Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 348 Accident
Compared to the entire platform and that sword aura, Song Yan's black gold Daoist robe appeared somewhat insignificant. His steps were slow and even unsteady, yet he never stopped.

"Ancestor."

Seeing that something was amiss, Nangong Ming quickly asked the elder.

"..."

Zhang Cheng didn't speak, but simply raised his hand, signaling Nangong Ming and the other Elder Nangong to calm down.

At this moment, in the dim light, only Song Yan remained on the platform at the bottom of the river.

He was standing just one step away from the core restriction of that sword energy.

"call--"

Song Yan slowly adjusted her breathing, her body trembling slightly.

After taking these steps, he even began to doubt whether the water-repelling effect of the restriction had actually worked.

It felt as if I was dragging the entire Lingyang River along with my body.

In the darkness, a faint golden glow slowly rose into my eyes.

Song Yan raised his head and looked at the wisp of sword energy in front of him.

Within the lotus heart of the sword palace within his body, light flowed, seemingly forming an extremely faint connection with the sword energy before him.

This connection is subtle, yet it is real.

Only now did he dare to be certain that the "Shen" senior he had met at Wushan and outside Jiangxian Pass was the same person as the legendary Jiangshang Immortal of Jiangxian Pass.

Upon arriving here, the ringing in my ears suddenly disappeared.

The surroundings were unusually quiet.

Song Yan's entire mind was focused on the sword energy in front of him.

It seemed to possess a magical power, drawing him closer and closer.

Song Yan took a deep breath, and the sword lotus platform within his body shone brightly. He then took the final step forward.

This step has a sense of disregarding the cost.

He had almost reached the innermost layer of the sword energy barrier, the invisible barrier was within reach, and the array patterns flowing on it were clearly visible.

The immense pressure made his vision go black for a moment, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Song Yan closed his eyes, his expression pained, and his delicate features became somewhat ferocious.

All he could hear was the crackling of his own flesh and bones. With no chance to resist, Song Yan collapsed on the spot.

With his hands braced on the platform, blood began to seep from every pore of his body.

"Ancestor, why hasn't this restriction taken effect yet?"

Seeing this, Nangong Ming became extremely anxious and forgot all about being respectful when speaking to Zhang Cheng.

"You'd better hurry up and bring young friend Song out!"

"No rush," Zhang Cheng waved his hand.

"As long as the restrictions remain in place, there will be no problem."

He said, "This young friend Song is indeed an outstanding person. For him, this is a true opportunity."

Nangong Ming was somewhat confused, but he naturally couldn't refute what Old Ancestor Zhang said.

At the platform center, Song Yan quickly began to adjust his state.

It took a lot of effort to finally sit down cross-legged on the spot.

The sword lotus within his body circulated wildly, its illusory glow emanating from it, casting a hazy rosy light in the darkness of the riverbed.

thump... thump...

Within the lotus platform, the light surged, no longer flowing gently, but instead pounding violently like a heart.

Each pulse drew upon Song Yan's sword energy, causing it to spread towards the restriction in front of him.

In an instant, the sword energy within the barrier actually moved.

The bluish-purple halo suddenly contracted inward, then expanded outward again.

This movement caused Zhang Cheng, who had been calm, to twitch his eyelids.

"not good."

Although it was only a slight movement, apart from Song Yan, who was standing right next to him, and himself, who was at the Golden Core stage, probably no one else would have noticed it.

But Zhang Cheng understood what this meant; it meant that the sword energy had broken free from its dormant state.

This is definitely not the phenomenon of sword energy dissipating and exerting pressure during ordinary enlightenment.

Alarm bells rang in Zhang Cheng's mind, and his expression changed slightly.

Regardless of how this kid unleashed the sword energy, if that sword energy were to truly break through the barrier, he would surely be instantly killed by it, given his Foundation Establishment cultivation level.

Their souls and spirits have been annihilated; there is absolutely no chance of survival.

Not only that, everyone present except himself was injured by that sword energy.

Song Xiaoyou was exceptionally talented, and Zhang Cheng was someone who cherished talent, so naturally he did not want to see such a tragedy.

Moreover, the Nangong family also wants to try to discuss marriage with him.

"Young friend Song, the sword energy is unusual, please forgive me!"

Without further hesitation, Zhang Cheng let out a shout, and the golden core spiritual power he had accumulated exploded, transforming into a solid, giant azure hand.

The large hand, braving the water pressure, reached straight for Song Yan, who was sitting cross-legged on the platform, intending to take him away from the danger.

A wisp of mist swirled before Song Yan, its appearance both real and illusory, its colors hazy, as if woven from countless fragmented dreamlike images.

Just as Zhang Cheng's giant hand of spiritual energy was about to touch it.

The mist had already come into contact with the restriction.

laugh--!
There was no earth-shattering roar, only a sound like ice cracking.

The illusory mist and the fluctuations of the Divine Transformation Sword Qi were strangely synchronized for a moment.

In an instant, the blue-purple light suddenly became blindingly bright.

The sword energy, now shaped like an arc of lightning, suddenly shot out towards the restrictive node that the illusory mist had come into contact with.

