Embers of Sword

Chapter 619 Senior Brother

The clouds and smoke shattered, and the sword energy dissipated.

A figure fell from the sky.

It is precisely the one who holds the law.

The myriad golden sword energies shattered, and the flowing sword intent that entwined Golden Turtle Peak vanished. The mighty sword, having lost the support of the Dao Domain, plunged heavily back into the earth.

High above, Lu Yuzhen, his sleeves fluttering, watched the figure descending with his palm.

Half of his body had been shredded by the sword energy, turning into snow-white scraps of paper that were constantly being thrown outwards.

The majestic, enormous, pure white image of the saint was also half destroyed by the sword energy.

But... in the end, he still won this duel with a single sword strike.

Nourished by the vapors of the Immortal Spring.

Lu Yuzhen's "broken body" was quickly repaired.

He flicked his sleeves, retrieved the Pure White Saint, and at the same time grasped the "Great Ear of Azure Dragon" that he had finally obtained.

"Brother Tongtian, you are truly a sword cultivator worthy of respect."

Lu Yuzhen murmured softly, "It's just a pity that your opponent is me."

Say it.

Without further hesitation, he immediately concealed his aura and sped towards the Lotus Forbidden Land.

……

……

boom!
A dull, heavy thud exploded on the roof of the Great Eagle Sword Palace.

The scene of Jin'ao Peak falling from the sky could be clearly seen even within the Sword Forest Formation.

"The Master of Laws... has been defeated..."

A chill ran through everyone's hearts.

After Jin'ao Peak fell, beams of blazing light fell above the Sword Forest.

The mountain-suppressing formation completely collapsed.

At this moment, true despair welled up in my heart.

"Traitor! You've ruined the law master! You've ruined Da Sui!!"

A grief-stricken shout rang out from the depths of the sword forest, and an elder from True Hidden Peak rushed forward without regard for the cost, thrusting out a sword with all his might.

Zhou Zhiren turned his head indifferently.

Snapped!
With a single palm strike, he shattered the flying sword, and with the remaining force, struck the elder in the chest, sending him flying.

This elder has already condensed the Dao principles and is only one step away from becoming a Yin God.

But compared to Zhou Zhiren, he is far inferior.

After one palm strike.

The True Hidden Peak elder's flying sword broke, and he sat on the ground, his clothes soaked in blood, yet he loudly mocked, "Zhou Zhiren! Back in the Battle of Poisoning, not a single traitor appeared in the Sword Palace. You have truly disgraced your sect!"

"..."

Zhou Zhiren remained expressionless and unmoved.

After this True Hidden Peak Elder stepped forward.

Amidst the forest of swords, the whistling sound of sword energy echoed once more... The elders of Jin'ao Peak, Yuping Peak, and Xiaochun Mountain joined forces.

Three flying swords shot out simultaneously.

However, the outcome remained unchanged. The purple-robed man, whose body was engulfed in life-fire, simply flicked his sleeve, and the three flying swords snapped in two instantly. With a flick of his finger, the three elders who had thrust their swords at him were struck as if by lightning, hit by the Dao intent, and sent flying.

Zhou Zhiren did not kill them immediately.

He spared their lives.

"Anymore?"

After tapping his fingers three times, Zhou Zhiren stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the vast forest of swords before him, and spoke softly.

Although no sound of sword energy was heard.

But the elder of True Hidden Peak's angry curses grew even more intense.

"You are unworthy to be the master of Xiaochun Mountain, and unworthy to inherit the Lotus Sutra..."

"In the past, everyone in the world regarded you as the chief disciple of Lotus Peak, and as Senior Brother Xie Xuanyi!"

"From now on, everyone in the world will only see you as a lackey and a scoundrel!"

Blood was splattered on the ground.

The flying sword broke in front of his knee.

But that didn't stop the True Hidden Peak Elder from cursing.

One sound after another.

Zhou Zhiren's carefully maintained composure, which he had been struggling to maintain amidst his anger, could no longer be preserved. He stared coldly at the True Hidden Peak Elder not far away, then suddenly raised his foot and kicked out seemingly casually. The next moment, a purple bamboo stalk shot out with great force, piercing through the True Hidden Peak Elder's shoulder.

