[Fantasy] Li Benfeng's Three Palaces and Six Courtyards (Complete) - 7-9

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Chapter 30 The Open Scheme: The Deadly Poison

Finally Meets Its True Target.

As far as I know, Dugu Jialuo is a woman highly praised by later historians. A woman who can be mentioned alongside Yang Jian of the Sui Dynasty as one of the Two Saints must possess extraordinary qualities.

Dugu Jialuo's decision not to accompany the emperor but to come to Tianlai Mountain—could she be targeting me, Li Benfeng…? Fengjiabao is the birthplace of the famous poem, "Willow catkins fall, plum blossoms bloom." Dugu Jialuo's arrival is most likely related to the stability of the Sui Dynasty. The Yang family is most averse to talk of the dynasty's demise; even if it's baseless, anyone spreading rumors of national ruin will be executed without mercy.

He glanced at Madam Feng. Madam Feng's casual smile had transformed into a scheming one.

Madam Feng is truly generous; with a wave of her hand, she's forced a formidable adversary upon me, Li Benfeng—such painstaking effort, isn't this forcing me to rebel against the Sui Dynasty?

Benfeng had no choice but to resort to the shield of indifference: "Madam Feng, I have no great ambitions. I only wish to have enough to eat, cultivate a few gardens of peach, apricot, plum, and jujube trees in my spare time, have a few beautiful wives and concubines, and live a peaceful and stable life. As for the inhumanity and ruthlessness of certain emperors and dynasties, that is the punishment of Heaven, and it is beyond my power to intervene. The rise and fall of dynasties is a matter of great importance; when the time comes,

there will be those who rise up to overthrow them. I will only clear the snow from my own doorstep, regardless of whether others have frost on their roofs." "If Dugu Jialuo were to hold a knife to my neck, would I, Brother Feng, feel pity and save her?" Madam Feng asked with great seriousness.

"Well... in my opinion, Madam is learned and blessed by Heaven. Even the Goddess of Thunder might not be able to take away your beautiful head." Benfeng's words were quite sarcastic.

"Oh dear, you... I'm not talking to you anymore. Fine, I won't see you, but why all the excuses... If I lose my head, I'll haunt you even as a ghost." With that, Madam Feng swayed her hips, descended the mountain, and rode away at full speed. Benfeng

watched Madam Feng's retreating figure on horseback, muttering to himself, "Who says women are inferior to men? Since ancient times, fallen dynasties have had

their beauties."... Madam Feng, who had erected numerous memorial arches, and the disguised Dugu clan at the foot of Tianlai Mountain, were bound to engage in a subtle and overt contest. Although Dugu clan had the support of the imperial court, she might not be able to outmaneuver Madam Feng, who was driven by revenge

. Although Benfeng hadn't publicly declared his stance to Madam Feng, he had unceremoniously placed his pawn on her side. A street singer, making a living through his art, being slaughtered by the Manchus for singing songs—this was utterly unjust.

Moreover, the thought of Madam Feng's beautiful face somehow stirred an inexplicable sense of closeness within him. Benfeng already had a plan in mind: what Madam Feng gave him wasn't some conspiracy, but a blatant scheme by a seemingly weak woman to defy the Sui Dynasty—the Yuchi Mingyue he'd just seen in the hot springs was likely Madam Feng's sure-fire move. If he wasn't mistaken, Yuchi Mingyue was definitely the Yuchi woman mentioned only briefly in history books who attended Dugu Jialuo's funeral.

Thinking about Madam Feng and her scheme to defy the Sui Dynasty, Benfeng, like an old scholar, slowly walked down Yunxue Peak with his hands behind his back.

Yunxue Peak stood northwest of Haotian Peak, about twenty li apart. Tianqin had already assigned Benfeng and Tianyin homework at Fengjiabao; from now on, they would have to practice swordplay and mind-controlled sword techniques for two hours every night at Haotian Peak. Benfeng glanced at Haotian Peak; it would take at least an hour to walk back. If they didn't finish their homework before dawn, the iron-willed and impartial Senior Sister Tianqin would severely punish them. Remembering the five Flying Cloud Talismans made by Senior Sister Yi Xuan in his bag, Ben Feng took one out, activated his mind, and released the talisman. In the

blink of an eye, he arrived at the foot of the stone tower on Haotian Peak.

The sound of a zither entered his ears. Ben Feng saw Tian Qin, dressed in flowing white robes, standing on the rooftop. Her fingers moved, producing music, and the wooden lotus seat controlled by her mind spun rapidly in mid-air below the rooftop.

Tian Yin stood on a sharp stone wall, a long sword with a faint blue light above her head.

Junior Sister Tian Yin could already control a sword with her mind. It seemed that Tian Yin's comprehension last night was superior to his own. Ben Feng was somewhat bewildered: his comprehension of the Three Meridians Seven Star Wheel and the Bright Point of the Hundred Gypsy Brahma Star Wheel last night was already quite astonishing.

Ben Feng felt a pang of envy, thinking: Tian Yin's talent was above his own; at the age of ten, she had such a level of Daoist cultivation.

"Go!" Tianyin uttered a soft shout, her mind racing. With a flick of her finger, a ball of azure essence, like a water lily, swirled around her arm and surged into the flying sword above her head. Instantly, the flying sword rippled with a water-like azure light. It shot out, striking the wooden lotus seat. A moment later, the sword vanished like frost, leaving only a tiny, inch-long, thin tip.

The wooden lotus seat stopped abruptly! Tianyin's flying sword had returned to its head. Looking at the wooden lotus seat again, the more than three hundred interlocking, hand-carved holes resembled a honeycomb.

Senior Sister Tianqin had increased the difficulty.

An hour passed, and Tianyin's flying sword had fired over three hundred times, leaving the wooden lotus seat rippled with water—but the task wasn't over yet. Tianyin still had to wield her flying sword to retrieve the water lily tip from the wooden lotus seat.

Heaven rewards diligence.

Without waiting for Tianqin's prompting, Benfeng ran to the rooftop, retrieved the incense offered for the heavens, and lined it up in a row on the inner stone railing. He then took out a jujube branch sword from his bag, raised his wrist, and began flicking the sword through the incense with pre-emptive intent.

This time, the accumulated yang energy in his mind had been channeled outwards, making it much smoother than before when he used objects to shoot objects. He shot ten swords in succession, each hitting its mark, with four already piercing the incense without breaking.

In this manner, Benfeng shot twenty waves of thirty jujube branch swords, achieving his most accurate aim with seven swords piercing the incense. By the thirtieth wave, the swords remained at the end of the incense sticks without falling, saving considerable effort in retrieving them.

"You're really good at slacking off. Alright, the time's up. Go with Tianyin to town to find a blacksmith to forge ten seven-pound iron swords." Tianqin looked at Benfeng's rather smug achievement, her face showing no sign of approval.

Alas, a strict teacher produces outstanding students. Benfeng was working so hard simply to please his senior sister. He knew his current abilities were still far from the Three Lotus Innate Realm. Even if he wanted to reach the One Lotus Realm like Tianyin, using his inner essence to create a lotus, it would take at least three to five years.

Seeing Benfeng's low spirits, Tianyin tidied up his jujube branch sword, tiptoed to his side, and whispered in his ear, "Senior Sister Tianqin praised you to Sister Tianxiang and Old Man Chunshan last night, saying your foundation is exceptionally good, and you might one day be able to have all your meridians open like Master, entering the Zhexing Pavilion to cultivate superior Daoist techniques."

"Senior Sister Tianqin really said that?" Hearing Tianyin's words, Benfeng felt as if he had been showered with honey.

Although he didn't know what having all your meridians open meant, the thought of potentially entering the Zhexing Pavilion and seeing his transcendent master filled him with joy. Especially Tianqin's praise, which he felt held a special meaning.

Benfeng and Tianyin returned to Fengjiabao and had breakfast with Old Man Chunshan and Tianxiang. Old Man Chunshan and Tianxiang went to Old Madam Qin's place to get some melon and vegetable seeds; they would be planting them in the next few days. Dazhi, Daxin, Dayi, and Zhengxi went early in the morning to choose an auspicious site for building a house.

Old Man Chunshan, hearing that Benfeng and Tianyin were going to a nearby town to forge blacksmith swords, took out a map of the various counties in Hedong drawn by Liu Changfeng and showed them the way to Qianmen Town. Qianmen Town was located between Tianlai Mountain, Yingfo Mountain, and Dongtang Mountain. It was a large town between Langya and Beihai counties.

It would take a little over an hour to walk there from Fengjiabao.

With some silver and the map, Benfeng and Tianyin set off, chatting and laughing. With Tianyin by his side, Benfeng truly became a friendly and approachable senior brother of fourteen or fifteen years old.

Tianyin was perceptive and could easily understand Benfeng's thoughts. Always talking about his senior brother, her sweet voice stirred a youthful sense of exuberance in Benfeng.

Finally, he felt a sense of belonging. The days of arduous travel were over; he could finally follow his earlier plan, practice kendo, and then leisurely cultivate his idyllic pastoral life.

The two walked along, chatting about this and that, occasionally glancing at the people passing by.

Along the way, they encountered quite a few disciples of Buddhist and Taoist sects, all carrying hoes and baskets slung over their shoulders, heading towards Tianlai Mountain.

How strange.

Benfeng asked several uncles busy digging the ground and learned that a wealthy family was spending a fortune to buy medicinal herbs. Many pharmacies were sold out.

With the keen insight of a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, Benfeng compiled the names of the herbs he had collected and discovered that the wealthy family was making aphrodisiacs—more precisely, potent drugs to enhance women's beauty and sexual pleasure.

Some of the herbs on the list were easy to find, but a few were very difficult to locate… The person who could compile such a list was exceptionally wicked.

Chapter 31: A Small Test

in Qianmen Town.

Before noon, the herbal medicine shops on both sides of the street were already crowded with people. Most were selling medicinal herbs.

No matter the times, the poor still outnumbered the poor. The shop assistant glanced around, weighing the herbs he liked and paying only a few dozen coins. Even the rarest herbs were only given a tael or two.

Several strong young men, fresh from gathering herbs on Tianlai Mountain, stood outside the largest pharmacy in Qianmen Town, Jishetang, waiting for half an hour, but no shop assistant even glanced at them.

"Hey, shop assistant, come take a look! This is Agrimony, gathered from the Sanyang Peak of Tianlai Mountain. It's been so hard to find! Name your price, we've been starving for a day and a night!" said one of the men, his face as black as charcoal, carrying a broad axe on his back.

"We already have a pile of Agrimony in the shop, we're not buying it," the shop assistant replied impatiently.

"Damn it, a rip-off inn! Brother, let's go." The dark-faced man slung his basket over his shoulder. "Damn it, when I'm rich, I'll buy the whole street and leave you rip-off innkeepers starving."

The dark-faced man looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old, and the group following him was even smaller. Their clothes were made of coarse hemp, clearly indicating a poor background.

"Hey, it's all your fault! You said these herbs were worth at least fifty taels of silver, and that we'd go to Fusheng Restaurant for braised pork knuckle after we made some money." A boy who looked only eleven or twelve years old reluctantly followed behind the dark-faced man. The others grumbled and vented their frustrations on the dark-faced man as they walked.

"Damn it, I don't believe it! Even if Zhang the butcher is dead, I won't eat that bastard pork! Let's go to Qin Family Village and sell it to Old Madam Qin!" The dark-faced man stomped his feet angrily on the ground.

"Brother, I'll take all your Agrimony and Purple Pearl Grass, fifty taels of silver." Benfeng cupped his hands towards the dark-faced man. Benfeng and Tianyin had been standing at the entrance of Jishetang for quite a while.

Of the herbs displayed in the large and small baskets at the entrance of the pharmacy, only the few Agrimony and Purple Pearl Grass that the dark-faced man had picked were rare; the rest were common varieties.

The dark-faced man thought he had misheard; he thought the fifty taels of silver he mentioned was just a boast. He hadn't expected someone to actually pay that price.

"Brother, you can't lie to me. If you do, let me tell you, I'm a true brother to that... that Hua Laoda from Jiangnan, from Fengjiabao. I'm telling you, even a prince from Chang'an would have to show him respect." The dark-faced man actually brought up Old Man Chunshan to intimidate him.

Benfeng and Tianyin both laughed.

"What, you don't believe me? You're all so young, dressed so politely, you've probably sneaked out of school. You dare to scare me, Liu Shentong!" Liu Shentong drew his axe from his back, gesturing as if to chop. "At such a young age, why aren't you back at school?"

Benfeng took out fifty taels of silver and handed it to Liu Shentong. "Take it."

Liu Shentong was stunned.

Benfeng stuffed the silver into Liu Shentong's hand, took off his backpack, and carefully picked out three dragon-body crane grasses and seven purple pearl grasses from the basket Liu Shentong was carrying, placing them into his backpack. "

...

Li Benfeng, you shameless bastard! You took my mother's money and come to Qianmen Town to show off!" Wang Qingyang suddenly appeared on the Fusheng Tower opposite Jishetang, holding the Qinghong Sword and pointing it angrily at Li Benfeng. "Why did you seduce my mother!"

"My goodness, what a coincidence! You're Brother Benfeng! I came all the way from Gaojibo specifically to seek refuge with you." Liu Shentong first carefully examined Benfeng for a few moments, then turned to look at Wang Qingyang standing in the Fusheng Tower. "Whose rich young master are you? Let me tell you, whoever offends Brother Benfeng offends me, Liu Shentong."

As he spoke, Liu Shentong brandished his battle axe, striding towards the outer staircase of Fusheng Tower, and rushed towards Wang Qingyang.

"Country bumpkin!" Wang Qingyang sneered disdainfully, too lazy to even use his sword, and kicked up a long bench, smashing it towards Liu Shentong.

Tianyin was enraged. The grudge from the Wang family compound hadn't been settled with Wang Qingyang yet.

A thin wooden sword, as thin as an incense stick, suddenly appeared in his hand, striking a bench and embedding itself in a wooden pillar behind Liu Shentong.

"Wang Qingyang, for your mother's sake, I'll beat you to a pulp today!" Benfeng's words were swift and decisive; he pulled the sword straight from the ground, a jujube branch sword springing from his left hand.

In the Wang family compound, Benfeng had taken a sword strike from Wang Qingyang, and Madam Feng had even personally shielded him, delivering a generous gift. Benfeng, being the kind person he was, would have let it go. But this brat dared to speak so disrespectfully in the street.

This brat didn't even know how to protect his birth mother's reputation. Did Madam Feng go through all that trouble to build those memorial arches? Besides, even if I, Li Benfeng, had slept with your mother, it was a matter of mutual consent—in the Sui Dynasty, a widow remarrying was commonplace.

...

Wang Qingyang was forced by Madam Feng to face the wall for seven days. Feeling incredibly resentful, yet daring not to disobey Madam Feng's family rules.

Having just been released from those rules yesterday, Wang Qingyang seized the opportunity while Madam Feng was lecturing on Buddhist scriptures to Dugu Jialuo to rush to Feng Family Fort. After searching all day without finding Benfeng, he sent over thirty followers to investigate.

Hearing from his men that Benfeng had appeared in Qianmen Town, Wang Qingyang used his speed-traveling talisman to arrive.

Enemies meeting again, their eyes blazed with fury. Hearing rumors that his own mother had been singing with the brat Li Benfeng late at night, Wang Qingyang's rage intensified.

...

Wang Qingyang swung his sword, slashing at the jujube-branch sword Li Benfeng had shot at him, cursing, "Li Benfeng, if you leave Qianmen Town with all your limbs intact, I, Wang Qingyang, will take your surname!"

Benfeng, unperturbed, stood before Liu Shentong, saying, "Brother Shentong, please sit down and have some tea." With that, Benfeng pulled ten jujube-branch swords from his brocade pouch.

I learned about Wang Qingyang's cultivation level from Madam Feng. Wang Qingyang had learned a bunch of miscellaneous things, but had achieved nothing. Wang Qingyang's masters belonged to two sects. One was the Tianluo Sect, which was also a branch of the Shangqing Sect. The Tianluo Sect's Remote Pointing Sword was quite famous in the Hedong area. Before Wang Xicang became famous, he was a disciple of the Tianluo Sect. Later, he achieved success in external alchemy and, combined with the Tianluo internal alchemy method, founded the Langya Sect. The other sect was the Diluo Sect. The Diluo Sect, however, specialized in the Yin cultivation of the ghost path—this highly respected old man Wang was truly all-encompassing, combining internal alchemy, external alchemy, and the Yin cultivation of the ghost path.

I wanted to use Wang Qingyang as a target to test my progress from last night—the introductory level of the Lotus Canon's swordsmanship.

Wang Qingyang shook his head and pounced on me like a lion. The Qinghong Sword flashed with an eerie dark red sword aura. With a single thrust, the sword, imbued with the malevolent energy of a ghost, created a chilling atmosphere around them.

The diners, terrified by Wang Qingyang's sinister sword aura, huddled in a corner of the restaurant, trembling.

Tianyin gave a soft shout, her figure flashing as she stood to Benfeng's right, holding ten self-carved wooden swords in her hand. Benfeng flicked his fingers, sending three jujube-branch swords, one in front and two behind, flying towards Wang Qingyang, shouting, "I'll deal with Wang Qingyang!"

Wang Qingyang thrust his sword straight at the jujube branch sword in the middle!

"Young Master, be careful!" Two figures rushed up behind Wang Qingyang, slashing at Benfeng's other two jujube branch swords.

Tianyin's ten wooden swords shot out like lightning, their azure light suddenly bursting forth, their brilliance dazzling. The two figures who had rushed up were forced back to their original positions. "Retreat fifty paces!" Tianyin gave them no chance to catch their breath, flicking her fingers and instantly unleashing sixty thin wooden swords, each as thin as an incense stick.

Wang Qingyang cried out in pain and also retreated rapidly.

His left shoulder had been struck by Benfeng's jujube branch sword!

At this moment, many bold members of Buddhist and Taoist sects gathered inside and outside the restaurant.

"Li Benfeng, if you have the guts, fight me one-on-one in the street!" Wang Qingyang suddenly blurted out.

"This is what I've been waiting for!" Benfeng glanced at Tianyin. "Junior sister, keep a close eye on those servants protecting their master—but, hehe, Master said we mustn't have any thoughts of killing!"