Its sharp and ingenious power instantly pierced through the restriction.

Then, it disappeared along with the dreamlike mist.

This bizarre scene stunned even Nangong Ming, who was at the Pseudo-Core Formation level, causing his thoughts to momentarily freeze.

Zhang Cheng didn't care about anything else. With a swift movement of his large blue hand, he grabbed Song Yan and pulled him to his side.

However, the reaction to the ban was devastating.

Although the sword energy only pierced a small hole, and even a formation of this magnitude has the ability to repair itself.

However, the problem originated from the core of the restriction. As a result, countless fine cracks spread out from the breach, like a spider web, covering the entire core restriction.

From there, the entire formation began to crumble outwards, layer upon layer!
The collapse was happening faster than anyone could have imagined, and the sealing platform at the bottom of the river began to shake violently!
In an instant, the surge of spiritual energy generated by the collapse of the barrier and the heavy pressure of the river water rushed towards everyone!

boom--!
The river was already turbulent, and with the chaotic spiritual energy unrestrained and violently stirred, it formed a destructive torrent of turbid waves, causing even the platform itself to begin to crack and sink.

"Walk."

Zhang Cheng's words were concise and to the point: saving lives was the most important thing at the moment.

The golden core channeled its spiritual energy, cast a spell, and swept everyone up in one motion. Then, with a flash, it temporarily sent everyone back to the underwater passage.

Countless muffled booms and explosions still echoed from the riverbed, and the river water surged.

Zhang Cheng formed hand seals and chanted incantations, and an ancient, tortoise-shell-shaped magic weapon flew out from his sleeve.

In an instant, it transformed into a giant shield, inscribed with mysterious water patterns, which stood behind everyone and held back the river water.

The last glance back revealed a river churning with mud and shattered light; the platform had completely collapsed, leaving only chaos.

The entire passage shook violently, and gravel fell in a shower.

Nangong Ming was momentarily stunned; he didn't know how things had developed to this point.

He immediately transmitted his voice to Zhang Cheng, "Ancestor! What's going on..."

As the initiator of this Jiangtian Night Banquet, he also offered this so-called comprehension of the Divine Transformation Sword Qi as a reward.

This unexpected turn of events left him, the head of the Nangong family, feeling quite flustered.

If this matter gets out, the image of Nangong that the banquet had built up will probably be ruined.

Song Yan collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, extremely weak.

"Fellow Daoist Song, are you alright?" Jiang Ming and Xu Fengcan came to Song Yan's side, one on each side, and very kindly transferred a wisp of pure spiritual energy into him to help him recover.

"Thank you both, it's nothing."

Listening to the chaotic conversation, Song Yan's initial anxiety subsided somewhat.

It seems no one knows what happened.

Only Zhang Cheng, who was at the Golden Core stage, glanced at Song Yan almost imperceptibly.

"Let's talk about it after we go back first."

……

The uppermost council hall of the Jiangxian Tower.

All the senior elders of the Nangong family gathered here. The family head, Nangong Ming, sat in the main seat, his expression revealing his undisguised exhaustion.

Below him were several elders.

Not far from Nangong Ming, an old man sat listlessly.

It was Zhang Cheng, the last pillar of the Nangong family and a Golden Core ancestor from outside the family.

The atmosphere was somewhat suffocating.

No one in the Nangong family can accept what happened today.

"There should be an explanation for this."

The first to speak was the most outspoken elder, Nangong Li. If the patriarch hadn't been there, he would have already slammed his fist on the table and started cursing.

"With our ancestor personally overseeing the operation, and the river's central restriction set up by our forefathers, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the foundation of our clan's existence."

"Let alone those three fellow Daoists deliberately sabotaging us, even if they unleashed their full power, they would still find it difficult to shake the slightest bit."

"How exactly did this turn of events happen?!"

His gaze swept over everyone present. He didn't know whose negligence had caused this, but someone had to bear the consequences of such a serious incident.

However, when he met Zhang Cheng's lowered gaze, he subconsciously suppressed his anger.

The Third Elder, Nangong Jin, who was in charge of the clan's formation, frowned and unconsciously twirled his beard. His voice was filled with confusion: "Elder Li, please calm down."

“This matter is indeed strange. According to the patriarch, the ancestor was present, and the three young friends’ every move was under his notice, and there was absolutely no transgression.”

"Jiang Ming and Xu Fengcan were sent away before they could get close to the core area, which goes without saying. Although Song Yan eventually stepped onto the edge of the platform, he was merely enduring the pressure of the sword in an attempt to comprehend it, and he himself was also severely injured and had almost no strength left."

"If that's the case, the collapse of the barrier and the disappearance of the sword energy don't seem to be caused by a strong external attack..."

"What do you mean? Did the restrictions left by our ancestors break on their own?"

Nangong Ming took a deep breath, trying his best to maintain the composure of a family head, but in his heart he was filled with overwhelming despair.

"The family's reliance for a thousand years has been lost in my hands. Is it truly Heaven's will to destroy me, Nangong?"

Those present were all core members of the Nangong family.

