Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 58 A Roar of Killing Intent (Seeking First Subscription~)

Before returning to Qingye Peak, Song Yan returned the Ancient Sword Tales book to the library along the way.

In the days that followed, he continued to draw upon his inner energy to refine his sword energy, and practiced and honed his sword control techniques in his spare time.

Within the Yin-Yang Realm, the black flames surrounding the "Inner Demon" seemed to slowly swell outwards, encircled by the nascent Dao Heart.

However, Song Yan did not intend to remove the "inner demon" from the realm for refining until it completely stopped.

The Yin-Yang Pearl helped him a great deal; it even incorporated the flying sword into it without his consent, so there must be a reason for it.

On this day, inside the cave.

Song Yan sat cross-legged on the stone bed, and with the blessing of the small spirit-gathering array, a large amount of spiritual energy surged around him.

He took out a white jade porcelain elixir bottle from his Qiankun bag.

Just as he was about to take out the pill, he suddenly frowned and stopped.

Continue condensing spiritual energy, and after absorbing all the spiritual energy in the small spirit gathering array, slowly conclude the practice.

"I'm still a ways off from the sixth level of Qi Refining; it's not something that can be achieved overnight..."

“Simply engaging in rigorous self-cultivation not only leads to slow progress but also easily breeds impatience.”

He took a deep breath and carefully put the porcelain bottle containing the elixir away again.

Each pill is expensive, so they must be used wisely.

He got off the stone bed and stretched.

"Xiao He, I'm going to the Meditation Center to do some calligraphy. Do you want to come?"

"Don't go, don't go!"

Xiaohe has recently become obsessed with her collection of trinkets.

While Song Yan was cultivating asceticism, she went out to play by herself and picked up a small jade ball from somewhere. It had a deep engraving in the middle and shallow ones on the sides.

That detachable clay figurine—the hairpin, the sword, the wine gourd—and this small jade ball are now her favorite things.

"Okay, then take good care of the house."

"understood."

Song Yan left the cave, departed from Qingye Peak, and headed towards the Cultivation Academy.

That said, the freckled girl I met in Lingyuanze Market that day never showed up again.

Obviously, sewing a Taoist robe doesn't take that long.

At first, he thought the girl was a fraud.

But then I thought about it again, and it's really hard to understand why I would ruin my reputation for three spirit stones...

Since I don't need it right now, I haven't pursued it further.

"I have to keep the appointment next month. If it hasn't arrived by the time I leave the sect next month, I'll have to go to the market and talk to the owner of that seamless garment."

Three-patterned spirit stones are also spirit stones.

Resources are accumulated bit by bit in this way.

On the north bank of Wendao Gorge stands the Modao Academy.

Song Yan stepped into the courtyard, where Senior Brother Sun Zhengfu was still sitting in the center.

The two nodded and smiled at each other without saying a word, which was taken as a greeting.

Today's calligraphy practice book is a piece of cursive script.

Mid-Autumn Festival Calligraphy.

Song Yan wasn't very good at it; after several attempts, he could only capture the form, not the essence.

"Huh? Senior Brother Song!"

He turned around blankly and found that it was his junior sister Gu Qingqing from Lianyou Peak, but she was accompanied by a male cultivator wearing an inner sect Taoist robe.

"Ah, Junior Sister Gu, what a coincidence."

"I came here to finish my studies for this month, and I didn't expect to run into you here."

Gu Qingqing smiled, revealing two shallow dimples on her serene face.

The male cultivator stepped forward and stood closer to Gu Qingqing: "Junior Sister Gu, may I ask who this gentleman is?"

"This is Senior Brother Song Yesheng. Last time at Peach Blossom Village, it was Senior Sister Qin who, along with Senior Brother Song and a Senior Brother named Li Qingfeng, rescued me."

"So it's Junior Brother Song. Inner Sect, Shan Zifeng, I've long admired your name."

Have you heard of you for a long time?

Song Yan was taken aback. What kind of reputation did he have that this inner sect senior brother had heard so much about?

