Chapter 186 - 182: The Aura of the Immortal Artifact Spring and Autumn Brush

Deep within the Holy Blood Sect, inside a secluded cave residence.

The room was empty and sparsely furnished.

Two men sat facing each other at a stone table, playing a game of Go.

One had a head of white hair and a white beard, but his skin was as smooth and delicate as a young man’s. A deep indentation marked his forehead.

The other, a middle-aged man, wore a blood-red robe adorned with ancient, simple patterns.

His long hair and short beard both had a faint red sheen, and his eyes were as crimson as blood. It was a strange, intimidating sight.

"It should be starting over there..." The red-eyed, middle-aged man picked up a black stone, considered his move, and placed it on the board. "I must thank you, Xiaochen, for spreading the news that exploring the Relics would be thrilling but safe."

His voice had a strange, metallic clang, as if metal was striking metal, or as if Sword Qi was slashing through the air.

The white-haired Chen Master was a bit taken aback. "Elder Xue, what are you saying? My Divination did indeed show that the exploration of the Relics would be thrilling but safe. What’s wrong with spreading that information?"

"That’s for the best." The red-eyed man’s smile was a bit stiff, as if he wasn’t used to smiling.

Chen Master held a white stone, hesitating for a long time without making a move. ’Am I being set up? Is there something strange about this expedition to the Relics? I’m a Supreme Elder of the Sect. Can’t even I be told?’

Xue Tu merely smiled without a word.

Laughter drifted in from outside the cave residence. Before it faded, a person had already arrived.

He was a stout man dressed in light gray linen. His skin was coarse, dark, and oily. His eyes were bright and sharp, like those of a well-trained professional soldier.

Xue Tu glanced at the newcomer, giving a slight nod in greeting before urging Chen Master to make his move.

Chen Master greeted him, "Elder Shi."

Then he returned his attention to the board.

After he placed his stone, Xue Tu quickly placed one of his own.

Chen Master’s delight was written all over his face. Elder Blood Slaughter’s move was practically suicidal.

In less than ten moves, Xue Tu resigned in the middle game.

"I’ve lost," Xue Tu said casually as he stood up. "Xiaochen, you may go."

"Haha, I won! I finally won!" Chen Master left gleefully, eager to share the good news with someone.

He had finally won a game against Elder Xue!

’Huh? Did I forget something?’

’Oh, well. It can’t be that important!’

Finally beating Elder Blood Slaughter was the only thing that mattered!

~~~~~

After the ecstatic Chen Master scampered away, the man in linen casually set up another layer of an Array.

Xue Tu spoke calmly, "Elder Shi, what’s the situation? Have they all entered the Relics?"

Supreme Elder Shi Shentong smiled. "Rest assured, Elder Xue. Everything is going according to plan."

Xue Tu’s tone was flat. "They are all young, promising disciples of the Sect. Sacrificing them for the grand plan is a necessary evil. I just hope not too many of them die."

Shi Shentong said with a smile, "If we can achieve our goal, then even sacrificing a generation of talented disciples will be worth it."

As he spoke, he took out a Scroll.

Xue Tu took the Scroll and slowly unfurled it. Abstract lines instantly appeared on the blank surface.

The lines shifted continuously, reflecting in Xue Tu’s eyes and causing countless images to flash through his crimson pupils.

To Xue Tu’s inscrutable crimson eyes, these abstract lines, incomprehensible to ordinary people, held a unique meaning.

After a long moment, a stiff smile appeared on Xue Tu’s face. "As expected. After the fragment of the Time Jade Scroll was sent in, a change occurred in the Relics. The phantom of the Cyan Yang Sect from ten thousand years ago has returned to this land. And... I can sense the aura of the Spring and Autumn Brush!"

Elder Shi’s pupils contracted. Although he had anticipated this, the confirmation still shocked him. "It’s just as the Sect’s predecessors predicted. The Cyan Yang Sect obtained at least one fragment of the Immortal Artifact, the Spring and Autumn Brush. Ten thousand years ago, under the assault of the Demon Race, the Cyan Yang Sect was annihilated in less than a day. Even though the Demon Race was powerful, the circumstances were still very suspicious. Many of our Sect’s predecessors asserted that there had to be a hidden story."

"When we sent Bai Shaofeng out to briefly communicate with the outside world, we learned that the Cyan Yang Sect had reappeared and joined forces with the Demon Race. The Great Powers of our Sect in the outside world speculated that the Cyan Yang Sect had used the power of the Immortal Artifact, the Spring and Autumn Brush, to alter reality, faking its own destruction only to reappear ten thousand years later. Since Elder Blood Slaughter has sensed the aura of the Spring and Autumn Brush, that speculation must be close to the truth."

"The Cyan Yang Sect in the outside world is even stronger than it was ten thousand years ago. After joining with the Demon Race, they have put immense pressure on the Human Race. Our Sect’s Great Powers predicted that a change would also occur in the ruins of the Cyan Yang Sect. If we want to turn the tide, this is our only chance."

"Now, everything has confirmed the speculations of our Sect’s Great Powers. What has appeared in the Relics is merely a phantom of the Cyan Yang Sect from ten thousand years ago. But with a fragment of the Immortal Artifact, the Spring and Autumn Brush, they could completely alter reality, turning illusion into truth. Here in Momenan, they could cut off the Human Race’s retreat and destroy our future. I implore you, Elder Blood Slaughter, to act according to the plan!"

Xue Tu clutched the Scroll, his metallic voice tinged with a sigh. "I understand. We even sent in a fragment of the Immortal Artifact, the Time Jade Scroll, as bait to provoke a response from the Spring and Autumn Brush and make the Cyan Yang Sect’s phantom appear. We even fabricated lies to lure Masters from various sects to enter via possession, to serve as offerings for a Blood Sacrifice. Compared to all that, what are the lives of a generation of talented disciples? You need not worry. I will seize the opportune moment to strike."

As his voice fell, an unparalleled Sword Qi seemed to be brewing in his crimson pupils.

Even Shi Shentong did not dare to look directly into Xue Tu’s eyes, lowering his head slightly as a sign of respect.

