C619 Sword Immortal Jee
A thousand miles, merely a blink away.
As dawn broke and the first light of morning bathed the land, a white silk ribbon imbued with the essence of the Starfrost Sword carried Yu Yuan like a skiff to the Sword Sect.
En route, two grand cultivators from the Primordial Yang Sect and Profound Sky Sect peered through their soul senses, their majestic Dharma Idols eyeing each other.
The white silk ribbon came to a gentle halt.
Splinters from the shattered sky carriage scattered, Loong Yang, the jade dragon, and the empire's female general, Lee Yuchan, all bound by strands of sword intent.
The "Drought Sword Intent" within Chen Qingyan vanished without a trace after Xi Quan's escape.
Both she and her master, Ji Ningshuang, understood that Xi Quan never meant to harm her.
"This clueless lad, is he the Yu Yuan of Darkmoon City you've been concerned about?"
Clad in a white robe, the statuesque Ji Ningshuang was the epitome of ethereal beauty, as if a celestial being had stepped out of a painting. Her voice and the expressions in her eyes conveyed a transcendent aura, far from that of an ordinary mortal.
Grasping the sword's sheath, the Starfrost Sword at her back transformed into a resplendent galaxy.
The galaxy cascaded like a waterfall, with the Five-clawed Golden Dragon within wailing in despair.
The dragon's lament failed to echo beyond the galaxy that the Starfrost Sword had become.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Mid-sentence, Ji Ningshuang was joined by two figures, one tangible, one ethereal, one descending from the Outland Star River, the other emerging from a secret place, both merging into her being.
Her lips curved in a slight smirk as she turned to her disciple, "Has this boy gone foolish once more?"
From the tales of Chen Qingyan and Kong Banbi, she knew of Yu Yuan's decade-plus of confusion in Darkmoon City, and how he had abruptly come into his own four years prior, rising meteorically.
Now, Yu Yuan stood dazed upon the white silk ribbon, his vacant gaze suggesting he had slipped back into folly.
"Master, he's anything but dull!"
Chen Qingyan huffed, stepping forward to bridge the gap between Yu Yuan and Ji Ningshuang, and called out, "Yu Yuan!"
The Consciousness Little World whirled, and it seemed as though Yu Yuan was yanked from his past life into this one by her thunderous call.
Yu Yuan's vision was consumed by the sight of Chen Qingyan, obscuring Ji Ningshuang from view, and his mind began to settle.
"It really has been ages..."
A thought unfurled within him. He wrestled his tumultuous thoughts into submission, disregarding the rising tide of ideas, and drew a deep breath. A peculiar smile crept onto his face as he spoke, "I was taken aback to see Loong Jie captured by your master right out of the Great Swamp."
With that, Chen Qingyan stepped aside, bringing Ji Ningshuang back into his line of sight.
Ji Ningshuang's gaze met his once more.
On this second encounter, Yu Yuan's spirit was significantly more at peace. He offered a smile, followed by a respectful bow, "Yu Yuan of the Darkmoon Yu family, at your service, Sword Immortal Ji!"
"No need for such formalities," Ji Ningshuang replied, her demeanor unchanged. Her penetrating gaze, capable of discerning the depths of one's soul, revealed to her the multiple temperings of Yu Yuan's Yellow Court Little World and the Blood Sacrificial Altar within his Qi and blood, crafted from Giant Beast Amber.
"Ah!"
A soft gasp of surprise escaped her as her expression subtly shifted.
With her exceptional insight, she deduced from the refined essence within Yu Yuan's Yellow Court Little World that he had undergone eight purifications.
To achieve eight purifications of the Yellow Court was to possess a peerless talent for cultivation, a status acknowledged as a mark of genius across both the Heavenly Source and Quietus Continents.
Then, her eyes fell upon the Blood Sacrificial Altar in Yu Yuan's Qi and blood Little World, resplendent and crimson as if carved from blood jade.
A mere sensing of the Blood Sacrificial Altar allowed her to detect the presence of the Chaos Roc, the Starry Behemoth. Recalling Kong Banbi's words, she instantly understood the significance of Yu Yuan's acquisition of the Giant Beast Amber.
Eight purifications of the Yellow Court, a Qi and blood Little World, and the presence of a Blood Sacrificial Altar...
Her profound gaze shifted to the center of Yu Yuan's brow, intently observing his Consciousness Little World.
Ji Ningshuang uttered another soft "hmm" in astonishment.
To her amazement, she found that her soul consciousness, at the Unrestrained Stage, was unable to penetrate Yu Yuan's Consciousness Little World, leaving the mysteries within beyond her sight.
Unless she forced her way in, doing so could potentially harm Yu Yuan's soul.
"I've only just reached the Penetrating Stage, and my spiritual consciousness is newly formed. How could I know to conceal the Consciousness Little World?" Ningshuang, puzzled, peered intently at Yu Yuan's chest and bones with her keen eyes that missed no detail. She nodded repeatedly, recognizing the exceptional resilience of Yu Yuan's physical spirit.
Recalling the look Zhongli gave Yu Yuan before departing, she deduced quite a bit.
