Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 289 Drinking Immortal Pavilion
"By the way, Fellow Daoist Boqi, aren't you going to Junping? You'll need to be extra careful then."

When they mentioned it, Song Yan remembered.

Judging from the map, the Junping Prefecture that Boqi mentioned earlier is actually not far from the Eastern Wilderness.

"..."

"Fellow Daoist Boqi?"

"what……"

Birch seemed to be thinking about something: "Sorry, I spaced out again."

"..."

Song Yan wanted to know more, but the discussion on this topic came to an abrupt end there.

Clearly, they were unwilling to speculate or conjecture about the passing of a senior before the true circumstances were revealed.

Thus, their discussion returned to the cultivation items they each needed.

The things the others were looking for remained unchanged.

After all, if these things were so easy to find, there would be no need to ask the family members in the Nuo realm for help.

However, the "Berqi" fellow Daoist on the right middle finger has brought up something new.

"Battle tactics".

According to Birch's description, this combat method is based on "battle intent" and is usually used in close combat. It is a type of body cultivation, but it has subtle differences from pure body cultivation.

It sounds a lot like Li Yi's path of cultivation.

Song Yan knew that, in the eyes of the world, close combat seemed clumsy and body cultivation was crude.

However, he himself has no stereotypes or prejudices about physical cultivation, magical cultivation, close combat, or long-range combat.

Perhaps it was because they had witnessed the strength of Li Yi and Han Yuan.

Song Yan knew very little about this. He had always thought that Li Yi's fighting style and those combat techniques were all things he had come up with himself.

It might be some ordinary martial arts techniques and combat methods that he combined with spiritual power to perform.

In Song Yan's view, there was nothing unreasonable about this for a super genius like Li Yi.

However, it now seems that he may have inherited some kind of combat technique.

Does the Central Region also have such a school of thought?

He secretly guessed.

According to "Birch," he himself did not need the item, but a friend of his needed it, so he was keeping an eye out for it for him as well.

Song Yan certainly didn't have this; he couldn't very well ask Li Yi for it and then exchange it for something else.

The meeting ended quickly.

One by one, the figures of everyone disappeared into the Nuo realm.

……

A few days later, Song Yan led a group of disciples and left Tiansheng Pass.

Upon returning to Red Maple Plains, he first reported the details of this support and defense mission to the Nine Veins Joint Elder Council.

Since He Huan and Shi Ping had already reported on this before, he didn't go into too much detail.

Song Yan's situation was special, so he reported the situation directly to the elder who was handling the affairs that day.

Among them were two familiar faces, one of whom was Fu Xiao, an elder of the Sheyang Sect.

She was Yu Zhen's master, and Elder Fu had helped Dongyuan Sect a lot during the Changping era.

Moreover, she and Qin Xijun were old friends.

There was a female cultivator beside Elder Fu, who was probably a cultivator in charge of miscellaneous tasks and also a disciple of the Sheyang Sect.

She was now curiously observing him.

The other one was Yang Wenxuan, whom Song Yan simply ignored.

Fu Xiao nodded, his eyes full of appreciation for the younger generation: "Well done. Without you, I'm afraid even the Heavenly Pass would have been breached."

"By the way, Xijun came to Red Maple Plain a few days ago. She kept talking about you to me. If you have some free time, go and see her."

Song Yan was slightly taken aback, then bowed.

"Thank you, senior, for the tip."

It seems that the old woman spent her days reflecting on her mistakes at Tianjun Cliff. After another six months, Elder Zhang Guangyuan released her to "clear her mind."

Song Yan took his leave and departed from Maple Leaf Island.

He acted as if nothing had happened, but there was a great deal of discussion in the Council of Elders.

"If this is true, is Song Yan's strength barely comparable to the late Foundation Establishment stage?"

The elders looked at each other, their faces showing surprise.

"He fought against six Foundation Establishment Realm experts all by himself, two of whom were in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage."

"After his colleagues came to his aid, he even managed to kill two of the enemy's mid-stage opponents. This Song Yan..."

"Did he have another fortuitous encounter, or did he not reveal his full strength at Dragon Pool Mountain?"

The elders chimed in with their own opinions.

Yang Wenxuan remained silent.

He cursed Xin Shan Sanren in his heart for being useless, failing even to kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage.

Listening to the elders' discussion, the female cultivator couldn't help but look in the direction where Song Yan had left.

He muttered to himself, "I never imagined Yun'er's brother would be so amazing..."

This female cultivator was a close friend of Sheng Yun, and she had often heard Sheng Yun talk about her two older brothers.

