Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 284 Star Shift
……

"Hey, Feng, have you heard?"

"What did you hear?"

"The Elder Council has recruited twenty or thirty cultivators to come and provide support here."

In the Guanzhong Plain, a few cultivators huddled together, whispering among themselves.

"This is a good thing."

"That's right, they arrived yesterday, so I reckon we'll have much less time to work shifts from now on."

The speaker looked around and said, "And I heard that the young girl surnamed Zhou is going to be transferred to their side."

"why is that?"

"I heard that this support team is led by Song Yan... and that Xiao Zhou is also from Dongyuan Sect, so it was probably arranged by Senior He."

"That's a good thing too."

The cultivator known as "Brother Feng" stroked his beard and said, "That little girl doesn't do anything productive all day, she doesn't cultivate, she just sleeps. She's not reliable anyway."

In the later stages of Qi Refining, a cultivator's sleep can basically be replaced by cultivating spiritual energy.

Sometimes I feel mentally exhausted and need to rest, but I don't sleep for very long.

But this young girl from Dongyuan Sect was completely different. When everyone saw her arrive, she only did two things.

During my shift, I barely managed to stay awake, but once my shift was over, I went back to my accommodation and fell asleep immediately.

He slept until his next shift.

This young girl is so young, and she loves to sleep so much. Where did she get all this cultivation from?
At this very moment, Zhou Mengdie is stationed at the gate.

"..."

She seemed dazed, her mouth slightly open, and glistening saliva trickling down the corner of her lips.

His head kept nodding, like a chick pecking at rice.

"Zhou Mengdie..."

"...Heh..."

"Zhou Mengdie!"

"Hey." The girl's body jerked violently, barely managing to keep her eyelids open as she looked up at the person in front of her.

"Hello, Senior He..."

"This……"

He Huan sighed: "Xiao Zhou, from today onwards you will follow your Senior Brother Song's orders and will not participate in our shifts."

"Oh... ah?"

Zhou Mengdie was still a little dazed, but under He Huan's guidance, she arrived at Song Yan's temporary cave dwelling for a visit.

Song Yan looked at the girl in front of him with a strange expression, and thought to himself that something was wrong.

He Huan played this move well. He thought this person was meticulous, but he didn't expect that he would pass this hot potato to him so naturally.

"Are you also a disciple of Lianyou Peak?"

"Uh...yes..."

Song Yan and He Huan exchanged only a few pleasantries before Zhou Mengdie was already completely bewitched.

I felt like I was about to lie down and fall into a deep sleep right then and there.

"Let's go back to sleep first."

Song Yan gave a bitter smile to himself, losing interest in talking to her.

The Danxi Heart Method states that when the spleen and stomach are affected by dampness, one becomes lethargic, weak, and prone to laziness and lying down.

In the past, when practicing medicine, this drowsiness was usually caused by spleen deficiency and dampness, and insufficient Qi in the middle Jiao.

But Zhou Mengdie is a cultivator, and she has no hidden illnesses or injuries, so how could she have such a problem?

Song Yan really couldn't understand it.

But now, he does remember this one person.

Xiang Zhaoling had told him before that she had a good friend on Lianyou Peak who did nothing but sleep all day.

It seems this must be the person.

"Senior Brother Song, although I like to sleep, I will still complete the task you assigned me diligently."

Zhou Mengdie mustered her strength and spoke a complete and unambiguous statement.

"Okay, you'll stay here with me for the next few days."

"The sooner you earn battle merits, the sooner you can return to your sect."

Some people are simply not suited for fighting. It's not that they're afraid of death; it's just their nature.

In Song Yan's view, Zhou Mengdie was just that kind of person.

He Huan's arrangements were well-organized, with so many cultivators coming to provide support and ample manpower.

Unless there are special circumstances, Song Yan does not need to actually sit in the gate to oversee things.

The training time was not much less than that in Red Maple Plains.

With sword formations, purple qi merging with emptiness, and the sword intent of mirror flowers and water moon, Song Yan is now completely unafraid of ordinary mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators.

However, he was not arrogant or complacent.

In such a large-scale war, Foundation Establishment cultivators can only protect themselves in most situations. Without reaching the Golden Core realm, they are merely pawns and cannon fodder.

The battle between good and evil disrupted the original order, leading to frequent open and covert struggles.

Improving our strength as quickly as possible is the most important thing in this catastrophe.

Therefore, apart from the most basic training, Song Yan devoted all his energy and time to studying sword intent and sword formations.

Within the Book of Great Void, looking at the entire Foundation Establishment Realm, the strongest killing move that sword cultivators can master is probably the Sword Domain.

However, the Sword Domain technique is not like an ordinary formation, which can be executed simply by having enough flying swords, strong enough divine sense, and skilled enough sword control techniques.

Firstly, one needs to cultivate sword intent to the point of being able to wield it freely.

