Chapter 622: Confrontation

First, a man in Confucian robes ascended the city wall and, with an inexplicable divine ability, instantly slaughtered a large swath of Yao clan.

Then, Xie Songhua, using a bamboo box to sacrifice his sword, completely destroyed the natal flying sword of a Jade Perfection realm sword immortal of the Yao clan, causing the latter to directly fall in realm to Nascent Soul, and even that Nascent Soul realm was precarious. Whether he could still be considered a sword cultivator in the future was uncertain, after all, an innate sword embryo was something that could not be sought; it wasn't that once a sword cultivator's realm was high, if his natal flying sword was destroyed, he could casually nurture another one. Hence, this great yao who suffered misfortune as soon as he made a move, had lost everything in this siege battle—not only his realm, but also the various premiums brought by his identity as a sword cultivator. If one were to say he could switch to cultivating other techniques and divine abilities and return to the Upper Five Realms, it would ultimately be impossible for him to be a sword cultivator of the Sword Qi Great Wall, making it even more difficult than ascending to heaven.

The offensive of the Yao clan on the battlefield where Chen Ping'an, Liu Xianyang, and Qi Shou were stationed visibly stalled.

According to the rules of the Sword Qi Great Wall, Xie Songhua had exerted his full strength with his sword today, seizing every advantage of timing, terrain, and unity, which could be considered a remarkable feat.

This military merit was truly not insignificant. Since the Yao clan that struck with a sneak attack was the most precious kind of sword cultivator in the Barren Wilds, Xie Songhua could be considered to have slain half an immortal realm yao creature, or equivalent to an entire Jade Perfection realm yao creature. However, the choice between the two was up to the swordsman. If he chose the former, he would need to kill another half-immortal realm to exchange for the corresponding spoils. Choosing the latter would result in a slight loss, but at least he could immediately collect his rewards and treasures from the Hidden Officer Lord.

However, Xie Songhua was clearly not yet satisfied and was thinking of striking with his sword again.

Qi Shou lamented, "All the good luck has gone to Sword Immortal Xie. I'll have to be more cautious."

Qi Shou decisively sacrificed his last flying sword, Tiao Zhu, forming a sword array around him to avoid being secretly struck by an Upper Five Realm sword cultivator of the Yao clan.

Qi Shou turned his head and asked, "With such a huge profit, do you get a share?"

Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged on the ground, reaching out to press on the standard sword from the sword workshop lying across his lap, shaking his head. "No."

Acting as this bait, there was not a single copper coin of extra gain.

Liu Xianyang asked with a smile, "Are you two friends?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head again.

Qi Shou sneered, "Friends, my ass. We're enemies. Once we're off the city wall, this Second Shopkeeper would love to scheme me to death, and I'd love to crush him with my realm."

Liu Xianyang nodded, "That's about the same as our hometown. Simple folk."

The Barren Wilds had a large number of military supervisors and battle overseers. Once the Yao clan army showed any sign of stagnation in their offensive, they would start a massacre.

Thus, on the battlefield where the three were located, the Yao clan continued to charge forward. Not only that, they seemed to have come up with some countermeasures. A wave of Yao clan cultivators who had some understanding of talismans and Daoist techniques appeared, randomly throwing out a large bunch of yellow paper talismans in an attempt to obscure the battlefield's line of sight. For a time, dust flew and spiritual energy became disorderly. The Yao clan at the front line were all massive creatures responsible for being the first to die, likely trying to force Liu Xianyang to make more moves so they could find more clues.

Qi Shou responded as usual. On the battlefield, Fei Yuan and Xin Xian flew extremely fast. Many Yao clan several zhang tall had their limbs severed by the sword light, falling to the ground and wailing endlessly.

Qi Shou always fought and killed enemies like this—either slaughtering them on the spot, flaying and tearing tendons until the white bones were exposed, or deliberately wounding them severely without killing, leaving them to struggle uselessly on the battlefield and wait for death. Especially those Yao clan cultivators who could transform into human form often suffered this calamity under Qi Shou's flying sword, their bellies cut open and intestines hanging out. Once any Yao clan cultivator couldn't bear it and tried to rescue them, they would meet a similar fate.

