Embers of Sword

Chapter 537 Mr. Xie

Chapter 537 Mr. Xie
My name is Ren Zhong, and I was born in a remote, desolate village in southern Xinjiang.

Not long after I was born, a plague struck the village, killing many people.

My father died of the plague, and my mother suffered from a persistent high fever that turned her into a mentally challenged person.

At first, the villagers felt sorry for me and gave me some food.

Later, when I was six years old, I accidentally fell into the river. My mother was swallowed by the river while trying to save me.

From then on, the villagers called me a jinx, a plague god. They beat me, cursed me, insulted me, bullied me, and drove me away...

This is what it's like to be a person without parents.

I was beaten and cursed for a long time. I didn't care how they treated me, but I couldn't leave this village.

All my parents left me was this small, dilapidated thatched hut.

Not long after, a young boy with rosy lips and white teeth came to the village. He asked for directions in a friendly manner, but no one paid him any attention. So he found me. He asked me if I had ever heard of a place called "Yinshan". I told him that southern Xinjiang is very large and has all kinds of mountains, but I had never heard of Yinshan.

The boy smiled and asked me if I would like to walk with him.

Of course I shook my head. I told him that this was the only thing my parents left me, and I wanted to stay here and guard the thatched hut.

That night, the boy stayed overnight in a dilapidated temple at the edge of the village. He seemed to possess extraordinary abilities; with a flick of his hand, he conjured up a sumptuous feast. I had never tasted such delicious food before.

That night, I drank the wine the boy offered and fell asleep in the dilapidated temple.

I slept very soundly.

In my dream, I saw my parents' faces and heard the voices of the villagers. These voices were no longer filled with insults, but with gentle concern. The villagers in my dream were very kind to me. They asked me if I wanted to stay here forever. Of course I did. Staying here is my lifelong wish.

Unfortunately, most wishes in this world are destined to remain unfulfilled.

When I opened my eyes again.

The entire village has been burned to the ground and reduced to ruins.

The boy told me that a huge fire broke out in the village last night, and everyone was burned to death.

Except for me.

It turns out that everything that happens in a dream is the opposite of reality.

Of the 131 households in the village, not a single person survived.

Perhaps... I really am a jinx.

The boy comforted me, telling me not to be sad. He told me about a magical place called Yinshan, where mortals who entered Yinshan could cultivate immortal arts and supernatural powers, becoming immortals who could fly in the heavens on swords. If I became an immortal, then perhaps the villagers who perished, and my parents, could still come back to life.

The celestial beings in the heavens... I have seen them before.

An old man at the village entrance told us that those streaks of light higher than the clouds in the sky were the mounts of immortals.

Some immortals travel on swords and can roam the world's famous mountains and rivers.

Some immortals ride on strange beasts and great demons, and can fly through the sky and disappear into the earth.

I told him that I was a jinx, and that people around jinxes never had a good ending.

The boy smiled.

He said that the immortals of Yinshan liked monsters like me, and that one could not be an ordinary mortal if one wanted to become an immortal.

then.

I then went with the boy.

Many years later, I learned that it was all a deception. I wasn't a jinx; I was someone chosen by the "White Ghost." Yin Mountain wasn't a place for cultivating immortals; it was a place for cultivating demons and venomous insects. The White Ghost's "Soul Banner" technique had reached a bottleneck, so he plundered a hundred exceptionally talented children from all over the southern border. To ensure that the spirits these children would become after death were powerful enough, the White Ghost painstakingly caused these children to suffer "family ruin and death," and "utter despair." I was taken to Yin Mountain and brought into the world's largest venomous insect farm... This training lasted for a full ten years.

One hundred people.

In the end, only one person will survive.

Luckily, that person was me.

Unfortunately, I became that person.

The "young man" who led me away from the small village sat on a high, dark throne, accepting my kowtows and worship. He then bestowed upon me the precious Soul-Devouring Banner of Yinshan, congratulated me, and announced that I had become the disciple of the Yinshan saint "White Ghost".

Ten years have passed, and that face has not changed in the slightest.

I was just grateful to him back then.

Right now, I... only feel fear.

The White Ghost frankly told me that he had long coveted me, and that everything that happened before I entered Yin Mountain—my parents, the villagers, and everything else—was under his control. He wanted me to hate him enough, to resent him enough, so that I could continue my cultivation and become a being even more powerful than him… The cultivation philosophy of Yin Mountain is “cannibalism.”

Small fish eat shrimp, big fish eat small fish.

The same applies to the cultivation world.