Chapter 32 Yichun Tower, Demoness, Fairy [I]

Benfeng jumped down.

The crowd on the street retreated, clearing a space of five hundred paces.

The streets of Qianmen Town were two horizontal and one vertical. Benfeng jumped down at the main vertical street running from north to south between the two horizontal streets. The east and west sides of the street were occupied by sixty-eight shops, headed by the Langya Wang family's Jishitang, Changlong Pawnshop, Fushenglou, and the Yingfushan Qin family's Dexinlong and Qinji Restaurant. Being

able to open a shop in Qianmen Town was naturally due to their authority and wealth. Although Qianmen Town was only one town, it was no less important than the county seat of Langya or Beihai. In ancient times, tea and porcelain were transported by sea to Japan, Japan, and Korea. Half of the salt produced in the East China Sea was transported out of Qianmen Town, with both official and private salt traded through their own channels.

Even during the turbulent Northern and Southern Dynasties, this place was a bustling hub for merchants. Successful practitioners of Buddhism and Taoism often gathered here—legend has it that the East China Sea, at the edge of the Penglai Immortal Mountain, was the preferred place for those seeking to enter the mortal realm to undergo tribulations and select disciples , with Qianmen Town at the foot of Tianlai Mountain being the first choice.

Practitioners, after years of arduous training, reaching the late Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages, find it difficult to break through further through conventional means. Their hope lies in seeking immortal mountains and traveling

the East China Sea for a fortuitous encounter, hoping to break through their current limitations. The story of Shen Wuhua transmitting the Nine Lotus Mantra hand seals in battle on Pure Land Mountain has already spread far and wide. Shen Wuhua, with her transcendent status proficient in both Buddhism and Taoism, chose an unknown, impoverished youth, greatly astonishing the Buddhist and Taoist communities. Many were unconvinced and wanted to investigate further. The journey was uneventful because Tianyin, in her master's form, frequently displayed the extraordinary power of blooming lotuses. Combined with the majesty of the Three Yang Immortals, Daoist Yunqing, Yixuan, and Tianqin, the Daoist and Buddhist disciples could only observe from afar, daring not to approach.

Tianqin's dispatch of Benfeng and Tianyin to Qianmen Town to forge iron swords was a pre-arranged agreement with Yixuan, allowing Benfeng and Tianyin to gain more experience in the mortal world—from this point onward, the Zhexing Pavilion would continuously see otherworldly Daoist cultivators leaving the water's edge to enter the mortal realm, undergoing tribulations and advancing their cultivation.

The streets grew increasingly crowded.

Benfeng stood in the middle of the street, already holding the broken sword that had repeatedly given him a transcendent state.

It was an ordinary broken sword, made of ordinary materials, and its craftsmanship was barely even ordinary—according to Zhengxi, it was scrap he'd picked up from a blacksmith's shop. The blacksmith in Jiankang had simply picked up a piece of rotten iron stone that someone had thrown away on the roadside on Jingtu Mountain, and after more than ten attempts, he'd managed to create a sword that was neither long nor short.

Yet, Benfeng felt a strange sensation as he held it. This unremarkable broken sword had been the source of Benfeng's first display of divine power, where he had killed He Zaiyang of the Shangqing Sect, and the second, when he witnessed Sha Hua, who was practically identical to Zhang Lihua, the favored concubine of the Southern Chen Dynasty, stab herself in the chest with the broken sword. Benfeng felt a wound that would be sung for eternity, a wound that inspired him to storm into Jiankang City, break through Han Qinhu's army, capture Chen Shubao, and roar out the heroic spirit of "Stand like a man!"

Benfeng stood there, holding the broken sword, his blue robe fluttering in the wind. His mind was like a mirror, reflecting the diverse auras of the people around him. Amidst the varying auras of the crowd due to their different cultivation levels, Benfeng clearly felt an increasingly intense, bloodthirsty killing intent enveloping him—a pressure emanating from the outside in—that wanted to kill him. It wasn't just one person, but a group. This feeling was even stronger than the chilling atmosphere created by the top figures of the Buddhist and Taoist sects, led by Ling Wuxing of the Five Thunder Sword Sect, which he had felt on Pure Land Mountain.

Who were they? Could it be that Dugu Jialuo had bribed some powerful figures to exterminate him, Li Benfeng! "

I laugh as I brandish my sword to the heavens, my heart and soul remain loyal to the Kunlun Mountains!" Now, although he, Li Benfeng, had not yet reached the Innate Realm, he was no longer someone who could only offer his head as a sacrifice. Those who wanted his head would have to offer something!

Benfeng drew his sword!

The first strike was the Thunderous Three Turns, the same technique that had forced Dazhi to trample the old tree on the Martial Arts Cliff. As soon as the broken sword was thrust out, the azure light of the Baihui acupoint on Benfeng's head flashed. His inner essence surged forth, swirling around his arm before entering the broken sword, causing it to sprout a new, azure tip.

The sword energy pierced the air! The broken sword turned from azure to crimson, emitting a dazzling brilliance!

Wang Qingyang, standing fifty paces away from Benfeng, facing south, had already felt fear. Before he could even raise his sword, he collapsed to the ground.

Madam Feng suddenly stepped out from the crowd, glanced at Benfeng with her beautiful eyes, but said nothing. She simply reached out and pulled Wang Qingyang to

his feet, stopping Benfeng's sword strike. The azure tip formed from his inner essence vanished instantly.

"Madam Feng, I have repaid my debt of gratitude today. From now on, we owe each other nothing." Benfeng put the broken sword into his brocade pouch and turned to leave. Benfeng's words weren't actually meant for Madam Feng; he was telling the assassins lurking in the shadows that they'd better not engage in any "Ten Days of Yangzhou" or "Nanjing Massacre" kind of shady dealings—every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor; kill with a clear target, don't take it out on ordinary people. Ordinary people are also born of parents; their lives may not be worth much, but they still have dignity. The

oppressive atmosphere of bloodshed grew heavier, making even breathing difficult. Benfeng glanced at the members of various sects standing outside the battle circle in the street; their expressions remained unchanged.

It was as if this bloody killing intent was only directed at him—truly masters, a group of masters. I, Li Benfeng, am worthy of such a large investment; I've become a worthy opponent.

"Haha! Haha!" Benfeng laughed twice, then recited loudly: "Willow catkins fall, plum blossoms bloom. Flowers bloom and fall, spring returns. The world is full of upheavals and hardships, the river flows eastward and never returns!"

...

Hearing Benfeng's lament for the fall of the Sui Dynasty, the faces of the people on the street turned solemn, and those who had been whispering immediately fell silent. The street, with its thousands of people, was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

A clear note from a zither!

From Yichun Tower, three hundred paces away from Jishe Hall, diagonally opposite Fusheng Tower, a clear and melodious female voice sang "Willow Catkins Song" accompanied by zither music, a song that sent chills down the spines of the rulers of the Sui Dynasty.

As the melody lingered, the wooden door of the main hall on the second floor of Yichun Tower slowly opened, and Yuchi Mingyue—the enchantress Benfeng had encountered at the Yunxue Peak Hot Spring—stepped out gracefully. Her silk robes fluttered, her jade-like breasts trembled slightly, and her long, slender legs, like tender jade, revealed endless allure in their depths as she moved. Her left hand lightly touched the zither, her eyes hazy—but this hazy gaze was only fixed on Benfeng. Her right arm was outstretched, as if waiting for the man she already desired to share her pleasure with to come closer and hold her hand… The men on the street, who were staring intently, forgot to cheer and jeer. The seductive sounds that the men infatuated before them heard were not the fleeting pleasures of the morning, but rather the sounds of spring nights in the boudoir…

The song ended, and the lingering sound echoed through the street.

The men on the street gaped, their eyes fixed on her.

“Young Master Li, would you mind coming up and hearing me sing another song?” Yuchi Mingyue’s eyes were like autumn water as she glanced at Benfeng and invited him in a sweet voice.

“Very well, Miss Mingyue, I, Li Benfeng, would be more than happy to accept your kind offer.” Benfeng strode up to Yichun Tower, went up to the second floor, took Yuchi Mingyue’s jade hand, and as he stepped into the Mixian Pavilion, the oppressive aura of bloodlust vanished instantly.

"Brother Benfeng, let's go to a brothel too!" Liu Shentong led his band of brothers, each carrying a medicine basket, to Yichun Tower.

"Going to a brothel! Going to a brothel! Anyone who's not afraid of their wife is going to a brothel!" Seeing that the demoness had taken a liking to someone, people on the street started jeering.

Some men actually started making a ruckus and wanted to go to Yichun Tower. A bunch of scoundrels thronged the wooden stairs of Yichun Tower. With a series of thuds, Liu Shentong unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, slapping more than a dozen scoundrels onto the street.

"Damn it, today is my day, Brother Benfeng has the place to himself! All you nobodies, get out of here!" Liu Shentong fiercely clenched his iron-like fists and stood at the top of the stairs.

...

"I'm here to join the fun!" Sanyang Zhenren landed in Yixiang Pavilion on his flying sword.

"I, Wang Xicang, am also joining the fun!" Wang Xicang sprang up from Fusheng Tower, his body lightly skimming across the street, and stood in the pavilion of Yichun Tower.

"This old man, Su Chuo, has been holed up in the mountains for 60 years. Today, I've come to join the fun." Su Chuo appeared, stepping on a paulownia leaf. In his left hand, he held a green-furred old ape. A single paulownia leaf carried two monsters, floating above the crowd. The old ape carried a basket, its furry hands grabbing snow lotuses from the basket and throwing them into the crowd.

Snow lotuses were an indispensable foundational herb for external alchemy practitioners. Even those practicing internal alchemy, and Buddhist practitioners seeking advancement through enlightenment, used this rare herb to strengthen meridians and improve their power—Su Chuo, this old fellow, really knew how to win people over.

"Su Chuo, you old codger, you came back from the dead without even telling me, Dugu Xin… You're scattering snow lotuses everywhere, clearly trying to buy people's hearts." Dugu Xin slowly walked out from the crowd, his figure flashing as he reached the second floor of the Yichun Pavilion.

Su Chuo and the green-furred old ape landed on the wooden planks. Su Chuo patted the green-haired old ape on the back, gesturing for it to sit at a table opposite the Three Yang Immortals. He ignored the Three Yang Immortals, laughing and chuckling, his gaze sweeping over Wang Xicang before glancing at Dugu Xin. "You old codger, aren't you also a reincarnation? At your age, a father-in-law of the Emperor, instead of retreating to your old grave to practice your Seven Yin Soul-Turning Technique, you've come to Qianmen Town to stir up trouble."

Both their words were loaded with hidden meaning.

The crowd on the street, mostly over forty or fifty years old, watched in astonishment as these two "dead men," who had once dominated the Northern Wei Dynasty and died sixty years ago, openly mocked each other.

These two reincarnated individuals, along with the still vigorous Wang Xicang after a century, were all dealing with the same person—the Three Yang Immortals.

Of course, there were even more formidable figures thousands of miles away, traveling by sword, also heading towards Qianmen Town.

Chapter 33 Yichun Tower, Demoness, Fairy [Part Two]

Benfeng knew that an unavoidable fierce battle was imminent, but he felt little fear—what was destined to come would come. No matter how many ruthless figures the Empress Dugu Jialuo, who took it upon herself to "care for the common people and ensure the stability of the world," had gathered, Benfeng would simply deal with them.

Life and death were left to fate.

Smelling the intoxicating fragrance, he sat on the embroidered couch, still holding Yuchi Mingyue's delicate little hand.

"Young Master Li, I heard that someone has mobilized Turkic troops and vows to kill you." Yuchi Mingyue took a pastry from the table and gently put it into Benfeng's mouth. Her alluring body brushed against Benfeng's, seemingly unintentionally, before she parted her lips and said, "I've also heard that someone has conjured corpse soldiers from the graveyard, intending to kill Fengjiabao, your good brother Yuan Zhengxi, and... Tianxiang's family. And... the people you brought from the Southern Dynasty, Empress Shen's palace maids Tianqin and Tianyin, they all have to die."

"Is that so?" Benfeng stopped chewing, staring intently at this once-in-a-century enchantress, whose allure was natural and whose beauty shone brighter than the sun.

"Of course it's true. Madam Feng told me. I heard that, in order to deal with your Senior Sister Yi Xuan, a woman promised half the country to those so-called Earth Immortals and Golden Immortals from Kunlun Immortal Palace and Shu Mountain who think they're invincible just because they've stepped on a flying sword." Yu Chi Mingyue seemed to really hear something. She tilted her head slightly, put her small hand to her ear to listen, and said, "It's coming. Sword energy is piercing the air, and killing intent is overwhelming."

"I'm so scared." Yu Chi Mingyue shrank her body, but unlike the girls in the brothel, she didn't hide in the man's arms. She flashed her captivating eyes, deliberately teasing her body. The fragrant breeze brushed against Ben Feng's face. Her jade hands slipped from Ben Feng's grasp. She turned around a few times and leaned lightly on the windowsill.

"The problem with a ruler is not failing to speak of employing the virtuous, but rather sincerely accepting them. Those who speak of employing the virtuous are merely talking, their mouths are empty words. Those who openly display virtue while secretly harboring malice are thieves—without land and soil, people cannot live in peace; without people, the land cannot be protected; without upholding the Way of Heaven and the Way of Humanity, the hearts of the people will not be at peace; without those who protect the land and safeguard the people,

and with the Way of Humanity not upheld, the nation will surely perish…" Yu Chi Mingyue's clear voice, like a hollow drum resounding, stirred a group of men with drooping jaws, urging them to surge towards Yixiang Pavilion. Sometime earlier, groups of burly men dressed in black had spread out in front of the crowd, grabbing anyone who tried to dart out by the collar and shoving them back in. Perhaps it was the local custom, but the native men of Qianmen Town, knowing these men in black were up to no good, still relied on their numbers and surged towards Yixiang Pavilion.

Who says women are inferior to men—this author must once again be amazed by the utterly enchanting Yu Chi Mingyue—this woman is incredibly adept at creating a frenzied atmosphere.

Shouts and curses erupted.

"Go home, all of you! Qianmen Town will soon be a river of blood. The Turkic and Rouran armies are like scorched earth; you're all doomed!" As soon as Yu Chi Mingyue's clear voice rang out, the street fell silent again. Yu Chi Mingyue pulled Ben Feng to her side. "Look carefully, all of you. This is my lifeline. If you trust me, go to Fengjiabao. You'll see the sunrise the next day."

Yu Chi Mingyue's influence was indeed terrifying. Half the men packed their things and headed home along a small path to Fengjiabao.

Some still insisted on holding out. Yu Chi Mingyue's allure was breathtaking. A hundred or so strong men pushed and shoved forward, shouting for Yu Chi Mingyue to sing "The Third Watch Drum Beats," and some shamelessly yelled "Ten-Eight-Touch." In times when death can strike at any moment, most shops on the street have closed and locked up. Only a few shops, such as Qin's Restaurant, remain open. The rest have either packed up and left or locked their doors, leaving only their employees to watch the shops. The shopkeepers have all found safe places to hide.

...Those with sharp ears can already hear the sound of horses' hooves.

A terrifying atmosphere descends once more. The hundreds of onlookers who had been holding out on the street disperse at the sound. The once bustling street is now completely silent. Benfeng looked around and saw only a few groups of people around a few blacksmith shops. The blacksmith shop closest to Yixiang Tower had ten iron swords that Benfeng and Tianyin had paid five taels of silver to have made. Several bare-backed men were still forging red-hot iron bars, one stroke at a time.

The streets were so quiet, yet groups of three or five men in black, who had been suppressing the villagers, had leisurely moved benches and sat in huddle, separated by one or two stalls, occasionally muttering something.

Benfeng couldn't help but sigh: the tragedy of slaughtering the common people in Qianmen Town was already inevitable—Madam Feng's scheme was a last resort; she must have known Dugu Jialuo's intentions and cleverly orchestrated this confrontational situation.

From Jingtu Mountain to Tianlai Mountain, hoping to settle down peacefully and live a quiet, idyllic life was nothing but a pipe dream. I, Li Benfeng, under my master's orders, brought the Southern Dynasty's royal family here with my senior sisters, never intending to rival your Great Sui Dynasty—Dugu Jialuo, you came to Tianlai Mountain not to help the people recuperate, but to unite various forces and unleash a massacre—Master may have foreseen this—I, your master, will fight for the throne, using my own strength to stop the war and survive. Perhaps the bloodshed in Qianmen Town will quiet down Dugu Jialuo, the ambitious woman who ruled the short-lived dynasty

.

"It's common for a husband to shed blood, but his name will be remembered."

Benfeng recited this line casually, his mind calm and unmoved. "Young Master Li is truly courageous, still so compassionate even with a formidable enemy at hand." Yuchi Mingyue closed the window.

"I'm just being forced into this situation. The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. There's nothing to say to those with power and influence. I'll fight them with all my might. The Sui Dynasty doesn't believe in tears." Benfeng joked, grabbing a pastry and stuffing it into his mouth. "Miss Mingyue, could you predict who will be the first to clash with my sword?"

"Let's not talk about that now. It's too early. Killing someone requires a dark and windy night. Right now, the sun is high in the sky. Why not have a few drinks and listen to me sing a few songs? It wouldn't be a waste of the romantic atmosphere of Yichun Tower and Mixian Pavilion." Yuchi Mingyue beckoned to the door, and a group of girls who were already standing outside brought in wine jars and dishes, the aroma wafting through the air.

Before the fierce battle, was it really necessary to subdue the enemy without fighting, like Zhuge Liang waving his fan?

I, Benfeng, knew I didn't have that kind of ability.

What calmed me down was the Three Yang Master sitting in the outer hall. The Three Yang Master told me in secret, "Go ahead and indulge in your romantic fantasies. This encounter is something you can only hope for. When someone opens the gate of your mind, your path of cultivation will be considered to have entered the hall."

Entering the hall—I, Benfeng, am in the Bewitching Immortal Pavilion, and what I need to pass is the barrier of the Desire Realm. The Lotus Canon, orally transmitted to me by Tianqin, said that the Desire Realm has five aspects: color, sound, smell, taste, touch, the Great Elements of Perception, the Root Realm of Defilement, and the Nature of Perception.

