Chapter 423 A Sword's Light Chills Outside Youzhou
On the border of Youzhou, close to the territory of Qingzhou, there is a city called Dingri City, which was one of the first cities occupied by the remnants of the ancient tribes.
The city is guarded by soldiers who belong to the King of Calamity, protecting the furnace of flesh and blood and the rebirth of the people. There are 26 guards who patrol the outskirts of the city in three shifts every day.
In reality, although such patrols were thorough, they were merely a routine matter for the guards of the bereaved families.
After all, they all knew that both the human and demon races had been driven to the three southern states, clinging to the sacred artifacts and barely surviving. They had no ability to resist, so how could they possibly have any enemies?
In fact, the reality is indeed consistent with their ideas.
Since their birth, these city guards have never even had the chance to fight, let alone encounter enemies.
The Remnant race is a very bloodthirsty race that enjoys keeping and torturing slaves for pleasure, a situation that is certainly not a good thing for them.
"Any situation on the east, north, or west sides?"
"Reporting to the general, nothing has happened."
What about the south side?
"The guards on the south side have not returned yet."
"?"
In the western suburbs outside Dingri City, a member of the armored remnant clan responsible for patrolling the western side gently raised his head, gazing at the sky with a pair of blood-red eyes.
In the pitch-black night, the turbulent Heavenly Dao seemed to be being drawn in, and he sensed something unusual.
Without a moment's hesitation, the wings on the back of this remnant suddenly unfolded, and his figure soared into the sky like an arrow released from a bow, rushing towards the direction of Yuheng Mountain Forest.
The Yuheng Mountains are rarely visited by people, resulting in lush vegetation.
Among them, countless ancient trees rise from the ground, their gnarled branches intertwining in the air to form an almost opaque dome.
On the ground, strong vines coiled around the tree trunks like giant pythons, desperately climbing upwards.
Its crevices were filled with moss and decaying leaves, and various ferns and unidentified broad-leaved herbs spread rampantly under the tree.
The leaves of those plants were thick and green, almost dripping with oil, and swayed slightly in the humid air.
At this moment, the remnant clan guards from Dingri City flew over the dense vegetation and entered the depths of the mountains.
Just as the shadow of his wings swept across the lush valley below, a dazzling sword aura burst forth from the shadows of the forest without warning, like a thunderbolt from the heavens, severing the sound of the wind and cutting off the light.
Pfft!
The sound of a sharp blade slicing through flesh and bone was exceptionally clear.
The warrior of the remnant race didn't even have time to react before he felt a chill run down his spine, and the wings he relied on for flight were separated from his body.
At the same time, the immense inertia caused him to crash into the dense grass with a loud thud, like a giant bird being shot down, kicking up a cloud of dust and broken grass.
"It's so good to be young, you can fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow..."
"The personality of the remnant clan is also peculiar. Don't they need to be more careful? They just rushed over so aggressively. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were here to receive an award."
Ji You emerged from the dense grass, muttering incantations as she looked at the corpse, then flew to the next location and continued her meditation.
A moment later, his divine sense soared into the sky, first sweeping across the tribulation of thunder and fire that burned everything, then traversing the icy and frigid domain that froze the soul, and finally arriving at a chaotic current of laws.
In the depths of the rolling night, he "saw" the laws themselves as countless roaring ancient dragons, intertwined and coiling, dominating the heavens with their constantly opposing dual wills.
"The macroscopic laws that can be touched by the Divine Travel Realm are truly breathtaking every time I see them."
Ji You's spirit stood tall in the heavens, and he couldn't help but murmur a prayer.
After making a vow to the Heavenly Dao and returning home, he chose the tangible Four Symbols method in order to quickly advance his cultivation level.
He then comprehended the laws of wind, rain, thunder, lightning, fire, earth, water, and wood in the Great Wilderness Forest, and refined these laws individually, thus reaching the Boundless Realm.
However, the Divine Realm is more profound and macroscopic than the Boundless Realm.
Because in order to reach the level of understanding in the Divine Realm, the laws are no longer independent entities, but interconnected and interdependent, forming a vast expanse of celestial rules.
Hot and cold give rise to each other, black and white transform into each other, coarse and fine transform into each other, fast and slow alternate, life and death cycle... together they weave together a vast and intricate giant net.
