Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 310 Going down the mountain
Among the many disciples, a cool and aloof figure slowly emerged from the array where Lianyou Peak was located.

He wore a light purple Taoist robe, its hem flowing like water.

As the most outstanding disciple of the previous generation of Dongyuan Sect, Qin Ying has always been very popular in the sect.

Many male disciples regarded her as a fairy from their dreams.

However, for some reason, every time Song Yan saw her, he could only see a face as cold as ice.

It seems I've never seen her smile.

She is the same now, with a beautiful face but a frosty aura that keeps people at a distance, and a cold spiritual pressure flowing around her. Her cultivation has obviously reached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"Qin Ying, a disciple of Lianyou Peak."

Luo Xiaming announced: "Leading the Qin family cultivators, we cleverly used our wisdom to turn the Yin Feng Gorge Master against us, and joined forces with the nine lineage cultivators of the Red Maple Plain to ambush and kill nearly a thousand demonic cultivators, wiping out their entire force and greatly boosting the morale of the Chu Kingdom's immortal path."

"Bestowed with ten Spirit-Melting Pills, two thousand spirit stones, the option to choose from the Immortal Martial Armory and the Inner Sect Library, and twelve months of cultivation in the Lesser Heavenly Realm..."

These are already generous and rare rewards, which fully demonstrate the sect's recognition of Qin Ying's great achievements.

There were murmurs of amazement and envy from the audience.

However, Luo Xia's famous words did not stop there.

"Furthermore, the sect leader has bestowed upon me the Golden Core Sword Talisman."

"..."

These words were truly astonishing.

The previous discussion about the usual rewards froze instantly, and the entire Zhou Tianping fell into a brief silence.

It wasn't until Qin Ying received the reward from Chen Linyuan that the surrounding cultivators gradually came to their senses.

wow——

Golden Core Sword Talisman!

Not only the disciples below the stage, but also the elders of each peak, and even some of the peak masters on the same high platform, showed a hint of surprise in their eyes.

This Golden Core Sword Talisman is no ordinary talisman or common life-saving item that you can easily fool.

One of the sealed items was a Golden Core Realm sword aura belonging to the sect leader.

Not to mention other Foundation Establishment cultivators or Pseudo Core Formation cultivators who might try to ambush or surround them, even if other Golden Core cultivators were to attack, this sword talisman would allow them to withstand a single blow.

It can be said that bestowing this sword talisman means that as long as Senior Sister Qin Ying doesn't make any mistakes, acts cautiously, and doesn't provoke Golden Core cultivators outside, she can keep her life as long as she doesn't make any mistakes.

So these few small countries in this region can practically do whatever they want.

If she cultivates peacefully, it will be enough to ensure that she can cultivate steadily all the way to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Lin Qing's eyes flickered.

In my memories of my past life, it seems that only that cultivator who once delivered wine to the sect leader had this opportunity by sheer luck.

This sword talisman is not as simple as everyone imagined.

The sect leader's cultivation level was at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core Realm, half a step into the Nascent Soul Realm.

This sword talisman seems to contain a trace of his sword intent.

Later, when the sect was destroyed, that cultivator, with his Foundation Establishment realm cultivation, activated this sword talisman and was able to wound a Golden Core realm demonic cultivator in the heavens whose exact cultivation level was unknown.

Lin Qing was a little impatient and envious, but when he thought about how much Senior Sister Qin had contributed in the great battle against the Demon Ruins cultivators, it was not surprising that she had obtained this sword talisman.

She deserves it.

Even if others want it, they must be worthy of it.

Song Yan was even more dumbfounded. If he had known that the reward would be so generous, he would never have returned to the sect.

Even if it means killing a demonic cultivator along the way, you still need to earn a sword talisman as a reward.

For others, this sword talisman is merely a life-saving item or a last resort.

But for Song Yan, it was different.

Others may not know, but doesn't he? The sect leader is also a sword cultivator!

He's a sword cultivator at the Golden Core stage!
Within this sword talisman and sword energy, there must be his understanding of the way of the sword and the intent of the sword.

Even setting aside its offensive and defensive uses, for Song Yan, it was a precious opportunity to glimpse a higher realm of swordsmanship.

"Disciple Qin Ying..."

"Thank you for the sect's generous gift, and thank you, sect leader."

……

In addition to the rewards bestowed upon the disciples, all cultivators who participated in the war on the front lines received a certain amount of sect contribution rewards.

After a few brief remarks from the peak masters praising their disciples, the award ceremony quickly came to an end.

Finally, Wang Lin, the peak master of Tongchen Peak, also informed his disciples that a memorial altar had been set up on Tongchen Peak.

Disciples may go there on their own to collect incense and pay their respects to the fellow disciples who perished in this battle.

Although the overall war was won, the Dongyuan Sect did suffer many casualties among its cultivators.

There were several familiar names that Song Yan had heard of before.

