Fiend Qi to heal the wound on her shoulder. Gong Yimo looked at Gu Mingxin, his expression clearly impatient: “It’s time to end this.” With that, he took a step forward, his figure instantly transforming into eight, surrounding Gu Mingxin in the center. Gu Mingxin’s crimson eyes darted left and right. She had initially thought Gong Yimo wouldn’t dare leave the formation, but she was caught off guard by this unknown sword art and had to rely on instinct to parry.
Ding ding ding—
Her red spiritual sword whirled around her, accurately blocking six shadowy figures that flashed towards her. Seeing two more approaching her right leg and neck that she couldn’t block, she had no choice but to call out, “Xue E!!!” Xue E reacted quickly and raised a finger, preparing to summon A Mang to block the sword strike for its Mingxin. However, before that, a black shadow descended from above and landed beside her. It raised two spiritual swords and frowned as it blocked the remaining two sword lights from the black shadows.
Ye Anping put one arm around Gu Mingxin’s waist, pulled her away from the spot, and threw her off the formation platform. He then stood with his spiritual sword on his back, frowning at Gong Yimo in the center of the formation. Seeing the unexpected arrival of Ye Anping, Gong Yimo’s eyes showed a hint of confusion: “Brother Liang?” But it was quickly replaced by Shen Xin, who corrected himself: “You are an Immortal Cultivator; why are you saving a Demonic Cultivator?”
Hearing this, Ye Anping seemed to suddenly realize what had happened. He immediately looked up, took a step forward, and cupped his fists, saying, “Junior Ye Anping greets Sword Immortal Shen.”
“En?” Gong Yimo’s eyebrows twitched, and a wry smile briefly appeared on his face. “I didn’t expect that after so many years, there would still be junior Immortal Family members who know of Shen.”
“When the Immortal Family attacked the Eastern Domain back then, they failed and retreated. Everyone thought Sword Immortal Shen died during the demonic cultivators’ counterattack. Who would have thought…”
“Who would have thought that Shen would kill his way out of twelve Deity Transformation cultivators? The price was that all three hundred seventy-one Moon Spirit Sect disciples under Shen’s command were brutally killed by the demonic cultivators. For a thousand years after, Shen has been in the Eastern Domain, hunting demonic cultivators day and night… Unfortunately, even until death, I couldn’t completely eradicate the scum of the Eastern Domain…”
Ye Anping took a deep breath, thinking that if he could persuade him, he wouldn’t have to fight. Shen Xin appeared in the game as the dream personification of an expelled immortal. He was a character outside the main quest. As long as the player obtained his sword in the game, he would appear in a dream to teach them special sword arts. Now that Shen Xin could possess Gong Yimo’s body, his status as an expelled immortal was confirmed. The game’s setting for expelled immortals was that they committed mistakes in the immortal realm and were banished to the mortal world to cultivate. Even if they died, they would simply be reincarnated, which was to justify the player’s ability to resurrect indefinitely. If expelled immortals existed in this world, then reincarnation might also exist.
Ye Anping pondered for a moment, but quickly dismissed the thought. Whether reincarnation was possible was unimportant. What was crucial now was that he had to kill Gong Yimo and seize the main formation core, otherwise, the Moon Shadow Sword Sect would be in grave danger.
“Sword Immortal Shen, since you hate demonic cultivators, why did you lend your spiritual sword to your current body?”
“Him? Heh heh… This kid is very weak. I’ve been stuck in that cave dwelling and couldn’t come out to kill demons. He accidentally entered, and I borrowed his hand…”
“Then why not hand over your spiritual sword to me, and let me help you fulfill your grand ambition of exterminating demons?”
“Heh… but I see you more like a traitor to the Immortal Family?” Gong Yimo’s gaze fell on Gu Mingxin, who was behind Ye Anping. “Why did you just save this Heavenly Fiend?”
Ye Anping glanced at Gu Mingxin and replied, “She is useful to me.”
“Using a Heavenly Fiend as a chess piece? Heh… Many who tried to use Heavenly Fiends and Heavenly Pivots as chess pieces in the past were backfired by their destinies, ending up with no one to mourn them. What confidence do you, a junior, have to presumptuously claim she is useful to you?!”
“…”
Hearing this, Ye Anping immediately understood that a fight was inevitable. He let out a sigh and signaled Gu Mingxin to the side, “Ah Gu, don’t come over. Stay below and hide.”
Gu Mingxin looked at him with a playful expression, raising an eyebrow. “Ye Anping~ I’m fine. I was just teasing him…”
“Hide properly!!”
Gu Mingxin pouted slightly. She felt that if she couldn’t defeat him, Ye Anping wouldn’t be able to either. But she didn’t want Ye Anping to die at the hands of this ancient sword cultivator who was hundreds of feet tall with grass growing on his grave. She tightened her grip on her spiritual sword. “Xue E, later…”
Ye Anping stopped her. “No need!”
Xue E looked left and right at the two of them, its eyes filled with concern. “Ye Anping, don’t push yourself. This person…”
“En…” Ye Anping calmed himself, twirling his spiritual sword and stretching his wrist. Shen Xin’s sword arts were extremely bizarre. Most people would die upon encountering them for the first time. However, there was one point: he had no inescapable sword arts. If one reacted quickly enough, they could even emerge unscathed. In the game, there was even a related achievement for sparring with him.
