Blade - Unbound

Yin Lightning collided with Yang Lightning, and Li Yan came out on top in the exchange.

The Daoist had likely already constructed the second floor of his inner temple. Although Li Yan's cultivation was weaker, the quality of his technique far surpassed his opponent's.

His Northern Emperor Yin Lightning Palm was a Ghost God Art, and it was extraordinary by nature. The other man's Palm Lightning, on the other hand, was merely the most basic introductory technique.

Of course, there was another important reason. Yang Lightning was overwhelmingly fierce. Even ancient demons and zombies that had cultivated for centuries could not withstand it. One strike was enough to destroy both body and spirit.

The human body, however, was frail. How could it possibly absorb heavenly lightning? Thus, Yang Lightning arts all used one's lightning qi as a guide. They established a ritual altar, conducted ceremonies, and borrowed the power of ghosts and gods to invoke the transformations of yin and yang, thereby summoning divine lightning from above.

In comparison, Yin Lightning was somewhat inferior. It lacked Yang Lightning's authority over the Heavens and its overwhelming aura that cowed all things. In the future, when Li Yan established a ritual altar, it would instead be for the Northern Emperor Luofeng Summoning Rite.

Yet Yin Lightning also possessed its own advantages. Its nature was lingering, heavy, and turbid, specializing in damaging the soul. It was somewhat like static electricity. As long as the proper hand seals guided the killing qi, bolts of lightning could be released directly.

High-level Palm Lightning techniques, however, were different. To actually unleash visible lightning, one first had to form hand seals, recite incantations, and rely upon the assistance of spiritual artifacts.

Otherwise, the practitioner would likely be struck half to death before the spell even succeeded.

"Martial Uncle!"

Seeing the Daoist suffer a setback, the young Daoists hurried over, drawing their swords to shield him.

Li Yan casually shook out his tingling hand before saying calmly, "Now then, can we finally have a proper conversation, Daoist?"

"Yin Lightning Palm?" The Daoist's expression shifted repeatedly before he asked in a deep voice, "A technique of this caliber is impossible for unorthodox practitioners to possess. Just who are you?"

Li Yan ignored the question and changed the subject. "We've come up the mountain to attend the Mount Hua Wine Unsealing ceremony. Why did you block our path with your weapons drawn?"

"Hmph!" The Daoist snorted and pointed toward Lu San. "Ask that little thief. Why did he dare steal from Mount Hua?"

As everyone's gaze turned toward him, Lu San replied softly, "I sent my hawk ahead to scout the road. But the little fellow hasn't developed its spirituality. It saw a piece of fruit and picked it."

So that was what had happened.

Li Yan immediately understood.

Sha Lifei who had just arrived, however, refused to let it go. Looking thoroughly dissatisfied, he complained, "You Daoists are something else. A traveler gets thirsty and picks a piece of fruit, and you immediately start waving swords around.

"Besides, it wasn't even a person. It was a hawk that didn't know any better! If that's how you handle things, shouldn't you skin every monkey on this mountain too?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" The Daoist was furious. "Every blade of grass and every tree on Mount Hua is protected from being cut down. Several spiritual trees nurtured here have been repeatedly stolen over the past few days.

"You're all members of the mystic path, so stop pretending not to understand."

At that moment, Yan Jiuling hurried over. After bowing respectfully, he said, "Please calm down, Daoist. This humble scholar is Yan Jiuling, a candidate for the Imperial Exam from Ezhou. Governor Li of Shanzhou is an old acquaintance of my grandfather. I can testify that these gentlemen only just met me on the way up the mountain. They are certainly no thieves."

As he spoke, he produced a folded note from his robes. An official seal was clearly stamped upon it.

After glancing at it, the Daoist's expression softened somewhat and eventually, he nodded. "So that's the case, it seems this Daoist has wronged you."

Sha Lifei stared in disbelief. "Wait a minute. You drew your swords on us without so much as a word. But he says a few sentences and you immediately believe him?"

The Daoist's face darkened as he snapped back, "He is an educated scholar who understands propriety. As for you random cultivators who came from nowhere, most of you harbor crooked intentions. How can this Daoist possibly trust you so easily?"

So he's just a snob...

Li Yan's eyes turned cold. He could no longer be bothered arguing with an idiot. Instead, he asked, "Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, may we leave?"

