The night was cool as water.
Su Xing and Wu Siyou hurried to the stronghold's east gate. Spotting a crowd, Su Xing was somewhat surprised. This Fang Xin'gu had unexpectedly assembled close to a hundred cultivators. Most of their cultivations were at Nebula Middle Stage and Late Stage, with four or five of them being Galaxy Stage.
"Brother Su Xing, ha, ha. To able to see you come truly makes Your Servant so happy." Fang Xin'gu was in the plaza, just so happening to be in a chat with a man and woman. When he saw Su Xing appear, he happily went to welcome Su Xing.
"This is a lot of people." Su Xing smiled. His gaze landed on that pair.
From their outward appearances, these two were very young. The girl's petite face had slight dimples, and the boy was firm and might. The girl was Galaxy Early Stage while the boy's cultivation had reached Galaxy Middle Stage. They did not seem to be Star Masters. After the Birth Outline passed, Star Masters would enter the Vermilion Bird Territory, so Su Xing had no choice but to be mindful.
"These two are Su Xing and his wife." Fang Xin'gu introduced them to everyone.
The hundred cultivators present showed astonished expressions as they stared at Wu Siyou's fully stunning appearance. Although Wu Siyou was wrapped up in a cloak that covered her wonderful figure, that naturally cool and elegant temperament still made people feel stifled. There was no lack of some of them praising her beauty under their breath, however, Wu Siyou's Galaxy Stage cultivation was sufficient to make them fearful. Sensing the iciness that Wu Siyou emitted, the rest of the cultivators instinctively maintained a certain distance.
Su Xing was cheerfully idle.
"Can we go now?" That Galaxy Middle Stage male cultivator said, somewhat annoyed.
"Your Servant's little sister has a small matter, she will arrive very soon." Fang Xin'gu apologetically said.
Just as he said that, an elegant and supple young maiden of budding beauty walked towards here. When she appeared, the originally somewhat restless and dissatisfied cultivators promptly sunk into tranquility. They stared fixedly on that girl.
That girl was approximately fifteen or sixteen years old. Her figure was exquisite, her hair white as snow. She wore a large sleeved ash gray hanfu,1 and those sleeves were embroidered with golden chrysanthemums blooming in the clouds. Barefooted, those eyes swirled and twinkled. The girl appeared to be considerably charming, but her cultivation was not high, at only Nebula Late Stage.
"Yanran, just a bit further." Fang Xin'gu called out. He introduced her: "This is Your Servant's younger cousin,2 Zheng Yanran."3
"Cousin,4 you are so amazing, finding a great beauty." Upon the corner of the girl's mouth hung a completely unafraid smile, looking alarmed at Wu Siyou.
Wu Siyou's eyes slightly narrowed, and she stared at the girl.
"This is Su Xing and his wife, do not cause them trouble." Fang Xin'gu admonished her.
"Wow, I really envy you, to be able to marry such a beautiful older sister." Zhen Yanran giggled, very lively. The originally discontent people could not help but greatly relax.
A moment later, seeing that the night was deep, Su Xing did not want to chat for too much longer. He released a flying sword, and gave Wu Siyou a teasing smile: "Wife, come aboard."
Wu Siyou harrumphed, then fell onto the flying sword.
The others looking somewhat enviously at Su Xing each released their flying swords and riding swords for flight.
"Cousin, can Yanran go together with Elder Sister?" Zhen Yanran said with longing.
"Do not bother the married couple." Fang Xin'gu shook his head and also let out a flying sword. Zheng Yanran pitifully twitched her lips and stepped onto the flying sword. The hundred cultivators then flew towards Long Blood Canyon. Bright and multicolored sword light concentrated together and emitted a terrifying might.
The scent of blood rolled over and over in Long Blood Canyon. Boundless mountains linked into one. Legend had it that this Ten Thousand Devils Mountain had ninety-nine peaks, and the most bloodthirsty sinister tribe dwelling in the Vermilion Bird Territory were known as the Ten Thousand Devils. Along the road leading to the Vermilion Bird Territory's "Five Colors City,"5, it could be said this Long Blood Canyon had great danger everywhere.
