Yu Zhenghai looked at the calligraphy paper on the table. Yu Zhenghai, Yu Shangrong, Duanmu Sheng, Mingshi Yin, Zhao Yue, Ye Tianxin, Si Wuya, Zhu Honggong, Ci Yuan’er, Conch. Si Wuya drew circles on their names. When put together, they formed the words for the poem: the bright moon shines over the sea; from far away we share this moment together.
“I never noticed this!” Yu Zhenghai was inwardly shocked by this revelation.
“That’s why I suspected master wanted to recruit ten disciples from the very beginning,” Si Wuya said.
“Wait.” Yu Zhenghai raised a hand. “If what you say is true, why isn’t Conch the ‘shi’ in the poem?”
Si Wuya said, “I’ve asked Hua Chongyang about this before. This little girl is pure and naïve. She doesn’t know her own name.”
Yu Zhenghai’s eyes brightened. He nodded and said, “Could it be… that the little girl is master’s… daughter born out of wedlock? Perhaps, she’s hiding her name from us so that we won’t find out about master’s promiscuous past?”
Si Wuya nearly choked when he heard Yu Zhenghai’s speculations.
Yu Zhenghai said, “Don’t get so worked up, wise brother. I was only joking.”
He was fortunate that his master was not around. If he was, Yu Zhenghai would have suffered a good beating.
It was not Si Wuya’s style to badmouth his master behind his master’s back.
“I’ve gone through the ancient texts, and I didn’t find the origins of this poem, whether in the history books or collections left behind by literary masters. With master’s skill in poetry, I don’t think that he can even come up with a limerick. How could he have penned this magnificent poem?” Si Wuya wondered out loud.
Yu Zhenghai placed his hands on his back and said, “The world is vast and full of wonders. When master was at his peak, he traveled the nine provinces and the four seas. It’s only natural for him to have encountered unusual happenings or heard some lesser-known folk songs and the likes.”
Si Wuya nodded At the moment, this was the only explanation.
“Wise brother, now that we’re in a good position, let’s talk about business…” Yu Zhenghai was not interested in this poem. He was merely entertaining Si Wuya. He removed the calligraphy paper from the table and rolled out Yu Province’s map.
Si Wuya dismissed his thoughts and focused his attention on the map before he said, “Half a year… We should pick up the pace, then. I think tonight’s our best chance.”
His statement was shocking.
Yu Zhenghai did not expect that. He asked, “Are we in a hurry?”
“We should strike when our enemy least expects us to.”
“Good!” Yu Zhenghai smacked Si Wuya’s shoulder heavily. “Your words are just what I like to hear, wise brother!”
…
Inside a room in the temporary General’s Mansion in Yu Province.
A valiant-looking woman was tidying her martial attire in front of a mirror. Her hair was tied into a bun. Even her armor and sword could not hide her fair facial features.
“General Ji, you’re certainly a match for men. It’s up to you to defend Yu Province now,” a person next to her said in an attempt to flatter her.
This woman was the only female among the eight great generals, Ji Qingqing.
Ji Qingqing said disapprovingly, “Do you think that Yu Province can be defended?”
The deputy general immediately fell to one knee. “General, you’re our mainstay. You must remain strong!”
“Nonsense.” Ji Qingqing frowned and placed one hand on her sword. “Four of my eight deputy generals have already been lost before the battle started. The Nether Sect is like the sun at high noon. How am I supposed to keep them at bay?”
“Uh…” the deputy general stammered, “T-the Taixu Academy’s President, Xiao Shan, is bringing 1,000 disciples here as reinforcements. They’ll certainly be of some help to you, General.”
“That’s enough.” Ji Qingqing waved her hand. She did not want to discuss this further.
…
Night fell.
On the southern city gate.
A huge, dark flying chariot slowly sailed into view.
Yet, the Ji Province City remained silent.
The cultivators at the top of the gates looked up at the night sky.
“What’s that?”
“A flying chariot?”
The night was too dark. They did not have much visibility. They rubbed their eyes and widened them to look again.
Suddenly, a saber shot out from the flying chariot. The saber glowed with faint radiance. Then, there was a bright flash as the energy saber instantly enlarged. It dropped toward them like a large pinwheel. As it descended, scores of densely packed starlight shot out.
This was the famed saber technique, Great Dark Heaven Memorial’s Dark Heaven Starlight, that Yu Zhenghai, the Sect Master of the Nether Sect, cultivated.