Song Yan has not yet achieved this.

His understanding of the illusory nature of things is not profound enough and falls far short of the required level.

Secondly, it requires the integration and mastery of several compatible sword formations.

Song Yan had already begun to consider this point back when he was writing the Spirit Transformation chapter.

The sword formations "Circling the Moon" and "Howling Sun" are from the same lineage. Learning the last sword formation will satisfy the requirements.

Finally, there's Blade & Soul, which is currently still asleep.

However, I have some premonition and should wake up soon.

That's why Song Yan focused his attention on cultivating both sword intent and sword formation.

The final sword formation required for this sword domain needs seven flying swords.

……

It is naturally located outside the pass, about a hundred miles away.

A group of demonic cultivators were discussing something, but the atmosphere seemed rather tense.

"Senior Brother Chen, what should we do now?"

"How about it? You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

The demonic cultivator, referred to as Senior Brother Chen, said with a fierce expression: "Should we send a message to the elders now, telling them that there is a Song Yan here, and ask them to send over a few late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators and a few pseudo-Core Formation cultivators?"

"go!"

The person who had spoken earlier became hesitant and dared not utter a word.

One of the female cultivators was alluring, but her face was full of worry: "Who would have thought that the other side would even bring this killer here?"

To put it bluntly, the main target of the Demon Ruins is definitely the Central Region.

There aren't many forces deployed in these border areas.

It would have been enough, but Song Yan's appearance made it difficult for them to move forward with their plan.

An elderly man in a yellow shirt standing nearby had a shifty look in his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

"Never mind, never mind." Senior Brother Chen frowned and sighed.

Here they are, there are three mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators and three early-Foundation Establishment cultivators.

As guerrillas, they are actually a considerable force.

Song Yan's combat strength is mysterious; judging from the current situation, he is at least equivalent to three mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Combined with the existing garrison, it suddenly became insufficient.

However, they dared not complain to those elders who were at the Pseudo-Core Formation level, and could only bite the bullet and proceed.

"The purpose is simply to attract the attention of the righteous cultivators. We just need to catch them off guard, wipe out all the Qi Refining cultivators mining in Guanzhong, and delay their actions." "As for whether we can kill Song Yan, that's up to each of you to decide."

"Wait a minute."

Just as he was about to get up and leave his seat, he heard the old man slowly speak: "Everyone says that Song Yan has superb combat power, but in the end, he is just a cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment."

Senior Brother Chen narrowed his eyes: "What are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say is, why should this mere young lad from the border region cause you all such headaches and anxieties?"

"We are six Foundation Establishment cultivators, why should we fear him alone?"

The old man in yellow stroked his beard and said, "If we can find an opportunity, the six of us can make a move at the same time. I don't believe that a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage can cause any trouble."

"Do you all really regard him in the same way as those geniuses of the Central Region and the Daoists of the Demonic Ruins?"

The old man in the yellow shirt made perfect sense.

Apart from the person in the yellow shirt, the rest of the attendees were all quite young and harbored their own grievances.

Indeed, Song Yan was only a beginner in the Foundation Establishment stage. If the six of them made their move first and simultaneously, the outcome would be uncertain.

I have not heard of him having any special defensive methods.

What kind of background could a mere boy from a remote border region possibly have?

Thinking about it this way, could it be that they were just being stubborn?

Are we overestimating Song Yan?
"Mr. Xu, please speak your mind."

……

Born beyond the Great Wall, a secluded woodcutter in a quiet forest.

The young man in black robes sat cross-legged on a barren rock, his fingertips twitching slightly, and sword energy flowed around him.

This person exudes no aura and seems like an ordinary person.

From within the dense forest, the faint roars of monstrous beasts could be heard.

For an instant.

Three late-stage Tier 1 demonic beasts, the Crimson-Maned Boars, charged at the man from three directions simultaneously.

"..."

This person muttered to himself, showing no sign of panic.

The index and middle fingers are joined together, with a single stroke left blank.

In an instant, sword energy surged within the Zhendao Sword Mansion, and seven white sword shadows, accompanied by gusts of wind and thunder, flew out one by one from the sword box behind them.

The sword energy was chilling.

The young man in black robes activated his sword technique, and seven sword shadows suddenly trembled, rapidly flowing along the Big Dipper constellation.

The sword formation stirred up gusts of wind, causing pine needles to fall in a rustling sound.

Suddenly, countless sparks of fireflies appeared in the void.

Beneath that person, seven dazzling spiritual lights connected one by one, each with its own delicate starlight.

In the blink of an eye, this quiet forest was enveloped by the slowly shifting starlight.

The three-headed monsters did not notice any changes, or rather, their limited intelligence was not enough to figure out what had happened.

They still charged straight at this seemingly powerless person.

