Chapter 913: line with translation of chapter title

When the Earth Vein Dragon Qi appeared, Xiao Jiu's first reaction was that Liu Junyan had come.

At the same time she was also somewhat worried about Liu Junyan's physical condition, and did not know whether anyone from the Bái Jiā Yīguǎn had rushed over.

According to reason, Xiao Jiu having been in the underground space for so long should have given enough time for the people from the Bái Jiā Yīguǎn to arrive and treat Liu Junyan's injuries.

It would be best if Bái Sōnglán could come, but if she really cannot come, then Bai Qiong coming over would also be fine.

But soon Xiao Jiu discovered that Liu Junyan had not come.

Suddenly, these Earth Vein Dragon Qi that rushed into the White Bone Shrine were not just a single strand, but came simultaneously from all directions from underground, flanking into the White Bone Shrine.

They came with overwhelming force, instantly breaking the seal of the White Bone Shrine, powerfully filling the entire shrine; the Xuètóng on the walls, from small to large, began to close continuously until all Xuètóng had disappeared, after which a huge eye appeared at the top of the shrine.

And several strands of Earth Vein Dragon Qi kept swirling inside the White Bone Shrine, as if they had no roots, unable to land.

Xiao Jiu was enveloped in the middle of these several strands of Earth Vein Dragon Qi, looking up to meet the gaze of that Xuètóng above.

The burning sensation on her skin was almost gone, but Xiao Jiu could still smell the incense permeating the air.

Especially, that eye above, while making eye contact with Xiao Jiu, seemed to be undergoing subtle changes continuously.

Xiao Jiu knew that when these subtle changes accumulated to a certain extent, that would be the moment the Xuètóng Hānsī launched another attack against her.

By then, it would certainly come with the determination to kill in one strike.

What frightened Xiao Jiu was not the Xuètóng changing, but her discovery that the basis of the Xuètóng's change relied on incense qi and the Earth Vein Dragon Qi swirling inside the White Bone Shrine.

Yes, that Xuètóng above was continuously drawing energy from the Earth Vein Dragon Qi swirling below.

As time passed, that Xuètóng gradually concealed its bloody eye, and a human face slowly emerged above, with Golden Light flashing around its outline.

Who is that?

Is it the true form of the Xuètóng Hānsī?

Xiao Jiu felt this possibility was extremely low.

The Xuètóng Hānsī is an ancient ferocious beast; its true form is originally a beast, so how could it, when revealing its true form, condense into a human face?

Moreover, it is a ferocious beast that has committed countless evils; where would the Golden Light flashing around its body come from?

Those Golden Light are symbols of Merit, military achievements, and so on.

Just as Xiao Jiu was puzzling over this, Liu Junyan's voice suddenly penetrated the layers of obstruction and appeared in her mind out of the blue: "Xiao Jiu, do as I say."

Immediately afterward, a spell chant rang out instantly in Xiao Jiu's mind.

Xiao Jiu, following Liu Junyan's guidance, began to form hand signs and chant the spell.

What she chanted was the spell that Liu Junyan had taught her.

Xiao Jiu has a good memory, high comprehension, a careful mind, and extremely strong receptivity.

Even though this was her first time controlling this spell, she performed it extremely well.

The moment the spell began to operate, Xiao Jiu immediately felt an endless stream of Earth Vein Dragon Qi flowing toward her body.

It turned out this was a spell for mobilizing and operating Earth Vein Dragon Qi!

Liu Junyan was outside; he had to guard the area within a 2-li radius, preventing the Xuètóng Hānsī's corruption from spreading to a larger area.

But he also could not let go of Xiao Jiu; he set up a Formation Array, gathered the surrounding Earth Vein Dragon Qi, and at a critical moment flanked from the outside to give Xiao Jiu great help.

At this moment, Liu Junyan could not come to Xiao Jiu's side, but he controlled the Earth Vein Dragon Qi, remotely guiding it, continually protecting Xiao Jiu.

Protecting this territory.

Whenever Xiao Jiu's side made a movement, it obviously stimulated the Xuètóng above, and the two immediately launched a tug-of-war, desperately competing to seize the Earth Vein Dragon Qi swirling in between.

The outline of that human face above became increasingly clear, while Xiao Jiu simultaneously felt that some unexpected changes were also occurring on her side.

The spell that Liu Junyan temporarily taught Xiao Jiu indeed helped her absorb Earth Vein Dragon Qi quickly; even the Xuètóng above could not match her efficiency.

But soon Xiao Jiu discovered that the Earth Vein Dragon Qi she had absorbed did not enter her body, nor did it condense in a certain part of her body such as the dantian; instead, it floated on the surface around her body.

Xiao Jiu faintly felt that those Earth Vein Spiritual Energy had condensed around her body into a larger human shape.

Xiao Jiu could not see that person's current concrete state, nor its head and face, but she had a strong feeling that her condition should be exactly the same as the human face outline condensed by the Xuètóng Hānsī above.

While they desperately vied for more Earth Vein Dragon Qi, they were also dividing the incense qi within the White Bone Shrine.

When the Earth Vein Dragon Qi swirling in midair had been completely divided between the two sides, and the incense qi permeating the air had completely dissipated, Xiao Jiu saw that the human face on top of the White Bone Shrine had fully formed.

It was a man's face, looking weathered yet resolute and bold.

Xiao Jiu knows a little about physiognomy, so at a glance she determined this person was not a modern individual; from his physiognomy, he was decisive in killing, bore heavy karmic burdens, yet the merit and mana he could accumulate were greater, possessing the aura of a great general.

But Xiao Jiu could only see that much; trying to look deeper, she found it impossible.

Actually, in folk physiognomy there is a major taboo: reading the face of the dead.

A physiognomist with somewhat lower Dao cultivation cannot read the faces of such people at all.

Meanwhile, a physiognomist with high Dao cultivation, even if able to look, would not wish to do so, because in this situation reading the face is tantamount to probing heavenly secrets, which would damage yin virtue; it's not worth touching this taboo.

The reason Xiao Jiu could see some information from that face above without harm is largely due to the support of the Earth Vein Dragon Qi.

At that moment, another surge of qi forcefully broke through the floor of the White Bone Shrine and rushed straight toward Xiao Jiu's direction.

Liu Junyan's voice almost simultaneously rang in Xiao Jiu's mind: "Catch the sword!"

」

Sword?

Where did the sword come from?

Xiao Jiu instinctively reached out; as she moved, the entity condensed around her body also simultaneously reached out!

Xiao Jiu grasped at empty space.

And the hand that extended at the same time as hers went to meet that incoming surge of qi.

That surge of qi was obviously aimed at it.

That surge of qi swirled and condensed around that hand continuously; Xiao Jiu kept staring, also curious about what would happen next.

What exactly had Liu Junyan deployed?

But when she saw that the airflow ultimately actually condensed into the shape of a sword, and crucially that sword was still very familiar to Xiao Jiu, Xiao Jiu then realized what it was!

It was the Azure Void Sword!

And the Azure Void Sword… recognized its master…