Kong You, Liu Yuechan, Chen Chen...

Gu Qingqing, Li Yi, and Xiao Ju did not leave immediately; they were all waiting for Song Yan.

They also went to Tongchen Peak to offer incense to their deceased friends.

Lin Qing, caught in the crowd at the edge, peered through the throng of people, locked onto Song Yan, and quickly squeezed through.

"Junior Brother Song, please wait a moment."

Lin Qing's voice remained clear despite the slightly noisy background.

Song Yan was slightly taken aback, then nodded.

He turned to Xiao Ju and the others and said, "You guys go to Tongchen Peak first, I'll be there shortly."

Gu Qingqing glanced at Lin Qing, then looked at Song Yan, while Li Yi nodded without asking any further questions.

Xiao Ju obediently replied, "Yes, Master."

The three of them followed the flow of people and headed towards Tongchen Peak, their figures quickly disappearing from Song Yan's sight.

Lin Qing and Song Yan tacitly did not immediately join the flow of people descending the mountain, but instead walked slowly and turned towards a relatively secluded cliff on Dragon Head Peak.

The view here is expansive, with clouds and mist swirling around the peaks.

The golden rays of the setting sun pierced through the thin mist, dyeing the sea of ​​clouds with a warm orange hue.

"Senior Brother Lin Qing has successfully established his Dao foundation, and I haven't had a chance to come and congratulate him yet."

Song Yan chuckled, his tone relaxed: "I hope Senior Brother Lin won't take offense."

Lin Qing waved his hand with a wry smile: "Junior Brother Song, please don't make fun of me."

"Having been given a second chance at life, I still find myself behind many others."

"If we weren't so familiar with each other, I wouldn't even be able to bring myself to call you 'Junior Brother'."

"Senior Brother Lin," Song Yan said solemnly, "Now that the Demon Ruins cultivators have retreated, does it mean that the destruction of the sect you spoke of will never happen again...?"

Lin Qing pondered for a moment, then shook her head: "To be honest, I don't know either."

"The current situation in the cultivation world of Chu is quite different from that of my previous life."

"However, since the cultivators of the Demon Ruins have retreated in large numbers, the worst outcome should have been avoided."

Lin Qing recalled: "In my previous life, during the great war between the righteous and the demonic, several Golden Core cultivators suddenly attacked."

"Originally, the sect leader, with his perfect Golden Core realm, could have resisted for a while, but he was poisoned by a deadly poison called 'Yusheng,' which sealed all his spiritual power and cultivation. As a result, the sect was destroyed in an instant."

Lin Qing had already told him this several years ago when he confessed everything to himself.

However, as Song Yan's cultivation level improved, he increasingly felt that this possibility was debatable.

First of all, Song Yan didn't really believe that poison could be very effective in the world of cultivation.

At least within the small territory of Chu, I haven't heard of any particularly potent poisons.

However, he also knew that he was not very knowledgeable, so he simply attributed it to his ignorance.

But for a Golden Core cultivator like the sect leader, especially one at the peak of the Golden Core realm, to be poisoned without realizing it is something that Yang Wenxuan, with his limited abilities, could hardly have done.

From this point of view alone, Elder Xu Ziqing, as the sect leader's only nominal disciple, is more likely to succeed than Yang Wenxuan.

Song Yan told Lin Qing about Yang Wenxuan's matter.

This includes the previous difficulties and the words spoken by Xinshan Sanren.

Considering Lin Qing's previous suspicions about the Qin family, it all seems quite reasonable.

After all, it was Yang Wenxuan who was supporting and cooperating with the Qin family. Lin Qing listened to Song Yan's description and secretly clicked her tongue in amazement.

He was especially shocked to hear that the fake Core Formation cultivator from the Demon Ruins had admitted it himself.

"Elder Yang... no, Yang Wenxuan is dead?"

Song Yan nodded.

This was at the sect leader's behest; he was very confident.

"Who killed him?"

"I."

Song Yan's voice remained flat, as if he were stating something unrelated to himself: "The sect leader said that I can do as I please."

"..."

Lin Qing opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything for a moment.

So, does this mean the hidden dangers within the sect have been eliminated?

He suddenly felt a sense of relief. Over the years, he had always lived in fear, repeating the mistakes of his previous life.

Unexpectedly, things ended so quickly thanks to this junior brother Song.

The sect leader's instructions were indeed correct.

Song Yan confirmed again and again: "I'm not sure if it's the spy you mentioned, but he was indeed problematic, and I killed him in that secret realm."

The knot in Lin Qing's heart suddenly dissipated, and even breathing the air felt refreshing.

"well……"

Lin Qinglian said many good things: "In that case, the sect should be safe for the time being."

"As for the rest, we have already reported to the sect leader, and I believe he has his own arrangements."

The two chatted idly as they walked slowly toward Tongchen Peak.

