Beichen Sword Sect's Headmaster's Secret Records

Chapter 348 Righteousness
It was an early autumn night, and the summer floods were rising. The surging Ju River had reached the banks, where the bright sand was like snow. Apart from the sandy areas beside the banks, the rest was a vast grassland. Looking into the distance, one could see a sea of ​​green clouds covering the ground, with a white ribbon running across it, swirling and flowing with the wind from west to east.

In the dead of night, a solitary moon hangs high in the sky, with only the chirping of insects in the tall grass. Suddenly, the neighing of horses is heard from the north, like a whirlwind sweeping over the ridge of Yinshan Mountain.

Then a young knight came riding north. Although he was wearing full armor, his clothes were covered in blood, he carried a bow and a sword, and his face was covered in dust, he had long arms and a slender waist, a handsome face, and a dashing appearance. His demeanor was dignified and composed, and his protective aura was quite solid. It was clear at a glance that he was a son of a warlord and a family guard for generations.

The knight rode south at breakneck speed until he reached the north bank of the Ju River, but was blocked by the swollen river. He saw that the riverbank was very wide and feared that he could not leap across it on horseback, nor could he float on his armor. He had no choice but to rein in his horse and stop, and hurriedly looked around, trying to find a shallow place to cross the river.

"Ouch——!"

Suddenly, the howls of wolves echoed from the night, the roars and howls of beasts reverberating across the grassland. In an instant, the howls grew louder as they approached from afar, and gusts of demonic wind and black smoke swept in from three directions, bringing with them a thick, pungent stench of blood.

The warhorse, smelling the scent of the demonic beast from afar, was momentarily startled and restless. It couldn't wait to leap into the river, but because of its heavy body and the soft, wet sand, it sank into the sand, twisted its hoof, and fell to the ground, neighing incessantly.

The young knight quickly did a somersault and rolled on the ground, managing not to be crushed under the horse. He scrambled to his feet and tried to help the horse up, but he couldn't get a foothold on the mudflats and couldn't lift the horse in his haste. Just as he was caught in a dilemma, a raging gust of wind swept right in front of him!

With nowhere to go but to the left and right, the only option left is to fight to the death!

"Tenfold Fist of the Void! Hit!"

Without hesitation, the young knight raised his hand, drew his bow, and fired an arrow!
"Oh!"

The arrowhead, imbued with the talisman, flashed with golden light, creating a gust of wind that pierced through the black smoke and evil clouds, shooting into the demonic wind!
"Ow—!"

With a piercing howl, a giant wolf tumbled out of the demonic wind. This demon, overconfident and reckless, charged forward, only to be caught off guard by the youth's arrow that shattered its magic, striking its right eye and causing blood to gush forth! Its bestial nature flared, and it went berserk! With a swipe of its claws, it swept the warhorse in two! Blood and entrails splattered everywhere! Blood was everywhere!
The boy remained calm and focused, watching the wolf demon pounce. He leaped and rolled, dodging the sweeping claws with a clang. Thanks to his armor, although the claws grazed him, they only left a few white claw marks on his iron armor and shoulders, causing no serious injury.

Having dodged the attack, the young man didn't hesitate. He flipped over and raised his hand, firing three arrows in quick succession. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Three sounds rang out in succession. These three arrows were also equipped with talismans that ignited when exposed to wind and burned when exposed to light. Taking advantage of the wolf demon's injured right eye and inability to dodge, they all struck the wolf's cheek. "Boom!" In an instant, the wolf's head turned into a fireball!
"Aaaaaah—!" "Splash!"

The wolf demon screamed in agony, rolling on the ground in pain. He scrambled to the riverbank and plunged his head into the water. With great difficulty, he broke the arrow and extinguished the fire. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he had been burned bald by the talisman fire!

