Chapter 254: Sword Cuts Through Mountain

Under a gloomy sky, rain soaked the soil.

Along the southwestern border of Zhongzhou and Fengzhou, near the direction of Yunzhou, the rolling Shangnan Mountains emitted constant light from luminous devices embedded with spirit stones, illuminating the forest.

Officials of the Si Xian Jian were currently at Wangyue Town, thirty li to the west, and alongside them arrived major clans from nearby regions.

Such as the Shen, Liu, Tang, Yu, and Qiu families of Zhongzhou.

The gathered crowd sat together, gazing northeast, their expressions grim.

Since spring this year, Qingyun Tianxia had been plagued by constant anomalies: a month-long deluge, blood mist over the Xuan Sea, and sudden snowstorms in the northern frontier.

Though these anomalies caused unease, the truly terrifying were the demonic seeds that followed.

The first demonic seeds discovered were merely a few washed out by mountain floods after the rain.

But since no ruins had been opened, the incident raised alarm, prompting the Si Xian Jian to conduct another sweep—and they found Shi wells along every border of the nine provinces.

Shi well was a newly coined term, meaning a gathering place for demonic seeds.

Most borders between the nine provinces were ringed by mountains—not by coincidence, but because during the era of warring human states, natural barriers were used as national boundaries.

In these deep forests, countless demonic seeds had quietly begun to wander.

No one knew how they arrived, or when they appeared.

The demonic seeds discovered in Zhongzhou's Shangnan Mountains were the most concentrated and numerous.

The Si Xian Jian's Inspection Division rushed here overnight; Inspector Mu Jing was now in Wangyue Town, discussing with Zhongzhou's clans how to handle them.

Demonic seeds only revealed their bloodthirstiness upon sensing human scent, so for now they merely wandered within the mountains, causing no harm.

According to the decision of Zhongzhou's Dadaxiaoxiao cultivation clans, these things must be eliminated swiftly—they would not allow even one to enter a city.

But if such a large number of demonic seeds were not all slain at once, some would inevitably be roused by their ferocity and burst out of the valleys.

Around the Shangnan Mountains lay countless villages and farmland; many civilians would surely die or be injured.

The Si Xian Jian naturally wished to avoid such a scene, proposing alternative solutions—but after much thought, most were impractical.

In their view, if a great cultivator could descend and suppress the demonic seeds directly within the mountains, this would not be so complicated.

Yet how could the reclusive ancestral elders of each clan be expected to intervene lightly over such a matter?

Of course, these Zhongzhou clans offered them no other choice.

After all, the longer this dragged on, the greater the risk would become.

These clans were not omnipotent in Zhongzhou, yet they were still registered cultivators; the Great Xia Empire was merely a tool used by immortals to rule mortals—and though the Si Xian Jian wished to protect the people, they could only obey orders.

"If we could trap the demonic seeds within the mountains and block the southwestern mountain passes, we could eliminate them one by one—this would be the safest approach, Kexi these clans don't care about the common folk."

"Didn't you already know cultivators don't care about mortals? We may be officials of Great Xia, but in truth, the immortals call the shots."

Inspector Mu Jing fell silent upon hearing this, then said: "Before the operation begins, station men to seal off the outer perimeter of Shangnan Mountain—try to prevent as many demonic seeds as possible from escaping. That's all we can do."

The inspection officers exchanged uneasy glances: "My lord, Shangnan Mountain is too vast—we lack manpower."

"I said 'try,' not 'guarantee.' But even a few fewer would help immensely…"

After speaking, Mu Jing added: "I finally understand what Brother Kuang meant before I left the capital."

The inspection officers looked at each other: "What did Inspector Kuang say?"

"He said we're not here to exterminate demonic seeds—we're here to protect the people under the clans' command."

"My lord, Inspector Kuang of the Reception Division is young but rigid. That's not necessarily a good thing."

Meanwhile, countless disciples of immortal sects gathered beneath the bright moonlight, preparing to follow along and watch the spectacle.

Qiu Han Yue, daughter of the Qiu family, was among them, along with several cousins, and Tang Jingming, who had regained consciousness after being injured at the Tian Dao Hui.

