Chapter 446: Who is the Oriole? News of the Master

【The true qi remaining within Liu Yuan's body erupted completely. At such close range, facing Xie Guan, who no longer had the strength to fight back—】

【"Great Demon Hand of Fetal Refining!"】

【This demonic killing move carried with it a chilling blood-aura; even martial arts experts of the Upper Three Realms would not dare to take it head-on. And at this moment, with Xie Guan's cultivation reduced to only the Middle Three Realms, he was destined to be unable to escape death.】

【Liu Yuan's figure leaned forward, cold light flickering in his eyes, yet hidden within was a trace of ecstasy difficult to perceive. This tragic and brutal slaughter was finally about to end at this moment.】

【Xie Guan stood still in place, appearing as if he didn't even have the strength left to dodge.】

【"Sss—"】

【The sound of flesh being torn was exceptionally clear.】

【"Hahaha!" Liu Yuan laughed wildly. The moment his demonic hand pierced through Xie Guan's chest, the violent true qi shattered all the surrounding flesh and blood.】

【He still felt his hatred unappeased; swinging both arms, he actually sliced Xie Guan's remaining corpse in half at the waist!】

【Liu Yuan's blood-stained face twisted, and he said with satisfaction, "Xie Guan... Xie Guan, I will remember you for a lifetime."】

【"It's a pity I can't hear your last words. But don't worry, I will take that little maid of yours back to Great Sui properly."】

【After Liu Yuan finished speaking, he looked up toward the horizon. The setting sun dyed the surface of the lake a sheet of golden yellow.】

【He stood on the shattered small boat, his whole body covered in blood and gore, the rolled-back skin on his face appearing exceptionally ferocious under the sunset.】

【"In the end, I won!" A hoarse laugh squeezed out from his throat, sounding exceptionally jarring on the silent lake.】

【However—】

【The echoing response from behind that he had anticipated was late to arrive.】

【Liu Yuan frowned and turned around, only to see Xiao Yu's expression solemn, and terror showing in the eyes of He Lan Zhenshu.】

【The monk Du Kong's lips moved slightly, as if wanting to say something.】

【Suddenly, the world spun around.】

【Liu Yuan's pupils shrank—where were the severed limbs and broken arms before his eyes?】

【Xie Guan still stood in place in his green shirt, not even a speck of dust staining the corner of his clothes.】

【The young man's gaze was calm!】

【An illusory butterfly flew gracefully back from beside Liu Yuan, landing lightly on the young man's palm.】

【What was even more startling was that, at some unknown time, a divine bird had appeared on Xie Guan's shoulder, currently using its glass-like eyes to curiously examine the few of them, then pecking at Xie Guan's shoulder without a care.】

【The Daoist nun stood quietly by the lakeside, her plain white Daoist robe fluttering lightly in the evening breeze. She looked strangely at Liu Yuan, who had suddenly erupted with astonishing momentum, followed by his face twisting into wild laughter, his lips opening and closing with nothing but insane ramblings.】

【And Xie Guan remained standing quietly in place.】

【A golden-feathered bird landed quietly on Xie Guan's shoulder, its tail feathers shimmering with rosy light.】

【"Zhaoming Luan," the Daoist nun's pupils shrank slightly, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around the incense burner she had just retrieved.】

【She recalled the records in the Daoist Canon: "The white-crowned is male, the red-crowned is female. This is the male of the Zhaoming Luan; it cannot be approached by any who are not truly sincere, truly kind, and harbor the world in their hearts."】

【A flash of shock and suspicion crossed the Daoist nun's eyes: "Is this Xie Guan actually a born saint?"】

【She stared at that illusory butterfly shadow in the center of the lake, thinking to herself: "To be able to drag Liu Yuan into such a realistic illusion, this kind of exquisite Daoist illusion technique, I fear he has already obtained the true transmission of the Profound Gate."】

【Although the Daoist nun was the protector for the Great Sui Crown Prince in Above Bianjing, she was different from those retainers in the mansion; she was Liu Yuan's mother, who had personally gone to the Ancestor Hall on Mount Zhongnan, offering three volumes of the "Great Huangting" Daoist Canon as a gift, only then moving her master to send her down the mountain to protect Liu Yuan.】

【The relationship between the two was not that of servant and superior, as for Liu Yuan's life or death.】

【If she could protect him, she would; if she could not, she certainly wouldn't sacrifice her own life.】

【Before leaving, her master's teachings still rang in her ears: "The Dao follows nature, act according to fate. If a matter cannot be done, one should abandon it when one must."】

【"This time you are descending the mountain to enter the world to cultivate the Dao, as long as you aren't fooled away by the men down the mountain and bring back a big fat boy for your master, everything is up to you."】

【If Liu Yuan died, she would just return to Mount Zhongnan to cultivate the Dao.】

【At the center of the lake, Liu Yuan stared fixedly at the Zhaoming Luan on Xie Guan's shoulder, then recalled the delusional hallucination he had just experienced, his face turning ashen like a ghost: "You... how could you still have energy left?!"】