The wolf demon gritted its teeth in hatred, its eyes gleaming green, and turned to look, panting heavily. Suddenly, a bright light flashed before its eyes! In its astonishment, it only caught a glimpse of a black shadow rushing towards it!
Instead of retreating, the young man advanced! He leaped forward, charging right in front of him! With his right hand, he drew the iron sword from his back, and with his left hand, he slammed the Taoist talisman onto the spine of the sword! He roared angrily!

"Yangming Great Master, Yin Essence Taiji! Ten Thousand Ghosts Subdue, Flying Qi Inhale! Yao Guang Dragon-Slaying Sword!"

"Shh-!"

Instantly, the talisman flashed, transforming into a bright sword light that protected the blade, creating a double shadow on the sword! It was as if the sun and moon shone together, the two blades clashing! The sword fell! It cleaved the wolf demon in two, beheading it in a single stroke! It collapsed to the ground, dead! It lay dead on the sand, blood gushing from a wound the size of a bowl! For a moment, the Ju River was stained crimson!

"Roar—!!" "Awooo!!!"

At this moment, the two demons who had arrived later landed in the demonic wind. Upon seeing that their brother had been killed by the young man with a single sword in the blink of an eye, they were stunned. Considering the power of the sword in the young man's hand, the two monstrous demons with blue faces and fangs, heads as big as oxen, and clearly having just formed their demon cores, hesitated and stood facing each other from both sides, neither willing to attack first and be killed.

"Hush-huh-"

The young man roared, spewing out white, ribbon-like streams of true qi from his mouth and nose, spraying it onto the gleaming talisman on the back of his sword. Holding the sword, he relied on its light to confront the two demons several steps apart.

"Roar!" "Awooo!"

The two demons knew that the standoff was not a long-term solution. The south bank of the Ju River was a key town on the border, Lingwu territory. Guards might come out to patrol the border at any time. Now that they were blocked outside the pass, they had finally found a living person. It would be a pity not to eat him. So they chuckled and roared twice to make a pact, and then moved from both sides to attack from both sides!

"Hiss... Whoosh... Gang Fist Sixteen! Activate!"

The youth, however, showed no fear, his expression remaining calm as he faced the charging beast. He adjusted his breathing, his body bulging with muscles as strong as iron, while silently reciting the general principles of the sword technique. His eyes narrowed, and he charged forward to meet the challenge!

"The Jade Balance points to Sirius, the Nine Luminaries descend upon the heavens, sword energy soars! The Big Dipper hangs its sharp edge, illuminating the Purple Pole, the Jade Light appears, shattering the darkness! Zha!"

"Roar!" "Awooo!"

The boy brandished the iron sword in his hand, and the golden light and shadow on the sword swayed accordingly, like a golden feather flying, moving with the blade and guarding the edge. One sword with two blades, one blade with two forms, cutting with the sword!

Although the two great demons attacked together, their imposing presence seemed capable of turning this boy into mincemeat and blood with a single blow, the boy was clearly using the true teachings of the Xuanmen sect, a superior sword technique. He combined Qi with sword incantations, his steps were like a fighting stance, he dodged left and right, and his sword light followed the blade, directly severing the Qi and breaking the spell of that single sword light, protecting his entire body!

Moreover, this young man clearly possessed a solid foundation, having mastered the Gangquan (罡拳) technique. He could unleash the sixteenth level of Gangquan without breaking a sweat or panting. Even clad in heavy armor, he moved with the speed of the wind, appearing and disappearing freely without showing any signs of fatigue. In an instant, his figure flashed into a ball of sword light! He moved swiftly and freely amidst the demonic energy, claws, wind, poisonous smoke, and demonic clouds! Even when the two demons attacked together, they were unable to do anything to him for the time being!