After Changping, Song Yan's name began to be known, and the gathering at Longtan Mountain made him even more famous.

Seeing your true face today, you are indeed handsome and dashing.

Unfortunately, Song Yan had already left by then.

After leaving Maple Leaf Island, he headed towards Qin Xijun's cave.

Grandma is a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, because she is not very old, she participates in some dangerous missions even though she is in the Nine Veins Elder Council.

I wonder if one day I'll be fighting alongside my mother-in-law on a mission to eradicate demonic cultivators...

Just as I was thinking this, we arrived outside her cave.

I wonder if she's cultivating right now.

"Master, it's me."

"Come in."

The cave's restrictions automatically lifted, and Song Yan slowly stepped inside.

"came back?"

Qin Xijun was still the same, but perhaps because she was in her own cave, she was dressed very casually.

A single black gauze dress covered her exquisite figure, and her long, black hair was casually draped over her shoulders.

"Master, please wear more clothes. What kind of behavior is this?"

Song Yan didn't stand on ceremony and sat down at the table, pouring himself a cup of tea.

Qin Xijun put her hands behind her head: "Heh, you've grown wings and now you're even bossing around your master."

"This is my own cave, so what if I don't wear it!"

"You've been making quite a splash on the battlefield these past few days, haven't you? You must be feeling pretty good about yourself."

Song Yan said awkwardly, "Oh, what are you saying?"

After chatting for a while, the two told Qin Xijun about everything they had seen and heard over the past few days.

"Good disciple, have you earned enough merits to return to the sect?"

Qin Xijun suddenly asked.

"Although you are now strong enough to protect yourself, it would still be safer to return to the sect."

Qin Xijun's concerns were not unfounded; no one could predict what would happen next on such a battlefield.

To put it bluntly, this kind of war is all about which side uses more Golden Core cultivators.

The number of Foundation Establishment cultivators, whether one more or one less, will have absolutely no decisive impact on the battlefield.

"Yes, that's enough."

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to leave the front lines, they need a lot of battle merits, but in the past year or so, whether it was slaying demonic cultivators or guarding the rear, they have completed their missions extremely well.

Song Yan's military achievements are already sufficient.

"But let's wait a bit longer, there are still some things to take care of."

Qin Xijun nodded. She was only giving her disciple advice; he would naturally make his own decisions on how to consider things and how to act.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he rose to take his leave and departed from Qin Xijun's cave. For the next few days, he continued to guard the Red Maple Plain as usual.

When there's a mission, he goes on a mission; when there's nothing to do, he cultivates on his own.

Two or three months later, Song Yan suddenly had a premonition and took out a special red communication talisman.

He felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that the ancient battlefield of the Immortal Dynasty was about to open.

Half an hour later, Song Yan left his cave and went to Maple Leaf Island.

He requested permission from the Elders' Council to leave the main battlefield of Red Maple Plain.

The timing is perfect. Despite the demonic cultivators causing chaos for so long, the two sides haven't reached the point of a full-blown battle where Golden Core cultivators fight to the death.

Therefore, cultivators who have accumulated enough merit on the battlefield can request to leave.

This can also be seen as the Nine Meridians cultivators giving these main combat forces a chance to breathe.

If one day demonic cultivators launch a full-scale attack and the battlefield becomes a matter of life and death, then there will be no such thing as retirement.

With a single conscription order issued, which of the Nine Lineages disciples dared to disobey?
Even now, those cultivators who retreat in the face of battle, or who find various excuses to evade conscription and leave the battlefield, are punished very severely.

I've heard that in severe cases, some even had their cultivation crippled.

Of course, this is a minority.

Song Yan's military achievements were more than enough, so all procedures were completed very quickly.

Furthermore, the war situation is relatively stable now, so even Yang Wenxuan has no good reason to block his request.

He didn't plan to bring Xiao He with him on this trip to Yijiang.

Firstly, Xiao He has already vaguely touched the threshold of the second stage and needs more stable training time.

Secondly, he wasn't sure if he could bring demonic beasts into this ancient talisman, since although he claimed that Xiao He was his spirit pet, the two of them had never formed any kind of pact.

I'll stay here and cultivate properly for now, and then I'll take Xiao He away when I return.

"Xiao He, you can stay here by yourself for a while. I'll be back soon."

"Ok!"

Snake Baby nodded vigorously: "No problem, I won't run around. You should come back soon too!"

"If anything happens, go find Xiao Ju, or go find Granny Qin, understand?"

This place serves as Song Yan's temporary cave dwelling. Although it will be reserved for Song Yan for a short period of time, the situation on the battlefield is ever-changing, and it's hard to say what might happen.

