Boom—

The blade light seemed to be torn apart before everyone’s eyes, twisting and scattering in all directions, while a ripple spread through the air from the impact.

“What dense demonic aura!”

The man in the bamboo hat standing by the temple pillar swept his cloak around himself and slightly turned his face, his gaze slanting toward the five scholars huddled in the corner. In a hoarse voice, he said, “The moment you sense something is wrong, leave immediately. Head north, and you’ll reach Shangyong City.”

The corner of his cloak fluttered as his foot crashed down, shattering the floor tiles beneath him. Dragging his long saber behind him, he shot out of the temple in a blur of afterimages. At the far end of his vision, the black shadow bursting from the ground turned out to be a root, writhing on the spot like a giant tongue.

“Demon, cease your insolence!”

The saber-wielder let out a thunderous roar and charged toward the open ground outside the temple, meeting the root head-on. His blade whistled through the air as, with a furious shout of “Haaah—!”, he raised the saber in one hand and hacked down with all his might.

At the instant they were about to collide, the root abruptly shrank back, drilling into the earth again, while the descending blade struck the ground with a loud bang, sending ripples through the earth as a layer of soil surged outward in every direction.

Beneath the bamboo hat, the one-armed saber-wielder narrowed his eyes, his gaze slowly sweeping across the ground while the edge of his right ear twitched almost imperceptibly. In the next instant, he kicked the flat of the saber, borrowed the force with his lone arm to swing the weapon overhead, and drove the tip straight into the ground several paces away, burying well over half the blade.

“Demon, die!”

With a furious roar, he twisted the hilt. A sharp shhk rang out as a great plume of white vapor burst from beneath the earth, and at the same time a small mound of soil became visible, rapidly fleeing into the distance.

“Running? It’s not going to be that easy—”

Reversing his blade, the saber-wielder swept it backward, sending a crescent-shaped saber qi skimming across the ground in pursuit of the fleeing mound. The earth split apart with a succession of cracking sounds as the blade qi tore through the soil, catching up to it in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

Countless clods of earth exploded outward, filling the air with dust. The saber-wielder’s cloak stirred, sweeping the haze aside as he gripped the hilt tightly and lowered the heavy saber with a deep resonant hum until its tip struck the ground. His gaze remained fixed on the scene ahead, full of vigilance, while both ears continued to twitch, listening to the faint movements all around him that no ordinary person could possibly hear.

As a martial artist, keen hearing, sight, smell, and perception were indispensable. During the three years since that great battle against the demon, aside from the near-transcendent insights he had gained into the saber, he had devoted himself to sharpening those four senses. The slightest disturbance—a breath of wind or a rustle of grass—could never escape his notice.

The firelight spilling from the temple doorway flickered, and at the instant the light dimmed before him, the earth inch by inch ahead burst into the sky. More than a dozen black shadows, each over twice the size of a man, erupted from the ground. Their emergence sounded like mountains collapsing, booming as they swept across the earth and through the air from every direction.

“Raaagh!”

The saber-wielder roared without pause, pressing down on the hilt as he dragged the blade across the ground and charged straight toward the dozen enormous shadows. With a powerful push of his foot, he slipped past a smashing root, then his lone arm lashed upward, his saber cleaving into another massive root. Sap sprayed in every direction. The instant it split apart, he stepped away with uncanny agility, weaving between the towering roots, withdrawing and raising his saber in one fluid motion as he unleashed a relentless storm of chops and smashing strikes. The air was filled with the unending sounds of tearing flesh and crashing blows.

The five scholars hiding inside the temple cautiously poked their heads out from behind the doorway, one over another. They stared dumbfounded at the scene before them, utterly unable to comprehend what kind of power martial arts could attain at such a level. In the dim yellow glow, all they could see were countless flashes of saber light.

Outside, the blade stirred wind and thunder as it hacked deep into a gigantic root. The split root suddenly tightened, clamping firmly onto the saber’s edge. At that moment, another thick root swept across from the darkness nearby.

Facing the black shadow rapidly expanding in his vision until it blocked out everything else, the saber-wielder released the hilt and crossed his arm before his chest, drawing in a deep breath to receive the blow.

In the next instant, his arm collided with the pitch-black root.

The arm he had raised in defense was driven back against his chest. The air itself trembled with a muffled boom as his entire body staggered backward several steps, each footfall crushing deep depressions into the muddy ground.

