This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 362 Peerless Palace, Bai Wuyan

The middle-aged man, dressed as a scholar, possessed the aura of a master who merged with the world, separating himself from the surrounding crowd as if living in two different worlds, and thus went unnoticed.

But in Xiang Yuan's eyes, this person had a cold face and eyes like cold stars. Even though he concealed his aura and appeared ordinary, he still exuded an imposing aura.

Like a firefly in the dark, it's hard to ignore.

Moreover, the man's concealment of his aura was only for ordinary people; he had no intention of hiding himself from Xiang Yuan, who was of the same level.

Head-on!
Regardless of whether he would collapse with a cry, Xiang Yuan admired his courage. In this materialistic world where everyone has multiple identities, there are very few masters like this honest and straightforward man.

He's obviously someone who's been around the 70s circle; he doesn't understand the Star Palace, nor does he know anything about the Guardian Spirit Sect or the Immortal Mountain.

No innate wisdom!

Xiang Yuan nodded secretly, a white light flashing in his eyes. He silently spread out two colors, yin and yang, under his feet, separating the surrounding crowd and setting up a spatial restriction to protect Jiang Yingjun and Xiao Lingyan behind him.

"Who is coming?"

"The funeral procession."

The man spoke with great arrogance. As soon as he uttered those four words, the entire space suddenly sank. His aura was like a sword piercing the abyss, and an invisible sword wind raged, causing Xiang Yuan's clothes to flutter wildly.

Heavenly Sword Pavilion!
No, how could it be the Heavenly Sword Pavilion again?
Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. The Feng family of the Five Heavenly Sword Lineages was plagued by the Art Virus, and there was not a single Tongyou stage Grandmaster. The newly promoted Grandmaster of the Wang family died in the Feng family's ancestral land, and the news had been suppressed and not released.

Two of the Five Heavenly Sword lineages suffered a devastating blow.

The already impoverished Tianjian Pavilion has suffered another blow today by losing a Grandmaster, and they may have to live on dirt from now on.

They really can't nerf it anymore, or the game will be unplayable!

Xiang Yuan muttered to himself, then waved his hand, dispersing the invisible sword wind around him.

After testing him, the man's skills were mediocre, belonging to the middle tier among the Tongyou stage masters, only slightly stronger than the previous Tianqian Sword Master.

You don't even need to stand up; you can tidy up while sitting.

There were no chairs around, so Xiang Yuan didn't sit down. Without turning his head, he said, "A Grandmaster is causing trouble. I'll go clean up. You two stay here and don't move around. It'll be over soon."

Upon hearing that the visitor was a Grandmaster, Xiao Lingyan's expression changed drastically. She did not yet have the cultivation of the Nascent Soul stage and could not understand what a Grandmaster was. She only remembered seeing Xiang Yuan last year, who was like her, also having the cultivation of the Innate stage.

"What, are you worried?"

Hearing Jiang Yingjun's voice transmission, Xiao Lingyan subconsciously nodded, then shook her head repeatedly.

The marriage contract is not absolute. Your husband doesn't even have eyes for you. With your unassuming nature, you're destined to suffer!
Jiang Yingjun smiled and transmitted her voice, "Don't worry, Master is already a Grandmaster. The newcomer is no match for him. He can be defeated with a little skill."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingyan was dazed and her thoughts were filled with complex emotions; she dared not argue any further.

Although she didn't speak, Jiang Yingjun could see the look of retreat in her eyes, and kindly said, "Sister and Master are engaged, and with this as a bond, you are already in an invincible position, so there's nothing to be afraid of. But if you back down now, you won't have a chance to catch up later..."

Jiang Yingjun's words were like the whispers of a demon, lingering in Xiao Lingyan's ears, making her agree and feel that they made a lot of sense.

But soon, Xiao Lingyan realized that something was wrong with the taste. She looked at Jiang Yingjun with a puzzled expression. This princess from Northern Qi, whom she was meeting for the first time, was being far too enthusiastic.

"To be honest, sister, Yingjun is quite fond of you, sir, but unfortunately, he already has someone else in his heart. I have no choice but to keep my feelings to myself."

