Chapter 169: Xu Xing Meets the Ancient

In the Chifeng No. 47 star system, Bie Xuening watched Chi Jiuyu and the others depart, then glanced at Huang Qi.

When capturing Him earlier, we assumed He would unleash that sliver of "Xuan" essence—but He did not.

"Lord Sword, you cannot kill me!" Huang Qi fixed his gaze on her.

Bie Xuening did not reply.

Huang Qi's words were not false.

His true body resides at the Sword Sect, immovable.

With the sliver of power stored in her jade token, she truly could not kill this Cang clan member bearing even a trace of "Xuan" essence.

"Xuan" is the strongest ancestor of the Cang clan, the origin of all transcendence in the Xuan Realm.

Even her younger brother before his seclusion dared not claim he could decisively surpass "Xuan."

Moreover…

As long as the Cang endure, Xuan shall never die.

"This unexpected turn of events was beyond my anticipation."

Her original intent was merely to let Zhang Yunlu undergo trial.

If she succeeded, a sliver of power from the jade token would send her and her rebellious disciple back to the Central Continent.

If she failed, and不幸 became trapped in peril, she would intervene to save her—but the matter of taking her as a disciple would be ended.

Yet she encountered "Xuan"'s scheme.

Was it her sword Dao that drew Zhang Yunlu into calamity, or was "Xuan"'s scheme too vast, summoning disaster? Or both? All these thoughts passed in an instant.

"No matter what scheme Xuan has devised, forcing you to unleash His essence now is enough," Bie Xuening said coolly.

The power stored in the jade token may be slight, but it can still unleash one sword strike.

Without invoking "Xuan"'s essence, this Dongzhen-cultivation Cang clan member would surely not survive it.

Huang Qi's expression changed; his soul sensed extreme danger and trembled uncontrollably.

Vast purple intent churned and drifted within His eyes—but He forcibly suppressed it! Yet the overwhelming sword light did not appear the next moment.

Bie Xuening lifted her gaze toward the starry sky.

The front-line battlefield.

A being of unfathomable profundity, as if embodying all cosmic truths, stepped forth upon rolling purple qi, illuminated by boundless auroras.

Palaces, halls, and fortresses on the front line, each as vast as a star system, appeared beneath this purple qi like tiny pebbles on a shore, ready to be swallowed at any moment.

"I wish to test the Sword Lord's blade. I humbly request your instruction."

The faint voice crossed star clusters, crystal-clear within the Chi Yu star system, the Chifeng No. 47 star system.

Flames surged across the star's surface.

Xuan! …………

The Alliance of the Righteous Path.

Within the deep-sea city's grand hall of the Supreme Council.

Yuan now still maintained his illusory soul-form, while Qingyu floated silently in midair.

Perhaps this state granted some mysterious advantage, or perhaps Xu Xing and Xiang Yuanjun's arrival had caused Mingyu to restrain herself…

In any case, Yuan had successfully calmed his girlfriend.

This left Xu Xing, who had come to watch the spectacle, feeling bored.

"This matter should be resolved soon. Arrange things properly—don't let the Alliance of the Righteous Path descend into chaos again because you've left once more before we reach Ling Yin Fang."

After uttering this, Xu Xing departed to attend to matters of importance; Xiang Yuanjun vanished as well.

Yuan: "..."

You just leave, why add that extra remark! Sure enough, the moment they were gone, he noticed Mingyu staring at him.

"Are you going to Ling Yin Fang?"

"The Master Jianzu is meeting the Ling Ancestor and Sister Wan Zhu to learn some things—I'm merely accompanying him," Yuan said in a calm tone.

Stay calm, don't panic! "Learn what? Is it related to your last visit to Ling Yin Fang before you left?"

"..." After a pause, Yuan shook his head slightly. "I don't know. The sliver of soul I left behind holds no detailed memories of it."

This was no lie.

He only knew he had left something behind in Qing Xu—its exact location was known to Sister Wan Zhu; beyond that, nothing else! As expected, Mingyu did not press further upon hearing this.

I'm damn clever! Just as Yuan secretly rejoiced in his wit, Mingyu's next words made his soul-form shudder.

"I'll go with you then."

……

……

The Chairman Gao Ta, underground chamber.

Xu Xing's figure appeared silently.

He had Yuan's authorization, so he wasn't intruding without cause.

On the stone pedestal, aside from Gu Mo's, which had dimmed, the other golden crystal fragments emitted faint light.

Moreover, between four of these golden crystals, there existed an extremely subtle connection.

It was the same aura that had unintentionally leaked before—closer to "Immortal," or perhaps… "Ancestor."

And its main body was…

Xu Xing gazed at one of the golden crystal fragments, stepped forward, and walked directly into it.

Upon entering, strange purple mist filled his vision; beneath his feet, a slick, resilient texture; beside him, a "rustling" sound like swarms of insects writhing.

"This is really not cultivation at all," Xu Xing muttered.

Then he walked straight in.

He did not maintain a steady pace, as Gu Mo and the current Chairman of the Supreme Council had done before; thus, twisted black shadows occasionally surged from the surrounding purple mist, only to draw closer and then retreat, bewildered.

emm……

When granting opportunities to younger generations in the future, the trial spaces you create could take inspiration from this environment.

He walked, thinking all the while.

Xu Xing soon arrived before the massive purple flesh mountain, lifted the flesh curtain, and walked straight in.

Before his eyes appeared a scene of a celestial paradise.

But perhaps because the retained heart-qi had diminished, this place was much smaller than when Gu Mo had come before, and no longer thrived with vitality or brimmed with immortal qi.

Some withered yellow leaves lay upon the spirit-jade-paved ground, or drifted along the spirit spring's flow toward the distance.

Xu Xing crossed the nine-turning long bridge and arrived before the elegant pavilion at its center.

The slender figure seated within did not notice Xu Xing's arrival and kept her eyes closed.

Of course……

Looking at her exquisitely perfect form, Xu Xing could not help but sigh.

"Comrade Meng Xuan, it has been a long time."

At the sound of his voice, Meng Xuan's eyelids trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

When she recognized who stood before her, her bright eyes flared with an intense, overwhelming hatred.

But in the next instant, it vanished without a trace.

"Master Jianzu."

Her tone was indifferent, utterly flat, as if he were nothing more than a stranger.

"… " After a few seconds of silence, "Gu, why not step out and meet me?"

As Xu Xing spoke these words, a shimmer of seven-colored divine radiance lit up the void.

Gu appeared.

"Using your human Cultivation of the Void's breakthrough to the Immortal Gate as a catalyst to welcome 'Heaven' back—how does this method fare?"

"Your earlier scheming to grasp the essence of Huo was also for this purpose."

"Correct."

When the Cultivation of the Void achieves perfect mental harmony, even He can only seize the fleeting moment of vulnerability during a failed breakthrough to slip in and implant a trace of doubt.

Then, using past shadows of Huo, He continually amplifies that trace of doubt until it transforms into hatred.

If one could obtain even a sliver more of Huo's essence and wield it through Huo's past shadow, one might completely reverse Huo's heart-mind.

Unfortunately, the Master Jianzu interfered, so the plan failed.

Second update! Request subscriptions!! (End of chapter)