The three-headed, red-maned boar was less than ten feet away from him, its sharp tusks and demonic claws slashing as it charged straight at him.

Just then, a sudden change occurred.

Seven beams of spiritual light floated slowly, as if the air here had been gently manipulated by an invisible hand.

At the same time, the charging trajectory of the boar on the left took an unexpected turn, and its tusks pierced the ribs of its companion on the right.

"Oh, ee-ee..."

The poisonous flames spewed by the monster on the right somehow traced a ghastly green arc in the air and landed on the back of the giant boar that was soaring through the air.

Its demonic hoof, however, inexplicably struck the left side of the spine.

The young man in black robes sat motionless on the rock, while the three demonic beasts were in complete chaos, fighting amongst themselves.

The sound of bones cracking, mixed with the acrid smell of poisonous flames burning fur, filled the air.

The three-headed beasts let out mournful cries in agony, and soon after, they all lost their lives.

"This sword formation, 'Shifting Stars,' is quite ingenious... No wonder it requires seven flying swords to execute."

After pondering for a moment and carefully comprehending the changes in the sword formation, Song Yan stood up and cleaned up the corpses of the three-headed demon beast.

He currently only has three flying swords that he can use for extended periods in sword formation techniques.

Unmoored boat, weeping moon, and sacrificial offering to the Qilin King.

The other flying swords could only withstand three to five uses before they became too heavy.

Therefore, when practicing sword formations, he could only use the sword shadows formed by condensed sword energy as a makeshift substitute.

By now, he has mastered all three sword formations.

All that's left is to practice more and comprehend the way of the sword, hoping to master these three sword formations as soon as possible.

After resting for a while, Song Yan returned to Tiansheng Pass.

Today is his turn to guard the pass, so it's only right that he shows his face.

Only half a month had passed since they arrived to provide support when a crucial battle broke out on Red Maple Plain.

Furthermore, this battle ended in a great victory for the righteous cultivators.

Near Red Maple Plains lies Yinfeng Gorge, a place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

It gets its name from the fact that it is constantly exposed to cold winds.

There is a Yin Feng Temple in the gorge, with many disciples, and its master is a pseudo-core cultivator. His strength alone should not be underestimated.

Originally, the ancestors of Yinfeng Temple had some connection with the Demon Ruins. During this invasion, the cultivators of the Demon Ruins naturally regarded this place as a hidden move.

Perhaps accustomed to peaceful cultivation, this pseudo-core cultivator was unwilling to unite with the Demon Ruins.

Instead, they communicated with the cultivators of the Nine Meridians of Chu.

Then, in collusion with the representatives of the righteous cultivators, they ambushed and killed almost all of the nearly one thousand demonic cultivators who had entered the gorge.

Furthermore, three Pseudo-Core Stage cultivators perished on the Demon Ruins side, and the leader, a Core Stage cultivator, was also seriously injured and fled.

In this battle, the Nine Veins Allied Forces achieved a great victory, and the morale of the righteous cultivators on Red Maple Plains was greatly boosted.

What truly drew Song Yan's attention to this matter was a name mentioned in the battle report.

Dongyuan Sect, Qin Ying.

The detailed battle report mentioned that Qin Ying led the Qin family to persuade the Lord of Yinfeng Gorge.

After their success, they devised a plan to invite a Golden Core cultivator from the Nine Meridians Alliance to help them, which ultimately secured their victory.

After this battle, Qin Ying and the Qin Clan's prestige soared, showing signs of catching up with the Yan Clan.

In his temporary cave dwelling, Song Yan looked at the battle reports that had been delivered a few days ago and fell into deep thought.

"The Qin family..."

The victory of the righteous path was hard-won and something to be very happy about.

But looking at this name, he always felt that the victory in this battle was somewhat subtle, somewhat too easy...

After a moment's thought, he decided to put aside this strange idea for the time being.

"Never mind, in any case, it's always a good thing to be able to wipe out the demonic cultivators."

He put away the battle report and was about to enter a meditative state when he heard a loud noise coming from outside.

"Enemy attack!"

Song Yan frowned, and without much hesitation, immediately stood up.

Xiao He transformed into a snake and slipped into her sleeve.

The man and the snake left their temporary dwelling and flew towards the sky above the pass.

"They're cultivators from the Demonic Ruins! Everyone be careful!"

Just as they took to the air, four streaks of light appeared, heading towards the canyon inside Tiansheng Pass.

How is this going.

The defensive formation was not broken, so how could the enemy have passed through the Heavenly Gate directly?

He Huan was on duty today, and he immediately said, "Fellow Daoist Song, thank you for your hard work in guarding the pass."

"We'll go after those four!"

Despite the crisis, He Huan remained calm and made the most reasonable allocation in the face of the situation.

With Song Yan around, even if those demonic cultivators have reinforcements, they probably won't be able to cause any trouble.

(End of this chapter)