Jiang Yingjun sighed helplessly and said something about the loneliness of flowing water and falling flowers: "Sister, you are different. You are engaged. Your husband can ignore me, but he cannot ignore you. I saw that you were feeling complicated and I felt the same way, so I kindly reminded you."

Sister, don't be suspicious, I just want to help you!
After dispelling Xiao Lingyan's doubts, Jiang Yingjun enthusiastically offered advice and suggestions. Being poor at expressing herself didn't matter; simply showing her face frequently to reaffirm her presence would, over time, leave a lasting impression on Xiang Yuan.

Xiao Lingyan, who had just been greatly encouraged, immediately wilted upon hearing this. She explained via telepathy that Xiang Yuan was rarely seen and that today was their first meeting since their engagement.

"Sister, don't worry. When you appeared just now, the master seemed a bit absent-minded. When I asked him why, he explained about the engagement. He sounded helpless but secretly pleased. He actually likes it too; he's just pretending to be aloof."

Jiang Yingjun's quick wit and persuasive words quickly convinced Xiao Lingyan, making her believe her lies.

On the other side, Xiang Yuan made a casual move, pretending to be evenly matched with the man, and then fought him for three or five rounds with his sword pointing at him, with no clear winner.

The humming and laughing made it very lively.

Xiang Yuan's attention wasn't on the man; he was of mediocre strength, and Xiang Yuan suspected he was just bait, with an ambush nearby.

His spiritual senses quietly expanded, searching for a true formidable enemy.

Come out, everyone! Stop hiding!

After another ten or so rounds, the man tested Xiang Yuan's abilities, sneered, and said it was nothing special. A bright light shone from between his brows, and a black iron sword shot out from the air.

Zheng! !

The sword rang out like a dragon, and an invisible sword intent soared into the sky, tearing a hideous crack in the space above the barrier.

Even more terrifying, the aftershocks of those dissipated sword energies transformed into countless transparent sword shadows upon landing, piercing the surrounding space like a torrential rain, leaving it riddled with holes.

Click!

Kara-la-la————

The first layer of spatial restriction was instantly covered with cracks and was about to shatter. If it was stabbed again, it would hit the second layer of spatial restriction!

"I'll bury you with one sword!"

The man roared like thunder, and the black iron sword trembled like a dragon's cry, spreading out a terrifying sword aura that was formless and invisible.

Xiangyuan: (一`一)
What's going on? Where are the rearguard, the cover personnel, and the ambushers in the bushes? Why haven't they made a move yet?

Could it be that this idiot is fighting alone and has no teammates at all?

No way, Jiang Yingjun has two grandmasters, Liu and Xiao, by her side. How dare she charge in here all by herself?

Xiang Yuan thought it was incredible and decided to give it a try.

boom!
The fist imprinted across the sky, revealing the initial separation of Yin and Yang. With just one strike, the man was stunned, staggering back two steps while leaning on his sword, before collapsing backward with a thud.

He's a tough guy; he didn't even utter a sound.

Xiang Yuan withdrew his slightly embarrassed fist, realizing he had been careless. His opponent hadn't resorted to dirty tricks; he had truly come to his door alone.

Outrageous! Are there really such confident masters in the world?

Xiang Yuan refused to believe in superstition and insisted that there were still experts out there. He flicked his finger and sent out a wisp of wind that dissipated outside the spatial restriction.

A moment later, Xiao Feng strode in, looked at the man on the ground, and exclaimed with delight, "Brother, this fellow is one of the five branches of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Formless Sword Master of the Ding Clan. If we capture him, we can frame the Heavenly Sword Pavilion for plotting a rebellion!"

"What do you mean by intention? They're all here, the evidence is irrefutable!" Xiang Yuan complained.

"That's what the elder brother said."

Xiao Feng eagerly stepped forward, picked up the Xuan Tie Black Sword, and forcefully broke through the primordial spirit restriction, breaking the mark left by the Wuxiang Sword Master. He cursed and said, "You actually left your own primordial spirit mark on my elder brother's sword. The Heavenly Sword Pavilion's bandit-like behavior is truly shameless."

