entanglement
The Qinglan Sect's guesthouse was hidden in a lush bamboo forest. The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the shadows of the bamboo cast tiny, cool spots on the bluestone slabs.
When Yunxiu supported Yan Xiu and stepped through the door, her nose was first struck by a wisp of bitter medicinal fragrance, mixed with the dampness of bamboo dew, which was somewhat similar to the breath of the mountains behind Yaoxi Mountain. Wu Yi followed behind, the bandage on his left arm bleeding a dark red, but he still reached out to brush away the bamboo leaves stuck in Yunxiu's hair and whispered:
"This place is quiet and suitable for recuperation."
Yan Xiu leaned against the bamboo pillar, the shoulder lines of his dark-colored suit were extremely tight, and his fingertips unconsciously stroked the hilt of the sword.
He raised his eyes to look at Yunxiu and saw that she was staring blankly at the cluster of white myrtles in full bloom in the corner of the yard.
"The three of you have come a long way and must have worked hard on your journey."
A gentle voice came from outside the courtyard gate. Yunxiu turned around and saw an old man in a moon-white Taoist robe walking slowly towards him.
His hair and beard were all white, but his face was ruddy, and there was a smile in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. In his hand, he was leaning on a wooden staff wrapped with vines, and the top of the staff was embedded with a piece of warm jade. He was Bai Luo, the leader of the Qinglan Sect.
Two disciples followed behind him, holding wooden boxes in their hands, which probably contained medicine and documents.
"Master Bai Luo." Yan Xiu bowed and Bai Luo quickly stepped forward to support him. He only glanced at the wound for a moment, his eyes darkening slightly.
"Is it Zhi Huan who did this?"
When these words came out, Yunxiu's heart skipped a beat.
Bai Luo smiled and waved, ushering everyone into the room and seating them. The furnishings were minimal, with a low table covered with a bamboo mat and an ink landscape painting hanging on the wall. He personally poured the three of them a cup of bamboo tea. The tea was clear, tinged with a few fresh bamboo leaves, and the warm air carried a delicate fragrance.
"Zhi Huan..." Bai Luo held the teacup, his fingertips gently stroking the rim, his eyes drifting toward the bamboo forest outside the window. "All I know is that he was the last guardian of the ancient god's throne, and he probably guarded that god for over ten thousand years."
Yunxiu's hand paused, remembering what Zhihuan had said last night. Yan Xiu also raised his head, just looking at Bai Luo calmly.
"Ten thousand years ago, the magma at the center of the continent surged, and the sky cracked and the earth collapsed."
"At that time, I hid in a crevice and witnessed with my own eyes the ancient god standing in front of all living beings. His divine body crumbled bit by bit, transforming into mountains and rivers to block the magma fissures. His divine power broke into pieces and dispersed into the spiritual veins, preventing the world from complete destruction."
He raised his hand, and a wisp of light green spiritual power gathered at his fingertips, outlining a vague picture in the air:
The crimson magma swallowed the earth, and a huge golden figure stood in the middle of it. When the divine body collapsed, it scattered light fragments all over the sky, which fell into the depths of the spiritual veins and turned into points of bright light.
Yunxiu looked at the scene, and suddenly felt a familiar burning sensation in his heart - the pendant on his neck was getting hot, and the strange power in his body began to tremble slightly.
"Zhi Huan disappeared at that time." Bai Luo withdrew his spiritual power and sighed. "He wanted to guard the last remnants of the ancient god's soul, but later... the world gradually forgot about that god. More and more immortals in Yaoxi Mountain, relying on the divine veins to transform, no one remembered the source of the divine power anymore. Even Zhi Huan was regarded as an outlier."
Yunxiu seemed to be lost in thought.
If what Bai Luo said was true, then the "Yaoxi Fairy Temple" in the illusion was mostly real, and Zhihuan showed it to her on purpose.
She recalled the scene she saw at the Yaoxi Mountain Fairy Temple. The pilgrims were worshipping their master and senior brothers and sisters, and there were not even statues of ancient gods.
Yan Xiu looked at Bai Yao, his voice still a little hoarse:
"Zhi Huan said that Yunxiu is the final container of the ancient god's divine power. This..."
"I don't know about this." Bai Luo interrupted him, his eyes falling on Yunxiu with a complicated look.
"Indeed, since Yunxiu, no living being in Yaoxi Mountain has been able to transform... But who knows the reason? Judging from the way you use your spiritual power, it doesn't seem like your spiritual veins are broken."
Yunxiu and the other two looked at each other, not knowing how to respond. However, Bai Luo smiled and said:
"No one in the world knows your true identity, Yao Xishan. If I hadn't lived a long time and had known your master for a long time, how could I tell what kind of stone birds you are? Don't worry about this in front of me."
Yes, Wu Yi immediately asked: "If so, how did Zhi Huan know this?"
Bai Luo shook his head and looked at Yun Xiu:
"This is my personal guess - Zhi Huan sought revenge on the people of Yao Xi Mountain, but happened to discover the divine power in Xiao You's body."
Yunxiu subconsciously pressed the place where the power was surging.
Is there really...divine power in her body?
So, her ability to transform, cultivate, and even sense other people's thoughts was not due to luck, but because she swallowed the divine essence of the ancient god?
Is everything Zhihuan said true?
"That Condensed Jade Marrow..." Wu Yi suddenly spoke, his voice trembling, "Can it really heal the injuries left by Zhi Huan?"
