Chapter 136: Two Primordials' True Intent vs. the Great Demon

"A great demon at the peak of Core Formation—be careful, the two of you."

Daoist Priest Chunyang mobilized his inner core, formed a sword seal at his chest, and his ink-blue Daoist robe billowed without wind; vast gang qi surged from his body but did not spread outward.

Instead, it gathered before him, gradually forming the shadow of an ancient, unadorned Daoist sword two palms wide and as tall as a man.

Upon the sword's body, a yin-yang fish pattern slowly revolved, radiating an air of utter balance and harmony.

The Two Primordials' True Intent!

As the signature art of Bai Yun Monastery, it enjoyed tremendous renown throughout the vast Outside Qingzhou.

They did not wield actual swords, yet this Two Primordials sword intent was sharper than even the blades of Qingfeng Mountain.

"This time you've truly gotten me into trouble." Daoist Priest Qingjing cast a rueful glance at Chunyangzi.

The Abbey Head had sent the two of them down the mountain to retrieve martial arts manuals, yet before they had even caught sight of Yan Xingkong, they had inexplicably run afoul of a great demon.

"It wasn't I who dragged you into this." Daoist Priest Chunyang rolled his eyes.

"Fair point." Daoist Priest Qingjing laughed freely, then swiftly gathered his own Two Primordials sword intent before him.

Since they were already here, further indecision served no purpose.

If they encountered a demon and did not slay it, what was the point of leaving the mountain?

"..."

Xiao Qiangwei scanned her surroundings, still catching no sight of Shen Yi, nor any signs of a struggle nearby.

Even now, despite her absolute trust in the young man, her heart could not help but grow uneasy.

Demons and monsters were, in truth, no different from humans; most were wild demons, but there were no lack of those with deep, noble-clan or sect-like foundations.

Take the mountain-protecting array from earlier—for all its apparent uselessness, beyond concealing aura and a minor illusion to fool the senses, anyone could simply stroll right in.

Yet precisely because of that, it made the opponent's strength all the more apparent; after all, not everyone was willing to squander resources on such flashy tricks.

Shen Yi had indeed shown her the might of a Body Tempering martial artist, and he had likewise made no effort to hide his shallow experience in matters of cultivation.

He didn't even know what the Two Primordials' True Intent was, let alone the myriad, treacherous methods of demons and monsters.

It would hardly be hard to understand if he had carelessly fallen into the demon's trap.

"Miss Xiao, let us first deal with the demon before us, then think of other things."

Daoist Priest Qingjing gently reminded the woman, a faint puzzlement stirring in his heart.

If he guessed correctly, this should be a seasoned Yinling demon hunter; her battlefield composure ought to far surpass that of two reclusive, smelly Daoist Priests like themselves. Why was she so visibly unsettled?

"I know." Xiao Qiangwei drew a deep breath, clenched her fists tightly, and turned her gaze once more toward the dark valley ahead; killing intent welled within her narrow, elongated eyes.

The two Daoist Priests, seasoned powerhouses of the older generation in Outside Qingzhou, were both no weaker than Jiang Chengyun.

With their aid, even if they could not take down a demon at the peak of Core Formation, they would at least not lose by too much.

The next instant, the three of them surged toward the jade-green spring in unison!

Almost at the same moment, a piercing shriek rang out from within the dark valley, and abruptly a fan of blue-green wings, vast enough to blot out the sky, appeared within their sight!

A massive shadow engulfed their figures.

The wings, like heaven-rending blades, swept across brutally!

Seeing such terrifying momentum, the two Daoist Priests narrowed their eyes, tapped their cloth shoes lightly against the ground, and shot into the air with swift reflexes, thrusting their sword seals straight out.

As if answering a command, two broad, thick Daoist-sword shadows erupted forward, their speed so extreme that even the surrounding air seemed to warp!

The colossal wings swept through the air, carving into the sheer stone cliffs as easily as cutting through tofu.

Boom—!

A terrifying slash-mark appeared upon the cliff face dozens of zhang high; the entire upper half suddenly collapsed, and for a moment the whole dark valley began to tremble!

Just then, the two Daoist-sword shadows plunged violently into the blue-green wings; feathers scattered across the sky, and the sharp clang of metal rang out.

