Shao Yi looked at his retreating back and said: “Is Xiaolong Jun afraid of revealing his true abilities before the various deities?”
Qing Yan stopped in his tracks. Xuan Yi discovered with surprise that the expression on his face could be called grave. Qing Yan could actually have such an expression?
“I don’t want to reveal my true abilities in front of you,” Qing Yan said in a low voice.
Shao Yi smiled: “For Xiaolong Jun to be so wary of me truly makes me feel flattered. However, given the special circumstances at hand, why not set aside our differences and work together to eliminate demons?”
Qing Yan said coldly: “Whether demons are killed or not has nothing to do with me in the first place.”
The chief official was so anxious he was about to jump up: “Xiaolong Jun, you can’t say that! This locust demon is so strange. If you have the means to eliminate him, please lend your aid!”
Qing Yan paid him no attention whatsoever.
Zhi Xi said in a small voice: “Just now we were saying he was modest and courteous. Sure enough, his willful aspects are exactly the same as Xuan Yi’s.”
Since he already took action, yet didn’t finish thoroughly, what were they to do with this mess he’d left behind?
The various officials sighed with laughter: “No help for it. We’ll just have to think of a solution ourselves.”
That’s what they said, but what solution could they have? It was nothing more than watching the locust demon be stuck into a porcupine again and again, then reconsolidating his body again and again. Those formidable war generals and divine lords from the upper realm would have methods, but by the time they came down, this locust demon would have long since fled. How terrible—it looked like the divine realm’s face would be completely lost today.
The chief official was still pestering Qing Yan relentlessly, refusing to let him leave no matter what. Amid the clamor, Fucang drew out Chun Jun, his fingertips lightly wiping the sword body. As if responding to his touch, Chun Jun emitted a low humming sound.
The legendarily peerless and noble Sword of Heaven—even the great lord Gonggong had trembled and feared it—yet he had no way to use it to completely eliminate the locust demon before him. He knew it wasn’t that Chun Jun wasn’t formidable enough, but rather that he himself wasn’t strong enough.
He had always had a somewhat laissez-faire and lazy temperament. His cultivation of the sword path was casual and unforced, never demanding. Moreover, with excellent natural talent, up until now he hadn’t encountered any realm that was difficult to break through. But at this moment, for some unknown reason, he suddenly developed a competitive spirit. This indescribable competitive spirit caused the divine power within his body to surge restlessly, and suddenly he gained a trace of understanding that could only be felt, not put into words.
The locust demon’s heavy gasping pulled Fucang’s consciousness back. Looking down, the pale ice on this locust demon’s face had already melted. His eyeballs rolled wildly, sometimes staring at Zhi Xi, sometimes at Yan Xia on the ground, but more often staring at Xuan Yi in Qing Yan’s embrace.
His face gradually transformed into black ash, particle by particle flying up and soundlessly drifting toward Xuan Yi. Fucang furrowed his brows and suddenly tossed the sword lightly. The azure Sword of Heaven stood upright in his palm, slowly rotating. The sword body radiated brilliant light, impossible to look at directly. Chun Jun suddenly transformed into a golden dragon, circling once in midair before aiming at the locust demon on the ground and opening its great mouth to swallow him in one gulp. The dragon’s body swayed past, and in an instant transformed back into a precious sword falling into his palm. The locust demon on the ground had vanished without a trace, leaving only broken ice covering the ground.
A mournful, piercing scream transmitted from within the sword body, then suddenly fell silent. A thin line of fresh blood dripped down from Chun Jun, staining the Zhuyin White Snow on the ground red.
The various deities fell silent in an instant. Zhi Xi couldn’t help but gasp: “Junior Martial Brother Fucang… this, this is the legendary sword energy transforming into a dragon of the Huaxu Clan?”
Fucang’s face was pale. During that half year of comprehending the sword path, he had practiced sword energy transforming into a dragon countless times at home, failing almost every single time. Who would have thought he’d succeed in one stroke this time? It was just that his body couldn’t withstand this consumption—his vision kept going black.
He steadied himself and cupped his hands: “Merely a stroke of luck. The locust demon is trapped within Chun Jun. Presumably he can no longer escape and can be safely taken to the Justice Ministry. For now, let’s first send Senior Martial Sister Yan Xia back.”
Only now did the various officials breathe a great sigh of relief. The chief official’s face was covered with tears of relief: “Shenjun Fucang’s sword energy transforming into a dragon technique was truly magnificent! Truly magnificent!” Sure enough, at critical moments the Huaxu Clan was far more reliable than the sinister and uncanny Zhuyin Clan!
Qing Yan watched for a long while and said in a low voice: “A Yi, so this is the Shenjun Fucang you’re feuding with?”
Xuan Yi’s face fell: “Qi Nan even told you about that? His mouth is truly getting more and more loose.”
Qing Yan said: “Qi Nan praised him profusely. Looking at him now, there’s indeed some reason for it. The Huaxu Clan’s sword energy transforming into a dragon is no simple matter. Why must you feud with him? The Huaxu Clan has always had a fine reputation. Offending him is not a good thing.”
Xuan Yi said coolly: “I want to offend him precisely. I just find him unpleasant to look at.”
Qing Yan glanced at her meaningfully. This child had never been so aggravated with anyone since she was small. Rather than saying she was full of resentment toward Shenjun Fucang, it would be better to say she had taken him as her rival. She had always been willful and others would defer to her, but once she encountered someone who not only wouldn’t yield but would bite back, she would gather all her energy to suppress him.
He said softly: “Did he bully you? Want me to help you vent your anger?”
Xuan Yi thought about it: “I’ll deal with him myself.”