"Attachment to appearance, extreme to nature, spiritual root touches emotion, without leakage, traversing all realms, seven cycles of the Lotus Star Wheel." I silently pondered the Lotus Canon's mental method, forcibly calming my mind, but I heard the sounds of a benevolent voice outside the door stirring desire.

Looking up, he saw a nun in grey robes standing by the door.

Had the nun actually come to Yichun Tower to cast the "Spiritual Root Touching Emotion" spell on him?

What surprised Benfeng most was that the nun's appearance was a carbon copy of Yuchi Mingyue—truly a great blessing! The Hua Dao nun his master and Senior Sister Yixuan had met at Jinglian Nunnery on Tianlai Mountain—Yuchi Fanchi, who had stood shoulder to shoulder with him during the Five Dynasties of the Northern Zhou—had actually come to Mixian Pavilion. Sisters united, willing to stand guard for a mortal.

...

A seductive melody rose, and Benfeng abandoned everything, raising his cup and sighing, "To die fighting beneath the peony blossoms, even as a ghost, I must be romantic."

As soon as he finished speaking, a bewitching beauty pressed against his chest.

"Come, drink a sip of Qingxi Fenniang." Yuchi Mingyue, with her jade-like body and utterly alluring figure, held a jade cup to Benfeng's lips. Benfeng,

overwhelmed by lust, opened his mouth and drank the aphrodisiac in the jade cup in one gulp.

"...Green shoots trail along the long road, red peppers adorn purple stems. Flowing breezes drift beyond the garden, together we revel in the spring blossoms..." Yu Chi Mingyue's red lips parted, and she sang seductive words into Ben Feng's ear, her voice like spring rain entering a curtain.

Another cup of Qingxi Fen wine entered Ben Feng's mouth.

Jade legs were already pressed between Ben Feng's legs, and as the light gauze-like ribbons fluttered up and down, the supple peaks of the jade maiden resembled spring rain falling on a mountain, tender shoots emerging from the ground.

"Give me a taste..." As the seductive voice trembled, Ben Feng felt the spring mountains filling his face, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he touched the trembling tip of the shoot. Chapter

34 Yichun Tower, Demoness, Fairy [Part 3]

The collection has increased to 171, and I have finally written a chapter that is spring-like beyond harmony... Great harmony, please pray, dear readers!

=== ...

Yu Ying trembled slightly, and before he could fully savor her beauty, she moved away.

"Young master, you're too impatient." Mingyue twisted her slender waist and slipped onto the bed, turning to her side and draping a thin blanket over herself. Yet, it still revealed a glimpse of her fair breasts, a hint of moonlight, stirring up desire.

At this moment, Mingyue's allure had vanished, and she resembled Yingying in the moonlight of the West Chamber.

"Young master, I am a woman of hardship, not one who is easily thirsty..." Yu Chi Mingyue sighed.

Benfeng suppressed his strong urge and said with deep feeling, "If we're talking about suffering, in the era I lived in, people like me, who were always crawling on the ground, didn't even have the right to complain. Officials amassed wealth and power, and whatever they said was law... For example, if you saw a black deer, but the official insisted it was an incomparably white deer, you could only accept it as a white deer, and you had to be moved and cheer along."

"So, Young Master Li and I are kindred spirits, suffering the same fate." Yuchi Mingyue looked up, her eyes filled with affection as she gazed at Benfeng, and said softly, "Come here, sit on the bed. I'm not a tiger... I want to tell Young Master Li about my background and my bitter experiences."

“Miss Mingyue, I’d better sit at the table. Miss Mingyue is as beautiful as a fairy, enough to topple kingdoms. I’m afraid I might lose control and offend you… Since we are both suffering the same fate, we should respect each other and be of one heart before sharing the same bed…”

Hearing this, Mingyue’s heart trembled. No one had ever spoken with such solemnity about the need for men and women to “respect each other.” A seemingly ordinary sentence stirred a deep emotion within Mingyue.

“Young Master, Mingyue… my heart… is… given…” Mingyue’s eyes were captivating, making a fire ignite within me. I stood up, my steps unsteady, and walked to the bedside.

Mingyue gently extended her hand, which I trembled as I grasped, but stood there like a dazed goose.

“Sit down? If you stand like this, I dare not sit.”

“Okay… I… will sit.” I stammered, somewhat incoherently.

When Benfeng sat down, he placed a slight distance between himself and Yuchi Mingyue. Yuchi Mingyue's words, "Young master, you're too hasty," made Benfeng feel utterly unromantic, lacking even the slightest skill in flirting.

Flirting. What Benfeng lacked most was experience in flirting with women.

"Miss Mingyue," Benfeng said, "as far as I know, you should be a prisoner in Chang'an City right now. How did you end up on Tianlai Mountain?" Not daring to look directly at Yuchi Mingyue's alluring figure, Benfeng could only change the subject.

Noticing Benfeng's youthful naiveté, Yuchi Mingyue leaned against him, saying, "Do you know Liu Changfeng, young master? It was he who foresaw my fate. That's why I had Madam Feng, who lectures on Buddhist scriptures in Chang'an, take my place. I found a maid in the Forbidden City to impersonate you. I went with Madam Feng out of the capital to wait for you on Tianlai Mountain."

"Is Liu Changfeng truly a diviner?" Benfeng, feeling Yuchi Mingyue's fragrant breath and the soft touch of her arms, managed to restrain himself. He wanted to embrace her and kiss her, but didn't want to be too abrupt and ruin the atmosphere of their heartfelt conversation. He suppressed his burgeoning desire, maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor.

His question was ultimately meaningless. He had already experienced Liu Changfeng's uncanny ability to predict the future. The Five Star Array Plate that Liu Changfeng had given him was no ordinary object—Zhengxi had only used it to try and comprehend stargazing for a few days, yet it had already predicted that he would soon encounter a romantic calamity.

If Liu Changfeng and Zhengxi were right, then this first romantic calamity would befall Yuchi Mingyue.

Yuchi Mingyue's enchanting beauty and jade-like face had captivated him—the power of the Desire Realm was already beginning to manifest. If he hadn't met someone who truly moved him, he would probably have just sighed at the fleeting nature of life and let it pass by.

His desire surged… "Miss Mingyue…" He breathed heavily, suddenly reaching out and embracing Yuchi Mingyue's jade-like arms, his eyes gleaming with lust as he stared at her.

“Young Master…” Yu Chi Mingyue smiled, her jade lips pursed, and she gently kissed Ben Feng’s forehead. “Come, lie down first, and I will serve you well.”

Ben Feng closed his eyes in ecstasy and obediently lay down on the bed.

Mingyue's gentle kiss was like a clear spring, cooling the burning fire in Benfeng's body... In his hazy state, he felt the spring bamboo shoot trembling against his lips.

"This servant is yours, young master..." Yuchi Mingyue turned slightly—raising her body slightly, leaning down to face Benfeng.

Benfeng's eyes opened a crack.

Two peaks, smooth and jade-like, her fair shoulders and neck fully exposed.

A pair of jade hands caressed Benfeng's chest, "Is this your first time, young master?"

"Yes... my first time... I... don't know how to play with women..." Benfeng hummed comfortably, raising his hand to touch Yuchi Mingyue's jade arm, "How could I have imagined such... ecstasy... I would never have imagined that Miss Mingyue would serve me in bed."

"This servant... is also a virgin..." Yuchi Mingyue lowered her body even further, the spring bamboo shoot lightly touching Benfeng's face, slowly caressing it.

Benfeng's breathing quickened, and he opened his mouth, waiting for the bamboo shoot tip to enter his mouth... This time it wasn't the first taste; it was a thorough teasing and savoring.

Yuchi Mingyue's jade-like body pressed down again, now pressed against Benfeng's.

Warm and soft, smooth and slippery... Benfeng reached out and embraced her, his mouth still holding the warm bamboo shoot tip, sucking incessantly.

"Young master... may I call you Benfeng?" Yuchi Mingyue softly pressed her face against his ear, biting Benfeng's ear, her voice as sweet as a nightingale's song.

"Hmm... good, good... from now on, Miss Mingyue is my woman, Li Benfeng's woman." Benfeng reluctantly parted from the tender bamboo shoot, opened his mouth to say this, then couldn't help but take it back into his mouth, his hands somewhat clumsily pressing down on Yuchi Mingyue's jade-like back, sucking and biting it greedily.

The Moon Maiden, captivated by the boy's charm, gently nibbled at Benfeng's earlobe with her silver teeth, murmuring, "Benfeng, be gentle, I'm afraid you'll hurt it."

Benfeng, already lost in his own world, paid no heed to the Moon Maiden's gentle reproach, sucking on one ear while simultaneously reaching out his right hand to touch the other.

A virgin is a virgin—lacking skill yet surpassing skill. Benfeng's natural teasing left the Moon Maiden clearly overwhelmed with desire, her beautiful eyes glazed, her breath quickening as she gently trembled her twin buds, driving Benfeng even more mad. His face, like a persimmon, plunged into the jade-like crevice of her vulva.

Yu Chi Mingyue's jade-like face flushed crimson, and she hummed softly, "This servant... is afraid of you." She lifted her jade-like leg, pressing her entire body tightly against Ben Feng...

Chapter 35 Yichun Tower, Demoness, Fairy [Part Four]

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

Ben Feng felt a fiery, intensely hot spring between his legs. Though the spring was separated by clothing, it stirred his primal desires, making him yearn to immediately explore this sacred place without any cover, to stir up trouble.

Mingyue's jade-like thighs were still covered by a silken undergarment, only revealing a section of her snow-white calves. Even this small piece of snow scallion was enough to make Benfeng swoon. After touching it a couple of times, he felt an increasing heat between his legs, an irresistible urge to linger with Mingyue's warm spring. He suddenly sat up, wrapped one arm tightly around Mingyue's waist, opened his hot mouth, and forcefully sucked on the scallion several times before urgently seeking out Mingyue's jade lips to kiss her.

First kiss—a virgin's first kiss.

Hot, electric, tingling. Benfeng felt an indescribable, intoxicating pleasure throughout his body. Mingyue's jade-like lips had a sweet taste, and the soft moans she emitted from her passionate heart made Benfeng's heart itch unbearably… Mingyue's luscious lips trembled as she met his kiss, and Benfeng opened his greedy mouth wide, licking and sucking wildly without any order.

His legs kicked erratically, almost pushing Mingyue off the bed.

Knowing her place, Mingyue gently turned and leaned against the headboard, resisting Benfeng's wild sucking and biting. Afraid that Benfeng's wide-open teeth would bite her, Mingyue tilted her head back, extending her fragrant tongue to guide Benfeng, and slowly lay down on the bed.

Benfeng rolled over from below, finally understanding the pleasure of a man on top; in the grinding and pressing, he wished he could melt into Mingyue's body.

"Gently, take it slow the first time," Mingyue's voice trembled, her jade hands resting on Benfeng's chest, gently pushing away the man who was pressing down on her with such force.

"Mingyue, gently, I can't be gentle, I..." Benfeng didn't know what he wanted to say, only that he kindly reduced the pressure, but his hands couldn't help but touch Mingyue's breasts.

Although it was also Mingyue's first time, she knew how to be moderate. A jade-like hand reached out and pressed around Benfeng's navel several times, then gently released a fingertip force along the meridians in his chest—this finger technique was the "Spiritual Finger Understanding," a secret art of the inner chambers. Miss Mingyue learned this technique from Madam Feng—Madam Feng was truly a learned woman, her inner chamber skills far surpassing those of ordinary people. Even more unbelievable was that she had unreservedly taught this method to several people. Yuchi Mingyue was one of them, and several other beautiful ladies in Chang'an City were also well-versed in this art.

Spiritual Finger Understanding. Whether man or woman, when aroused by passion, desire arises, and the meridians throughout the body are activated by the accelerated flow of qi and blood, opening the gates of the mind. At this time, if one guides the meridians of the mind with finger force, connecting them to the sea of consciousness in the brain, the practitioner, through this connection of mind and consciousness, can attain the innate realm—an opportunity that is rare and cannot be sought. This free spirit, content with its lot, has no ambition for grand achievements or governing the country; its desire is simply to enjoy beauty and pleasure—a nature perfectly suited to its path.

Since ancient times, the method of cultivating one's true nature through sexuality to attain true form originated from this understanding. The first hurdle in cultivating one's true form is

using true nature to confront the realm of desire and lust. This free spirit, having awakened the Nine Lotus Star Wheel within the stone tower, triggered a major hurdle in its true nature. Coincidentally, Dugu Jialuo, wielding royal power, sought to unify Buddhism and Taoism, laying a trap for this free spirit, Tianxiang, Tianyin, Zhengxi, and Dazhi in Qianmen Town—intending to force the elusive, otherworldly Taoist cultivators like Sanyang Zhenren and Zhexingge Yixuan to attack mortal Taoist cultivators. The only option was to work on its disciples who had not yet completed their apprenticeships.

…Faced with this fierce battle, and also needing to break through Yuchi Mingyue's hurdle in its true nature, this free spirit once again gambled for an opportunity.

Although Benfeng knew a fierce battle was inevitable in Qianmen Town, he wasn't too anxious... With his meager cultivation, he certainly wouldn't attract the attention of the reclusive cultivators hidden in Shu Mountain and Kunlun—thinking too much would only be a hindrance... This opportunity for intimate moments in the Yichun Pavilion and Mixian Pavilion was rare; he should first explore the path of spring and experience the pleasures of men and women.

Under the surge of desire, Benfeng, guided by the spirit of the Bright Moon Maiden, gradually came to understand the mysteries of matters between men and women.

There must be a balance; haste makes waste.

If he rushed through his first encounter, it would affect his future enjoyment in the boudoir.

"The Bright Moon Maiden is truly wise and skillful; her guidance has enlightened me," Benfeng chuckled, stopping his hands from caressing the Bright Moon Maiden's breasts and fixing his gaze on her undulating, snow-white body.

Her close-fitting bra was half-open, revealing several flushed areas from the earlier caresses and kneading, and a few clear teeth marks on her tender breasts.

Benfeng chuckled twice, gently stroking her trembling breasts, "I was truly... unaware of my own strength, and I was very rude to you, Miss Mingyue."

But Miss Mingyue stretched out her jade-like hand and pulled Benfeng tighter, "From now on... you can do whatever you want, it's all yours..."

Benfeng felt the heat emanating from Miss Mingyue's body and thought, "Women are like water, Miss Mingyue has shown me what it's like to be a man, I... next, perhaps..."

A storm was about to break... Having received guidance from Miss Mingyue, Benfeng's actions became more measured. After a few passionate caresses, his right hand followed Miss Mingyue's belt, gently pulling it open and freeing her undergarments.

Moisture filled the air, the scent of spring permeating the air. Miss Mingyue's alluring body was indeed extraordinary.

"A shameless pair of dogs!" Ben Feng was about to peel the bamboo shoots and stare at them with burning eyes when he heard a cold female voice.

Benfeng quickly fastened Mingyue's sash, then looked around but couldn't find the person who had spoken.

"The person who spoke is still hundreds of miles away," Yuchi Mingyue said softly, rising to hug Benfeng's waist. "The fairy from Kunlun has arrived."

"Kunlun? Kunlun wants to be my enemy, Li Benfeng?" Benfeng was a little confused... His knowledge of Kunlun was mostly limited to legends mentioned in traditional Chinese medicine texts, sometimes with a brief mention of Kunlun as a hermit cultivator. As for the Ten Golden Immortals and Twenty Earth Immortals of Kunlun, that seemed to be just the fantasy of trendy people who couldn't even kill a chicken.

I learned from Senior Sister Yi Xuan that Master's Nine Lotus Heavenly Sword had reached the Golden Immortal realm, but unfortunately, I hadn't witnessed it myself. If those who flew from Kunlun on their swords were all Golden Immortals, then the one who just uttered the cold rebuke of "dog and woman" was a Golden Immortal from Kunlun. If that fairy was as righteous as Senior Sister Tianqin, and she witnessed my recklessness with Miss Mingyue—then this sword of slaying evil and promoting good would surely fall upon my head.

A distant view from hundreds of miles away is already extraordinary; a voice heard from a hundred miles away is like someone standing in a room, even more terrifying… So, even Senior Sister Yi Xuan and Senior Sister Tianqin will suffer this calamity.

My God, the current battle of Qianmen Town is fraught with peril—and if we add the Shu Mountain, which is comparable to Kunlun, it's clear they intend to scorch Qianmen Town, leaving not a trace of grass.

How could Dugu Jialuo possibly orchestrate such a large-scale operation? I have a vague feeling that this battle is related to my master's Ying Shui Zhou Zhe Xing Ge. Of course, my master wouldn't let Senior Sister Yi Xuan lead Senior Sister Tian Qin and Tian Yin alone, along with me, a mediocre cultivator who hasn't yet reached the level of a true master, to fight against the Golden Immortals and Earth Immortals of Kunlun and Shushan.

Master, I really want to see the amazing strength of our sect.
Chapter 36 Bloodbath [I]

Kunlun, Nine Heavens Palace. Surrounded by golden water, the hall is paved with jade.

Zong Ao Xu stood in the center of the main hall, looking at his second-generation disciple flying among the clouds on his sword. As the sect leader who has been in charge of Kunlun for three hundred years, although he has been away from the mortal world for a long time, he has never neglected the cultivation of the mortal world.

Golden Immortal Three Pure Realms. Zong Ao Xu has a pure yang body. After five hundred years of cultivation, he is only one step away from advancing to the sixth realm above the Three Pure Realms—the Great Luo Heaven Realm.

This realm depends solely on opportunity. In the mortal world, the cultivation of one's own destiny varies in speed depending on aptitude—some cultivate through the ghostly path, others through the demonic path, unaware of the preciousness of the human body. Demons and monsters, in their initial stages, can break through the first realm's sixth heaven and the second realm's eighteenth heaven entirely through their demonic forms. However, to break through the third realm's fourth heaven, one must utilize the aid of a human body—the fourth heaven of the third realm is the Haoting Xiaodu Heaven, the Yuantong Yuandong Heaven, the Hanchong Miaocheng Heaven, and the Xiule Jinshang Heaven. Those who break through this realm, whether human or demon, are extremely rare.

