Chapter 339: War Soul

After Jing Liao's eyes recovered, Hua Changxi and the others prepared to explore the Marquis's residence, the largest cultivation city on the Central Continent.

"I will keep these fragments of the plaque for now; if you wish to see them later, you may come to me."

Watching Jing Liao store away the plaque fragments, the others raised no objections.

Jing Liao specialized in runes; the characters on the plaque were personally inscribed by the Emperor and represented a manifestation of runic rules, so only by taking them back for his study could their maximum value be realized.

Tong Yao looked at everyone, mainly Hua Changxi: "Shall we explore together, or seek our own opportunities separately?"

Hua Liulang had just advanced to the Nascent Soul realm and possessed the weakest strength; Hua Changxi was worried and certainly intended to stay with him, which made it difficult to leave the others behind, so she said, "Perhaps we should go together?"

Tong Yao, Jing Liao, and Yan Zhenzhen had no objections, while Hua Liulang nodded eagerly.

Although the Xuanyuan Residence appeared harmless, having already endured the heavy pressure of formations and the severe injury from the characters, exploring alone could easily lead to accidents; acting together was far more advantageous.

Hua Liulang asked, "Do you want the armored soldiers and weapons on the square, or the Xuanyuan Tokens?" If not, they would all belong to him.

Yan Zhenzhen understood Hua Liulang's underlying meaning and immediately smiled, "Of course, whoever picks them up keeps them." With that, she instantly rushed toward the nearest Xuanyuan Token.

Seeing this, Hua Liulang quickly followed.

Tong Yao smiled at Hua Changxi and Jing Liao, then without another word, dashed toward the other armored soldiers, weapons, and Xuanyuan Tokens.

Neither Hua Changxi nor Jing Liao moved.

The armored soldiers and weapons on the ground were almost all damaged; collecting them would not allow for immediate use, so it was better to let Tong Yao and Hua Liulang take them back for reforging.

As for Yan Zhenzhen, she was not collecting armored soldiers or weapons but gathering Xuanyuan Tokens to study the formations of the Xuanyuan Residence; her earlier remark had merely been teasing Hua Liulang.

After scavenging for a while, not wanting to keep Hua Changxi and Jing Liao waiting longer, Tong Yao said to Hua Liulang and Yan Zhenzhen, "The square is too vast; let us go explore other areas first and return to collect later."

Hua Liulang and Yan Zhenzhen had already gathered quite a few items and stopped their hands; immediately, the five of them began crossing the square.

Hua Liulang asked, "The square is too large; should we fly?"

Tong Yao replied, "A solemn and majestic place like the Marquis's residence is certainly forbidden to flight!"

The area occupied by the Xuanyuan Residence far exceeded the imagination of the five.

Yan Zhenzhen, who had studied ancient city Marquis residences, noted, "The layout of most Marquis residences resembles that of imperial palaces, centered on a north-south axis, with all important buildings distributed along the axis or arranged symmetrically on both sides."

"Based on the area of this square we have crossed, the size of the Marquis's residence is at least a hundred times that of an imperial palace."

After walking briskly for nearly two quarter-hours, they finally reached the end of the square, arriving before a broken wall and ruined tiles that resembled the 'Meridian Gate of an imperial palace.'

Passing through the broken walls and ruins, they entered another open square; this one was not very large, and at its end stood a group of dilapidated palace halls.

There were too many palace buildings, and skeletal remains were visible everywhere.

The further inward they went, the more remains there were; in some places, skeletons even lay piled upon skeletons.

Whether due to the arrival of Hua Changxi and the other four, awakening this Xuanyuan Residence that had been paused, the previously silent Marquis's residence suddenly stirred with the sound of wind.

A gentle breeze, originating from who knew where, blew over, turning those skeletal remains into fine powder that drifted into the air, merging with the dust on the ground.

Witnessing this scene, all five of them—Hua Changxi included—felt a deep sorrow; as these remains turned to powder, an entire era vanished before their eyes.

Standing before the ruins of the palace complex, Yan Zhenzhen asked, "What do we do now? Which way do we go?"

Hua Changxi replied, "We came for the Xuanhuang Qi; let us find the Xuanhuang Tree first, and deal with everything else later."

Tong Yao and Jing Liao both agreed, and naturally, Hua Liulang followed the group.

Yan Zhenzhen said, "Then let us proceed straight inward along the central axis; the most heavily guarded area of a Marquis's residence is usually at the center, where the Xuanhuang Tree should be planted."

No longer hesitating, the five continued moving inward.

After walking for a while, Hua Changxi frowned: "Why do I feel my body becoming heavier and heavier?"

Jing Liao felt the same: "We are wearing Xuanyuan Tokens, so this should not be the effect of the Marquis's residence formations." He looked toward the depths of the residence with a serious expression: "There is another suppressing force within the Xuanyuan Residence."

Through his Rune Eyes, he could see increasing amounts of Xuanhuang Qi; their direction of advance was correct.

For the remainder of the journey, Hua Changxi and the other four could barely continue walking.