Ji You had made many preparations for the physical-spiritual journey and had consulted many classic texts on enlightenment and cultivation. Therefore, although he had never ventured into this realm, he had a considerable understanding of it.
What he needs to do now is to transform theoretical knowledge into genuine enlightenment.
This is what cultivators do: using divine sense as a medium to comprehend those beings who are not yet aware of themselves, and through [refining], [playing chess], and [weaving brocade], they bring themselves to a higher realm.
boom!!!
At this moment, the chaotic currents of laws crashed down like billions of ancient dragons, instantly burying Ji You's tiny divine sense. However, he did not resist, but allowed those laws to bombard him continuously.
This is the first step of [Smelting]. To understand it, you must first perceive it.
From the Great Wilderness Forest to here, he has been perfecting his perception of the macrocosmic Dao, and now he has reached a critical point.
bring it on……
Amidst the surging turbulence, Ji You exerted all her strength to stabilize herself, no longer clinging to the form of "divine thought," but suddenly dispersing.
In an instant, his divine sense was no longer like a lone boat, but transformed into an intangible and intangible "intention" that was omnipresent.
This "intention" is like the finest dust, actively facing the roaring dragon of laws, not being swallowed by it, but lightly attaching itself to those laws, swirling, dancing, and dying.
"Reporting to the Mohe general, one of the guards in the city garrison has gone missing."
"What happened?"
"It seems there are fire-stealers outside the city..."
"Could it be one of the fish that escaped during the capture? Go, send Deputy General Shouying with the guards into the mountains."
"yes!"
Youzhou is the place where the remnants of the ancient race were reborn, and it is heavily guarded. Dingri City is the closest garrison city to the Yuheng Mountains.
The appearance of suspected fire thieves, coupled with the recent loss of a guard, naturally attracted attention.
In less than three days, a guard team, led by a deputy general of the remnant clan, ventured deep into the mountains and never returned.
"Hurry, hurry up!"
"I'll spare your lives to make you slaves, but if you want to be food for my blood, I can grant your wish!"
Located on the southwest side of Dingri City, it connects the official road between Yunzhou and Youzhou.
With a low, chilling roar, a group of humans being escorted arrived, their steps faltering.
These people were captured after the resurrection of the remnant race. They included both mortals and cultivators. They were originally imprisoned by the remnant race as blood food for the new members of the race.
After the altar in Qingzhou was destroyed, news spread to the three northern states that new slaves were needed to rebuild the altar in order to avoid missing the opportunity.
So all those who had been arrested earlier were herded here like sheep.
According to the order, these slaves will be selected one by one in Dingri City. Those who are suitable will be sent to Qingzhou, while those who are not suitable will be sent to Youzhou to become food for the slaves.
Among the countless figures being escorted was a very young man and woman. As they passed a dark mountain path, they suddenly pretended to stumble and then rushed forward a few steps.
Where he rushed past were five young people, men and women, all covered in dust and dirt, their eyes devoid of any life.
Seeing the other party rushing towards them, the four of them dodged slightly, and then suddenly heard a voice in their ears.
"Miss Qiu, Xiyu, Brother Jingming, Young Master Peng, we can't just sit here and wait to die. We must escape."
Among the crowd, Qiu Hanyue, Sheng Xiyu, Tang Jingming, and Peng Yu, a disciple of the Yuantian Academy, slightly raised their eyes.
In the spring of the seventh year of Taiwu, the young men of noble families in Zhongzhou gathered together for a spring outing. Unexpectedly, just as they were enjoying themselves, night suddenly rolled in.
Their cultivation level was not high, and they were captured as soon as they turned around. They resisted, but in the end they became prisoners.
The two people who spoke to them were Qin Ruo and Lin Cong, disciples of the outer court of the Heavenly Academy.
They were separated from the main group at the sacred site of the Sages and were later captured, but they never gave up their wish to escape.
When they were imprisoned in the concentration camp, the guards were too tight, and they could not find any opportunities. Now that they have been brought here, they see it as their only chance of survival.
"Escape?"
"That's right. Staying here, whether as a slave or as food, will ultimately lead to certain death."
