Chapter 58: Spirit Sword Mountain Attacks Tian Shu Academy

Deep within the Qiling Ruins stood a ten-thousand-zhang mountain, hidden amid clouds and mist.

Ji You and Yuan Yuanchen reached the mountain's mid-slope and found the sky rumbling with thunder, the mountain's malevolent energy swaying violently—yet precisely in this direction, the jade disc used to locate people glowed fiercely.

"Brother-in-law, I'll give you more money…"

"You're truly thoughtful."

Ji You held his sword horizontally across his body and carried Yuan Yuanchen over the small hill ahead, following the rugged path toward the towering mountain.

This was their original plan.

Avoid all easy routes to evade disciples of sects with ill intent, then find the person and retreat swiftly through the mine tunnels.

Yet what they hadn't anticipated was that this rugged path granted them an unexpected surprise.

Ahead, along the winding cliff path hung with withered vines, stood several carriages.

The ruins contained only relics of the original descendants; this was the first time they saw something familiar.

Yuan Yuanchen stumbled over and examined the carriages, but ended up looking disappointed.

He had assumed these were Yu Danzong's elixir transport carriages, but they weren't.

Yet Ji You picked up a flag from one of the carriages, stared at it for a long while, and his heart sank.

It was a carriage from Yanxing Relay Station.

If Luo You's wife hadn't lied, this must be the carriage that brought the infants here.

But even now, Ji You couldn't understand why they brought so many infants here—most were abandoned by poor families who couldn't afford to raise them, with no connection to any immortal sect.

"Brother-in-law, there's a fight breaking out down below."

"?"

Ji You turned his head and froze slightly.

Below the mountain slope, a fierce battle had erupted—swords sang continuously, and spiritual energy scattered wildly.

Careful observation revealed two sect disciples jointly besieging another sect's disciple.

What stunned Ji You was that the besieged were none other than Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan disciples—Ban Ban Yangshu and Bai Bai Rulong were among them, led by Wen Zhengxin, a group of dozens with grim expressions.

Even more astonishing was that Pei Pei Ruyi, the top disciple of the Outer Tian Shuyuan, was also there, already covered in wounds, blood oozing from her lips.

"Hand over the item!"

"We already gave you the Vermilion Fruit—what else do you want? Can Spirit Sword Mountain really act so tyrannically?!"

"Spirit stones! Hand over your stored spirit stones!"

The Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan disciples were pushed back step by step, then surrounded by twice their number of cultivators.

Half wore blue robes—clearly from Way Seeking Sect; the other half were even more familiar—they were Spirit Sword Mountain disciples.

Ding Yao stood at the front, looking down from above, her eyes icy.

She wasn't the highest-ranked among Spirit Sword Mountain, but having grown up alongside the Young Master Ling Jian, even the post-Integration disciples behind her obeyed her.

Moreover, Wen Dao Sect's direct disciples had always favored the Young Master Ling Jian, so their representatives were willing to grant her respect.

Thus, they traveled together and encountered the Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan disciples beneath the mountain slope.

The malevolent energy here was extraordinarily dense; many cultivators struggled to circulate their spiritual energy. To enter the mountain and seize divine fortune, they needed vast quantities of spirit stones to replenish and restore.

Thus, not only were the natural treasures of the ruins scarce, but spirit stones had become highly coveted resources.

Pei Pei Ruyi had prepared many spirit stones upon Cao Cao Jingsong's advice, but she had revealed her wealth on the road—being ambushed now was no surprise.

Disciples from other sects, such as Shanhai Pavilion and Chen Chen Shixian Clan, were also recovering their spiritual energy before the mountain, preparing to enter the final peak.

Seeing this scene, they couldn't help but murmur among themselves.

"Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan has only one post-Integration disciple—opposite them… there are three."

"Is Spirit Sword Mountain about to break ties with Tian Shu Academy?"

"Before such divine opportunity, even breaking ties doesn't matter—if one gains fortune inside, perhaps the Qingyun Realm will no longer have seven sects standing side by side."

