Embers of Sword

Chapter 671 Full Moon
A wisp of sword energy departed and returned from the small bamboo building on Lotus Peak.

There were two of them when they left.

He returned alone.

"Where is your prized disciple?"

Huang Su spoke sarcastically.

During this hour, messages kept coming from the various peaks of the Sword Palace. Xie Xuanyi took Duan Zhao to visit several main peaks, and finally went to Jade Screen Peak. This matter caused quite a stir.

In the end, only one person came back?

"This kid is living too well; he needs to suffer a bit."

Xie Xuanyi, his face dark, waved his hand and said, "I've locked him up in the Thirty-Three Heavenly Caves."

"Tsk tsk..."

Huang Su had already guessed most of the reasons.

She held her sword, nodded, and looked towards the bamboo grove not far away: "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? There's a Miss Xu waiting outside."

"Thanks to my junior sister's timely reminder, I almost forgot about this."

Xie Xuanyi paused for a moment, then said with a smile, "Xu Nianning has been a disciple of the Sword Palace for two years, but hasn't had the chance to study the Dao Stele of the Sages. Now, it's time for her to go to the Thirty-Three Grotto Heavens for a proper cultivation."

"..."

Huang Su had nothing to say.

She suddenly recalled the days she spent training at the Sword Palace.

Senior Brother in Black Robes is still Senior Brother in Black Robes.

Xie Xuanyi took a step forward and arrived directly at the end of the purple bamboo forest, under the shade of the trees.

The head of the Xu family and the female spirit immediately stood up.

They waited there for about two hours.

Not short, but definitely not long either.

"Thank you, Lord Xie! You've finally arrived!"

Xu Qi, the head of the Xu family, raised his porcelain cup, using tea instead of wine, and said in a deep voice, "In the battle of the Southern Frontier, Xie Shan's main force suppressed the demons and saved countless lives of the Xu family. I, Xu Qi, truly want to express my sincere gratitude on behalf of the entire clan!"

"...You flatter me."

Xie Xuanyi shook his head and gently waved his sleeve.

A porcelain cup suddenly flew into his palm from the other side of the stone table.

He picked up the porcelain cup, drank it all in one gulp, and returned the gesture.

"The reason I, Xu, have ventured to visit the Sword Palace is not merely to express my gratitude for being saved by the Southern Frontier."

Xu Qi put down his teacup and said very seriously, "Master Xie should know that the Xu family's foundation has been in Bingzhou for a hundred years. The family consists of rough and uncouth martial artists who are not worthy of being called elegant. In recent years, we have finally produced a swordsman. If it were not for the guidance of the Sword Palace, he would not have made such progress. I am deeply grateful for the Sword Palace's kindness in giving Nian Ning a second chance."

When Fangyuanfang first released the list of prodigies, Xu Nianning was ranked seventeenth.

Now the list has been updated, and Xu Nianning is ranked eighth, only behind Wu Zong Wu Yue, Yu Qing Zhai Shang Yi, and Qian Tian Gong Yuwen Zhong.

This is indeed a remarkably rapid pace of progress.

Hear this.

Xie Xuanyi's gaze swept over the several Xu family members behind Xu Qi who were holding their breath, and landed on Xu Nianning, who stood with her hands at her sides and her head bowed.

He smiled.

This girl isn't usually like this.

Xu Qi glanced behind him and said awkwardly, "My beloved wife died young, and my daughter grew up on horseback with me. She has always loved to fight. With such a personality, joining the Sword Palace must have caused Lotus Peak a lot of trouble..."

"Cough cough."

Xu Nianning clenched her fist and coughed lightly, signaling her father to stop talking.

“Patriarch Xu need not worry, Nian Ning is an excellent candidate for sword immortal.”

Xie Xuanyi laughed and said, "When I was young, I caused just as much trouble as she did."

Xu Qi laughed loudly.

He waved his hand, and the Xu family disciples behind him quickly made way. Not far away, there were two heavy carts covered with thick cloth, their wheels deeply embedded in the mud, clearly carrying a lot of cargo.

They came all the way from Bingzhou.

It certainly won't be empty-handed.