For no other reason than that the further inward they went, the more remains appeared, including some huge skeletons clearly belonging to demonic beasts, so numerous that the five felt their scalps numb; simultaneously, that invisible suppressing force grew ever stronger.

After passing through a fourth group of palace halls reduced to broken walls and ruins, the five saw a golden light emanating from the depths of the Marquis's residence.

Hua Liulang asked, "What is that light?"

Yan Zhenzhen wondered, "Is it the light emitted by the Xuanhuang Tree?"

Jing Liao immediately denied this: "It is not the Xuanhuang Tree." There was absolutely no Xuanhuang Qi within that light.

Hua Changxi narrowed her eyes, gazing at the golden light: "It seems to be... sword radiance!" From the light, she sensed a killing intent identical to that emitted by the Floating Light Sword.

"Sword radiance?!"

Tong Yao exclaimed in surprise, paused for a moment as if recalling something, then became extremely excited: "I know what that is; it is the Xuanyuan Sword!"

"The Xuanyuan Sword!"

Yan Zhenzhen and Jing Liao simultaneously widened their eyes.

Jing Liao said, "If it is the Xuanyuan Sword, then the suppressing force acting upon us is explained."

It must be the killing intent radiating from the Xuanyuan Sword that was suppressing them!

The five continued moving forward.

The suppressing force in the air grew increasingly strong; Hua Liulang, having the lowest cultivation, found his steps heavier and his breathing somewhat labored, yet he still gritted his teeth and persisted.

After passing through a fifth group of palace halls resembling broken walls and ruins, the Xuanyuan Sword, emitting a golden light, appeared in the sight of the five.

The Xuanyuan Sword hovered above a main hall that retained only a few walls, like a pillar stabilizing the sea; centered around it, mountains of massive skeletal remains were piled up.

At this moment, the five were still over a thousand meters away from the Xuanyuan Sword.

Jing Liao's Rune Eyes penetrated the sword radiance, revealing the Xuanhuang Tree behind the Xuanyuan Sword: "The Xuanhuang Tree is located behind the Xuanyuan Sword."

Hua Changxi also 'saw' it; her Eye of Truth could pierce through the 'physical bodies' of all living beings, and she 'saw' on the Xuanhuang Tree heavy Xuanhuang Fruits, each condensed from Xuanhuang Qi.

However, to obtain the Xuanhuang Fruits, they first had to pass the Xuanyuan Sword.

Yet the Xuanyuan Sword emitted a terrifying suppressing and killing aura...

Hua Changxi looked at Tong Yao and the other four: "The killing intent radiating from the Xuanyuan Sword is not merely a suppressing effect; if we continue forward, we will likely suffer severe injuries."

Tong Yao and the others nodded in agreement, their faces also bearing worry.

Seeing Hua Changxi looking at him with concern, Hua Liulang immediately laughed: "Ninth Sister, rest assured. If I cannot endure it, I will seek other opportunities elsewhere."

Not to mention anything else, just the armor and weapons littering the ground constituted a massive opportunity for him.

Seeing that Hua Liulang was not overly obsessed, Hua Changxi immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

As for Tong Yao and the other two, though their expressions were grave, they all intended to press on.

First, to obtain the Xuanhuang Fruit; second, the Xuanyuan Sword was an unparalleled divine weapon, its blade inscribed with runes and formation patterns, and all three wished to observe and study it up close.

Hua Changxi, however, had no designs on the Xuanyuan Sword itself; she only sought the supreme body-refining treasure behind it—the Xuanhuang Fruit.

The five of them pressed forward against the suppressing force of the Xuanyuan Sword.

Having walked less than a hundred meters, Hua Liulang reached his limit; barely able to breathe, he was forced to stop and retreat. After recovering slightly, he decisively went to seek opportunities elsewhere.

The other four continued onward.

Yan Zhenzhen had advanced over three hundred meters when blood streaks appeared on her body, yet unwilling to stop there, she took out an array disk to help resist the Xuanyuan Sword's suppression and pressed on.

As for Tong Yao and Jing Le, their physical bodies were slightly stronger, allowing them to advance a few dozen meters further, but they too were forced to bring out magical treasures for assistance.

Relying on her cultivation and physical strength, Hua Changxi forcibly advanced over four hundred meters. Beyond that point, relying solely on her own power, she could no longer endure.

She lacked the deep foundations possessed by Tong Yao and the other two, nor did she carry any powerful magical treasures; all she could rely on was her divine abilities.

"Boom~"

A fire lotus bloomed beneath Hua Changxi's feet; seventy-two petals unfolded in succession, constructing a sturdy lotus domain space around her.

Back then, in Tang Gu, when the Great Sun Divine Flame battled the Zhu Que spirit shadow, causing space to tear and fissures to spread, it was the lotus domain that prevented her from being swallowed by those spatial rifts.

The defensive capability of the lotus domain was extremely powerful.

Indeed, with the blessing of the fire lotus, Hua Changxi's steps became much lighter and quicker.

Behind her, Tong Yao and the other two were dumbfounded.

Yan Zhenzhen paused, stunned: "Fire lotus..." Then she thought of something, her heart filled with horror: Could the Fire Lotus Immortal of Mount Wuzhi be related to... Changxi?