Ye Anping inwardly focused his spiritual sense, slowing down his five senses. Everything in his vision lost its color as he recalled the techniques he had memorized, simulating the entire process in his mind.
“Shen Xin” looked at Ye Anping, who had crouched down into the preparatory stance of the Inquiring Sword Art, without emotion. He was somewhat puzzled, feeling that Ye Anping’s movements strangely combined with Sword Immortal Yun in his memory. But he quickly snapped back to reality and held his pitch-black spiritual sword horizontally across his arms. “This seat does not slay Immortal Cultivators, but since you are protecting that Heavenly Fiend, then you are also someone Shen intends to slay.”
Rumble—!
A dull thunderclap sounded from amidst the dark clouds, as if signaling the exchange of swords between the two. “Shen Xin” swung his first sword with extreme calmness. Instantly, three pitch-black shadows materialized out of thin air around Ye Anping, then simultaneously attacked him from three directions with sword techniques of “pierce,” “slash,” and “lunge.”
Ding—
However, Ye Anping didn’t even look; he blocked the spiritual sword of the shadow in front of him and then dodged the two shadows behind him by bending down.
Swish—
A golden sword light flashed, and a shadow was cut in half, dissolving into ink drops that seeped into the ground. “Shen Xin” felt a sense of astonishment, believing his sword moves had been completely seen through. But he dismissed it as coincidence and made two more moves. The number and speed of the black shadows doubled accordingly. Six black shadows converged on Ye Anping, who had taken two steps forward, but as before, Ye Anping merely stopped and, from an extremely clever angle, blocked one sword and dodged five. Shen Xin furrowed his brows and asked, “Are you a disciple of the Moon Spirit Sect?” At the same time, he unleashed three more dark ink arcs, the number of shadows doubling again.
Ye Anping twisted slightly too late, causing a bloodstain on his newly changed clothes. He stumbled back two steps, but after stabilizing himself, he once again advanced towards Shen Xin. Jumping up would be certain death; his spells would almost certainly be cut down by the sword. The only way to win was with a close-quarters sword strike.
“The Moon Spirit Sect of the Southern Domain disbanded hundreds of years ago. No one practices Sword Immortal Shen’s sword art anymore.” “Is that so? Then this is just a coincidence?” “Consider it so. I descended into the world by chance, met the Heavenly Pivot and Heavenly Fiend by chance, and now, by chance, I stand before you and engage you in combat…”
Whoosh whoosh—
Ding ding ding—
Shen Xin looked at Ye Anping’s movement technique, which seemed to have completely deciphered his sword art. He couldn’t help but sigh, thinking that such a junior had emerged from the Immortal Family. The stern expression on his face softened slightly. However, the sword in his hand did not.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
After the pitch-black spiritual sword drew a curved arc, the stone slabs on the ground instantly formed a dense net of black shadows, like a fishing net, completely enveloping Ye Anping. Seeing this, Gu Mingxin felt that Ye Anping could no longer evade and quickly moved forward to intervene. But as soon as she took a step, several golden spiritual lights flashed out from the ink net that enveloped Ye Anping.
Swish—
Ye Anping thrust forward with his sword, his shoulders also cut by the ink light, revealing bone and blood. Taking his final step, he reached “Shen Xin” and swept his spiritual sword horizontally. “Shen Xin” naturally held his sword vertically to block, but Ye Anping’s spiritual sword light swept across his pitch-black spiritual sword.
“Sword Immortal Yun’s…” “Shen Xin” glanced at the spiritual sword in his hand, then sneered, his face contorting into a grimace. A bloodstain appeared from Gong Yimo’s right shoulder, severing half of his body. It seemed Shen Xin knew he was about to be struck and returned the body to Gong Yimo, retreating back into the pitch-black spiritual sword.
“It’s over, Sword Immortal Shen…” “Ahhhhh—!!” Gong Yimo’s screams continued unabated. Ye Anping immediately stabbed his sword into Gong Yimo’s Golden Core in his chest, pinning him to the center of the formation diagram beneath his feet. Gong Yimo’s eyeballs bulged with blood. Looking at Ye Anping, who was now piercing him with his sword, he seemed to suddenly recall something and shouted, “Aren’t you already dead?!”
Ye Anping frowned slightly, but in the bloodstained pool beside him, he saw his own face. It seemed that due to Shen Xin’s sword art, the mask of Kong Huayuan on his face had been torn open.
“…” Ye Anping hesitated for a moment, seeing Gong Yimo about to speak again. He immediately slashed his sword across Gong Yimo’s chest, splitting his Nascent Soul in two. Then, he quickly took out a talisman and cremated Gong Yimo’s corpse on the spot, scattering the ashes with a wind-walking talisman.
“Hoo…”
… …
Leave of absence
Acute gastroenteritis and a cold, with a high fever. I’m unable to write anything at the moment. I’ll be going to the hospital for an IV drip soon. I should be better tomorrow.
I’ve had quite a few absences recently, and Old K can only apologize. I’ll find time later to make up for these missed days.
—11/9.