Chen Ping'an took a sip of the medicinal wine and water from his Yang Jian Hu, then continued to wield his sword to defend against the enemy. Chu Yi and Shi Wu aimed for a single fatal blow. If the Yao clan's physique was too tough, or if they still didn't die after their vital acupoints were pierced, then Song Zhen Ke Lei would follow up with one or two more strikes. During this time, there were indeed some Yao clan cultivators acting as hidden death warriors who tried to use secret arts to imprison the flying swords, seeking mutual destruction. However, when it came to such cunning schemes and feigned disguises, Chen Ping'an was a seasoned expert. Coupled with the flying sword Chu Yi, which was slightly slower than Shi Wu, its toughness was beyond imagination. Once, a deeply hidden death warrior yao deliberately kept getting wounded, his body covered in blood and flesh, and even pulled a Yao clan member as a shield to block Chu Yi. But Chu Yi only pierced through the other Yao clan member's brow before flashing away and retreating directly. Timing it perfectly, the destroyed yao core caused the death warrior behind to, in his dying moments, stare blankly toward the city wall, seemingly confused. As for Chu Yi, which had not fallen into the trap and was only affected by the spiritual energy, it suffered no damage at all. However, Chen Ping'an's mental energy expenditure was not insignificant.

As Qi Shou said, over time, Chen Ping'an, who was ultimately not a sword cultivator, would not be able to sustain his spiritual energy for wielding his sword.

And this was merely the opening act of the offensive and defensive battle.

But Qi Shou also knew well that when the time came for sword cultivators to leave the city wall and fight, Chen Ping'an would be more in his element.

Liu Xianyang still had no visible sword, no visible natal flying sword, and no visible moves. On the line from north to south that was originally under Xie Songhua's defense, no matter how many came, they died.

There was no reasoning with it.

Chen Ping'an couldn't help but say, "Be careful. It will attract the attention of the great yao."

Liu Xianyang sent a ripple through his heart lake to Chen Ping'an, saying, "My swordsmanship's biggest and only problem is that the level of killing power is far from being top-notch. Aside from that, there's no issue."

Then Liu Xianyang continued, "Listen up now. Remember every word without missing a single one."

Chen Ping'an heard the beginning and wanted to speak.

Liu Xianyang didn't even look at Chen Ping'an, laughing, "Less nonsense with me. When your Uncle Liu speaks, you listen obediently. Even if I teach you all the formulas and all the tricks, can you learn them?"

Chen Ping'an remained silent.

Liu Xianyang continued to transmit the formulas through his heart, knowing that Chen Ping'an had a good memory since childhood. So Liu Xianyang recited the formulas while providing annotations, not worried at all that Chen Ping'an would misremember. Liu Xianyang's explanation was extremely complicated and intricate.

What he was saying was precisely that ancestral sword scripture of Liu Xianyang's family.

Liu Xianyang's ancestral heirlooms originally consisted of two items: besides the sword scripture, there was also an old, scarred Wart Armor—a cyan-black armor with no apparent quality. Back then, it was obtained by that woman from the Xu clan of Qingfeng City. After the Xu clan's patriarch got the precious armor, it was like a tiger gaining wings, making him a notable Nascent Soul cultivator in Bottle Gourd Continent with immense killing power. Relying on that indestructible armor, Qingfeng City was seen as a hot candidate for the next sect-level sect in Bottle Gourd Continent, second only to their ally Zhengyang Mountain.

The Xu clan managed to form a marriage alliance with the Yuan clan of Great Li's Pillar of State. Even if it was a legitimate daughter marrying a bastard son, in the long run, it was still a sure-win marriage. The reason the Yuan clan, amidst the Great Li's muddled affairs with Qingfeng City, agreed to this unpopular marriage, was the Xu clan patriarch's cultivation level and his hope of breaking into the Upper Five Realms.

Back then, Liu Xianyang's plan was to sell the armor and keep the sword scripture, at the cost of leaving behind that ancestral sword scripture and giving up half his life. If it weren't for the rules of Li Zhu Cave Heaven, that Moving Mountain Ape would certainly not have minded taking the other half of his life as well.

Again, there was no reasoning with it.

However, now that Liu Xianyang had become a scholar, having lain on the sickbed in the Ruan Family Sword Shop back then, he had actually turned misfortune into fortune. On the brink of life and death, he had learned swordsmanship in a dream. So he would both uphold rules and seek revenge, without one interfering with the other.

Liu Xianyang asked, "All memorized?"

As he spoke, faint sword intents swirled around him, as if escorting Liu Xianyang.

Chen Ping'an nodded, then said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to learn it. The threshold is too high."

