This martial saint is too cautious.

Chapter 359 Holding a Sword (Seeking more monthly votes)

Jingyue Nunnery.

The smell of blood was overwhelming.

Under the moonlight, figures exploded one after another, and most of them died without knowing what had happened.

Lin Yan stood in the air, his gaze fixed on the only area of ​​Jingyue Nunnery.

There were hundreds of babies there, and some women were comforting them.

This area was also the only area where Lin Yan did not allow the sword energy to spread.

Judging from their clothing, most of these women were also coerced, and these babies also needed their care.

As he landed back on the ground, Lin Yan looked at the Yin Yang Sect protector who was on the verge of death and said indifferently, "If you want to die more easily, then tell us everything."

He could understand the dirty tricks the Shangsha Prefecture Patrol Inspectorate had to do.

Some people are so heartless and insane that they treat the lower classes as animals and exploit them at will.

But the Yin-Yang Sect is on the imperial court's wanted list. How could a mere patrol inspector of Shangsha Prefecture have the audacity to cooperate with the Yin-Yang Sect?

"You won't get anything out of me. The sect will avenge me for what happened today."

Perhaps knowing he was doomed, the old man was surprisingly resolute.

Lin Yan smiled, pointed his finger, and a sword aura shot out, piercing the old man's chest. The next moment, the old man's body became ferocious, and the veins on his body bulged out due to the pain.

Lin Yan didn't believe that someone who indulged in wine and women could be a tough person.

The sword energy was piercing his heart, and large beads of sweat kept falling from the old man's forehead as he curled up into a ball.

"I—I'll say it."

In less than five breaths, the old man could no longer withstand it, but Lin Yan seemed not to hear him and shot out another sword aura.

I wanted to say it, but it's too late.

Two sword energies entered his body, causing the old man's body to tremble like a sieve, and his lower body to emit a foul odor.

Fifteen breaths later, Lin Yan withdrew the two sword energies.

"Speak up. If there's anything that displeases me, you don't need to continue."

The old man couldn't see Lin Yan's expression behind the mask, but listening to Lin Yan's cold words, he had no doubt that the person in front of him could really do it.

He now understood why some of the martial artists who had fallen into his hands before had cried and begged him to kill them.

Death, in a way, is a relief; what's more unbearable is living a life worse than death.

"The elders of the sect have reached an agreement with a certain important figure. It is said that the sect's visualization diagrams were given to this important figure for visualization, and in return, the other party found babies and these girls for the sect. As for the identity of this important figure, I do not know, but he should be the backer behind Wang Yanqing."

Wang Yanqing, Director of the Patrol and Inspection Office of Shangsha Prefecture.

Lin Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. He had also seen Wang Yanqing's information in the library.

This person was a disciple of the Crimson Sky Sword Pavilion. Seven years ago, he served as the Director of the Patrol Office of Shangsha Prefecture, and at that time he was at the twelfth level of the True Qi Realm.

At forty years old, one might not be considered a genius disciple by the Heavenly Sword Sect behind the Crimson Sky Sword Pavilion, but within the Crimson Sky Sword Pavilion, reaching the twelfth level of the True Qi Realm at forty years old would at least qualify one to serve as a steward.

Even when Uncle Lu was forty years old, he had not yet reached the twelfth level of True Qi.

As a deacon of the Sword Pavilion and a 40-year-old True Qi level 12 cultivator, the Crimson Sky Sword Pavilion will definitely nurture him greatly. He has a great chance to become a half-step Dharma Aspect expert in the future, and if he has a great opportunity, he may even have a chance to step into the Dharma Aspect realm.

In contrast, choosing to become the Director of the Inspection Department is tantamount to giving up one's path in martial arts.

He had felt something was amiss when he first saw these things, and now it seemed that Wang Yanqing had been instructed to come here to serve as the patrol inspector, with the purpose of cooperating with the Yin-Yang Sect.

"What do you Yin-Yang Sect want with these babies and young girls?"