"Divine fortune… is stirring!"

All gazed toward the divine light piercing the heavens deep within the mountains, their hearts surging.

Amid these murmurs, the Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan disciples had been driven to the brink—most were already wounded.

Only Wen Zhengxin, Ban Ban Yangshu, Xu Jin, and other Inner Tian Shuyuan disciples still had combat strength, along with Pei Pei Ruyi, the Outer Tian Shuyuan's top disciple who had already touched the threshold of post-Integration.

Wen Zhengxin was currently holding his own against a post-Integration disciple of Wen Dao Sect, evenly matched.

Thunder arts infused into his blade roared with each strike, lightning flashing and shattering the mountain rocks into fragments.

Ban Ban Yangshu and Xu Jin fought together against another post-Integration disciple, struggling desperately.

This post-Integration cultivator, nearly forty, had far deeper spiritual energy and more profound techniques—even unarmed, a single burst of spiritual light struck as sharp as a sword.

"If only my junior brother were here, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Hearing Ban Ban Yangshu's shout, Wen Zhengxin frowned: "What junior brother?"

Ban Ban Yangshu gritted his teeth and slashed: "The one I left behind in town—if he were here, he might bridge the realm gap!"

"Don't talk nonsense—what can a fully-cultivated third-rank do? The power gap is too great—find a chance and flee immediately!"

In the chaos, Pei Pei Ruyi, fighting alone against a post-Integration disciple, was the most battered.

Her realm was already slightly lower, and she had no allies; she held out not only because her foundation was solid, but also because the malevolent energy here restricted cultivators, narrowing the gap between them.

Yet this malevolent energy would surely kill her.

Her spiritual energy wasn't stronger than her opponent's, and she couldn't replenish her qi—she would eventually be worn down to death.

CRASH!

The post-Integration disciple facing Pei Pei Ruyi, expression cold, swung his sword—intense sword intent surged with spiritual energy, descending from above.

Pei Pei Ruyi unleashed her spiritual energy, using her remaining qi to block—but she was still cleaved backward, crashing into and shattering the cliff behind her.

"Pei Ruyi!"

"Sister!"

Ban Ban Yangshu and Wen Zhengxin shouted in unison as the second sword came crashing down, aimed straight at her head.

My immortal dream… ends.

Pei Pei Ruyi had no strength left to resist; her sword slipped from her grip.

Fengzhou had no immortal clans; she entered Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan because her branch of the Pei family in Yunzhou had once produced a cultivator.

On the day she entered, her father said their branch's future rested on her shoulders—so after joining, she trained relentlessly, nine hours daily, more diligently than others, striving to carry her entire family.

But that year, she met Wen Zhengxin—the prodigy she could never catch up to in her cultivation path.

Even though she couldn't enter the Inner Tian Shuyuan, she kept working hard, rising as an Outer Tian Shuyuan disciple to the peak of Eighteen Tongxuan Realm.

Normally, Outer Tian Shuyuan disciples could stay only five years, but to remain, she joined the Sect Affairs Office and accompanied instructors on recruitment tours, clinging to Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan for ten years.

The day she saw Fang Fang Ruoyao in Yuyang County, she saw her younger self.

They were both small people—no great talent, no illustrious family, mocked by classmates as "town cultivators," forced to work harder than anyone else.

She hadn't lied to Fang Fang Ruoyao—she had proven with her own life that effort truly mattered.

But sadly, effort could never match the advantage of noble lineage—so despite all her effort, she was sent here to die for Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan.

It's over.

Surrounding cultivators sighed softly, knowing the entire Little Tian Shu Tian Shuyuan group would perish here.

But in that fleeting instant, the post-Integration disciple swinging the sword suddenly looked up, halted his blade, and crossed it before himself.

All turned to see—on the slope, a long sword, brimming with spiritual energy, flew in like a tiger's roar and dragon's cry, its icy gleam radiating peerless sword intent!

(Requesting monthly votes, request tracking reads… Though the story has been slow lately, it's a crucial turning point… or2)

(End of Chapter)