Free Web NovelChapter 735: Crow Cries on Sword, Moon Falls in Clouds
With that, Song Yan bent his sword finger, and Crying Moon revolved in the air, a sliver of moonlight drifting out from the moon wheel, condensing on the Crying Moon sword.
"Moon Gaze."
Moonlight cascaded down, and the attacks of the three opponents were completely wiped away.
The condensed new moon sword light suddenly slashed across the person in front, their protective Spiritual Qi was no match for this moonlight, instantly crushed on the spot.
The gourd Spiritual Artifact they wielded also dimmed, seeming somewhat unstable.
At this moment, the other few people also joined the battle.
Thirty-six white sword lights trailed afterimages, swirling and circling in the air.
They continuously attacked the crowd; even if they didn’t take effect, they would leave sword marks on their protective Spiritual Qi.
These people in front were all at the Late Stage Qi Refining, and there were even Cultivators at Qi Refining Perfection among them.
To quickly eliminate these people, Song Yan naturally had to ensure he operated at full capacity.
If any Cultivators among them had a tricky trump card, he could easily fall into the awkward situation of exhausted Sword Qi.
Fortunately, there was still that Corpse Puppet, which could help him share some of the pressure.
The Corpse Puppet’s strength was also quite impressive, able to completely suppress two opponents in a one-on-two fight.
And what surprised Song Yan was that although this Corpse Puppet was refined by a Cultivator at Qi Refining Perfection, it seemed to rely entirely on its Physical Body strength to contend with two Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivators.
Song Yan wielded the sky-filling sword shadows, continuously compressing the activity space of the four people, including Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen was unwilling to sit idly by. He reached out and, with a swipe, took three High Grade Tier 1 Talismans, "Ice Storm," into his hand, then flung them out all at once.
The three Talismans quickly transformed into three massive ice-frost whirlwinds, layering and spreading outwards.
The sky-filling sword shadows were pushed away slightly by these three overlapping Spells.
Song Yan remained unhurried, his sword incantation changing in his hand.
The thirty-six sword lights quickly re-converged in the air, weaving through the gaps of the ice storm like agile fish, completely unaffected by the cold Qi.
After several exchanges, Song Yan had already realized that Jiang Chen, the one with the highest cultivation Realm, was actually not worth mentioning.
He probably only relied on crooked Demonic Path techniques to quickly advance his cultivation, coupled with a few life-saving Dao Technique.
The combat power displayed by such a Cultivator was extremely superficial and not to be feared at all.
After the Sword-Wiping Tournament of the Sect, Song Yan truly felt how vast the difference in strength levels was between different Cultivators in the same Realm.
With the same cultivation, if this Cultivator surnamed Jiang were to face Li Yi alone, he would probably beg for mercy after one halberd strike and die after two.
In contrast, the two people at Level 8 Qi Refining and Level 9 Qi Refining on the side showed some strength during their exchange.
One of them, a red-robed Cultivator, wielded two curved blades that spun and flew with astonishing power.
Both curved blades were actually High Grade Magical Artifacts; it was unknown whether he acquired them through a fortuitous encounter or if this person had achievements in Artifact Refining.
The curved blades spun and flew, destroying several sword shadows.
The red-robed Cultivator was also complaining bitterly at this moment.
Earlier, when he heard that Jiang Chen had gathered several Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivators and invited a group of Loose Cultivators from an unknown source to intercept Sheng Nian, his heart was overjoyed.
His two curved blades were already High Grade Magical Artifacts; if he could refine the ultimate spiritual material of gold and earth, ’Sinking Sand Profound Gold,’ into them, they would very likely reach the level of a Top Grade Spiritual Artifact.
He had painstakingly schemed, even personally killing his elder brother, and finally had a chance to obtain it, but he never expected it to fall into Sheng Nian’s hands, so he was already full of resentment.
However, he never expected this obscure Demonic Path Loose Cultivator to be so powerful.
Ten Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivators pursued him together, yet he not only survived, but three of their side were lost in the process.