"Refinement—refining elixirs and practicing martial arts."

Seemingly afraid that Lin Yan would misunderstand, the old man quickly said, "It was all requested by the elders of the sect. I—I was just following orders."

Beneath the mask, Lin Yan smiled. Some people do things that can't be seen in the light of day, and the person in charge of carrying them out says his hands are white.

"Has anything major happened at the Yin-Yang Sect recently?"

Since this person didn't know any more details, Lin Yan asked about something else.

He obtained the Yin-Yang Contemplation Diagram from the previous Yin-Yang Sect protector and was eager to know if every protector had a copy.

"event?"

The old man was taken aback, not understanding what Lin Yan wanted to ask, but after thinking for a moment he still answered: "Speaking of important matters, there is indeed one. There is a traitor among the protectors in our sect. This person stole the refining method of the Yin-Yang Blood Lotus Pill and has been wanted by the elders of the sect."

"The Yin-Yang Blood Lotus Pill is a renowned elixir of your Yin-Yang Sect. As a protector, don't you know how to refine it?"

"No, only the elders know the recipe for this pill. If we need it, we can only exchange it for merit points."

Beneath the mask, Lin Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. So, the protector he had encountered was a traitor to the Yin-Yang Sect. Then this Yin-Yang visualization diagram—

"This person only stole the formula for the Yin-Yang Blood Lotus Pill?"

The old man hesitated for a moment, but when he sensed the coldness in Lin Yan's eyes, he quickly said, "The arrest warrant issued by the elders is a bit strange. After discovering this traitor, we are not allowed to act on our own. We must report to the sect, and the elders will take action personally."

After saying that, the old man's eyes darted around: "Based on my and several other protectors' private analysis, the traitor may have taken away more than just the formula for the Yin-Yang Blood Lotus Pill; there is a high possibility that he took something even more precious."

Lin Yan looked at the old man. He believed the old man was telling the truth, because the old man did not know that the traitor had been killed by him.

It seems that the scroll that enabled him to comprehend the Yin-Yang Contemplation Diagram was stolen by this person from the Yin-Yang Sect. The Yin-Yang Sect lost its most precious treasure, the Yin-Yang Contemplation Diagram, and ordered the arrest of this person. However, the Yin-Yang Sect dared not reveal the theft of the Yin-Yang Contemplation Diagram to its protectors.

Once this gets out, I'm afraid these Dharma protectors will also have designs on it.

wrong!

Lin Yan suddenly realized that he had been studying the Yin-Yang visualization diagram, but he could not feel that it was of much help to him. It was true that when he condensed the Dharma image, it made the Dharma image more three-dimensional, but this detail did not show up in terms of strength in a short period of time.

These martial artists who are willing to join the Yin-Yang Sect are not the kind who are willing to run a long race; they are all people who are eager for quick success and instant benefits, and they all pursue rapid growth in strength in the short term.

To attract the attention of the Yin-Yang sect, the three visualization diagrams must offer tangible benefits.

"What benefits do you gain from practicing the visualization techniques of the Yin-Yang Sect?"

"A visualization diagram?"

The old man shook his head: "I teach—no, the three visualization diagrams of the Yin-Yang Sect. Not just anyone can cultivate them. Even we protectors need to achieve certain merits to be qualified. First cultivate the Yin Diagram, then the Yang Diagram. As for the Yin-Yang visualization diagram—it is said that even not every elder is qualified to cultivate it."

"As for the benefits—" the old man pondered for a moment, "If one enters the Realm of Reality and observes the Yin Phase Diagram—it is said that the cultivation speed can be doubled. As for the Yang Phase Diagram, I am not very clear about it."

Having confirmed that the old man indeed knew little about the visualization diagram, Lin Yan did not ask any further questions. His spiritual perception remained focused on the old man, and even the slightest changes in his aura would not escape his notice if the man was lying.

Where will you send these babies?

"We departed by boat from Linjiang County in Shangsha Prefecture, heading upstream—"

After the old man finished speaking, he looked at Lin Yan and said, "I've said everything I need to say. Now, please give me a quick death."

