Chapter Sixty-Two: Master of the Dark Arts

Qiu Di’s brows knitted tightly; he had not expected that Long Yun, with only a Bone-Melting cultivation, could evade his attack. His expression grew ugly. Instantly, his spiritual consciousness spread forth, a formidable pressure enveloping Long Yun completely.

Hmph! You think your movements are nimble? Let’s see how you dodge now that I’ve locked onto you!

With a cruel smile on his lips, Qiu Di thrust his sword fiercely, its sharp aura aimed straight at Long Yun’s heart.

Sensing the immense power of Qiu Di’s primordial spirit wrapping around him, Long Yun’s expression changed slightly, and a vast sword intent soared to the heavens! His primordial spirit fused completely with his sword intent—a desperate move, for if he could not break free from Qiu Di’s spiritual confinement, his Bone-Melting realm would stand no chance against such power.

In a direct confrontation, he would likely be gravely wounded, or worse—his life extinguished and his path severed.

Long Yun’s understanding of sword intent rivaled that of some sword masters. Now, for the first time, he merged his spirit with sword intent for an attack, though his heart held little confidence.

A muffled boom resounded as the fused spirit force crashed against Qiu Di’s lock, the clash of true energy echoing through the air. An invisible storm swept outward, and Long Yun felt his body lighten—the pressure vanished. Without hesitation, he flashed away, narrowly avoiding Qiu Di’s sword aura!

“So you do have some skill!” Qiu Di’s face darkened even further. With his cultivation at the second stage of the Innate Eightfold realm, he had failed to subdue Long Yun with two strikes. It was a blow to his pride. Gritting his teeth, he unleashed his spirit force in a torrent toward Long Yun.

Long Yun’s expression shifted. After repeated failed attacks, it was clear Qiu Di was going all out. The force now pressed upon him was at the edge of his endurance.

Earlier, the fusion of spirit and sword intent had succeeded by surprise—Qiu Di hadn’t expected it—but now Long Yun was completely suppressed, hardly able to breathe, let alone counterattack. As Qiu Di’s sword came at him again, danger surged to its peak.

“Master Shangguan, are you not going to act?” Long Yun roared, cursing Shangguan Yu inwardly.

Damn it, was that Ten-Mile Fragrance so hard to dispel? With your strength, even if it wasn’t entirely gone, you should at least be able to fight. Yet you just watched as I clashed head-on with Qiu Di.

“Haha!” Shangguan Yu’s hearty laughter rang out. He flicked his finger, a beam of light shooting forth and striking Qiu Di’s sword tip!

A clear chime sounded, and Qiu Di’s sword shattered into fragments, scattering in all directions.

Qiu Di staggered back over ten steps, staring incredulously at Shangguan Yu and muttering, “How… how could you have dispelled the Ten-Mile Fragrance?”

Shangguan Yu glanced at Long Yun with a hint of apology. His cultivation was profound; he had long since expelled the poison. But seeing Qiu Di target Long Yun, curiosity compelled him to wait and observe Long Yun’s limits.

Long Yun’s performance had astonished him—evading two attacks from the second stage of the Innate Eightfold realm and breaking free from his spiritual confinement, all at the Bone-Melting level. Such strength would rival even those at the Return-to-Origin realm.

“If you’d waited any longer, Master, I’d have lost my life!” Long Yun grumbled, causing Shangguan Yu some embarrassment.

Shangguan Yu turned his gaze to Qiu Di, murder flickering on his face. “I was going to capture you and cripple your cultivation, but you’ve stooped so low as to collude with the Demonic Sect. You deserve death!”

Qiu Di laughed wildly, retreating dozens of yards. “Shangguan Yu, do you think dispelling the Ten-Mile Fragrance guarantees your victory over me?”

His face twisted with rage. “Attack! Leave no one alive! Shangguan Yu, even if I die today, I’ll see your reputation destroyed and your life ruined!”

At his command, the rebel disciples of Jade Sword Gate and nearly a thousand mountain bandits surged toward the poisoned disciples, intent on slaughter.

Shangguan Yu frowned. The Jade Sword Gate disciples behind him were too scattered; even with his strength, he couldn’t protect them all. Moreover, Qiu Di’s three elders watched hungrily—this would be no easy task.

“Sword Rain!” Shangguan Yu snorted coldly, raising one hand. Above his head, a burst of golden light gathered, forming countless chilling swords of true energy, their tips aimed at the charging traitors.

“Go!” Sword energy surged, and a thousand swords shot forth, whistling through the air toward the rebels.

Qiu Di snorted in return, both palms unleashing dozens of strikes. The wind from his hands formed a shield of sword energy, enveloping the disciples at the front.

A cacophony of clanging erupted as Shangguan Yu’s sword rain battered Qiu Di’s shield, the relentless assault quickly cracking its surface.

“Useless!” At that moment, a cold voice rang out as two dark figures appeared above Qiu Di’s side, suspended in midair.

One shadow bent an arm, a black beam roaring forth, shredding Shangguan Yu’s sword energy.

Seeing these figures, Qiu Di’s face changed drastically. He dropped to his knees, pleading, “Honored ones, I am at fault. Please grant me another chance!”

“Hmph!” The shadow snorted. “Kill them all. We will handle this one.”

Shangguan Yu’s brows knitted tightly. Though these two were of equal rank, their combined assault would be formidable. His gaze flicked to Long Yun, who was quietly distributing antidote pills to the skilled poisoned disciples.

A trace of relief flashed in his eyes as Xue Renqi and Li Huafei joined him, standing behind Shangguan Yu, their eyes fierce with hatred toward Qiu Di.

“These two are mine. You protect the disciples!” Shangguan Yu instructed, then flashed up toward the two evil cultivators in midair.

Before he even rose, a dazzling sword aura slashed out in fury. Shangguan Yu finally drew his sword—it was said he hadn’t wielded it for nearly a decade. Now, he drew it in his opening move, showing just how wary he was of these two.

The evil cultivators were not to be outdone, drawing their weapons and engaging Shangguan Yu. His sword aura, like a silver dragon, shimmered through the black demonic energy—though pressed by their combined assault, he moved with ease, unlikely to falter quickly.

Qiu Di’s terror faded, and his rage was unleashed upon the remaining Jade Sword Gate disciples.

With a savage wave, he ordered, “Kill them all!”

The traitors charged at the disciples with madness. Xue Renqi and Li Huafei stood before the Jade Sword Gate disciples, their swords dancing, sword light flashing—dozens of traitors were slain in an instant.

“You two, hold them off!” Qiu Di commanded Li Changfeng and Duan Tianyi, who immediately rushed at Li Huafei and Xue Renqi.

Li Huafei faced Duan Tianyi alone; both were of equal rank, yet Li Huafei’s cultivation was much deeper, quickly forcing Duan Tianyi back.

Xue Renqi, in contrast, was a full realm lower than Li Changfeng, whose strikes left Xue’s meridians aching.

Li Huafei abandoned the idea of killing Duan Tianyi, lending aid to Xue Renqi at critical moments to prevent his death.

But with the two defenders occupied, the traitors surged unimpeded toward the Jade Sword Gate disciples.

Among them were many at the Rebirth and Bone-Melting realms—elders under Qiu Di, outnumbering the Jade Sword Gate’s own experts.

Chang Yi and Chen Long opened their eyes simultaneously, a flash of brilliance in their gaze as their swords swept toward the attackers.

Long Yun smiled slightly. Ordinary disciples were of little use and not worth expending his sacred power, but in the brief time since, he had fully healed the elders and stronger disciples. The battle had suddenly grown unpredictable once again.