As he spoke, he stepped on the face of the Sword Master of No Form and spat out two curses.

"Brother, your sword."

Xiao Feng presented it with both hands, his obsequious manner a sight that appears only once every few millennia…

Oh, Xiao's Wholesale, stable mass production for thousands of years.

Xiang Yuan waved his hand dismissively, saying he didn't need the sword and that Xiao Feng should take it back to the capital and send it to him as rare and precious treasures.

"Take him away and interrogate him severely to find out his accomplices," Xiang Yuan ordered.

"Don't worry, brother, he must have accomplices, even if he doesn't!" Xiao Feng said with a ferocious expression.

"No, what I mean is... never mind, you take your men down for questioning first, and I'll come find you after the poetry gathering."

Xiang Yuan turned his head away from Xiao Feng. Being with this kind of person would make him look like a villain, especially with two beautiful women watching. He couldn't afford to ruin his reputation.

Leaving stereotypes is not good.

Xiao Feng nodded in agreement. He was about to leave when he caught a glimpse of the two beauties standing beside him and immediately frowned.

One was a princess of Northern Qi, and the other was a daughter of the Xiao family, their own princess.

There's no need to think about it. Quickly make a move and go forward to give your princess a helping hand!
Xiao Feng threw down the Sword Master of No Form, slamming him heavily to the ground. He strode forward, nodded coldly to Jiang Yingjun, and then bowed respectfully, saying, "Xiao Feng greets Princess Heyan. Greetings, sister-in-law."

"???"

Who do you call "sister-in-law"?
Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes. Once Xiao Lingyue emerged from seclusion, he, who was averse to women, would report the matter to her in person. He was just waiting for Xiao Lingyue to become unhappy so he could go to Xiao Feng to cheer her up. Xiao Lingyan was taken aback for a moment. After she returned the greeting, Xiao Feng bowed and stepped back, carrying the Wuxiang Sword Master, and teleported away.

The spatial restriction dissipated, and everything around returned to normal. Passersby thought it was just a fleeting moment and had no idea that a grandmaster-level expert had fought a battle inside the academy.

The battle came quickly and ended even faster. Putting aside the few moves that involved water, Xiang Yuan defeated the Sword Master of No Form with just one punch, making Xiao Lingyan feel that the Grandmaster was nothing special, not even as good as the Nascent Soul stage cultivator of the Zhaowang Mansion.

Judging from the performance of the Sword Master of No Form, he was not even as good as the Nascent Soul or Qi Refining stages, let alone the Nascent Soul stage. He hummed and laughed as he unleashed a few powerful moves, but he didn't even manage to remove a single floor tile from the academy.

The spatial restrictions limited the destructive power of the Sword Master of No Form. Xiao Lingyan, whose cultivation level was not able to perceive these changes, only knew that after a year apart, Xiang Yuan had become so strong that she could not even approach him.

That's how she got her title as a princess!

"What are you waiting for, sister? Hurry up and recite the words!"

Jiang Yingjun urged him telepathically, "The master has already struck a pose, hurry over and give him a few compliments to satisfy his vanity."

If you won't go, I will!

Xiao Lingyan had no idea about any of this. Upon hearing Jiang Yingjun's threat, she braced herself and stepped forward, reciting the lines her best friend had kindly provided: "Xiang... Yuan, who was that Xiao Feng just now? Was he the Xiao of the Xiao Clan of the Divine Capital?"

This is a good question!
Xiang Yuan's spirits lifted. Regardless of Xiao Feng's attitude, his status in the Xiao family of the capital was beyond question. He immediately began to patiently explain to Xiao Lingyan.

"It is indeed Xiao of the Xiao family of Shendu. Don't be fooled by his stupid appearance. He is a shrewd old hand! He had already reached the level of a Grandmaster many years ago. He came south with me this time to assist me."

"In terms of seniority, he should be considered your great-grandfather..."

"..."

So, was it my great-grandfather who was calling me sister-in-law just now?
Xiao Lingyan opened her mouth, feeling a bit parched. Jiang Yingjun's lines echoed in her ears, but she was too ashamed to recite them no matter what.