The old man had no hope of surviving; the other party would never let him go. He just wanted a quick death.

With all his meridians destroyed and his divine palace shattered, he couldn't even commit suicide. This person was definitely a Reality Realm expert. To commit suicide under the nose of a Reality Realm expert was possible if his divine palace was still intact, but now he was just an ordinary person and couldn't do it at all.

Lin Yan nodded, raised his right hand, and shot out five sword energies in succession.

"You—you broke your promise—"

Sensing the five sword energies entering his body, the old man's face showed fear, but Lin Yan did not respond and went to the treasure vault of Jingyue Nunnery.

There weren't many good items in the treasure vault, at least not many that would catch Lin Yan's eye.

However, this place is considered a stronghold of the Yin-Yang Sect, and it also serves to distribute resources to the sect's followers. There are quite a few pills in the treasury for True Qi Warriors, and Lin Yan packed them all up.

After the packing was finished, Lin Yan had a thought, and the old man lying on the ground finally exploded and disappeared without a trace.

Shangsha Prefecture, the backyard of the Patrol Inspectorate.

When Lin Yan appeared in the backyard, Wang Yanqing was cultivating in the courtyard. When he saw Lin Yan wearing a mask, his pupils shrank, but there was not much panic on his face.

"You must be Inspector Zhuang."

Just as Wang Yanqing was about to stand up, he suddenly felt a terrifying pressure descend upon him.

boom!

He had only stood halfway up when he suddenly slumped down and knelt on the ground with a heavy thud.

With that kneel, his kneecap shattered into two pieces.

"A powerful being of the Dharma Aspect level?"

Wang Yanqing's face showed disbelief; he hadn't expected that this inspector was actually a Dharma Aspect Realm expert.

"If you're going to make a move, why don't you wait until I finish speaking?"

Sensing the other party's killing intent, Wang Yanqing's heart skipped a beat, fearing that the matter at Jingyue Nunnery had been exposed.

"If you have ever been to Jingyue Nunnery, you should know that with my strength, I am not worthy of cooperating with the forces behind Jingyue Nunnery. Even if you are a Dharma Aspect Realm expert, you would absolutely not be able to withstand the strength of the people behind me."

Wang Yanqing couldn't wait to speak, afraid that if he spoke too slowly, the other party would attack him.

"You have three breaths to tell me who's behind this."

Hearing this and feeling the chill in the other person's words, Wang Yanqing gritted his teeth: "The person standing behind me is a Dharma Aspect expert from the Heavenly Sword Sect. His status in the Heavenly Sword Sect is extremely noble. There is no need for you to offend this important figure for the sake of some lowly commoners."

call out!

A flash of cold light, and Wang Yanqing's arms turned to dust. The intense pain made him want to roar, but the pressure that enveloped him prevented him from uttering a single syllable.

He couldn't shout out loud, and the pain made his face turn pale instantly.

"This is the last time," Lin Yan's icy voice rang out.

Wang Yanqing's expression changed slightly, but the next moment, an aura that did not belong to him suddenly burst out from his arms.

A blinding golden light shot up from his chest and suddenly condensed above the courtyard.

It was a human figure.

His facial features were blurred and indistinct, but he had a tall and imposing figure. He wore a dark gold robe and had a long sword hanging at his waist. The moment he appeared, he exuded a suffocating aura.

"Is this a soul clone?"

Lin Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. Something was wrong. If it were a soul clone, it wouldn't have such a strong aura.

Looking at the figure that appeared, Wang Yanqing's face showed awe. The next moment, his eyes turned vicious as he looked at Lin Yan. This was the life-saving method given to him by the eldest young master. Even if the other party was a Dharma Aspect expert, he could not possibly be a match for the eldest young master's sword qi clone.

The figure that suddenly appeared said nothing, but simply raised his hand, and the long sword at his waist was in his hand, and he slashed down at Lin Yan.