"Hey, I see."

After taking care of everything, he finally left Maple Leaf Lake.

He glanced towards the direction of Yijiang, then used the Wandering Void technique, transforming into a sword light that disappeared into the clouds.

……

Half a month later.

East of the Yi River lies Yangling Immortal City.

Yangling is a relatively small immortal city. Although it is not as grand as Jiangxian Pass, it is still larger than most other towns and cities.

Amidst rolling hills and wild valleys, wildflowers bloom in profusion, and a luxurious pavilion, roughly five stories high, stands by the water.

The place was bustling with noise and excitement.

This is the largest food court in Yangling Immortal City, "Yinxian Water Pavilion".

A small boat is moored on the riverbank, seemingly waiting for someone.

At that moment, two figures appeared outside the building.

One of them was burly and had a horizontal sword tied around his waist.

The other person wore a dark blue Taoist robe, a bamboo hat, and half of his face was covered by a mask.

Both of them were cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.

The two welcoming servants outside the door were both at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Upon seeing the two Foundation Establishment cultivators arrive, they respectfully bowed.

Normally, it's rare to see even a few cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining in a restaurant.

However, the welcoming servants did not show much surprise or enthusiasm towards the two Foundation Establishment cultivators opposite them.

Some even felt numb.

Are you two cultivators from the State of Chu?

Song Yan and Sheng Nian exchanged a glance, both surprised.

It seems that monks from other countries have also come here.

The two nodded and introduced themselves.

"Rogue cultivator."

In fact, the two servants were just following the shop owner's instructions to find out where the shop came from.

In the border regions, the cultivation worlds of eight or nine small countries are all the same; everyone is roughly the same level of poverty, and the Foundation Establishment realm is already considered a high status.

You will not be neglected no matter where you are.

"If you two would like some spiritual food, please go upstairs to find Manager Zhang."

The two servants seemed tired of talking, and their voices were somewhat weak: "If you are just waiting for a friend or something else, please find a seat on the first floor."

"..."

Song Yan nodded, and the two stepped inside.

"This Immortal Pavilion can't handle the reception needs..."

Sheng Nian secretly transmitted his voice, saying, "With only this many people, we should question the guests about their origins."

He used a disguise technique to change his appearance, making him look much older.

From the outside, this place doesn't look much bigger than some ordinary restaurants, but the inside is definitely more spacious than it appears from the outside.

On this one floor alone, there are probably 120 or 130 small tables set up.

At this moment, only a dozen or so seats remained empty.

A quick glance revealed that there were over thirty or forty Foundation Establishment cultivators among them who made no attempt to conceal their cultivation levels.

Strangely, there wasn't a single spiritual food item on display.

Song Yan didn't look to the side and walked straight to an empty table.

"Such a commotion would surely draw even cultivators who have never heard of any Immortal Dynasty battlefield."

"No wonder they wanted to know where we came from."

Song Yan's gaze shifted to the surroundings. Several people were dressed in very unique clothes, and they did not look like native cultivators of the Chu Kingdom.

Sheng Nian sat down: "I never expected it to turn out like this..."

Previously, both of them thought that there wouldn't be much movement in this ancient battlefield of the Immortal Dynasty, and that they could simply use ancient talismans to enter when the seal was weak.

I didn't expect the commotion to be so big.

At some unknown time, the spiritual energy of the five elements in a valley near Yangling became extremely disordered.

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators nearly fell to their deaths when their spiritual energy became unstable as they flew over this area on their flying swords.

In the following days, the five elements of spiritual energy in this place were completely reversed, and it became impossible to fly nearby.

Even walking into that place won't attract any spiritual energy.

The commotion was quite significant. It is said that a few days ago, a Golden Core cultivator passed by and took a look, but he did not stay and left quickly.

"How many people can be allowed in with just one ancient talisman?"

Song Yan asked.

"I don't know, I only know that demon cultivators can't enter." Sheng Nian thought for a moment and said, "There's something I forgot to tell you. I got another one these past few days."

"Hmm?" Song Yan was somewhat surprised: "Ancient talisman?"

Is this thing really that easy to get?

Including the one that Song Yan specially gave away, the two brothers actually managed to get three ancient talismans...

But you'll understand once you think about it.

It's normal that so many people have been killed.

Sheng Nian nodded.

"Perhaps it's because the seal is nearing its weakest point, so cultivators from other countries who possess this talisman have also come here."

"Then we can each take a talisman and enter."

This Song banquet doesn't matter.

Just then, a group of three people slowly entered the Yinxian Water Pavilion.

(End of this chapter)