"what……"

Screams echoed through the sword forest.

The elder's head drooped, and his voice fell silent.

"Noisy."

Zhou Zhiren said coldly, "So many years have passed... and you still remember Xie Xuanyi's name? Where is Xie Xuanyi right now?"

Say it.

He turned around, and a flying sword slid out from his sleeve.

"The overall situation has been decided."

Zhou Zhiren stared at Qi Lie, his face expressionless, and said, "Even if Xie Xuanyi really comes, so what?"

……

……

"kill!"

The Imperial City Guard's treasure ship crashed at the gate of the Great Eagle Sword Palace.

Zhu Yan took the lead, shattering the mountain-suppressing array and landing directly at the location of Jin'ao Peak. A golden, flowing light array was overturned, like a large bowl, covering the area in front of the sword forest.

Although Zhang Lu was defeated, he still retained a wisp of sword intent before losing consciousness.

This was accompanied by the collapse of Jin'ao Peak.

The battle has come to a complete end, with no more suspense...

This sword intent was the last barrier protecting the Sword Forest. Zhu Yan did not receive the order from "Renshou Palace" to stop, so he continued to attack. He came outside the great formation and kicked without hesitation.

boom!
A deafening sound resounded throughout the entire Sword Palace!

With Zhu Yan's cultivation at the Yang God Realm, he created a gap in the great formation with just one strike!
"Charge in and kill all the resisters!"

Zhu Yan looked at the golden array and gave a cold order.

The Imperial City Guard monks swarmed out.

The next moment, a magnificent beam of light descended from the sky, falling without warning and instantly turning into a sea of ​​fire, landing directly in front of the Golden Turtle Peak's array.

The fire spread incredibly fast, instantly reaching a hundred feet in size.

The first batch of Imperial City Guard cultivators who rushed out were ignited by the flames, their bodies bursting into flames. Before they could even scream, they were reduced to dust!

"?!"

A sense of unease suddenly arose in Zhu Yan's heart.

He looked up.

The sea of ​​clouds above the sky broke apart, and clarity returned. A long, scarlet line streaked across the distant sky at incredible speed, almost instantly reaching us.

珰!
Iron Wing Floating Slash!

Even though Zhu Yanxin was alert and raised his arms, he was still struck by the attack... He was sent flying by the tremendous force from the iron wings, retreating hundreds of feet and crashing heavily into a mountain peak. The spot where he blocked with his arms, despite being protected by the "Ape Clan's" supernatural power, was still slashed and bloodied.

The piercing pain seeped into my heart.

"Are there still idiots rushing to their deaths?!"

Zhu Yan stepped out of the dust with a gloomy face. A huge Vermilion Bird with its body burning with crimson flames hovered in front of Golden Turtle Peak. Every time its iron wings flapped, it stirred up a huge sea of ​​fire. Those Imperial City Guard cultivators who had disembarked from the treasure ship first were directly swept up by the sea of ​​fire, swallowed up, annihilated, and turned into nothingness!
"Vermilion Bird..."

Zhu Yan stared at the large bird in the distance, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

The environment of the demon kingdom is different from that of the human race.

The growth of powerful demons from other races is often accompanied by battles and plunder.

The ape clan and the phoenix clan have been at odds for many years... Zhu Yan and Zhu Que, both top-tier demon bloodlines of the two clans, have harbored resentment for many years. Once they meet, they will inevitably start fighting in the most ferocious way.

"There's another human..."

Zhu Yan frowned.

He vaguely saw a figure in black standing on the back of the fiery red bird.

If I remember correctly.

The Vermilion Bird clan is known for its violent and arrogant nature. The Vermilion Birds of the Great Jade Sword Palace have long since recognized a master, and even after Venerable Lotus died on the Northern Frontier battlefield... even Zhao Tongtian could not make the Vermilion Birds bow their heads.

How could this guy possibly carry a second human?
"Thank you for your hard work, senior."

Xie Xuanyi stood on the back of the Vermilion Bird and spoke in a deep voice.

He rode the Vermilion Bird, traveling south from the North Sea at a speed comparable to teleportation.