The fourth realm, the four Brahma Heavens—the Wushang Changrong Heaven, the Yulong Tengsheng Heaven, the Longbian Fandu Heaven, and the Pingyu Jiayi Heaven—is a realm that only one person in a thousand years can reach. The higher one climbs,

the colder it gets. Three hundred years ago, Zong Aoxu, with unparalleled talent, entered the fourth realm's Yulong Tengsheng Heaven, looking down upon the heavens, unmatched by anyone in the world, proudly residing in the Heavenly Palace, yet feeling deeply lonely.

For three hundred years, Zong Aoxu stood atop Kunlun, observing the stars and awaiting a single opportunity.

"Sect Leader, the second-generation disciples of Shu Mountain have arrived in Langya," said Ruan Qingyu, Zong Aoxu's most prized disciple, as he entered the hall.

"Yingshui Island in the East Sea?" Zong Aoxu gazed eastward, intending to refer to the Yingshui Island's Zhexing Pavilion, founded by Shen Wuhua. But all he saw was a vast expanse of white. Even those who reached the Great Luo Heaven Realm could not break the Heavenly Dao's restrictions and enter the East Sea's Yingshui Island.

"No fluctuations," Ruan Qingyu replied, knowing Zong Aoxu's intentions.

"Adhere to the Heavenly Dao; if they do not move, I will not move, quietly observing the changes in the mortal world's fortunes." After saying this, Zong Aoxu gestured, and a void condensed in the hall.

Even with his profound understanding of the Yuanyuan Cave Heaven Realm, Ruan Qingyu could not see a trace of Zong Aoxu.

...

Luo Gui, the second-generation senior disciple of Kunlun, received a telepathic message from Ruan Qingyu and led his seventeen junior brothers and sisters to land on Mount Hua with their flying swords.

The seventeen exceptional talents stood gracefully atop Mount Hua. The youngest, Hua Wei, was only fourteen, yet she had already achieved the innate cultivation of transforming her heart into a sword.

"Senior Brother Luo, why is Master making such a fuss? Let's just head straight to Tianlai Mountain and capture those people and bring them to Kunlun." Hua Wei was a personally taught disciple highly valued by Ruan Qingyu. Among the seventeen, only she dared to be so bold.

"Junior Sister Hua Wei, Master has already stated that this time, during our mortal cultivation, we must strictly obey his orders. Junior Sister Hua Yu used the Six Flowers Mystic Sound to denounce the defilement between humans and demons in the Yichun Pavilion of Qianmen Town, and she has already received a warning from Master. This time, we must not act recklessly. Now, let us remain silent and observe the changes in the mortal world."

Luo Gui's expression was stern, and all the disciples obeyed, conjuring their swords in the air and sitting cross-legged. Hua Wei, still resentful, pouted and sat cross-legged on a giant rock a hundred meters high, her eyes slightly closed, gazing at Tianlai Mountain.

Below Tianlai Mountain, the wind howled fiercely.

Five thousand heavily armored Turkic cavalry surrounded Fengjiabao. The people inside the fort were terrified, wanting another great escape, but Tianqin, wielding her sword, carved several deep trenches, stopping them inside.

"Leaving the fort means certain death. Believe it or not, go back obediently and do what you were supposed to do. Those with weak hearts, cover your eyes and ignore whatever you hear." Tianqin's stern voice was like thunder, and the young and old had no choice but to return to their homes, locking their doors tightly. The

only protection they saw was Tianqin and Tianyin. Fengjiabao had four gates in total; how could the two of them possibly withstand five thousand fierce Turkic soldiers?

Life and death are in the hands of fate; they hoped Heaven would open its eyes—the only solace for the old and young of Fengjiabao was that Madam Feng sat calmly in the council hall, reciting Buddhist scriptures.

The hundreds of hot-blooded men of the fortress, driven back by Tianqin, had no choice but to gather in the council hall to receive the pre-battle indoctrination of the supreme Buddhist teachings.

…

A few neighs of horses!

Five hundred heavily armored cavalry, located five miles from the west gate, moved out, their iron hooves pounding the paving stones, shattering them.

Tianqin stood in the south gate, her sword frozen in place. Tianyin stood at the north gate, gazing at the stone pagoda of Haotian Peak, silently reciting the eight words her master had left her when he transformed into a lotus: "Seventeenth Division, Haotian Stone Pagoda."

For the first time, Tianyin faced a terrifyingly bloody killing intent.

Wherever the Turkic heavy cavalry passed, trees fell and houses collapsed. A dozen hunters who had just come down from the mountain were caught off guard, their heads flying and blood splattering as they were trampled into mincemeat by the iron-clad hooves.

"You inhuman bastards!" Tianyin cried out through tears.

"Guard the Lotus Realm, use killing to fight killing!" Tianqin drew her sword, a melody piercing the air, suppressing the thunderous thud of five hundred iron cavalry. Three crimson beams shot out from the sword and zither, like the sun breaking through the clouds, piercing the ranks of the iron cavalry.

Thick iron armor ripped apart like shredded cloth, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the warhorses beneath them were torn in two, their half-bodies and hooves carrying headless, half-corpses hundreds of paces before crashing to the ground. The

sword beams of the zither and sword were released again, the melody of the zither, as tangible as blooming lotuses, piercing the ears. The heavily armored soldiers on horseback could not withstand it, roaring several times as they leaped from their horses and charged towards the tangible sword beams, desperately slashing with their longswords.

The blades flashed briefly before shattering into dust.

The iron cavalry continued their fearless advance.

Tianqin leaped into the air, her sword sweeping across the ground, carving a three-mile-long, thirty-meter-deep ditch half a mile in front of the west gate of Fengjiabao. With another swing, a flash of sword light streaked through the air, and the charging iron cavalry fell one after another into the ditch.

Three hundred iron cavalry each charged towards the north and east gates.

Tianyin roared, "Kill with kill!" The water lotus sword that had materialized above her head slashed down swiftly, her hands flying, sixty wooden swords aimed directly at the throats of the charging soldiers, between their helmets and armor.

The Water Lily Sword moved with lightning speed, slicing through a dozen or so Turkic cavalrymen in two. A wooden sword pierced a soldier's throat, killing him instantly, and the horse lurched in terror. The wooden sword struck again, severing the forelegs of dozens more horses.

The cavalry's formation crumbled, horses trampling each other, the dead and wounded countless.

Amidst the flying blood and neighing horses, a figure suddenly galloped across the southern road. Reaching the south gate, the man paused, then shouted, "Help has arrived! I, Liu Shentong, despise outnumbered attacks! You Turkic dogs, taste my woodcutter's axe!"

Behind Liu Shentong followed nearly a hundred men in blue robes, arrayed in a battle formation, each wielding a long-handled bronze axe that gleamed with a bluish light. Among them was a tall, burly man wielding a spear bent like a human arm.

The Turkic heavy cavalry arrayed at the south gate clearly hadn't expected such a group to rush in.

"Northern barbarians, do you think our Southern Dynasty has no generals?!" The man wielding the spear spoke with a swift movement, leaping into the air. A burst of crimson spear light exploded violently, like hundreds of spearheads piercing into the heavily armored cavalry of the Turkic soldiers.

"Chen Dingjian, to repay Empress Shen's kindness, has gone out of Tianheng Mountain to kill the bandits!" The voice was deafening, the spear light surged, and Chen Dingjian, a member of the Southern Dynasty royal family who had entered Tianheng Mountain for cultivation thirty years ago, single-handedly carved a bloody path through the iron cavalry, charging into the south gate alongside Liu Shentong from behind.

Chapter 37 Bloodbath [II]

Killing to Kill!

To expect a powerful ruler who wields imperial authority, who readily uses thousands of soldiers to defeat the few, to lay down his butcher's knife and sit down to discuss morality and nurture the people is like pouring water into the ocean.

Kill!

Benfeng fastened Mingyue's underpants and straightened his own clothes. He drew the broken sword from his treasured robe.

Having wielded the broken sword three times, Benfeng knew that this object, which Zhengxi had casually picked up, was not the worthless junk it appeared to be… The killing weapon that had terrified Wang Qingyang to the point of wetting his pants upon its first thrust must possess a hidden aura that his current limited cultivation could not fathom.

“Benfeng, I believe in you. I’m waiting for you here. If I have the strength to fight, I will fight alongside you, young master. What regret would I have if I died… Righteousness stands tall, death is light; the sound of shattering white jade is resounding. I am now a captive of the Sui, as lowly as pigs and dogs. Only now, thanks to your kindness, young master, do I understand the true meaning of humanity, the opportunity of a thousand-year spring… I, Mingyue, offer my humble self to you, young master; my integrity is like a thousand-foot pine, I envy not the beauty of the hibiscus.”

Under the oppressive aura of killing intent, Yuchi Mingyue expressed her resolve to Benfeng with these words, far from the chirping of birds fighting for food.

At this moment, inside and outside Yichun Tower, on the streets, amidst the shadows, sword energy crisscrossed, and incantations intertwined.

The bloody atmosphere of slaughter permeated the air even before the battle began.

Lacking the strength to fight, yet possessing the will to die together. Yu Chi Mingyue's mind was naturally open, readily sensing the Shu Mountain flying sword formation atop Langya. Such a grand display unsettled Mingyue. The reclusive Daoist cultivators, the elites of Kunlun and Shu Mountain, had all emerged; surely there was a divine will unfathomable to mortals—the immortal Baili of Kunlun, a realm of Earthly Immortals, had issued a warning, directly denouncing her as a demon. Could she truly be a demon hunted down by the two great Daoist sects?

Even if she were a demon, Mingyue would not abandon herself! She would not abandon Young Master Li!

Yu Chi Mingyue gazed intently at Benfeng's back, standing at the entrance of the Mi Xian Pavilion. Slow to speak, quick to act, his back conveyed to Mingyue the man's unwavering resolve, a man who "does not flock with others, and whose strength endures for eternity." Benfeng's simple words, "Mingyue is my woman, Li Benfeng's woman..." still echoed in her ears.

"Pearls are often buried in dust and mud, and sick cranes are often attacked by ants!" Hearing Benfeng's recitation and watching him step out the door with that broken sword that hardly qualify as a sword, two lines of clear tears silently fell from Mingyue's eyes.

...

"He Zuyang, He Daoyang, stop hiding in the crowd, get out here!" Benfeng steadily walked up the wooden stairs of Yichun Tower onto the street. The two remaining, incompetent, ancient Daoist masters of the Shangqing Sect, quite self-aware and skilled in cultivating their inner strength and forbearance, stood holding their breath in the Dexinlong Pawnshop, a mile away from Benfeng. In the

main hall of Yichun Tower, in the south-facing pavilion, Tianxiang, Zhengxi, and Dazhi sat with their eyes closed, their hearts facing upwards. The flying sword of the Three Yang Immortals hovered above them.

The three immortal, eccentric Daoist cultivators, Wang Xicang, Dugu Xin, and Su Chuo, seemed oblivious to everything, elegantly sipping their tea.

Ben Feng's loud shout finally shattered the silence before the bloodshed.

The five chief disciples of the Tianluo Sect, Qing Chong, Qing Ming, Qing De, Qing Jie, and Qing Xiang, standing before the Fusheng Tower of the Langya Wang family, drew their Qingxu swords from their backs as one.

The five Qingxu swords gleamed with the pure aura of dew-kissed pine trees, yet concealed a chilling sword energy that wove a killing array rarely seen by ordinary people—the Tianluo Five Wounds Sword Formation. With a light touch of the sword tips, the aura intensified.

Even ten Ben Fengs would struggle to defeat He Tongtian, the first-generation Qingming among the five chief disciples of Tianluo. Moreover, surrounding the Fusheng Tower were over twenty first-generation disciples from more than twenty Daoist sects, including the Five Thunder Sword Sect, Qingque Gate, Xuanqing Sect, and Mingxu Valley, numbering six or seven hundred. Such imposing presence, standing with swords drawn, subdued their enemies without a fight.

On the street, which stretched out in two directions, perhaps besides the murderers, the rest were the butchers, their bodies laid out like meat on a chopping board.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!* Suddenly, the sound of hammering echoed from the three blacksmith shops between Yixiang Pavilion and Qin's Restaurant of the Qin family in Yingfo Mountain.

At this moment, silence reigned.

Everyone watched intently. They saw over thirty burly men, shirtless, swinging their hammers, sending dazzling sparks flying from the red-hot iron bars!

"You country bumpkins, get out of here!" Dou Chenzi, the prized disciple of the Golden Saint Dharma King, the master of Mingxu Valley, leaped up, brandishing his Thousand-Thread Red Vine Sword. A ball of fire shot out, striking the thirteen blacksmiths closest to Yichun Pavilion.

"Hahaha!" A refined scholar emerged from one of the blacksmith shops. Before his laughter subsided, he suddenly kicked a furnace of freshly molten iron into the air.

The molten iron in the furnace exploded like fireworks, forming beads that solidified upon cooling!

The scholar holding the fan spread his ten fingers wide, and dozens of dark, cold, icy beads exploded again, instantly scattering icy dew across the sky. Dou Chenzi's thousand fiery threads were actually melted and absorbed by the iron beads.

The scholar then closed his fan.

"A mere grain of rice dares to flaunt his talent in Qianmen Town!" The scholar with the fan stepped out of the blacksmith's shop and onto the street. He smiled at Benfeng and said, "I am Chen Dingyuan. I have been sitting in seclusion on Tianheng Mountain for thirty years, but my cultivation has not yet been achieved. I was just strolling around Qianmen Town when I unexpectedly met Brother Benfeng. Could this be considered a stroke of good fortune?"

Benfeng laughed heartily, "In the current situation, anyone who dares to call me, Li Benfeng, brother would probably be risking their life. I thank Brother Dingyuan in advance."

"Brother Dingyuan, how can you be so biased? It's been thirty years since we last met. I, Qin Tong, am itching to settle the old score from the Battle of Zhongshan. My Qin Ji Restaurant has set out wine and dishes, and I have brought twenty jars of Qingxi Liuquan wine. How about we start with some wine?" Qin Tong, the head of the Longmen Sect of Yingfo Mountain, arrived with his voice before he did.

"That old rascal, he knows how to make a good time." Chen Dingyuan patted Benfeng on the shoulder. "Since we've met, I need to first try what Master Qin stole from the Southern Dynasty's royal wine cellar. See if it suits my taste."

Chen Dingyuan walked slowly past the group of Taoist disciples standing with their swords drawn, and ascended Qin's Restaurant. Qin Tong landed on the rooftop like a large bird, swordless, yet juggling twenty wax-sealed jars of royal wine with a nimble air.

"Stop putting on airs and acting like a showman!" A short, stocky man with wide eyes stepped out from the crowd, followed by three other men of similar appearance.

"Are you Li Benfeng?" The short, stocky man pointed a Qingcheng sword at Benfeng.

"Indeed," Benfeng replied.

"Gan Chifeng, Bai Mingdao, Lian Duanshan, and Hui Mianjin, disciples of Qingcheng Sect, are here to avenge the humiliation of our master being injured by Jingtu Mountain!" Gan Chifeng announced his sect, glanced back, and the four of them shouted, "Qingcheng Flying Swords, let our swords fly forth!"

Four swords flew out, green, black, blue, and red!

Benfeng raised his broken sword to meet the attack. The moment their sword auras touched, the four fragmented sword energies condensed into a sword curtain that barely advanced. A single test revealed that it was beyond his current cultivation level to withstand.

The broken sword fell silent, and the sword aura condensed at its tip vanished instantly.

Benfeng retreated swiftly, the four sword auras following him like shadows, enveloping him in sword light.

Forced into a corner, Benfeng unleashed his Jujube Branch Sword with one hand, attacking Gan Chifeng and his companions. His accumulated yang energy exploded forth, the Jujube Branch Sword carrying a blue aura, forcing Gan Chifeng and his companions to work together to defend. The oppressive aura surrounding Benfeng slightly subsided.

"Benfeng, don't be afraid!" a clear voice rang out. Tianxiang rose from her seated position, soaring through the air, releasing her flying sword. Its dazzling light blocked the sword auras of Gan Chifeng and his companions.

Benfeng breathed a slight sigh of relief, calming his mind, and silently chanted as he drew his sword: "Transform intention outwards, merge matter inwards."

The oppressive force descended once more, and the Heavenly Net Five Wounds Sword Formation was activated, with five Heavenly Net Pure Void Swords spiraling downwards. Benfeng, with nowhere to retreat, raised his sword and roared, "No one is safe!"

Chapter 38 Bloodbath [Part Three]

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

The dense sword formation woven from the Heavenly Net Sword Qi descended from the sky. The clear qi, like that of a pine tree on a cliff, formed a silkworm-shell-like net, growing thicker and thicker. Within the net, the chilling sword qi, even before contact, emanated a powerful, heart-crushing energy fluctuation.

Benfeng felt as if he were bound by layers of iron netting, his legs feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds. The Heart-Cracking Sword Qi covering his head gathered but did not explode, clearly intended to destroy Benfeng's will.

His sword-wielding arm was weak and powerless; Benfeng could only barely support himself by relying on the essence of his mind manifested externally. Under the immense pressure, Benfeng did not retreat but advanced, taking two difficult steps forward, his eyes glaring angrily at the five people from Qingchong, five hundred paces away.

Before the five were about twenty disciples of the Five Thunder Sword Sect with slightly less cultivation. They were clearly not yet at the Innate Realm. With each step they took, the sword tips flashed with a dark light, accompanied by a faint rumble of thunder.

Behind them, another twenty-odd people surrounded them, forming a three-hundred-step battle circle where sword light clashed.

It was a fight to the death. After Tianxiang joined the battle, countless corpses lay around her. Although she desperately tried to get closer to Benfeng, she was surrounded by more than ten sect leaders and masters from various Daoist schools.

Even if Zhengxi and Dazhi joined the battle, they wouldn't be of any help. On the street, a continuous stream of people arrived on flying swords. These people were more powerful than the disciples surrounding them, some clearly far surpassing the cultivation of He Tongtian, the first of the five chief disciples of the Tianluo Sect, having broken through to the Seven Luminaries Moyi Heaven realm. Presumably

, someone had already been eyeing the Three Yang True Man.