The sword scar on Yu Yuan's arm, bearing the Sword Dao True Spell of the Chopping Moon cultivator, was also clear to her.
"Where is that sword soul?"
After a moment of scrutiny, Ji Ningshuang asked with a puzzled frown.
Upon hearing her question, Yu Yuan realized the truth.
His friend from a past life had used the white silk ribbon to draw him here because she knew from Fan Heqing, Chen Qingyan, and possibly Kong Banbi that he had acquired the sword technique inheritance of the Chopping Moon cultivator within the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, along with the recognition of a sword soul.
"It has left me."
Yu Yuan hung his head, sighing in a tone tinged with defeat and bitterness, "In the depths of the Great Swamp, under duress from the white-robed master, I entered the Sword Prison wielding the sword sheath. Later, I grasped some of the sword intent True Spell, but shortly after leaving the Sword Prison, I was invaded by the evil soul it had become."
"The evil soul departed from my body as the statue, the transformed Sword Prison, exited through the spatial passage."
"The sword sheath, the sword soul within me, and the Evil Cauldron may have all left me for this reason, their whereabouts unknown."
"..."
He had prepared this half-truthful narrative when he was expelled from the Desolate Swamp by the Raven Lord and Xu Zixi.
He planned to recount the same story to any high-ranking cultivator from the Primordial Yang Sect, Profound Sky Sect, Devil Palace, or Demon Palace who might inquire.
The sword sheath and the sword soul that had merged with him, including the Evil Cauldron, had all forsaken him due to the invasion of the evil soul.
"The evil soul of the Divine Statue, once inside, convinces intelligent artifacts that you are no longer yourself," Chen Qingyan interjected. "The sword sheath and sword soul left by our esteemed senior were intended to suppress the Sword Prison's evil demons. They surely wouldn't want to fall under their control. The Evil Cauldron, if it possesses an Artifact Soul, would likely refuse to associate with evil spirits as well."
Yu Yuan's spirits were downcast. "The precious treasure I worked so hard for is just gone."
Ji Ningshuang's brow furrowed as she scrutinized him. If only her soul could penetrate his Consciousness Little World, she would have plenty of methods to extract his memories and ascertain the truth of his claims. But with Chen Qingyan present, she couldn't disregard Yu Yuan's well-being and had no choice but to hold back.
"Master, even without the sword soul and sheath, Yu Yuan has still received the sword technique from an elder of our sect!" Chen Qingyan interjected on his behalf. "That elder was the inaugural guardian of the Sword Prison. Given Yu Yuan's fortunate inheritance, shouldn't he naturally be integrated into the sect for cultivation?"
"No," Ji Ningshuang flatly denied.
"Why not?" Chen Qingyan pressed, clearly upset. "Back in the Crack Archipelago, didn't Martial Uncle Fan draw his sword in Yu Yuan's defense, recognizing the connection between him and our sect? He's received the elder's legacy; surely he deserves a place in the Sword Sect. Why is it not possible?"
"No means no," Ji Ningshuang reiterated firmly, signaling Chen Qingyan to hold her tongue.
Chen Qingyan bit her lip, filled with a sense of injustice, but she respected her master's authority too much to talk back, so she stewed in silence.
"I've been informed that you were coerced into the Sword Prison with the sword sheath because Li threatened Qingyan's life," Ji Ningshuang said to him, her voice cold and haughty. "For that reason alone, I won't seize you and take you back to the Sword Sect for confinement."
Chen Qingyan's face registered a flicker of concern as she blurted out, "Master?"
Without glancing her way, Ji Ningshuang continued, "Regardless, it was your actions in the Great Swamp and the Sword Prison that led to the release of those Big Devils and the resurgence of the evil statue in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area. With the loss of the sword sheath and the sword soul's abandonment, your ties to the Sword Sect have all but evaporated."
"You've committed a grave error. The Sword Sect cannot shelter you, nor can I ignore the sect's honor by bringing you back."
"And one more thing—recognize who you are!"
"Yu Yuan, no matter how gifted you are, you're not worthy of my disciple. He needs to dedicate himself to sword cultivation with me. Do not interfere with his training," Ji Ningshuang stated, her tone stern and icy.
"Master!" Chen Qingyan called out once more, "What are you saying? There's nothing between Yu Yuan and me like you're imagining. He hasn't discussed any such matters with me!"
"It doesn't matter whether it has happened or not! From now on, it's forbidden!" Ji Ningshuang declared emphatically.
Upon hearing his former life's friend speak in such a manner, Yu Yuan's face was a mix of amusement and disbelief, his emotions incredibly complex. The person he had been closest to in his past life was now, three hundred years later, admonishing him from a position of superiority 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 by the moment.
"Why do you shake your head?" Ji Ningshuang huffed coldly.
Looking up, Yu Yuan met the gaze of the Great Sword Immortal, ranked fourth within the Sword Sect, with a smile. He spoke deliberately, "How I act and what I choose to do are beyond your control, Ji Ningshuang!"
"How audacious!"
A surge of sword intent burst forth from behind Chen Qingyan, as figures emerged, glaring at him with indignation.
