Chapter 140: The Whereabouts of the Five Spirit Pearls

Chu Yang left the wine‑sword immortal, who was as dumb as a wooden chicken, and descended the mountain together with Xu Changqing.

At this moment, the Shushan Sect also sent out nearly ten thousand disciples to rush down the mountain and subdue demons.

The two of them seemed enveloped by myriad sword lights.

Whenever a sword ray sliced past, Chu Yang could feel someone eyeing him.

A flood of gazes arrived—some in awe, some doubtful, some admiring, and some fearful.

Chu Yang's solo eradication of all demon souls left a profound impression on countless disciples.

The Shushan disciples who once took pleasure in Chu Yang's talent grew increasingly uneasy as he grew stronger.

This is the kind of karma the Sword Saint mentions.

Perhaps some will develop under this pressure, while others may disappear without a trace.

Chu Yang's demeanor was detached, as if nothing concerned him.

Shushan disciples filled the sky like meteors streaking over Yuzhou, and many families in Yuzhou opened their windows, faces alight with excitement.

With monsters ravaging Yuzhou, Shushan only dispatched part of its disciples to descend and exterminate demons, leading the townsfolk to mistakenly believe Shushan had abandoned them.

But now they can finally rest easy.

Li Xiaoyao and his companions also saw the grand scene of ten thousand sword‑wielders, their hearts deeply shaken, especially Shi Gonghu, who for the first time grasped Shushan's power clearly.

"The Shushan Sect, a renowned great sect, wields such power that the world can scarcely find any force to match it; dealing with the Moon‑Worship Sect would be downright easy."

"No wonder the Shushan Sect never intervenes in the secular world; from ancient times to now they have only taken it upon themselves to subdue demons and aid humanity, and they find no equal among mortals."

Shi Gonghu gazed up at the sky, his fists clenched, muttering to himself.

If the Shushan Sect decides to aid the Southern Zhou Kingdom, wiping out the Moon‑Worship Sect would be nothing at all!

"I see a female disciple!"

Lin Yueru, suddenly excited, grabbed Liu Jinyuan's arm and gestured wildly, "Cousin! Shushan has a Taoist nun; I can go up the mountain!"

Liu Jinyuan's face was full of embarrassment.

He thought, "My cousin is determined to become a Taoist nun; she won't be trying to dodge me, will she?"

"It's fine; I'm heading up the mountain anyway."

He thought silently, soothing himself.

The sword‑flying Shushan disciples, some landed in Yuzhou city, while more flew toward the far, endless mountains in search of escaping monsters.

The Shushan disciples who entered Yuzhou city handed out healing pills door to door, then scoured the city for hidden monsters.

Each carried an oddly shaped compass; whenever its needle twitched, they could catch a monster with an eight‑or‑nine‑in‑ten chance.

Liu Jinyuan sighed, "It seems we don't need to do anything else here..."

Shi Gonghu nodded, "Catching demons is the Shushan disciple's hallmark skill; we needn't flaunt ourselves before them."

Li Xiaoyao scratched his head and asked, "With so many disciples descending, Shushan should be fine, right? When will Brother Chu and Brother Xu come back?"

Everyone was most concerned about this, but unfortunately they lacked any way to contact the two, so they could only wait patiently.

Soon enough, two sword lights fell directly before them—Chu Yang and Xu Changqing.

"Brother Chu! Brother Xu!"

Li Xiaoyao happily stepped forward, unable to wait, and asked, "Can we go up the mountain now?"

Lin Yueru, even more eager than Li Xiaoyao, shoved him aside and, in an almost pleading tone, said, "Esteemed Daoist masters, I also want to join Shushan; with my talent, there should be no problem for me to be accepted, right?"

Xu Changqing's mind raced, and he hurried to soothe them.

Unfortunately, the group's emotions were so intense that their overlapping chatter left him unable to interject.

Chu Yang shook his head, uttered a silencing incantation, and Lin Yueru and the others instantly lost their voices.

Xu Changqing cast a grateful glance at Chu Yang, then explained, "Everyone, given the current special circumstances of Shushan, your apprenticeship will likely have to be delayed."

Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru's faces changed.

Shi Gonghu's expression turned worried, "Daoist Xu, is the Shushan Sect not planning to aid the Southern Zhou Kingdom?"

"Not so."

Xu Changqing sighed, hesitated a moment, then decided to speak plainly, "Shushan's situation is far from optimistic. After my junior brother and I descended, the Demon Realm Supreme Tower suddenly appeared in Shushan for unknown reasons and destroyed the Demon‑Locking Tower."

