Chapter 85 Special Mission.
Chapter 85
In the valley, spiritual energy lingers in every inch of air like a substance. When you take a breath, you can feel the spiritual power rushing through your meridians, making you feel extremely comfortable.
Bu Xingjin had just survived the tribulation. Though his aura hadn't fully recovered, his eyes shone with a startling brightness, like two brilliant stars twinkling in the darkness. The spiritual energy around him circulated automatically, with a sharp, shattering force, each ray of energy seeming to recount the ordeal he had just endured.
He subconsciously focused his mind, and a light blue translucent panel appeared in his mind, with the words on it clearly visible -
Name: Bu Xingjin
Level: 45
Cultivation: 684/80000
Type: Rare spiritual herb
Quality: Ordinary
Bu Xingjin's fingertips flickered slightly, and the panel vanished. This tribulation not only saw him level up, but his spiritual energy also grew more concentrated. This was likely related to the fragments of the Heavenly Dao he had comprehended.
He looked down at his palm. The Blood River Knife had already been put into his backpack. Although it had no sharp blade, the knuckles were glowing with a faint glow, which was a sign that the spiritual power was filled to the extreme.
For the first time in his practice, he felt extremely confident.
Qing Yan walked slowly closer, glanced at him, and his fingertips unconsciously stroked the hilt of the sword he had found. The action was almost instinctive and familiar.
The sword suddenly trembled slightly, emitting a subtle humming sound, as if it had touched upon some deeply buried memory. He spoke in a deep voice, "Your spiritual power has become much more concentrated, and your foundation is quite solid." His voice was as calm as ever, but when he mentioned spiritual power, his throat moved slightly, almost imperceptibly. "It seems this fragment of the Heavenly Dao has been of great benefit to you."
Bu Xingjin smiled happily, putting aside the matter of the system panel. "It's not just that. When I was going through the tribulation, some fragmented images suddenly flashed through my mind. It was like... like someone was demonstrating a method of controlling the spirit, and each move was vaguely in line with the spiritual power in my body." He paused, frowning slightly. "Unfortunately, it was too fast, and I couldn't grasp the specific thread."
Qing Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and he looked up into the depths of the valley, where the mist had dissipated, revealing the jagged mountain walls. Sunlight fell on the side of his face, causing a faint golden glint to flicker through the depths of his eyes, so fleeting it seemed like an illusion. "Perhaps it's the inheritance hidden within the fragments of the Heavenly Dao. The information you received from Senior Dongxue might be related to this."
As he spoke, he pressed his fingertips hard on the hilt of the sword, as if suppressing some power that was about to break free from its shackles - that was the throbbing that often emerged after he got the sword back, but he could never explain its source.
Liu Liyue stepped forward, her skirt sweeping across the grass, catching a few glistening leaves. She looked at the two of them, her expression turning serious. "While I was meditating, images flashed through my mind, and I saw the name 'Sword Burial Cave' in them. To be honest, I entered the Shangli Secret Realm this time to search for the 'Sword Key' that would unlock the Sword Burial Cave, but unfortunately, I've found nothing."
Bu Xingjin asked curiously, "Sword Burial Cave? What is that place?"
As soon as Bu Xingjin finished speaking, Qing Yan asked in a calm tone: "Then why are you suddenly being so frank now?"
Liu Liyue paused before answering Bu Xingjin's question, "This is the burial ground of an ancient swordsmith, hiding countless rare swords. More importantly..." Her tone grew more serious, "The 'Demon Locking Formation' that my family has guarded for generations is about to break loose. We need a sword from the Sword Burial Cave to suppress the formation's core. Otherwise, the formation will collapse, and the hundreds of demons suppressed within will reappear in the mortal realm."
Then she looked at Qing Yan and continued, "I'd like to ask you to help me get the sword. I need to return to my family to help maintain the 'Demon Locking Formation'."
Hearing this, Bu Xingjin felt a little strange, "Didn't they say they couldn't find the sword key? Then how are we going to get the sword?"
The Sword Burial Cave! Just the name itself tells you it's not a simple matter. It's not like going to the neighbor's house to pick up something you forgot to bring.
"Using the sword key to get in is one way, and there is another way to get in..." The implication is self-evident.
"Break in by force?"
"Yes," Liu Liyue nodded, hiding nothing. "The Sword Key allows us to enter through the main gate, avoiding most dangers. But now we can only go through the side gate. Although it's guarded by triple sword spirits, it's easier to penetrate than the main gate's 'Ten Thousand Swords Tomb.'" She pulled a bronze token from her storage bag, engraved with intricate sword patterns. "This is the 'Sword Formation Order,' which can temporarily suppress the first barrier of the side gate. The rest depends on you."
Bu Xingjin took the token, feeling it was icy cold. He looked at Qing Yan and saw his fingertips gently sliding over the hilt, as if in deep thought. He asked, "Does the sword that controls the formation have a name?"
"It's called the 'Black Iron Heavy Sword,'" Liu Liyue recalled. "Ancient texts say the sword's blade is engraved with the words 'Suppress Evil,' and is completely pitch black, weighing over a thousand pounds. If you can bring the sword back to my family, I can use my blood and essence to strengthen the Demon Locking Formation." She looked at Qing Yan with a sincere gaze. "I know this is presumptuous, but apart from you, I really can't find anyone I can trust more."
Qing Yan was silent for a moment, then his sword suddenly rang softly. He looked up at Liu Liyue and asked, "What's the connection between the Demon Locking Formation your family guards and the Shangli Secret Realm?"
