Chapter 150 Asking My Own Heart (Part 1) "I will come back as soon as possible."...

Among the greyhounds, the Togainu has always been looked down upon; from childhood to adulthood, no one has ever compared them to the Togainu.

Xuanzhen's words almost ignited everyone's anger. They lowered their heads and looked at him coldly, lightning flashing in their hands. Just as they were about to rush forward together, the leader suddenly raised his hand. His expression was not good, but he still managed to put on a smile.

"I thought you were hopeless and stupid, but it turns out you know how to stall. Everyone, let's capture Lin Feiran with Lord Chiya first. Don't let anger cloud your judgment; merit is paramount."

The others looked into the distance, where Chi Ya was locked in a fierce battle with Lin Feiran, aided by a sword spirit. Although Chi Ya appeared excited, it was still clear that she was at a disadvantage.

"Let's go first!"

The seven or eight people retreated again, heading towards the formation like streaks of scattered lightning.

Above the vast grassland, dark clouds surged, the sky suddenly darkened, and everything in sight gradually turned gray. Just as the group was rushing, an even more powerful bolt of lightning illuminated the surrounding area and crashed into it like a falling meteor!

Xuanzhen bypassed the crowd and caught up with the first person. He thrust out his sword and quickly exchanged four or five blows, exchanging a half-arm wound for a bloody scar.

The scar was on a face almost identical to his own, so deep it seemed to reach the bone!

"ha."

Xuanzhen raised her eyes, ignoring her messy hair, and finally revealed a rare smile on her face.

"So, you guys aren't very fast runners either, and your hand techniques are even worse."

The man's expression turned ferocious. He transformed his palm into a fist, and an extremely fierce bolt of lightning struck Xuan Zhen's shoulder. He thought this would force Xuan Zhen to retreat, but unexpectedly, the fist was neutralized the moment it touched Xuan Zhen and turned it into his own!

The man was shocked: "You...you've practiced thunder magic?"

"Yes, but it's a human cultivation technique."

Sometimes I have to admit that in terms of cultivation techniques, the demon race, with their innate spiritual veins, is indeed inferior to the wise humans. Perhaps it's related to the past, but even now, I seem to still prefer the human race.

Xuanzhen's eyes were bright. She seized the opportunity to grab his wrist, her lips parted, and she silently summoned a lightning spell. Just as the man tried to break free, a bolt of lightning ripped through the gray haze and pierced straight through his spine!

Xuanzhen looked at him, his slightly round eyes curving slightly. He said, "Unknown brother, no, Yuequan, I hope you will have a nice name like 'Xuanzhen' in your next life."

The man was stunned, and only a few sobs escaped his throat. The next moment, his right hand, wrapped with a horizontal sword, swiftly swept across, and in an instant, a dazzling display of color filled the sky.

When Lin Feiran was fighting fiercely at the Jingchuan Dojo, he had watched for a long time, and even though he was dull-witted, he had learned a little bit.

For example, in a battle of many hands, you must defeat them one by one!

Lightning flashed frequently in the distance. The group seemed to approach, but were quickly pushed back. Despite this tug-of-war, no one got close!

Xuanzhen's words naturally reached his ears, but Lin Feiran only glanced back for a moment, saw a bolt of lightning flashing among them, and then focused all his attention on the array plate and Chiya.

The Golden Wave Sword Spirit was ultimately just a spirit and could not truly act in her place. After forcing Chi Ya back in the face of danger, it once again summoned Lin Feiran to draw her sword.

Several swirling currents suddenly appeared around the blade of the slender, cold sword, and the faint sound of wind and the clanging of metal could be heard. As Lin Feiran brought the sword down, although the blade did not touch Chi Ya's shoulder, his robes were already open!

The skin and flesh beneath gradually tore apart, like a taut persimmon, the thin skin gently cracking to both sides, and the flesh and blood inside bursting out in an instant!

The wind only lasted a moment, and when the long sword fell, it was just a flash of ordinary cold light, slashing down as usual.

The excruciating pain he had just experienced was clearly extraordinary; beads of sweat immediately appeared on Chi Ya's forehead, but his expression was even more excited than before.

"Fighting is about deciding the winner with your life or death. If you're so capable, make me feel even more pain!"

Ignoring the sharp blade embedded in his bones, he immediately pressed his left hand against the back of the blade to restrain Lin Feiran, took two more steps forward, and with his right hand gripping the mother-and-child dagger, he suddenly stabbed at her side of the neck.

Even at such close range, Lin Feiran was still inevitably slashed across the shoulder by him as he dodged.

Upon seeing this, the sword spirit immediately formed a hand seal, and a chilling sword aura flew out from the sword. However, Chi Ya did not retreat at all, and took the blow head-on, gripping Lin Feiran's hand even tighter.