On the contrary, that gleaming sword, as the young knight exhaled his Daoist energy, grew faster and brighter with each strike! For a moment, the sword light was dazzling and its sharpness unmatched!
The two great demons' various demonic arts and illusions, including poisonous fire and bewitching smoke, had no effect whatsoever. Instead, they were all easily broken by the flash of sword light! Their bodies, which were as tough as copper and steel and impenetrable to blades and arrows, were sliced ​​off and had their arms and legs severed by a single slash of the sword light! Scales were split and bones were cut! As they rubbed and held the sword, several of their fingers were cut off. How could they possibly fight like this?!
The two demons grew increasingly frightened and terrified as they fought! Only then did their slow-witted minds finally react!

That's right, this young man clearly came from the north! How could he not have some real skills to survive on the other side of Yinshan Mountain? Rushing to chase after him would be foolish!

However, it's too late to realize this now!

"Yao Guang Dragon-Slaying Sword!"

"Ow—!"

Then, in a moment of distraction, a demon was pulled into the boy's arms and struck directly by a sword! The Yao Guang Dragon-Slaying Sword ripped open his abdomen! Instantly, his intestines and entrails ruptured, his chest and arms were torn open, and black, foul blood and a huge mass of filthy lungs gushed out! Blood immediately spurted from his mouth and nose, and he screamed in agony, flying backward in panic to escape!
However, how could the young swordsman let it escape! He leaped forward like lightning, rushed forward, and pierced the heart from behind with a sword, severing its head and spine, instantly killing the demon on the spot!

"what!"

Seeing this, the remaining demons dared not fight any longer! Without a word, they turned and fled! They stirred up a gust of demonic wind, leaped into the air, and soared into the clouds!

"Wow!"

Then the wind swept away the clouds, and suddenly a giant hand appeared from the white clouds and rain in the sky, grabbing straight down from the clouds and squashing the monster to death with a "plop." Red, yellow, and brown matter burst onto the ground...

Seeing this, the young swordsman knew that a master had secretly helped him, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, large beads of sweat began to seep from his face. The sixteenth level of the Gangquan technique was still a stretch, and he was exhausted after relaxing for a moment. He exhaled a breath of Dao Qi and rested with his sword.

The bright sword light had now dissipated into a kaleidoscope of colors, leaving only a broken iron sword, stained with demonic blood. Even the sword talisman was now stained with blood and could no longer be discerned.

"Thank you for saving me, immortal! Please show yourself!"

"What does it have to do with me? It's your own skill, the divine power of the Sword Sect."

Hearing the sound, the boy turned around and saw a Taoist priest standing silently on the Ju River.

This person wore a plain white silk Taoist robe as the base, covered with a black gauze crane cloak, and lined with a chart of the twenty-eight constellations. He had a white jade lotus crown to bind his hair, held a nine-section lightning-struck wooden magic sword, had a vertical golden mark and lightning pattern between his eyebrows, and his tiger eyes flashed with faint lightning, like a bubble or phantom, making it impossible to discern his true appearance.

With just one glance, one can tell that he is a Taoist priest of the Quanzhen School, an enlightened Taoist.

The young man, seeing that he had encountered a divine opportunity, did not hesitate and immediately bowed in reverence.
"Young man, Huangfu Yi! A guard of the Northern Protectorate! Besieged by a demonic tide, I am trapped in the north and have come to the Central Plains to seek help!"

The Taoist priest, drawn by the sword light of his fellow Xuanmen practitioners, had made a special trip to meet the young man. Upon hearing the boy introduce himself, he exclaimed in surprise, "Eh!" and, after a moment of curiosity, calculated with his fingers.
"The Northern Protectorate? Isn't that the Guixu Land, the garrison of the Arctic? Isolated overseas for sixty years, how come it hasn't fallen yet?"

Seeing that the immortal knew, Huangfu Yi quickly replied, "Reporting to the immortal, sixty years ago, a horde of demons emerged, and a great demon tide arose. The Northern Protectorate was also captured by the demon gods. My father was the commander of the protectorate. He fought bravely but was no match for them. He could only lead the defeated army to protect his family and flee south. Later, in the icy and snowy land, they found a garrison of the Gen Kingdom's vassal state that was still inhabited."