Liu Xianyang laughed, "Then same as always—adjust your mindset. Don't compare your talent to your Uncle Liu's. Is learning swordsmanship hard? For me, it's just average. For you, of course, it's hard. But speaking of which, what's the biggest craft in our hometown? Isn't it porcelain firing? Didn't we learn that too? So right now, it's similar to when you were learning porcelain firing. Back then, you thought you'd never learn it well, that you couldn't become a proper kiln worker. You pulled a long face all day, being a silent gourd. Look at you now. If an emperor begged you to fire a piece or two of porcelain, would you be willing? Wouldn't you think about whether you were in a good mood first? This ancestral swordsmanship of mine does have a lot of nuances. You've always been much slower than me at learning everything, but you can still learn it eventually. What's the rush? Everything is inferior to your Uncle Liu, and everything I have to teach you. You have to accept it and get used to it."

Chen Ping'an said softly, "I really am used to it."

Liu Xianyang laughed heartily, "Good habit, no need to change!"

On the line where Chen Ping'an and Liu Xianyang were stationed, stretching southward, behind the Yao clan army, there was a large military tent heavily surrounded. An inconspicuous small wooden plaque hung at the tent entrance, with only the words "Jia Shen" on it.

Inside the tent were filled with large and small desks, with piles of bamboo slips and scrolls forming mountains. Among them were many heavily damaged military texts, which were not even originals but copies. Even so, they were still treated as treasures. The Yao clan cultivators would handle the military books with great care whenever they perused them.

Few books, but the readers treated them with respect, willing to read word by word, digging deep into their meanings—reading rather than just glancing.

The military tent took up a large area, with nearly a hundred Yao clan cultivators gathered here. They didn't look young because of their advanced cultivation and preserved appearance, but rather because they were indeed not old.

Among them was that young sword cultivator named Beiqie, sitting cross-legged, his back exactly against a sword rack.

A peer beside him was flipping through a military book. His name was Yusi, also a sword cultivator among the hundred sword immortals of the Barren Wilds, but like Beiqie, he didn't have a surname yet.

A young man lifted the tent flap and stepped inside.

Yusi looked up and asked with a smile, "Tun Tan, how were the results this time?"

"Not as good as last time. Only destroyed three flying swords."

The young man held up three fingers, then shook his head, squatting down beside Yusi and Beiqie, and said gloomily, "It was really hard to get close to the third sword array. The commotion on my battlefield was a bit big, and a sword immortal immediately came to reinforce, protecting those Middle Five Realm sword cultivators who were unsteady in their swordsmanship. I was almost cut in half by a sword aura. It was very dangerous."

Then the young man's expression brightened, "But I'm not too far from the battlefield where Chen Ping'an is stationed. He and Qi Shou are neighbors. Qi Shou has indeed broken through. He only used two flying swords to hold his battlefield. He's formidable too. Then another scholar showed up, with very strange techniques. Anyone who clashed with him died without knowing how. Also formidable."

A woman sitting behind a desk glanced at the map and said slowly, "The sword immortal you faced should be Situ Jixue. Jade Perfection realm, a rogue cultivator from Golden Armor Continent. His natal flying sword is 'Iron Cavalry,' his sword is 'Fortress Pass.' His killing power isn't exceptionally outstanding, but he's well-balanced in offense and defense. Surviving his sword can be considered a skill. Tun Tan, let me be clear: you can accumulate battle merits slowly, but don't die. Your battlefield is under the command of Muji. You're one of the hundred sword immortal candidates. If you die, you'll implicate Muji. It's not easy for him to have the chance to earn a surname. Don't mess it up for him."

A shy young man sitting at the desk next to the woman looked up and said softly, "Don't die. Otherwise, even if I get a surname, I'll feel guilty for a long time."

The young man named Tun Tan grinned, "Got it."

The hundred sword immortals of the Barren Wilds were Dao seeds appointed by Tuoyue Mountain, second in importance only to the great yao at the Flying Ascension realm.

No matter what realm a sword cultivator was in at present, their lives were very valuable.

If even one died, both the Jiazi Tent and Tuoyue Mountain would pursue accountability, and the punishment would be severe.

At this moment, inside the Jia Shen Tent, there were as many as five such individuals.

Tun Tan, Beiqie, Yusi, the woman who had revealed Situ Jixue's background, and a young man in a corner who kept to himself.