Tong Yao and Jing Le exchanged a glance, both remaining silent.

The fact that Changxi was the Fire Lotus Immortal could not be leaked; after all, the widespread knowledge of the spiritual qi recovery began with that great battle at Mount Wuzhi.

If the various factions learned that the Mount Wuzhi battle, which caused them to lose their chance to seize the initiative, was triggered by Changxi, she would incite widespread fury.

Burdened by heavy thoughts, the three continued forward.

Meanwhile, Hua Changxi was now only five hundred meters away from the Xuanyuan Sword.

The moment she stepped into the circular zone centered on the Xuanyuan Sword with a radius of five hundred meters, the sword hovering in midair trembled.

Immediately afterward, a massive golden sword beam shot forth, slashing straight toward Hua Changxi.

"Ah~"

This sudden turn of events not only terrified Hua Changxi, turning her pale with fright, but also caused Tong Yao and the other two to cry out in shock.

Watching the sword beam draw nearer, battle intent surged in Hua Changxi's eyes; she did not retreat. Increasing her spiritual energy output, the fire lotus instantly expanded several times its size and collided fiercely with the sword beam.

"Bang~"

The tremendous force of the impact swept in all directions; under the shockwave, mountain-like skeletal remains instantly turned to powder, kicking up clouds of dust and dirt on the spot.

Everyone's vision was no longer clear, becoming a misty blur.

Amid the dancing dust and fog, the golden sword beam and the crimson fire lotus shone even more brilliantly.

The fire lotus was not shattered; it steadily caught the Xuanyuan Sword's beam.

Standing at the center of the fire lotus, Hua Changxi struggled to control it; at this moment, her entire field of vision was blood-red.

Just after she withstood the heavy blow from the Xuanyuan Sword, her vision began to distort and warp.

She saw a massive black hole open in the sky, invaders clad in black armor pouring down like a tide, while the Xuanyuan Army, clad in golden armor, engaged them in a defensive battle.

As the two armies clashed, a rain of blood fell from the heavens.

Facing invaders several times their number, the Xuanyuan Army fought bravely and fearlessly, growing fiercer as the battle progressed.

In Hua Changxi's ears, nothing but sounds of slaughter rang out; in a trance, she was pulled into a battlefield brimming with battle intent.

Though the Xuanyuan Army struggled to hold the line, with corpses piling up like mountains on the battlefield, not a single person retreated; even choosing to self-detonate, they sought to perish together with the invaders.

"Kill~"

"Kill~"

"Kill~"

'Placed within the battlefield', Hua Changxi was shaken by this heroic and fearless morale; looking at the Xuanyuan warriors determined to die rather than yield, intense battle intent spread and rose from the depths of her heart.

Feeling the attack of the sword beam upon her body, this battle intent drove her to manipulate the fire lotus to resist the beam with all her might, stepping forward inch by inch.

At this moment, she was the Xuanyuan Army forced into battle, and the sword beam was the invader!

Tong Yao and the other two were stunned by this scene, watching foolishly as Hua Changxi, wrapped in the fire lotus, advanced continuously beneath the massive sword beam.

On the blood-red battlefield, the fiercer the Xuanyuan Army's counterattack, the firmer Hua Changxi's resolve became in reality; even as the fire lotus petals shattered one by one, nothing could halt her steps.

"Such powerful battle intent."

Even from several hundred meters away, Tong Yao and the other two could feel the immense battle intent radiating from Hua Changxi.

As Hua Changxi drew closer, the Xuanyuan Sword began to tremble; the sword beam became unstable, and its light gradually faded.

Completely immersed in the battlefield, when only a dozen or so petals remained on the fire lotus, Hua Changxi summoned the Fuguang Sword and launched a sharp strike against the Xuanyuan Sword.

A white sword beam carrying the majesty of the Great Sun Divine Flame slashed through the golden beam, striking the Xuanyuan Sword heavily.

"Hum~"

The Xuanyuan Sword vibrated, and a distant, ethereal sword chime rang out, as if something long asleep had been awakened.

The Xuanyuan Prefecture began to shake and tremble; amidst the vibrations, a transparent barrier like water ripples appeared in the sky.

With a 'pop', it seemed as though something had been torn apart...

At the same moment, slight tremors occurred simultaneously across the five sacred lands.

Above the four sacred lands of Alchemy, Talismans, Artifacts, and Formations, clouds churned and divine trees materialized; at the crowns of these trees, sword qi crisscrossed, and an ancient bronze sword flickered in and out of view.

"Hum~"

The four swords vibrated in unison, as if responding to the ringing of the Xuanyuan Sword.

Within the forbidden zones of the five sacred lands, pairs of eyes snapped open.

"It is the sound of a sword!"

The Xuanyuan Sword is summoning the Four Demon-Slaying Swords into resonance!

From the Central Sacred Land, five cultivators clad in golden armor shot forth, speeding toward the Marquis Manor of Xuanyang City.

Wei Zhenjie was a step slower, chasing closely behind, his face bearing obvious shock and astonishment.

The five sacred lands have not yet revived, yet the Xuanyuan Sword has appeared ahead of schedule!