"The sect leader, the Sword Saint, and the elders are devoting all their effort to maintaining the Demon‑Locking Tower, preventing its total collapse. They cannot step away from its vicinity, let alone spare energy for other tasks."

Concerned for the civilians' safety, Liu Jinyuan asked, "Is it truly that serious?"

Xu Changqing replied, "You all have likely encountered some monsters in Yuzhou city; I can responsibly tell you that those monsters are merely the tip of the iceberg within the Demon‑Locking Tower."

"The Demon‑Locking Tower houses demons captured by the Shushan Sect from ancient times to the present—a staggering, incalculable number. Should the tower collapse, the release of so many demons would spell the end of the world."

Only then did the group grasp the seriousness of the matter.

"Daoist Changqing, what can we do to help Shushan?"

As a descendant of Nv Wa, Zhao Ling Er sees not only the people of the Southern Zhou Kingdom as those she must protect, but also the countless lives across the Central Plains.

Xu Changqing said, "The sect leader mentioned that only by locating the Five Spirit Pearls left by Nv Wa can the Demon‑Locking Tower be repaired, but there are few capable people left in Shushan, so my junior brother and I have been assigned this heavy responsibility."

Zhao Ling Er hurriedly said, "Then let's help search for them together!"

"Princess, no!" Shi Gonghu immediately objected, his face solemn, "Since Shushan cannot intervene, staying here only adds danger; we should return to the Southern Zhou Kingdom early."

"Although that place is the Moon‑Worship Sect's old lair, there is still the Witch King's army to protect you."

"In such a dire moment, how could I only worry about my own safety?" Zhao Ling Er immediately rejected Shi Gonghu's proposal, shaking her head, "Elder Shi, I will never leave."

Shi Gonghu turned to Li Xiaoyao, his voice deep, "Prince Consort, now only you can persuade the princess to leave. Without Shushan's aid, if the Moon‑Worship Sect appears, the princess will be in grave danger."

With Zhao Ling Er's safety at stake, Li Xiaoyao hesitated.

Zhao Ling Er rushed, "Brother Xiaoyao, what are you thinking? Even if Shushan doesn't help me, what about Daoist Chu and the others?"

"We've traveled from Yuhang Town to here, almost entirely thanks to Daoist Chu and Daoist Xu; how do you intend to repay this favor?"

Li Xiaoyao, after hearing that, was shaken to his core and fell silent.

Although thinking that way is a bit ungrateful, in his heart Zhao Ling Er's safety outweighs everything.

"No need to be so tense," Chu Yang said with a smile. "There is one thing senior brother didn't mention earlier: the Sword Saint Uncle promised that if Bai Yue appears here, he won't stand by idly."

"Everyone might as well find a place to stay for now; we can discuss the matter at length later."

The largest inn in Yuzhou City is a Shu Shan enterprise called Drunken Immortal Residence; its name was taken from the Wine Sword Immortal, and its brewing reputation is famous far and wide.

The innkeeper, upon seeing Xu Changqing, immediately flashed a flattering smile.

At Xu Changqing's request, the innkeeper arranged a long‑term stay for Li Xiaoyao and his group—not a regular guest room, but a separate courtyard.

Such treatment is usually reserved for elders descending the mountain, or for special disciples like Xu Changqing.

Shi Gonghu, who was clamoring to return to the Southern Zhaoguo, was also quite pleased with this.

The party sat down in the courtyard, discussing matters to come.

Xu Changqing was the first to propose: "Miss Ling Er is pregnant; it's truly unsuitable for her to travel with us to seek the Five Spirit Pearls. Perhaps she should stay near the foot of Shu Shan and wait for our return."

Zhao Ling Er, hearing this, was about to speak, but Chu Yang cut her off.

"Bai Yue's target is you, which has little to do with us; on the contrary, if you stay by our side constantly, it will make us more vulnerable."

Chu Yang's blunt words made Zhao Ling Er silently lower her head.

"Ling Er, just stay here; that way I can be a bit more at ease."

Li Xiaoyao couldn't help but add his own urging.

Shi Gonghu needed no further prompting; he dreaded Zhao Ling Er getting into danger more than anyone.

Lin Yueru said with a grin, "Ling Er, don't worry; we'll be back soon and won't let you feel lonely!"

Zhao Ling Er, her face flushed, replied, "Sister Yueru, that's not what I meant."

Liu Jin Yuan self‑deprecatingly said, "I'm most likely also unable to go, so the two of us share the same plight."

