Chapter 71: Misfortune Arrives One After Another

Falling Plum Blossoms? That’s not good! Ji Yao disliked such melancholy names.

“The fallen plum blossoms beneath the wall scatter like snow, brushing against me only to cover me again. Did you choose this name, Senior Brother Mu, because of some lingering memories that you cannot let go?” Ji Yao’s face betrayed her disapproval.

The three senior brothers present were taken aback by her words. Lu Ming and Gu Qiu both glanced at Mu Baiyun, and the atmosphere in the cave grew heavy.

Could she really have guessed right? Ji Yao suddenly regretted her impulsiveness.

What should she say now? She looked at each of their faces in turn, finally settling on Mu Baiyun’s handsome visage, as cold and beautiful as snow atop a mountain.

“Senior Brother Mu, let me suggest a name. See if you like it.” Without waiting for his reply, Ji Yao recited, “Amidst the snowy woods, I stand apart from the peach and plum, unmixed with their fragrant dust. I’ve decided to call this sword Snowdust.”

“Snowdust?” The three repeated the name.

Lu Ming was the first to agree. Then Mu Baiyun, understanding her intent, replied gently, “It’s your flying sword, so your opinion matters most. This name is excellent.”

Only Gu Qiu rolled his eyes. “It’s a fine name, but you don’t have a water or ice spiritual root. Naming a sword of the metal attribute like this is quite off-topic.”

Gu Qiu’s words ceased as Lu Ming shot him a sideways glare.

Ji Yao, when alone with Gu Qiu before, found him clever as a fox, but since meeting the other two senior brothers, she’d noticed Gu Qiu’s childish side revealed itself more often.

He really was just a youth in his rebellious phase, so unlike the Gu Qiu she’d known.

Is this what they mean by 'one thing subdues another'? Following this logic, wouldn’t she be at the bottom of the food chain? Such a realization was far from pleasant. She wondered if it was still possible to cling to the other two for support.

“Second Brother, you’re so different now—I almost don’t recognize you! Right now, you’re like the youngest in the family.”

Surprisingly, Gu Qiu didn’t retort. Instead, Lu Ming explained what Ji Yao wanted to ask.

“He is indeed the youngest! He’s my mother’s youngest nephew, so he’s actually my little cousin.”

Mother? Ji Yao caught onto that word. My goodness! These two would be nobility in the mortal realm, no wonder their bearing was exceptional.

Ji Yao’s eyes twinkled. “What about you and Senior Brother Mu? Who’s older?”

“In terms of age?” Lu Ming, caught up in the moment, actually answered. “If we’re counting, I’m two years older than Baiyun. Unfortunately, Baiyun was born into the Lingyun Sect, and by the time I joined, he was already five years old and had officially entered the sect. Otherwise, who knows who would be the senior brother of Lingyun!”

Lu Ming’s words were heartfelt, but carried no jealousy.

Ji Yao clapped her hands and smiled, tentatively suggesting, “Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother?”

Only Lu Ming played along, responding with, “Little Sister.”

Mu Baiyun shook his head, smiling despite himself—though his face showed no expression, his eyes were helpless.

Gu Qiu, intelligence returning, guessed Ji Yao’s intention and scoffed.

Who had been so eager to make Ji Yao their junior sister in the first place?

The cave’s mood became harmonious, and the group felt much closer.

Suddenly, the ground shuddered violently, as if a nearby hill had collapsed, affecting their cave as well. Cracks appeared in the walls, and bits of stone fell from the ceiling.

Was Ji Yao really so unlucky? The others faced only pebble-sized rocks overhead, easily swept away with a flick of spiritual power.

But above her, a stone the size of a watermelon fell blatantly. Ji Yao stepped swiftly aside and, with a flick of her hand, cast a Sharp Gold spell.

Unlike the usual Sharp Gold, her spell formed a net, encasing the stone. The instant it touched, golden light wove a cage that shredded the rock to dust.

The three watched, surprised—it was the first time they’d seen Sharp Gold used this way. Maybe higher-level cultivators could do it easily, perhaps better, but for a low-level cultivator—especially one still in Qi Refinement—such skill was rare.

The Five Elements basic spells were taught to all cultivators, sword cultivators included, for the practice of spiritual energy control.

Of all the Five Elements spells, Sharp Gold was the hardest to alter. Metal’s sharpness is rigid and unyielding.

To cast Sharp Gold as a net and form a cage required not just spell stacking, but precise spiritual energy output and, in Ji Yao’s case, exceptional control of her divine sense.

If she could master the legendary method of cultivating the sword within oneself, she’d no longer rely on the quality of her sword—she herself would become an unbeatable blade.

Unfortunately, that cultivation method was lost, and Ji Yao was not a pure sword cultivator; she had her own path.

The cave was clearly no longer safe. No one could say if the cracks would widen; a collapse would be unpleasant even for immortal cultivators.

“Let’s go out and have a look!”

Lu Ming led the way, followed by Gu Qiu, with Ji Yao close behind and Mu Baiyun taking up the rear.

Outside, they found a five-meter-long fissure in the ground where they had come in; its depth could not be seen.

Others from the different sects stationed nearby had come out as well, keeping their distance and watching, while several people investigated the crack.

Lu Ming signaled Gu Qiu to stay and protect Ji Yao, then went with Mu Baiyun to the site.

Since the discovery of the altar and the demon cultivator, a formation had been set around the altar with guards rotating shifts. Its function was still unclear, so no one dared destroy it.

Such an incident made it easy to guess that someone intended to destroy the altar.

Within fifteen minutes, those who went to check returned, including Lu Ming and Mu Baiyun.

The situation was already explained to everyone present, so even without Lu Ming and Mu Baiyun speaking, Ji Yao and Gu Qiu gleaned the gist from the surrounding discussions.

Just a quarter hour prior, someone tried to approach the altar using an earth-escape technique, detected by the guards and intercepted. The intruder, realizing this, continued to flee toward the camp using the same technique.

The original plan was to use a high-level Earth-Split talisman to collapse the area, creating chaos and distracting the defenders.

Unexpectedly, one of the defenders countered with another talisman, detonating the Earth-Split talisman prematurely, which resulted in the fissure on the path.

Had it not been for this, the fissure might have appeared right in the center of their camp. As for why no one in camp noticed earlier, the defenders claimed the intruder had a secret treasure concealing his presence, making him hard to detect.

They only noticed because the underground formation was triggered, and the intruder’s talisman took too long to charge, exposing his aura and allowing them to intercept him.

Realizing his plan had failed, the intruder took advantage of the explosion, before anyone could approach, and used a movement talisman to escape.

Moreover, it was a sixth-rank movement talisman, and with no one in camp having Nascent Soul cultivation, there was no chance of pursuit.

At that moment, a specially crafted communication talisman floated before Mu Baiyun, its flashing red light unmistakably signaling an urgent message.