Volume 1 Chapter 13: A Distant Guest Arrives Without Worries

  Time, in Lu Yun's cultivation, slowly passed by. Two years of time, always inadvertently looking back, had passed. Everything in the world seemed to have not changed, neither because of his appearance nor because of his disappearance. However, would his appearance really not change anything?

  In the Easy Garden, Lu Yun met Lin Yunfeng again. At this time, Lin Yunfeng was still his usual self, but Lu Yun saw that his cultivation had made extremely rapid progress. This meeting also included Zhang Aoxue and Li Hongfei besides Lin Yunfeng.

  In the Yitian Pavilion, the four masters and their most outstanding disciples all gathered together. Everyone quietly looked up at the Xuan Yu True Person, waiting for him to speak. The Xuan Yu True Person looked at the eight people below, his gaze lingering on the four disciples. Looking at the four of them, the Xuan Yu True Person revealed a hint of a smile and said in a soft voice: "Two years have passed in the blink of an eye. In these two years, you all have made great progress, which is worthy of praise. Among you four, Lu Yun and Lin Yunfeng arrived two years ago. The progress you two have made in this period of time is truly beyond expectations, especially Lu Yun. A young man who didn't understand the true meaning of cultivation techniques at first, yet within two years he has cultivated our sect's 'Yitian Twelve Techniques' to the tenth technique and the Lihuo Tiange Sword Technique to the Great Completion realm. This is truly a rare occurrence in the world. As for Ao Xue and Hong Fei, your achievements are clear for all to see, so I won't say more. This time, I mainly want to talk about the Six Institutes' Martial Arts Conference, which will be held at the Tianshen Institute half a month from now, an event that takes place once every ten years."

  Xuan Yu's expression changed slightly, and he said in a low voice: "Zi Yang, my junior brother, please go out and welcome our guest who has come from afar. Please settle him down first, after a short while, I will finish some things and then bring him here."

  Zi Yang Zhen Ren heard this and said in a soft voice: "Alright, I'll go right away. But who is this person?"

  Xuanyu True Person said, "You've seen it for yourself, go now, they're already at the door. Don't let them say that our Yi Garden doesn't understand etiquette." Zi Yang True Person hastily went out upon hearing this. The rest of the people all had shocked expressions, some looking at Xuanyu True Person with confusion.

  Xuan Yu Zhen Ren didn't mention this matter again and continued with the previous topic, saying: "This time's Liu Yuan martial arts competition is the same as before, with a total of 36 people participating. Each institute can have eight people participate, and the specific number depends on each institute's situation. However, if the number exceeds 36, an preliminary round will be held before the official competition, and only 36 people can participate in the end.

  This time, the Easy Garden will only have four of you participating, with a total number of no more than six people, so there is no need for a preliminary round. Because the Six Institutes' martial arts competition has a rule that if each institute has fewer than six participants, they do not need to go through the preliminary round and can directly enter the competition. If the number of participants exceeds six and the total number of participants from the Six Institutes exceeds thirty-six, then the excess people must go through the preliminary round. In this way, some sects may have more outstanding disciples, so the number of people entering the final round may exceed six, with seven or eight or even more, depending on each institute's performance over the past decade.

  This time, the four of you are going to represent our Yi Garden, so I hope you will definitely work hard and do your best to bring glory to Yi Garden. As for your current cultivation level, I am also quite satisfied, and I believe that if nothing unexpected happens, at least one or two of you can enter the top six. That way, the status of our Yi Garden will be greatly improved. In order to let you adapt to the environment there, three days before the competition, I will take you to the Tianjian Academy together. And in these twelve days, you also have other tasks waiting for you. After I finish speaking, Brother Xuanyin will take you to the Jueyin Valley in Shunan.

  There, hidden from view, are countless ferocious beasts. It is one of the gathering places for the seven major demonic creatures in the Cultivation Realm, ranking fifth. The place is extremely mysterious, hiding countless secrets and mysteries. This time, you will all go separately, each undergoing a seven-day arduous trial. Seven days later, gather at the valley entrance, then proceed together to the most mysterious Youyue Cave Heaven within the Absolute Yin Valley for five days. I hope you can gain something from this trip. The main purpose of this trip to the Absolute Yin Valley is to increase your combat experience and reaction to enemies. This will be helpful in improving your cultivation at the Martial Arts Conference.