“A thousand-year-old demon is hidden here! This is no foe for one man alone—I shall lend you my aid!”

A thunderous shout suddenly rang out from within the temple. The five scholars instinctively turned their heads as a brilliant streak of light shot over them from above. Close behind it, the bearded man who had been lying across the roof beam burst out of the temple with a wooden case strapped to his back and leapt into the air.

He struck the wooden case sharply behind him.

“Divine Swords, Subdue Demons!”

The case sprang open, and streams of small swords shot out from both sides with sharp whistles, each gleaming with spiritual light. Suspended high above, the burly man with the tangled beard seemed to hang motionless in midair as yin and yang radiance blossomed in his palms, which he thrust downward again and again toward the dense forest of writhing roots below.

Countless tiny swords rained down upon the mass of roots, producing a chorus of shhk, shhk sounds as wisps of green smoke rose into the air. The roots surging toward the saber-wielder visibly faltered for a moment before rapidly recoiling and, in the blink of an eye, burrowing back beneath the earth.

“Return!”

The bearded man landed lightly, flicking his sword fingers behind him. With a series of sharp whistles, the flying swords shot back into the wooden case before he turned to look at the saber-wielder.

“Brother, how are your injuries?”

“I won’t die.” The saber-wielder spread his hand and made a grasping motion through the air. The long saber lying on the ground flew back into his palm. With a swing of his arm, he lowered the blade until its tip hung toward the ground.

“You and I shall join forces and slay the demon lurking here—”

Before he could utter the final word, slay, the cool moonlight on the ground gradually faded. Within the hazy mist ahead, the two fox demons who had disappeared earlier drifted down gracefully, waving their gauzy sleeves as they took their places on either side and bowed.

“We respectfully welcome Grandmother.”

Beyond the veil of mist, the silhouette of a graceful figure slowly emerged, supported by several mischievous-looking children dressed in red bellybands. Advancing with slow, measured steps, the newcomer wore jet-black hair piled high, gold hairpins tipped with dangling jade bells swaying gently at either side. She stopped between the two fox demons and turned slightly, her black robe trimmed with golden embroidery flowing around her, while a black veil concealed her face.

A sharp golden claw covering one finger gently stroked the head of one of the children, and from behind the veil came a voice that shifted strangely between male and female.

“So… it was you who ruined my Lanruo Temple?”

The two fox demons exchanged a glance before hurriedly nestling up to her, gently massaging her shoulders as they spoke in soft, coaxing voices.

“That’s right, Grandmother. It was these two.”

“Their vital essence is exceptionally vigorous. Perhaps it can help Grandmother recover from the injuries inflicted by the Heavenly Lightning.” “Once Grandmother has recovered, there’ll be no need to rely on that Black Mountain Old Demon anymore.”

The moment the red fox finished speaking, a sleeve of the black robe swept across with a bang, striking her squarely across the face. Her body was sent tumbling to the ground, where she fell to her knees, trembling uncontrollably.

“And who are you to utter the Black Mountain Old Demon’s name?”

The veiled woman in the black robe embroidered with golden trim cast a sidelong glance at the two men. Several crimson tongues suddenly shot out from beneath her veil. The saber-wielder gripped his hilt and had only taken two strides forward when the bearded man carrying the wooden case seized him by the shoulder. Looking up at the stars and moon now hidden from view, he said gravely,

“This demon has yet to reveal its true form, and its demonic aura already obscures the heavens. The two of us are no match for it. We must leave—now!”

Dragging the saber-wielder back at full speed, he turned toward the temple and shouted at the five scholars still staring blankly inside.

“Run!”

The five men finally came to their senses, scrambling out of the temple in a panic. Before they had taken more than two steps, roots burst from the ground, coiling around their ankles before rapidly winding upward.

“I knew traveling at night would bring trouble!” “The four of us stayed away from women, and it still wasn’t enough—mmph!”

As they struggled, countless roots wrapped them tighter and tighter until all five were bound like rice dumplings, standing motionless where they were.

A demonic gale swept through the forest. The man with the wooden case struck out with several Palm Thunders, blasting apart the demonic roots erupting from the ground. Then, pulling the saber-wielder along, he leapt onto a tree branch. The saber-wielder’s own movement technique was no less remarkable; with a kick against the swaying branch, the two of them burst through the dense canopy together, racing across the treetops before fleeing into the distance.