This is how the leadership of the Yinshan Sect has changed over the years.

Alternatively, the disciple might kill the master and ascend to the top.

Alternatively, the master can devour the disciple, remaining unmoved and consolidating his position.

Now, the "White Ghost," firmly seated as the Saint of Yinshan, has no one left to devour. Therefore, he must cultivate a powerful fish, ready to devour it at its most powerful moment… This is a gamble, and he certainly risks being "devoured" himself, but the White Ghost seems unconcerned. In the years that followed, he poured all his efforts into cultivating me, sharing all of Yinshan's techniques and supernatural abilities without reservation, even the [Ten Thousand Souls Array] and [Soul Sea] techniques. It seems he has truly encountered a significant bottleneck, and only if I am powerful enough can he break through it.

For me.

This is a good thing—

I've never had a choice.

Perhaps, when I cultivate myself to be powerful enough, I will have the right to choose.

I don't want to be eaten by him.

My only option then is... to eat him!

……

"Crash!"

A violent and dense clashing sound arose in the void, and a dried-up sea of souls fell from Ren Zhong's head.

This gaunt man, swaying unsteadily, unleashed his Dao Domain.

The Soul-Devouring Banner, like a large flag, descended from the sky and landed in front of Renzuka.

Renzuka gripped the soul banner, momentarily dazed. After a long while, he gradually accepted the reality Xie Zhen had described.

The white ghost... is dead.

The man I fear most.

died!

"Ah……"

Renzu's suppressed soul sea, which had been suppressed for many years, finally saw its release.

He gripped the soul banner, his voice hoarse and mocking, "Master... what was the use of all those preparations? In the end, you still couldn't devour me..."

these years.

The existence of the White Demon was like a mountain weighing heavily on Renzuka's heart.

No matter how hard Tonzuka tried.

He seems destined to be eaten.

Even if one reaches the pinnacle of Yin Spirit, it seems nothing can be changed—

Stepping into the Bai Ze Secret Tomb was his last stand.

Now... thanks to the grace of heaven, he is only a few steps away from the Dao Stele.

hum!
The sound of a flying sword shattered the tranquility of the void.

Xie Xuanyi unleashed his natal flying sword, transforming his ailment into a streak of light that instantly crashed into the [Soul Sea] Dao Domain! The combat power he unleashed at this moment was incomparable to that of the previous battle—with the blessing of his natal flying sword, this strike produced a violent roar. Even though Ren Zhong resisted with all his might, he was still like a kite with a broken string, instantly sent flying backward. The killing intent of the Holy Hall pulled at his body like silk threads. With just one strike, Ren Zhong was almost half dead.

boom!
However, the man who was sent flying backwards did not show any sign of pain.

He lay in the void of the sanctuary, no longer rising, but the soul banner exuded an eerie aura.

"Is this... a chronic illness?" Renzuka looked at the golden sword and couldn't help but recall the scene from ten years ago.

"Xie Zhen, it seems you've truly mastered Xie Xuanyi's teachings..."

Renzuka chuckled softly and asked weakly, "You are indeed powerful, but why don't you open your eyes and see who the 'person' in this soul banner is?"

Xie Xuanyi frowned.

next moment.

From within that soul banner, countless ghostly spirits emerged.

The Soul-Devouring Banner is the natal grotto of Yin Mountain cultivators. This grotto can accommodate both yin spirits and living people.

One after another, ghostly spirits were released—

Under Renzuka's control, the speed at which these ghosts appeared became very slow.

Faces flashed by.

Xie Xuanyi's expression was gloomy. These were all remnants of the Bingyou crew. Just as he had expected, after the Bingyou crew massacred everyone, Ren Zhong "ate" them all, turning them into nourishment for the soul banner.

Qin Qianlian said that there are other living people hidden inside the Ren Tomb Soul Banner...

and many more……

Xie Xuanyi's heart skipped a beat.

next moment.

A small, delicate figure was slowly swept out by the eerie wind carried by the soul banner. The girl's tear-streaked face was dried by the wind, her petite and frail body was bound by ethereal ropes, her clothes were torn by thorns, and her snow-white skin was marked with bloodstains by the scarlet soul chains, like a withered flower that might wither at any moment... The wind was tinged with a faint scent of blood, and the bloodthirsty, irrational spirits surrounded the girl like hungry ghosts in purgatory, ready to open their mouths and devour her at any moment.

"...Mr. Xiao Xie?!"

The stench of blood carried on the wind spread outwards.

The girl, bound by the soul chains, saw the black-clad figure not far away through the rolling yin wind and paused for a moment.