After much thought, it seems that the only thing that comes to mind is the incident when the three elders of the Xuan Yuan Sect confronted him at Ru Dao Ping on the way back from Ji Ran Valley.

The outer disciples were caught up in the turmoil and lost all their cultivation, a fact known throughout the sect.

But this is not a glorious thing.

Song Yan pondered the strange implication in the other person's words, feeling somewhat bewildered.

This senior seems to be hostile towards me?
Because of what?
His gaze fell on Gu Qingqing beside him, because of her.

will not.

I wasn't very familiar with Junior Sister Gu.

At this moment, Sun Zhengfu, who was in the center of the courtyard, suddenly glanced in their direction, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were hesitant.

His gaze fell on Shan Zifeng, his eyes darkened, and he muttered, "Disaster comes from the mouth... disaster comes from the mouth..."

Gu Qingqing, seemingly oblivious to the strange implication in Shan Zifeng's words, said, "Senior Brother Song has now recovered his cultivation, and his sword control technique is truly remarkable. Even Senior Sister Qin Ying praised him."

"Oh? Is it really that exquisite? Then I must have a good exchange with Junior Brother Song another day."

Song Yan waved his hand: "Not at all... I am dull-witted and can only hone one or two moves. I am definitely no match for Senior Brother Shan."

He had no interest in chatting with the two of them, so he buried himself in writing again.

Dan Zifeng seemed quite pleased with Song Yan's "humility" as an outer disciple, which satisfied his sense of superiority as an inner disciple.

Turning around, he found that Gu Qingqing had already sat down in the seat next to Song Yan and had arranged her writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone.

"..."

"Senior brother, this calligraphy model is really difficult."

Song Yan casually replied, "Yes, after all, it's cursive script, so it should require a higher level of skill in brushwork."

Gu Qingqing scratched her head: "Why can't I ever write this part well..."

"I'm not a very good writer either."

Song Yan casually picked up a piece of his own handwriting and handed it to her.

"puff."

Gu Qingqing realized that this Senior Brother Song was indeed not being modest and was really not much better than herself.

"Huh? Senior Brother Song..."

She suddenly let out a soft "hmm" and leaned closer, only to find that her senior brother wasn't actually copying the Mid-Autumn Festival calligraphy.

"Well, I've finished my assignment on the Mid-Autumn Festival calligraphy. I'm just writing something casually now; it's a calligraphy model I got from somewhere else."

The Mid-Autumn Festival Calligraphy is quite difficult for Song Yan now. He is not copying it, but writing the Eight Desolations Returning to Origin Sword Calligraphy based solely on his feelings.

Dan Zifeng sat to Gu Qingqing's right, watching Gu Qingqing and Song Yan chatting and laughing, feeling annoyed.

Just as he was about to say something more, Song Yan stood up and prepared to leave.

"Junior Sister Gu, Senior Brother Shan, I've finished my assignments, so I'll be leaving now."

"Okay, goodbye Senior Brother Song." Song Yan nodded and left.

Just as I stepped out of the courtyard, a familiar voice called out to me.

"Junior Brother Song."

"Hmm? Is there something you need, Senior Brother Sun?"

Sun Zhengfu didn't speak, but patted him and accompanied Song Yan out of the Xiuxin Academy, still communicating with him telepathically.

"Junior Brother Song, do you still remember the day the Xuan Yuan Sect came to our door to demand justice...?"

"The sect leader once said that the Xuan Yuan Sect should send some apologies?"

After hearing this, Song Yan nodded: "That is true, but I think it's probably just a deterrent..."

Sun Zhengfu smiled wryly: "Junior Brother Song, our sect leader is a Golden Core cultivator. In this Chu Kingdom, his word is law."

"Who would dare to take his words as mere casual remarks..."

"Is there really an apology?"

Song Yan was shocked, thinking to herself, "What about all the suffering I've endured these past few days?!"