Muji turned to look at a desk and, in his habitual soft voice, said slowly, "That Confucian scholar's technique foundation—especially whether he is a sword cultivator—has it been investigated? The losses on this small battlefield have already exceeded our expectations. We must make appropriate countermeasures. The earlier deployment of a sword immortal to assassinate Chen Ping'an has failed, but if your conclusion indicates that we do need to mobilize another sword immortal, I'll look over the plan. If it's feasible, I'll send a flying sword message to notify the sword immortal for a sneak attack. If that's still not enough, I'll personally go to the 'Jiazi' command tent. You don't need to feel any pressure about this."

A man shook his head, "We need more deaths to get more clues."

Muji nodded.

The woman said, "Chen Chun'an of Southern Bodhisattva Continent has personally come to the Sword Qi Great Wall. That scholar is definitely from the Yasheng lineage. There's no doubt about that. In fact, we can appropriately reduce the troops on his battlefield. Soon, there will be a secret flying sword message from the city wall. Once the Jiazi command tent confirms it, they will naturally send us a message. If the letter reveals this man's identity details, our Jia Shen Tent still has two sword immortal slots left. We might as well use them together. Then, whether to kill that scholar, Chen Ping'an, or fall back to kill Qi Shou, we can let the two sword immortals act according to the situation."

Muji pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Feasible."

Then the shy young man pulled out a piece of paper from a stack of yellow paper beside him, folded it into a small paper kite, and gently tossed it toward the tent entrance. "Pass the order: On the Jia Shen sixth line, slow down the offensive. Except for no retreat, survival is allowed to take priority."

The paper kite flew out of the Jia Shen Tent.

The sword cultivator with the unusual name, Yusi, teased, "Tun Tan, your realm isn't high right now, but you have many methods. Later, when the sword cultivators leave the city wall, you should go and test Chen Ping'an. Compared to fools like Beiqie and me, who only know how to charge straight ahead, you'll have an easier time gaining an advantage."

Tun Tan thought for a moment, then nodded, "I'll give it a try."

This Jia Shen Tent was one of the sixty tents in the Barren Wilds army, named after the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Except for the orders from the Jiazi command tent, each tent was specifically responsible for the troop deployment of one battlefield area. Since it began with the character Jia, it already indicated the importance of this tent. According to military law, even a sword immortal or great yao would be executed on the spot for daring to break into a Jia-lettered tent.

Inside the Jia Shen Tent, everyone had their duties and everything was orderly. Overall, the atmosphere was relatively relaxed.

The young woman with a map spread on her table looked up and said solemnly, "For our growth, for the future when we conquer several major continents of Bright Island, we must be able to hold them. Right now, just on the Jia Shen battlefield, we've already unnecessarily lost nearly ten thousand troops. Each of our merit records is inscribed on bones. Don't think this is something fun."

A pale-faced young man, sitting alone in a secluded corner, sneered, "Troops? Can those brainless ants even be considered troops? It's better if these ants die. They help us compete for timing and save rations for the army—killing two birds with one stone. Our Barren Wilds can't support so many useless creatures anyway. Dying here is their fitting end. At least they've made a small contribution."

He glanced at Beiqie and Tun Tan not far away. "That Chen Ping'an is mine to deal with. Whoever dares to compete with me, don't blame my flying sword for not having eyes if it accidentally wounds an ally."

It was none other than the one who had changed from a child's form to a young man's appearance, Li Zhen. He still retained part of the remnant soul of the ancient criminal Li Zhen, and had re-created his body using Tuoyue Mountain's secret methods, eventually assembling a complete soul.

Beiqie remained indifferent.

Tun Tan still smiled brightly, "No problem."

Yusi said with a grin, "Wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare. How could I qualify to be Young Master Li Zhen's ally?"

The arrogant young man suddenly laughed, staring fixedly at Yusi, "I advise you not to learn from those people on Bright Island, always talking in a sneering tone."

Yusi raised both hands, feigning pitifulness, "I'll shut up, I'll shut up."

Muji frowned, raising his voice a bit—though compared to Li Zhen and Yusi's previous loud tones, it was still soft—"Li Zhen lost by only a hair's breadth. Yusi, that's not a reason for you to gloat. You are sword cultivators of a higher status, so you should have a superior mentality."

Yusi immediately put away his expression and nodded.