Qiu Hanyue pursed her lips: "With such tight security, how can we possibly escape?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Ruo looked around and said, "We will be sent to Dingri City for selection. There will inevitably be a moment of laxity in the defenses during the handover. We can wait until it gets completely dark and then use the cover of the Yuheng Mountains to escape."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Hanyue, Sheng Xiyu, Tang Jingming, and Peng Yu exchanged glances.
"Do you really think there's a chance?"
"If you don't want to die, you have to take a gamble."
Qin Ruo stared intently at them, but before she could finish speaking, Lin Cong bumped into her from behind.
Feeling a sharp pain in her right shoulder, Qin Ruo immediately lowered her head. In that instant, the remnant of the clan, wielding an iron thorn staff, walked past her, his scarlet eyes sending chills down her spine.
This remnant of the tribe was called Falcon, and he was the most brutal member of the slave camp, with countless lives on his hands and a ruthless killer.
Fortunately, Lin Cong's timely warning prevented the remnant of the Falcon from noticing anything amiss, and it hurriedly walked ahead...
The journey then lasted about an hour, and Qin Ruo and the others, who were being escorted, finally arrived at Dingri City.
The falcon led the way and ordered the guards to open the city gates.
But when he entered the city and looked at the empty city, a look of confusion appeared on his face.
"Where is the Mohe general?"
"Reporting to General Falcon, fire thieves have appeared in Yuheng Mountain."
"..."
As soon as Qin Ruo and the others were escorted into the city, they were locked in a dungeon. In the dim environment, they could only see the changes in the sky through the small window above their heads.
But instead of despairing as before, they found hope rising in the darkness.
The number of people in Dingri City was far less than they had expected. This was their best chance to escape, and they could say that if they missed this opportunity, they would never have another chance.
Qiu Hanyue, Sheng Xiyu, and the others had just witnessed the situation in the city. They originally dared not escape, but now they had a change of heart. So they hid in a secluded corner with Qin Ruo and Lin Cong and whispered among themselves.
"Is this really not a trap?"
"We're already prisoners, why would they set a trap for us?"
Qin Ruo looked at them: "Do you know why we chose to pick the time in Dingri City? Because the main branch of the Lin family has its ancestral home here."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone turned to look at Lin Cong behind Qin Ruo.
Seeing this, Lin Cong nodded slightly: "I am very familiar with the layout of this city, and it seems that the guards of Dingri City have all gone out to search for the fire thieves, so our chances of escaping are very high."
After a moment of silence, Qiu Hanyue asked, "What is a fire thief?"
"It's us humans."
Why are humans called fire-stealers?
"In ancient times, the ancient clans forbade other clans from cultivating. Those who secretly cultivated against the wishes of the ancient clans were called fire thieves by the ancient clans."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Xiyu's eyes widened: "You mean to say that there are humans cultivating in this place that is so tightly controlled by the remnant race?"
After hearing this, Qin Ruo exchanged a glance with Lin Cong, and then shook her head.
In fact, they couldn't understand why anyone would come here under these circumstances to cultivate using the Heavenly Dao of the remnant race. It was practically an act with no chance of survival.
But this matter has nothing to do with them, nor is it their concern. The only thing they need to care about is the timing of their escape.
As time went by, the gloomy sky outside the window grew even darker, and slowly, that darkness became so thick that it seemed like thick ink that couldn't be dissolved.
During this long period of time, Qin Ruo, who had already entered the Tongxuan Realm, constantly used her divine sense to capture the sounds outside the window, and only slowly got up after confirming that there was no sound around her.
Seeing this, Lin Cong, Qiu Hanyue, Tang Jingming, Peng Yu, and Sheng Xiyu followed.
Gathering all their strength, they broke the iron lock on the prison door. After glancing at the numb other members of their tribe behind them, they remained silent for a long time before slowly escaping.
The entrance to the dungeon passage was guarded by the remnants of the clan. The six of them lured one of them inside with noise, and then used all their strength to finally kill him.
Then, taking advantage of Lin Cong's familiarity with the city, the six of them made their way to the west gate of the city without any major incidents.
To my great surprise, there were no guards outside the city walls.
Seeing this golden opportunity, they exchanged a glance, then ran wildly along the city gate road, eventually entering the deep and vast Hengduan Mountains.
"Even the city guards have gone out?"
"It's probably related to that fire-bringer they were talking about..."
"Who on earth could have attracted the pursuit of an entire city? Could it be a powerful figure from our clan?"