"Absolutely not!" The Daoist answered just as curtly. "Everyone climbing the mountain must first register at the temple. This Daoist is stationed here specifically to prevent those with malicious intentions from sneaking into Mount Hua.

"Ordinary visitors are one thing. But all cultivators must possess a token and complete registration before being allowed onto the mountain."

Frowning, Li Yan retrieved the qualification token from his robes. "We naturally have our token."

The Daoist accepted it and examined it for several moments before snorting softly. "Come with me."

With that, he turned and walked away first. The group exchanged helpless glances, shook their heads, and followed behind.

After walking only a short distance, a temple came into view beside the mountain path. The plaque above its entrance bore three large characters: Maonu Cave.

Yan Jiuling immediately exclaimed in realization, "So this is the shrine of the Immortal Maiden Mao."

The Daoist's tone instantly became much friendlier. "As expected of a learned scholar. Maiden Mao is one of the true immortals of our Daoist tradition. Her original name was Yu Jiang and she served as a palace maid under Qin Shi Huang.

"After the fall of Qin, she fled into Mount Hua where an immortal guided her cultivation. There, she lived on pine needles and spring water. Green hair gradually covered her body, transforming it into that of an immortal. This shrine has been dedicated to her ever since."

As they spoke, the group entered the temple. Maonu Cave was not particularly large. Its incense offerings, however, remained abundant. Ash within the incense burner had accumulated into a small mountain. Many strips of red cloth bearing prayers for blessings hung from the surrounding railings.

The Daoist turned toward Li Yan and the others and snapped, "Let me see your Dao Permits."

Speaking to them, his voice had once again become cold and indifferent. It was the first time any of them had encountered someone so openly snobbish. Though displeased, they were standing on someone else's territory. They could only produce their Dao Permits.

Ever since the imperial court had issued its decree before the New Year, carrying one's Dao Permit whenever traveling had become common knowledge among members of the mystical world.

Otherwise, one would encounter trouble almost everywhere. Wang Daoxuan presented his white Dao Permit while Li Yan produced his black one.

The moment the Daoist saw it, surprise flashed across his face. He hurriedly opened it and examined it before asking in confusion, "You're neither a member of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect, nor a cultivator of an established lineage. How did you obtain this?"

Li Yan glanced at him before snorting once. "I work for the Underworld."

The Daoist froze as silence hung in the air for a moment. Eventually, he asked no further questions and instead turned toward Lu San. Lu San had spent most of his life wandering the wilderness. Naturally, he possessed no Dao Permit.

Li Yan immediately spoke up. "This brother's Dao Permit has already been registered. He simply hasn't had time to collect it yet. Daoists Luo Mingzi and Gu Chenzi from the Enforcement Hall in Chang'an are both acquainted with me."

Only then did Li Yan truly understand the saying: The King of Hell is easy to meet; it's the petty underlings who are troublesome to deal with.

He had never imagined that halfway up the mountain he would encounter such a difficult to deal with fellow. This time, he had been forced into pulling connections himself. Perhaps because of the black Dao Permit, or perhaps because of Li Yan's status as a living yin emissary, the Daoist asked no more questions.

"If that's the case, this Daoist won't make things difficult for you any longer. Once you've gone up the mountain, proceed directly to the Pure Yang Palace. Someone there will receive you."

With that, he took out a register and began recording their information.

At last, it’s over.

Li Yan quietly shook his head and waited off to one side. Who would have thought that the Summoning Writ tucked inside his robes would suddenly become scorching hot. Li Yan froze instantly.

Before he could even react, everything around him was swallowed by dense white mist.

Could it be?! The Underworld is assigning a new mission now? Or have I encountered another divine manifestation?

Filled with doubt, Li Yan hurried forward. Not long later, the surrounding mist rapidly dispersed to reveal an enormous cauldron.

What is this?

Curiosity filled Li Yan's heart.

Could this be another Underworld artifact?

He cautiously stepped forward. Just as he had done when using the well, he slowly extended a hand toward the massive cauldron. To his surprise, nothing happened.

His curiosity only grew stronger. Without another thought, he leapt onto it, intending to inspect it more closely. The instant he looked inside, an icy chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head. Every hair on his body stood on end.