"That……"

Sun Zhengfu said, "When the Xuan Yuan Sect sent people to apologize, my junior brother was in seclusion. According to the sect's regulations, the gifts were temporarily stored at Tongchen Peak in the inner sect."

"This Shan Zifeng is from the Tongchen lineage, and he is in charge of these trivial matters."

"Although he wouldn't dare to embezzle it privately, he could still delay it for a few days without any problem."

"I suppose I originally planned to deal with you after you realized you had no hope of cultivating immortality, and then I would seize these things, and no one would have anything to say about it..."

"Those who know about this probably think you've already obtained it..."

"But I know Shan Zifeng's character well."

“It’s not just you; sect rewards, miscellaneous stipends… anything he handles, he’ll demand and take.”

"He always gives some strange reasons to push the blame onto the elders and true disciples who have been in seclusion for many years."

"..."

Sun Zhengfu sighed softly.

"It seems he didn't even tell you about the apology."

Song Yan's eyes flickered.

"Your words are sufficient, senior brother. The decision is yours."

After saying this, Sun Zhengfu waved his hand and went back.

Song Yan bowed and said, "Thank you for informing me, Senior Brother Sun."

"..."

Song Yan walked slowly back to his cave, lost in thought.

He wasn't thinking about things like "What did I do to offend him?" or "How can there be such a person in the world?" Instead, he was thinking...

"How can I do it silently..."

"Kill him..."

Without a doubt, Song Yan was usually a very amiable person.

But now, someone is actually trying to devour the cultivation artifact that rightfully belongs to him...

Without cultivation resources, progress in cultivation will be slow.

If you are inferior to someone in a fight, you will die.

Their lifespan is limited and difficult to extend; they will die.

For Song Yan, this was tantamount to taking his life.

Strangely, the anger in my heart only lasted for a moment before it quickly subsided, leaving only boundless calm.

"Not urgent……"

"Not urgent……"

"We must not take action within the sect."

He calmed himself down a bit: "We need to come up with a foolproof plan..."

"Besides..."

Song Yan was not clear about Shan Zifeng's spiritual root aptitude, but judging from his spiritual energy aura, it was slightly inferior to Senior Brother Lin Qing, probably around the late stage of Qi Refining, about the seventh level.

Given my current strength, I can't do anything to him.

"It will be at least a few more days before the Foundation Establishment cultivators finish their cave dwellings..."

He can choose to tolerate other things.

But it touched his cultivation resources...

At this moment, Song Yan had only one crystal-clear thought in his mind: to find a way...

play hard……

He must be killed!

……

In the meditation hall, Shan Zifeng did not pick up a pen. He rarely touched such things, considering them a waste of time.

As an inner disciple, there are many ways to evade such rules, such as spending some spirit stones to hire a disciple.

“This junior brother is far too impolite. You came because of him, but he shows no intention of waiting for you to leave together.”

"What are you talking about, Senior Brother Shan? Everyone has their own things to do."

Gu Qingqing traced the calligraphy in her hand, paying it no mind.

"We outer disciples have to do a lot of chores and also take care of our cultivation. It's really hard work."

"Junior Sister Qingqing, there's really no need for this, I..."

"All right!"

Gu Qingqing put down her pen and picked up this piece, which was currently her most satisfying work. She looked it over and was very pleased with it.

"Hmm...not bad. Better than Senior Brother Song's writing, isn't it?"

Dan Zifeng subconsciously chimed in, "Of course."

"Okay! I'll keep this one and show it to Senior Brother Song next time I see him."

"Senior Brother Shan, now that you're here, you should finish your studies. I'm going back to Lianyou Peak now."

"Hey, Junior Sister Gu..."

The girl left the meditation hall, her expression quite cheerful.

Shan Zifeng's face darkened.

Song Yan didn't care about things that weren't happening to him.

He was currently rushing towards Qingye Peak, to his own cave dwelling, looking hurried.

Just now...

The Yin-Yang Pearl seems to be moving strangely.

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(End of this chapter)