Rustle… rustle…

The night wind howled around them. After fleeing for quite some time, and only when they could see the lights of the town at the foot of the mountain, the pair finally stopped beside a great green boulder halfway up the slope.

The saber-wielder thrust his blade into the ground with a thunk, untied the wineskin at his waist, took a long drink, then tossed it to the burly man beside him.

“My thanks for saving my life. I am a man of the south—Zuo Zhengyang!”

The bearded man caught the wineskin, took a hearty swig, then set down the wooden case. Liquor clung to his beard as he threw back his head and laughed.

“Yan Chixia, from the land of Qin. I spent ten years in Jiangnan, so you could say we’re half fellow countrymen.”

Zuo Zhengyang was momentarily stunned before removing his bamboo hat, revealing his face. Three years had passed since the battle in the capital, and streaks of white now traced his temples. His face was covered in rough stubble, giving him a weathered appearance.

His saber art had likewise become domineering and fierce. Over the past three years, he had wandered everywhere in search of demons, monsters, and ghosts. The several demon heads hanging from his waist were the proof of that journey—each one a whetstone upon which he had tempered his blade.

However, recalling what had just happened brought back memories of that battle in the capital against Pudu Cihang. Zuo Zhengyang clenched his fist and slammed it into the boulder with a heavy bang.

“What a pity… we couldn’t save those people.”

“One must know one’s limits. If the two of us had died there as well, who would have been left to rescue them?” Yan Chixia returned the wineskin to him and sat down nearby, his thick brows knitting together as he pondered for a long moment.

“From what I observed, that demon cultivated from the body of a thousand-year-old tree and has likely occupied that place for many years. Even if the two of us joined forces, we could at best inflict serious wounds upon it. I think we’ll need the help of one more person.”

Beside him, Zuo Zhengyang raised his head. “Now that you mention it, someone does come to mind.”

“What a coincidence. I was thinking of someone as well, from Qixia Mountain.”

Almost in unison, the two of them spoke the same name.

“Lu Liangsheng of Qixia Mountain.”

The pair froze for a moment, staring at one another. After several breaths, they suddenly burst into laughter.

“So you know him too!”

“Since we both know him, only one of us needs to go to Qixia Mountain to find him.” Zuo Zhengyang pulled the long saber from where it was embedded in the ground, stood up, and looked back at the bearded man.

“I’ll remain here and keep that demon occupied. You go to Qixia Mountain and bring him back.”

Rustle…

Yan Chixia did not answer. Instead, he suddenly turned toward a spot deep within the forest. His sword fingers flicked sharply, and with a whistle, a small flying sword shot from the wooden case and nailed itself beneath the roots of a nearby tree, where wisps of green smoke immediately rose.

“This is bad. That demon has likely linked itself with the entire mountain range. It probably heard everything we just said.”

“Then there’s no time to waste. We’ll split up!”

“Agreed!”

Neither man was one to hesitate. Yan Chixia immediately slung the wooden case onto his back, stepped onto the green boulder, and sprang away like a great bird diving into the forest. Bounding across several treetops, he disappeared into the night within moments.

At the same time, an invisible message traveled through the earth along strands of demonic power, returning to Lanruo Temple. Standing where she was, the Tree Demon Grandmother slowly drew back one of her long tongues, while the sharp golden claw upon her finger traced lightly across the corner of her mouth.

A wet slurping sound echoed through the air.

A moment later, the voice that was neither wholly male nor female rang out once more.

“Hmph… you’re not the only ones who know how to call for help.” She turned her head toward the red and white fox demons standing beside her.

“Go to Black Mountain and bring the Old Demon here. It’s been many years—it’s time he came to pay me a visit.”

The two fox demons exchanged uneasy glances.

“Grandmother… where is Black Mountain?”

Behind the black veil, the indistinct face froze for a moment. Closing her eyes, the Tree Demon Grandmother searched her memory before murmuring, “Southwest…”

Recalling the image of that man as he departed, she raised a finger and gently touched the white fox’s forehead.

“Do you know now?”

The white fox immediately felt an extra memory that did not belong to her. It was as though a point on a map had suddenly lit up within her mind. Judging by the direction, Black Mountain seemed to lie beyond rivers, somewhere in the Jiangnan region.

“Why are you still standing there?”

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted. The white fox hurriedly lowered her head. “Yes, Grandmother.”