The two were simultaneously restrained, their magical artifacts rendered useless, and they were unable to form hand seals, so they had no choice but to resort to the most primitive form of hand-to-hand combat!

Lin Feiran's martial arts skills were clearly better than Chi Ya's. After the two exchanged a few blows, she raised her leg and kicked down. Chi Ya neither dodged nor avoided it, but simply smiled and took the kick, then returned the kick to her exactly as it was.

He looked at Lin Feiran with a sinister gaze, his eyes flashing: "Is that all? If you don't kill me quickly, the array will restart, and the five true incantations will be unleashed simultaneously. You won't have another chance!"

Lin Feiran raised her knee and slammed it into his jaw. Chi Ya grunted, his head snapped back, and blood trickled from the corner of his lips. She immediately released her grip on the longsword, flipped backward, and finally broke free from his hold, staring intently at him.

It has to be said that Chi Ya was the most formidable opponent she had ever encountered in her cultivation.

It's not that he's a higher level than her, nor is it due to the blessing of array plates and flags; what's truly troublesome is his fighting style.

She had never seen anyone so reckless and whose wounds healed so quickly before.

But as he said, she still had a chance before the array was restarted, but after it was restarted, she would be at the mercy of others.

Lin Feiran's eyes flickered slightly, and he quickly formed a hand seal. A bolt of lightning flashed across the sword, and in the blink of an eye, six lightning swords identical to the Golden Wave Sword were created.

"The Six Divine Palaces?" Red Fang was clearly somewhat knowledgeable about it.

Six thunder swords roamed around, and when Lin Feiran pointed them out together, they attacked like thunder dragons. The same lightning illuminated the dark plain, echoing the flashing thunder behind them.

Lin Feiran knew she shouldn't get too close to him, so while she was fighting with the Thunder Sword, her gaze was fixed on the array plate.

The most urgent task is to find the key point of the formation and unravel the formation.

However, Chi Ya can only use the five-word incantation. This array is obviously flawed. For a flawed array, a strong attack is the way to go!

Lin Feiran stared intently at the earthen-yellow array flag, his robe fluttering even without wind, and several streaks of white light flowing across his arm.

She thought that perhaps using the Spirit Violence technique could be a good idea, but this method would take a heavy toll on her, and if it failed, she would be nothing more than a fish on a chopping block.

Moreover, she had already sensed an unusual movement in the spiritual veins within her storage pouch. If she waited any longer, they would inevitably notice something amiss. At this point, she had no other choice but to take a gamble…

The white light around her arms increased, and she spun around, touching the ground. The explosive spiritual energy traveled along the array plate, raising countless clouds of dust and making the gray plain even more chaotic.

Just then, a messenger bird flew in from nowhere, accurately found Lin Feiran in the chaos, and ignited upon contact.

"Lin Feiran, where are you? Reply quickly! My father is leading his men to attack the Demon Capital. They are already on their way... no, they are already in the air. I have seen their chariot. The Demon Lord must be in seclusion and unable to deal with them. Return immediately!"

The words were spoken very quickly, but Lin Feiran recognized the other person's voice immediately.

It's Qiu Tong.

Why did the King of Qingping attack the Demon Capital? And how did she know that Ru Xian was in seclusion?

Lin Feiran immediately thought of hailstones.

I remember he once said that once the refining process begins, it cannot be stopped. Did they deliberately choose this moment?

But apart from a few envoys, no one else knew about his seclusion. How did the others find out?

These questions arose almost instantly, but she quickly suppressed them. The likes of Prince Qingping might already be at the city gate, and she had to inform them immediately.

As the spirit shattered, the yin-yang symbol in his eyes flickered slightly, and a moment later he heard a sound like hailstones.

"What is it?"

Lin Feiran stood up and asked directly through his mind, "Lord, are you still refining pills?"

“Of course.” Ru Xian opened her eyes. “Why are you asking this? I heard you say you were going back to the city this morning… What, you were stopped on the way? Instead of fighting, you have time to chat with me?”

"How did you know I was fighting someone with magic?!"

Lin Feiran raised her hand, and the Golden Wave Sword returned to her grasp. She leaped up and followed the lightning to find Chi Ya's figure. Her movements were fluid and graceful, but her expression revealed surprise, which was quite incongruous with her actions.

"He called me once every half hour, but didn't call me for a long time. I can't think of any other reason besides that he was fighting with someone."

Lin Feiran was speechless.

After a moment of silence, she spoke: "Someone sent me a message saying that the likes of King Qingping are about to attack the Demon Capital, and they are definitely going after you. Their intentions are not good. If you hear any unusual noises, you must not be distracted. Just focus on refining. Ping An and the others are here, and Xuan Zhen and I will rush back as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Ru Xian thought of the incantations scattered throughout the city and pondered for a moment, but only said it to her.

"Is the opponent difficult to deal with?"

