Xuan Yi finally did put on the battle general attire after all.
Narrow sleeves, leg bindings, soft boots—she had always detested such outfits, but she had to admit that for sword practice, this ensemble was indeed much more convenient than wide-sleeved long robes and wooden-soled shoes.
The severe pain in her right hand had eased considerably by the second day, so Xuan Yi began formally studying swordplay. However, while the student was eager to learn, the instructing teacher seemed rather perfunctory, only casually teaching the easiest and most convenient moves. As time went on, even she felt something was amiss.
Early one morning, he neither taught her sword techniques nor taught her how to position herself. He simply shoved a wooden sword at her and instructed, “Grip the wooden sword tightly—you can use both hands. If I can’t knock the wooden sword flying within three moves, today’s lesson will be considered complete.”
…What kind of sword cultivation training was this?
Xuan Yi gripped the wooden sword tightly and assumed her stance. Suddenly a cold flash appeared before her eyes. Her hand shook, and the wooden sword was instantly knocked flying onto the roof. She squinted at the wooden sword on the glazed tiles, unable to help feeling aggrieved. “Why use so much force?”
Fucang summoned the wooden sword back. If she were truly a disciple he was instructing, he would have already beaten her until she couldn’t find her bearings. She didn’t practice her horse stance so her lower body was unstable, didn’t practice sword techniques so her hands had no strength, yet she was picky and aimed too high, hoping to become a sword deity in a single day.
“Continue.”
He tossed the wooden sword to her. After she caught it firmly, only then did he lightly tap Chun Jun against it. Her arm wavered slightly, barely preventing the wooden sword from slipping from her hand. He deliberately paused for a moment, then made a second strike, adding a bit more force. That poor wooden sword flew over the osmanthus tree and fell outside the courtyard.
She pouted and accused him, “You did that on purpose.”
No, truly not on purpose. Fortunately it was him instructing her—otherwise, if it had been any other battle general, they would probably be driven mad by her.
Fucang once again summoned the wooden sword back and continued this sweet yet somewhat exasperating torment process.
After knocking the wooden sword flying for who knows how many times, beads of sweat had appeared on Dragon Princess’s face. He sheathed Chun Jun. “Rest for a moment.”
Xuan Yi took out her handkerchief to wipe away the sweat, then suddenly came out with a statement. “I want to learn Sword Qi Transforming into Dragon.”
Her positive attitude was certainly good, but Sword Qi Transforming into Dragon…
Fucang had to cruelly tell her the truth. “Sword Qi Transforming into Dragon can only be mastered by those of Huaxu Clan bloodline.”
It transformed into a dragon yet they wouldn’t let her, an actual true dragon, learn it—truly stingy.
“Then the name of this technique needs to be changed,” Xuan Yi said slowly as she picked at the embroidery on her handkerchief. “It should be called Sword Qi Transforming into Worm instead.”
Fucang no longer wanted to reprimand her for such casual nonsense. In recent days there had been too much similar wild talk—he had reached the point where he wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow at it. He suddenly tossed Chun Jun, and this azure Heaven’s Treasure Sword instantly transformed into a dazzling golden dragon. It delicately landed in his palm, its head and tail swaying, remarkably lifelike.
This was Xuan Yi’s second time witnessing Sword Qi Transforming into Dragon. Last time when dealing with the locust tree demon, his golden dragon had been quite large, but after more than twenty thousand years it had become so delicate. She leaned in to examine it closely while commenting, “It’s so small.”
At least it wasn’t a loach.
With a thought from Fucang, the tiny golden dragon leaped up. Xuan Yi couldn’t dodge in time. She only felt a gentle breeze sweep past her ear as the golden ring in her hair was seized and removed by the dragon’s mouth. It returned to his hand, the golden dragon transforming back into azure Chun Jun and abruptly returning to its sheath. Only an ornate golden ring remained in his palm.
Xuan Yi’s eyes lit up. “Interesting.”
Fucang gently turned her head away and reinserted the golden ring into her hair bun. There was also sweat on her neck, with several strands of hair stuck to it. He used his fingers to brush them aside, tickling her so that she laughed and shrank back. Her figure was graceful and slender. Even wearing the heroic battle general attire, she didn’t look like a battle general at all. The thick, long, solid belt instead accentuated her willow-slim waist, which he hooked with his arm. Seeing her gaze at him with clear eyes, he couldn’t help but smile slightly.
Facing Dragon Princess, he truly wasn’t a qualified instructing battle general.
Suddenly the sound of the Lunyin technique’s great bell rang through the air—three long tolls and two short ones. This was the command summoning battle generals at Yuhua Hall to return to their divisions. Presumably those Dijuns and Dadis had returned from the Heavenly Palace. Who knew what great plans were afoot.
Fucang stroked her hair. “I have matters I must attend to. If there’s nothing else, go to Zhengze Academy to see Gu Ting.”
