Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 258 Mirror Flowers and Moon in the Water
"Senior Song is dazzling and full of vigor. Now everyone in Longtan Mountain knows your name."

Su Lianxue parted her red lips slightly, her breath as fragrant as orchids, her voice soft and melodious.

"Lianxue has long admired you and has come to pay her respects to you, senior."

She tilted her long, slender neck slightly upwards, looking at Song Yan with a captivating gaze: "If I have caused any disturbance, I hope you will not take offense, senior."

"..."

A sudden surge of restlessness stirred within Song Yan, and his gaze sharpened, becoming more cautious.

Charm magic...

Song Yan had only occasionally heard of the name Tianyu Palace.

Like the Ziyang Sect, it is a small sect located near the behemoth that is the Dongyuan Sect.

Many years ago, when Song Yan first participated in the Lingyuanze Night Market, there was a female cultivator from Tianyu Palace at the trade fair organized by Ke Huai.

There are countless small sects around Dongyuan Mountain Gate that have established diplomatic relations with or are dependent on others.

However, Tianyu Palace is the most talked-about place among the disciples.

Because almost all the disciples of this sect are incredibly beautiful female cultivators.

The techniques they practiced were mostly those with bewitching effects.

These techniques cannot be equated with the traditional concept of enchanting arts.

The cultivators in this world seek immortality, and their thoughts and desires vary.

Power, lust, freedom...

Many female cultivators seek immortality, mainly to preserve their youthful appearance.

Some cultivation techniques, once mastered, give one a captivating charm in their brows, eyes, muscles, and bones.

Even without deliberately using any seductive techniques, her every move can bewitch male cultivators, and even other women.

I just don't know what the purpose of this Fellow Daoist Su's visit is.

"Excessive praise."

Song Yan remained expressionless, stepped aside, and said, "Please."

Su Lianxue's eyes rippled slightly as she gently thanked him and entered the cave.

Her lotus-like steps exuded fragrance, and her alluring gaze was captivating.

The woman walked past Song Yan, leaving behind a faint fragrance.

The aroma is initially delicate and elegant, like a secluded orchid in a valley, but it quickly transforms into a rich and sweet fragrance that evokes beautiful thoughts deep within the heart.

The person who came here is not kind...

Song Yan lowered his gaze, lost in thought.

On the lotus flower above the Sword Palace, the unmoored boat hummed and swayed, extinguishing the restless fire in the heart.

Su Lianxue curiously looked around at the furnishings in the cave, then naturally sat down in the guest seat, her posture captivating.

Xiao He disappeared into the sleeve of Song Yan's Taoist robe.

A pair of small eyes stared suspiciously at the strange woman.

Su Lianxue had a captivating figure, yet her appearance was youthful, and she spoke to Song Yan with an innocent and naive air.

"I heard that a few days ago, Senior Song Yan's skills amazed everyone, even defeating a Foundation Establishment senior from the Xuan Yuan Sect. It truly makes Lianxue admire you..."

She used her slender fingers to gently brush aside a stray strand of hair that had fallen beside her ear.

What appeared to be a casual chat over tea was actually a constant praise of Song Yan's talent, with occasional sighs about the scarcity of resources among the disciples of Tianyu Palace.

Surprisingly, there was no mention of the qualification for advancement, nor any particularly outrageous display of charm.

This surprised Song Yan somewhat.

He rarely came into contact with female cultivators like her, so naturally he wouldn't know what Su Lianxue was thinking.

A young and talented disciple like Song Yan may have seen a lot of the world.

But even heroes can't resist the charms of beautiful women. These disciples are usually taken care of by elders and bound by sect rules.

Such an open event as Longtan Mountain presented her with the perfect opportunity to make her move.

What does a qualifying spot matter...?

If we could take him for ourselves, wouldn't a few spots be just a matter of a word from us?
Moreover, if she succeeds, she won't care about quotas or qualifications at all.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator in his early twenties.

If you become the Daoist partner of such a prodigy, then do other things really matter?

Now, there's nothing to worry about, just one thing to do.

Stealing Song Yan's heart.

She had already investigated and found that this person's situation was quite unusual.

He was once unknown, but he rose step by step from the bottom of the sect to where he is today.

The dangerous incident at Changping is irrelevant; this gathering at Longtan Mountain is probably the first time he has ever experienced being the center of attention.

Such people are most likely to lose themselves and become addicted to lewd and lustful things they have never encountered before.

Naturally, it is also the easiest to succeed.

That was her initial thought, but up to now, she hasn't been able to glean any feedback from Song Yan's expression or actions.

After chatting for a long time, Song Yan only lowered his eyes and drank his tea, occasionally responding with a distant yet polite attitude.

About half an incense stick later, Su Lianxue got up to take her leave.

She didn't know what the other party was thinking, or whether her charm techniques had any effect, and she couldn't help but feel anxious.

But staying any longer would be pointless.

This banquet hosted by the Song Dynasty seems to be more complicated than I imagined.