After more than half a year of recuperation, Tang Jingming—already of considerable cultivation—had fully recovered.

These immortal disciples all desired to fight, especially after the Tian Dao Hui incident, which left them with a sense of "I could've done that too."

But demonic seeds were not wooden stakes standing still to be cut down; two years ago, when Dapi demonic seeds surged from ruins, the memory still felt recent—enough to make even a fleeting recollection send chills down the spine.

So these noble youths would not venture deep into the mountains; their only interest was clearing the peripheral ones.

While the group chatted, a group of disciples from the Tian Shu Academy arrived, dressed in white robes.

Leading them was Liu Qichen of the Liu family of Zhongzhou; they had been invited by the Si Xian Jian to clear demonic seeds, and their arrival drew immediate attention.

At this moment, his gaze met that of Tang Minghao of the Tang family—and Tang Minghao was already looking at him.

Though Liu Qichen hailed from Zhongzhou and was distantly related to many present, he and Tang Minghao were not personally acquainted.

Yet their mutual gaze was not surprising—they had both been defeated by the same person.

In the Tian Dao Hui preliminary match, Liu Qichen, clad in a Rong Dao realm robe, was defeated by Ji You in three sword strikes; Tang Minghao was severely injured by Ji You.

"I heard recently, people have been gradually emerging from the Former Sages' Sacred Ground, some even breaking through to the next realm upon exit."

"I heard too—Chen Luo of the Chen Immortal Clan entered the Ying Tian realm. No wonder—he's a direct disciple of an immortal sect."

"Have you heard about Ji You?"

"Of course. Everyone returning from the Former Sages' Sacred Ground has spread it: Ji You spent over half a year inside and remained at Tong Xuan realm, with no progress whatsoever."

"Who would've thought—after his dominance at the Tian Dao Hui…"

"Perhaps his talent has hit a ceiling."

"Has Ji You emerged yet?"

"Others have come out, but he hasn't—he probably still waits to break into Rong Dao before exiting. If it were me, I'd make the same choice."

Beneath the pale blue night light, noble youths chattered among themselves.

Many events had occurred in Qingyun Tianxia over the past half-year, shifting public attention—but now that prodigies were emerging from the Former Sages' Sacred Ground, eyes turned back again.

The Chen family were the first to emerge; Chen Luo's breakthrough to Ying Tian drew sighs of admiration.

For Chen Luo was the youngest among the direct disciples, yet his ascent to Ying Tian was swift.

But Ji You's lingering in Tong Xuan was not reported by the Chen siblings—they said nothing of Ji You upon returning, yet studied many records on body refinement.

The truth about Ji You still being in Tong Xuan came from later arrivals.

In fact, this claim was dubious—many found it hard to believe.

Ji You had once slashed in all directions, unstoppable; to many, such a display should have earned him Rong Dao even outside the Sacred Ground, let alone after eight or nine months inside.

But every subsequent returnee said the same—so it could not be fabrication.

Thus, some began speaking of talent limits.

The Dao is profoundly mysterious; many who advance rapidly in early cultivation stagnate entirely upon reaching enlightenment—a common occurrence.

Tang Minghao knew this well, and secretly sneered.

In his view, Ji You had wasted a rare chance to enter the Former Sages' Sacred Ground; had it been him, half a year of cultivation inside would have at least brought him to mid-Rong Dao.

Amid the chatter, some glanced toward Qiu Han Yue.

Everyone knew Qiu Han Yue had once been betrothed to Ji You—though the engagement ended abruptly, in their minds, she remained connected to him.

Qiu Han Yue sensed everyone watching her, understood why, yet remained silent.

Indeed, since returning from the Tian Dao Hui, she had been silent for a long time, stunned by Ji You's dominance and his top ranking in Tong Xuan.

Women naturally admire strength; having witnessed him subdue the entire realm, to claim she'd felt no admiration was false.

At home, she was arranged to meet other talented youths—even those from respectable clans—but she lost interest.

Yet fortunately, she never hoped her husband would be exceptionally strong; she only wished to marry into a stable clan, so this emotion faded after a few months, absorbed by her own reassurance.