Xuan Yi waved her hand as she watched him leave Baijia Academy. Having practiced swordplay all morning and worked up a sweat, she was just about to go find the attendant goddess to prepare a bath for her when she saw Qingyuan Dadi, whom she hadn’t seen in a long while, hurry into Baijia Academy and beckon to her. “Princess Xuan Yi, please come with me.”
Full of doubt, Xuan Yi followed him for a distance. Passing by a clump of rose mallows, there was an unfamiliar palace building ahead. Inside, auspicious light flickered—it seemed quite a few divine beings had already gathered there.
Qingyuan Dadi said, “For this deployment of the War Division, Baize Dijun is in charge of everything. The original sixty divisions have been expanded to one hundred and twenty. The Princess is assigned to Division Yi-Yi-Hai. This Chenshu Academy is temporarily designated as the Yi-Yi-Hai War Division. After descending to the lower realm, you will listen to the arrangements of the Yi-Yi-Hai commanding general before any further decisions are made.”
Xuan Yi gasped sharply. They really had assigned her as a battle general and were making her descend to the lower realm! Shao Yi truly hadn’t been talking nonsense after all.
Seeing that Qingyuan Dadi was about to hurry off, she asked, “Qingyuan Dadi, may I ask what has happened?”
Qingyuan Dadi’s expression was grave. “An unexpected situation has occurred at the Sea of Parting Regret. Dadi Gouchen wrote a blood petition earnestly requesting the issuance of the Heavens’ Demon Extermination Decree. Tian Di summoned all the Dijuns and Dadis to discuss and prepare for half a month. The decree has already been issued, vowing to exterminate all demon races in the lower realm within a thousand years.”
The Sea of Parting Regret had suffered an accident because Dijun Zhongshan had half of the Darkness of Zhuyin swallowed. This matter had been concealed by Tian Di, who forbade it from being leaked. It wouldn’t be appropriate to tell her, and besides, her identity was special—it was actually better she didn’t know, lest it cause chaos.
Xuan Yi was shocked again. The so-called Heavens’ Demon Extermination Decree meant that from the Thirty-Three Heavens above to the Four Seas, Four Wilds, and Eight Desolations below, all divine beings who had broken through the One Dream Thousand Years realm would come out in full force and join the punitive campaign. This decree had been used once before against Dajun Gonggong who commanded many followers. She never imagined that now, for the Sea of Parting Regret, they would actually mobilize this.
When she wanted to ask more, Qingyuan Dadi had already walked far away. Xuan Yi stood before the hall for a long while, then could only turn and enter.
Inside the great hall, all sorts of auspicious light was dazzling. Xuan Yi squinted and looked around casually. It seemed everyone here was young divine beings of roughly the same age as herself. The One Dream Thousand Years for divine beings was typically between twenty thousand and forty thousand years old. Were these crazed Dijuns really planning to have them descend to the lower realm to deal with those Dajuns?
There seemed to be quite a few young divine beings assigned to Division Yi-Yi-Hai. Divine beings kept entering through the hall doors, though not a single one was someone she recognized.
Would Qing Yan be arranged together with her? Xuan Yi found a shadowy corner and sat upright, lowering her head to play with her robe’s hem. The young Shenjuns, seeing her clear and beautiful appearance, tried to approach and strike up conversation one after another. Suddenly seeing her produce a mass of white snow to knead and shape, they all changed color in alarm and hurriedly turned around, pretending they hadn’t seen anything.
She was the Princess of the Zhuyin Clan. They had heard her temperament was extremely peculiar, and moreover, because of the calamity at the Sea of Parting Regret, both the Zhuyin Clan and Qingyang Clan names weighed heavily in all the gods’ hearts. Best not to provoke her.
As midday was passing, it seemed most of the young divine beings of Division Yi-Yi-Hai had arrived. A rough glance showed about two to three hundred. Before long, an unfamiliar-faced battle general strode in with head held high. A divine being nearby recognized him and couldn’t help exclaiming in wonder, “It’s the most capable battle general of Division Yi-Chou—Wuqu Kaiyang Xingjun!”
This was currently the most senior and sharp-skilled Xingjun among the Big Dipper Seven Star Lords. Division Yi-Yi-Hai was actually being commanded by him—the young celestial gods immediately felt reassured.
These veteran battle generals seemed to dislike dragging things out no matter what they did. They acted especially decisively and efficiently. After Kaiyang Xingjun entered, he spoke directly. “This time there has been an anomaly at the Sea of Parting Regret. To prevent even greater disasters in the future, the Heavens’ Demon Extermination Decree has been issued. Division Yi-Yi-Hai is under my command. I absolutely will not have you face the Dajuns of the Eighteen Ancient Clans, nor must you ever let me discover anyone secretly attempting to approach those Dajuns. Baize Dijun has deployed Division Yi-Yi-Hai to exterminate all scattered demon races east of Mount Taihang and west of the North Sea in the lower realm—leave not one alive. After descending to the lower realm, all actions will follow my orders. Those who disobey will be punished with the Solar Radiance Crown Infusion penalty. Everyone be cautious.”