Without needing any explanation, the purpose of this clone's existence is simply to kill everyone in front of it.

The sword energy flowed like a waterfall, carrying terrifying power. It contained a special kind of energy that was far beyond the reach of ordinary Void Realm martial artists.

Faced with this sword energy, Lin Yan did not retreat, nor did he even draw his sword. He raised his right hand and punched out, meeting the sword energy that was powerful enough to cleave through the void.

He could already guess who the owner of this sword energy was.

This sword energy shares the same origin as the sword energy he encountered at the Sword-Asking Stone on Mount Tai.

The force of the fist and the energy of the sword collided with a deafening roar.

The bluestone floor tiles in the courtyard shattered inch by inch, the stone tables and benches turned to dust, and Wang Yanqing was so shocked by the energy that he crashed directly into the wooden pillars under the eaves, breaking through two pillars before finally stopping.

The sword energy dissipated into nothingness under Lin Yan's fist force.

The sword failed to kill the opponent, and the revealed figure began to fade. But just as it disappeared, the phantom suddenly transformed into a last ray of golden light and shot towards the ground.

There, Wang Yanqing, with only his upper body remaining, lay paralyzed in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life.

The golden light pierced directly through his brow.

"Why—why—"

Wang Yanqing's eyes widened, filled with regret. He hadn't expected that summoning the eldest son's clone would not only fail to save him from danger but would also bring him death.

Lin Yan frowned as he looked at Wang Yanqing, who had already lost his breath. For the first time, his emotions were in turmoil.

It's been three years!

He finally met Lu Junlou again.

Three years ago, at the Sword-Asking Stone in Mount Tai, the opponent casually swung a sword from hundreds of thousands of miles away. If it weren't for the Martial Dao Tree intervening and borrowing the energy of that Mount Tai Martial Saint senior, I would have been killed by that sword energy long ago.

At that time, to him, or more accurately, just facing that sword energy, he was already like an ant.

Three years later, this was their second encounter. The opponent's clone's full-force attack was now so powerful that it couldn't even withstand a single punch from him.

"Lu Junlou!"

Lin Yan didn't make any grand pronouncements in his mind; he had already set his goal at that very moment.

Now—we're just taking it one step at a time towards that goal.

Inside a Buddhist pagoda in the western region of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Lu Junlou, who was sitting cross-legged in the tower, seemed to sense something and frowned slightly.

"I destroyed the clone I gave Wang Yanqing, and had the clan sever all ties with Wang Yanqing. Furthermore, we need to investigate who was responsible."

Outside the tower, the old man in charge of guarding the tower listened to his young master's words, his old eyes narrowed, and he nodded slightly: "Young master, rest assured, I will handle this matter thoroughly."

"Send a message to the Yin-Yang Sect, asking them to send over the Yin-Yang visualization diagram I requested as soon as possible, or the cooperation will be canceled."

"Yes."

Inside the tower, Lu Junlou changed his hand seals, and two identical clones appeared on his left and right sides.

"Without the Yin-Yang visualization diagram, the clone has no Yin-Yang attributes, making it difficult to exist in the outside world for a long time and unable to cultivate on its own. If this step cannot be achieved, the next goal will be difficult to reach."

Lu Junlou's face was gloomy. Before he embarked on the path of martial arts cultivation, his clan had planned his path. So far, there have only been two mistakes. The first was that there were still some who had escaped the net when the ten techniques that were first stolen from the Sword Heart were stolen.

The second thing is that not long ago someone triggered the Devouring Sword Dao before him.

And now—the Yin-Yang visualization diagram from the Yin-Yang Sect has been delayed for the third time.

next day!

sunny.

Qinghe had just finished washing clothes in front of the well when she heard hurried footsteps coming from the direction of the door.

"Sister, what happened?"

"Wait—something big has happened!"

Seeing that her older sister was having trouble speaking, Qinghe felt a pang of anxiety. Could it be that those people were going to hand them over to some demon again?