My husband is so amazing! I admire you more and more!
Jiang Yingjun was exasperated and thought to herself that Xiang Yuan was hopeless. If she were engaged to Xiang Yuan, she would definitely praise him without reservation and satisfy his vanity.

Xiao Lingyan was taciturn. Even though she wanted to get close to Xiang Yuan, she would just stand there like a wooden stake. She failed to complete the task her mother had assigned her, and she was unable to carry out the strategy sponsored by Jiang Yingjun. She simply stayed by Xiang Yuan's side until the concert ended before leaving alone.

She didn't even give Xiang Yuan a chance to treat her to a meal.

How foolish! You wasted such a good engagement. You should have given it to me!
Jiang Yingjun sighed as she watched Xiao Lingyan's departing figure. She turned around and followed Xiang Yuan onto the carriage: "Sir, I didn't give you and this Miss Xiao any space to be alone today. Besides, you two are engaged. She won't blame me, will she?"

"..."

Xiang Yuan's expression was strange. This Jiang Dajia was seriously ill and needed to be sent back to Northern Qi as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he couldn't hold back one day, Jiang Dajia would definitely get slapped twice on the buttocks.

……

Xiang Yuan escorted Jiang Yingjun back to the inn, set up a spatial restriction, and then turned to find Xiao Feng.

Jiang Yingjun has already made up her mind. Tomorrow, she will send the person and the carriage back to the capital of Northern Qi. She will use spatial teleportation to avoid wasting time on the road.

Xiao Feng is currently hiding in the Imperial City Guard's stronghold in Zhen Dian Prefecture.

The underground prison.

The Sword Master of Formless Sword was bound by chains to a wooden stake, and Xiao Feng placed eighty-one restrictions on him, leaving him with no strength to turn the tables.

Xiao Feng personally interrogated him, a pile of torture instruments laid out before him: "Those who understand the times are wise. Now that you are imprisoned, you should recognize reality and confess everything you know..."

Seeing the disdain on the face of the Sword Master of No Form, Xiao Feng was not annoyed. He said in a gentle tone, "I know that the physical body of a Grandmaster is difficult to kill and is almost immortal. These small items will not frighten you. But if I take out the seeds of the Other Shore Flower, how will you deal with it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Sword Master of No Form's expression changed drastically, and he was no longer as composed as before.

Squeak!

Push open the wooden door and walk into the dungeon.

Xiao Feng hurriedly pulled out a chair, and after Xiang Yuan sat down, he bowed and pointed at the Sword Master of No Form, saying, "Brother, this kid is very stubborn. I've tried many methods, but he just won't confess his accomplices."

"Why don't you just make up a few accomplices yourself?"

Xiang Yuan glanced at the Sword Master of No Form indifferently: "For example, the entire Ding family, and all those related to them, are all suspects!"

"Brother is right, I was narrow-minded."

Xiao Feng nodded in agreement, then looked coldly at the Sword Master of the Formless Sword: "I'll ask you one last time, tell me, do you want to die or not?"

The Sword Master of No Form remained silent.

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow and pointed to a torture device on the table: "The Xiao family of Shendu can't stand stubborn people the most. Let's remove his fish roe bag first."

"Does my elder brother mean to send him to the palace to serve His Majesty?"

"No, pack the fish roe bags into gift boxes and send them to the Ding family!"

"Wonderful!"

When the two work together, it's like stinky tofu meeting stinky pork intestines—they're a perfect match in terms of pungent smells.

But the Sword Master of No Form was not only stubborn and headstrong, but also extremely hard-hearted; even Xiao Feng's threats against his entire clan were ineffective.

Xiang Yuan was getting tired of the dungeon. It was a waste of time to accompany the Sword Master Wuxiang. He decided to go back to the inn and appreciate Jiang Yingjun's tea ceremony. His eyes turned red as he looked at the Sword Master Wuxiang. With a killing intent as sharp as a knife, he drew the Sword Master's soul into an endless sea of ​​blood.

With just one glance, the Sword Master of No Form's eyes became empty, the light in them gone.