“This is bad! The Nether Sect is here!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
They did not even have the time to light the fire signals before they activated the ballistae.
The Great Dark Heaven Memorial broke through the western city gate in no time at all.
Outside the gate, tens of thousands of Nether Sect members swarmed into the city. Their shouts resounded in the skies.
On the flying chariot, Yu Zhenghai stood with his hands on his back as he observed the battle below.
“Wise brother, what do you think?”
“Your saber technique is shocking, Eldest Senior Brother. I’m awestruck.” Si Wuya looked at the Great Dark Heaven Memorial, stunned.
The Nether Sect cultivators poured into Yu Province City swiftly. Whenever they ran into the garrison, they killed.
The flying chariot began to slowly advance. It was progressing like a hot knife through butter.
High above the southern city gate, a figure crossed his arms in the dark night skies as he looked down. He glanced at the skies to the west and shook his head disapprovingly. “What a crude way of swinging his saber. Utterly boring and ostentatious. Its lethality is low. All it has got going for it is its appearance.”
He continued to watch the battle; he did not join in. This was because the garrison soldiers were too weak. They were boringly weak. He could not bring himself to be bothered with them.
A moment later, he saw almost 1,000 individuals flying toward him in groups. Perhaps, he had been hovering in a remote part of the skies, combined with his green robes and the night skies, the people did not seem to notice him.
“Shh.” The leader raised his hand.
“President, what do we do now?”
“Let’s avoid being caught for now. We’ll take a detour and leave Yu Province. Then, we’ll launch a sneak attack on Jing Province…”
The others nodded.
“I didn’t expect Yu Zhenghai to be this powerful… It’s a fine idea to avoid him.”
Some of the Nether Sect’s elites were stationed in Liang Province to guard against the Other Tribes.
Yu Zhenghai and the others originally guarded Jing Province themselves. Now that they were launching this large-scale attack, the province was, naturally, left unguarded.
“Old Villain Ji has destroyed our Taixu Academy. I must have my revenge.”
At this moment, a voice rang from above the cultivators.
“My apologies.”
“Who’s there?!” President Xiao Shan shuddered as he looked up. He saw a green-robed swordsman hovering in the night sky.
Zing!
A faint scarlet sword flew out from behind the green-robed swordsman’s back. The sword split into two, then, it multiplied… until the sky was filled with densely packed energy swords.
Whizz!
An avatar appeared! The avatar that was missing a Golden Lotus shot toward them with thousands of energy swords in tow.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The energy swords easily pierced the chests of the Taixu Academy disciples. They were powerless to fight back.
Xiao Shan summoned his avatar and rose higher in the air in an attempt to block the energy swords.
As soon as Xiao Shan rose into the sky, a faint smile appeared on Yu Shangrong’s face. He adjusted his grip on his Longevity Sword as he stepped forward.
There was a flurry of movements.
Five leaves circled the sword’s blade.
Before Xiao Shan could react, the leaves were already on the move. They sliced through his protective energy with uncanny sharpness.
The Longevity Sword followed closely behind the leaves, and it pierced Xiao Shan’s dantian’s sea of Qi.
Xiao Shan felt a chill spread throughout his body. His heart sank to the depths of his soul as he witnessed his disciples being stabbed by Sword Devil’s Destiny. He cried out, “I’m taking you with me!” As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately detonated his dantian’s sea of Qi.
Boom!
Yu Shangrong was set to be caught in the explosion. He felt the incoming wave of energy as he swung his Longevity Sword. A tidal wave of sword shadows was launched. The scene where he slashed the Fiend Zen was reenacted. He focused all his attention and worked with every fiber of his being as he swung his sword. He moved like the wind. The area within two meters of him was completely filled with the Longevity Sword’s shadows.
…
On the Nether Sect’s flying chariot.
Yu Zhenghai looked in the direction of the western city gate. At night, they could not see the details of the techniques or the appearance of the other person. However, it was difficult to miss the huge avatar.
“A 60-foot avatar with no Golden Lotus?” Yu Zhenghai was inwardly shocked. He was not shocked by the profundity of the person’s cultivation base but at the speed at which the cultivator managed to re-cultivate to the Five-leaf stage after severing his lotus. It was a truly shocking feat.
“Eldest Senior Brother, that must be energy swords. It’s most probably from the sword path elite who has been helping us,” Si Wuya said.