~~~~~~~~~~

’Where is this?’

’Am I in the Relics?’

Du Youqian scanned his surroundings warily.

"Fellow Daoist Yu... have you had enough? You can put me down now."

A pleasant voice spoke from his arms.

Du Youqian looked down to see Lin Sha’s cheeks flushed crimson, overcome with shyness.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, if you don’t retract your claws, don’t blame me for chopping them off!"

Only then did he put Lin Sha down.

’Wait, I’m Yu Fei right now... not her lover, Qiu Yuanqing!’

’That was practically asking for death.’

Du Youqian couldn’t help but feel a surge of delayed fear.

"My apologies, Fellow Daoist Lin. It was a moment of desperation. I accidentally overstepped my bounds with a fair lady. Please don’t take offense."

He didn’t know if an apology would work. Logically, it wouldn’t; Lin Sha wasn’t known for being good-tempered.

But he had to apologize first.

To his surprise, Lin Sha didn’t fly into a rage. Her tone was simply faint as she said, "I’ll settle the score with you after we get out."

Just then, another earth-shaking tremor ran through the area. However, both of them had profound Cultivation, and their mental states were far beyond those of Qi Cultivation Disciples. They could naturally sense that the tremor wasn’t real, but an illusion caused by spatial fluctuations.

The two stood perfectly still, waiting for the fluctuations to pass before observing their surroundings.

When they saw the Cyan Yang Sect suddenly appear, with thousands of Cultivators whose auras soared like rainbows and a sky-blotting army of the Demon Race sweeping in, Du Youqian’s expression froze. Lin Sha fared no better; her beautiful eyes were clearly dazed.

"This..." Lin Sha said with difficulty. "This can’t be real, can it? It must be a phantom from ten thousand years ago, right?"

Du Youqian also stammered, "I-if it’s a phantom, th-then why can we... we feel their auras?"

Lin Sha frowned. "Fellow Daoist Yu, have you noticed? The range of our Divine Sense has been reduced to one percent of its normal distance."

Du Youqian immediately realized it. His Divine Sense, which could originally scan up to 900 zhang, now struggled to even cover 9 zhang.

At the same time, he felt a strange stir from within his Storage Treasure Pouch.

With Lin Sha right beside him, it was inconvenient to check, so he gave no outward sign.

"It’s probably the effect of an Array, right?"

Before his voice had even faded, a blood-curdling scream came from not far away.

Normally, the two of them could have extended their Divine Sense and immediately investigated the situation.

Now, however, they had to run over.

In just a few moments, the screaming stopped.

When they got closer, they saw a leopard-like Demon Beast gnawing on a corpse dressed in the robes of the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion.

The Demon Beast emanated the aura of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Seeing them approach, the Demon Beast stopped eating and watched them warily, letting out a low, warning growl from its throat.

"So it really isn’t a phantom." Lin Sha wasn’t startled by the gruesome sight. With a flick of her hand, a red ribbon—a Top Grade Spiritual Artifact—flew out and wrapped around the leopard beast.

The leopard beast dodged nimbly, but Du Youqian’s "Jinhuan" shot out, carrying an edge sharp enough to sever anything as it chopped down from above.

An incredibly human-like fear appeared in the leopard beast’s eyes. It didn’t dare to face the blow head-on and did its best to evade.

But Jinhuan’s strike was just a feint. After forcing the beast into a corner, the red ribbon wrapped tightly around it.

Only then did Jinhuan deliver the fatal blow, slicing off its head as hot blood sprayed everywhere.

Du Youqian immediately went over to carefully examine the Demon Beast’s corpse.

The more he examined it, the more his heart sank.

"It’s real. Not a phantom."

Lin Sha’s beautiful face was also filled with worry. "Were we transported ten thousand years into the past, or did the Cyan Yang Sect shift through space and time to arrive in the present, ten thousand years later?"

Du Youqian looked up at the dense, overwhelming horde of the Demon Race and shook his head with a bitter smile. "More importantly, if even a small detachment from this Demon Race army were to break off, it would probably be enough to kill all of us. How are we supposed to escape?"

Inside his Storage Treasure Pouch, the strange stirring began again.

Du Youqian pressed his hand against his Storage Treasure Pouch, his expression unchanging.