"I'm asking you, who sent you here to die? Did someone spread false information and try to frame the Heavenly Sword Pavilion?" Xiang Yuan questioned in a low voice.

The Sword Master of No Form came alone, and his actions throughout were reckless and foolish. Xiang Yuan and Xiao Feng did not believe that he came on behalf of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion.

Someone must be using the Sword Master of the Formless Sword to test the waters!
Once we find out who provided the false information, we can follow the trail and wipe out this group of rebels.

"That person is..."

The Sword Master of No Form spoke in a muffled voice, and suddenly, white light burst forth from his eyes, as dazzling as two small suns.

The white light was not just ordinary light, but a sword aura condensed to its extreme. It manifested as a wisp of pure white sword energy in mid-air, seemingly as thin as a hair, yet it made the entire world fall silent.

The moment the sword light appeared, the surrounding space froze instantly. Not only did the dust particles, barely visible to the naked eye, freeze in place, but even Grandmaster Xiao Feng stood stiffly in place.

There was so little noise that you could hear a pin drop, as if all sound had been drawn away by the sword.

The scenery around the sword energy began to distort. Wherever it passed, it was as if a reflection on the water was shattered by a pebble, causing ripples and everything to turn white.

The most bizarre and terrifying thing was that Xiang Yuan could not sense the trajectory of this sword energy. It was visible to the naked eye but did not exist at all. It appeared in all directions, front, back, left, and right at the same time. Although there was still some distance, it seemed to have already pierced his brow.

The world before Xiang Yuan's eyes suddenly lost all color, plunging into a pure white space.

There is no sky, no earth, no direction, no boundary, only endless white.

In this world, the primordial spirit's perception is completely useless. You can't see your own fingers when you raise your hand, and you can't touch solid ground when you take a step. It's as if time has lost its meaning here; it may be just a moment, or it may have been stagnant for thousands of years.

The formless and shapeless sword energy was exactly the same as the sword aura previously displayed by the Formless Sword Master, but the realm and intent were worlds apart, and it was definitely not something that the Formless Sword Master himself could unleash.

The familiar methods reminded Xiang Yuan of the time when he was in the Sword Heart Pavilion's small cave, and the Door Fence Sword Master borrowed his body.

The Sword Master of Formless Sword has a powerful expert from the Upper Three Realms behind him, who used his body to unleash this sword!
Who?
Does the Heavenly Sword Pavilion possess reclusive cultivators of the Upper Three Realms, or...?

Xiang Yuan sensed something, and his eyes flashed with yin and yang colors, spreading out to cover the entire pure white space. Using the "Return to Nothingness" technique, one of the Nine Paths of Asking Heaven, he reversed the yin and yang, forcibly erasing this pure white space.

The white light dissipated, and Xiang Yuan's spirit returned to its place, fixing its gaze on the front.

At this moment, the eyes of the Sword Master of No Form were completely filled with white light, and a phantom figure vaguely appeared behind him.

The figure simply stood with his hands behind his back, yet the surrounding space began to collapse, his proud posture as if awaiting the worship of the entire world.

Xiang Yuan glanced at the pure white figure, unable to see its form, yet he could feel the subtle rustling of its robes in the wind. His gaze seemed to penetrate through layers of space...

Great evil lurks within pure white!
Wushuang Palace, Bai Wuyan!
The illusory figure pointed its fingers into a sword, and the collapsing space pierced towards Xiang Yuan's brow, sweeping away the laws of heaven and earth along its path, silencing all things, as if even the concept of existence had been erased.

What amazing illusion magic! What a domineering woman! I returned your greeting exactly as I received it, hoping to plant a hypnotic switch in your heart as well.

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. This sword strike was aimed at killing a primordial spirit from a distance. If it were an ordinary cultivator at the Tongyou stage, they would be completely helpless except to be controlled by him and kneel at Bai Wuyan's feet, offering their stinky feet. But against him, it was somewhat insufficient.

Xiang Yuan's eyes narrowed, a vertical line splitting between his brows, and a sharp sword light shot out, colliding with the sword finger.

"Break!" x2
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

10,000 words, please vote with monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)