Yun Tingfeng smiled satisfactorily and said, “As long as we find the opportunity, the two of us will separately target Luoshengyi and Jiang Zhiwei. Once they are dead, the rest are not worth mentioning. Hehe, we are in the shadows while they are in the open—it’s a perfect opportunity. However, we must be cautious and try to avoid Gukongshan and others. The top experts in this world are not only powerful but also mysterious.”
Although Xiaozi easily killed an enemy who had opened his acupoint, he did not believe this girl, whose aura was not particularly strong, could be ranked alongside himself and Su Yuanying.
Here, he slightly furrowed his thick eyebrows: “What you saw earlier was Gukongshan’s attack—it resembles the External Manifestation, yet is different from it. Just what level does this belong to? External Cultivation, Internal Cultivation, Penetrating Obscurity, or Entering the Divine? The first two still conform to martial cultivation principles and are understandable. However, Penetrating Obscurity is completely different from Opening the Acupoints. It spontaneously manifests supernatural abilities—bearing signs of External Manifestation yet lacking its might, possessing the form of Opened Acupoints but not its capabilities.”
What he referred to as the abilities of Opened Acupoints meant the vision from the eye acupoint and hearing from the ear acupoint.
As for Entering the Divine, it was merely a legend in this world, not worth discussing.
“Perhaps it’s due to borrowed external power. Cough, didn’t you see? Apart from the four major sects and the Demon Cult, there are no experts at the Penetrating Obscurity level. Moreover, Penetrating Obscurity itself has varying degrees of strength. The strong ones, like Gukongshan, can stir up storms and sweep the area clean, while the weak ones, like the outer sect steward of Fengyun Manor, can only use the wind when it’s blowing, and without wind, they run slower than my Qi-accumulation-completed maidservant.”
Su Yuanying, a pale-faced youth with feminine features, said with a half-smile, “External power? Could it be that the cultivation path here is completely opposite to ours—first borrowing power from heaven and earth, then forging the physical body, and finally merging them together?”
Yun Tingfeng interlaced his fingers, resting them under his chin: “If that’s the case, how exactly does one borrow it?”
If Yun Tingfeng could figure it out himself, he wouldn’t bring it up for discussion. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Brother Su, what are your thoughts?”
Su Yuanying smiled without answering, then turned to Xiaozi: “Shall we continue creating chaos for a while?”
Xiaozi gazed blankly out the window at the night view, replying indifferently, “I won’t go anymore.”
Yun Tingfeng continued, “The chaos is already sufficient. Moreover, Fengyun Manor is now on guard. If we go again, Gukongshan might intercept us. Instead, let them remain in constant fear and weariness. Once we reach the desert, we can find ways to separate them and kill them one by one.”
“Excellent. Once in the desert, I’ll have my own methods to make them lose control and fall into chaos.” After saying this, Su Yuanying patted the shoulders of the two maids, then, leaning on them, rose to leave.
After Su Yuanying had left for a while, Hongxiu pouted and said, “That sickly fellow is so arrogant. Hmph! Even his maids are only at the Qi-accumulation stage. What is there to be proud of?”
She especially disliked those two overly seductive girls, and by extension, disliked Su Yuanying as well.
Yun Tingfeng smiled slightly, not angered by Su Yuanying’s arrogance. He gently stroked Hongxiu’s hair and said, “Don’t underestimate others. Those two girls might have practiced some special cultivation method, becoming Su Yuanying’s spiritual furnaces, which is why they struggle to break through to opening the acupoints.”
“Who knows what kind of cultivation method he practices, requiring such strange furnaces? Also, who knows what methods he has to create chaos in the desert?”
He said the last sentence while looking at Xiaozi.
Xiaozi turned her gaze back from the window, gracefully rising like an orchid in a secluded valley—both refined and alluring. As she slowly walked toward the door, her lips curled into a mocking smile: “Isn’t it just borrowing external power? Not much different from Gukongshan and the like. The only difference is that one can control it, while the other cannot.”
“What do you mean?” Yun Tingfeng abruptly stood up, but Xiaozi ignored him further.