Yuan Yi stared blankly at Xie Zhen not far away, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

[Mr. Xiao Xie. 】

In this world.

Only one person would refer to themselves that way.

Before the girl could say anything more, chains of soul energy clung to her, sealing her lips completely.

Xie Xuanyi stood there, stunned.

Such a blank space is extremely rare in his mind...

During this trip to the secret tomb, all the cultivators who entered the Southern Frontier were gathered together by a "blinding technique," except for Yuan Yi. Due to the attack by the evil cultivators of the three major sects, the seven Zhanjiao Mountains suffered heavy casualties at night, followed by a chaotic escape, with no time to count the number of casualties. Ye Qinglian and Jiang Que both overlooked the existence of this "young disciple." Only they knew that Yuan Yi had not encountered any accidents. After killing Xiao Qi, Xie Xuanyi watched Yuan Yi leave the [Wind Trial Realm].

She should have left safely.

only……

At that time, Yuangui Mountain was under attack by an evil sect.

Yuan Yi was intercepted by Yinshan?
and so……

The "living person" that Qin Qianlian saw was not one of the survivors from the Bingyou Ship...

It's Yuan Yi...

It's Yuan Yi!
"Rinzuka!!!"

Xie Xuanyi exuded killing intent as he stared intently at the man lying in the distance like a dead dog. His voice reverberated like thunder, striking directly into Ren Zhongxin's heart.

Master Baihe's vital energy and blood were almost completely depleted.

He was on his last breath.

But... that's enough.

Renzuka smiled indifferently. He wasn't even afraid of the White Ghost, so why would he be afraid of Xie Zhen?
“I know… your sword is fast.”

Master Baihe spoke softly, his voice full of self-mockery: "If you want to kill me, you can try. Anyway, I'm about to die, so I'm not afraid of anything... But if you fail to kill me directly, this poor girl will be eaten by the spirit of the Soul Banner."

"..."

Endless killing intent boiled in the void.

The golden sword, weakened by illness, emanated a torrent of killing intent and rage.

But in the end, it was not cut down.

Xie Xuanyi dared not take the risk. Although he was confident in killing Ren Zhong, he was also familiar with Yinshan's methods.

Before Ren Zhong's life and death, as long as a wisp of divine thought remained...
The evil spirits within the Yinshan Soul Banner would immediately take Miss Yuan's life—

No matter how fast my flying sword is, can it be faster than Ren Zhong's divine sense?
"what do you want?"

Xie Xuanyi's voice was hoarse as he tried his best to suppress his killing intent.

Renzuka smiled.

He pointed to the flying sword hovering not far above his head.

Under Renzuka's watchful gaze, the chronic illness emitted a resounding cry of defiance, slowly retreating until it finally returned to the brow cave... For Xie Xuanyi, this distance was nothing. Renzuka was well aware of the flying sword techniques of the Great Sui Sword Palace. His expression was calm and composed, but his divine sense did not relax in the slightest.

"They were right after all."

Ren Zhong lowered his eyes and said with a self-deprecating smile, "Even the strongest cultivator has a weakness as long as they have something to hold onto... A mere Qi Control Realm weak woman actually managed to make you return your flying sword to its sheath... It seems she is very important to you..."

"Let her go."

Xie Xuanyi's voice was extremely cold.

He stared at the man before him and said, word by word, "Release her, and I'll let you live. I swear on my life."

"Is it?"

Renzuka looked at the young man before him with a hint of pity and said softly, "Swearing an oath to the Great Dao... I've done such things before when I was young. I still remember the oaths I made to my master many years ago..."

When I knelt down back then.

The white ghost made him swear an oath that he would never betray the white ghost in this lifetime.

If one betrays, one will suffer the torment of having one's heart devoured and the calamity of having one's soul devoured.

What's so difficult about making such a solemn vow?
If Renzuka wanted to survive, he could only swear an oath... As for what happened next, that would have to wait and see.

Renzuka had never believed in such things.

To survive, he would make as many vows as needed!
So... what do you want?

Xie Xuanyi took a deep breath and remained calm.

He stared intently at the soul banner and the woman bound by soul chains.

Countless eerie winds howled—

The two were a hundred feet apart.

Xie Xuanyi and Yuan Yi locked eyes.

He told the girl with his eyes that she didn't need to be afraid.

"Let me think about it..."

"I heard you possess the 'Path of Life' realm..."

"You must have found quite a few good things in the secret tomb just now..."

Renzuka let out a long sigh.