She calmly said, "I just wanted to inform you of this matter in time so you can focus on refining it without worrying about anything else. As for the opponent, he is a bit troublesome, but still under control."

Ru Xian chuckled softly, without replying.

I will be back as soon as possible.

The sword fell, striking the hazy object squarely.

"good."

As the dust settled, amidst the chaos, Chi Ya stood protecting the array flag with his body. The spiritual energy that had just surged forth burst forth all over his body, his clothes were tattered, and six lightning swords pierced through his arms and deeply penetrated the flagpole.

He looked back, his eyes bloodshot, and his excited gaze reflected the equally disheveled Lin Feiran.

She looked at him quietly, her eyes devoid of any warmth. The sword pierced through his back, the blade swirling and dispersing. His shoulder blade caught on the sword, making a soft clicking sound.

His golden twin daggers, one embedded in her shoulder and neck, the other in her right leg, shattered all the magical runes on her clothes.

Chiya laughed, panting, "Everyone says I'm reckless, but it seems you're no less so. The best way to fight in this world is to be as serious as you and me, risking our lives and fighting to the death—that's what makes it truly satisfying!"

He looked at Lin Feiran meaningfully: "You weren't like this before."

Lin Feiran's gaze turned cold, and he drew his sword directly, but the Golden Wave Sword remained as bright as a mirror, without a trace of blood.

She sheathed her sword with one hand and raised the other, pursing her lips as she pulled out the twin daggers that had pierced her shoulder and leg. Her body trembled slightly, but she endured it.

She swallowed two more pills, straightened up, pulled out a bandage and wrapped it tightly around her wound, but her gaze slowly fell on the array flag.

As she approached, a faint, hazy light appeared on the black flag with yellow patterns. However, Chi Ya was nailed to the pole and had to kneel on one knee, so he did not notice anything unusual.

The spiritual vein was entrusted by the saint of the Pilgrimage Valley, and the esoteric sect is pursuing it so closely, so it must be of utmost importance. This chess piece is used to find the vein, and the array plate derived from it is incomplete, so there must be other array flags. She cannot be careless.

In the blink of an eye, she raised her hand to grasp the flagpole, but before she could exert any force, her hand was unexpectedly bitten by Chiya.

Lin Feiran gasped, immediately pulling her hand away and backing away, a ring of bright red teeth marks already imprinted on the back of her hand: "...Are you a dog?"

Chi Ya licked his teeth, ignoring the bloody holes in his body, and chuckled, "Such chewy meat. I wanted to have a bite on Night Wanderer's Day. You'd better not touch this flag, or the Secret Society will make you pay a terrible price."

On the flagpole, the places pierced by the six thunder swords gradually closed and squeezed together until all the thunder swords were squeezed out, and it returned to its original state.

Lin Feiran's mind stirred slightly, and he said, "What an evil magic weapon."

Chi Ya indeed spoke up: "Strange? This is the Five Elements Flag that everyone seeks. It seems you want to take it. Feed me two pills, and I'll tell you how to use it."

Lin Feiran gripped the flag cloth and gathered it on the pole, not letting him notice anything amiss: "Since it's a magic weapon, then I have no choice but to accept it."

Chiya lay on the ground, looking up at the clouds in the sky: "You can't take it away. On the second day after you bring it back to the Demon Capital, there will definitely be high-ranking cultivators from the Secret Sect coming to you to seize the flag. It's better to avoid trouble."

Lin Feiran naturally knew that since it was the Five Elements Flag, it meant that all five flags had to be destroyed at the same time; otherwise, the flags would simply regenerate.

She couldn't possibly take its flag with her; that would be tantamount to inviting trouble.

Thinking this to herself, she didn't show it on her face: "Instead of thinking about this, you should think about your last words."

"Last words? I used to think about them, but not anymore. Death is the simplest and least frightening thing in the world. What kind of swordsmanship did you use just now? It was so sharp, with wind in it. In the next life, I will still seek you out for a fight."

Lin Feiran did not reply. Instead, she pulled out the flag, raised it high, wiped the blood from her cheek, and then suddenly brought it down.

"senior."

She spoke, and the sword spirit that had previously returned to the sword floated out. Because she had used too much sword energy, the crimson color on her robes had faded considerably.

Lin Feiran looked at the array flags and asked, "I remember that the former Sword Master switched from weapon crafting to sword cultivation. You've been together for many years, do you know anything about weapon crafting methods?"

The Golden Wave Sword Spirit scanned the wounds on her body, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "I have indeed learned some. What do you want me to do?"

Lin Feiran simply looked at the flag: "I want you to teach me how to refine this earth-attribute Five Elements Array Flag."

The sword spirit immediately realized: "You want to destroy this flag? Why?"

Lin Feiran did not hide anything: "Previously in the Pilgrimage Valley, the saints entrusted me with a spiritual vein and asked me to keep it safe. Now they are using these Five Elements Flags to search for the spiritual vein, and I want to do something subtle."

