Chapter 254: Sword Slash Breaks the Mountain
Under the gloomy sky, rain drenched the mud.
On the southwestern border of Central Province and Feng Province, near Yun Province, within the continuous Shangnan Mountain Range, Magical Artifacts embedded with Spirit Stones continuously emitted light, illuminating the mountain forest.
Officials from the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) were currently in Wangyue Town, thirty li to the west. Accompanying them were major Worldly Families from nearby, such as the Shen Family, Liu Family, Tang Family, Yu Family, and Qiu Family from Central Province.
Everyone sat together, gazing towards the northeast with solemn expressions.
Since spring this year, the Qingyun World had experienced frequent anomalies. First, there was a month-long torrential rain, followed by blood mist over Xuán Hǎi, and then sudden heavy snow in the northern border.
While these anomalies were unsettling, what was truly terrifying were the Evil Seeds that subsequently appeared.
The first Evil Seeds discovered were just a few that had been washed out by mountain floods after the heavy rain.
However, as no ruins had been opened, this incident still raised an alarm. The Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) conducted another search and investigation, discovering dens along the borderlines of various provinces.
“Den” was a newly coined term, signifying a gathering place for Evil Seeds.
Most of the borders between the Nine Provinces were surrounded by mountains. This was not a coincidence, but because during the era of chaotic wars among the Human Race nations, natural barriers were mostly used as national borders.
It was in these deep mountains and old forests that countless Evil Seeds had been roaming unknowingly.
No one knew how they came or when they appeared.
The Evil Seeds discovered in the Shangnan Mountains of Central Province were the most concentrated and numerous group.
The Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) rushed over overnight. Ti Si Mu Qing was currently in Wangyue Town, discussing with the Central Province Worldly Families how to deal with them.
Evil Seeds only exhibit their bloodlust when they smell humans. Therefore, they are currently only roaming and lingering in the mountains, causing no consequences.
According to the decision of the large and small cultivation Worldly Families in Central Province, these things must be killed as soon as possible. They do not allow these Evil Seeds any possibility of entering the cities.
But the problem is that if such a number of Evil Seeds are not all killed within a short period, some will inevitably rush out of the valley after their ferocity is activated.
And around the Shangnan Mountain Range, there are only villages and civilian fields, and a large number of common people will inevitably suffer casualties due to the Evil Seeds.
The Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) naturally did not want to see such a scene and suggested thinking of other methods, but after much thought, many methods were difficult to implement.
In their view, if a powerful being could take action and suppress them directly in the mountains, it would certainly not be so troublesome.
But how could the reclusive Old Ancestors of the various Families be willing to easily take action for such matters?
Of course, these Central Province Worldly Families would not give them other choices.
After all, the longer this matter drags on, the higher the potential risks.
These Worldly Families are not all-powerful in Central Province, but they are still Immortal-registered individuals. The Great Xia Dynasty is merely a tool in the hands of Immortals to rule Mortals. Even if the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) has a heart to protect the people, they can only obey orders.
“Actually, if there was a way to trap the Evil Seeds in the mountains and block the mountain paths on the southwest side, they could be cleared one by one. This approach is the most stable, but unfortunately, these Worldly Families do not consider the common people.”
“Didn’t you already know that cultivators don’t care about Mortals, sir? Although we are officials of the Great Xia, the Immortals are actually in charge.”
Ti Si Mu Qing of the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) fell silent upon hearing this, then said, “Before the operation begins, send people to blockade the outer perimeter of the Shangnan Mountains. Try not to let too many Evil Seeds escape. This is all we can do.”
The Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) agents looked troubled when they saw this: “Sir, the Shangnan Mountain Range is too vast, and we are short on manpower.”
“I just said to try, not that it’s definite, but fewer is always much better,” Mu Qing said, then added, “I suddenly understand what Brother Kuang meant before leaving the capital.”
The Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) agents looked at each other: “What did Lord Kuang say?”
“He said we are not here to eliminate Evil Seeds, but to protect the common people under the Worldly Families.”
“Sir, Ti Si Kuang of the Reception Department is young but rigid. This is not actually a good thing.”
Here, countless Immortal Sect Disciples gathered under the bright moonlight, planning to go and watch the excitement later.
Qiu Hanyue, the Young Miss of the Qiu Family, was among them, along with several of her cousins. Additionally, Tang Jingming, who had recovered after being injured at the Heavenly Dao Conference, was also present.
After more than half a year of recuperation, Tang Jingming, who already had impressive cultivation, had now fully recovered.
These Immortal Sect Disciples actually all had a desire to take action, especially since the Heavenly Dao Conference had a profound impact, making them feel like “I can do it too.”
