Chapter 270: Come, Sword

Beneath the night sky, swift sword qi howled down, slashing through the undulating evil aura and dispersing the murky tidal waves.

At the same time, other Elders leapt into the air, their cultivation techniques flaring, the explosive ripples of their energy echoing throughout the valley, deafening.

Relying on their sturdy flesh, the eight demonic seeds pressed forward undeterred, colliding head-on.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

Poisonous claws clashed with gleaming iron weapons, spraying countless sparks.

In but a fleeting instant, both sides had collided repeatedly, causing ancient cedars in the mountains to snap one after another.

These eight demonic seeds knew no cultivation techniques, yet merely through their formidable bodies and blazing speed, they still possessed the strength to fight the Elders—something truly terrifying.

As they flew through the air, they absorbed lightning and fire, and sword arts, with their flesh alone, then struck with murderous intent.

Elder Fang, having risen into the air, had already clashed multiple times with the demonic seed before him; after another assault, he withdrew and landed upon a rocky outcrop.

Like the others, Elder Fang had secluded himself for years, yet made no progress.

With each strike he had delivered, he clearly felt his combat power had fallen far short of his peak—unable to suppress a sigh at time's merciless passage.

Moreover, he realized he had slightly underestimated these demonic seeds.

But only slightly…

After a silent murmur, dark light began to coalesce around Elder Fang, then he turned his iron blade.

Infinite force gathered along the blade's length, compressing the surrounding air into rippling waves, then slashed down with a thunderous crash.

The razor-sharp blade cut through the air, far more powerful than before, its gathered torrent surging wildly upward.

Meanwhile, the other Elders also grew weary of this back-and-forth combat; their energy surged instantly, their killing aura surpassing even before.

They struck with ferocity, like thunder descending.

Various Elders' immortal light, forged from their cultivation arts, crashed down, driving the eight demonic seeds deep into the forest and forcing them toward the mountain peak.

At that moment, Shang Yang of the Wenda Sect suddenly spotted a figure, his soul trembling—he slammed a palm into the demonic seed before him, sending it flying, then retreated swiftly westward.

Almost simultaneously, the other Elders surged toward that direction.

They had searched for the Bu family for so long; aside from the first batch of disciples from the Shanhai Pavilion, none knew what they looked like.

And this was their first encounter.

At that moment, Bu Qirong appeared from within the forest.

Life on the run in the mountains was harsher than outside; Bu Qirong looked worn and aged.

Though this mountain was treacherous, it could not hide him from the Elders' spiritual senses—hiding had lost all meaning.

He stepped out of the thicket, facing the overwhelming aura of the Immortal Sects, yet showed no sign of panic.

"Your Excellencies of the Immortal Sects have graced this place—Bu Qirong is deeply honored."

"Bu Qirong, you cultivate demonic arts and bring calamity upon the world. Today we act in Heaven's name to capture you—surrender at once!"

"Which of you truly acts in Heaven's name, and which merely feigns righteousness to seize a great opportunity? I know well—no need to hide it."

"Bold words!"

The Immortal Sect Elders had long been impatient; they no longer wished to waste time. With a thunderous roar, they surged forward in a frenzy.

Bu Qirong's figure swelled violently; thick evil aura erupted from his body, a mighty force surging skyward.

He then slammed directly into Shang Yang of the Wenda Sect.

Shang Yang punched like thunder; Bu Qirong refused to yield, his powerful arms crashing against Shang Yang's fists.

Fist met fist, explosions of force roared through the air.

Shang Yang's eyes twitched, a flicker of gravity passing through them.

He was a Great Being of Wujiang Realm; though past his peak, he was still a man whose gesture could blot out the sky.

Bu Qirong was merely at Yingtian Realm—yet through demonic transformation, he had actually blocked his punch. Truly astonishing.

Yet what puzzled him was: having reached this point, he must know escape was impossible—why persist so stubbornly?

At that moment, Bu Qirong waved his hand, summoning the eight demonic seeds previously blasted away.

Though these demonic servants had lost limbs in the previous mountain assault, unable to feel pain, they now grew even more frenzied and bloodthirsty, pairing off to attack four of the Elders.

But what emerged from the mountains with his gesture were not merely them.

Shang Yang looked up gently—and saw eight other figures, ferocious, landing atop the mountain peak.

These eight figures were strange, unlike either humans or demonic seeds.