On both ends of the Ten Thousand Devils Mountain, spying silhouettes appeared in great numbers, but seeing the enormous amount of cultivators, they timidly retreated. Some tribal cultivators with a death wish that secretly wanted to mount a sneak attack had been contrarily killed neatly by the Galaxy Cultivators using their Sword Chants. They had been instead turned into the cultivators' spoils of war.
In their capacity as the cultivators with the highest cultivations, Su Xing and Wu Siyou were at the very front of the procession.
After penetrating a thousand li deep, the canyon's increasingly gloomy and encroaching black clouds blocked the moonlight. In the surroundings was a haze, and the shadows of trees swayed as an evil wind gusted.
"I hear this Evil Spirit Clan will often lay traps to encircle and wipe out cultivators. Are we not taking a bit of a risk." A cultivator was somewhat afraid.
"There is no need to worry. Did you not see that Senior Red Lotus Fairy wants to take Demi King Devil Mask's6 life?" Another cultivator disapproved. With the Red Lotus Fairy opening the path, now was simply a great opportunity to enter the Vermilion Bird Territory. Even if that Demonic King Devil Mask were any stronger, could he outdo the Red Lotus Karma Fire?
"And I fear that Red Lotus Fairy is deliberately deceiving us." A Galaxy Middle Stage male cultivator's voice sunk.
"Ha, ha, how could that be."
They were unwilling to believe this.
When they entered an empty area in the canyon, everyone halted. They saw the corpses of tribesmen and cultivators scattered everywhere along the ground, their blood flowing together as a river. The cultivators' heads had all already disappeared without a trace.
"This place has traps, quickly leave!" Su Xing shouted when he saw this.
Everyone hastily accelerated their escape speed.
There was a bellow, and the canyon suddenly erupted with a demon's cry. Several hundred demonic laughs suddenly resounds, and with a shuffle, a hundred plump heads from all directions changed into specters that shot over. This was the Evil Spirit Clan's Head Curse.
Everyone had anticipated this. Their hands clenched flying swords, artifacts, and talismans that were activated and attacked.
A hundred sword lights twisted and interweaved, destroying several dozen of the heads.
A shrill shout abruptly tore apart the night.
"It was I who opened this mountain, I who planted this tree. If you want to pass this road, leave your heads behind!!"
An evil chill attacked their whole bodies, and a ghostly howl sounded suddenly from the surroundings. An evil wind whooshed, blowing such that people could not open their eyes. All the cultivator's expressions changed, for it was the Demi King.
The Vermilion Bird Territory's so-called Demi Kings were classified as clan chiefs. Their cultivations were Supercluster Stage at the minimum, and hearing the Demi King's voice, these people became panicked. At this time, the evil wind suddenly blew stronger, turning the hundred heads to more than a thousand that fell like a downpour. The evil wind turned even stronger, and cultivators with slightly lower cultivations were blown away in the blink of an eye. The hundred cultivators' formation had been instantly dissolved.
"Leave behind your heads!"
An intense voice filled with complacency.
"Ah, we have been tricked by the Red Lotus Fairy!"
"Run away, quickly!!"
All the cultivators shouted in confusion. The Galaxy Stage cultivators used their Sword Chant abilities, turned their flying swords into arrays and evasions, carving out a bloody path. They were unwilling to throw away their lives alongside a crowd of Nebula Stage Cultivators. These people had nothing to do with them anyways, so leaving them behind to act as targets was good. Su Xing at this moment did not care about this. The evil wind and Head Curse that the Evil Spirit Clan used turned stronger and stronger, and their cultivators were more and more in numbers. Su Xing spread out his Divine Intent, immediately attacking towards the Demon King.
Several dozen li away, Demi King Devil Mask suddenly sensed a Divine Intent. His heart shook, and he instantly saw two cultivators. When he saw Su Xing was only Galaxy Stage, he instantly sneered: "Your head is best used for This King's Heart-Devouring Heads Array."7 A hundred heads screamed and opened their big mouths, biting at Su Xing.
"As per our agreement in advance, Your Servant indeed will not assist you." Wu Siyou had an aloof manner.
"How could I need to trouble Wife with this sort of small matter." Su Xing chuckled.