... *

Swoosh!* Several people suddenly advanced beside Benfeng, their sword light crimson, the stench of blood thick. Benfeng couldn't attend to them, but continued to move forward. *Thud!* A sharp sword aura struck his clothes, tearing his upper garment to shreds and revealing the exquisitely woven robe Tianxiang had given him. The robe, crafted from silken threads and

needles from the Xuanwu Lake in Jinling, was indeed no ordinary garment. Though he felt a tearing pain in his flesh, he felt nothing else amiss.

Taking advantage of the impact, he swiftly dodged several dozen steps. The Heavenly Net Five Wounds Sword Formation above his head momentarily froze. In that split second, the broken sword, born of his will, burst forth. *Boom!*

The broken sword blazed with a brilliant azure light, piercing through several people, eliciting screams of agony. Ignoring the danger, he charged forward, unleashing a devastating attack. In an instant, blood mist enveloped him, and corpses littered the ground beneath his feet.

"Surround him!" a sinister voice cried from behind.

Turning around, he swung his broken sword. A jet-black flying sword, imbued with the malevolent energy of the underworld, clashed head-on with the broken sword that had been thrusting at him.

With a muffled thud, followed by several rumbles of thunder, the broken sword in Benfeng's hand suddenly became sentient, shattering the jet-black flying sword. It pulled Benfeng up, drawing a flash of azure-white sword light, and charged towards the Heavenly Net Five Wounds Sword Formation!

The sky was cloudless, yet several dazzling bolts of lightning appeared. After the lightning flashed, the broken sword Benfeng held was completely devoid of its original shape; the pitted and uneven hard iron blade had shattered, leaving only a short, dark object less than a hand's length long.

This dark object shone brightly, its two sides gleaming with an eerie, blinking black and white eye.

The Black Lotus Male and Female Pearls!

The pearls wove two beams of light, red and white, overlapping and enveloping the Heavenly Net Five Wounds Sword Formation. The Heavenly Net Pure Void Swords of the five members of the Heavenly Net Sect, amidst the brilliant light, seemed to have fallen into a blazing furnace, instantly transforming into five streaks of azure light that flew into the Black Lotus Male and Female Pearls.

The five cried out in alarm! Suddenly, the Black Lotus Male and Female Pearls emitted a wisp of azure energy. The azure energy condensed, forming a serpentine shadow. The serpentine shadow flew swiftly, coiling around the five people, twisting and turning with unrestrained force. The five bodies shattered, scattering in all directions, until only the inner cores containing their vital essence remained.

The inner cores exploded, the vital essence dissipating, wisps swirling around the serpentine shadow, which then vanished behind the Black Lotus Male and Female Pearls.

Benfeng, sword in hand, gracefully landed on a pavilion in the Yichun Tower.

His heart was still filled with shock. The hilt of the sword in his hand alternated between hot and cold, sometimes burning like charcoal, sometimes as cold as ice.

Staring intently, he discovered that a patch of golden dragon scales was faintly growing from the hilt—the broken sword hilt and the Black Lotus Male and Female Pearls were seamlessly integrated, resembling a dragon.

A dragon-shaped serpentine shadow.

Benfeng suddenly sensed a sinister killing intent attacking from behind. He swung his sword, releasing a green sword aura, the blade extending several feet.

A mournful ape cry rang out! The old ape, its body covered in green fur, was pierced into the air by Benfeng's superb sword strike. The ape's blood was absorbed by the dark blue-green blade, while its body was pulverized by the swirling, serpentine sword energy.

Su Chuo slammed his fist on the table and rose to his feet. "Since entering the Hidden Immortal Temple, I haven't fought anyone for sixty years! Today, I'll see what kind of evil tricks this nameless brat from the Southern Dynasty has up his sleeve!"

The old monster Su had nurtured with spiritual herbs and elixirs for sixty years, only to have it all destroyed by Benfeng's single sword strike. How could the old monster Su tolerate this?

"Su Chuo, you've had too much tea!" The Three Yang Master rose, his flying sword arriving in his wake. He walked to Ben Feng's side, gently stroking Ben Feng's forehead with one hand. "Those dog-slaughtering bastards on the street, you're all mine! I hope my last-minute practice of the Three Yang Sword Technique won't cost Zheng Xi and Da Zhi their lives."

The flying sword sliced through the air, filling the pavilion with golden light, then gently fell back down, lifting the square table around which Su Chuo, Dugu Xin, and Wang Xicang sat, swirling it in the air.

The Three Yang Master's casual strike caused the three to change color and leap into the air. The Three Yang Master, however, remained unperturbed, tossing the table back to its original position and stepping into the air as if on a ladder.

...

Zheng Xi and Da Zhi rose, mimicking the Three Yang Master's actions, taking a few slow steps, picking up the teacups on the table, and taking a sip of tea.

Benfeng shouted, "You two brats still have the leisure to drink tea? Tianxiang and I have barely escaped death, why aren't you getting off the battlefield!"

Zhengxi grinned, "A true man disregards life and death. Before the battle, let's have a sip of tea from Old Wang's to perk ourselves up!" As he spoke, Zhengxi, having drawn his Tianyang Sword, leaped forward, landing five hundred paces away. "He Zuyang, He Daoyang, you two bastards, didn't you hear your brother Benfeng thinking of you?! Get out here and face your death!"

"Damn it, Yuan Zhengxi, what kind of brother are you? We agreed to fight to the death, and you beat me to it!" Dazhi swung his bronze cudgel, following closely behind Zhengxi.

The two seemed to have planned ahead; the direction they headed was the domain controlled by the Three Yang True Man's flying sword, where those with slightly lower cultivation levels couldn't even stop.

With lightning speed, sword and cudgel strikes flew, and amidst the flying blood and flesh, Zhengxi and Dazhi suddenly appeared in front of Qin Ji Dexinlong Pawnshop. He Zuyang and He Daoyang, standing inside the pawnshop, could only sigh and draw their swords.

Today's battle has shattered their spirits. They only hope to escape this calamity and, by virtue of the shamelessness of the head of the Shangqing Sect, obtain a copy of the Shangqing Great Cave True Scripture from Madam Qin of the Longmen Sect, so they can find a secluded place to cultivate in seclusion.

In vain, decades have passed, and those who were slaughtered back then now possess an unstoppable and overwhelming momentum.

"Those who block my way shall die!" Benfeng unleashed his power once more, his aura now far surpassing the suffocating tension of their initial battle. His Dragon-Shaped Serpent Shadow Sword, though not yet drawn, exuded a murderous aura, its azure light surging. Benfeng leaped into the street, his sword flashing, and screams of agony erupted wherever it passed. The cowardly stood frozen in the battle circle, their legs trembling, awaiting their fate!

Just moments before, they were killers; now, they were slaughtered. The transformation of the broken sword was indeed extraordinary.

Seeing Benfeng's divine might, Tianxiang's spirits soared. Her sword moved with lightning speed, its light like a wheel, forcing the two leaders of the Qingyue Sect and the White Lotus Sect to retreat repeatedly, while the remaining twenty-odd disciples who had charged forward collapsed to the ground.

"Sister Tianxiang, Benfeng is here!" Benfeng, caught up in the frenzy of battle, relied on his treasured weapon, slashing through the enemy like cutting melons and vegetables, carving a blood-red path to meet Tianxiang.

"Amitabha! Do not harbor murderous thoughts!" A Buddhist chant rang out, and Yu Chi Fan Chi, dressed in grey cloth, his straw sandals barely touching the air, flew out of Yi Chun Lou and floated to atop the flagpole of Fu Sheng Lou.

Ben Feng seemed to hear his master's compassionate chanting on Pure Land Mountain before battle: "Lotus Canon Nine Lotuses, Heavenly Sword Essentials, Open the Gate of Consciousness, Jade Maiden—Illustrated Record…"

Chapter 39: Mountains Beyond Mountains, Paths Beyond Paths

. A roar resounded in his mind!

The meridians connected to Ben Feng's heart throbbed, and the bright points between his Baihui and Fanxue acupoints connected one after another. Deep within his brain, a void that was normally imperceptible appeared.

Three faint lines of energy appeared between the void of consciousness—the heart—and the brain. It was these three lines that made Ben Feng realize the immense resources within his own universe.

The gate of consciousness opened; he entered the hall. The myriad patterns within his brain resembled a dazzling golden net stretching outwards—just moments ago there was a faint glimmer of light, followed by a surge of vital energy. The connection between his mind and consciousness was incredibly intense, with bright spots twinkling like stars in the sky.

Vital energy circulated rapidly within his mind, surging upwards through three meridians, then four, five, and by the sixth, the energy could no longer penetrate. His brain felt as if it were about to explode, a tearing, excruciating pain causing him to plunge his sword into the mud beneath his feet.

…

He heard Tianxiang's shouts and the sound of her thrusting her sword, yet he remained completely still, sweat pouring down his face… After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the intense pain within his body gradually subsided.

His mind felt cool and refreshed, like dew in a secluded valley—he could perceive even the subtle fluctuations of magical energy up to ten miles away.

At this moment, in the void, seven celestial maidens, resembling Senior Sister Yi Xuan, gracefully danced with their swords, demonstrating the Nine Lotus Heavenly Sword Technique like flying apsaras of Dunhuang.

The sword technique is extremely simple. Following the established form, when faced with a flying sword, the essence of the heart is released through intention, and cries of surprise rise from all sides.

The Star Lotus Heavenly Sword has nine forms, each divided into nine. The first form is the Dawn of the Bright King; the second is the Vajra Wheel of Subduing Soldiers; the third is the Vajra Union of Fighting Incantations; the fourth is the Assembly of the Subduing Demon Lotus; the fifth is the Four Seals of the Dharma Body; the sixth is the Six Paths Lotus Array; the seventh is the Seal of the Tathagata Mantra; the eighth is the Sun Wheel; and the ninth is the Myriad Transformations of the Sun Lotus. Of

the nine forms of the Heavenly Sword that the essence of the heart can wield, only the first form, Dawn of the Bright King, and the second form, the Vajra Wheel of Subduing Soldiers, are truly mastered.

Dawn of the Bright King, Vajra Womb, the sword rises to protect the root, the three wheels remain unmoved.

The Vajra Wheel of Subduing Soldiers, a thousand soldiers fly like a fire wheel, the ten directions of demon seals, the Vajra Venerable of the Boundary.

With only these two forms, although the master only comprehends the initial moves, he can still contend with the sword of Ying Fuzhen, the sect leader of the Qingque Sect. In the battle at Pure Land Mountain, among all the sect leaders and masters, only Ying Fuzhen escaped unscathed.

Ying Fuzhen wielded the ancient Qingque Sword, having achieved perfect harmony between man and sword. Though his family's martial arts lineage was unknown to the common people, his true cultivation was no less than that of Ling Wuxing of the Five Thunder Sword Sect.

Clouds drifted over Qingque, the bright moon reflected in Dan Palace, morning dew rose over Qingque, and the sun shone on the distant sea.

Benfeng, facing a life-or-death situation, broke through the sword's barrier, his swordplay newly formed, his unadorned style forcing Ying Fuzhen to lose his composure. He frowned and scolded, "Li Benfeng! You few think you can leave Qianmen Town alive? You're dreaming!"

"So what if I'm dreaming? So what if I'm not?" Tianxiang's longsword flashed, deflecting two flying swords, and she moved to be beside Benfeng. Her Three Yang Sword Style, golden light like waves, struck Ying Fuzhen's Qingque sword light. Benfeng's mind raced, his sword flashing as he executed the Vajra Wheel of Subduing Soldiers opening stance three times, accompanied by dragon and snake shadows, before slamming forward with a deafening roar. The sword tip gleamed with an eerie green light, aiming for Ying Fuzhen's elegant face.

Tianxiang smiled knowingly, her ordinary longsword piercing the clouds like a sun, hovering above Ying Fuzhen's head. Unable to withstand the combined attack, Ying Fuzhen gritted her teeth and retreated.

At this moment, the battle was filled with renowned sect leaders and masters. Zhengxi and Dazhi's challenge to He Zuyang and He Daoyang had failed. Their entry into the battle brought forth over sixty idle Daoist cultivators who wielded swords with their minds. Relying on their

newly mastered Three Yang Sword Technique, the two, their swords flashing with fierce light and their staffs spinning like golden wheels, moved in perfect unison, rushing towards Fusheng Tower.

Benfeng, Tianxiang, Zhengxi, and Dazhi were of one mind. Although they had forced the leaders of the secular Taoist sects to refrain from a direct assault, the situation remained one of the weak against the strong. The street battles were no longer the initial sword-to-sword confrontations. The sect leaders, mostly veterans of countless battles, were adept at creating the most oppressive aura and overwhelming the few with numbers. This tactic was tacitly understood, and their coordination was seamless.

They operated in groups of three or five, positioned in highly advantageous, both overt and covert, positions to ambush. High on the rooftops and eaves, a dense net of swords covered the area; in the dark corners below, a chilling aura of killing intent lingered.

The annihilation was difficult to break.

Benfeng and his companions attempted to storm Fusheng Tower several times, but were repeatedly blocked by numerous nets of swords.

After Yuchi Fanchi, seated in meditation atop the twenty-meter-high flagpole of Fusheng Tower, warned Benfeng and the others, "Do not harbor reckless murderous thoughts," he clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and calmed his mind, ignoring the bloodshed on the streets of Qianmen Town once more.

Could it be... that she is calmly waiting for an opportunity with a Buddhist heart?

Benfeng intended to storm Fusheng Tower and drag Dugu Jialuo out. The deaths of the innocent souls in Qianmen Town were all thanks to the Dugu clan—her heart was even more ruthless than Yang Jian, the father of the people. She met Su Chuo at Tianlai Mountain, and the two plotted for days to kill in Qianmen Town to establish their authority.

In her heart, even if the area within a hundred miles of Tianlai Mountain was completely wiped out, she would still uphold the might of the Sui Dynasty. Whether immortal or demon, those who defied the Sui would be slaughtered.

However, human plans often fail—the people of Fengjiabao, whom she hated most, were not slaughtered. On the contrary, two thousand of the five thousand Turkic soldiers were killed. The powerful Turkic soldiers had fought fiercely for a long time, but facing an enemy of less than a hundred, they had not killed a single enemy. Their morale plummeted, and they became fearful and hesitant to fight. With

their will broken, continuing to fight would be tantamount to offering their necks for slaughter. To crane one's neck, waiting for someone to take one's head, is the most unbearable humiliation for a soldier.

The Turkic commander, his face filled with dejection, waved his retreat flag, and the heavy cavalry, the rear guard becoming the front, fled in a rout.

Tianyin, her face covered in blood, gave Tianqin a bitter smile, "Senior Sister, we won! Go save Senior Brother Benfeng!" Only ten years old, Tianyin, exhausted from the battle, collapsed softly into Tianqin's arms.

Tianqin smiled gently, like a mother, and lightly stroked Tianyin's face, "Go to sleep. The rest is up to you, Senior Sister."

Tianyin fell asleep peacefully. Tianqin carried Tianyin into Feng Family Fort and took her to Old Man Chunshan's room. Old Man Chunshan made the bed, brought a basin of water, washed the blood from Tianyin's face, placed her on the bed, and covered her with a blanket. Tianqin walked outside and looked at Chen Dingjian, who stood outside the door holding a long spear, and the nearly one hundred men in black behind him. "The people here are all in your hands. They must live."

Chen Dingjian nodded.

Tianqin released her flying sword, which flew to the streets of Qianmen Town.

The sound of the zither was like a sword, and anyone who stood in her way would die instantly.

"Dugu Jialuo, Tianlai Mountain is not a place for you to show off your power. If you don't stop, I will kill you!" As soon as Tianqin said this, Dugu Xin, Su Chuo, and Wang Xicang, who were already protecting Dugu Jialuo, attacked.

The three, all nearly five hundred years old, unleashed a combined attack, clearly aiming for a fatal blow.

"Break!" The Three Yang True Man's three swords coalesced into one, a silent flying sword meeting the dark purple aura of Dugu Xin and his companions, a burst of intense light erupting. The flying

sword, unimpeded, pierced Wang Xicang's chest, exploding into a cloud of blood mist, and then shattered Su Chuo's protective essence. Dugu Xin was greatly alarmed, summoning the Black Lotus Pearl from his robes.

"I'll spare your old life!" The flying sword stopped, and the Three Yang True Man soared through the air, landing atop Three Yang Peak, sheathing his sword.

The Heavenly Harp's music suddenly solidified and shattered, the harp and sword striking down, sending the forty-odd sect leaders protecting Dugu Jialuo flying. Seven or eight sect leaders instantly vomited blood and died.

The Nine Heroes Cry!

The clear sound of a waterfall, divine punishment.

The Shu Mountain Flying Sword Formation activated at the sound, and thirty-six sword immortals, riding seven-colored flying boats, gracefully arrived. Flying swords, arranged in rows of three or six, formed a magical array in the sky.

Yi Xuan and Daoist Yun Qing, standing atop Haotian Peak, met the attack with their swords, while the Six Lotus Spirit Immortal Sword and the Three Pure Void Sword formed two clear waves, each ten miles wide, encircling Qianmen Town.

The streets were deserted.

The Daoist disciples who had miraculously survived had retreated ten miles away, where their respective elders distributed life-sustaining pills, carefully protecting them.

The shift in celestial phenomena and destiny was no longer a matter of victory or defeat for a single family or sect. Those with profound Daoist cultivation resided on high ground, quietly observing this once-in-a-millennium battle of celestial destiny.

At Tianlai Mountain's Cloud Snow Peak, clouds and snow reflected each other, and the soaring azure energy gradually thickened, breaking through the clouds. The energy swirled around the peaks, absorbing it from the gaps, and lotus blossoms reflected in the clouds, transforming into rosy clouds. Amidst the lotus light and rosy clouds, a peak upon a peak gradually emerged:

Tianlian Peak. The peaks resembled blooming lotuses, with lotuses piled upon lotuses within. Pillars of condensed azure energy pierced the clouds, and amidst the billowing azure energy, cranes and deer flew, carrying a water ribbon that connected heaven and earth, encircling the nine peaks of Tianlai Mountain.

The Kunlun disciples standing atop Mount Hua finally launched their attack. Seventeen Earth Immortal swords flew down, heading straight for Tianlai Mountain.