However, Evil Seeds are not wooden stakes that stand there to be cut. The large number of Evil Seeds that surged out of the ruins two years ago still felt like yesterday to many, making them tremble with fear at the mere thought.
Therefore, these noble Disciples would not venture deep into the mountains; their only interest was clearing some at the edges.
While everyone was chatting, a group of Tianshu Academy Disciples dressed in white arrived.
Leading them was Liu Qichen, a Disciple of the Liu Family from Central Province. They were invited by the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) to clear the Evil Seeds, and their arrival immediately drew attention.
At this moment, the person he looked at was Tang Minghao of the Tang Family, and Tang Minghao was also looking at him.
Although Liu Qichen came from Central Province and was somewhat related to many people here, he and Tang Minghao were not actually familiar with each other.
However, it was not surprising that he made eye contact with Tang Minghao upon arriving here, because they had both lost to the same person.
In the Heavenly Dao Conference preliminaries, Liu Qichen, wearing a Rongdao Realm Magical Artifact, was defeated by Ji You with three swords, and Tang Minghao was seriously injured because of Ji You.
“It is said that recently, people have been coming out of the Xianxian Holy Land one after another, and some even broke through to the next Realm immediately upon exiting.”
“I heard that too. Chen Luo of the Chen Clan even entered the Yingtian Realm. He truly lives up to being a direct Disciple of an Immortal Sect.”
“Then have you heard about Ji You?”
“Of course, those who returned from the Xianxian Holy Land spread the news, saying that Ji You stayed in the Xianxian Holy Land for more than half a year and is still in the Tong Xuan Realm, with no progress whatsoever.”
“I didn’t expect it to be like this. It’s really strange, he was so fierce at the Heavenly Dao Conference. Perhaps it’s a talent limitation, he will eventually encounter a Bottleneck.”
“Has Ji You come out yet?”
“Others have come out, but he seems not to have. He probably wants to wait until he reaches Integration Dao before coming out. If it were me, I would probably choose the same.”
Amidst the faint blue light under the night sky, the Worldly Family Disciples waiting for excitement discussed among themselves.
Many things had happened in the Qingyun World over the past half year, diverting everyone’s attention. However, as Prodigies emerged from the Xianxian Holy Land, much of the attention once again shifted back.
The Chen Family Disciples were the first to emerge from the Xianxian Holy Land. Chen Luo’s breakthrough into Yingtian also elicited sighs of admiration.
Because Chen Luo was the youngest among the direct Disciples, but his speed in entering Yingtian was not slow.
However, the news that Ji You was still in the Tong Xuan Realm did not come from him. In fact, after the Chen Family siblings came out, they did not mention Ji You at all. After returning to their Sect, they read many records about Body Refining.
The true source of the news that Ji You was still in the Tong Xuan Realm was the people who came out later.
Actually, this matter is questionable, because many people do not quite believe it.
At that time, Ji You’s Sword Qi swept across all directions, unstoppable. In everyone’s eyes, such a performance should have allowed him to enter Integration Dao even outside, let alone after staying in the Xianxian Holy Land for a full eight or nine months.
But every subsequent person who came out said the same, so it must not have been fabricated.
Thus, some began to bring up the topic of talent limitation.
The Dao of cultivation is profoundly mysterious. Many who cultivate quickly in the early stages often become ordinary once they reach the Dao Comprehension stage. This is not uncommon.
Tang Minghao actually knew about this, and he felt a hint of mockery in his heart.
Because in his opinion, Ji You purely wasted an opportunity to enter the Xianxian Holy Land. If it were him, after cultivating in the Xianxian Holy Land for more than half a year, he would at least reach the mid-stage of Integration Dao.
Amidst the discussions, some also looked towards Qiu Hanyue, the Young Miss of the Qiu Family.
Everyone knew that Qiu Hanyue was originally supposed to marry Ji You. Although it ended abruptly, in everyone’s minds, she was still related to Ji You.
Qiu Hanyue noticed everyone looking at her and understood why, but she did not speak.
Indeed, after returning from the Heavenly Dao Conference, she had been silent for a long time due to Ji You’s unstoppable rise and his capture of the top spot in the Tong Xuan Realm.
Women always admire strength. Having personally witnessed that person suppress the entire Realm, it would certainly be false to say she had no longing.
At that time, her Family arranged for her to meet other young talents. Even if those people had good Worldly Families behind them, she had lost some interest.
However, it was fortunate that she herself did not hope for her husband to be extremely strong; she only hoped to marry into a stable Worldly Family. Therefore, this emotion only lasted a few months and was then digested through her self-comfort.
Just as the outside world said, individual strength is ultimately not as good as a powerful Worldly Family.