  I hope that through this experience, you will all make some progress and bring honor to our Yi Garden. At the same time, there is also a certain level of danger involved, so you must be careful. If anyone suffers serious injuries, immediately return to the valley entrance, where Master Xuan Yin will be waiting for you. Remember, I don't want anyone to have an accident. Alright, go with Master Xuan Yin now. I wish you all a victorious return."

  After Zhang Ao Xue, Li Hongfei and others left with the mysterious master, Zi Yang Zhenren led three people in. Among them, one was a Buddhist monk who had renounced worldly life, over sixty years old, with a ruddy complexion and an air of majesty. The second was a Taoist priest, about fifty years old, holding a feather duster, with a hint of faint blue light on his thin face. The last one was a Confucian scholar in middle age, with an air of integrity.

  Xuanyu Zhenren saw the three people coming in, and hurriedly stood up to greet them. With a smile on his face, he said: "It turns out that it's the three old friends who have come from afar, Xuanyu is really sorry for not welcoming you earlier, please sit down quickly." After finishing, he invited the three to sit down. After the three sat down, Xuanyu Zhenren opened his mouth and said: "This time, the three old friends came together, could it be that something has happened? At this moment, our place has gathered Bodhi College, Dao Garden, Ru Garden, and our Yi Garden, four factions, which is a rare grand occasion. I don't know what brought the three old friends here this time?"

  He glanced at Xuan Yu Zhen Ren and the Ben Xing Da Shi of Bodhi Academy said, "Actually this time, we also met by chance, not deliberately arranged. We all encountered each other outside the number, so we came together. This time is mainly passing by, just take a look, and ask about the martial arts conference this time."

  "This time I came, first for the matter of the Martial Arts Conference, and secondly, recently, the evil spirits and demons have been rampant in all parts of the world. Let's discuss this with everyone and see if there are any good strategies."

  Xuan Yu Zhenren looked at Ru Garden's Dan Qing Sword Knight and asked, "What about you, old friend? Are you the same as them?" Ru Garden's Dan Qing Sword Knight Xu Canghai smiled and said, "I have that intention too. Besides, I'd like to ask, has there been any big movement in the Ghost Domain recently?"

  Xuan Yu's expression remained calm as he looked at the three of them and said in a soft voice, "Regarding the Martial Arts Conference, this time our Yi Garden has selected four people to participate. As for the outcome, it depends on your respective institutes' situations. We're not particularly concerned about it either. As for the frequent appearances of ghosts and evil spirits from various places, we are also working hard on that. The Ghost Domain has been secretly active in recent years, trying to break through the seal and enter the human world. But we have always sent people to guard it tightly, responding immediately whenever there's a situation, so there hasn't been any major harm for now. As for the evil spirits from various places, perhaps they are omens of great chaos before it begins. Therefore, apart from trying our best to stop them, we can't think of any other solutions for the time being."

  A Taoist immortal asked, "I heard that there are two extremely outstanding talents under your gate. One is called Li Hongfei and the other is Zhang Aoxue. I wonder if they will participate this time?"

  Xuanyu Zhenren smiled upon hearing this, and lightly glanced at the three junior brothers and sisters of his sect. He smiled slightly and said: "Old friend's ears are indeed formidable, even knowing about the two outstanding disciples of our sect. As for the outstanding disciples of your Dao Garden, I am completely unaware, truly a miscalculation."

  Qingyi Zhenren laughed and said: "Xuanyu Zhangjiao, you're joking. This generation of our garden doesn't have any outstanding disciples, it's all a bit embarrassing. Now that the calamity has arrived, it's time for us six institutes to show off our skills. I'm afraid this time the spotlight will be on Yiyuan, Tianjian Institute and Fenghuang Book Institute. I heard that Puti College has produced a rare talent in decades, who has cultivated 'Wuxiang Boruo' to the highest level, which is rarely seen in the world. And Sanjian Xia of Ruyuan also has deep cultivation, it seems that this time we Daoyuan are left behind."