Ben Feng's newly awakened consciousness trembled, sensing the earth-shattering Dao beyond the Dao.

Chapter 40 Who Holds the Heavenly Dao

?

The Shu Mountain flying boat, five miles from Qianmen Town, hovered in the air. Thirty-six magnificent flying boats woven into a magic array were dazzling to behold. The young disciples of the mortal world who were cultivating Taoism stared in disbelief, some even kneeling on the ground, chanting passionately from the bottom of their hearts, "A person's life is as fleeting as a blade of grass in autumn, a celestial being has descended from heaven, come and see!" "The immortals of the mortal world pay homage to the celestial being!" "Those who see this are destined, please send down a magical artifact to aid in cultivation..."

At first, they could only stare in disbelief, but then a cacophony of voices arose, and more than a dozen disciples from the Netherworld Valley even raised their voices, wanting to join the Shu Mountain sect.

Even the most seasoned and prudent disciples among the group couldn't help but be shaken, thinking to themselves, "If one day I could cultivate to the point of controlling a flying boat with my heart, I would

have no regrets even in death." The sword immortals of Mount Shu, however, remained solemn. To fight with such a formidable array was something even a disciple with over three hundred years of cultivation had never experienced. Within the flying sword formation, only Qi Nanxing, Shi Yinlie, and Fang Mingya, who had advanced to the third level of the third realm, vaguely remembered the perilous scene six hundred years ago when the Three Yang True Man rebelled against Mount Shu.

The Three Yang True Man, because of a woman in Tianlai Mountain who had consumed a demon's core, disobeyed his master's teachings, broke through the flying sword formation, and caused a catastrophe.

Qi Nanxing, Shi Yinlie, and Fang Mingya did not participate in the battle at the time, but only witnessed their master's natal nascent soul dissipate like flying catkins; five hundred years of cultivation had become nothing but a tragic dream.

"Junior Brothers Yinlie and Mingya, this time we come to Tianlai Mountain, we must not let our personal desires cloud our judgment and recklessly kill each other for our master's sake." "The sect leader's intention is to stop the war. If we follow the ways of the world and act impulsively, our three lives are not worth cherishing. The sect leader has spent a hundred years training the second-generation disciples, and I fear not a single one of them will be able to return to Mount Shu." Qi Nanxing, dressed in simple clothes, controlled the flying sword formation in his mind, his face showing neither joy nor sorrow.

Shi Yinlie and Fang Mingya said in unison, "Senior brother, please rest assured. The people of our Mount Shu sect are not shallow people who merely vie for the supremacy of the world's sects. This battle is only to train our disciples, so that they may know that there are mountains beyond mountains, and heavens beyond heavens." "

...

The seventeenth disciple of Kunlun has arrived.

Hua Wei was the first to reach Shenwu Peak in the southwest of Tianlai Mountain. With her current cultivation level, she could not sense the lotus light and flying clouds of Tianlian Peak, but she could only see the colorful flying boat of Shu Mountain above Qianmen Town.

She whispered to Hua Yu, who flew over after her, "Senior sister, if we capture that Li Benfeng and that Tianyin who is even younger than me first, I want to take them both and test the flying swords of the Shu Mountain disciples. Look, the Shu Mountain disciples are more impressive than us when they fly their boats."

Hua Yu said, "Don't be playful. Master has already said that we came here with Senior Brother Luo Gui to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path. Although Senior sister's shallow cultivation level cannot sense Ying Shui Island in the East Sea, Master said that the sect leader does not think much of Shu Mountain, but he looks at Empress Shen Wuhua of the Southern Chen Dynasty, who was born into an ordinary world and suffered the destruction of her dynasty, in a different light. Her establishment of Zhexing Pavilion must be in accordance with the will of Heaven." "I once overheard Master asking the Sect Leader in the Heavenly Pavilion, 'The Southern Chen Dynasty was destroyed, and Shen Wuhua, who was hiding as the Holy Master of the Buddhist and Taoist sects in the Southern Dynasty, couldn't even save the dynasty. How could she be qualified to be a major threat to Kunlun's dominance over the Taoist sects?'"

Hua Wei asked anxiously, "Who exactly is Shen Wuhua? What did the Sect Leader say? How can she fight against Kunlun with just a few disciples?"

"I don't know either. I only saw Master shaking his head repeatedly. I didn't hear a word the Sect Leader said to Master." Hua Yu was pure-hearted and said whatever she heard. She didn't want to say these things, but seeing Hua Wei relying on the name of Kunlun and looking down on everything, she was quite worried and spoke up to remind her that Kunlun couldn't control everything and kill and slaughter at will.

Hua Wei frowned after hearing her senior sister's words and said, "Senior sister, really, why didn't you listen carefully to such important words?" Hua Yu said, “

Senior Sister’s cultivation is too shallow. If the Sect Leader doesn’t want me to hear, I certainly won’t hear it. As Kunlun disciples, we have a duty to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path, but cultivation must be achieved step by step; it cannot be forced.”

As the two were speaking, Senior Brother Luo Gui, already wielding the Heavenly Feather Divine Sword, rushed to the Shushan Flying Sword Formation and respectfully offered a sword salute to Qi Nanxing, Shi Yinlie, and Fang Mingya: “Senior Qi, Senior Shi, Senior Fang, Luo Gui, a disciple of Kunlun, has led a group of junior brothers and sisters to Kunlun for the first time. We are willing to obey your orders to uphold the order of the Daoist sects.”

“I, Qi, am unworthy. I am only following the Sect Leader’s orders to stop the war. I dare not defy the Heavenly Dao, using my otherworldly cultivation to cut off the path for people in the mortal world to seek the Dao. Everything should be done in accordance with the Dao and reason. I, Qi, have no virtue or authority to command the Kunlun disciples. Our two sects, Shushan and Kunlun, should follow the changes in fortune and do our best to avoid bloodshed.” "What you say is absolutely right, senior. "

Luo Gui bowed again, then flew away and landed on Shenwu Peak.

"My name is Li Benfeng. I am a lowly peasant, but I was unwilling to let the old and young on Pure Land Mountain die such a tragic death. So I crossed the river to Tianlai Mountain to find a place to farm and support myself. Little did I know that I would be regarded as a thorn in the side by the Emperor of the Great Sui Dynasty, and that I would cause such a great bloodshed... I know that my limited cultivation is not worthy to speak with the elders of Shu Mountain. However, all my senior sisters do not wish to get involved in worldly affairs. I reluctantly offer my humble request to the heavens and the people, hoping to save my life." Benfeng stood in the street and spoke loudly.

"Qi Nanxing greets the disciples of Master Shen's Zhexing Pavilion. I, Qi Nanxing, have come here on the orders of the sect leader. I have a request. If you are willing to follow me to Shu Mountain to cultivate, I, Qi Nanxing, can, in the name of the sect leader, guarantee that the old and young of Tianlai Mountain will have no worries about food and clothing and live in peace and happiness." "

Does your Shu Mountain want to be above Kunlun? By what right do you spare Li Benfeng's life with just a word? He deserves to die. He was entangled with demons in Yichun Pavilion, unable to distinguish between good and evil, and committed adultery in broad daylight. He is not worthy to be a disciple of the Dao! I, Hua Wei, will take his life today to cleanse the Dao!"

"Whether I am worthy or not is for you to decide. Did you, Kunlun, come here again under the banner of eliminating demons and protecting the Dao, so that all the Daoist sects in the world would follow Kunlun's lead?" Tianqin leaped into the void, her skirts fluttering, her zither and sword gleaming, pointing directly at Hua Wei.

"Hmph, do you think I'm afraid of you? A wild woman, abandoned by her parents, expelled from her sect, and ignorant of the ways of the world, what right do you have to speak to me!" Hua Wei scoffed, leaping into the air and unleashing her flying sword. The dense sword aura instantly transformed into a verdant mountain shroud.

"Amitabha, when will this cycle of killing to kill end!" Standing atop the flagpole of Fusheng Tower, Yuchi Fanchi, clad in grey, flew out and blocked Hua Wei's flying sword. "Hua Wei was ordered by Master Shen to guard Tianlai Mountain, but her shallow virtue has already led to this bloodshed."

"Go!" With a soft, flowing voice from Yuchi Fanchi, Hua Wei's flying sword returned to Shenwu Peak.

"Disciples of Kunlun, show yourselves!" Yuchi Fanchi's hands moved, unleashing the Great Vajra Wheel Seal, the character "兵" (bing, meaning soldier) from the Nine True Words bursting forth.

The reclusive Daoist cultivators of Shu Mountain and Kunlun were all shaken upon hearing this. Only then did everyone realize that the guardian of Buddhism after Shen Wuhua's departure was Yuchi Fanchi, who was practicing meditation at Jinglian Nunnery.

Yuchi Fanchi's mantra wheel struck Mingtang Mountain, located in the northeast of Tianlai Mountain.

A figure floated up

from Mingtang Mountain. "Luo Gui, you all step back. I, Kunyang Ding, will guide the Buddhists in cultivating the Dao." As soon as he finished speaking, the figure had already traveled a hundred miles and stood atop Qin Ji Restaurant.

Yuchi Fanchi, however, ignored him and struck again with his hand seal, and another figure floated up from the southeast horizon.

Chapter 41 Demon Core, Hot Spring, Color Realm [I]

Six out of ten Golden Immortals of Kunlun.

Five Golden Immortals stood atop the Wang family's Jishitang, Changlong Pawnshop, and Yichun Tower, and the Qin family's Dexinlong and Qin Ji Restaurant. One stood atop Luofeng Peak of Yingfo Mountain.

"The guardians of Buddhism, always sacrificing themselves for the void, receive my Yin-Yang Nine-Ring Cauldron!" Standing atop Falling Phoenix Peak, the Kunyang Cauldron unleashed a divine-grade magic weapon forged in the Kunlun Purple Profound Furnace over three hundred years.

"Lin!" Yuchi Fanchi slowly rose, his hand seals overlapping, unleashing the Immovable Fundamental Seal. Golden light shone around him, the seal wheel splitting into nine, slicing horizontally against the Yin-Yang Nine-Ring Cauldron that spun towards him.

The boundless light waves of the nine rings of Yin and Yang, nine bright and nine dark, were stifled upon encountering the seal wheel, their brilliance suddenly bursting forth. A golden cauldron flying disc absorbed the light waves and changed direction, actually attacking Yi Xuan and Daoist Yun Qing standing on Haotian Peak.

The Kunyang Cauldron was cunning and calculating. Knowing that the guardians of Buddhism possessed the blessing of a Buddha avatar, it was difficult for him, with his cultivation at the fourth level of the Golden Immortal realm (Dragon Transformation Brahma Heaven), to destroy Yuchi Fanchi, who was blessed by the Buddha avatar, in a single strike.

Strike Yi Xuan, a Void Returning Immortal, was his true intention.

Kunyang Ding's long-planned attack slammed towards Haotian Peak with a force that seemed to split the heavens and cleave the earth. The five Golden Immortals standing atop the shops of Qianmen Town—Shi Taijue, Luo Jia, Panmo, Fu Luoyun, and Luo Mangli—unleashed their power, instantly conjuring three magical treasures upon Qianmen Town: the Purple Heaven Nine-Root Bracelet, the Five Qi Dragon-Elephant Banner, and the Golden Palace Natal Sword Yuanzun.

These three treasures descended from the sky, and Benfeng, Tianxiang, Zhengxi, and Dazhi, situated in the street, felt a sudden sense of impending doom. Fear gripped their hearts, yet they couldn't muster a single thought of escape.

It wasn't that their resolve was unwavering, but rather the overwhelming, inescapable pressure of the three treasures, capable of annihilating everything without a trace of life.

Emptiness annihilates emptiness!

"Nine words, here you go!"

"Buddha's seat!"

The nine-character mantra seal—Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Zai, Qian—guarded by Buddhism—was slowly released, spreading across the void. The Buddha seal was formless, transcending the constraints of mortal time and space.

The golden throne of the Buddha shone with a radiant golden wheel, gradually growing larger, sprouting a thousand arms that enveloped the three magical treasures of the five Golden Immortals of Kunlun in the void. These treasures were connected to their natal nascent souls; while the lotus mantra hand seals used by Buddhism to protect them didn't instantly kill them, they did deplete the vital essence of the five Golden Immortals. The golden waves and wheels of light from the Buddha's throne shattered the natal nascent souls of the five Golden Immortals, while the thousand arms of the Buddha grasped at the void, binding immortals and seizing spirits, channeling the divine fire of the Nine Heavens.

Panmo's Five Qi Dragon-Elephant Banner had already shattered. With a single strike, the difference in strength was immediately apparent. Panmo, in a state of utter annihilation, roared and flew into the magical treasure, exploding and merging with it. Five Qi flying dragons appeared in the sky, their mouths open like bottomless abysses.

"Amitabha, Five Qi Dragon Soul, I will grant you another chance to cultivate. Go!" Yuchi Fanchi uttered softly, retracting the Buddha throne.

After Panmo annihilated the gods, the five Qi flying dragons plummeted down, then surged back into the clouds.

Benfeng, Zhengxi, Tianxiang, and Dazhi were nowhere to be seen in Qianmen Town. Tianqin, however, stood upright in the mouth of a green dragon. With a dragon's roar and a burst of breath, Tianqin could no longer stand, spitting out a mouthful of blood as she drifted like a falling leaf towards Tianlian Peak.

Fu Luoyun's nine purple bracelets followed closely, enveloping Tianqin.

"Demon, show yourself!"

Jinque's natal sword Yuanzun crashed down, instantly reducing Yichun Tower to dust. The three Golden Immortals, Shi Taijue, Luojia, and Luomangli, clearly had no intention of succeeding with the combined magic weapon; their true forms fell into the street along with the weapon.

The thousand-year-old demon inside Yichun Tower still showed no signs of power. The three were not worried about accidentally killing mortals—the demon's soul had possessed a human form, becoming one with the human soul, and had no chance of survival.

A moment later, a graceful figure rose from the rubble. It was not a demonic being, but still the alluring beauty of Yu Chi Mingyue.

"You, the Golden Immortals of Kunlun, have wantonly slaughtered mortals, defying the Heavenly Dao! Luo Mang, after five hundred years of pure cultivation, actually joined those two Daoist scoundrels, Shi Taijue and Luo Jia, in practicing that third-rate Nascent Soul magic weapon with your True Fate Sword Essence! You are utterly foolish! Listen, the heavenly thunder is about to sound!" Yu Chi Mingyue's gentle voice sounded like she was admonishing some disobedient children.

Yu Chi Mingyue flew directly to Sanyang Peak.

Jin Que's Nascent Sword Essence Venerable unleashed three pure white sword essences, shooting directly at Yu Chi Mingyue. The Yin-

Yang Nine-Ring Cauldron of Kunyang Cauldron, Fu Luoyun's Purple Heaven Nine Bracelets, and the Five Qi Flying Dragons of Panmo's five souls after his body and spirit were destroyed, together with Jin Que's Nascent Sword Essence Venerable, pressed down upon Tianlai Mountain without any sense of time or space.

Tianlai Mountain was devoid of light and darkness; all things returned to stillness.

Master Sanyang laughed heartily, "Qi Nanxing, you truly deserve to be Kuang Hai's disciple. With such resolve, you, Yin Lie, and Mingya, having undergone this training, will surely break through the limits of the Three Realms. Go back and tell the current sect leader that I, Zhang Sanyang, will bestow two disciples upon him."

With that, Master Sanyang flipped his palm upwards, and two lines of energy each led a flying dragon, which flew into the Shu Mountain Flying Sword Formation. The dragons broke upon encountering the formation, their crimson dragon souls drifting to Tianlian Peak. Tianxiang and Zhengxi landed unharmed, standing on Qi Nanxing's flying boat.

Qi Nanxing and the other Shu Mountain disciples knelt on the flying boat, respectfully gazing at Master Sanyang.

Master Sanyang laughed again, “Zong Aoxu, you have some self-awareness, leaving four incompetent disciples to guard the mountain. Today's battle, regardless of victory or defeat, will wipe the slate clean of five hundred years of grudges.”

He glanced at Yi Xuan and Daoist Yun Qing standing atop Haotian Peak, “It’s time to make your move, face the tribulation!”

Yi Xuan’s Six Lotus Earth Immortal Sword flew up, using her Earth Immortal Returning to Emptiness realm to clash with Fu Luoyun’s Purple Heaven Nine Bracelets, a Golden Immortal natal magic weapon; Yun Qing’s Three Pure Void Sword clashed with Kunyang Cauldron’s Yin-Yang Nine Rings Cauldron.

Without any fancy moves, their natal essence condensed and released.

The essence exploded, and Yi Xuan and Daoist Yun Qing were sent flying! Master Sanyang ignored them, slowly rising, his physical body colliding with the Golden Palace Natal Sword Essence released by the three Golden Immortals of Kunlun. The three natal sword essences passed through Master Sanyang’s body as if walking on empty air, white light condensing into nothingness, striking Yuchi Mingyue.

Yuchi Mingyue let out a miserable groan and fell into the sea of clouds.

Thunder roared through the sky!

Lightning flashed like a forest across the nine peaks of Tianlai Mountain! A vast expanse of water, like a boundless cloth, stretched across the sky, winding between the nine peaks.

The Three Yang Master, like an old man gathering firewood in his twilight years, laboriously carried the fallen Daoist Yunqing on his back. He then plucked a large leaf from a nearby sandalwood tree and used it to support the falling Yi Xuan. Amidst the thunderous roar, he slowly walked into the sea of clouds.

The Great Dao vanished like dust!

The Three Yang Master, carrying Daoist Yunqing and supporting Yi Xuan, simply disappeared.

A vast expanse of water, like a shimmering ribbon, cascaded and wove together, enveloping Qianmen Town in a thick fog. The thousands of Buddhist and Taoist disciples standing outside the battleground, utterly bewildered, stood frozen for a long time, finally only seeing the thirty-six flying boats of Mount Shu carrying Tianxiang and Zhengxi southwards.

At Qin's Restaurant, Chen Dingyuan downed three cups of strong liquor, exclaiming, "That was exhilarating!" He then turned to Qin Tong, asking, "Shall we continue this fight?"