And regarding Ji You’s failure to break through after entering the Xianxian Holy Land, she had heard about it a few days ago.
For her, this was not a bad thing. At least he hadn’t become that strong, which meant her feelings wouldn’t fluctuate.
Just then, a surveillance team with long knives at their waists hurried over in the night.
Seeing this, many Worldly Family heads and Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) officials turned to look at them.
“Have you found out how many Evil Seeds are in the mountains?”
“There are estimated to be over a hundred, but the valley is secluded, and it’s unclear under the night. We were also afraid that our Aura would provoke their ferocity, so we didn’t dare to get too close; we could only estimate.”
“Such a large number, it seems it will be a fierce battle—”
Under the bright silver moonlight, the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) of the Immortal Supervisor, with the cooperation of the Central Province Worldly Families, led the Zhenbei Army’s mobilized squad into the mountains.
The Shangnan Mountain Range has dense vegetation and extremely high humidity in the air.
As more than a hundred people entered the mountain forest, the Killing Intent in the darkness gradually began to condense, stirring up a cold mountain wind invisibly.
Their nerves were actually a bit tense at this moment, especially the young Disciples, who unconsciously slowed their steps after entering the mountain forest.
Evil Seeds indeed have no thoughts, but their Physical Bodies are very sturdy, and once their ferocity is stimulated, their speed and agility far surpass those of the Human Race.
The most crucial thing is that these dead creatures are not afraid of death; their only purpose is to eat people. It is even more terrifying that they will not stop fighting even if injured.
After going deep into the Shangnan Mountain Range, everyone decided to clear out this batch of Evil Seeds along the mountain ridge. On the one hand, they could use the terrain to restrict the Evil Seeds’ range of movement, and on the other hand, they hoped that a large number of Evil Seeds would not escape the Shangnan Mountain Range in the chaos.
However, things often do not go as expected. As a bloody smell drifted over, a howling sound suddenly appeared in the valley.
Before the people who had entered the mountains could prepare, the quiet Shangnan Mountains suddenly began to stir.
Those who were planning to ascend the mountain instantly felt a jolt in their hearts, immediately drew their knives, and within their sight, the figures of Evil Seeds were already rushing outwards, their entire bodies filled with Evil Qi, instantly filling the entire mountain path.
The sudden impact caused everyone’s faces to change drastically.
The first to react was the squad from the Zhenbei Army, who had already drawn their knives the moment the Evil Seeds rushed out.
“What happened?”
“Woodcutter”
“?!”
“The Evil Seeds’ evil nature has been activated, and they are rushing out of the mountain.”
The cultivators dispatched by the Central Province Worldly Families reacted quite quickly. Seeing that something was wrong, they immediately took action, and some of the higher-cultivated ones had already fallen into a hacking frenzy.
The most flustered were those young Disciples who had originally come to watch the excitement, especially those Young Misses who were only thinking of getting married. What they had in mind was merely to observe, but seeing the Evil Seeds suddenly appear before them, their faces instantly turned pale.
Clang!
An iron knife slashed down, colliding with the withered Physical Body, instantly sending sparks flying.
But on the other side, a dark, withered hand, like a dead branch, had already pierced through the wind, and with a puff, it penetrated the chest of a soldier from the Zhenbei Army.
In a single encounter, the scent of blood had already begun to spread everywhere.
With their skirts fluttering, Qiu Hanyue and her sisters turned pale, completely losing their desire to watch the excitement, and had already begun to dodge in a panic. But during their escape, an Evil Seed suddenly pounced from the hillside.
These Young Misses of Worldly Families, who did not possess high cultivation, had no ability to resist danger. Seeing this scene, they instantly let out a scream.
However, it was fortunate that her position was very close to the Tianshu Academy group. With the swift actions of Liu Qichen and the others, that Evil Seed was instantly cut in half and sent flying.
But what shocked everyone was that the sharp swords of the Tianshu Academy Disciples could not truly cut through the Evil Seed’s body.
After the severed Evil Seed fell to the ground, it immediately pounced again, its ferocious face causing Qiu Hanyue to lose her composure.
However, it was fortunate that the Elders dispatched by those Families were not to be trifled with. Their years of fighting with the Zhenbei Army were not for nothing. Amidst the hacking and slashing, they instantly blocked the Evil Seeds’ charge.
But the problem was, Evil Seeds were still continuously emerging.
The reconnaissance team sent by the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) said there were an estimated hundred in the mountains, but the exact number was unknown. The key was that these things had incredibly hard flesh and bones and could not be killed instantly.
So very soon, these hard-to-kill Evil Seeds would engulf the entire mountain path.
Now that everyone was crowded on the mountain path, they were the ones facing a concentrated slaughter instead.