It turns out that the local survivors were also trapped by the demon tide. Fortunately, they were protected by the immortals, who opened up a refuge and set up a superior sword formation to guard it. As a result, the demons retreated, and we were able to survive the demon tide and gather the survivors from the north to live in.

For many years, we have been blocked by demons and had no way to return south, so we temporarily lived in that sword formation. However, in recent years, the demon tide has gradually receded, and we have not seen any demons for many years. So we went out of the formation to investigate and found that there was a blood demon hiding in the Arctic near our residence!
That Blood Demon has already forged a colossal sea of ​​blood! A thousand miles of land are now scorched red, a vast expanse of water! Its power is terrifying, even demons are forced to retreat a thousand miles! It is likely on the verge of becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator! If this demon were to emerge from seclusion, it would inevitably cause a cataclysmic event on earth! Therefore, I have been ordered to rush to the Central Plains to seek aid!

Now that we have encountered a true immortal, we humbly request your assistance in vanquishing this demon for the sake of the world! May you save the people from this dire situation! May you turn the tide and avert disaster!

"So that's how it is... You, a body cultivator, with only three breaths of true qi, were able to cross Yin Mountain and endure countless hardships, all for the sake of upholding the righteous path, eliminating demons, and saving the common people. You are truly remarkable."

The Taoist priest frowned and calculated for a while, realizing that what the boy said was true, but he shook his head and sighed.

"Unfortunately, I am also unable to extricate myself from this calamity."

My fellow disciples and I have guarded the border for sixty years, suppressing three thousand four hundred and sixty-four demons and monsters. I have calculated that eight more great demons near Lingwu are about to transform into human form and ascend to demonic status.

If any of them were to break free of their seals, become demons, and enter the mortal realm, wouldn't it all lead to widespread devastation and barren wastelands? How could I possibly leave to care about any blood demons…”

Huangfu was anxious,
"This... is an immortal!"

"Don't be impatient."

The Taoist continued his calculations, then casually flicked his sleeve, sending a wisp of spiritual energy to protect Huangfu Yi's body and help him heal and regain his strength.
"Your surname is Huangfu, and you are the son of the Protector-General of Beiting. Are you one of the 'Three Bright Ones' of the Immortal Palace, a descendant of Lord Huangfu?"

"Our ancestor was Wei Ming, a man of integrity. Because he was resented by treacherous officials in the court, he exiled all my family members to the far reaches of the earth, driving them to the North Pole to guard the borders..."

After all, compound surnames are rare, and the family was well-known, so Huangfu Yi nodded and confessed. This time, he went to his ancestor for help.

This was expected, so the Taoist priest took out a gold medal and handed it to Huangfu Yi.
"General Zhengxi is a pillar of the nation, but unfortunately, the Central Plains are in chaos, with heroes vying for power. There are twelve kingdoms in the world, with powerful vassals and princes fighting each other, causing immense suffering and death. This situation is beyond human control."

The nine important border towns had long since rebelled against the palace and established their own rule, slaughtering all the families of the guards in the capital region. From south of Yinshan Mountain to north of the Gen River, the stone dragon had surrendered everywhere.

When you cross the Ju River and head south, remember to conceal your identity, otherwise you may be implicated by your family name and fall into a life-threatening situation.

If any evil spirits or heretics cause trouble, use this amulet for protection. Perhaps, relying on the humble reputation of Emei, it can save you from death three times.

Huangfu Yi looked at the gold plaque with the words 'Emei' printed on it, but did not accept it. He simply bowed and thanked the plaque.

"Thank you for your favor, Immortal. I appreciate your kindness, but my whole family is in the North. If the Blood Demon is not eliminated soon, they will be the first to suffer. How can I only care about my own life and escape alone?"