  The Master of the Bodhi Academy said, "Qingyidao friend, don't hide your secrets. The cultivation of Wuwang and Yunhua, two disciples from your Dao Garden, is probably not something that just anyone can compare to. It's said that these two have already cultivated the Jade Clear Heart Sutra, the supreme technique of your Dao Garden, to the tenth level realm, and are only one step away from the highest realm. I believe their cultivation is absolutely outstanding among the six academies."

  "Master said it right, the two disciples from Dao Garden, I've also heard about them. Actually, this time among the six institutes' disciples, there are many outstanding individuals, it can be said that this is the biggest harvest in the history of the six institutes. According to what I know, Tianjian Institute has at least six exceptional disciples, which is quite astonishing, while Puti College has two, Dao Garden has three, and our Rujun also has three relatively prominent disciples. As for Fenghuang Book Institute, it's said that there are two female disciples who are exceptionally talented, with remarkable cultivation. Yijun has at least two as well, which makes this year's Six Institutes' Martial Arts Conference quite lively. The competition for the top six will be even more intense. In the end, who can get the first place in this session, it all depends on each one's abilities."

  Xuan Yu Zhen Ren smiled and said, "Anyway, no matter who it is, there will always be someone who can get the first place. This time, as long as we can enter the top six, I, Yi Yuan, will be satisfied. For so many years, our Yi Yuan has been at the bottom, and I feel a bit embarrassed? I hope that this time, the disciples under my gate can fully display their abilities and break away from our usual lagging situation. As for the first place, according to what you said, it should undoubtedly be Tian Jian Academy. Every session is full of talented people from there, truly worthy of being the leader of the cultivation world."

  The others from the three courts nodded slightly, and in their hearts, they couldn't help but acknowledge this. The strength of the Tianjian Court had always been flourishing and never declining. For so many years, no one had ever been able to replace their position, truly a legend in the cultivation world. In the following time, everyone talked about the matter of the various regional demons, unfortunately, no one came up with a result in the end.

  Finally, the three institutes' people sat for a while before each bidding farewell. Xuan Yu Zhenren tried his best to persuade them to stay, but only managed to keep Xu Canghai, the Confucian Institute's Danqing Sword Immortal, behind. The other two claimed they had matters to attend to and left Yiyuan separately.

  On this side, the True Person of Mysterious Shade led the four most outstanding disciples of Yi Garden, each riding their swords and flying towards the Valley of Absolute Shade. From Yi Garden to the Valley of Absolute Shade was over 500 miles, but the five of them flew on their swords and arrived in just half an hour. The True Person of Mysterious Shade looked back at his four disciples from mid-air. Li Hongfei of Qian Institute and Zhang Aoxue of Kun Institute were the fastest, far ahead of Lin Yunfeng and Lu Yun by over a hundred zhang.

  Xuanyin True Person opened his mouth and said: "The front is the Absolute Yin Valley, everyone go down. The surroundings of the valley are all set with yin-yang lock magic arrays, so it's impossible to enter by force, must enter from the valley entrance." After finishing, he rode his sword and came to the entrance of the Absolute Yin Valley. Soon, Li Hongfei and Zhang Aoxue also fell beside Xuanyin True Person, quietly sizing up the entrance of the Absolute Yin Valley.

  When Lu Yun and Lin Yunfen landed, Xuan Yin Zhenren glared at Lin Yunfen fiercely and scolded: "Useless thing, hurry up. Now I'll lead the four of you in. Inside, there are two paths, one left and one right. You'll each take a path, and after walking for a while, you'll encounter another fork in the road. At that time, you can choose your own path to continue on. As for what you'll encounter, it depends on your individual luck. What I can tell you is that inside, there are seven caves, each with different spirits and ghosts. Within seven days, whether or not you can exit smoothly depends on your abilities and luck. If you really encounter the most ferocious beast here - the Xi Yue Tian Lang, be careful." After finishing speaking, he led the four of them slowly into the valley.

  Lu Yun carefully measured the valley entrance, which was very peculiar, just like a wolf's mouth. The towering giant stones on both sides were like wolf teeth, as if they wanted to devour people. At the same time, Lu Yun also noticed that there was a strange array laid out in the valley, extremely mysterious and subtle, containing the yin and yang energies, extremely ominous. It seemed that ordinary people couldn't enter.