There was even a Sword Cultivator friend who was equally unfathomable.
Looking at Jiang Chen, who only knew how to talk, the red-robed Cultivator couldn’t help but curse him as a motley crew.
Song Yan had just broken through to the Level 9 Qi Refining Realm, and his strength had greatly increased.
However, he had no intention of using these few people for practice.
Sword Qi surged wildly from his sleeves, winding and flowing, aiming directly for Jiang Chen’s face.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen’s expression changed drastically.
He hurriedly activated his jade seal Spiritual Artifact, setting up a green light curtain in front of him. The other three also each brought out their protective Spiritual Artifacts, and for a moment, spiritual light flickered.
Bang!
The Sword Qi and the jade seal collided with a deafening explosion. Jiang Chen was shaken back several steps, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
His heart was terrified; this Sword Qi seemed weak, but its power far exceeded his expectations.
The other three, seeing this, immediately came to his aid.
Although they all secretly cursed this person as useless, anyone with a discerning eye could see that Song Yan’s strength was extraordinary.
If Jiang Chen, the only Cultivator at Qi Refining Perfection, were severely injured, the three of them would only suffer the fate of a toothless lip.
One of them brought out a small green light shield, blocking in front of Jiang Chen.
Another gray-robed Daoist chanted incantations, and a crimson fire armor slowly appeared around him. This sight was somewhat similar to the fire-element defensive Dao Technique Dan Zifeng had previously used.
The red-robed Daoist was responsible for the counterattack. He attacked Song Yan from the side, his two curved blades cutting arcs in the air with sharp edges, coming together to kill.
Song Yan remained unhurried, his right hand guiding his sword finger, the Crying Moon Flying Sword drawing an arc of light, cutting apart the two curved blades attacking from the side.
Then he sent another sword strike towards the red-robed Daoist.
It was ordinary and lacked much spiritual power.
However, in the red-robed Cultivator’s eyes, this sword strike possessed an unstoppable force, like the sky falling and the earth collapsing.
In a daze, he seemed to see the illusion of a full moon falling on his head.
Making him instinctively retreat rapidly.
At the same time, the Sleeve Green Snake Sword Qi also pressed down on the remaining few people.
Jiang Chen was not worried; it was true that this green Sword Qi was astonishingly powerful, but now that he was prepared, he could resist it with the jade seal in his hand.
He once again activated the jade seal; this time, the spiritual light on the jade seal shone brightly, and green Spiritual Qi enveloped all four of them.
"Hiss..."
A unique hiss of a cold-blooded animal came from an unknown place.
Only to see the green Sword Qi winding and flowing, mixed with countless green flying leaves at some unknown point.
The Cultivator wielding the shield exclaimed in surprise: "Demonic power?!"
Alas, it was too late.
The Sword Qi of Sleeve Green Snake pressed in from all directions, and the few people were already struggling to continue.
This green leaf demonic power, leveraging the momentum of the Sword Qi, pierced into the four people’s Spiritual Artifacts, and even their protective spiritual robes.
Just then, Xiao He squatted beside Ju Luyi, her two small hands clapping together with a ’pop’.
She made a sound effect, innocent and carefree: "Boom."
The violent demonic power was instantly detonated. Even though the four people were prepared and resisted with all their might, they could not remain unscathed.
Their protective Spiritual Qi was torn to shreds, and the jade seal also suddenly dimmed, falling back into Jiang Chen’s hand.
The most terrifying thing was that at this moment, the four of them had not yet had time to adjust their spiritual breath, and the sky-filling sword shadows had already circulated and descended around them.
At this moment, the Unmoored Boat, which had been stuck in the ground, finally moved.
However, it was not Song Yan who wielded it, but Xianxian on his shoulder.
At this moment, thirty-six wind and thunder sword shadows began to rage wildly above the sword formation.
Sword Qi surged out from beneath the Zhen Dao Sword Mansion, converging towards the icy moon on the sword, and the Sword Qi scattered from the sword shadows was also absorbed by it.
The moon wheel became increasingly solid, and its Aura rapidly grew immense.