Bai Luo nodded, took the wooden box from the disciple behind him, and opened it to reveal a piece of crystal-white chalcedony with a faint golden glow all over. It was the condensed spirit chalcedony.
"This chalcedony was born from the core of the ancient divine vein. Qinglan Sect has only obtained this piece in thousands of years. It is possible that Zhi Huan came here for it as well. However..."
He paused and his eyes fell on Yunxiu.
Everyone knew that Yaoxi Mountain had been attacked by Zhihuan, and Yunxiu had come for the chalcedony.
The martial arts tournament, held every ten years, is packed with experts. Winning first place is no easy feat. "Narrowly escaping death" and "covered in wounds" are just words to describe it.
Yan Xiu looked at Yun Xiu and advised, "Just do your best. There are always other ways."
Wu Yi also echoed: "If you can't win, remember to run!"
Bai Luo looked at the three people, placed the Soul-Condensing Jadeite back into the wooden box, and handed it to the disciple behind him. He gave a few more instructions on how to use the medicine before leaving with the disciple.
In the next few days, Yunxiu spent most of his time practicing sword in the bamboo forest in the back mountain.
Yan Xiu would occasionally teach her a few moves, but most of the time she would just lie in her room, unconscious with a persistent high fever.
Wu Yi was busy decocting and changing the dressings. His injuries didn't seem as severe as Yan Xiu's. The wound on his left arm was gradually healing, but he still couldn't exert any force. He could only sit on a bamboo chair, occasionally offering him a glass of warm water.
On the day of the martial arts tournament's opening, the Qinglan Sect's main peak was bustling with activity. The arena, built into the mountainside, was stacked in layers. The elders' seats at the highest point were adorned with seven-colored banners, fluttering in the wind. The three competition platforms glowed azure, their edges swirling with defensive runes, like a film of pale azure water.
Yunxiu stood at the registration desk, looking at the long line in front of him.
"Don't be nervous," Wu Yi patted her shoulder gently.
"You can even take a few blows from Senior Brother Yan Xiu's sword, so just relax and fight."
Yan Xiu stood aside, wearing a loose grey robe over his dark-black tights, which concealed the bleeding bandages. He looked at Yun Xiu and said in a steady voice:
"Maintain your swordsmanship, focus on intention rather than force, and don't be led astray by your opponent's rhythm."
The first competition will begin soon.
Yunxiu's opponent was a disciple of Liuyun Sect named Lin Feng, who was good at quick swordplay. His sword light was like a meteor, and he stabbed towards Yunxiu as soon as he came on the field.
The tip of the sword, brimming with spiritual energy, scraped her cheek painfully. Yunxiu quickly focused her attention, slicing a semicircle in front of her with the sword, barely blocking the opponent's attack.
"bite!"
The moment the swords collided, Yunxiu felt a numbness in her wrist. The opponent's strength was much stronger than she had imagined.
When Lin Feng saw her blocking it, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he sneered:
"I didn't expect that a little girl like you has some skills, but that's all!"
After saying that, he turned his wrist, and his sword moves became faster. Dense sword lights covered Yunxiu like a huge net.
Yunxiu was forced to retreat repeatedly, and the hem of her skirt was cut by the sword light, with blood oozing from the exposed skin.
She looked at the sword light in front of her, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and calmed down to feel the spiritual energy around her.
The bamboo breeze in the mountains, the clouds in the sky, and even the texture of the bluestone slabs beneath her body all became clear in her perception.
Just as Lin Feng's sword tip was about to pierce her heart, Yunxiu suddenly moved. Her figure became like a nimble little bird, weaving through the sword light, avoiding all attacks. At the same time, with a twist of her wrist, the tip of the sword pierced Lin Feng's weak spot - it was her best skill, "startling the bird"!
Lin Feng hadn't anticipated her sudden counterattack. He hurriedly raised his hand to block it, but he was still a step too slow. The tip of his sword grazed his shoulder armor, leaving a trail of blood. He stumbled back a few steps, but Yunxiu's continuous leaping sword moves sent him reeling and out of bounds.
He still couldn't believe that he was defeated by a little girl whose name he had never heard of. He looked at Yunxiu:
"You...what is this trick of yours?"
Yunxiu sheathed his sword and stood, sweat dripping from his forehead, but he still smiled: "How do you like Yao Xishan's sword moves?"
At this point in the competition, the opponent was out of bounds, and the referee quickly came on stage and announced that Yunxiu was the winner.
In the next few competitions, Yunxiu encountered stronger and stronger opponents.
The disciples of Baicao Valley were good at using poison. They hid poison powder in the sword light and almost poisoned her. There was also a master among the independent cultivators who held a heavy hammer with amazing strength, forcing her to rely on flexible body movements to dodge.
The further she fought, the harder it became and the more wounds she had.
Yan Xiu never missed a single match. He always liked to sit on the northeast side of the competition stage and watch everything quietly.
Yunxiu's moves became more proficient and integrated through competition after competition.
Constantly pushed into desperate situations, she repeatedly rose to seek another path. Never afraid, nothing seemed to hold her back. When she couldn't win, she sought change. When her swordsmanship didn't work, she used medicine; when medicine failed, she cast a barrier.
He stumbled and crawled, covered in dust and looked in a miserable state, yet Yunxiu still managed to beat him all the way.
No one could have imagined - including Yan Xiu - that Yun Xiu could actually make it to the semi-finals.
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