Everyone's stance was unanimous: they did not want Zhao Ling Er to travel into danger. She sensed this and simply abandoned the plan.

"Ling Er understands; Ling Er will stay in Yuzhou City and wait for everyone!" Zhao Ling Er forced a smile, hoping to reassure them as they left.

Shi Gonghu and his subordinates, plus Zhao Ling Er and Liu Jin Yuan, as well as Tang Yu and An Nu who have not yet reached Yuzhou, will temporarily hold the fort.

Li Xiaoyao, his face excited, asked, "Where shall we head for the first stop?"

Xu Changqing mused, "My junior brother and I found the Earth Spirit Pearl on the Red Demon King; there are still four Spirit Pearls unaccounted for."

Chu Yang was also deep in thought.

The distribution of the Five Spirit Pearls is completely different between Sword and Fairy 1 and Sword and Fairy 3.

The Earth Spirit Pearl was found in the General's Tomb, which doesn't mean the other pearls will appear in the same locations in Sword and Fairy 1.

After all, this is a hodgepodge world where even character designs are blended, let alone a super‑treasure like the Five Spirit Pearls that runs through the Sword and Fairy canon.

Chu Yang thought it was probably a mixed‑up situation as well.

The Thunder Spirit Pearl appears in the capital city in Sword and Fairy 1.

According to the original plot, Liu Jin Yuan felt he couldn't aid Li Xiaoyao and had completely given up on Lin Yueru, so he returned to the capital to continue his official career.

By chance he rescued a butterfly trapped in a spider web, was bitten by a spider, fell ill with a strange disease and nearly died; later Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru saved him, and the spider that bit Liu Jin Yuan turned out to be a thousand‑year‑old spider spirit, on whose body the Thunder Spirit Pearl resided.

In Sword and Fairy 3, the Thunder Spirit Pearl is inside a man named Yun Ting from Lei Zhou.

He was born with the Thunder Spirit Pearl, gaining lightning power, but on his wedding night his uncontrolled spirit energy killed his beloved; thereafter, each night the lightning power becomes uncontrollable.

Finally, Xu Changqing performed a spell to extract the Thunder Spirit Pearl from his body, turning him back into a normal person.

Whether in Sword and Fairy 1 or 3, obtaining the Thunder Spirit Pearl isn't hard; they can split forces, with Chu Yang heading to the capital to find the spider spirit, and also snatch some cultivation by taking the food‑demon gu.

Yun Ting is handed over to Xu Changqing; after all, that was his job to begin with.

The Wind Spirit Pearl and Fire Spirit Pearl, in Sword and Fairy 1, are both in the Miao Frontier; the Wind Spirit Pearl is on the golden‑winged phoenix in the Sacred Tree Forest, while the Fire Spirit Pearl resides on a qilin, and both may require combat.

The difficulty of the battles is unknown; after all, the four sacred beasts of the Xianxia world and those of the Wind‑Cloud world are not comparable—they are true divine beasts.

But judging from Li Xiaoyao's later combat power, it shouldn't exceed the great realm of Refining the Divine to Return to Void.

If it's the Sword and Fairy 3 location, the matter becomes very troublesome.

The Wind Spirit Pearl is in the Divine Realm, overseen by the female official Xi Yao who watches over the divine tree; to reach the Divine Realm one must first go to the God‑Demon Well, where they will likely encounter very powerful demons, perhaps even a Demon Lord.

Given everyone's current strength, it's somewhat beyond their capability.

The Fire Spirit Pearl, however, is in the Ghost Realm, held by the Fire Ghost King, who is not a foe to be trifled with; he has existed since ancient times up to now, and even Yama cannot deal with him.

It's just unknown whether the Fire Ghost King is male or female.

If it's female, we could take a different route, using a handsome‑man scheme to coax her.

Speaking of the handsome‑man scheme, Chu Yang thought it's time to bring Jing Tian into the team.

As the reincarnation of Fei Peng, the Divine Realm's top general, his talent surpasses Li Xiaoyao's, his leveling speed is like riding a rocket, and he might at any moment recall a massive password.

Having him nearby is like a top‑grade life‑saving card; even if they truly meet a Demon Lord, they won't panic.

As for the final Water Spirit Pearl, Chu Yang thinks it's unlikely to be on Zi Xuan; it may require Li Xiaoyao to travel through time to obtain it.

Otherwise, the time loop cannot close, and the world's collapse probability becomes very high.

Given the current situation, seeking the Thunder Spirit Pearl first is undoubtedly the safest course.