"If they are truly powerful figures in the clan, why would they insist on staying here? Perhaps it's not just one, but a group, like us, who may have escaped from somewhere."
In the dense forest, the group continuously replenished their spiritual energy as they traversed the deep woods, only feeling a sense of peace after leaving the dark silhouette of Dingri City behind.
However, as they went deeper into the area, a sense of unease gradually began to linger in their minds.
Because the forest was warm and humid, and the wind seemed to carry a slightly sweet and fishy smell, and as the smell gradually became stronger, they gradually became certain that it was the smell of blood.
In an instant, Qiu Hanyue stopped, her face pale.
"Don't stop, keep going!" Qin Ru couldn't help but growl.
Qiu Hanyue, her hands trembling, said, "The remnants of those who hunted down the fire thieves seem to be in the Jade Balance Mountains."
"Don't be nervous. The Yuheng Mountains are vast and boundless. Even if you try to run into them, it will be difficult. How could you expect to run into them so easily? We're almost at the middle part, and it won't be easy to get out of here."
"Senior Sister Qin is right. If we keep going, our chances of survival will actually be greater," Lin Cong couldn't help but say, trying to persuade her.
After hearing this, Qiu Hanyue bit her lip and then nodded gently.
In fact, she herself knew that compared to the outside world, this place was still the only place with a chance of survival.
So the group continued their journey through the mountains. When their spiritual energy was depleted, they switched to walking, breathing in and out spiritual energy as they went. Once their spiritual energy was full, they continued their journey.
As they walked, they stopped in the north-central part of the Yuheng Mountains.
A sudden shout of killing came from the dense forest not far away, so loud that it made everyone's expression change.
Buzz!
In an instant, the entire mountain forest was torn apart by a sharp, piercing sound!
Before the six people hiding deep in the forest could react, a huge figure plummeted down like a meteor, crashing heavily in front of them.
It was a remnant of the race with three eyes and two horns on its forehead. It exuded a suffocating pressure. Its mountain-like figure was huge and magnificent. In an instant, it made the six people feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave, and their blood almost froze.
Qin Ruo and Lin Cong suddenly clenched their fists, their eyes trembling as they stared intently.
How lucky they were! The Yuheng Mountains are so vast, yet they actually encountered one.
Even if they are caught, they will still die. Now they have no choice but to fight back...
To their surprise, the towering, mountain-like remnant of the clan did not make any move after standing still; only the bloodlust in his eyes slowly faded.
Before they could react, a jet of blood suddenly exploded from the other man's chest, and his massive body was severed in two at the waist. He crashed to the ground with a thud, sending leaves flying everywhere, before their astonished gazes.
At that moment, a clear, crisp sword cry rang out from directly in front of them.
The raging wind and waves, like a tsunami, suddenly descended with the vast silver light, tearing apart and obliterating ancient trees that would take dozens of people to encircle, turning them into dust that filled the sky.
When the six of them finally managed to open their eyes, they found that the scene before them had completely changed.
The once lush mountain range was abruptly erased, leaving behind a vast, empty space spanning dozens of miles, with only a shocking crater remaining amidst the verdant forest.
As the vast forest before them was swept away by a single sword strike, the six people's vision was no longer obstructed, and they finally saw the source of the wild sword energy.
It was a leveled earthen slope, and on the top of the slope, hundreds of remnants of the tribe were in a "deteriorating" and berserk state, surging with malevolent energy and surrounding the entire earthen slope in layers.
Amidst the encirclement of those remnants, a white-clad swordsman held his sword in one hand, his entire body radiating sword energy, while a magnificent halo spun behind him, charging forward like a god.
"Zheng—!"
The clear, melodious sword cry, like the cry of a phoenix in the heavens, instantly suppressed the surging waves.
As the sword pointed, a chilling sword light once again crashed head-on into the black raging tide, and blood mist filled the sky above the hillside.
Among them was a figure they recognized clearly and were extremely familiar with—the very same falcon that had escorted them there.
He was falling from the sky, and the blood mist that exploded in front of him scattered in the wind.
After Qin Ruo and the others were captured, they witnessed Hu Zhen take action and estimated that his combat strength should be above Ying Tian's. They never expected that he would die so decisively.
The crowd stared at the figure wielding the sword, their pupils trembling.