The Vermilion Bird truly lives up to its reputation as the fastest bird in the world; without the Phoenix, who can rival it?

When traveling at full speed, the iron wings flapped, shattering even the void.

They were separated by dozens of miles.

Xie Xuanyi then released his divine sense, and with the blessing of the [Yuan Tun Sacred Realm], he saw the battle situation of the Great Sui Sword Palace from afar.

Xie Xuanyi witnessed the entire scene of the Azure Dragon's fortune being bound, the sea of ​​clouds shattering, and the Golden Turtle Peak falling.

"Kid, stop talking nonsense."

Ci Jing said coldly, "Leave this white-haired ape to me...you hurry up and go to the Sword Forest."

Footage of Jin'ao Peak collapsing.

Ci Jing also witnessed this. He knew very well what the scene of the Azure Dragon's birth meant... Zhao Tongtian had activated the sword energy dragon vein of the Great Sui Sword Palace! Logically speaking, this should have been an invincible sword strike, but the dragon vein was bound in mid-air, indicating that a traitor must have appeared in the Sword Forest!

"……it is good!"

Xie Xuanyi said no more, only responded in a deep voice, and immediately rushed towards the sword forest.

……

"...Even if Xie Xuanyi really comes, what can he do?"

Zhou Zhiren had barely finished speaking.

Outside the Sword Forest, the sound of surging, rolling fire could be heard.

The sound faintly reached everyone's ears.

The sea of ​​fire raged, and the next moment, countless screams of the Imperial City Guard cultivators rang out.

"...?"

The young disciples, seated cross-legged in the Yuan Formation, looked at each other, bewildered.

How is this going?

All the cultivators of the Great Eagle Sword Palace should have already retreated into the Sword Forest...

What's going on with this sea of ​​fire?
What happened next, that scream?
Upon hearing these sounds, Zhou Zhiren's heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of unease surged within him.

Without hesitation, he immediately slashed at Qi Lie with his flying sword—

next moment.

珰!
The flying sword was struck by a golden thread in mid-air, causing it to deflect.

Zhou Zhiren's expression was grim. He immediately manipulated his flying sword to change direction and slashed down again—

珰!
A second crisp crack rang out!
The golden thread struck Zhou Zhiren's flying sword with perfect accuracy once again. After the two collisions, the flying sword, which Zhou Zhiren fed with his own body, developed some cracks and flew backward uncontrollably, piercing deeply into a purple bamboo.

The golden thread hovered above Qi Lie's head.

The sword's aura emanated and diffused.

Everyone saw through the true nature of the golden thread.

"A chronic illness?"

"A chronic illness!"

A whole decade.

No one in the world has ever seen this flying sword again.

All the disciples of the Great Eagle Sword Palace had heard the story of Xie Xuanyi… After the tides of the North Sea receded, this story became a thing of the past. Xie Xuanyi also became a “dead man” submerged in the tides of history. No one could have imagined that ten years later, the tides would rise again.

The flying sword that fell into the North Sea, and the moment it reappeared in the world.

"Senior Brother Xuan Yi..."

The moment I saw the flying sword.

Qi Lie's voice trembled, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace.

The thick fog in the sword forest was torn apart by the sword energy.

The golden sword floated silently in the air, as if it possessed a magical power.

The endless despair that had been weighing on everyone's hearts was torn open.

A figure in black slowly emerged from the end of the forest mist.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi silently stopped in his tracks.

A strong wind swept through the gaps in the sword forest, blowing his black clothes and Zhou Zhiren's purple robe.

Zhou Zhiren did not look back.

Zhou Zhiren simply stared calmly at the golden sword hovering in front of him. The sword's surface reflected shimmering light, and also reflected the silent black-clad figure standing behind him.

The two had gazed at each other countless times.

In fact...

From the moment Xie Zhen, whose origins were "unknown," joined the Sword Palace, Zhou Zhiren began to suspect his identity.

After the Xuan Shui Grand Competition concluded.

Through layers of wind and snow, the two once gazed at each other from afar.

"I heard you killed many people in southern Xinjiang."

Zhou Zhiren slowly turned around.