As the world said: personal strength ultimately pales beside a powerful clan.

She had also heard recently of Ji You's failure to break through after entering the Former Sages' Sacred Ground.

To her, this was not bad news—at least he hadn't grown stronger, so her conflicted feelings wouldn't resurface.

At that moment, under the night, a squad of inspectors with long knives at their waists hurried in.

Seeing them, the clan patriarchs and Si Xian Jian officials turned to look.

"Have you confirmed the number of demonic seeds in the mountains?"

"Estimated over a hundred, but the valley is enclosed and visibility is poor at night. We dared not approach too closely for fear of triggering their ferocity—so it's only an estimate." "With so many, this will be a brutal battle…"

Beneath the bright silver moonlight, the Si Xian Jian Inspection Division, aided by Zhongzhou clans, led a contingent from Zhenbei Army into the mountains.

The Shangnan Mountains were densely vegetated, the air saturated with moisture.

As over a hundred entered the forest, the night's killing aura began to coalesce, stirring an invisible, icy mountain wind.

Their nerves were taut, especially the young disciples, who instinctively slowed their pace upon entering the woods.

Demonic seeds had no thought, but their bodies were incredibly tough; once roused, their speed and agility far surpassed humans'.

Most terrifying was that these undead had no fear of death—their sole purpose was to devour humans, and even wounded, they would not cease fighting.

After penetrating deep into the Shangnan Mountains, the group decided to sweep along the ridgeline—to use terrain to restrict the demonic seeds' movement and prevent large numbers from escaping.

But things rarely unfold as planned; as a stench of blood drifted through, a howling sound suddenly erupted in the valley.

Before those entering the mountains could prepare, the silent Shangnan peaks erupted into chaos.

Those preparing to ascend instantly froze, drawing blades—before their eyes, demonic seeds were sprinting outward, their malevolent aura instantly filling the entire mountain path.

The sudden assault left everyone pale.

The Zhenbei Army squad reacted first, drawing blades the instant the demonic seeds surged out.

"What happened?"

"The woodcutter…"

"?!"

"The demonic seeds' ferocity has been triggered—they're rushing out of the mountains."

The cultivation disciples dispatched by Zhongzhou clans reacted swiftly; those with higher cultivation immediately plunged into battle.

The most panicked were the young nobles who came only to watch—especially the marriage-minded young ladies, whose sole intention had been to observe; now, seeing demonic seeds suddenly before them, their faces turned ashen.

Clang!

A iron blade slashed down, colliding with the withered flesh, instantly sparking in all directions.

But on another side, a black, twig-like withered hand had already pierced through the wind, punching clean through the chest of a soldier from Zhenbei Army.

In a single glance, the stench of blood began spreading everywhere.

Amidst fluttering skirts, Qiu Hanyue and her companions turned pale, completely losing their curiosity, and began frantically dodging—but as they fled, a demonic spawn lunged down the slope toward them.

These noble ladies, already lacking high cultivation, had no capacity to resist such danger; seeing this, they instantly screamed.

But fortunately, she was close to the Tian Shu Academy group; as Liu Qichen and others struck swiftly, the demonic spawn was instantly cut in half and flung away.

Yet what startled everyone was that the Tian Shu Academy disciples' swords failed to truly pierce through the demonic spawn's body.

After being severed and crashing to the ground, the demonic spawn immediately lunged again, its grotesque face making Qiu Hanyue turn ashen.

But fortunately, the Elders dispatched by the clans were no pushovers; having fought alongside Zhenbei Army for years, they were no mere pretenders, and in a flurry of slashes, they instantly blocked the demonic spawn's charge.

But the problem was, more demonic spawns kept emerging.

The Surveillance Office's reconnaissance team estimated a hundred in the mountains, but the exact number remained unknown—and crucially, these creatures had skin and bones of extraordinary hardness, impossible to slay in an instant.

Soon, these hard-to-kill demonic spawns would drown the entire mountain path.

Now everyone was crammed into the mountain path, meaning it was they themselves who faced being surrounded and slaughtered.

Tang Jingming had already slain three demonic corpses, but his hand bones were beginning to ache faintly.