Not a group, but one, just one.
Most incredibly, the figure surrounded by sword energy gave them a sense of familiarity.
It was as if they had been instantly transported to the Heavenly Dao Society, to the Shengjing Immortal Garden, and onto the road to conquer the thousand-year-old aristocratic families.
Startled, Sheng Xiyu mechanically turned her head and subconsciously looked at Qiu Hanyue, who stared blankly at the scene, as if recalling once again the worst choice she had ever made in her life.
In the past, Miss Qiu lived a life of luxury and ease. When she married, she only wanted to marry someone with a good background and high status. She was more inclined to scoff at the idea of becoming a Taoist priest alone, confronting powerful families, and striving for self-improvement.
But it wasn't until calamities kept befalling her, and even her own family was struggling to survive, that she realized what was truly important.
Just then, they noticed that the person who had drawn the sword seemed to have sensed their presence and stared at them.
In that instant, Qin Ruo snapped back to reality: "This is a golden opportunity! Let's go!"
With a low growl, everyone trembled and immediately channeled their spiritual energy, rushing off in the opposite direction with a whoosh.
Even after they had charged dozens of miles and crossed a huge canyon, their hearts were still pounding wildly like drums, making it difficult for them to calm down.
"Who...who is that person?"
"I've never seen this before."
"I feel like his swordsmanship is similar to Ji You's, only with more of the energy of wind and thunder..."
As soon as Sheng Xiyu finished speaking, the remaining five people fell silent. This was not because her statement was absurd, but because they had also mistaken the person for Ji You for a moment.
Then, at that moment of mistaken identity, for some reason, they felt an overwhelming sense of security.
It's as if everything will settle down after that figure appears, and there's nothing to worry about anymore.
In fact, this sense of security is neither illusory nor inexplicable, but rather because they had previously witnessed that figure slaying evil beings, killing a wandering demon, and charging into an altar filled with malevolent energy.
"Bang!!!!"
In the north-central part of the Yuheng Mountains, Ji You landed amidst a pile of corpses, his body riddled with cracks that constantly spewed out bits of earth.
The place where the Heavenly Dao of the remnants is most turbulent has the most concentrated power of laws, and the faster one's cultivation realm advances. Sometimes, one can even see the operation of laws with the naked eye without needing divine sense.
However, similarly, the remnants of these tribes will become increasingly powerful and their arrival will be more rapid.
He already knew this; fortune and misfortune are intertwined. He didn't feel he had lost out, because sometimes, time is the most important thing.
At this moment, Ji You slightly raised his eyes, golden light flowing in them, and looked at the huge storm of flesh and blood deep in Youzhou.
Compared to when they first entered the forest, the storm had shrunk considerably, and correspondingly, the figures within the storm had become more solid.
After gazing for a long time, Ji You slowly straightened up from the hillside, sheathed his sword, chose a spot to sit down again, and his divine sense soared into the sky once more. Then, it spread out in the rolling laws, attaching itself to the ancient rules and flowing magnificently.
The ancient sounds of the beginning, the singularity of chaos—everything was constantly evolving in a frenzy, crashing against his spreading divine thoughts.
Bumps, scattering, collapse, gathering.
The Heavenly Dao, brimming with boundless vitality, is extremely easy to perceive yet incredibly difficult to imprison, like an untamed azure dragon.
Ji You gritted his teeth, waving his hand to tear at the law, and then began to forcibly invade it, feeling its surging energy as if he were experiencing it himself.
This arduous journey of enlightenment lasted for a long time, and after he had exerted all his strength to begin to sense a pattern, three pairs of eyes opened simultaneously within the enormous flesh-and-blood furnace of the Youzhou Plain.
They exhaled slowly, their powerful breaths constantly causing the heavens and earth to roar.
Before long, the bright red flesh and blood began to solidify.
"Congratulations to the Crown Prince and his two ministers on their birth."
As the words fell, the young member of the surviving clan slowly opened his eyes: "A scourge to the king? It's been a long time."
Huo Yang placed his hands on his chest and slowly bowed.
Upon seeing this, the young member of the surviving family turned his gaze away and looked towards the south.
In the area not yet fully shrouded in night, the divine might of the sacred artifact roared continuously, causing him to squint slightly.
(End of this chapter)
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