Including Golden Core cultivator Zhang Cheng, there was one Golden Core cultivator, three Pseudo-Golden Core cultivators, and two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Everyone knows that when Patriarch Nangong set up a restriction at the edge of the sword energy in the river, it was actually a precautionary measure.

If the Nangong clan ever faces annihilation, its core members will be able to temporarily take refuge under the protection of this river's central barrier.

If, in the final step, a powerful enemy discovers this place, then a special method can be used to destroy the restriction, unleash sword energy, and fight to the death with the opponent.

However, now the barrier has collapsed, and the sword energy has disappeared.

Our ancestors' hard-earned savings have been destroyed in an instant.

The elders were already engaged in heated discussions, with some even openly or covertly pointing the finger at Elder Nangong Jin.

Originally, the marriage alliance with Tianjiao was supposed to be the core topic of this meeting, but with what happened today, no one is in the mood to bring it up anymore.

Nangong Jin ignored the elder's implied meaning. The family was in dire straits, and there was no point in engaging in internal strife.

He said, “Ancestor, Patriarch, Elders. Regardless of the truth, the most urgent matter is dealing with the aftermath! The three of you witnessed the disappearance of the sword energy, and the turmoil at the bottom of the river was quite significant. If this matter gets out…”

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood the implications.

The Nangong family held the Jiangtian Night Banquet, using the pretext of comprehending the Divine Transformation Sword Qi to invite talented individuals from the Chu Kingdom. Their true intention was to rebuild the family's prestige and find powerful allies to rely on.

But now...

"We must make those three keep quiet!"

Nangong Li said firmly, "Especially Song Yan, he was the closest, and he was the only one present at the last moment! Dongyuan Sect is powerful now, if he goes back and talks nonsense..."

"Don't be reckless!" Nangong Ming immediately shouted, a vein throbbing slightly on his forehead.

"Song Yan is a prodigy of the Dongyuan Sect and the leader of this banquet. If we antagonize him, it would be tantamount to creating another powerful enemy for our family."

"Then... what should we do?" Nangong Jin asked worriedly.

"cough."

Just then, Zhang Cheng coughed lightly.

The once noisy council hall fell silent instantly, and everyone's gaze finally turned to the patriarch from another family sitting next to the head of the table.

"There's no need to investigate this matter any further."

Everyone was stunned and looked at the ancestor in confusion.

Zhang Cheng's gaze swept over the anxious elders, and he calmly said, "Investigating the cause is futile and cannot be clarified in a short time. The most urgent task is to deal with the current situation."

He looked at Nangong Ming: "Ah Ming, you should personally go and have a heart-to-heart talk with Jiang Ming and Xu Fengcan respectively."

"There is no need to cover up the facts, but it must be emphasized that this is an unprecedented event in a thousand years. It was an accident, and no one deliberately sabotaged it, nor did the Nangong family intentionally deceive anyone."

"As for their sincerity, you can judge for yourself. These fellow Daoists are all of good character and should not make things too difficult for us."

"As for the Song banquet..."

Zhang Cheng's gaze was deep: "Ah Ming, summon him to Shuiyun Pavilion. I want to speak with him alone."

Nangong Ming was somewhat surprised and puzzled, but since the ancestor had spoken, he would just listen.

"Let's put the marriage proposal on hold for now."

After speaking, Zhang Cheng stood up from his seat and walked out.

Even if no one says it, everyone knows the truth.

Faced with this dramatic change, the family was filled with anxiety. The primary task was to consolidate its foundation and deal with the subsequent impact.

Bringing it up now would be ill-timed and would make the Nangong family appear flustered and desperate, grasping at straws.

"Yes, old man."

……

"Junior Brother Song, what are your plans for the future?"

In Tingtao Valley, Li Yi asked, "If there's nothing else, let's travel together. I know of a nameless secret treasure land. How about we go and explore it together?"

"Hmm... let's forget about it."

Regarding the incident in the middle of the river, Song Yan was only weak, but he has now recovered to about 70-80%.

Li Yi is preparing to depart tomorrow and leave the Nangong family.

"Junior brother, I have recently had some insights and wish to return to the sect to cultivate as soon as possible."

"Damn, another insight?"

Li Yi glared at him, feigning anger: "You've truly grasped the essence of the universe."

The two laughed heartily, then parted ways and returned to their respective residences.

What Li Yi didn't know was that Song Yan was actually eager to run away at this moment.

If he hadn't been worried that the Nangong family would discover that he was "fleeing to escape punishment," he would already be at the mountain gate by now.

Others were unaware that the changes in Jiang Xin's heart were caused by him, but there was no guarantee that some capable person would investigate him and hold him accountable.

Honestly, I didn't do it on purpose.

Looking inward at this moment.

Within the Sword Palace, sword energy surged, and the lotus flower, as always, slowly rotated.

What's different is that a condensed radiance hovers above the lotus.

A hazy, dreamlike mist faintly appeared around Guanghua, making people feel dazed.

This radiance was only the size of a grain of rice, yet the surrounding light kept pouring into it, and it was gradually growing.

(End of this chapter)