The answer he’d expected. She had always been strong-willed and self-confident, almost never asking others for help, convinced there was nothing under heaven she couldn’t accomplish. However, throughout the four wilds and eight wastelands, it was ultimately strength that spoke. Shenjun Fucang was skilled in the sword path with first-rate abilities. If he had a mind to oppress Xuan Yi, she was still young and didn’t like physical contests, so she would absolutely have no possibility of resistance.
Qing Yan was amused in his heart: “How will you deal with him? Scold him to within an inch of his life?”
Xuan Yi was actually stumped by his question. When he didn’t ask, she felt she had a bellyful of bad schemes to manipulate Fucang. Once he asked, she felt that actually she’d lost quite miserably every time. To be honest, she didn’t know what result she wanted either. It seemed she just wanted to see Fucang trembling all over with anger yet having no way to deal with her—unfortunately, up until now their situation had mostly been the reverse.
Qing Yan ruffled her hair, suddenly set her down, turned and walked toward Fucang, cupping his hands: “Shenjun Fucang, that sword energy transforming into a dragon technique just now opened my eyes. It was indeed extremely formidable. I’ve heard your sword is the Sword of Heaven, Chun Jun. Might I borrow it for a look?”
Fucang met his eyes. This Xiaolong Jun was again looking at him with that thoughtful gaze. His line of sight moved backward, falling on Xuan Yi. The dragon princess was smiling at him with ill intent.
He withdrew his gaze, both amused and exasperated. He immediately unfastened Chun Jun and offered it with both hands, but felt Qing Yan grab the scabbard with great force. He imperceptibly tightened his grip on the hilt and with a shake of his wrist, shook off the scabbard. The next moment, the sharp sword body was grasped bare-handed by Qing Yan again.
With Chun Jun’s威力, having him tightly grasp the blade with his bare hands—not to mention severing a few fingers, it should at least break skin and damage tendons. Who would have expected that not even a small cut appeared on Qing Yan’s hand? He seriously lowered his head to look at the sword body, his pitch-black eyes then circling back to Fucang’s face, smiling faintly: “Good sword!”
His fingers slowly loosened. Fucang shook his wrist again, once more fitting Chun Jun back into its scabbard, nodding in acknowledgment.
Qing Yan turned back and picked up Xuan Yi again, saying softly: “This time the officials are all here. Next time I’ll help you vent your anger.”
Xuan Yi used her fingers to scrape his face, not caring, only laughing delicately: “Bragging. I don’t believe you.”
Qing Yan’s voice became gentle: “Let’s go back. Qi Nan is worried sick.”
Xuan Yi nodded.
Over there, the various officials also helped Yan Xia up from the ground. Now that she was a mortal, the soul-capturing technique couldn’t be sustained too long, otherwise it would easily cause memory confusion. The chief official extended his finger and lightly flicked her forehead. She immediately trembled slightly, half-awake and half-asleep.
Just as they were about to send her home, Yan Xia suddenly called out softly as if in a dream: “Shao Yi…”
This unexpected utterance stunned all the deities for an instant. At this moment she couldn’t possibly have memories from her time in the upper realm. What was the reason for those two words “Shao Yi”?
Shao Yi turned around and quietly walked to her side. She had already opened her eyes. This soul-capturing technique had lasted too long—she was still in a dream state, looking around in all directions dully and bewildered. Suddenly as if remembering something, her face turned deathly pale as she said in a trembling voice: “Where is this? Zidu? Zidu?”
Close at hand, a gentle sigh sounded. The figure before her eyes swayed gracefully like ink and water, finally condensing into a handsome divine lord wearing a fire-red jewel on his forehead and clad in black long robes. He seemed helpless, seemed apologetic, seemed amused, his gentle gaze filling the heavens and earth as he looked at her.
Yan Xia stared at him blankly, her heart seeming to understand yet not understand, murmuring: “It’s you…”
Shao Yi extended both arms and embraced her tightly, stroking her long hair again and again. Tears involuntarily rolled down from her eyes, dripping onto the white snow along his hair.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was very low, as low as the most gentle breeze. “I’m sorry.”
All sounds were silent. Not knowing how much time passed, the tears in Yan Xia’s eyes finally gradually stopped. A trace of an expression like relief appeared on her face. From between her brows flew several scattered points of light, like her final tear, dissipating on her cheeks.
The clear melancholy between her brows could no longer be seen. Her eyes slowly closed, and she once again fell into a deep sleep.
The various officials couldn’t help but exclaim in wonder. Xuan Yi couldn’t help but ask: “What were those points of light that overflowed from between her brows just now?”
Qing Yan said in a low voice: “These are her resolved karmic ties. After completing this lifetime, she can return to the upper realm. At that time her spiritual nature will greatly increase, which will also have enormous benefits for her cultivation.”
A woman’s devoted heart seeks nothing more than a bit of genuine apology.
Xuan Yi was still curious: “Since it can increase cultivation, why can’t everyone descend to the lower realm to resolve karmic ties?”
Qing Yan shook his head: “They’d like to, but where would so many inspection spirit officials come from to watch over them? Moreover, the divine clan descending to the lower realm counts as a tribulation. Usually only those divine clans pursuing immortality of their true nature would descend to the lower realm to undergo the tribulation of a hundred lifetimes of reincarnation. However, if there are emotional entanglements difficult to resolve with no way to settle them, such that they would obliterate one’s spiritual nature, one can only descend to the lower realm to resolve these karmic ties. This senior martial sister is such a case.”
Shao Yi slowly placed Yan Xia on the ground, stood up and sighed. Turning his head back, seeing that Qing Yan seemed about to leave, he suddenly said: “Xiaolong Jun, cultivation is bitter and lonely. You must persevere.”
As if he hadn’t heard, Qing Yan strode out of the cave and departed on the wind.