Xu Qi said with a smile, "The Sword Palace is currently in a state of disrepair. The few items on this cart are just ordinary copper and iron, and some crude pills and talismans. They are only used to repair the array base and provide for the daily needs of the outer disciples. I think they are enough... Thank you, Mountain Master, for not finding them offensive."

"Master Xu is very kind."

Xie Xuanyi said gently, "The Sword Palace has been affected by the war and certainly needs resources for repairs. I will accept this token of our appreciation on behalf of the Sword Palace."

Xu Qi asked cautiously, "Then what about my daughter..."

“Since Miss Xu is a disciple of Junior Sister Huang Su, she is also a direct disciple of the Sword Palace.”

Xie Xuanyi said calmly, "You've come at the perfect time. Huang Su and I have discussed it, and we plan to send her to the Thirty-Three Grotto Heavens for training and to study the Sage's Dao Stele in the next few days."

"???"

Huang Su, who had just crossed the bamboo forest, looked strange upon hearing these words.

"Thank you very much, Lord Mountain."

Xu Qi spoke from the bottom of his heart and bowed deeply once again.

Xu Nianning raised an eyebrow, somewhat incredulous: "There's such a good thing?"

"There's something even better."

Xie Xuanyi smiled and said, "Just now, I threw Duan Zhao in. If you go now, you might be able to keep him company."

"What are you waiting for?"

Xu Nianning rubbed her hands together, eager to get started: "There's no time like the present..."

She didn't want to wait a moment longer.

To be able to go to the Thirty-Three Heavenly Caves is the wish of many Sword Palace disciples.

……

……

"So, you tricked these two into entering the Thirty-Three Heavenly Caves?"

That night.

A bonfire flickered in front of the small bamboo house on Lotus Peak.

Si Qi, Huang Su, Qi Lie, and Xie Xuanyi gathered in front of the bamboo house, on the iron rack of the campfire, where roasted chicken sizzled and dripped oil.

The four sat around a table in a wonderful atmosphere; Lotus Peak hadn't seen such a scene in over a decade.

"Lotus Peak can be quiet for a while now."

Xie Xuanyi smiled.

"It is indeed a rare moment of peace and quiet."

"My disciple is not much smarter than that silly boy under my senior brother's tutelage."

Huang Su took a rare sip of wine, shook his head, and sighed, "This is the first time I've seen anyone so happy to enter the Thirty-Three Heavens... I wonder if these two will still be able to laugh when they come out..."

Xu Nianning was overjoyed when she heard that she had the opportunity to study the Dao Stele.

I don't know.

The trials in the Thirty-Three Heavenly Caves are extremely painful.

Even a genius of Xie Xuanyi's caliber suffered a great deal when he first stepped into it.

These thirty-three grotto-heavens, though containing numerous Dao steles and opportunities, also seal away a host of powerful demons—

With their cultivation at the eighth or ninth level of the Cave Heaven Realm, they need to be careful and cautious at every step when entering it.

A slight mishap could result in serious injury.

"This gathering is truly a joy to behold."

Qi Lie raised his glass and took a small sip.

He sighed silently in the lake of his heart.

It's just a bit of a pity...

these years.

He had fantasized more than once about the scene of all his fellow disciples from Lotus Peak gathering together.

Never thought about it.

This gathering can actually be recreated.

Senior Brother Xuan Yi is still alive.

But in the end, some people were "absent" from this gathering.

Zhou Zhiren betrayed the Sword Palace and died.

Senior Sister Miaoyin is still in seclusion, and it is unknown when she will emerge.

"Senior brother...you've already gone to the Thirty-Three Heavenly Caves..."

Thinking of this, Qi Lie raised the wine jar, took a big gulp, and asked, emboldened by the alcohol, "How is Senior Sister Miaoyin's seclusion going?"

"..."

Xie Xuanyi remained silent, but simply raised the wine jar and silently took a sip.

today.

After throwing Duan Zhao into the Thirty-Three Heavens, he turned around and went to the Ice Soul Heaven to find Jiang Miaoyin.

Based on Xie Xuanyi's current cultivation level.

Even if all the great demons of the Thirty-Three Heavens were combined, they might not be able to defeat it.

The mere glimpse of its aura was enough to frighten those powerful demons into not daring to show themselves.