Daoist Priest Chunyang held his right-hand sword seal upright before his chest, his left palm gripping his right wrist tightly; his loose sleeves whipped wildly, and both arms trembled faintly: "What a tough demon body!"

"Chop right in for this old Daoist!" Daoist Priest Qingjing had lost his earlier genial air; a ferocious look surged across his crane-haired, child-faced features.

With a resounding clang, the two Daoist-sword shadows finally pierced through the wings, sending up a spray of blood two zhang high that cascaded down with a splatter, dyeing the jade-green spring with a veil of crimson mist.

"Aaargh!"

Sharpened by pain, the piercing bird cry rang out once more.

At that very moment, a figure in long robes had already arrived beside the wooden cabin. Xiao Qiangwei's gaze turned icy as she dove from the air toward the old man in white on the ground—the colossal wings had materialized from his right arm.

She brought her palms crashing down, carrying ferocious gang qi!

Boom!

The old woman stepped in front of her elder brother, taking the blow head-on; her hunched frame staggered backward repeatedly.

Barely steadying herself, her face turned utterly grim: "To be able to call in so many helpers—that thief of a leader certainly has decent connections. But this old woman would like to know just how much he paid to have you come here and die."

"What a charming Miss." Kong Jing's smile deepened as he used his luxurious feathered robe to wipe the dried blood from his arm, then stepped forward to bar the woman's path.

"..."

Xiao Qiangwei regulated her breathing; the bandaged wound on her wrist threatened to tear open once more, yet gang qi still pooled within her palms.

Any other faction in Tingyang Commandery, upon hearing such words, would likely have explained the circumstances and cleared up the misunderstanding.

Only Zhen Mo Si and Bai Yun Monastery had never made a habit of explaining themselves to demons.

She took in the three figures before her, and her judgment was instant.

One at the peak of Core Formation, one at the Elixir Formation Realm, and a smaller one—likely at the Embryonic Core Realm.

Should any of these three demons appear in Outside Qingzhou, it would almost certainly take a Zhen Mo General acting in person to minimize the losses.

With this thought, Xiao Qiangwei dared not grant the enemy another breath; she raised her palms and charged in once more!

Yet to her surprise, as if roused to fury by the two sword-intent shadows from earlier, a blinding streak of azure light suddenly flared upon the great wing the old man swept out!

It was a single azure plume hidden among the rest of the feathers.

The instant it lit up, an invisible ripple seemed to spread through the air; the moment that ripple touched the Daoist-sword shadows, with scarcely a sound, the swords snapped cleanly in two, dissolving once more into gang qi that scattered into the heavens.

The old woman extended her right arm, and a crimson feather appeared.

As a gentle red light surged, the horrific wound pierced by the Daoist sword on the elder's wings healed completely within a breath.

Compared to Xiao Qiangwei.

The two Daoist Priests reacted more visibly; they watched helplessly as the Yin-Yang Sword Intent shattered, their breathing quickening.

And upon seeing the hard-won penetrating wound heal, they could barely hold their sword fingers steady: "Indeed… a great demon with lineage…"

"Hahaha!" Kong Jing seemed to relish this feeling; he suddenly extended his arms, revealing feathers on each—one emerald, one crimson—glowing brilliantly.

"Jing'er! Move aside!" Before he finished laughing, the elder suddenly barked a sharp command.

The moment the words left his lips, a breath of piercing, sky-shattering sharpness locked onto this spot, drawing every eye toward it.

On the opposite side of the valley cliff.

A disheveled man straightened his body; his face was worn and hollow, one hand gripping a brilliant divine bow, the other slowly drawing the string.

The slender bowstring felt as heavy as Dashan.

Yan Xingkong stared calmly at Kong Jing, his aura surging wildly; veins burst on both arms, skin split open, and blood gushed instantly, soaking his robes.

The bow was drawn a quarter and a half.

He had intended to brace the bow with his leg, but his right leg had lost all sensation.

He instead gripped the bowstring roughly with his palm, his face twisting further, finally pulling the string back a little more.

Hair whipped wildly; the bow opened like a half-moon!

A brilliant Bai Guang coalesced upon the longbow; though his gaze fixed on Kong Jing, the arrowhead unhesitatingly aimed at the elder!

(End of Chapter)