When they arrived, Li Yi and the others had already finished offering incense and were preparing to leave.

Song Yan obtained several sticks of incense from the disciple in charge of the matter outside the hall, lit them, and offered condolences inside the hall.

"Ok?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a somewhat familiar figure kneeling on a prayer mat beside me.

Looking to the side, I saw it was Kong Yun.

The sect was filled with joy at the defeat of the Demon Ruins cultivators, the celebrations of rewards, and all the clamor and discussion.

To Kong Yun, all of this sounded distant and hollow.

His world consisted only of this side hall, with a single, flickering, dim light before him.

Song Yan glanced at him.

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye. The naive boy who once idolized his older brother has now grown much taller and his facial features have become more defined.

It has begun to resemble a young person.

However, that face, which should have been full of vitality, was now only a deathly pale and lifeless one.

His eyes were sunken and lifeless.

He could hardly remember how he got there or how he had been kneeling on the prayer mat like this.

My knees were already numb and I couldn't feel anything; my body was as stiff as a stone.

Disciples came and went, sighing softly and whispering among themselves, their voices and footsteps occasionally drifting from outside the hall.

Besides Song Yan, others also discovered him.

They simply looked at each other without saying a word.

After offering incense to the spirit, Song Yan turned and left the side hall, overhearing some whispers among himself.

"Senior Brother Kong You, what a pity..."

"His strength is not bad, it is really a pity that he was ambushed by demonic cultivators."

"I heard from the cultivators who returned from their group that Senior Brother Kong You had actually broken through the encirclement, but he..."

"But his younger brother was trapped by demonic energy, and he insisted on turning back to save him, which led to his death from exhaustion."

"There's no other way. The demonic cultivators came too suddenly. Senior Brother Kong You single-handedly held off more than ten demonic cultivators, including three Foundation Establishment cultivators..."

"Fighting to the very end, only to die from exhaustion of spiritual energy, it's too tragic..."

Song Yan paused, stood silently in place, and turned to look at that lifeless figure.

"Junior Brother Song, what's wrong?"

"nothing."

He shook his head: "Let's go."

In the world of cultivation, the separation of life and death is, in some ways, more frequent than in the mortal realm.

Without sufficient strength, you can't protect anything.

On the contrary, it may become a burden.

No amount of comforting words will help.

The group left Tongchen Peak together.

……

Several months passed in the blink of an eye, outside the Earth-character 21 cave.

Xiao Ju, dressed in the Taoist robes of the Dongyuan Sect, stood before Song Yan.

Over the years, she has grown quite a bit since we first met.

"Master, I have come to report to you that I will be going down the mountain to travel today."

"it is good."

Song Yan nodded; Xiao Ju had told him about this before.

Following the sect's conferment ceremony, disciples actively engaged in exchanges, and with the defeat of the Demon Ruins cultivators, the cultivation world of Chu Kingdom gradually returned to stability and peace.

Many fellow disciples in the sect are planning to go down the mountain to travel, broaden their horizons, and temper their Dao heart.

"It's definitely time to go down the mountain for a walk. It's not good to stay cooped up on the mountain all the time."

Song Yan asked gently, "Where do you want to go? Do you have a general direction or destination?"

Xiao Ju was taken aback, then shook her head: "Reporting to Master, for the time being... for the time being, there is no clear destination."

She just wanted to go out and see the world, to experience a wider world, and to test her own abilities.

I hope that one day I can be of help to my master.

"Hmm... how about this, if you don't have a direction, you can go south."

"The demonic cultivators in the north have receded, but some troubles remain unresolved. Your cultivation level is not high enough, so don't put yourself in danger. The south is more suitable."

"Of course, I'm just offering a suggestion. How you actually proceed is up to you."

Xiao Ju suddenly realized and nodded: "Yes, Master."

As the two were talking, Song Yan flipped his wrist, and something appeared in his palm.

It was a pearl about the size of a longan, with a very peculiar texture, which Xiao Ju could not discern.

It comes in two colors, pearl and jade, black and gold, with a smooth and warm feel.

"Take it."

With a flick of his finger, Song Yan sent the pearl into Xiao Ju's palm.

"Just put this item in your Qiankun bag and leave it alone."

Xiao Ju didn't know what this thing was, but guessed it was some kind of one-time use talisman that might protect her or reveal her location.

She couldn't be sure, but her master had his reasons for not saying so, so she decided not to ask any more questions and carefully kept the item close to her body.

"Time really flies."

Watching Xiao Ju's departing figure, Song Yan couldn't help but smack his lips: "Thinking back, it feels like my trip down the mountain was just yesterday..."

After seeing his disciple off, he also left the cave.

It flew towards Longshou Mountain.

Today is the day to enter the Lesser Heavenly Realm for cultivation. It wouldn't be good to be late under the Sect Master's nose.

(End of this chapter)