“Who is Yu Qingxuan?”
Yu Ci was being dragged through the air by Xie Yan, flying on a sword. The moment he opened his mouth, his words were torn apart by the wind.
Xie Yan didn’t answer him.
At that moment, the gray mist exploded. The first wave spread across a radius of ten miles before pulling back slightly—then the second wave burst forth. In an instant, the area where Yu Ci and the others were located was engulfed. Inside, the innate Qi and the world’s spiritual energy twisted together, generating all sorts of strange demonic entities, intent on devouring the group.
But the next moment, Xie Yan unleashed a fierce sword aura. Like boiling water poured over snow, the gray-green mist was blasted open with a massive gap. No matter the form of the demon creatures—whether visible or not—they disintegrated on contact. Under such pressure, even Yu Ci, let alone Yu Zhou and Xie Liang behind him, felt completely at ease. As for He Qing, who lagged a bit behind, she wasn’t shielded directly, but a shadowy serpent in the sky descended at some point, circling around her, its swaying head and tail exuding a protective aura.
From that distance, Yu Ci saw more clearly: “It really is a Dragon Fish!”
What he didn’t say out loud was: That thing’s huge!
Before today, Yu Ci had only seen two Dragon Fish in his life. The first was a larva formed by the spiritual energy of Dragon Fish Grass—not much worth mentioning. The second, he had captured himself. With a full set of scales and prominent horns, its quality was outstanding. Xie Yan later bought it from him, but that night in Cliff City, most of its essence was drained when it was pulled into the spinal center of the “Void Within the Heart,” leaving it severely weakened. Now, it was barely more than a pet.
Even if the second Dragon Fish were in perfect condition, it would pale in comparison to He Qing’s spirit beast. Even from afar, this one was a colossal creature, about forty feet long. If not for its body being only as thick as a teacup, it would’ve looked more like a giant python than a Dragon Fish.
Wait, where was his Dragon Fish?
When Immortal Chi Yin suddenly struck and destroyed the carriage, the Dragon Fish had sensed the danger and bolted, vanishing without a trace. Now, as Yu Ci focused his thoughts, their spiritual connection lit up—the little guy was within the mist as well, rushing to catch up. In the past, it might’ve matched Xie Yan’s speed, but those days were gone. Its damaged essence slowed it down. Yu Ci couldn’t ask Xie Yan to stop and wait, so he deepened their spiritual connection, remotely guiding it—he’d reunite with it once they escaped the shroud of innate Qi.
But just then, Xie Yan came to a halt.
“A Yin Demon has taken form. We should kill it before it escapes and causes more trouble.”
Yu Zhou chuckled and stopped as well, about to speak—when Xie Yan cut in coldly, “What’s going on with He Qing?”
There was clear displeasure in his voice.
The old daoist glanced at Yu Ci’s face and said softly, “It’s because of what happened in Cliff City. Too many died that night, and it drew the attention of Jin Bocang. The sect sent her down the mountain to investigate. Coincidentally, your message arrived at that time. She saw it and insisted on coming. Naturally, I had to follow. And since Junior Brother Xie was at the temple, we came together…”
Only now did Yu Ci understand how the attack by Immortal Chi Yin had stirred up such a big response. As for Yu Zhou tagging along, he was probably worried that this Elder He might give Yu Ci a hard time.
Xie Yan snorted coldly, “Investigate? More like stirring up trouble.”
Yu Zhou smiled slightly. “You’re being unfair, Senior Brother. Without her Great Net of Heaven and Earth, that True Immortal’s Yang Spirit would’ve been hard to deal with. And that restriction—it was clearly set by Yu Qingxuan herself. Didn’t you also notice? That Celestial Star-Severing Lock has issues… What do you think, Junior Brother Xie?”
Xie Liang had just dispelled the lightning around his body. His thin face remained expressionless. “If that really was the Celestial Star-Severing Lock, then one of the Star Gates is missing.”
“Exactly. The full formation should have seven stars, that’s the mark of the Celestial Star-Severing Lock. If all seven were intact, the True Immortal’s Yang Spirit would've been utterly obliterated, no way he could’ve summoned that Moon Demon Puppet to battle you.”
As Yu Zhou spoke, he glanced back.
He Qing, realizing the situation was under control, had started retracting the formation—but she was moving slower now.
“Yu Qingxuan remains one of the top few figures of this tribulation era. She’s a grandmaster on par with Uncle Master Fang. For someone like her to fail to complete a restriction—well, it speaks volumes about how formidable that Yang Spirit was, even in defeat.”
Xie Yan gave a sharp snort, but didn’t refute it.
Meanwhile, Yu Ci’s heart beat faster. He thought back to the events in Sky Rift Valley and, after a brief hesitation, finally said, “Someone of that caliber hiding in shadows, targeting a peripheral disciple like me, and even donning a Moon Demon’s disguise—doesn’t that seem… excessive?”
“That’s precisely what’s worth considering.”