The sword spirit was somewhat surprised. She clearly knew what the spiritual vein was. After pondering for a moment, she said.

"It seems they want to plant the flags directly in all directions to find the spiritual veins as quickly as possible. However, refining them is too difficult, and you are a sword cultivator, so you can't do it. But if you want to tamper with them and make the Five Elements Flags malfunction, there is an easier way, which I will teach you."

Xuan Zhen's victory over eight people was no simple feat. After eliminating the last one, he glanced at Lin Feiran and, seeing that she also had the situation under control, he suddenly sat down, leaning against the mountain rock.

Catching his breath, he looked up at the gloomy sky again.

He had never been so tired, yet he had never felt so relieved.

Only after resting enough and Lin Feiran, who was fiddling with something, finally got up did he slowly get up and walk away.

Halfway there, Lin Feiran appeared on her sword. He reached out his hand and was pulled behind her to stand on the sword.

"Is that man dead?" he asked.

Lin Feiran looked back and saw a battle flag waving on the corpse. Behind the flag, the dark clouds dispersed, revealing a bright ray of sunlight once again.

In the sunlight further away, a dozen or so cultivators were arriving on their magical artifacts. The one leading them was the masked man who had rescued Chiya from prison that day.

She said, "Perhaps. His life or death is not important. We must rush back to the Demon Capital immediately."

With a hair tie between her teeth, Xuanzhen combed her hair in the strong wind and asked indistinctly, "What happened?"

"King Qingping is leading his men towards the Demon Capital; perhaps he is about to rebel."

"What!"

The hair tie was instantly caught in the wind and never to be found again.

...

The sky above Lancheng, the city of demons, was still clear and blue. Just outside the city gate was the Jingchuan Dojo, where many people were eating at the inn outside the dojo, basking in the drowsy autumn sun.

"When will Lin Feiran come to the temple again? Without her, there is a kind of emptiness, with no one to spur me on and no one to compete with."

"She hasn't come for a long time. She must have become an envoy and indulged in a life of luxury and decadence, completely forgetting about cultivation."

"But I heard that she has broken through to a higher realm and is now at the realm of questioning the mind."

The person slurping noodles immediately complained indignantly: "How come the human race broke through to the next realm so quickly?!"

"It all depends on one's state of mind. Haven't you heard that there was a sage in ancient times who spent half his life investigating things, and one day he attained enlightenment. He immediately guided the spirit into his body, and then broke through from the Mind-Cleansing Realm to the Return to Truth and become a sage. When he opened his eyes again, only one night had passed."

The sound was very casual, and because there was food in his mouth, it sounded muffled.

The boy clicked his tongue in surprise and turned to look at him: "Of course I've heard of you... Who are you?"

The others looked at him together. The man was plain-looking, with a messy topknot and a wine gourd in his hand. He looked to be over forty, but most of his hair was already white, and he looked rather disheveled and down on his luck.

In front of him was a plate of steamed dumplings. He would eat one, then take a swig of strong liquor, slurping loudly as he ate.

Upon hearing this, he turned his head, his cheeks flushed, looking quite tipsy: "Me? I'm a tourist. Your demon realm's dumplings are really good."

Several teenagers raised their hands to fan themselves away from the smell of alcohol: "Drink less, don't get so drunk you don't know what's going on and you'll stuff yourself to death."

This wasn't a curse, but rather well-intentioned advice. The man laughed heartily, turned back, and continued eating: "Dumplings with wine, the more you eat, the more you'll have."

As the group was whispering, several shadows suddenly fell on the table. The people in front of the temple immediately looked up and saw several extremely luxurious carriages hovering in mid-air under a thin cloud, before slowly landing in front of the city.

Everyone was puzzled, and some of the teenagers couldn't help but peek forward.

Two attendants stepped down from the lead carriage, and as they turned around and lifted the curtain, a figure in blue emerged from one of them.

The boy eating noodles was so startled when he saw him that he dropped his chopsticks: "Why is he here? Is something big about to happen?"

The disheveled man took a sip of his drink and gestured towards the figure with his lip: "Who's that?"

The boy exclaimed in surprise in a low voice, "That's King Qingping! The lord of the western demon realm! How strange, why isn't he staying in Qingqiu? What is he doing in Lancheng?"

An indescribable silence fell beneath the city gate.

The crowd watched in silence as he dismounted from his carriage, a leisurely smile appearing on his refined face, and slowly walked towards the Jingchuan Dojo, eventually stopping in front of the Dengwen Drum.

With fingers joined together, the drumsticks struck suddenly, the thunderous sound reverberating throughout the demon capital.

The crowd immediately erupted in a clamor!

Author's Note: I've been working too much overtime and traveling a lot lately, so update times will be irregular. [heart emoji]