She stood up, her figure breathtaking, her fragrance intoxicating: "I've disturbed your cultivation, senior. It's getting late, so I'll take my leave."

"It's out of the way."

Song Yan had his hands behind his back and simply shook his head slightly.

After she finished speaking, she saw that Song Yan remained calm and responded indifferently.

A sense of anxiety and annoyance inevitably crept into my heart.

She didn't believe that the young man in front of her could truly remain unmoved by her Heavenly Jade Charm Technique.

"Ah, right."

Su Lianxue seemed to have thought of something; her face flushed slightly, as if she were somewhat shy.

He took out a jade talisman from his Qiankun bag and handed it to Song Yan.

"Senior Song..."

She lightly bit her lip, and when she occasionally glanced up at Song Yan, her gaze became even more tender.

Her tone was gentle and charming: "Senior's cultivation is profound, and his swordsmanship is unique and unparalleled."

"Lianxue also longs for swordsmanship, but unfortunately she is not very talented. If you don't mind, senior, could you spare some time to teach Lianxue a few moves in the future?"

Before Song Yan could nod or refuse, she spoke, took a light step forward, and placed the warm jade talisman in Song Yan's palm.

Fingertips brushed lightly across Song Yan's hand, leaving a faint fragrance.

"This is the jade talisman for Lianxue's temporary residence in the cave, the Nuanyu Tower on the southern slope of Longtan."

She raised her eyes, her gaze filled with tender affection, and looked deeply into Song Yan's eyes.

Whispering softly, like a lover's murmur in your ear on the pillow.

"The night is long. If you find cultivation bitter and lonely, senior, you may take this jade talisman and go directly into the inner room to find me. I will guide Lianxue in her cultivation and we will explore the Great Dao together."

"Lianxue will certainly sweep her bed to welcome you."

After saying this, she seemed to have used up all her courage. Her face was flushed, and she left Song Yan's cave without lingering.

The cave returned to silence.

Song Yan slowly closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

Although there was no real danger in the conversation with this fellow practitioner from Tianyu Palace, it still felt more thrilling than fighting with others.

Female cultivators who practice seductive arts are truly alluring and difficult to deal with.

No wonder they say even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman.

What guidance on cultivation, what fellowship in the Great Dao?

Where are you pointing? What profound truths are you seeking?
Of course he understands.

Song Yan was not a man of few desires; with such a beautiful woman, who wouldn't want to be swept away by a passionate flame?

However, I fear that this woman's cultivation of bewitching arts may be peculiar, benefiting herself at the expense of others.

When one's foundation is destroyed and there is no hope for the Great Way, then it will be too late for regrets.

Moreover, this woman most likely came with a purpose, so she must have some concerns.

Sword Heart hummed, and his mind quickly returned to calm.

He casually picked up the jade talisman left by the other party, which was engraved with the words "Warm Jade Pavilion".

A sweet and alluring fragrance lingers on it.

At this moment, Song Yan's state of mind remained unchanged.

A small head popped out from under the coffee table and grabbed the jade talisman. "Here you go."

Xiao He was holding the jade talisman, her little hands on her hips.

"Look, without Sister Xiao Ju watching over you, you would have been bewitched by these seductive women."

"I……"

Song Yan wanted to explain, but Xiao He didn't give him the chance.

"Me, me, me what me?"

"Humph!"

Xiao He let out a soft snort through her nose, her little face trying to look stern, appearing very unhappy.

"I could smell her odor even from that far away, it was suffocating."

"She also...and her smile was so strange."

"Oh?" Song Yan suddenly laughed. "What's strange about it? Tell me."

"It's just weird!"

Xiao He, with the air of a little adult, said in a tone of exasperation, "Grandpa has told you so many times to be careful of pretty girls!"

Why can't you listen to me?

Song Yan feigned surprise: "Is that so? But... but Xiao He is also very pretty."

"I……"

Snake Baby was taken aback, its eyes darting around: "I...I...of course I know that."

“But I’m with Yan Yan, I won’t hurt you, I’m going to hurt others.”

"So others should be careful of me."

Oops.

They actually managed to cover it up for her.

The child has become smarter.

“Okay, I know.” Song Yan smiled. “She may have used some bewitching magic, but I have my own way of dealing with it, so there’s no need to worry.”

"Stop grinning like that!" Snake Baby pouted.

"Then...you're not really going to that building, are you?"

Song Yan cooperated perfectly, her smile vanishing abruptly, and answered decisively, "No, I'm not going."

"That's more like it..."

Xiao He was finally satisfied, and the corners of her mouth secretly curved upwards before she quickly suppressed it.

With his two short hands behind his back, he looked like a schoolteacher.

“What…what building? That kind of place sounds bad. I’m afraid you’ll go there and be corrupted.”

After she finished speaking, she skipped away and disappeared.

"Ha ha……"

Song Yan was amused by her.

He returned to the cultivation room and calmed his mind.