Tang Jingming had already killed three Evil Corpses at this point, but his hand bones were beginning to ache faintly.
“They’re hard to kill. I estimate that if there are more, people will definitely die. Retreat quickly!”
“The Evil Seeds’ evil nature has been provoked. If we retreat now, the Evil Seeds will certainly rush out of the Shangnan Mountain Range.”
Although they had come together to eliminate the Evil Seeds, their positions were different, so their decisions on this matter would naturally differ.
The Immortal Supervisor still wanted to try. Even if they couldn't eliminate the Evil Seeds in the mountains, they had to prevent them from escaping the Shangnan Mountain territory.
And the biggest negative factor affecting combat power was, in fact, disunity.
If these Central Province Worldly Families intended to retreat first and then discuss, then there would be no point in only the Immortal Supervisor and the Zhenbei Army remaining.
However, amidst this chaotic struggle, as one desiccated corpse after another fell to the ground, the Evil Seeds rushing in suddenly became fewer.
Roughly estimating the bodies, there were only about twenty or so on the ground.
Mu Qing suddenly put away her knife and couldn't help but look forward along the mountain path. She suddenly felt a surging Aura pouring out from the mountain, pressing down the wild grass in the forest.
At this moment, a Sword Qi condensed in the air suddenly rose, shining brighter than moonlight.
All the cultivators gathered on the mountain path felt a vast sense of oppression, like a tidal wave roaring along the mountain path.
The next instant, the Sword Qi rising from the depths of the mountain crashed down before everyone, its incredibly sharp Qi making everyone feel a sense of suffocation, and even the Divine Thought subconsciously released felt a needle-like pain.
Boom!
The moment the sword landed, the mountains seemed to tremble.
Along with the trembling were the Divine Souls that could not be retracted in time, as if they had been struck by a heavy blow.
Then came intense vibrations, accompanied by the huge rumbling sound of collapse, shaking even the gravel beneath everyone's feet as it bounced.
Everyone instantly circulated their Spiritual Qi, blocking the dust waves surging from the forest in front of them.
After a long period of silence, the roars of Evil Seeds continued to echo in the mountain forest throughout the night, but no Evil Seed rushed out along the mountain path anymore.
Everyone was stunned for a long time, then couldn't help but look at each other, a hint of surprise in their eyes.
“Is there a powerful being in the mountain assisting us?!”
“It must be.”
“But there seem to be more Evil Seeds ahead.”
After standing still for a long time, confirming that no Evil Seeds suddenly appeared, the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) personnel began to walk towards the hillside.
No matter which expert helped them, they should take this opportunity to investigate the situation in the mountains clearly.
Those cultivators from the Central Province couldn't help but follow, and among those ascending the mountain were also the Worldly Family Disciples who had been scared pale earlier.
They no longer had any curiosity, but the reason they didn't leave was that they were too frightened to return alone through the dark mountain forest.
Along the way were a large number of Evil Seed corpses cut in half, totaling more than a dozen.
The cuts on them were smooth, and lingering Sword Qi had not yet dissipated.
Among the Central Province Worldly Families, there were skilled swordsmen. Looking at the cuts on several corpses at this moment, one said, “It was cut with a single sword. What sharp Sword Qi.”
“One sword?”
“All Evil Seeds, with just one sword. This is a master of the Way of the Sword.”
Amidst the discussions, everyone continued up the slope. When they reached the top, they suddenly saw a mountain range that had been cut off.
It was a low peak on the south side, its broken summit had fallen into the valley, blocking the entire mountain path.
All the Evil Seeds in the valley were trapped within, struggling and shrieking, but with no way out.
This was actually the plan the Immortal Supervisor had thought of earlier: block off the South Mountain path, trapping all these Evil Seeds in the mountains,
Then annihilate them.
Doing so didn’t have much significance, it just prevented the Evil Seeds from escaping the mountain and harming the common people.
However, most of those who cared about this were from the Immortal Supervisor. Everyone else’s gaze was focused on the flattened mountaintop.
Standing beneath the broken mountain and the silver moon was a figure, a young man, breathing slightly in the moonlight, his long sword still humming continuously, and his entire body's vitality seemed to be boiling.
Liu Qichen opened his mouth slightly: “Ji You—”
When they saw his appearance clearly by the moonlight, everyone instantly froze on the hillside, as if rooted to the spot, unable to recover for a long time.
A single sword strike cut off half a mountain peak, directly severing the entire mountain path and trapping all the Evil Seeds.
Everyone had thought a powerful being had come to assist, but no one expected it to be him in the mountains.
In fact, even seeing it with their own eyes, they were somewhat hesitant to believe it, because the oppressive feeling made it hard for them to believe it originated from him.