I, being a young man, also possess the ability to protect myself. Since you have your duties, the safety of this area depends on you. I won't trouble you any further. I will go to Sanyuan for help. Farewell.”

"You do have some courage. It's a pity we're not meant to be..."

The Emei Taoist priest, seeing that he didn't accept the token, wasn't angry. Instead, he nodded with some admiration.

"But I'm not telling you to live a life of mere survival; I'm telling you to seek help from others."

I've already figured out the origins of that Blood Demon. This fiend is the reincarnation of the previous Wisdom King. He did some truly great things back then; even the 100,000 celestial soldiers of the Celestial Palace couldn't subdue him, and he actually managed to escape to the North Pole.

Now, this fiend has been reincarnated and has cultivated for sixty years. Taking advantage of the demonic calamity, he has devoured countless ghosts and gods. He has probably already cultivated the Blood God Child Great Art to its peak. With demonic light emanating from his head, his prestige has been established, and he has reached the realm of a raging sea of ​​blood, making him extremely difficult to kill.

Even if all seven of us brothers were to arrive, we probably wouldn't be able to subdue him in a short time. If he were to escape again, the fate of the world would shift to the Demonic Sect, and if demons were to take the opportunity to enter the pass, the world would likely collapse.

Besides, what abilities does Sanyuan possess? Your ancestor surely wouldn't abandon the empire and flee to the North Pole with you. In such a perilous situation, what use would just finding one or two random people be, other than wasting their lives?

Huangfu Yi was anxious.
"What, what should we do?!"

With a crisp "crack!", Huangfu Yi, in his haste, used too much force. The iron sword in his hand, its spine scorched by the talisman fire, could no longer withstand the force and was broken into pieces on the ground by the strange power.

The Emei Taoist looked at the shattered swords scattered on the ground, shimmering with golden light, and was lost in thought for a long time before finally letting out a long breath.

"The precious sword must eventually be drawn, and the divine blade must be sacrificed in blood. It seems that the common people cannot escape this calamity..."

Alright, you don't need to worry too much. In this world, everything is governed by cause and effect, and retribution is inevitable. Every drink and every bite is predetermined.

The Blood Demon descended upon the world, causing widespread suffering. Such a calamity will naturally be dealt with by Heaven. The one who was born to slay this fiend has already appeared in the world.

Hmph, but that fellow has been hiding in the mountains in seclusion for many years, and hasn't cared about worldly affairs for a long time. But since you were able to obtain the true teachings of this sword technique, you must have some connection with their sect.

"Then you should travel to Mount Jiuyin to seek the Dao and ask him to come out of seclusion and exorcise the demon."

Upon hearing that even the three thousand immortals who could suppress demons wanted this person to deal with the Blood Demon, Huangfu Yi couldn't help but feel curious.

"But I do not know the Daoist name of this Demon-Slaying Immortal Lord, nor where his immortal mountain is. I humbly request the immortal to enlighten me."

The Taoist priest of Emei calculated with his fingers and chanted.

"The sword is buried in the cold pool, gathering divine essence; the mountain spirit is secretly tempered in the heart of the blade. Do not say that there is no age in the mountains; wherever the blade passes, all is reduced to ashes."

Huangfu Yi couldn't understand.

"This... could the immortal please explain further?"

The Emei Taoist shook his head and sighed.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to give guidance, but that fellow has some grudges with my Emei sect, and he's also impulsive. When he gets upset, he acts like a child. If I talk too much, I'm afraid he'll realize I'm scheming and cause some trouble, which would delay our business."

Huangfu Yi was speechless for a moment, but the Emei Taoist suddenly laughed.

"I am in the mountains, the clouds are deep and I do not know where. Seeking immortals and visiting the Tao, isn't it all about fate?"

Alright, if you talk too much about everything, the relationship will inevitably end sooner.

Since you have this ambition, then take it one step at a time and go find it yourself. If you are destined to be together, you will meet again someday.

(End of this chapter)