"Hard to cut through—I estimate if more come, someone will die. Retreat quickly!"

"The demonic spawns have awakened their malevolence; if we retreat now, they will surely burst out of Shangnan Mountain."

Though they had come together to exterminate the demonic spawns, their positions differed, so their judgments on this matter inevitably diverged.

The Si Xian Jian still wanted to try—even if they couldn't annihilate the demonic spawns within the mountains, they must prevent them from escaping the Shangnan region.

But the greatest negative factor affecting combat effectiveness was, in truth, their fractured unity.

If the Central Plains clans chose to withdraw first and decide later, then only the Si Xian Jian and Zhenbei Army remaining would be utterly meaningless.

Yet amid the chaotic battle, as one after another withered corpses fell, the demonic spawns surging forward suddenly grew fewer.

A quick count of the bodies revealed barely two dozen.

Mu Jing abruptly sheathed her blade, unable to help but gaze forward along the mountain path—suddenly, she felt a surging force pouring out from the mountains, bending the wild grass beneath its weight.

At that moment, a sword qi condensed in midair, brighter than moonlight.

All cultivators gathered on the mountain path felt a vast, crushing pressure, like a tidal wave roaring down the path.

The next instant, the sword qi rising from deep within the mountains crashed down before their eyes; its razor-sharp aura choked every breath, even causing their instinctively released spiritual senses to feel a needle-like stab of pain.

BOOM!

In the moment the blade fell, the mountains trembled as one.

Even the spiritual senses not yet retracted trembled, as if struck by a hammer to the head.

Then came violent shaking, accompanied by the thunderous roar of collapsing earth, making the gravel beneath their feet leap in response.

Everyone instantly channeled spiritual energy to block the dust surging from the forest before them.

After a long silence, demonic spawns' roars still echoed through the night, but not a single one emerged again along the mountain path.

Everyone stood frozen for a long while, then exchanged glances, eyes flickering with shock.

"Did a great master in the mountains lend aid?!"

"It must be…."

"But… there still seem to be demonic spawns ahead."

After standing still for a long while and confirming no demonic spawns would suddenly appear, the Surveillance Office personnel began ascending the slope.

No matter which great master had aided them, they must seize this chance to investigate the mountain's condition.

The Central Plains cultivators couldn't help but follow, and even the noble youths who had earlier turned pale with fear climbed up after them.

They no longer cared about curiosity—but they didn't leave because they were too terrified to return alone through the dark forest.

Along the path lay a vast stretch of demonic spawns severed at the waist—over a dozen.

Their cut surfaces were smooth, still humming with lingering, icy sword qi.

Among the Central Plains clans, those skilled with swords stared at the severed corpses: "Cut by a single strike—what razor-sharp sword qi."

"One strike?"

"All the demonic spawns—slain by one sword. This is a sword master."

As murmurs spread, the group continued climbing the slope; when they reached the summit, they suddenly saw a mountain range severed clean in two.

It was a low peak on the southern side, its broken summit fallen into the valley, completely blocking the mountain path.

All the demonic spawns within the valley were trapped, snarling and shrieking, but with no escape.

In fact, this was precisely the plan the Si Xian Jian had previously considered: block the Nan Shan Road, trap all demonic spawns within the mountains, then exterminate them.

The significance of such a move was minor—it merely prevented the demonic spawns from fleeing the mountains and harming civilians.

But most who cared about this were from the Si Xian Jian; everyone else's gaze was fixed on the flattened mountaintop.

Beneath the broken mountain and silver moon stood a figure—a young man, breathing heavily under the moonlight, his long sword still vibrating with a low hum, his entire body's blood qi churning as if boiling.

Liu Qichen opened his mouth slightly: "Ji You…"

When they clearly saw his face by moonlight, everyone froze on the slope, as if petrified, unable to recover for a long while.

He had slashed off half a peak with a single strike, severing the entire mountain path and trapping every demonic spawn.

Everyone had assumed a great master had lent aid—but no one imagined it would be him.

In truth, even seeing it with their own eyes, they found it hard to believe—such overwhelming pressure could not possibly come from him.

(End of Chapter)