"Hahaha, worldly disputes are like dust and dirt. Time to go home and sleep." Qin Tong bowed to Chen Dingyuan, strode off Qin's Restaurant, and left with his hands behind his back, leaving Dugu Jialuo, who sat sullenly in Fusheng Tower, with a back view devoid of regret or desire.

With the majesty of an empress, Qin Tong had only managed to drink twenty jars of Southern Dynasty liquor with his comrade from thirty years ago at the restaurant.

Had he won or lost?

Dugu Jialuo stared blankly at the empty street. The path of the world, the path beyond the world—where did I, Dugu Jialuo, stand?

"Senior Sister, I saw two demon cores. I'm sure they're right below Yichun Tower." Hua Wei flew down, using her Earth Immortal consciousness to examine the shattered ruins of Yichun Tower.

"Junior Sister, what Senior Sister saw was a natal lotus infant that had detached from the body, and a natal snake soul." Hua Yu and the other Kunlun disciples saw four Golden Immortal level uncles and aunts fly into Tianlian Peak, following Ruan Qingyu's orders to search for the demon core.

A thousand-year-old demon, struck by the Golden Palace Natal Sword Yuan Venerable, and then hit by the natal sword Yuan of three Golden Immortals, had no chance of escape.

Luo Gui stood atop Sanyang Peak with two junior brothers whose cultivation was second only to his among the second-generation disciples. The place where Yuchi Mingyue landed was empty. A being who stirred up trouble, indistinguishable between human and demon, could not be detected even by Luo Gui, an Earth Immortal.

After Panmo destroyed the gods, the Five Qi Flying Dragons were reduced to two. Two dragons crashed into the flying sword formation of Mount Shu, their bodies shattered and their souls scattered; another chased

after Tianqin and entered Tianlian Peak. The two dragons coiled above the sea of clouds, their bodies enveloping Benfeng and Dazhi.

Upon entering the dragons' bodies, the two thought their lives were over. After a moment of bewilderment upon entering the vast dragon bodies, their hearts gradually calmed. The Five Qi Flying Dragons cultivated by Panmo only possessed the form of dragons, not their true natal dragons; they were merely empty shells. Within these empty shells was a dragon soul, its essence and blood brimming with vital energy.

The black lotus pearls on the dragon-shaped snake shadow sword held by Benfeng trembled, clearly sensing the five dragon souls that had been split from one Panmo.

Before Benfeng could react, the black lotus pearls flashed, releasing a green sword light. The dragon shell exploded, shattering, and the dragon soul, its essence and blood trembling, was unwillingly absorbed into the sword body by the black lotus pearls.

The Black Lotus Male and Female Pearls unleashed their divine power once more, shattering another Five Qi Flying Dragon and absorbing the second dragon soul.

The explosion of the Five Qi Flying Dragon triggered the Kunlun disciples, including Luo Gui, on the Three Yang Peak. Benfeng and Dazhi floated down. Landing on Haotian Peak, Benfeng looked down at Luo Gui and the others who had arrived on their swords and sighed: This time it's the Demon Core, Hot Spring, Color Realm [II]

"Li Benfeng, how come you're still alive?"

Luo Gui and the other Kunlun disciples arrived at Haotian Peak but did not immediately attack Li Benfeng. It wasn't that Luo Gui had any intention of obeying the Star-Covering Pavilion, but rather that his sea of consciousness could not sense Li Benfeng's cultivation level. Benfeng hadn't even mastered the Small and Great Heavenly Cycles of ordinary worldly Daoist cultivators; he could only be considered a mortal in the mortal world. Reclusive Daoist cultivators cannot kill mortal Daoist practitioners without cause. Heavenly laws forbid reclusive cultivators from killing ordinary people; such acts will incur divine retribution. Luo Gui knew he couldn't, like the Three Yang Immortals, possess the life-bound sword essence of three Golden Immortals and, amidst the divine retribution, calmly carry two people on his back and in his hands to Kunlun Mountain—the Three Yang Immortals were going to Kunlun Mountain to face their tribulation. Luo Gui knew this defying the heavens was beyond his capabilities, even his master, Ruan Qingyu, could not do it. Luo Gui's heart belonged to only one person—the Sect Leader, Zong Ao Xu, who awaited the eternal opportunity to ascend to the Great Luo Heaven Realm with a mortal body.

Hua Wei, arriving shortly after, ignored the situation, pointing her sword at Ben Feng and shouting angrily. In Hua Wei's view, Li Ben Feng should have been chopped into mincemeat by the Golden Immortal magic weapons of his five senior uncles and elder brothers.

Human and demon colluding, utterly shameless.

Hua Wei, of course, didn't understand, much less comprehend, the trendy era in which Ben Feng lived. Shamelessness and sleaziness were a level of manhood that required looking up to them—Ben Feng, with his inherently kind nature, and his sexual union with Yu Chi Ming Yue, were still far from the shamelessness of trendy men.

Ben Feng, however, turned a deaf ear to Hua Wei's rebukes. Luo Gui and the other Kunlun disciples who arrived first and approached him didn't use any ruthless methods. This reminded Ben Feng of the feeling of being surrounded but not killed when the five Golden Immortals of Kunlun unleashed three magical treasures in Qianmen Town.

Being surrounded but not killed allowed him to calm his mind in the midst of danger and properly reflect on the experience of the Golden Immortals descending from the sky and astonishing the world... This experience had built a treasure mountain for the advancement of Daoist cultivation in the small universe of Ming Tong's true body. At this moment, Ben Feng's thoughts flowed like a stream spreading across the grass. The entwined threads of his consciousness, following the slow flow of his essence, spread outwards.

The seal of wisdom, like an inscription on stone, echoed the truth standing in the streets of Qianmen Town. Facing the overwhelming pressure of three Golden Immortal treasures, a human body was as insignificant as a speck of dust, easily vanished by a gust of wind—at that moment, even breathing was a luxury, life and death hung in the balance. There was no time to probe the surrounding aura with one's consciousness, yet a lingering awareness remained—the atmosphere around Fusheng Tower was strangely eerie.

The eeriness under the pressure of the Golden Immortal treasures, now realized, originated from the Golden Palace Natal Sword Yuanzun.

The eerie feeling subsided somewhat when Master Hua Dao cast the Nine-Character Mantra Lotus Hand Seal and released the Buddha Body Seat. When Master Hua Dao, to give Panmo a chance to cultivate again, withdrew the Buddha Body Seat and released Panmo's five-part Five Qi Dragon Soul, Benfeng clearly sensed the dense fluctuations of Yin and evil energy around him. Just then, Shi Taijue shouted, "The demon, show yourself!" and Yichun Tower shattered into a pile of rubble. —I've figured it out—the one truly tainted by the demon isn't me, Li Benfeng, but one of these two Golden Immortals, Shi Taijue and Luo Jia, or perhaps, both of them are involved. Mingyue was right; Luo Mangli, this elegant and untainted fairy, shouldn't be practicing some kind of Nascent Soul fusion magic weapon with Shi Taijue and Luo Jia.

Using demons to kill demons, and even using demons to kill people. If it weren't for Master Hua Dao's Nine-Character Lotus Hand Seal, none of the leaders of the Buddhist and Taoist sects standing in Qianmen Town would likely be alive. These two Golden Immortals, Shi Taijue and Luo Jia, outwardly adhere to the Heavenly Dao of not killing mortals, yet secretly use their power to manipulate demons, their intentions so ruthless.

With this realization, Benfeng suddenly understood many of the strange occurrences. His mind cleared, and he discerned that the ultimate destination for the arduous trials of True Person Sanyang, Senior Sister Yixuan, and Daoist Yunqing was Kunlun. Among the disciples of Kunlun Immortal Realm, it wasn't just Shi Taijue and Luojia who were willing to do anything to advance their cultivation. The position of Kunlun Sect Leader was an extraordinary temptation, even more coveted than the imperial throne in the mortal world, sought after for its allure. The

human heart is unpredictable, and the heart of an immortal is even more so. Kunlun was likely to face a bloody calamity… True Person Sanyang, Senior Sister Yixuan, and Daoist Yunqing's journey was fraught with peril!

Benfeng turned towards Haotian Peak, silently reciting: "The path of cultivation is filled with springs, autumns, winters, and summers, with countless joys and sorrows. Where does the road lead? The road is right beneath my feet.

" "Li Benfeng, hand over that vixen who committed adultery with you during the day!" Hua Wei shouted again.

Benfeng snapped out of his reverie, looking at Huawei's innocent and naive expression, and gently shook his head. "Little sister Huawei, you've come to the wrong person. Even with your Earth Immortal realm, you can't find out where Miss Mingyue is. How could I, a mere mortal cultivator, possibly know? How about this: if you Kunlun find Miss Mingyue, we'll split it fifty-fifty. You get the demon core, I get Miss Mingyue's body, and then I'll do some work to guide you newly arrived fairies on Mount Tianlai. What do you think of this deal, little sister Huawei?"

"Shameless! Why do you call me little sister? I'll kill you!" Huawei roared, brandishing the Bijin Lihe Sword, ready to take Benfeng's head.

"Junior sister, don't be so rash!" Luo Gui's voice was extremely stern. He suddenly sensed the invisible magic array of the Nine Peaks of Tianlai.

Just then, Ruan Qingyu's telepathic message to the Kunlun disciples arrived: "The Nine Peaks of Tianlai are woven with the Heavenly Lotus Sword Sea Formation, formed by the Li Water of Yingzhou in the East Sea. You are ordered to reside and cultivate within Tianlai Mountain for ten years before I can dismantle the formation. Do not be impatient! I too must obey the Sect Leader's order to enter Tianlian Peak for solitary meditation.

Yingzhou Li Water, Heavenly Lotus Sword Sea.

" Hearing Ruan Qingyu's words, Luo Gui and the others, though unable to detect the existence of the Heavenly Lotus Sword Sea, knew that the battle at Qianmen Town in Tianlai Mountain and the shift in the world's fortunes were not under Kunlun's control.

Kunlun had lost—a victory that seemed real. The four Golden Immortals entering Tianlian Peak in their true forms were likely facing dire consequences. Otherwise, why would Ruan Qingyu have willingly chosen to suffer the hardship of meditating in Tianlian? The sect's defeat could only be revealed by the Sect Leader himself.

Luo Gui's Dao heart churned. He couldn't speak directly to his fellow disciples. Despite his best efforts to investigate, he couldn't find out what had happened to his five senior uncles and elder brothers after they entered Tianlian Peak.

"My heart is Zen, all transformations are in harmony with the Dao!" Shen Wuhua's sweet voice seemed to echo again among the nine peaks of Tianlai Mountain.

Luo Gui stared blankly for a long time, then softly murmured—"Heavenly Feather Divine Sword, wings of immortals, riding the void, creating countless clones"—this was the only sentence the sect leader had spoken to him when he passed the ten trials to choose the sword embryo for the Heavenly Feather Divine Sword at the Heavenly Palace. These sixteen characters were the supreme incantation of the Heavenly Feather Divine Sword.

"Junior Sister Huayu, go to Shenwu Peak and find a quiet place to cultivate. From now on, you will be free from worldly disturbances. The matter of finding the demon core is left to Master's discretion. Let's go!"

Luo Gui strode away.

After her senior brothers and sisters left, Hua Wei glared at Ben Feng resentfully. "Li Ben Feng, you wait! Ten years from now, the first person I, Hua Wei, will kill is you! Let me tell you, you're not allowed to call me 'little sister' anymore. You—are the little brother."

Ben Feng cupped his hands in greeting: "May Miss Hua Wei be blessed with good health and happiness. I, Li Ben Feng, have lived for more than ten years. We'll have plenty of opportunities to meet again. May our friendship endure forever!"

"Not even 'little sister'!"

Watching Hua Wei pout and fly away on her sword, Ben Feng said to Da Zhi, who was staring blankly at Yunxue Peak, "Let's go to Jinglian Nunnery and pay our respects to Master Hua Dao."

"Benfeng, I have so many confusing things on my mind. Did we win or lose the battle at Qianmen Town? And why did the people from Shushan retreat without a fight? Are we friends or enemies with Shushan? Also, why didn't that little sister Hua Wei from Kunlun dare to kill you again? And why can't I see Tianlian Peak above Yunxue Peak? Where did those five Golden Immortals from Kunlun go? Is Sister Tianqin already...? So many tangled thoughts, the more I think about it, the more my head aches!" What Dazhi really wanted to ask was why the Three Yang Immortals didn't send him and Benfeng to Shushan as well. He longed to be like Qi Nanxing and the others, riding a flying boat through the sky, incredibly majestic and awe-inspiring... Dazhi felt that Shushan was the ideal place for the ultimate Daoist practice.

He also wanted to ask why the disciples of Kunlun, who had all reached the Golden Immortal realm, acted so despicably. Even Miss Mingyue said that two men and one woman were cultivating some low-class Nascent Soul Nascent Soul magic weapon—this didn't seem like the behavior of righteous immortals.

If someone cultivates to such a level and still acts so despicably, what's the point of cultivating the Dao?

"Hua Wei isn't a little sister; she's one of the seventeen Kunlun Earth Immortals wielding the Bijin Lihe Sword. Killing us is like cutting radishes!" Benfeng lightly bumped Dazhi's shoulder and smiled. "Don't ask so many questions now. Senior Sister Tianqin is definitely safe. As long as we're alive, everything is fine. Later, when things settle down and we have time, we'll go to Mount Shu to see the cultivation levels of Tianxiang and Zhengxi's Shu Mountain Flying Swords. Right now, the most important thing is to find Miss Mingyue. This... is very important. As for the rest, if you want to know the answers, you'd better ask Master Huadao... He's a Buddhist protector. We were saved by Master Huadao. In the current situation, if Master Huadao leaves Tianlai Mountain again, we'll be in even greater danger." Benfeng thought of Dugu Jialuo in Fusheng Tower in Qianmen Town, wondering what other tricks she might have up her sleeve. And that lingering, sinister aura made Benfeng uneasy—the existence of this terrifying demon seemed deeply connected to Dugu Jialuo.

To live peacefully, it would be better to kill Dugu Jialuo with a single sword stroke and let Mingyue become the empress of the Sui Dynasty. Benfeng thought again: if Mingyue became empress, the world would change dynasties again, and the world would be in turmoil.

Even a powerful force like Kunlun cannot control the fate of the world as easily as a clenched fist.

Buddhism is Tao, Tao is Tao, demons are Tao, and monsters are also Tao. Where Tao exists, fate follows.

Descending Haotian Peak, crossing the Plum Blossom Valley to the Jinglian Nunnery on the five-mile stone bridge, Benfeng once again felt like he was being followed. A crisscrossing demonic aura seemed to lurk within Plum Blossom Valley…

Chapter 43 Demon Core, Hot Spring, Realm of Color [Part 3]

“Dazhi, go to the Pure Lotus Nunnery first. I’ll wait for someone here.” Benfeng sensed the tremor of the Black Lotus Male and Female Pearls, knowing that the newcomer was not a second-rate character like He Zuyang or He Daoyang. He wanted to let Dazhi leave first so he could fight with his full strength—after the battle at Thousand Gates Town, Benfeng’s progress was already considerable. Now, if he were to encounter Ying Fuzhen’s Azure Sword again, Benfeng wouldn’t be so terrified that he would have to join forces with Tianxiang to fight back.

A one-on-one duel. Benfeng most wanted to duel someone right now.

He wanted to see what kind of demon would relentlessly follow him when he was alone.

Dazhi hesitated, "I feel the Plum Blossom Valley under this bridge isn't very authentic. You might run into some danger."

"It's alright. The person I'm waiting for is a bit shy. Go ahead, it's just a mountain ridge away from Jinglian Temple." Benfeng brandished the Dragon-Shaped Serpent Shadow Sword in his hand. "With this magical weapon in hand, slaying a few demons won't be a problem."

Dazhi turned and ran across the stone bridge, rushing up the mountain ridge like the wind. He was clearly worried and wanted to get to Jinglian Temple as quickly as possible to find Master Huadao. Benfeng

put the Dragon-Shaped Serpent Shadow Sword into the brocade pouch of his Hundred Treasures Robe, patted the railing of the Five-Mile Stone Bridge, and put his hands behind his back, like a scholar leisurely admiring the scenery. On the reefs where the seawater flowed, clusters of snow-white plum blossoms, exuding a subtle fragrance, bloomed from the cliffs. Below the cliffs, in the deep valley, waves splashed and crashed. Plum Blossom Valley in Tianlai Mountain winds around Jinglian Peak and Yunxue Peak, then for sixty li to Beiming Mountain. Beyond Mingxu Valley and Dongfo Mountain lies the vast East Sea.

The seawater in the valley merges with the mountain streams cascading from the Thousand Waterfalls Pool of Haotian Peak, forming two unique vortexes. The seawater flows north back into the sea, while the mountain streams flow south around Feilong Peak and Sanyang Peak, eventually joining the Jiulong River in the southeast of Tianlai Mountain.

"The darkening of the moon brings yin, the clearing of spirits brings yang." Benfeng casually recited a quote from a medical text, drawing his sword—the demons had made their move.

However, not just one, but three: Xuan Dongzi, Xuanmingzi, and Xuanxuzi.

Yet, they were all ethereal and otherworldly.

Benfeng was somewhat taken aback! Were they demons, or reclusive Daoist cultivators?

In the blink of an eye, in that brief moment of surprise, demonic energy filled the air. Xuan Dongzi closed in, his claws descending, his intent targeting the dragon-shaped snake-shadow sword in Benfeng's hand.

Benfeng swung his sword, unleashing the Vajra Wheel of Subduing Soldiers. The two dragon souls integrated into the sword, drawn by the essence of Yang, unleashed a burst of dragon breath. Within the emerald sword aura, swirling waves of dark yellow dragon scales enveloped the right arm wielding the sword.

Xuan Dongzi, grabbing at it, recoiled as if electrocuted. Looking at his hand again, it was already scorched to the bone by the dragon scale waves. The emerald sword aura pierced Xuan Dongzi's chest.

Xuan Mingzi and Xuan Xuzi both leaped up, throwing out two withered black vines. Four palms struck again, their energy pressing down hard. Benfeng leaped back, but his legs were entangled by the vines.