The Snow Demon, who had long resided in the Ice Soul Cave, sensed Xie Xuanyi's sword intent from afar and hurriedly retreated several miles away, not daring to even show its face... Last time it met Xie Xuanyi, it suffered a great loss. Later, Zhao Tongtian, the head of the Sword Palace, personally came and asked it to protect Jiang Miaoyin. It had no choice but to form an array in the Ice Soul Cave and guard it.

This time, it couldn't escape even if it wanted to.

Xie Xuanyi personally took action and, from several miles away, brought Xuexiao over.

We haven't seen each other for just a few months.

When Xuexiao saw Xie Xuanyi again, he was terrified.

The last time we met, Xie Xuanyi seemed to have only recently become a Yin God, and his aura was still quite unstable.

But this time, it sensed a powerful aura on Xie Xuanyi that far surpassed the "Yin Shen" realm... If it wasn't mistaken, this young man had already condensed his Dao.

Is this the cultivation speed of a reincarnated sword immortal?
Snowdark had a misconception.

Xie Xuanyi could kill it without even drawing his sword; a simple flick of his finger would be enough to obliterate it completely.

Xie Xuanyi did not make things difficult for Xuexiao, but instead asked it to retrieve the images of the great formation during this period and inquire about Jiang Miaoyin's seclusion.

Jiang Miaoyin is undergoing a trial by fire.

Some people can easily overcome this ordeal.

For example, the True Man Xuanzhi cultivated the fields on the mountain, had no rules in his heart, and achieved the Yang Shen realm with almost no effort.

This trial of the heart was easily overcome with a single step.

For some, this ordeal lasted ten years.

For example, Zhou practiced diligently day and night in preparation for Xie Xuanyi's challenge to his boxing skills.

If it weren't for that battle before the Martial Fortune Dragon Vein, it's unknown how many more years it would have taken Zhou to break through to the next realm.

The deeper one's obsession, the more difficult it is to overcome this inner trial.

Jiang Miaoyin's "Heart Tribulation"...

It was none other than myself.

"Lord Jiang's 'Trial of the Heart' is not going well. Although the great formation has shown no abnormalities these days, the cave is experiencing heavy snow day and night, and the cold is exceptionally severe."

"I have ventured into the great formation several times to observe... Lord Jiang was weeping bitterly, I wonder what he saw in the illusion of the Heart Tribulation, he was heartbroken and utterly haggard."

Snow Ape dared not lie and answered honestly.

Xie Xuanyi felt very uncomfortable upon hearing this reply.

The mental tribulations of a spiritual practitioner must ultimately be overcome by themselves.

He could help Zhou fulfill his wish to ask the boxing match, but how could he help Jiang Miaoyin resolve her inner turmoil?

Xie Xuanyi stood in the Ice Soul Cave for several hours before silently leaving.

The small bamboo house on Lotus Peak was briefly silent.

The campfire crackled and popped.

Xie Xuanyi's silence was deafening; how could Qi Lie not understand?

"Senior brother..."

Qi Lie drank again, and with a laugh fueled by the alcohol, he said, "I've heard that on Forget-Worry Island, there's a 'Dream-Entering Technique' that allows one to enter a dream world and resolve people's troubles and worries."

Xie Xuanyi understood Qi Lie's meaning perfectly well.

He exhaled a long breath and said softly, "After some time, I will ask the Lord of Forget-Worry Island to take action."

Actually, Qi Lie didn't need to remind him.

Before Xie Xuanyi stepped into the Thirty-Three Heavens, he already had this thought in his mind.

In the secret tomb of Bai Ze, he swallowed a "fruit of enlightenment" and silently overcame a mental tribulation in a dream.

When I was fourteen.

Jiang Miaoyin took the night watch for herself.

He abandoned his sudden enlightenment to the "Path of Annihilation" and chose to spend the night with Jiang Miaoyin on the mountaintop, enjoying the moon and celebrating his birthday together.

That dream is still fresh in my memory.

Xie Xuanyi felt as if this was a memory that had actually happened...

In that dreamlike state, Jiang Miaoyin untied a knot in her heart.

If there is a chance.