Liu Liyue was startled for a moment, then smiled bitterly: "It seems I can't hide anything from you. To be honest, I don't know either. I only know that the Locking Demon Formation is related to the Shangli Secret Realm, but I don't know the specific connection..."
Qing Yan nodded without comment, and it was unclear whether he believed Liu Liyue's words, but he accepted the task.
At the same time, in the "Luotian Gate" a hundred miles away from the Shangli Secret Realm, the master's secret room was pitch black, with only a long-burning lamp in front of the ancestral tablet swaying with a dim light.
Sect leader Xuan Chenzi, clad in a purple robe, knelt on a cushion, his hands in a seal, his forehead resting on the cold desk. The sect's most precious treasure, the "Tongtian Mirror," suddenly glowed with a dazzling white light, and a blurry figure emerged within the mirror: it was the previous leader of the Luotian Sect, who had long since ascended to heaven.
"Find this man and kill him." The shadow's voice echoed in the secret room with a tremor that transcended the boundary.
A clear figure appeared in the mirror, and the figure's face was exactly the same as Qing Yan's.
Xuan Chenzi's body suddenly stiffened, cold sweat seeping from his forehead. His voice was filled with awe and fear: "Disciple...disciple obeys the master's command."
"There's his presence in the Shangli Secret Realm, so start your search there. I'm giving you this magic weapon so you can find his traces."
As soon as he finished speaking, the white light of the Tongtian Mirror suddenly dimmed, and a palm-sized compass flew out from the mirror. The secret room returned to darkness, with only the halo of the eternal lamp remaining. Xuan Chenzi slowly stood up, his face as pale as paper. He picked up the compass and quickly walked to the corner of the secret room. He moved an inconspicuous wall tile, revealing a secret compartment.
The secret compartment contained three black tokens, each inscribed with the word "Juesha" (absolute kill). These were orders from Luo Tianmen's most secretive assassin organization, the Luo Tianwei. He picked up the tokens, his fingertips turning white from the pressure.
The three people who were still discussing countermeasures in the valley had no idea that a hunt for one of them was about to begin.
Liu Liyue breathed a sigh of relief when Qing Yan nodded, and pulled out a yellowed parchment scroll from her storage bag. "This is a topographical map of the side entrance of the Buried Sword Cave. The guarding ranges of the three levels of sword spirits are marked on it. The first level, the 'Illusion Sword Spirit', is the most difficult to deal with and can stir up the obsessions deep in people's hearts. Remember to guard your minds."
"The Buried Sword Cave is located in the Arctic Icefield, thousands of miles away from here. You need to leave as soon as possible." After handing the parchment scroll to Bu Xingjin, Liu Liyue took out a paper map and handed it to Qing Yan: "This is the map to the Buried Sword Cave."
Bu Xingjin unfolded the map, a winding passage painted in cinnabar. A small sword symbol marked the third checkpoint. As his fingertips touched the symbol, a prompt suddenly popped up on the system panel: [Special mission clue detected. Do you want to accept the "Obtain the Black Iron Heavy Sword" mission?]
This was the first time the system panel gave a special task. He was surprised for two seconds and then clicked "Yes" without hesitation. The panel immediately updated: [Task Reward: One quality upgrade and one random reward].
"You have just survived the tribulation. Do you need to rest?" Qing Yan suddenly spoke, his eyes sweeping across the "Sword Burial Cave" mark on the map - that was the destination of this trip.
"No need. I feel better than ever before." Bu Xingjin folded the map and shook his head at Qing Yan. "There is no time to lose. Let's leave today."
Qing Yan nodded and turned to ask Liu Liyue, "How long do you estimate your family's Demon Locking Formation can last?"
Liu Liyue calculated the time: "At most half a month. If I can't get the heavy black iron sword within half a month..." She didn't say anything else, but the worry in her eyes was obvious.
Qing Yan twirled his fingertips on the hilt, and the sword emitted a clear humming sound: "Half a month is enough."
The three of them said no more. Liu Liyue took out two "Dust-Avoiding Talismans" and handed them to them: "The side door passage has accumulated dust and dirt for thousands of years. The talisman paper can prevent pollution and evil. I left a communication talisman outside the Demon-Locking Formation. After you succeed, crush it and I will send someone to pick you up." After that, she turned around and flew away in the air. Before leaving, she looked deeply at Qing Yan and Bu Xingjin, as if she wanted to engrave their appearance in her heart.
The moment Liu Liyue disappeared, Qing Yan's sword suddenly trembled violently, and the blade illuminated with a dazzling golden light, but it quickly dimmed after he clenched his palm. "What's wrong?" Bu Xingjin noticed something was wrong.
"Nothing." Qing Yan lowered his eyes to hide the pain that flashed across his eyes. "Maybe he sensed some aura and gave a warning."
At this time, in the secret room of Luotianmen, Xuan Chenzi had distributed three tokens to three men in black, and handed the compass to the leading man in black.
The leading man in black took the compass, and the compass needle immediately spun wildly, eventually pointing to a certain direction outside the Shangli Secret Realm. A faint golden light appeared on the tip of the needle - that was the mark of spiritual energy leaked from Qing Yan's sword.
"Master, don't worry. We will take this man's head within three days." The man in black said in a hoarse voice, kneeling on one knee to receive the order. Then he and the other two turned into three black shadows and disappeared like light smoke. The light smoke rushed towards the direction of Shangli Secret Realm.
The compass also turned into a light spot in the smoke, and the light became brighter and brighter, as if guiding a dangerous hunt.
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