Just as Chu Yang was about to remind Xu Changqing, the Flying Thunder Technique he left for Tang Yu and the others suddenly reacted.

The technique auto‑triggered, indicating Tang Yu and An Nu have encountered danger.

"Senior brother, go to Yong'an first; the sect leader told me the Demon Lord went there after leaving Shu Shan and met a person. You must find that person!"

"After that is done, you can go to Lei Zhou; there's a celestial anomaly there that may be related to the Five Spirit Pearls."

Chu Yang could only have Xu Changqing go find Jing Tian, take a protective talisman, and set off, then he stood up to leave.

Xu Changqing asked in surprise, "Junior brother, where are you going?"

Chu Yang said, "Tang Yu and the others haven't arrived yet; I'm a bit worried, so I plan to bring them to Yuzhou first, then regroup with you all."

Shi Gonghu frowned, "You have important matters at hand; perhaps let me…"

Chu Yang shook his head and said, "You leave, who will look after Zhao Ling Er? The current conditions in Yuzhou City, even if Bai Yue doesn't appear, aren't safe at all…"

Shi Gonghu immediately shut his mouth and said nothing.

"Alright, it's decided, everyone will temporarily split into two routes."

Having said that, Chu Yang directly rode his sword away, giving no chance for discussion.

Xu Changqing could only give a wry smile, but thinking that Chu Yang carries a thousand‑year cultivation, he felt a little reassured.

Before departing, Zhao Ling Er handed all the blood bodhi beads that Chu Yang gave her to Li Xiaoyao, instructing him to keep a few for survival and consume the rest entirely.

A normal person could not absorb so much power at once, yet Li Xiaoyao experienced no side effects, as easy as eating and drinking.

After completing this, Xu Changqing, following Chu Yang's instructions, led Li Xiaoyao to Yong'an Hall.

On the other side.

Chu Yang had already traversed via Flying Thunder God to the side of Tang Yu and A Nu.

There was also another person standing before him.

Bai Yue.

Facing the big BOSS Bai Yue of Xianjian One for the first time, Chu Yang felt immense pressure; he had previously experienced a similar feeling on Shanben Yuanliuzhai Zhongguo.

The difference lay in that the pressure from Shanben Yuanliuzhai Zhongguo was like flame—direct, clear, a positive confrontation.

Whereas the pressure from Bai Yue was like water, invisible at first glance.

But when you notice, it has already surrounded you tightly from all sides, making you feel suffocated.

Tang Yu and A Nu were buried in the ground, only their heads protruding, looking as if several days had passed.

Lacking water and food, their bodies reached the limit, and their consciousness was in chaos.

They had no awareness of Chu Yang's arrival.

Bai Yue stood beside the two, seemingly waiting for someone, and when he saw Chu appear out of thin air, his calm gaze finally wavered.

Bai Yue asked curiously, "Are you the star that keeps changing?"

Looking at Bai Yue, dressed in a style similar to a Western philosopher, Chu Yang frowned, "What star?"

Bai Yue pointed at the sky, explaining in a profound tone, "Each star has a special meaning and a corresponding person; generally, they do not change much."

"But the one representing you breaks that rule."

Listening to Bai Yue's exposition, Chu Yang finally confirmed Bai Yue's version and let out a sigh of relief.

The Bai Yue before him belonged to the scientist type.

He had his own logical framework; each murder had a self‑consistent justification.

For example, conducting experiments to prove love…

Bai Yue's original apocalyptic idea stemmed from his adoptive father Shi Gonghu, who wanted to put him to death for a few unrelated bystanders.

He believed that love does not exist in this world, was convinced that humans are inherently sinful, and that the world is filthy beyond repair.

Thus, he wanted to end the world.

Bai Yue's personally founded Bai Yue Cult was one of his tools for annihilation, but interestingly, Bai Yue fundamentally does not believe the doctrine he uses to fool the cultists.

Bai Yue, falsely claiming to have brought back the Ends‑of‑the‑Earth Tree from the Ends of the Earth, ordered his followers to worship the tree daily, so the tree would grow a little each day.

When fully grown, Nanzhao Kingdom would become another Ends of the Earth in the world.

However, the fact is that Bai Yue casts spells on the tree every day, making it continuously grow.

He treats the tree as a symbolic emblem, granting ordinary objects special meaning to strengthen mental control over his followers.

Yet the tree also holds a different significance for Bai Yue.

When no one was around, Bai Yue once said to the Ends‑of‑the‑Earth Tree, "I never imagined that such an ordinary you could transform and become a symbol of the divine, worshipped by all."

(End of Chapter)