He stood with his hands behind his back, striking a pose like an elder brother, just as he had done years ago.

Every time Xie Xuanyi returned to the Sword Palace after traveling, his fellow disciples would have this conversation.

"They were all enemies of Beihai back then."

Xie Xuanyi spoke in a very soft voice, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"You killed all three major sects?"

Zhou Zhiren smiled.

"Ah."

Xie Xuanyi simply hummed in agreement: "...They deserve to die."

"I thought you would escape to the demon kingdom."

Zhou Zhiren looked at his junior brother, his tone tinged with regret.

He could tell.

My junior brother did not advance to the Yang God realm.

The aura of the Yang God Realm... is not like that. Although Xie Xuanyi killed those pseudo-saints in the Southern Border, his own Great Dao has not yet been condensed, and he is still at the Dao Realm level.

"I never run away."

Xie Xuanyi was silent for a moment, then said, "This is my home. After killing those who deserved to be killed, it's natural to go home."

"……Home?"

Zhou Zhiren couldn't help but laugh again.

This time.

Xie Xuanyi remained silent.

He looked around, his expression complex.

Yes……

He considered the Great Jade Palace his home. Jiangning was merely the place of his birth.

He cultivated on Lotus Peak and grew up there. His junior sister Miaoyin, junior brother Qilie, and senior brother... these were all his closest relatives.

It's just a journey.

He saw the Great Jade Sword Palace in ruins.

They saw their disciples, bleeding profusely and exhausted, with all their energy gone.

finally……

He saw the culprit behind all of this.

The eldest brother was the person Xie Xuanyi respected most, besides their master.

He couldn't have imagined it.

Senior Brother is a traitor to the Great Jade Sword Palace.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi looked at Huang Su, who had fainted not far away, and his eyes showed heartache. He tapped lightly in the air, and a wisp of Yuan Qi landed on his junior sister's forehead. This contained the Dao of Life and a faint vapor of the Undying Spring.

He looked around and flicked his fingers repeatedly at the Dao of Birth... sending them into the hearts of several elders whose flying swords had been shattered.

The injuries of these elders are not serious; a wisp of the Dao of Life realm is enough to heal them.

As for comforting the elder whose shoulder was pierced by the purple bamboo, Xie Xuanyi gave him an extra half wisp of the Undying Spring water vapor.

Finish these.

Xie Xuanyi walked towards Qi Lie step by step.

Zhou Zhiren did not make a move.

The two passed each other.

Xie Xuanyi squatted down in front of Qi Lie, helped him up, and poured the vapor of the Undying Spring into his lungs.

"Senior Brother Xuan Yi..."

Qi Lie stared blankly at the handsome face in front of him, a face that was both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar.

"it's me."

Xie Xuanyi gazed into Qi Lie's eyes and said softly, "Senior Brother Xuanyi is back."

Qi Lie gripped Xie Xuanyi's hand tightly.

"Ten years ago..."

Qi Lie looked at Zhou Zhiren and managed to squeeze out a voice: "It's also... him..."

"..."

Hearing this, Xie Xuanyi's expression remained unchanged.

He simply patted his junior brother's shoulder lightly, signaling to Qi Lie with his eyes that there was no need to say anything more.

Seeing the scene at the Sword Palace.

There was nothing Xie Xuanyi didn't understand.

After doing all this, Xie Xuanyi stood up again and looked at Zhou Zhiren.

The wind howled through the sword forest.

"You still have a chance."

Xie Xuanyi calmly said, "Sever your own hands and feet, destroy your own sword qi cave, and I will send you to see your master. Perhaps then you can still save your life."

"……Ah."

Zhou Zhiren chuckled softly, as if he had heard an amusing joke.

With a slight movement of his hand, the flying sword that had pierced the purple bamboo swept back again.

Zhou Zhiren smiled and asked, "What if I refuse?"

Xie Xuanyi remained silent for a few moments.

The heavy illness slowly sank down onto his shoulder, and he gently placed his palm on the flying sword.

"I'll still be the one to see you off."

"But this time... it's not to see Master."

Xie Xuanyi said softly, "I will send you to the underworld."

(End of this chapter)