Yu Zhou nodded at him, just about to continue when Xie Liang suddenly said three words:
Everyone looked over.
Xie Liang said in a low voice, “Seventy years ago, the disaster at Sky Rift Valley. Two people were behind it—one was the Rakshasa Demon King, the other was the Grand Mysterious Demon Progenitrix.”
Everyone but Yu Ci looked visibly shaken, as if realizing something.
“So that’s it. This latest upheaval in Sky Rift Valley… it involves the Rakshasa Sect and the Pearl Palace?”
The speaker was none other than He Qing, who had just caught up from behind.
Yu Ci noticed that her appearance changed the mood around Xie Yan—his expression grew darker. Even Xie Liang, who was normally stoic, pressed his lips tightly together.
Only Yu Zhou seemed calm—perhaps too calm. He even had the leisure to explain to the confused Yu Ci what these names meant.
Naturally, he didn’t go into too much detail—just enough to give Yu Ci an idea. Pearl Palace was a major sect from the southern cultivation world, founded by the Grand Mysterious Demon Progenitrix. She was one of the absolute peak figures in this realm, having passed through the tribulation of Three Tribulations of Immortality three times to become an Earthly Immortal.
But more than her cultivation, she was renowned for her disciples. Toward the end of the previous tribulation, she took on students. In over a thousand years, she had only accepted three to five disciples, but even the weakest among them had reached the level of a Tribulation Immortal. Among them, her eldest disciple Yu Qingxuan was said to have surpassed the master—having forced through the 49th tribulation achieving Grand Dao divine abilities after only a century of cultivation.
Together, this master and disciple duo turned Pearl Palace—despite being fewer than a hundred people and founded less than five hundred years ago—into one of the top sects in the world. Even mighty sects like Rifting Earth Sect, with legacies spanning ten thousand years, had to give them due respect.
“Perhaps it was that brilliance that led to enmity. No one knows why the Grand Mysterious Demon Progenitrix and the Rakshasa Ghost King clashed. They dueled beyond the Nine Heavens for a month, then crashed into Sky Rift Valley—triggering the calamity seventy years ago. Both sides suffered heavily, and have kept a low profile since. Pearl Palace disciples have rarely been seen outside. Yes, Yu Qingxuan was said to be there as a guardian in that battle…”
Just as he finished speaking, a sharp screech pierced the air.
Yin Demons, having sensed the dense spiritual life force, began rushing in.
Yu Zhou fell silent. Xie Yan glanced toward the outskirts and frowned. “All low-grade demons. The True Immortal’s Yang Spirit self-destructed—how are these nobodies all that’s left?”
He Qing said coolly, “If the Yin Demons developed sentience, sensed danger, and fled, wouldn’t that explain it?”
Xie Yan gave her a cold glance, shook his head, and said no more.
The group didn’t speak further either. Sword aura, thunderlight, and spells burst forth in tandem, wiping out the incoming Yin Demons in an instant. These weak creatures posed no threat to them.
Yu Ci watched from the side. The names and stories of grand figures like the Grand Mysterious Demon Progenitrix and Yu Qingxuan faded into the background—they were far too removed from his reality. Just like the Rakshasa Ghost King—knowing they were involved didn’t mean he could fathom their motives.
He shifted his attention back to the current situation, watching the immortals around him casually clear the area of innate Qi and Yin Demons.
He was especially intrigued by Xie Yan and Yu Zhou. Both were sword users.
At this moment, they only relied on sword Qi—no other techniques. Yet wherever their sword aura passed, even intangible demons evaporated into nothingness. Back when Xie Yan broke through earlier, Yu Ci had been too distracted to pay attention—but now, he realized just how powerful it was.
He’d seen things before. At Southern Frost Lake, and on the mountain road outside Heart Prohibition Temple, Nan Songzi had often shown the danger of innate Qi. Yu Ci understood that while these forces had no form, they attacked the spirit and soul. Normally, only talismans or incantations could counter them. As for using sword Qi—he’d tried and failed miserably. How were Xie Yan and Yu Zhou doing it?
Hearing his amazement, Xie Yan glanced over and frowned. “The great sun hangs unmoved, yet its light reaches all. With a sword heart that’s upright and clear, how can you not grasp this principle?”
Yu Ci blinked. His sword intent, Half-Mountain Mirage, had been forcibly implanted by Ye Bin. His technique came from his own trial and error. No one had ever explained the philosophy of swordsmanship to him.
Seeing his reaction, Xie Yan was momentarily puzzled—but something stirred in his heart. With that thought, he recited a short incantation to Yu Ci. Just thirty to fifty characters long, but it was a method to use sword intent to dispel evil illusions. Then the immortal cracked a faint smile.
“Just a little trick. Once you’ve broken through the barrier, it’s nothing. Now’s your chance to practice—go give it a try.”
Yu Ci turned his head in surprise—only to find that Xie Yan wasn’t even looking at him, but was instead staring coldly at He Qing.
The daoist woman’s delicate brows were furrowed.
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