Jiang Chen had long harbored thoughts of retreat. Seeing that the situation was already precarious, a silver light surged over his body. He used some unknown secret technique, breaking through the surrounding sword shadows.
He intended to flee towards Jiangbei!
Who knew, he ran head-on into the Corpse Puppet named A Yuan.
A Yuan had by this time beaten the two lower-Realm Cultivators to death. His fists were stained with blood, and his deep eyes looked at Song Yan’s sword formation, understanding.
He bent his legs, and his figure shot out like a cannonball. Before Jiang Chen could react, he was kicked in the chest.
"No..."
Whether from pain or fright, Jiang Chen was now ashen-faced. He was like a kite with a broken string.
He was actually kicked back into the sword formation by the Corpse Puppet A Yuan!
For some unknown reason, the riverside under the night sky suddenly fell silent, as if all sounds ceased at this moment.
However, in the next instant, the Unmoored Boat descended.
At the same time, a crow’s cry broke the silence.
"Caw—!"
The full moon hung high.
The gray-robed Cultivator failed to dodge and was pinned to the ground by the Unmoored Boat.
Endless sword light poured out, like moonlight shining down.
At the same time, the sword shadows rapidly spun and ascended, converging in the cloudy sky. A straight golden rainbow appeared between heaven and earth for a fleeting moment before dissipating.
It was the Cloud Piercing Sword descending with the moonlight!
"Boom—!"
Sword Qi scattered, mingling with the night wind by the river, brushing past everyone.
It blew away the bloodstains that had permeated the area, leaving it completely clean.
All four died, neatly and completely.
The Corpse Puppet A Yuan had disappeared at some unknown point.
From the moment the battle began, he had noticed that among the seven people besieging the Young Lord, one seemed to sense that something was wrong and had been fishing in troubled waters, secretly observing.
It wasn’t until Young Master Song displayed astonishing sword techniques that he wanted to flee.
The Cultivator’s spiritual power surged throughout his body as he fled towards Chian Valley.
"Song Yan!" He cried out in his heart: "Is that Song Yan, who ruined the Demon Ruins’ affairs in Changping before?"
"In just a few short years, he has already reached the Level 9 Qi Refining Realm?"
He was somewhat surprised and suspicious, wanting to quickly escape from here and tell everything that had happened to his Fellow Daoists from the Demon Ruins.
In a moment of distraction, his path was blocked by a tall figure.
The masked Corpse Puppet A Yuan appeared before him at some unknown point, his pale hand gently pressing on his shoulder.
"Fellow Daoist, stay your steps."
His voice was gentle, like a teahouse waiter in winter offering to refill your tea.
However, an incredibly immense, thousand-pound force came from his hand, tearing open his already unstable protective Spiritual Qi.
The Mo Xu Cultivator’s collarbone let out a cracking sound, unable to bear the weight, and he immediately knelt to the ground.
Just then, he happened to witness Song Yan’s moon fall and the Cloud Piercing Sword descending.
"Gulp."
The Mo Xu Cultivator swallowed hard.
The Corpse Puppet A Yuan slightly raised his gaze, his eyes flickering, and he murmured softly: "What beautiful moonlight."
He didn’t know what he was thinking.
But in just an instant, he snapped out of his reverie.
He lifted the Mo Xu Cultivator with his right hand, and with his left hand, he gripped his right arm, applying a little force to dislocate it.
"Ah—!" A scream came from his mouth.
The Corpse Puppet A Yuan seemed to find him a bit noisy. He took out some rags from somewhere and stuffed them into his mouth, stopping the screams.
Then he suddenly threw a punch, striking the person’s Dantian.
He simply and brutally destroyed his Foundation, severed all his Meridians, leaving him with only a single breath.
Ignoring the person’s painful struggles and muffled whimpers, A Yuan nodded with satisfaction, then brought him before Song Yan and Sheng Nian.
At this moment, the sword shadows revolved, returning to the sword scabbard, and the Flying Swords were also withdrawn one by one.