"I never thought Yingmei would unexpectedly like a lecher such as yourself." Wu Siyou finally could not bear it.
Su Xing laughed. Taking liberties with this icy beauty would feel rather good.
"Unexpectedly flirting before This King!" Demi King Devil Mask was three zhang tall, his demon horn prominent. He struck a seal, and the heads became a black wind that rolled towards Su Xing.
Su Xing grunted, extending a finger.
Twelve golden swords suddenly revealed themselves, shining with sparkling golden light that brightly lit the dark night. Under Su Xing's control, Heaven Tearing's sword light seemingly formed a huge net at high speeds around his body. Demon King Devil Mask's Heart-devouring Head Curse had been struck down into disorder and disarray. That terrifying black qi was easily slashed in half the moment it touched Heaven Tearing's sword qi.
Heaven Tearing was but forged from the Heaven Tearing Gold Dragon's scales. How could their spiritual powers and swordtips be resisted by these heads.
The Sword Chant rushed.
The twelve Heaven Tearing golden swords sparkled as they floated in the air.
"What are these flying swords!!" Demi King Devil Mask shouted.
"Flying swords that want your life!" Su Xing sneered, and a light flashed inside his eyes.
The Heaven Tearing Swords cried with a dragon's roar, piercing through the wind.
"A Galaxy Stage Cultivator dares to be pretentious before This King." Demi King Devil Mask yelled, and his demon horn shot out a bolt of black light the thickness of a water bucket.
The golden light alternated.
It cut down this black light. Demi King Devil Mask had yet to come to his senses when the twelve Heaven Tearing Swords suddenly pounced down like a golden dragon. "Sire!" The other Evil Spirit Clan Demon Soldiers shouted in fear.
Demi King Devil Mask showed an overwhelmed expression, and his body suddenly fell to pieces, dying just like that.
Those Demon Soldiers looked as if they had seen a monster, screaming and fleeing. Su Xing only sent a glance, and golden light scattered in every direction. Within the night, golden light glinted, and blood-curdling screams rang incessantly. In the blink of an eye, the cries were cut short.
"Indeed, it deserves to be called an Immemorial Sword Chant." Wu Siyou coldly chuckled.
Su Xing smiled. Originally, he had thought of going back, but he reconsidered. Since they had already entered the Vermilion Bird Territory undercover, there was no need to. Moreover, with the Demon King's death, the remainders were small bandits not worth mention. Those people were cultivators that experienced life or death, and thinking it over, Su Xing raised the flying sword and flew towards the depths of the canyon.
…
Fang Xin'gu took Zheng Hanyan forward under cover of the forest, his face nervous and cautious, a contrast to the girl, who actually was very indifferent in expression. She looked at Fang Xin'gu, engrossed.
Ghostly howls blocked his path forward.
Several Evil Spirit Clan Demon Soldiers yelled loudly, raising the weapons in their hands as they attacked.
Fang Xin'gu consecutively killed several Demon Soldiers when suddenly, a head bit onto his soldier. His body was promptly sliced by a sword. Seeing that their objective was injured, the Evil Spirit Clan Demon Soldiers became excited, using the Fiend Technique on their sabers continuously.
"Hurry and go, Cousin will protect you!" Fang Xin'gu bit open his finger and threw out several talismans.
Shua!
Several dozen heads ferociously opened their mouths wide, biting over with evil smiles.
Fang Xin'gu handsome face was somewhat pale, his gaze seemingly in despair.
In an instant, long hair like snow fluttered past the corner of Fang Xin'gu's eye. A wide hanfu raised its sleeves in front of him, and the hair that was like snow emitted a pale radiance in the night. Several dozen heads were immediately disintegrated. He only saw that the Zheng Yanran that looked as if she was incapable of riding swords suddenly take on a new form, and her hand clenched a modao8 that blocked in front of him.
The girl's smile was still frivolous as before as she gazed at Fang Xin'gu with an expression of admiration.
"Cousin, it would be better to let Little Sis come play with these Evil Spirits!"
The girl's figure was chilling, and the modao had a cold light like iron.
"Yanran, could it be that you are a Star General?" Fang Xin'gu's mouth hung agape.
