C619 Ms Ji

A thousand miles, a mere blink in time.

As dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight pierced the darkness, a white ribbon infused with the "Sword's Will of Stardust" glided like a delicate boat, carrying Yu Yuan to the Sword Sect.

En route, two Unbound cultivators from the Sunlit Order and Ebon Star used their remnant souls to perceive their surroundings, their Divine Visages gazing intently.

The white ribbon came to a gentle halt.

Wooden splinters from the shattered airborne carriage scattered, and Loong Yang, the Amethyst Dragon, including the Empire's female general Lee Yuchan, were all bound by the sword's will.

The "Drought Sword's Will" within Chen Qingyan vanished without a trace following Xi Quan's escape.

Both she and her master, Ji Ningshuang, were aware that Xi Quan meant no harm.

"Is this the clueless lad, Yu Yuan from Asvetaesi, you've been concerned about?"

Ji Ningshuang, clad in a simple white robe with an elegant stature, was as breathtaking as a celestial being stepping out of a painting. Her speech and the expression in her eyes conveyed a sense of otherworldliness, as if she were not of this world.

She clutched the sword sheath, while the Stardust Blade at her back shimmered into a resplendent silver galaxy.

The galaxy cascaded like a waterfall, with the Five-clawed Golden Dragon within wailing in distress.

The dragon's lament could not escape the silver galaxy formed by the Stardust Blade.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

As Ji Ningshuang spoke, two figures, one solid and one ethereal, descended from the Star River beyond and emerged from a concealed location, merging into her form.

Her lips curled slightly as she addressed her disciple, "Has this boy become foolish once more?"

Ji Ningshuang had learned from Chen Qingyan and Kong Banbi that Yu Yuan of Asvetaesi had been in a fog for over a decade, only to have an epiphany four years prior and ascend dramatically.

Yu Yuan, whom she had guided here, stood dumbfounded on the white ribbon, his expression vacant as if he had regressed into foolishness.

"Master, he's anything but dull!"

Chen Qingyan huffed, stepping forward to stand between Yu Yuan and Ji Ningshuang, and called out emphatically, "Yu Yuan!"

The Mindscape whirled, and it seemed as if Yu Yuan had been yanked from his past life into this one by her commanding shout. His view was completely occupied by Chen Qingyan's presence, rendering Ji Ningshuang invisible to him, and his mind gradually found peace.

"It has indeed been a very long time..."

He wrestled with his thoughts, which echoed through his heart. Yu Yuan forcefully suppressed the turmoil within and disregarded the rising tide of ideas. Taking a measured breath, a peculiar smile crept onto his face as he spoke, "I've just emerged from the Marsh, and to my astonishment, I witnessed Loong Jie being taken captive by your master."

With that, Chen Qingyan stepped aside, allowing Yu Yuan another glimpse of Ji Ningshuang.

Upon seeing him again, Yu Yuan's composure deepened. He offered a warm smile, followed by a respectful bow. "A humble member of the Yu family from Asvetaesi, I am honored to meet Ms. Ji!"

"There's no need for such formalities," Ji Ningshuang replied, her demeanor unchanged. Her penetrating gaze, capable of delving into the depths of one's soul, needed only a moment to discern that Yu Yuan's Golden Sanctum had undergone several refinements. She noticed the Blood Altar within, crafted from the Sunsorrow of a giant beast.

"Ah!"

A soft exclamation escaped her as her expression subtly shifted, taken aback by her discovery.

Her exceptional expertise allowed her to deduce from the concentration of spiritual energy in Yu Yuan's Golden Sanctum that his acupoint had been purified and refined eight times. Possessing the eighth level Golden Sanctum was a rare and unmatched gift for cultivation, recognized as the mark of a prodigy throughout both the Land of Quiescence and the Euwrea Continent.

Then, her attention turned to Yu Yuan's vitality little world, where the Blood Altar shone with a sanguine glow, as if forged from blood jade. Sensing the presence of the Abyssal Leviathan, and recalling Kong Banbi's remarks, she understood that Yu Yuan had indeed acquired the "Abyssal Leviathan Sunsorrow."

An eighth level Golden Sanctum Acupoint, a vitality little world, and a Blood Altar...

Her profound gaze then shifted to the center of Yu Yuan's forehead, intently observing his Mindscape.

Ji Ningshuang emitted a soft "hmm" once more.

To her astonishment, her remnant soul, despite being at the Unbound level, couldn't penetrate Yu Yuan's Mindscape to observe the peculiarities within his consciousness!

Unless she chose to forcefully break in, doing so risked harming Yu Yuan's soul.

"How could I know to conceal the Mindscape when I've only just reached the Subtlety Realm and my spiritual sense is newly formed?" Pondering with a hint of doubt, Ji Ningshuang's keen eyes scrutinized Yu Yuan's chest and bones, capable of discerning the minutest details. She nodded repeatedly, recognizing the exceptional resilience of Yu Yuan's physique.

Recalling the glance Zhongli Dapan had cast towards Yu Yuan before departing, she deduced quite a bit.

The sword scar etched onto Yu Yuan's arm bone, containing the profound swordsmanship of the Moon Slayer cultivator, was also clear to her.

"Where is that sword spirit?"