  The mysterious and powerful Xuan Yin Zhen Ren led the four of them through twists and turns, opening his mouth to recite: "This formation is established with the eight trigrams of yin and yang. If you pay close attention, it shouldn't be difficult for you to escape. The most peculiar thing about this formation is that entering is somewhat difficult, but exiting is relatively easy. Of course, this refers to you; as for those malevolent spirits and ghosts, once they enter this place, they will be devoured by the yin and yang energies of the formation, and they won't have any way to escape from here." Before long, Xuan Yin Zhen Ren led the four of them through the grand formation and arrived at the entrance of Jue Yin Valley.

  Looking at the two roads, one to the left and one to the right, Xuan Yin Zhenren glanced at the four of them and said: "Now you can go in, it's seven days from now. With your cultivation, not eating is a small problem. I hope you are careful on the way, this time is mainly to temper your actual combat experience and enrich your adaptability, so be careful, here is also full of danger. Hong Fei, you go first."

  Li Hongfei nodded slightly and didn't say anything, directly choosing the left path and disappearing. Immediately after, Zhang Aoxue chose another path to go. This left only Lin Yunfeng and Lu Yun, who looked at each other for a moment before Lu Yun followed Li Hongfei's path, leaving Lin Yunfeng with no choice but to take the other path.

  Not mentioning the different experiences of the other three, let's talk about Lu Yun continuing along that small path and soon arriving at a fork in the road. Lu Yun took a closer look and saw that there were four forks in total on this side, with an obvious footprint left on the second one from the left, clearly intentionally left by Li Hongfei to tell those who came later which route he had taken. Lu Yun quietly stopped for a moment before choosing the path all the way to the right, thinking that he should distance himself from Li Hongfei so as not to be discovered with his secret.

  Proceeding three miles ahead, the flowers and grasses on both sides of the road were lush and very beautiful. Not a single hint could be seen that this was actually the place where the seven major demons gathered in the Xiu Zhen realm. Lu Yun muttered to himself: "Perhaps this can also be considered a scenic spot with beautiful mountains and rivers. Otherwise, why would demons gather here?"

  Looking at the cave in front of him, Lu Yun's first feeling was that it was filled with a strong aura of evil spirits and was very eerie. The cave was very deep, and in Lu Yun's mind, a clear picture of the scene inside the cave had already appeared. Unfortunately, it was only the first part, but as for the latter part, the aura there was heavy and seemed to be interfering with Lu Yun's thoughts.

  Lu Yun carefully looked around, no one was there, good. With a calm smile, Lu Yun slowly walked into the cave. The cave was very dark, but Lu Yun didn't mind at all. His spiritual sense was currently carefully exploring the depths of the cave, that extremely intense demonic energy. Lu Yun released three spiritual senses, the first one with a frequency of 3,600 times per instant, carefully probing that mass of demonic energy. The second spiritual sense had a frequency of 14,400 times per instant, rapidly searching for the fluctuation frequency band of the demonic energy. The last one was at an extremely low frequency of once every hundred breaths, slowly gathering information about the demonic energy.

  Lu Yun's face revealed a hint of surprise, as the three mental probes had uncovered different information. Unfortunately, he only managed to glean some insight into the composition of the demonic energy. This was something Lu Yun had never encountered before. Lu Yun mounted his sword and hovered in mid-air, his longsword flashing with a piercing red light that rotated rapidly above his head, enveloping him in a layer of crimson radiance.

  Lu Yun's feet didn't touch the ground, his body slightly leaning forward, moving at an incredible speed. Soon Lu Yun arrived at a large cave, where the aura of evil was extremely strong, clearly indicating that there was a powerful demon hiding here to cultivate. Lu Yun's arrival instantly caused chaos in the cave, as countless black gases transformed into various shapes in mid-air, looking very strange. At the same time, countless black gases rushed towards Lu Yun at high speed, seemingly wanting to devour him.