They emitted no spiritual energy, no evil aura; their bodies were massive, and upon landing, their bones cracked and popped, their forms elongating as thick fur sprouted across their skin.

The Immortal Sect Elders, previously wary, instantly fixed their gazes on these eight figures.

"Barbarians?!"

"How could barbarians appear in the Dongping Mountains?!"

The disciples in the forest stared wide-eyed, their expressions filled with disbelief.

For centuries, barbarians had relentlessly attacked the borders, yet the Immortal Severing Array carved into the Northern Wall had always prevented them from entering the Nine Provinces.

Yet now, barbarians stood openly before them.

Unless they had first shattered the Northern Wall's Immortal Severing Array, this made no sense whatsoever.

The crowd exchanged glances—suddenly realizing this matter was far more grave than they had imagined.

At that moment, the barbarian transformed, leaping into the air; his heavy fist crushed the air with continuous booms, sending an Elder of the Chen Clan flying.

"Bu Qirong, you dare conspire with foreign tribes?!"

The remaining Immortal Sect Elders roared in unison, eyes blazing with shock and fury.

They did not know why the barbarians had come, but they understood what the barbarians sought.

Bu Qirong's gaze darkened: "They seek the same as you. To me, there is no difference…"

In truth, he did not know why barbarians had appeared in the Dongping Mountains.

In his view, even demons appearing here would be more plausible—but pushed to this brink, he could no longer afford to think deeply.

The barbarians had promised to spare his life and allow him to dwell temporarily in the barbarian wastes; all he had to do was reveal the secret of the Immortal Opportunity.

This was not about trust.

All of the Bu family's next generation had lost their life signs—meaning none had escaped. Bu Qirong had no other choice.

In his eyes, falling into the hands of these righteous-seeming Immortal Sects might be no better than falling into the barbarians'.

A thunderous punch, as if crushing the night sky.

Yan Cang of Tianjian Peak leapt up in horror—only to be struck back, blood trickling from his lips.

Seeing this, Jiang Yan, Yan Qiubai, and the newly awakened Jiang Chenfeng, Xie Chenyu, and others paled.

For they realized: these eight barbarians were far more terrifying than the Warlord they had encountered in the barbarian wastes.

They were Barbarian Kings…

Unspoken, they recalled the imperial records on barbarian realms they had seen in the Si Xian Jian during their mission to the Snowlands.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The barbarians and Bu's faction unleashed a crushing counterattack, just as the Immortal Sect Elders had once slaughtered the demonic seeds—only now, they were the ones being crushed.

Yet as the Elders fell back, a colossal sword qi suddenly slashed down from the sky, instantly halting the assault of one of the King-level barbarians.

Then five more figures descended from the heavens—their energy stronger than the previous Elders, and far older.

One of them had even withered his left eye.

Indeed, it was not only Elder Fang and the others whose lifespans were dwindling—some were even more desperate.

These individuals had stood at the threshold of Shenyou Realm for decades; some had barely survived through the slow erosion of time to reach Shenyou Realm—all equally near death.

Facing their dwindling years, they too waited for the Immortal Opportunity hidden within the Bu family.

But after waiting so long without results, they suspected something had gone awry—and could no longer wait, coming here in person.

Yan Cang of Tianjian Peak immediately spoke to one of the elders: "Brother."

The elder narrowed his eyes: "The barbarians are irrelevant. Focus on capturing the Bu family!"

"Yes!"

With the addition of greater combat power, the battle in the Dongping Mountains now reached a stalemate.

Yet the disciples watching from the surrounding mountains did not look reassured.

Especially those who knew the truth.

For they understood: behind the Bu family lay a secret capable of overturning the entire power structure—that was why the Immortal Sects were so desperate.

In truth, whichever Immortal Sect captured the Bu family would trigger chaos across Qingyun Realm—perhaps not good, but if they gained the Immortal Opportunity, perhaps not bad either.

But if the barbarians captured the Bu family, it would surely be disastrous.

They had always sought to return to the Nine Provinces; if they learned the secret from the Bu family, humanity could never hold the Nine Provinces.

Especially since countless ruins existed in the Snowlands and the barbarian wastes.

The most critical issue: though combat power was nearly equal, the barbarians only needed to withdraw with their captive—far easier than the Immortal Sects needed to capture them.

Yet the barbarians were not as easy as they seemed; after the first clash, they realized humanity was not as weak as they had imagined.

Escaping from here would not be hard—but if they insisted on taking someone, they would inevitably suffer casualties. "We've found them—why hasn't the Clan King appeared yet?"