Narrowing his eyes as Xiaozi disappeared into the night, Yun Tingfeng softly snorted: “So mysterious. One day, I’ll show you who’s stronger.”
“Yun Gege, when the time comes, leave that little bald monk to me. Hmph! He actually dared to slash my clothes and injure my skin,” Hongxiu coquettishly said.
Yun Tingfeng’s smile returned as he stroked Hongxiu’s long hair: “Don’t play with him too much. Without accumulating small streams, one cannot form rivers and seas.”
…
The wind was like a blazing loom, hot and dry. The sand was like iron filings, stinging the face. Meng Qi and a male and female companion cautiously advanced through the semi-desert area.
The murder of Xia Chulin had not yet caused panic in Fengyun Manor. However, the massive insect attack that night ignited fear in people’s hearts, causing widespread rumors. It was said that many demon cult members were hiding in Fengyun Manor, waiting to sabotage it.
Under such circumstances, Meng Qi and his companions naturally received even colder treatment and greater suspicion. Seeing this, the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, Zhaixing Tower, and Xiaoyue Gate all halted their advance, fearing entanglement in this mess and causing chaos within their own sects and affiliated factions.
Eventually, the three sects only sent their leaders to hastily attend the alliance ceremony before changing their minds and deciding to advance together. This way, they could rescue each other and avoid having one group’s chaos affect all the teams. Naturally, Meng Qi and his companions were assigned to Fengyun Manor’s group.
Holy Volcano Mountain lay deep in the desert, with many suitable ambush spots along the way. Therefore, Fengyun Manor dispatched scouts to investigate the path ahead to avoid falling into enemy traps.
As the group most suspected and exploited, Meng Qi and his six companions were naturally “appealed to righteousness” and assigned to the scouting ranks. However, Gukongshan was not a narrow-minded person and was thorough in his actions. He even assigned more than ten of his favorite disciples and stewards to the scouting teams to prevent dissatisfaction among others.
Afterward, Meng Qi and his companions were scattered into small groups, each consisting of two or three Fengyun Manor disciples and stewards. They took turns scouting ahead. They also planned to use each scouting team as bait to lure out Gu Xiaosang’s group, then have their hidden companions ambush and launch a thunderous attack, maximizing enemy casualties. If possible, they would switch to stalling tactics, waiting for Fengyun Manor’s experts like Gukongshan to arrive.
“Although we haven’t entered the desert yet, this sandstorm is terrifying. Let’s temporarily take shelter in the ruined temple ahead,” said Chen Xiao, a female disciple of Fengyun Manor, covering her face with her hand, fearing the sandstorm would ruin her skin.
Though she was asking, she only looked at the male disciple of Fengyun Manor, completely ignoring Meng Qi, the seemingly young and inexperienced foreign young monk.
Chen Xiao was beautiful. The male disciple, Luo You, flattered with a smile: “Under such sandstorms, even enemies wouldn’t go out. They might be hiding in the ruined temple, waiting for us to catch them. True Ding Master, don’t you agree?”
He had been instructed by a steward to closely monitor Meng Qi and his companions.
Meng Qi remained alert for possible ambushes and indifferently replied, “In such a sandstorm, even if enemies pass us by, we might not notice.”
“Master True Ding makes a valid point. In that case, let’s take shelter in the ruined temple,” Luo You nodded in agreement and smiled at Chen Xiao. “Senior Sister Chen, that ruined temple was said to be a shrine dedicated to worshipping the Demon Lord in ancient times. Later, when the Demon Lord stormed the Nine Heavens, he was slain by an immortal, and the shrine fell into ruin.”
This was a semi-desert area, where some places had stubborn and resilient poplar trees forming small groves, and within the grove stood an old ruined temple.
Meng Qi had heard this myth repeatedly over the past ten days. Later, the Demon Lord’s remains fell, forming the Demon Graveyard on Holy Volcano Mountain, where eternal demon flames burned. The Demon Graveyard opened once every sixty years, releasing demon qi. Anyone infected by the demon qi would fall into the demon path, losing their sanity but gaining immense martial power, possibly even reaching the Penetrating Obscurity or Entering the Divine stages.