Xianxian flew back to his shoulder, and the riverside returned to silence.
Song Yan slightly lowered his head to look at Sheng Nian, who was still recuperating: "Tell me, Young Lord Sheng, why did you call me all the way here for?"
"That big business you mentioned, it couldn’t be just to watch you being chased and beaten like a wild dog, could it?"
Sheng Nian had recovered a lot by now, so he stood up.
Ignoring the teasing, he took the horizontal blade Song Yan had given him and examined it carefully, muttering to himself: "Hmm, a good blade, truly a good blade."
"Young Master Song is wealthy, so I will gladly accept it."
He gave the Corpse Puppet a look, and the Corpse Puppet began to clean up the battlefield.
"Oh?" Sheng Nian suddenly looked at Snake Babe: "It’s been a while, has Xiao He grown bigger?"
Song Yan nodded: "She’s now a Late Stage Tier 1 demon."
Xiao He chuckled, proudly putting her hands on her hips.
"Wow, impressive, impressive, impressive..."
Sheng Nian’s gaze shifted, falling on Xiao Ju, who stood quietly beside Song Yan. He raised an eyebrow and asked: "And this young lady is?"
Song Yan replied briefly: "Ju Luyi, currently traveling with me."
Sheng Nian let out a meaningful "Oh," a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes, but he said no more.
Since Song Yan had brought her to meet him, she must be a trustworthy person.
"This matter is of great importance, let’s leave this troublesome place first."
Being asked so abruptly, Xiao Ju’s expression was a little nervous.
However, upon hearing Sheng Nian’s words, her heart became uneasy.
Since the matter was of great importance, should she perhaps avoid it?
Could she still go with Senior Song...? Just as she was caught in her anxious thoughts, Sheng Nian suddenly curled a playful smile: "Little sister."
"Since you know the relationship between this Devil Head and your Young Master Song, then you’ve boarded a pirate ship."
He deliberately lowered his voice, patting her taut, slender shoulder: "Don’t spread it around, otherwise—"
"Young Master Song is soft-hearted, but I will definitely silence you."
Xiao Ju froze at his words, but she did not show the cowering Sheng Nian had imagined.
On the contrary, she looked up directly at Sheng Nian, with a hint of joy in her eyes.
At this moment, Xiao Ju’s heart was pounding.
She seemed to glimpse a Dao that was hidden in the dark night, yet shone with the bright moon.
"Mm!" A strange warmth surged in her chest, dispelling her initial unease. She nodded heavily, her hair swaying: "Xiao Ju understands!"
Her tone was firm and resolute, as if making some Heavenly Dao oath.
Sheng Nian was startled, clearly not expecting such a reaction from her.
"Why are you scaring her?" Song Yan shook his head: "Let’s go quickly."
As they spoke, the Corpse Puppet A Yuan had finished cleaning the battlefield, holding a string of qiankun bags, slung over his back.
The Mo Xu Cultivator, who had fainted from extreme pain, was carried by him like a small chick.
Sheng Nian led the way, heading into the mountains.
After walking for about an hour, they arrived in front of a hill that resembled a broken cliff. Sheng Nian casually activated a Talisman, dispelling the illusion array.
A hidden cave appeared before them.
It truly was a hidden gem.
Inside, the furnishings were simple.
Stone tables and stools, with some bottles and jars beside them, and a few blood-stained robes in the corner.
"Temporary lodging, I apologize for the poor hospitality, Young Master Song, please don’t take offense."
Unexpectedly, this was only an outer room. Sheng Nian casually lifted a stone slab on the ground, revealing steps leading underground.
They followed the steps down for more than ten zhang, and their vision suddenly opened up.
It was a very large stone chamber.
Kicking away an empty medicine jar that was in the way, Sheng Nian sat down on a stone stool.
The Corpse Puppet A Yuan and Chen Jiping stood quietly behind him, one on his left and one on his right.
Sheng Nian spoke: "I’ll be brief. Have you ever heard of... the rumors of the Immortal Dynasty Ancient Battlefield?"