"The Clan King has his own plans. Don't speculate. I'll hold off these humans—you follow the plan, find an opening and withdraw first!"

"Mang Gu, don't act rashly!"

"This is for our tribe—for our return to the Nine Provinces!"

The older King-level barbarian panted heavily through his nostrils, launching fierce, sweeping attacks; his massive body carried the aura of a divine giant drumming, shaking the peaks into trembling.

The elder from Swordpeak Temple, whom Yan Cang had called Senior Brother, was struck by a heavy fist, his blood and qi surging backward.

In truth, his own sensation at this moment was just like Elder Fang's.

He could no longer recall when he had last fought; now he clearly felt his combat strength had fallen far short of his peak.

Especially since the realm forged by years of cultivation was not stable enough—otherwise, he would not have been so restrained facing these barbarians.

But as he gradually grew accustomed to this withered body, the elders' divine might began to manifest again.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In fierce clashes, techniques blazing like the sun crashed down upon the mountains.

At that moment, a far greater aura surged up from the mountains and slammed into the battlefield with a thunderous crash.

The newcomer was not a human powerhouse, but a barbarian whose aura was even more terrifying.

He stood tall, his body bulging with powerful muscles, clad in a robe woven from grass and vines, crowned with a headdress of feathered plumes; his appearance instantly sent the other barbarians into ecstatic roars toward the sky.

This sight instantly turned the faces of the dying elders ashen.

Yet at that moment, the barbarian named Mang Gu seemed to notice something—his copper-bell eyes suddenly widened.

In his line of sight, their tribal king was drenched in blood, a horrific wound splitting open from his armpit, nearly piercing through to his back.

Mang Gu's eyes bulged; he gasped in disbelief, unable to comprehend who could have wounded their tribal king.

And at that moment, a hum echoed from high above, and thick leaden clouds dropped a beam of immortal light.

Within that moonlit immortal radiance stood a woman of majestic stature, holding a stone mirror, her eyelashes trembling as she unleashed a vast, crushing aura.

After leaving Lingjian Mountain, she had traveled far and investigated many matters.

She visited wine estates, Anyuan City, nearby ruins—all of them—then entered the Dongping Mountains and discovered traces of the barbarians, chasing them all the way here.

Seeing this, everyone could not help but widen their eyes, stunned as they stared at the figure within the immortal light.

"It's the junior mirror master of Lingjian Mountain…"

"That mirror…"

"The Lingjian Mirror…"

Few had ever seen the true forms of the Seven Immortal Sects' sacred artifacts; for many present, this was their first time.

And only now, seeing this, did they understand why everyone said the junior mirror master of Lingjian Mountain was the most unusual disciple.

Boom!

The immortal light from the stone mirror blasted the massive barbarian king backward, while a sharp sword qi spiraled upward behind the junior mirror master.

Seeing this, the dying elders finally exhaled in relief.

They had never expected the barbarians to send a tribal king equivalent to a peak of the Upper Five Realms; they were grateful the junior mirror master of Lingjian Mountain had appeared.

Otherwise, Bu Qirong might truly have been taken by the barbarians.

At that very moment, a deafening roar erupted—the barbarian king swung his arm forward, wielding a heavy iron hammer that seemed ready to crush the void.

Yet the junior mirror master, wielding the Lingjian Sword, proved astonishingly powerful; her delicate, jade-like hand flicked lightly and caught the iron hammer with ease.

Simultaneously, a sword qi surged upward from her back and slashed down with thunderous force.

The barbarian king, gripping the heavy hammer, staggered back three steps—each heavy footfall shattered the cliffside.

Watching this sequence unfold, seeing endless immortal light shred through layers of clouds, the disciples within the mountains trembled deeply.

Qingyun Realm had not seen large-scale warfare in centuries; such a battle of this caliber, they had never even heard of.

Now, everyone suddenly realized this was no fight they could join—even a slight entanglement could mean death.

At that moment, the disciples in the forest cried out in alarm.

On the southern cliff within their line of sight, Bu Qirong surged upward with eight death servants.

Almost simultaneously, the barbarian named Mang Gu swung his arm and punched, his boiling fist force sealing off the escape routes of three elders—clearly coordinated.

At this moment, nine figures led by Bu Qirong descended from above, lunging toward Ge Hong of the Heavenly Book Academy.

The surging killing intent instantly turned Ge Hong's face pale; his long sword had just blocked a venomous claw, and the next instant, a torrent of malevolent energy rushed toward him.