Lying within the cauldron was a monster, its entire body covered in long green hair. Its shape vaguely resembled a human. Its gaze was as sharp and terrifying as unsheathed blades, as though it intended to swallow him whole the very next instant.

A demon?

Li Yan's entire body tensed instinctively. He was just about to strike when something suddenly occurred to him. His hand froze in midair.

This place is called Maonu Cave... Could this creature actually be Maiden Mao? But why does she look so horrifying?

Fortunately, the creature merely stared at him without making any unusual move.

Just as Li Yan was about to speak, the scene around him changed once again. He now found himself inside a pitch-black cavern. It appeared to have been constructed according to the Eight Trigrams, with talismans of every size carved into the surrounding walls and filled with cinnabar, their crimson color as vivid as fresh blood.

Simply looking at them filled him with an overwhelming aura of slaughter that seemed to pierce straight between his brows, sending chills down his spine.

At the center of the cavern stood an enormous bronze coffin. Its surface was mottled with verdigris, and seven bronze spears had been driven into the lid according to the positions of the Seven Stars.

It was the very coffin used to suppress the Drought Wraith!

Li Yan immediately understood Maiden Mao was trying to tell him something.

Just then, another change occurred within the cavern. A sinister wind suddenly rose from the ground beside the coffin. Earth scattered everywhere as an enormous log slowly emerged from beneath the soil.

What is that?

Li Yan instinctively grew wary. The log was clearly pine, and its surface was covered with countless claw marks. After emerging from the earth, it collapsed heavily onto the ground, stopping only a few meters short of the bronze coffin.

Soon afterward, something else crawled out of the ground. A tiny lizard with six legs appeared. It looked very strange, with a raised ridge protruding from its back. Li Yan simply couldn't imagine how such a tiny six-legged creature had managed to haul such an enormous log out of the ground. It even seemed to have employed an earth-burrowing technique.

However, the little creature appeared extremely fearful of the blood-red talismans covering the surrounding walls. It dared not expose itself openly. Instead, it struggled forward beneath the log. Each step seemed to carry the weight of a thousand jun.

Even so, it never once stopped. Using the log as cover, it slowly approached the bronze coffin. Unfortunately, the log still fell a short distance away from the coffin. After crawling to the very end of it, the six-legged lizard wandered back and forth for a while before helplessly retreating into the cave once more.

Is the maiden warning me?

A flash of inspiration suddenly struck Li Yan. He finally realized what the creature was. While climbing the mountain earlier, Wang Daoxuan had mentioned that the Classic of Mountains and Seas recorded a strange serpent called a Feiyi living on Mount Hua.

It possessed six legs and four wings. Whenever it appeared, a great drought would follow. The Drought Wraith was likewise a source of devastating drought.

Could these two things be plotting something together?

While he was still reeling in shock, the surrounding mist rapidly dissipated as Li Yan returned to reality. Since his cultivation had advanced, whether receiving Underworld missions or experiencing divine manifestations, everything happened much more quickly.

Although he had experienced so much, to everyone else, only a single breath of time had passed.

He said, "Daoist, something may have happened on the mountain."

After hesitating briefly, Li Yan recounted everything he had just witnessed. Although this Daoist was an annoying fool, Maiden Mao had issued a warning and two ominous creatures were clearly involved with each other.

That was obviously no trivial matter. No matter how unpleasant the man was, Li Yan could not conceal something so serious out of personal resentment.

The Daoist was so startled that he sprang to his feet. In his panic, he even overturned the table before him. "What?!"

Brushes, inkstones, paper, and ink scattered across the floor but he paid them no attention. Hurriedly stepping forward, he asked anxiously, "Is what you say true?"

Li Yan frowned slightly. "Why would I lie about something this important?"

The Daoist's expression shifted repeatedly. Without wasting another word, he immediately walked to the altar dedicated to Maiden Mao and picked up a sheet of yellow talisman paper. Taking up a cinnabar brush, he wrote a short message across the back of the talisman with swift, flowing strokes. Then, with astonishing dexterity, he folded the talisman into a paper crane in only a few breaths.

His face grew solemn. Forming hand seals while pacing the celestial steps, he chanted, "Hom! By imperial command, transform into soaring wings. By decree of the Vermilion Lake Messenger of the Divine Heavens, come before my Dao at once. By the law, be fulfilled immediately!"