Speaking of which, that Lord Zhuang from that day—

Although she was very indifferent, she did not collude with those people. If she had to serve someone, she would rather serve Lord Zhuang.

"The entire patrol headquarters was slaughtered, and only Brother Fang survived."

Crotch!

Qinghe dropped the basin of water, scattering clothes all over the floor, but she didn't care about that at all. Instead, she anxiously asked, "Then—what about Jingyue Nunnery?"

"I don't know about Jingyue Nunnery—little sister—where are you going?"

"Sister, I'm going to check on Jingyue Nunnery."

Qinghe ran wildly out of the courtyard. The booklet she had given to that official mentioned all those in the Patrol Division who aided and abetted the evildoers, mentioned Jingyue Nunnery, and mentioned that only Brother Fang in the Patrol Division was not involved. This included her and her sisters, as well as many ordinary people with infants in their families. Brother Fang had secretly found ways to send them away.

Now that only Brother Fang is alive in the entire patrol office, she must go to Jingyue Nunnery to see if it is as she guessed.

three days later.

"Little sister, you've been so absent-minded these past few days. I have some good news for you. A new inspector has arrived. He's said to be from Chengyi Sword Academy, and his name is Jiang Che."

"Chengyi Sword Academy, is it backed by Taiyi Sword Sect?"

"Yes, Chengyi Sword Academy is backed by Taiyi Sword Sect, while Wang Yanqing comes from Chixiao Sword Pavilion. Chixiao Sword Pavilion is backed by Tianjian Sect. Tianjian Sect and Taiyi Sword Sect are mortal enemies. Now that people from Chengyi Sword Academy are serving as inspectors, those people in the city—they definitely won't be able to escape."

"I'm afraid—I'm afraid they're all birds of a feather."

Unlike her sister, Qinghe was not optimistic. She murmured softly, "If it were Lord Zhuang, perhaps only he could truly restore peace to Shangsha Prefecture."

Just as Qinghe was pondering, two figures appeared at the courtyard gate.

"Brother Fang, what brings you here?"

Hearing her older sister's words, Qinghe looked up at the courtyard gate, but her gaze fell on the young man behind Brother Fang.

After a short while, watching her sister see off Brother Fang and the newly appointed Director of the Inspection Department, Qinghe held the envelope in her hand, still looking somewhat dazed.

Director Jiang of the Inspection Department had actually come to see me and even gave me a letter.

Who would write a letter to me, and even have Director Jiang personally deliver it to me?

Qinghe had a guess in her mind, and opened the letter with some trembling.

The letter contained very little, only one page long, and the handwriting conveyed a sense of steady strength.

【Qinghe Girl:】

[Seeing this letter is like seeing the person in person.]

You deserve the greatest credit for the incident at Jingyue Nunnery.

[You didn't know my identity back then, yet you handed me that booklet out of sheer courage. Many martial artists who have trained for years might not possess that kind of boldness; it shows a courage that rivals that of men.]

However, I still have to criticize you a bit. Don't be so impulsive in the future. If I were in cahoots with that Wang Yanqing, wouldn't you be courting death by delivering the book late at night?

Upon seeing this, Qinghe chuckled. Now, thinking back to when she pushed open Lord Zhuang's door late at night, she realized that Lord Zhuang must have been quite speechless about her actions.

[You have a foundation in martial arts, though not top-tier, but your temperament is rare. If you wish, you can go to Chengyi Martial Academy in the neighboring prefecture to train. Everything has been arranged for you. If your sister is willing, she can also go with you; the academy has rules for accommodating family members.]

Finally, let me share this thought with you: In this world, where there are those who do evil, there are those who wield swords. Heaven, in its vastness, will ultimately reward good and evil.

[Finally, remember to burn this letter after reading it; there's no need to keep it.]

Upon seeing the last sentence, Qinghe smiled again. This Lord Zhuang was indeed very cautious.

Qinghe tore the letter apart piece by piece, whispering, "Where there is evil, there is someone who wields the sword. I'll remember that."