Within the human encirclement, Ge Hong of the Yingtian Realm was one of the weakest points.

The Bu family must have long conspired with the barbarians—no intention to fight, only to unite their strength and help Bu Qirong break out first.

"No good!"

"We cannot let them escape!"

As shouts rang out, the nearest elder stepped forward to charge—but the other seven barbarian generals arrived faster.

Fierce fist forces fell like meteorites, shattering the surging techniques and slamming back the immortal sect Elders' proteges, while the fists' divine winds swept up clouds of dust.

As the humans had suspected, they truly intended to aid Bu Qirong's breakout first.

Because one person escaping was far easier than all of them escaping together.

Nor did they fear Bu Qirong would turn against them after leaving—though the Nine Provinces were vast, all were under immortal sect control; he had nowhere to hide.

The Wilds were their best option.

The oncoming killing intent crashed like a tidal wave; Bu Qirong's claws flashed like lightning in the night, radiating a force to tear through all, stabbing straight for Ge Hong's crown.

"How dare you—!"

Ge Hong's combat strength was weak; even facing any one of the eight demonic servants was difficult. Now he was in utter disarray, only raising his voice.

At this critical moment, the onlookers suddenly felt their hearts constrict.

Then came a ringing hum, and a torrent of airwaves roared toward them.

A magnificent sword qi rose like a bright moon, slashing violently toward the murderous Bu Qirong.

This sword qi seemed formless and invisible, piercing straight through ten thousand acres of sea; its hum pierced their eardrums, and its pressure crushed their shoulders under immense weight.

The demonic Bu Qirong gasped in horror, swinging his claws to block—but was violently flung back, his demonic aura momentarily shattered.

Seeing this, the immortal sect disciples in the mountains rejoiced.

Because barbarians did not cultivate the Dao of Heaven and could not summon sword qi.

In other words, another human powerhouse had arrived.

At that moment, everyone saw the figure wielding the sword descend from the sky and land upon a cliff.

That figure radiated intense heat amid the icy forest, melting the snow beneath his feet into a puddle.

And when they saw his face, the disciples gathered in the forest froze, their smiles fading.

On the cliff, Ji You's aura boiled fiercely; the sword qi within his iron sword had not yet dissipated, its sharpness forcing the mountain wind to reverse.

He had come to the Dongping Mountains and slain the Bu family disciples alone—word of this had spread throughout the region last night.

But since no one except Jiang Chenfeng and others had seen it firsthand, many remained skeptical, unable to believe without seeing.

Yet now—he had truly arrived.

These disciples had just said this was no battle they could join.

Yet the collapsing situation, because of Ji You's arrival, was instantly pulled back.

But Ji You had once been just like them—even his entry into the immortal registry was younger than theirs…

Elder Fang, Master Qin, and Master Ji moved almost simultaneously, gazing at the expected figure, their eyes flickering between light and shadow.

Now that they had seen him in person, confirmed everything, they were not shocked—but their bewilderment was no less than anyone else's.

Combat strength was something impossible to describe in words; hearing rumors and seeing it firsthand were entirely different experiences.

Bu Qirong was Yingtian Realm, and with his demonic transformation, he could already match elders of the Wujiang Realm—yet just now, using both claws, he had only barely blocked the sword's edge, and was still flung back by the sheer force.

The junior mirror master of Lingjian Mountain, holding the Lingjian Mirror, also glanced briefly at the figure on the cliff, her cold, proud eyes narrowing slightly.

After a fleeting glance, she turned again and charged toward the barbarian king with the Lingjian Mirror.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Amid splattering sparks, the barbarian king locked in combat with Yan Shuyi roared, his iron hammer trembling violently from the sword qi, nearly slipping from his grasp.

He did not understand why—just now, this human woman's assault had suddenly become even fiercer!

At that moment, Ji You on the high cliff rose with his sword, slashing through the encirclement; the heavy aura shattered the cliff beneath his leap.

On his way here, he had worried whether Bu Qirong had already been captured—how he would kill him then—but he never expected barbarians would get involved.

This was an extremely dangerous situation—but for Ji You, it was perfect.

Sword qi coalesced; a fierce sword chant followed in its wake…

(I actually finished writing this earlier, but felt the pacing was off, so I scrapped it all and rewrote it—apologies for the delay. Posting now, will revise later; I'll work late tonight.)

(End of Chapter)