He wanted to enter Jiang Miaoyin's dream world.

If this mental tribulation originated from me, then by entering Jiang Miaoyin's dream, I might have a chance to help her overcome this tribulation.

"Let's not talk about these things, let's not talk about these things."

Si Qi raised his glass and said with a smile, "It's rare for us fellow disciples to get together, so we should have a good drink."

Say it.

He drank a large glass and choked, coughing violently.

Si Qi did not use his vital energy to dispel the smell of alcohol. Even though he was choked and coughing, he was still laughing. However, as he laughed, tears welled up in his eyes.

"How wonderful, how wonderful..."

Si Qi raised his head and exhaled a long breath.

He was about to continue drinking heavily when someone slapped his hand hard.

Snap.

Huang Su cleanly and decisively slapped Si Qi, interrupting his drinking. She glared at him fiercely and said irritably, "Don't you know your own limitations? You've only had an ounce or two, and you're already enjoying yourself... There are still so many array patterns to repair and so much work to do on Zhenyin Peak. If you black out, who will be responsible for you tomorrow?"

"..."

Si Qi instinctively flinched, shrank his neck, and released his grip on the wine jar.

Xie Xuanyi and Qi Lie exchanged a glance, their expressions subtle and strange, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Si Qi and Huang Su were brought back to the Sword Palace at the same time.

Because of qualification issues.

Si Qi did not cultivate at Lotus Peak for long before moving on to True Hidden Peak... He was not interested in cultivation, and even though he was extremely diligent, he could only cultivate to the Yin God Realm at most throughout his life.

Flavonoids are different.

She not only achieved the Yin Godhood early on, but also has the potential to ascend to the Yang Godhood in the future.

but……

Although the two are on different peaks, their contact has never become distant over the years. On the contrary, they have become more and more familiar and close. When they encounter troubles, they get together to drink.

"Junior sister is right, you should drink less."

Xie Xuanyi coughed and was the first to step forward to smooth things over.

"Yes, yes, yes... alcohol is not a good thing, we should drink less of it."

Qi Lie chuckled softly, "The great cause of the Sword Palace is of utmost importance. Junior Brother Si, you must act within your limits tonight and do not overindulge in wine."

The two senior brothers meant well.

Normally, Si Qi would have accepted it, but now, after a drink, his head was spinning, and he really couldn't care less about anything else.

Take a deep breath.

Si Qi grabbed Huang Surou's hand and mustered his courage to scold her, "You woman surnamed Huang, aren't you being a bit too nosy... I usually give you face by being a little afraid of you, but what if I insist on having another drink tonight?"

"???"

Huang Su was taken aback.

Her face flushed red, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "You, you, you... what nonsense are you talking about? If you want to drink more, then drink more! Who cares!"

Say it.

Huang Su picked up the wine jar and took a big gulp first.

The wine trickled down his lips, wetting his clothes.

"If you really want to drink, I'll drink with you!"

Huang Su slammed the wine jar down and snorted coldly, "With Senior Brother Xuan Yi and Senior Brother Qi Lie here, no one is allowed to leave tonight! We won't leave until we're drunk!"

Xie Xuanyi and Qi Lie looked at each other in bewilderment.

Neither of them expected things to turn out this way...

"Okay! Come!"

Si Qi raised the wine jar menacingly.

What started as a casual sip of alcohol between the two turned into a fierce and intense fight.

Xie Xuanyi and Qi Lie, on the other hand, seemed somewhat at a loss.

However, the two looked at each other and both revealed relieved and happy smiles.

"Come."

Xie Xuanyi raised the wine jar and gently clinked it against his junior brother Qi Lie's.

Drink it in one gulp.

The spirit wine, upon entering the throat, was exceptionally mellow, leaving one feeling in a daze.

Xie Xuanyi looked up at the sky, his eyes hazy.

The moon over Lotus Peak is exceptionally round tonight.

It's been so many years, so many years since I've seen such a full moon.

……

……

not far away.

A tall figure in a lotus-patterned robe stood silently in the shadow of the small bamboo building.

The old man stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the flickering campfire in the distance, a hint of contentment in his eyes.

……

……

(End of Moonlit Chapter)
(End of this chapter)