【You did not answer, sword qi already flowing between your slender fingers.】

【Three distinct sword intents wound around your fingertips like silk threads—】

【One like the cold moon's clear radiance, bright and aloof.】

【One of extinction, returning all things to void.】

【One like the rising morning sun.】

【"In your current state..." your voice was very light, yet the three-colored sword radiance wove into a chilling wheel of light in your palm, "two sword intents should be enough."】

【Your fingertips spun lightly, the brilliance flourishing greatly.】

【"However."】

【"Three are still safer."】

【When the last word fell, that chilling sword mark, fused with the three-colored sword intents, had already been lifted out.】

【Panic was already on He Lan Zhenshu's face; he wanted to move but his whole body was powerless.】

【Xiao Yu, this Chief Eunuch of the Inner Palace, had a much more composed expression; a person who had climbed into the Ninth Realm with a broken body naturally possessed a great perseverance that others lacked.】

【He revealed a relieved smile, "To die at the hands of the Second Master's successor, it is not a life lived in vain!"】

【Du Kong struggled forward, dragging his broken Golden Body, wanting to block in front of Liu Yuan.】

【Only Liu Yuan had a sinister expression, his voice carrying a final madness: "Xie Guan! Do you not care about the life or death of that little maid?"】

【Blood foam seeped from the corners of his mouth, "If I die, there will be no one left in this world who knows where she is—"】

【Xie Guan shook his head lightly, a trace of pity actually appearing in his eyes: "Turn around and look."】

【The veins on Liu Yuan's neck bulged, yet he stared fixedly at Xie Guan, not daring to turn around—he feared that with the slightest distraction, those three sword intents would sever his head.】

【Until a crisp sound of a wooden window breaking pierced the silence of the lake, and someone came walking on the water.】

【Liu Yuan turned his head abruptly, his pupils shrinking—only to see a man in coarse cloth short-garments, carefully holding the sleeping maid, walking on the lake water. His whole body was permeated with corpse qi, and the Zhaoming Luan beside him was circling to lead the way.】

【The man walking over while holding Sister Wu Tong had an ordinary face and an ordinary temperament, just like the common laborers seen everywhere in Above Bianjing.】

【Liu Yuan suddenly felt his whole body go weak; the only thing he could use to threaten Xie Guan had now also gone down the drain.】

【"How could this be..." Liu Yuan suddenly roared madly: "Why?!"】

【You looked at Liu Yuan, the two Zhaoming Luan landing on your shoulders. Their original feathers were currently shimmering with a gilded luster, as if dyed by the power of your Pure Yang Primordial Spirit.】

【The variegated patterns on their tail feathers became increasingly vivid, and every flap of their wings scattered tiny golden light spots.】

【The originally dried-up Primordial Spirit within your body received nourishment, and your cracked Lower Dantian was like a great drought seeing sweet rain.】

【The benefits of these two divine birds: one, it can increase cultivation speed, as long as they stand on your shoulder, you can borrow their power.】

【This was also why you, having just run out of follow-up strength, were able to use the Yin Fu Seven Arts "Mirage Butterfly Law Transformation Circle" to create an illusion for Liu Yuan.】

【The second is, shared vision!】

【You looked at him, "Do you still not understand even now?"】

【"Who... exactly is the oriole?"】

【Liu Yuan's expression froze, "So you knew everything about today?"】

【You did not answer. Even Xie Renfeng could guess this matter; Sister Wu Tong is the person most important to you now, besides yourself.】

【How could you not know?】

【You held the sword mark in your hand, your palm gripping it lightly.】

【The sword intent in the lake was like a rainbow!】

【Du Kong, He Lan Zhenshu, and Xiao Yu's figures split into fragments, their Primordial Spirits destroyed together.】

【Only Liu Yuan was left alone!】

【The man handed Sister Wu Tong to you and with one punch blasted Liu Yuan into blood, leaving no corpse behind.】

【You held Sister Wu Tong, your mind moving, and the blood mist was immediately pushed away by the invisible air wall around you.】

【The two Zhaoming Luan on your shoulders let out a clear cry, turning into two streams of light and disappearing into the horizon.】

【The man killed Liu Yuan, seemingly fulfilling his wish, his breath leaking away, no longer able to support himself.】

【The man knelt down on the boat deck, his essence and energy flowing away like a dam breaking.】

【He kowtowed heavily, his voice hoarse yet filled with relief, "I have died without regrets!"】

【"Only one person was killed upstairs, that Imperial Prince escaped."】

【He summoned his last bit of strength, hesitated for a moment, and said: "There is one more thing to remind the benefactor... my foster father has already left Above Bianjing and gone to the Red-Eyed Army."】

【After speaking, his whole body could no longer be suppressed and exploded.】

【You sighed lightly.】

【An ordinary man, not even having cultivated his Primordial Spirit, only having a body full of resentment and corpse qi.】

【This was the foster son of Master Dong!】

【You recalled what Hua An said to you two months ago, "The only foster son of Old Master Dong when he was alive, for some unknown reason, suddenly went mad today and injured several government officials. It is said he also went to the West Wing Building to find his old lover, actually strangling the other party to death. Now that he has a human life on his hands, he has already fled."】

【The Primordial Spirits of the four were absorbed into your brow, and you held Sister Wu Tong, preparing to leave.】

【The matter had settled, Liu Yuan and the four were dead, and Xie Renfeng had died.】

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 447 =====