  Lu Yun gazed at the black gas surrounding him, a hint of a smile in his eyes. In this moment, his entire body suddenly burst forth with an overbearing aura that dominated the heavens, instantly forcing those black gases to dodge and weave without cease. The silent, eerie wind howled from the cave, sounding extremely terrifying. Lu Yun's mouth curled up into a sinister, evil smile, the long sword on his head bursting forth with dazzling radiance, illuminating everything around him in a brilliant light. The black gases hovering in mid-air instantly had nowhere to hide, all of them revealing themselves completely.

  At this moment, a black shadow suddenly pounced from behind Lu Yun, the terrifying shape of the black shadow seemed to want to tear him apart and swallow him into his belly. At the same time, nine different black shadows flashed out from the nine directions, with different breaths, all ferociously pouncing towards Lu Yun.

  Lu Yun smiled proudly, here he was the only one, and he was the master of this place. Lu Yun's body suddenly burst out a five-colored light, his body surrounded by nine layers of spiritual waves, each layer's frequency increasing one by one, firmly protecting him. Moreover, the long sword on his head was also shining with a crimson light, illuminating those dark shadows and making them let out eerie screams.

  Lu Yun learned from Lin Yun Feng that the Blazing Fire Heaven's Punishment Sword of Yang Institute was extremely overbearing to the world's demonic creatures, and it just happened to restrain them. On the other hand, the Demon-Slaying Exterminating Magic Sword of Yin Institute had the ability to counter all kinds of demons and monsters. At this moment, Lu Yun unleashed the power of the Blazing Fire Heaven's Punishment Sword, and a red light flashed, instantly filling the entire cave with countless angry roars.

  The ten black shadows that were charging towards Lu Yun suddenly had three of them blown away, slowly dissipating into green smoke and disappearing into the air. The other seven black shadows, apparently extremely powerful, were only blown back. Lu Yun looked at these seven black shadows and felt that there were still three even more powerful auras hiding in the darkness, yet to appear. Lu Yun's eyes sparkled with amusement, his expression arrogant, as the long sword on top of his head suddenly stopped spinning and transformed into a fire dragon, wildly bursting out and dancing through the cave. A wave of heat, like hellfire, incinerated everything, and the surroundings were instantly filled with dark winds and countless blood-curdling screams that shocked the heart and soul, extremely terrifying.

  Lu Yun's hands were clasped behind his back, and he chuckled to himself as he said, "I see you're not showing yourselves yet. You demons, quickly reveal your forms." As soon as he finished speaking, the fire dragon flashed and charged towards a dark spot on the left side. In an instant, red light and black air entwined each other, forming a rare and spectacular sight. The fire dragon in mid-air opened its mouth wide, its eyes blazing with anger, its sharp claws dancing wildly as it fiercely battled the flashing black cloud. The rolling hot waves collided with the gloomy cold air, producing a hissing sound that was extremely piercing to the ear.

  Lu Yun's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he suddenly sheathed his long sword. The red glow extinguished instantly, plunging the surroundings into darkness. The red glow reappeared, and the long sword began to rotate above Lu Yun's head once more. The flickering red light illuminated everything in the cave. Lu Yun gazed at the black energy mass that was flashing with a seductive glow and said in a low voice, "Still not showing yourself? Do you want to force me to take action?"

  Suddenly, a voice came: "Cultivator, you're being too excessive. This is the Absolute Yin Valley, not a place where cultivators like you should come. If you don't leave now, don't blame us for being impolite." The gloomy voice carried a hint of threat.

  Lu Yun looked at the black shadow with a cold and arrogant gaze, sneering: "Although you are three in one, I can still force you to reveal your true form. At that time, everything will be too late. From the moment I entered here, today you were destined to be annihilated. I let you appear, just to see what your true body looks like. If you didn't do evil, I might have spared your lives."

  That gloomy voice said: "Cultivator, you are too arrogant and ignorant. In the past, countless people came here, speaking wildly and recklessly, but they all ended up dying here and becoming our food. You will definitely not be able to leave alive today, although you have the aura of Yi Garden on your body, it is impossible for you to survive." As soon as the words fell, six physical shadows suddenly appeared and rushed towards Lu Yun. Lu Yun looked at them and found that they were all wild wolves, with different body shapes and extremely ferocious appearances. Lu Yun carefully observed the tops of these six wolves' heads, where a faint evil spirit light was revealed, obviously not benevolent.