After observing for a while, Ji Ningshuang furrowed her brows and asked, puzzled.

Yu Yuan grasped the implication immediately.

His friend from a past life had used the white silk ribbon to draw him here because she had learned from Van Heqing, Chen Qingyan, and possibly Kong Banbi about his acquisition of the fallen cultivator's sword technique legacy in the Moonfall Sanctuary, along with the recognition of a sword spirit.

"It has departed from me."

Yu Yuan hung his head, his voice tinged with dejection and bitterness. "In the depths of the marsh, coerced by the white-robed master, I entered the Sword Prison with the sword sheath. There, I grasped some of the sword's will mantras. However, shortly after leaving the Sword Prison, a statue that the prison had transformed into invaded my consciousness with an evil soul."

"The evil soul, too, left my body when the statue departed through the space tunnel."

"The sword sheath, the sword spirit within it, and the Crucible of Evil might have also left me for the same reason. Their whereabouts are unknown."

"..."

Yu Yuan had already prepared this half-truth narrative when Dusk Raven and Xu Zixi had interrogated him after his expulsion from the Godsblight Marsh.

He planned to stick to this story if questioned by any cultivator from the Sunlit Order, Ebon Star, Devil Palace, or Shadow's Keep.

The sword sheath and the sword spirit within had merged with Yu Yuan's own sword spirit, along with the Crucible of Evil. They had forsaken him due to the invasion of the evil soul and chose to depart from his side.

"The evil soul from the Divine Visage has possessed him. An artifact soul with intelligence will perceive that you are no longer yourself," Chen Qingyan interjected. "The sword sheath and sword spirit bequeathed by the venerable elder of our sect were intended to suppress the demons in the Sword Prison. They certainly wouldn't consent to being controlled by such evil. The Crucible of Evil, if it had an artifact soul, would likely be equally reluctant to ally with demons."

Yu Yuan was despondent. "The rare treasure I've toiled so hard to obtain has just slipped away."

Ji Ningshuang furrowed her brow, scrutinizing him closely. If it weren't for the barrier preventing the remnant soul from entering his Mindscape, she would have many methods to extract his memories and ascertain the veracity of his claims.

However, with Chen Qingyan present, she couldn't disregard Yu Yuan's well-being and was forced to relent.

"Master, even without the sword spirit and sword sheath, Yu Yuan has still received the swordsmanship legacy from the sect's esteemed elder!" Chen Qingyan advocated on his behalf. "That elder was the inaugural guardian of the Sword Prison. Since Yu Yuan has fortuitously received his legacy, shouldn't he naturally be welcomed into the sect for cultivation?"

"No," Ji Ningshuang decisively refused.

"Why not?" Chen Qingyan protested, clearly dissatisfied. "Back in the Sundering Isles, Master Fan intervened on his behalf with his sword. Didn't that signify recognition of his ties to our sect? Having received that legacy, he should be admitted into the Sword Sect. Why is it not permissible now?"

"No means no," Ji Ningshuang reiterated firmly, signaling Chen Qingyan to hold her tongue.

Chen Qingyan sulked, filled with a sense of injustice, but she understood her master's authority and dared not further challenge her, stewing in silence.

"I've been informed that you entered the Sword Prison with the sword sheath only because Lyi Moqing coerced you with Qingyan's life," Ji Ningshuang stated haughtily, her voice cold. "For that reason alone, I will not seize you and take you back to the Sword Sect for confinement."

Chen Qingyan's expression shifted subtly as she urgently inquired, "Master?"

Ji Ningshuang didn't look at her, pressing on, "Regardless, it was your venture into the Marsh and the Sword Prison that led to the release of those malevolent beings and the magnate, bringing the Evil Statue back to the Moonfall Sanctuary. Once you lost the sword sheath and were forsaken by the sword spirit, you had nothing left."

"You've made a grave error. The Sword Sect cannot shelter you, and I cannot disregard the honor of our sect by taking you back."

"Furthermore, recognize who you are!"

"Yu Yuan, no matter how gifted you are, you do not deserve my disciple. My disciple must concentrate on swordsmanship with me. Do not interfere with him."

Ji Ningshuang's subsequent words were stern and icy.

"Master!" Chen Qingyan called out again, "What are you saying? Yu Yuan and I aren't what you imagine, and he hasn't discussed such matters with me!"

"It doesn't matter! From now on, you are forbidden to engage in such behavior!" Ji Ningshuang declared emphatically.

Yu Yuan's expression was a mix of amusement and incredulity upon hearing his old friend's stern stance, as if she were trying to thwart a pair of lovers. The complexity of his emotions was indescribable.

In his past life, the person he was most intimate with now stood before him three hundred years later, taking a superior stance and issuing a warning with such arrogance.

Was he truly forbidden from disturbing her disciple or even entertaining thoughts about him?

Yu Yuan shook his head, his smile growing more peculiar.

"What does your head shaking signify?" Ji Ningshuang demanded coldly.

Looking up with a smile, Yu Yuan locked eyes with the Grand Sword Immortal, ranked fourth within the Sword Sect, and pronounced deliberately, "How I act and what I choose to do are beyond your control, Ji Ningshuang!"

"How audacious!"

Behind Chen Qingyan, figures bristling with Sword's Will materialized, glaring at him with indignation.

​