Because of the Demon Graveyard, this world had repeatedly suffered catastrophes until a celestial descended, forging four divine weapons. Every sixty years, the divine weapons were used to seal the Demon Graveyard once more, ending its threat.
Legend said that if a person with great destiny and fortune emerged, the Demon Graveyard’s door would fully open, allowing them to obtain the Demon Lord’s remains and inheritance, returning to the world as a demon cultivator, sword pointed at the Nine Heavens.
Pushing open the half-closed temple door, Luo You and Chen Xiao carefully inspected the area before gathering some branches and dried grass to start a fire for warmth.
Meng Qi took out some dry rations from his bosom, roasted them slightly, and wolfed them down with clear water from the gourd at his waist.
“Master True Ding, you don’t seem to have reached Penetrating Obscurity, yet your lightness skill is indeed quite good,” Luo You took the opportunity to probe.
Chen Xiao also looked at Meng Qi with her beautiful eyes, her right hand unconsciously resting on her sword hilt.
Meng Qi swallowed his steamed bun and chuckled, “Maybe I’m just naturally gifted.”
Who knows what “Penetrating Obscurity” means!
During this time, they had been greatly suspected and found it difficult to obtain important information. Thus, they only knew about the cultivation stages but were unaware of the unique abilities of Penetrating Obscurity and Entering the Divine. However, over these past ten days, Meng Qi had made significant progress. The circulation path of the Golden Bell Cover’s fifth stage had become increasingly smooth. Perhaps in another ten or fifteen days, he would master it. He had also grasped the basics of sword techniques and memorized the variations of the “Yama Note,” no longer needing Jiang Zhiwei to secretly teach him every night.
“I see,” Luo You did not ask further but smiled and said, “If the opportunity arises, I’d like to learn from you, Master, to see whether Penetrating Obscurity is more powerful or natural talent is more important.”
He and Chen Xiao had both entered the Penetrating Obscurity stage, though still in its early state.
“Amitabha, I’d be delighted,” Meng Qi had long wanted to test what “Penetrating Obscurity” was like.
Chen Xiao looked at the sword and saber hanging at Meng Qi’s waist and covered her mouth, laughing: “Master, are you more skilled with the saber or the sword?”
“Can’t I be equally skilled with both?” Meng Qi smiled. It seemed quite good to master three sabers, three swords, and three divine techniques…
Before Chen Xiao could speak, her expression suddenly changed. From the shadow of the pillar, a figure suddenly darted out, directly lunging at her like a ghost, completely unexpected.
She and Luo You were caught off guard by this sudden attack, unable to react in time, watching helplessly as the shadow rushed toward them, their faces turning deathly pale.
Suddenly, a crimson saber light flashed before her eyes, arriving just in time with an indescribable rhythm. With one slash, it struck the shadow.
The shadow screamed, the twisted dark figures around it instantly vanishing as it fell backward. A dark red wound, burning with black qi, appeared across its chest and abdomen.
Chen Xiao, still trembling with fear, pointed at the corpse: “It’s, it’s a Penetrating Obscurity elder from the Demon Cult! He could already transform into a shadow!”
Meng Qi frowned at the corpse, puzzled. Being able to use shadows to hide was indeed mysterious, but his physical combat ability was ordinary, not even comparable to Meng Qi’s Qi-accumulation-completed state.
However, the black qi was extremely sinister. If not for the Red Sun Demon-subduing Saber’s reputation, one slash might not have killed him, allowing him to escape.
After speaking, Chen Xiao suddenly looked at Meng Qi in shock and disbelief, her beautiful eyes wide: “You, you killed a Demon Cult elder with just one slash?”
Luo You also regained his senses, staring at Meng Qi in disbelief.
“Eh, he just happened to pose nicely,” Meng Qi replied with a half-smile.
…
On the peak of a distant hill, Yun Tingfeng and others were watching the ruined temple.
“Brother Su, it’s up to you now,” he said with great anticipation to Su Yuanying.
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