Chapter 501: Clear and Turbid Sword Formation

The three of them returned together, Yan Buji watched their path and couldn't help asking, "Brother Wu, did you come through the formation left by the Shengming Sect over there?"

"Brother Xu, you went there too? Sigh, that place is truly dangerous; nearly a thousand great arrays combined into a super‑array, probably the scale of a Nine‑turn Formation. We also slipped in by mistake and had to expend a great deal of effort to get out," Wu Qian sighed.

No wonder Wu Qian's aura feels so strong yet dry.

But Ling Yan's qi and blood are abundant; she doesn't look injured.

Yan Buji's eyes flicked, and he laughed, "In a place like this, just surviving is good enough."

"Indeed, hahaha. We said we'd come here to hunt for treasure, and after almost three months we not only found no treasure but ended up with these injuries," Wu Qian sighed.

"Brother Xu, you must have endured a lot on the way, right?"

Yan Buji nodded, "I won't dwell on the Abnormal Beasts that are everywhere; the crucial point is that members of the Black Wind Pirate Gang are causing trouble, trying to kill me while my wounds haven't healed."

Wu Qian was startled, "So you're saying those two were killed by Brother Xu?"

"What?" Yan Buji asked, puzzled.

Wu Qian recounted the incident where they killed a man‑faced crocodile and found a corpse inside its belly; Yan Buji suddenly realized, "So you were actually right there at the time!"

"Haha, but it's not too late to rendezvous with Brother Xu now."

"Indeed, after three months we'll leave this place; this anomalous region is far too dangerous," Yan Buji shook his head.

Ling Yan observed Yan Buji's demeanor, found it not feigned, and thus believed his words.

Honestly, if the other party harbored any ill intent, Wu would never have befriended him.

"Thinking pessimistically, if Xu Long truly has ulterior motives, someone like Wu would hardly share a boat with him," Ling Yan thought.

She always felt Xu Long was quite dangerous; although Ling Yan wondered if she was being overly suspicious, perhaps due to a bias against Martial Cultivation, one can never be too careful when traveling.

Moreover, Wu had previously been willing to expend Dao Marks just to get them out of the Immortal Array, showing he is trustworthy.

Since Wu isn't the type to hide malicious intent, Xu Long is likely the same.

With that in mind, the three cooperated to slay the Abnormal Beasts appearing around them.

Soon, the three heard the sounds of battle ahead!

"It must be Xiao Ran!"

Ling Yan rushed forward, and Wu Qian and Yan Buji exchanged glances before hurrying after her.

At that moment, Xiao Ran on the battlefield faced the onslaught of two six‑turn Abnormal Beasts without missing a beat.

Behind him, six void‑filled turbid‑qi wheels emitted a murky light that shielded him, like sludge at the bottom of a well; yet the Clear and Turbid Sword in his hand spun cleanly, conjuring thirty‑six strands of pure sword qi and thirty‑six strands of turbid sword qi, which fell in a wondrous pattern in mid‑air, instantly slaying one six‑turn Abnormal Beast!

"Sword formation?" Yan Buji exclaimed in surprise.

Ling Yan hurried forward to assist,

Wu Qian looked at Yan Buji, "Brother Xu, your wound hasn't healed; wait here, I'll go help."

"Brother Wu, be careful."

With that, Wu Qian followed and engaged the Abnormal Beast; the three quickly resolved the beast together.

The three approached, Xiao Ran laughed, clasped his hands and said, "I am Xiao Ran, I have met Brother Xu."

"Xu Long, I have met Brother Xiao," Yan Buji squinted, looking at his eldest nephew.

"Pure qi, turbid qi? And the celestial accumulation that transforms turbid into pure—could it be the Ethereal Body, the third‑ranked bone‑refining entity?" Yan Buji thought to himself, surprised.

The Ethereal Body is quite special; it lacks any spiritual root, yet the cultivated magical power it yields carries the purest clear qi, suitable for most clear‑type techniques.

The term 'spiritual root' is relatively rare in the cultivation world, because most cultivators cannot determine what their own spiritual root is.

Humans are inherently the convergence of yin and yang, the five elements giving rise; none can be lacking, and none can dominate alone.

Thus most cultivators can practice five‑element techniques, though the compatibility varies. Just as Yan Buji's self‑created Five‑Element Technique is perfectly usable.

However, the spiritual root becomes extremely important after stepping onto the Immortal Path. Nascent Soul Cultivators seek ways to increase their Dao Marks, which are concrete manifestations of their understanding of the Great Dao. So if a cultivator excels in a certain area, they will actively augment that type of Dao Mark.

For example, those who cultivate the five‑element attribute will develop Dao Marks that lead to particularly unique divine abilities.

It is said that for a Nascent Soul Cultivator to break through to the Transforming Spirit stage, they must start with the spiritual root to find a breakthrough opportunity.

But that is still too early for Yan Buji; his Martial Dao path differs from others, and his magical power is only at the Foundation Establishment stage, so there's no need to delve into it now.

Xiao Ran looked at Yan Buji, feeling a vague familiarity.

"Brother Xu, although we've reunited now, what are your plans afterward?"

"Plans? It's best to locate a team first. The anomalous region is vast, and we know little about it; moreover, venturing deeper leads to another Shengming Sect formation, so we must retreat," Yan Buji said.

Xiao Ran nodded, and just as he was about to speak, the old fellow suddenly transmitted a voice, saying:

"Kid, watch out for this guy; he can use the Demon‑Departing Turn‑Respiration Technique! That's not his true face!"

"Demon‑Departing Turn‑Respiration Technique?" Xiao Ran looked bewildered, "What does that mean? Has he hidden his true visage?"

"Yes."

"That's nothing special; many cultivators change their appearance when traveling. Besides, he calls Wu a brother, so he shouldn't be a bad person," Xiao Ran thought for a moment and said.

"The Demon‑Departing Turn‑Respiration Technique isn't something just anyone can obtain. Moreover, it's a spell; how could a Martial Cultivator like him acquire the magical power for it?"

"Perhaps he used some kind of magic‑infused Accumulation Device? Aren't you being too suspicious?"

"But the activation condition for the Demon‑Departing Turn‑Respiration Technique is that one must possess the rare celestial treasure 'Qingmian Chou'… this thing…"

The old fellow hesitated, and Xiao Ran furrowed his brow, "Is this related to that thing you mentioned before…?"

"Exactly, that's why I warned you to be careful. I should have told you before how I died; if you can avoid getting involved with that group, don't go looking for trouble."

The old fellow's words made Xiao Ran's expression harden, and his gaze toward Yan Buji became wary.

But in that instant, Yan Buji noticed Xiao Ran's shift and his thoughts instantly became active.

"What's up with this eldest nephew?"

Yan Buji didn't understand why Xiao Ran suddenly heightened his guard against him; could it be that Ling Yan transmitted a voice to him from nearby?

But that didn't add up; they couldn't see his true face, so perhaps Xiao Ran noticed he had disguised himself?

Even so, without knowing his true identity, in a cultivation world where countless cultivators change their appearance when dealing with others, who doesn't have an enemy, who doesn't have a past they'd rather not recall?

Unless Xiao Ran is the type of person with an extremely strong sense of vigilance, his attitude just now upon first meeting was clearly not that way.

Precisely because of that, Xiao Ran's change in attitude made Yan Buji feel quite abnormal.