Then Muji turned to Li Zhen and said, "Losing is losing. It's your lack of skill, Li Zhen. That you could revive afterward is your skill as Tuoyue Mountain's direct disciple. I don't care about that. I am only responsible for the victories and losses on the Jia Shen battlefield. Every slightest ebb and flow, I have to manage. From now on, the war will be brutal. You, Li Zhen, still need to follow orders. If you disregard military discipline and act on your own, you will implicate the entire Jia Shen Tent. You will bear the consequences. However, when the time is right, if you still want to find Chen Ping'an as your opponent and settle the outcome with him—even if it means exchanging lives—that's up to you. The Jia Shen Tent will not stop you. I personally am even willing to contribute the portion of battle merits that belong to me in the Jia Shen Tent to create an opportunity for you to fight Chen Ping'an to the death. Because fighting alongside a Li Zhen who dares to die once again is my honor, Muji."

Muji looked around the tent and said gravely, "Why did Li Zhen go to battle? Why did he have a great fight with that Chen Ping'an below the city wall? Don't you have any idea? Are you even worthy? How has this become a reason for you to mock Li Zhen? Just because he lost one battle and died once? Then for ten thousand years, our Barren Wilds have never won a single battle—not a single victory! So many Flying Ascension realm seniors, along with the entire Tuoyue Mountain, aren't they all a joke?! If you think you're so capable, go to Bright Island and mock the people there. Mock them all you want!"

Muji took a deep breath, his expression dark, and murmured, "Talking like this to you doesn't make me happy."

Li Zhen seemed to find Muji's words in this Jia Shen Tent somewhat acceptable. He indeed stopped sparring with Yusi and the others and continued to close his eyes in meditation, simultaneously cultivating five natal objects.

The woman teased, "Muji, that was well said."

The young man Muji gave a shy smile, blushing slightly.

Beiqie, who was almost as mute as a mute, spoke up for the first time, "The Jiazi tent's flying sword will be here soon."

Sure enough, a messenger flying sword arrived at the Jia Shen Tent.

After Muji read the secret letter, his expression turned serious. "All we know is that the scholar is named Liu Xianyang, from Bottle Gourd Continent. He is not a member of the scholarly Chen family. So we still don't know his cultivation background."

The woman sighed, "Then we'll go with the worst-case scenario. Use lives to pile up the truth."

Muji suddenly said, "Yusi, personally make a trip to the battlefield. Remember to disguise yourself well. Take one strike and immediately withdraw from the battlefield without any hesitation. Chen Ping'an's sword strikes aren't too powerful, but his observation of the battlefield is meticulous. Given his nature, I dare assert that his backup is definitely not just that one female sword immortal. As long as you don't die on the battlefield, soon another sword immortal will be responsible for tailing you."

Yusi decisively stood up, his face full of eagerness, but his mouth complained, "Retribution comes so fast."

Muji turned his head to look at Beiqie.

Yusi immediately shot out of the Jia Shen Tent, not giving Muji a chance to change his mind.

Muji shifted his gaze to Tun Tan and said, "I've calculated. With the battle merits you've accumulated so far, you're still quite short of being able to purchase that Yeluoluo magical treasure. Don't worry. I'll take the lead. Let's pool together. From now on, those who contribute will receive annual dividends. Who else is willing?"

The woman shook her head, "I'm also saving up. I can't give."

Muji, however, said, "You can give. You will earn it back before the war ends. Trust me; it won't delay your acquisition of that treasure."

Li Zhen opened his eyes and said, "Do we need to buy it? I'll just go and ask for it directly."

Muji shook his head, about to refuse.

Li Zhen had already stood up and said to the woman, "Which one do you need? Tell me directly, and I'll bring them together. I don't want to make an extra trip."

The woman didn't hesitate and directly named that supreme treasure. She laughed loudly and raised her fist high in salute, as a thank you.

Li Zhen walked out of the Jia Shen Tent expressionlessly.

He looked up toward the Sword Qi Great Wall. From here, the northern city wall was blurry, but from the northern city wall overlooking the battlefield, every detail was crystal clear.

Li Zhen withdrew his gaze, paused, and turned around. Rarely did he bow with his fists clasped in a salute, showing respect.

Beside Li Zhen was a man with a large beard, wearing a saber and carrying a sword on his back.

The man nodded, "Go about your business."

Li Zhen flew away on the wind.

Beiqie walked out of the Jia Shen Tent and called out, "Master."

The man said, "Your master wants to meet someone. So you, as the disciple, must do something for your master: kill that Chen Ping'an."

Beiqie nodded silently.