  Six wolf demons moved as fast as the wind, their speed unmatched, with sharp claws and teeth gleaming with a cold, sinister light. They pounced on Lu Yun from different directions. At first glance, it was clear that these wolf demons knew how to coordinate their attacks, deeply understanding the application of tactics. A flash of cold light appeared in Lu Yun's eyes as he realized that these wolves were not ordinary wild wolves and needed to be handled with care, lest he become careless. The red light shifted slightly, and Lu Yun moved three feet away, lightly avoiding the ferocious wolf demons. A hint of an evil smile appeared in Lu Yun's eyes as he turned his head back, quietly waiting for the next wave of attacks from these wolves.

  Lu Yun felt very calm in his heart, seven days was a long time, he didn't need to be too anxious. Since he came here, it was to improve his adaptability, so he might as well get along with these wolf demons and test his reaction and combat skills. At this moment, Lu Yun withdrew the spiritual waves of consciousness from all directions, holding only the long sword in his hand, his body instantly slid into the encirclement of the six wolves, the long sword brought a faint red glow, and in an instant, thirty-six swords were chopped out, striking the six wolf demons.

  The swordsmanship displayed by Lu Yun was actually the Li Huo Tian Gang Jian Jue of Yi Yuan. However, he didn't combine it with the spell, but only used the sword technique to try and kill the six wolf demons with his long sword.

  The long sword trembled and danced, a powerful sword aura instantly formed outside Lu Yun's body, creating an air shield. Countless sword auras swept horizontally and vertically, instantly striking three wolf demons, causing them to let out ear-piercing wails, before they dissipated into a wisp of black air, vanishing without a trace. The sword aura crisscrossed, and the mountain cave was suddenly filled with flying sand and walking stones, shattered rocks turning to dust.

  Lu Yun's figure danced in mid-air, his long sword emitting a red glow that exploded with an overwhelming sword energy, forcing the remaining three wolf demons to have nowhere to hide. Lu Yun sneered coldly and said, "Still not surrendering? Look at my sword!" As soon as he finished speaking, the red glow surged violently, forming a circular light shield made of layered swords that enveloped the three wolf demons inside and quickly closed in on them. The three wolf demons' bodies flashed left and right, trying to break through the layers of sword curtains, but as soon as they touched the red sword light, their bodies immediately withered away. In an instant, the three wolf demons let out mournful and eerie cries, their bodies slowly being devoured by the red sword light.

  Lu Yun's right hand shook the long sword, a powerful sword energy mixed with the aura of Lie Huo Tian Gang Jian Jue, combined with Yi Tian Twelve Jue's mantra, instantly swept away that black air mass. Suddenly, a black air body rushed towards Lu Yun's sword light, two different properties of true energy exploded in an instant, and bursts of deafening muffled sounds came from mid-air.

  Lu Yun's scarlet sword tip, in one swift motion, broke through the black gas and shot towards the dark shadowy mass at incredible speed. Just as it was about to hit its mark, a black light suddenly flew out of the black mass and met Lu Yun's sword tip head-on. A loud clanging sound echoed through the air as the black light sent Lu Yun's sword flying back, leaving him somewhat startled.

  Lu Yun carefully observed the black light halo revolving around the black gas mass, a hint of contemplation in his eyes. The thing looked like a wolf's fang, only much longer and thicker, about three feet long. Lu Yun couldn't help but think that these demonic beasts actually knew how to refine equipment, truly not simple. It seemed that there were still many hidden things here.

  Quietly gazing at the fluttering wolf fangs, Lu Yun's eyes suddenly emitted a dazzling light, an aura of standing proudly in the sky, instantly filling every corner of the mountain cave. A layer of cyan light slowly appeared on Lu Yun's body, gradually intensifying. Taking slow steps forward, Lu Yun's eyes coldly gazed at the mysterious energy mass before him, slowly walking away.

  In the cave, the atmosphere was suddenly filled with tension. A battle between humans and demons was about to unfold. The green and red lights intersecting in the cave cast an eerie glow on the dark aura. As the great war loomed, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through the cave, accompanied by countless mournful sighs and terrifying roars that seemed like the wailing of restless spirits from hell, filling people with fear. What did this strange phenomenon portend?