In recent days, apart from the most basic cultivation of realms, Song Yan has been studying that mysterious sword intent.

Judging from the battle with Fan Dongchen that day, the true and complete sword intent was extremely powerful.

If he hadn't voluntarily concealed his sharpness, Fan Dongchen would probably have been killed on the spot.

Song Yan wasn't a benevolent person who cared about the lives of Xuan Yuan Sect disciples. However, firstly, the other party's crime didn't warrant death, and secondly, killing someone at such a grand event would mean being summoned around.

Although there is a death warrant, the procedures and processes still need to be followed, which is really troublesome.

However, the power of sword intent is certainly not a bad thing.

Song Yan was still thinking about how powerful it would be if he could also integrate sword essence into this sword intent...

In recent days, he has been studying the Taixu Huashu (Book of Great Illusion), and his understanding of swordsmanship has reached a new level.

Putting aside sword intent, before reaching the Golden Core stage, the gap between sword cultivators and other cultivators is not actually that large.

Unfortunately, it couldn't let go of its sword intent.

This entire human cultivation world, apart from ordinary Taoist techniques, cultivation methods, secret arts, and other conventional Taoist arts.

There is another method that can truly be called "mortal immortal technique," called "supernatural power."

Only cultivators at the Golden Core stage or above have a very small chance of comprehending and learning it.

The Great Void Transformation Book mentions that very few people who have comprehended supernatural powers at the Golden Core stage, even if they only grasp a fraction of them.

Most cultivators can only comprehend this when they reach the Nascent Soul or Divine Transformation realms.

However, the "special effects" contained in sword intent can themselves be regarded as the seeds of supernatural powers.

This is why, in ancient times, at the same level, sword cultivators found it easier to comprehend supernatural powers than ordinary cultivators.

The special effects of sword intent, after being nurtured and comprehended by a sword cultivator, may become sword supernatural abilities.

This is the main reason why, at the same cultivation level, sword cultivators have far superior combat power compared to others.

Now that he has fused the Mirage Sword Pill into his immortal foundation, the special effect he inexplicably possesses is hard to distinguish between real and fake, and can change at will.

Like a flower in a mirror, or the moon in the water.

Song Yan then called this sword intent "Mirror Flower Water Moon".

In the days that followed, a steady stream of cultivators came to visit Song Yan.

As the day of the grand competition drew closer, those cultivators from the Nine Meridians who were qualified to attend the ceremony arrived one after another.

This includes some elders from the six major sects who were not present before.

As a result, the number of visitors also increased.

Among them were elders from minor sects, rogue cultivators trying to curry favor, and even disciples from other branches of the six major sects, all coming with various motives.

Some adopted a humble attitude, attempting to win people over with personal connections.

Some people were straightforward, bringing generous gifts in exchange for a spot.

Some tried to probe Song Yan's attitude and the true strength of the Dongyuan Sect indirectly.

Under her master's instructions, Xiao Ju dealt with each of these people in a manner that was neither impolite nor caused Song Yan any further trouble.

During this time, a white-clad girl with an ethereal air came to visit, introducing herself as Xie Chan from Xuanjian Mountain. She claimed to have a past relationship with Song Yan and had come to pay her respects to her senior.

Xiao Ju has dealt with at least eighty or a hundred people like that in the past few days.

Although I didn't believe it, I still recorded it truthfully.

Tell the other party that Master is currently in seclusion and will inform them when he emerges.

The other party didn't press the matter, thanked Xiao Ju, and left.

……

With the grand competition approaching, Song Yan left the pass on this day.

Xiao Ju truthfully reported to everyone who had visited her during those days, as she had noted them down.

“A cultivator mentioned that when Master was in Silent Valley, he had met you once.”

"No impression."

"There is also... a female cultivator from Suspended Sword Mountain named Xie Chan, who once paid a visit to us."

"Xie Chan?"

It sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it, so I'll leave it at that for now.

Most of these cultivators are probably only here for the quota, so it's best not to return the visit.

"By the way, Master."

"Elder Yang Wenxuan of the sect just sent a talisman, inviting you to attend the meeting."

She said, "Xiao Ju has already declined, citing her need for seclusion and cultivation as an excuse, as you previously instructed."

Song Yan nodded and said, "Okay."

As one of the main disciples present, he was naturally aware of Yang Wenxuan's arrival at Longtan Mountain.

However, he had no interest in visiting them at all.

In the past, when I was only at the Qi Refining stage, I would still give way. Now that I have established my Immortal Foundation and am already a disciple of the Demon-Slaying Peak, I am truly humbled.

I have absolutely no interest in engaging in pretense with this person.

Song Yan still vividly remembers the grudge from that day.

"If he sends another message, tell him that I am preparing for the competition and it is inconvenient for me to leave."

"If there is anything urgent..."

"Let him come see me himself."

Xiao Ju showed no fear of the Dongyuan Sect elders on her face; she simply nodded obediently.

"Yes, Master."

(End of this chapter)