Free Web NovelChapter 194: Chapter 194: Yunluo Mountain Range
As dusk fell, figures surged through Ancient Moon City. Many people hurried back and forth along the streets, and at every entrance and exit, guards continuously checked the identities of passersby, creating a scene of unusual bustle.
Outside the city, after bidding farewell to Lv Yunsheng, Shen Daoxing turned to leave.
But just as he turned, he was surprised to see a graceful figure appear before him.
She had slender, curved eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes as calm and unreadable as the surface of an ancient well. It was Shangguan Yiran.
Shangguan Yiran watched Shen Daoxing in silence. After what felt like a long time, she silently stepped aside, clearing the path for him.
Shen Daoxing stepped forward and bowed. "Commandery Princess!"
He then walked past without hesitation.
Just then, Fu, who was beside Shangguan Yiran, suddenly stepped forward and pressed a bundle into Shen Daoxing’s hands. "Young Master Shen, the Commandery Princess prepared some Miraculous Elixirs and Treasure Medicine for you. Hopefully, they will be of help on your journey."
Shen Daoxing glanced down at the bundle, accepted it, and then offered another deep bow to Shangguan Yiran.
Fu paused for a moment before continuing, "The Commandery Princess says that all the main routes around Ancient Moon City have been sealed by the Celestial Profound Sacred Land. If you wish to leave, Young Master Shen, your best bet is to cross the Luoyun Mountain Range to the south. But you must remember not to venture toward the center of the range. It is exceedingly strange and dangerous in there. Even masters at the Spirit Transformation realm have entered and never returned. You can only travel along the periphery."
Shen Daoxing nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Fu! And please thank the Commandery Princess for informing me!"
With that, he turned and left.
From beginning to end, Shangguan Yiran had not spoken a single word.
Just as Shen Daoxing departed, another graceful figure landed beside Shangguan Yiran. It was Dongfang Wan’Er.
"Junior Sister, did you just let Shen Daoxing go?"
Dongfang Wan’Er stared at Shangguan Yiran in astonishment.
Shangguan Yiran nodded, not denying it.
"Don’t you know that he is prophesied to become a great calamity for our Sacred Land? That he will destroy it entirely?"
Dongfang Wan’Er pressed.
Shangguan Yiran didn’t answer, instead asking, "If it were you, would you have let him go?"
Dongfang Wan’Er froze. A thousand thoughts flooded her mind, and her brow furrowed in what seemed to be a painful struggle.
Finally, she let out a heavy sigh. "I don’t know!"
Not long after Shen Daoxing had left, an explosive roar suddenly echoed from within Ancient Moon City. "Shen Daoxing, don’t even think about escaping!"
Immediately, Yuwen Jianchi shot into the sky from inside the city, riding his Taotie Treasure Sword as he flew swiftly in pursuit.
By now, Shen Daoxing had already put some distance between himself and the city. He glanced back and saw that Yuwen Jianchi was already clear of the walls.
Shen Daoxing was shocked. ’So fast!’
This was the difference between the Grotto Heaven and Spirit Transformation realms. A master at the Spirit Transformation realm could no longer be classified as a mere Martial Artist. They had taken the first step in transcending the mortal plane to walk the path of the Dao, gaining the ability to control objects and even briefly perform Sword Control.
It was a crucial dividing line that separated the Martial Artists of the world.
Seeing this, Shangguan Yiran frowned and leaped into the air, intending to stop him.
But as she soared high, a massive copper mirror slammed down, crushing her back into the ground.
A cold voice immediately rang out. "Junior Sister Shangguan, what do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to let the tiger go back to its mountain?"
As the icy voice faded, the figure of Yue Wuchen descended.
In that brief moment, Yuwen Jianchi had already flown far away.
Shangguan Yiran bit her lip and made no further move.
Beside her, Dongfang Wan’Er glanced at Shen Daoxing’s retreating figure, then back at Shangguan Yiran. She kept silent, not revealing that Shangguan Yiran had, in fact, already let the tiger go.
Shen Daoxing forged ahead. Seeing Yuwen Jianchi in pursuit, he moved with a flicker, leaving a trail of afterimages as he leaped into the forest ahead like a bolt of lightning.
Heeding Shangguan Yiran’s advice, Shen Daoxing plunged headfirst into the Luoyun Mountain Range.
The Luoyun Mountain Range was vast. Countless Martial Artists died within its depths every year, and not even common folk gathering firewood would dare venture inside.
Shen Daoxing followed the outer edge of the Luoyun Mountain Range. He saw almost no one, save for a few Martial Artists who risked entering the mountains to hunt demonic beasts or gather Spiritual Medicine.
Before he knew it, the sky had grown dark. There was no sign of Yuwen Jianchi behind him, so Shen Daoxing stopped by a clear brook.
He had been traveling all day and decided to rest.
The Taiyi Demon-Slaying Sword Array was immensely powerful, but it also consumed an enormous amount of Spiritual Power. Even with his Seven-Colored Profound Platform, which granted him several times the Spiritual Power of an ordinary person in his Dantian, the earlier fight at Heroes Tower had nearly depleted his reserves.
Shen Daoxing crouched by the brook and drank a few mouthfuls of water. He then found a nearby clearing and sat down to meditate. The Annihilation of Ten Thousand Swords Technique began to circulate within him, and his one hundred and eight acupoints opened, greedily absorbing the Primordial Energy from the world.
He needed to recover his Spiritual Power quickly. Only with his power restored would he have the confidence to face the battles ahead.
Fortunately, unlike in the Martial Kingdom, the Primordial Energy here was abundant. The moment Shen Daoxing sat down, a frenzied surge of Primordial Energy rushed into him, making his entire body feel comfortable and refreshed.
However, he had barely meditated for a moment when the Great Ming Demon Sparrow at his side suddenly sensed something and began to tremble, letting out a low hum.
Shen Daoxing’s eyes snapped open. Realizing the danger, he slapped a palm on the ground and flung himself backward.
The very next moment...
BOOM!
A tremendous roar shook the earth as the spot where he had just been sitting exploded, showering the area with shattered rock. Through the dust, the figure of Yuwen Jianchi slowly emerged, Taotie Treasure Sword in hand.
Shen Daoxing looked at Yuwen Jianchi and said coolly, "You’re as persistent as a ghost. Are all you people from the Celestial Profound Sacred Land part dog?"
Yuwen Jianchi merely stared coldly at Shen Daoxing. "Celestial Slaughter Demon Star. You are a great calamity to my Celestial Profound Sacred Land. You are to be slain without mercy!"
As he spoke, the Taotie Treasure Sword in his hand erupted in a brilliant blue light. He leaped forward with overwhelming momentum, appearing before Shen Daoxing in an instant and slashing down.
"Break!"
Shen Daoxing cried out, swinging the Great Ming Demon Sparrow upward to meet the blow. In that instant, Demon Fire erupted from the blade, surging forward like a tidal wave.
However, just as Shen Daoxing swung his blade, the sky above him suddenly darkened. An enormous Ancient Copper Mirror was crashing down upon him.
Shen Daoxing hastily aborted his attack, leaning back and sliding away just in time to evade the strike.
BOOM!
The Ancient Copper Mirror slammed down, sending a shower of brilliant sparks into the air and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Through it, the figure of Yue Wuchen was slowly revealed.
Seeing both of them, Shen Daoxing’s heart sank. ’Against one master of the Spirit Transformation realm, I’m confident I could hold my own for a few moves. But against two at once, I’ll surely be defeated. What’s more, my Spiritual Power hasn’t recovered yet, so I can’t even use the Taiyi Demon Suppression Array.’