A paper crane message?

Li Yan watched with growing interest. That was no ordinary spell. It was a true inheritance of the orthodox mystic sect. It rivaled his Northern Emperor Straw Spirit Technique in its own way. Unorthodox practitioners possessed nothing like it.

He had only heard of such techniques before. He had never expected to witness one in person.

As Li Yan pondered this, the Daoist completed his incantation. He blew three breaths onto the paper crane and with a wave of his hand, he released it into the air.

Rustle...

A sinister wind suddenly rose as the paper crane seemed to come alive. Flapping its wings, it flew straight out of the temple. Within moments, it vanished without a trace.

Even after sending off the paper crane, worry still filled the Daoist's face. He gazed silently toward the sky for quite some time before finally turning back to Li Yan. "Fellow Daoist... My thanks for your warning.

"If this matter is truly as you described, your accumulated Yin Virtue will be immeasurable."

There were still two days before the great ritual. Li Yan was in no hurry. Instead, he asked curiously, "This temple’s Maiden Mao gave the warning. I merely passed along the message.

"Also, was the creature in the vision a Feiyi?"

After hesitating for a moment, the Daoist nodded. "There is no harm in telling you. Mount Hua has been a sacred mountain since ancient times. Although we have taken up residence within this blessed land, we are not its true masters. We merely establish altars here to worship the White Emperor.

"The greatest problem upon Mount Hua has always been the Feiyi. This creature is a natural monstrosity, born from the qi of calamities. Among the five elements, it's the Wood Calamity.

"It lays its eggs within the earth veins, and delights above all else in destroying spiritual trees. Mount Hua possesses a unique sacred tree known as the Purple Cypress. With enough years, it naturally becomes a heavenly spiritual treasure. Even with Mount Hua's extraordinary spiritual essence, it still takes several hundred years before one fully matures.

"Whenever a Purple Cypress is born, a Feiyi will also appear. It remains beneath the tree, absorbing its blessings and stealing away its destined fortune. However, the Feiyi itself is already a tremendous menace. It can bring about a devastating drought.

"Several years ago, in Jianchang County of Ganzhou, a woodcutter encountered a Feiyi deep within the forest. That very year, a severe drought struck the region. If this Feiyu also absorbs the corpse qi of that Drought Wraith, it will mature very quickly and bring calamity to the entire region! It could very well bring about a great drought across all of the Guanzhong Plains.

"If a Feiyi is truly behind this, then, Fellow Daoist, you may have saved countless living beings."

So that's how it is...

Hearing the explanation, Li Yan finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. At the same time, a lingering fear welled up in his heart. He had never been someone willing to suffer losses. Back in his village, people had nicknamed him the Troublesome Ghost. Over the past half year in the jianghu, he had repaid every slight in kind.

Even just moments ago, a selfish thought had crossed his mind. He had not wanted this snobbish Daoist to earn any credit. His original plan had been to wait until reaching the summit before informing someone else from the Taixuan Orthodox Sect.

Had events truly unfolded as the Daoist described, he would have nearly caused an unimaginable catastrophe. He remembered very clearly that the Feiyi had already reached within only a few chi of the coffin. One more log and it likely would have succeeded. Disaster and chaos had depended entirely upon a single thought within his own heart.

He could easily have pretended not to know. No one would ever have held him accountable afterward. But had he done so, how would he have differed from the very people he had always despised?

Thinking of the possibility, Li Yan looked toward the statue of Maiden Mao and fell silent. At that moment, he suddenly understood what it truly meant to be a member of the mystic path and what it meant to bear the identity of a living yin emissary.

The hearts of men could be deceived, but he couldn't do so to ghosts and gods.

The others, however, knew nothing of the thoughts running through his mind. Yan Jiuling, who had been holding himself back for quite some time, was already brimming with excitement.

His entire face glowed with exhilaration. "I never imagined this journey to Mount Hua would allow me to witness such extraordinary events. It truly wasn't a wasted trip!

"As expected of Hero Li. The very first time I met you, I knew you were no ordinary man. You truly are one of those extraordinary figures hidden among the common world."

"A hero?" Li Yan shook his head slightly. "I'm not worthy of that title."

With those words, he looked toward the mountain beyond and said calmly, "Let's go.

"We are still a long way from the top."

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