"Who dares to bully my junior brother!" A sharp voice rang out. Tianqin, slowly moving along the mountain path, threw out her zither sword. The scabbard struck Xuan Mingzi's chest, while the zither sword pierced Xuan Xuzi's abdomen.

Benfeng stopped, crying out in alarm, "Senior Sister, be careful!" She leaped up, unleashing her dragon-shaped snake-shadow sword.

Suddenly, Dugu Xin appeared behind Tianqin and struck her on the back with a palm. Tianqin just smiled calmly and endured Dugu Xin's fatal blow before falling towards Plum Blossom Valley.

Benfeng barely managed to reach her and catch Tianqin.

Tianqin coughed up a mouthful of blood onto Benfeng's chest. Benfeng gently grasped Tianqin's jade wrist and realized that her meridians were all severed.

Dugu Xin leaped forward and snatched the Dragon-Shaped Serpent Shadow Sword flying through the air.

"Pearls and jade recognize their masters, guarding the soul with utmost sincerity! You even want to devour the Black Lotus Male and Female Pearls, Dugu Xin, you are far too greedy!" Chen Dingyuan appeared and waved his fan, the condensed iron beads mixed with hundreds of ice beams striking Dugu Xin.

Dugu Xin was hit by hundreds of iron beads and then struck by ice beams, his body stiffened, and he rolled into the ditch beside the mountain path.

"Get lost, I'll give you thirty years to intensify your Corpse Core training. When your Corpse Core is complete, come find me, Chen Dingyuan!" Chen Dingyuan's posture was elegant, and he flicked out a beam of ice with his right hand, deflecting the Dragon-Shaped Serpent Shadow Sword back to Benfeng. A long rope flew out from his left hand, supporting Benfeng and Tianqin as they fell towards the Sea Valley, and brought the two to the mountain path leading to the Pure Lotus Nunnery.

"Brother Benfeng, rest assured and stay in the mountains. Fengjiabao will be protected by me and Dingjian. Dugu Jialuo should talk to us about terms." Before he finished speaking, Chen Dingyuan's figure had already landed at the foot of Sanyang Peak, hands behind his back, strolling leisurely.

"Senior Sister..." Benfeng held Tianqin's jade wrist, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Silly goose, cut off the demonic vines wrapped around your legs." Tianqin spoke gently, leaning lightly against Benfeng.

When Tianqin rescued Benfeng, her meridians were already severed—she was attacked by Panmo's Five Qi Flying Dragon and crashed into the Heavenly Lotus Sword Sea. Although her meridians were severed, she had gained a dragon soul in the process. After this calamity, Tianqin only maintained a life force with the protection of her own natal lotus infant, and her behavior was as usual. However, she could not control the sword with her mind. Otherwise, the sound of the Nine Heroes' Cry zither alone could have killed the devastated Dugu Xin.

"Senior Sister, where are we going now?" Benfeng asked in a daze, having carelessly cut the demonic vines.

"Cloud Snow Peak, Hot Spring Cave. Senior Sister has something good to show you..." Tianqin gently tapped Benfeng's forehead with her jade-like hand. "Senior Sister is out of strength. You have to carry Senior Sister."

"Okay." Benfeng turned and squatted down, and Tianqin stretched out her arms and climbed onto his back.

Benfeng carried the soft, ethereal jade body on his back, his eyes blankly watching Xuanxuzi and Xuanmingzi carrying Dugu Xin and Xuandongzi as they rushed down Plum Blossom Valley, jumping up and down with frantic expressions, seemingly hiding from something.

"You wait! Once Senior Sister Tianqin's meridians are restored, I'll definitely take your demon heads and hearts as fertilizer!" Benfeng was truly enraged. He actually knew that Tianqin's serious injuries were not inflicted by these demons.

"Don't be angry, Benfeng. Your senior sister will teach you how to cure them later." Tianqin, though severely injured, spoke with gentle tenderness, lightly pinching Benfeng's ear. "How can someone so easily angered be considered a person of great potential?"

Hearing Tianqin's teasing words, Benfeng felt a little better.

Carrying Tianqin on his back, Benfeng felt no fatigue. He hoped to continue walking like this until Tianqin's meridians were fully restored, and under the starry night, she would strictly supervise his cultivation of the Lotus Scripture… Slowly, they reached a mountain path on the back slope of Pure Lotus Peak, where they saw two figures approaching.

Tianqin breathed into Benfeng's ear: "The herbalists have arrived. Your senior sister has entrusted her life to you. If you, the divine healer, cannot save her, you will have no face left."

As the two figures drew closer, Benfeng saw two ethereal nuns. Both nuns carried identical medicine baskets. The nun in front had three golden-leaved dragon-body herbs about half a meter long and a seven-leaved snow lotus in her basket.

Seeing the rare herbs that could save lives and prolong life, Benfeng said somewhat anxiously, "May I ask if you two immortal nuns could sell me the herbs in your baskets? My name is Li Benfeng, and I am a disciple of Zhexing Pavilion on Yingshui Continent. My master's surname is Shen, and his given name is Wuhua." "

Huaguang greets Junior Brother Benfeng," Chen Yueyi, who was once one of the five empresses of Northern Zhou, said with a smile. Chen Yueyi removed her elaborate robes and was given the Dharma name Huaguang by Shen Wuhua. Yuan Leshang, who was also an empress of Northern Zhou and stood behind Chen Yueyi, was given the Dharma name Huasheng. Since these were Dharma names bestowed by Shen Wuhua, they could not be addressed as Benfeng's elders.

Yuan Leshang handed Benfeng the two five-petaled snow lotuses and one blue-leaved dragon-body grass she had picked, and then took out an old medical book. "Junior Brother Benfeng, the nun Wuhua has bestowed upon Huadao, Huaguang, and Huasheng the Dharma to practice meditation in seclusion at Jinglian Nunnery. If you need anything in the future, just let her know."

Benfeng understood and took the herbs from the two medicine baskets and the medical book that Yuan Leshang handed him.

The two nuns chanted a Buddhist prayer and then slowly disappeared into the mountains and forests.

Benfeng continued to walk slowly, afraid that walking too fast would damage Senior Sister Tianqin's meridians again. Descending from Jinglian Peak and ascending Yunxue Peak, climbing rocks and stepping on stones, they walked for more than half an hour before finally seeing the hot spring cave. A curtain of water hung in front of the cave, and cranes cried softly. There were also several deer in front of the cave. Seeing Benfeng carrying Tianqin on his back, their bright eyes blinked, and they ran in front of Benfeng to lead the way.

The hot spring cave was shrouded in mist, with caves within caves, connecting the yin and yang, and occasional leaks in the ceiling. Various hot springs bloomed with flowers and trees year-round.

The little deer stopped before a curtain of water resembling the sky.

"It's here," Tianqin sighed softly.

Benfeng stepped inside, and through the mist, he saw a jade pool. The water was still and undisturbed, its bottom completely visible.

"Take off your clothes, Senior Sister." Tianqin slid off Benfeng's back, her body softly sliding to the edge of the pool.

"This…" Benfeng heard Tianqin's soft voice and felt as if struck by lightning. He had never dared to imagine that he would personally undress Senior Sister Tianqin.

She was beyond compare.

Senior Sister Tianqin was like a fairy, and he, a fool, how could he lay a hand on her?

"Fool, I'll hit you." Tianqin tried to raise her hand, but only lifted it slightly before letting it fall softly.

"Senior Sister Tianqin, I…" Benfeng's voice trembled, his mind blank.

"Oh, you silly goose, don't you want to save your senior sister anymore? Seven days, if your senior sister can't reconnect her heart meridian, then she will..." Tianqin's voice grew weaker and weaker.

"Senior sister, I... take it off." Benfeng's trembling hands slowly touched Tianqin's clothes, unbuttoning the diagonal collar one by one.

Jade-like peaks, twin buds trembling.

Benfeng's breath caught in his throat, and the hand that was gripping the jade belt around Tianqin's waist unconsciously tightened its grip.

"Silly goose, you're hurting your senior sister..." Tianqin's jade face flushed slightly.

Chapter 44 Demon Core, Hot Spring, Lust Realm [Part Four]

Benfeng quickly let go. In his helpless state, his fingers actually touched the cleavage between Tianqin's breasts.

"So clumsy." Tianqin scolded softly, gesturing with her eyes for Benfeng to take off her pants as well. Tianqin was now finding it difficult to even move a finger. With the last vestiges of her inner energy, Tianqin threw her sword and injured Xuanmingzi and Xuanxuzi, saving Benfeng. Exhausted, she could barely perform the simplest movements of an ordinary person. The task of undressing fell to her simple-minded junior brother, Benfeng. Benfeng

gripped Tianqin's jade belt, unable to bring himself to do it—Tianqin's lower body was covered only by a single white silk trouser. Having traveled from the Pure Land by land and water, when Tianqin washed her clothes, Benfeng had only seen two identical, flawless sets of clothing: a top, silk trousers, and a jade belt, without any of the undergarments of ordinary women.

Once removed, everything would be exposed.

Benfeng felt this shouldn't be happening—he had never imagined being alone with Tianqin like this before—the opportunity had come so suddenly, and he couldn't bear it.

Yet he knew he had to undress; Tianqin needed the water from the Jade Pool to sustain her life—the water here was strange, completely still. The water was still, unbelievably still.

Every tree and object in this hot spring cave was extraordinary. I can confirm that the white and jade-like stone encircling the Jade Pool is called Heavenly Milk Stone. The commentaries on the Inner Canon mention Heavenly Milk Stone and even include an illustration. Heavenly Milk Stone is a divine object rarely seen in the mortal world, used for opening meridians and nourishing life.

Senior Sister Tianqin chose this place; it was the perfect choice.

"Senior Sister, I...I need to take off my pants," Benfeng said softly, his head bowed, as if he had broken a taboo.

"I..." Tianqin hesitated, her face flushing even more. She had never allowed a man to be so close before. Her heart had never held any man's affections; she knew nothing of love, nor did she want any illicit affair with any man. Tianqin

only saw Benfeng as a junior brother, a seemingly simple-minded one, yet one she was willing to teach. Naturally, Tianqin would feign sternness as she taught Benfeng the Lotus Sutra. Tianqin

lacked the usual worldly woman's defensiveness and politeness. She looked at Benfeng, whose head was almost touching the ground, and said, "Hurry up and take them off! I'm entrusting my life to you; taking off your pants is so difficult!"

Finally, she managed to remove Senior Sister Tianqin's silk trousers. Benfeng turned his face away, not daring to look.

But if he didn't look, he couldn't take them off. He also had to remove her top, leaving Senior Sister Tianqin completely naked, her jade-like body sprawled in the Heavenly Breast Jade Pool.

Benfeng opened his eyes, glancing at her briefly… only looking up, not daring to look down.

He seemed to see nothing, only a vast expanse of white. After removing her silk trousers, Benfeng laboriously removed her top. Holding his breath, he half-embraced her, groping and grasping her wrist, pulling down one sleeve.

While removing the other, Benfeng accidentally let Senior Sister Tianqin slip into his arms. At that moment, their warm bodies touched, and Benfeng was stunned, his body arching backward, his hands flailing, completely losing his composure.

His lips pressed against Senior Sister Tianqin's fragrant shoulder, the warm, intoxicating scent filling him. Benfeng felt as if he were ascending to heaven, his mouth lingering on her soft skin.

Yet, a bitter sorrow filled his heart: this shouldn't be like this, he shouldn't be like this with Senior Sister Tianqin. In my imagination, Senior Sister Tianqin was a beautiful woman amidst lush green grass and flowing water, high in the clouds.

I could only imagine, not act.

Now… not only did I act, but I kissed her.

I was extremely conflicted. With a heavy heart, I quickly removed Senior Sister Tianqin's top, closed my eyes, and gently pushed her into the water.

Senior Sister Tianqin let out a soft groan.

I am a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and I will next use acupuncture to reconnect Senior Sister Tianqin's pulse.

I am filled with anxiety: can Senior Sister Tianqin's ethereal body withstand the acupuncture of a clumsy, worldly doctor like myself? Can my meager skills bring her back to life—I must bring her back to life. If I cannot reconnect her heart meridian within seven days, Senior Sister Tianqin's already completed Nascent Soul stage natal lotus infant will also be ruined.

No matter what, I would rather die than let Senior Sister Tianqin's spirit dissipate and her body perish.

After calming down, Benfeng, guided by Tianqin, found a stone pot made of celestial milk stone and began brewing medicinal herbs by a hot spring near Yaochi.

The spring's temperature was perfect for brewing the medicine, saving Benfeng the time of going out to find firewood. Tianqin bathed in the still, undisturbed water for about an incense stick's time, her eyes regaining their lofty and unparalleled arrogance, and she had the strength to speak.

Tianqin slowly told Benfeng, word by word, that the hot spring here was called the Earth Infant Spring, formed by the long-term fusion of the celestial milk stone's dripping liquid and the earth's vital energy. Long ago, a woman spent twenty years in this Earth Infant Spring melting a thousand-year-old demon core.

"Twenty years?" Benfeng put down the old medical book he was reading and glanced at Tianqin. He had to look carefully; next, he needed to insert needles into the acupoints of Tianqin's meridians.

The medical book Yuan Leshang gave him was the *Shennong Pulse Classic*, which contained detailed illustrations and annotations on reconnecting the pulse and prolonging life. Fortunately, the *Neijing* (Inner Canon) techniques passed down in Benfeng's family did not contradict the *Shennong Pulse Classic*.

"Twenty years isn't enough; we also need a man with the Three Yangs to assist us." Tianqin opened her eyes and glanced at Benfeng. "Silly goose, I was talking about my father and mother."

"Oh." Benfeng seemed not to hear. He was pondering where to insert the needles… Seeing Senior Sister Tianqin's jade-like body lying in the Earthly Infant Spring, he could only force himself to immerse himself in the agonizing thought of reconnecting the pulse and prolonging life.

The jade-like body was curved, its lines naturally formed. Such a scene should only exist in heaven; how could one ever hear of it on earth?

"Senior Sister's father is a Three Yang True Man," Senior Sister Tianqin said again, somewhat troubled.

"Oh!" This time, Benfeng seemed to wake from a dream, understanding Tianqin's words.

The Three Yang Immortals betrayed Mount Shu for a woman who had ingested a demon's core; that woman was actually Tianqin's mother—meaning that the demons Kunlun was hunting weren't just Mingyue, but also Tianqin.

Tianqin had wiped out the Flower Sect in one night, apparently due to her demonic nature taking hold. However, there wasn't a trace of demonic energy about her; on the contrary, she possessed an ethereal beauty, untouched by worldly concerns.

...

The medicine was ready, and Benfeng poured it into the jade bowl. Tianqin was very familiar with everything here, the cycles of heaven and earth, the human world—it seemed as if fate was about to repeat the heart-wrenching events of the past.

"Senior Sister, it's time for your medicine." Benfeng picked up the jade bowl and walked to the edge of the pool.

"Take off your clothes and wash yourself clean over there. Your body... isn't clean. Your senior sister has been soaking in this water since she was little... You must wash yourself clean before coming in." Tianqin glanced at Benfeng, whose mouth was agape. "Hurry up, there's no doctor dumber than you."

Wash, wash until there's not a speck of dirt or worldly dust on you, and go down into the Earth Infant Spring to be intimate with Senior Sister Tianqin's skin. Benfeng hadn't expected this step. He had originally planned to have Senior Sister Tianqin lie on the Heavenly Milk Stone by the pool, drink the medicinal soup, and then slowly insert acupuncture needles to adjust her pulse.

Benfeng felt that he, this dull-witted doctor, was not qualified to prescribe medicine and administer acupuncture to Senior Sister Tianqin... or perhaps, Senior Sister Tianqin was the right doctor to cure Benfeng's inner demons.

Silently, his heart pounding, he washed himself clean. Benfeng, carrying the medicine bowl, entered the Earth Infant Spring without daring to open his eyes. He approached Senior Sister Tianqin with the weight of a thousand pounds, half-squatting, one hand on her jade-like back. Judging the distance, he held the jade bowl to her lips.

"Senior Sister can't drink it, open your eyes." Tianqin leaned closer to Benfeng's chest.

Benfeng obeyed, opening his eyes, suppressing his turmoil, and held the jade bowl to Tianqin's lips. Tianqin drank the medicine, sip by sip.

"Hold Senior Sister for a while..." Tianqin's voice trembled slightly.

"Okay." Benfeng replied.

Chapter 45 Demon Core, Hot Spring, Lustful Realm [V]

Benfeng held Senior Sister Tianqin's jade-like body, but he didn't know what to do next; he had no plan whatsoever. Originally, Benfeng planned that after settling down in Fengjiabao at Tianlai Mountain, once Old Man Chunshan and Daxin Dayi had built their house, he would marry Sister Tianxiang, and then take Princess Chenzhen, who already had feelings for him, into his household, slowly waiting for Princess Chenwan to grow up.

If Madam Feng was willing, it could be considered an extramarital affair—Benfeng felt that Madam Feng was very lonely, having endured many years of solitary loneliness at such a high position, and he could relieve her loneliness. Obviously, Madam Feng had also given such hints.

There was also the extremely beautiful and enchanting Miss Mingyue. Miss Mingyue was a demon that Daoist cultivators would want to eliminate at all costs. Benfeng was not afraid, and was determined to have a passionate night with Miss Mingyue, and to hell with everything else.

However, he never expected that he would be naked and embracing Senior Sister Tianqin in the hot spring cave of Yunxue Peak.

Benfeng lost his composure and ruined his planned nighttime activities.

Senior Sister Tianqin had entrusted her life to him, let alone her body? Benfeng's mind was in turmoil, and he could hardly make a decision.

Tianqin nestled softly in Benfeng's arms, her beautiful eyes closed, her body cool as jade—it had been a little warm at first, but after a short while, it turned into ice.

"Senior Sister, I need to check your pulse to see if it's suitable to start acupuncture." Benfeng's own internal heat was no match for the penetrating chill emanating from Senior Sister Tianqin.

This icy chill within Senior Sister Tianqin's body, like the depths of an ice palace, was likely caused by Fu Luoyun's Purple Heaven Nine-Root Bracelet.

The nine Thornmo Vine roots of the Purple Heaven Nine-Root Bracelet were harvested from the Underworld Palace of the North Sea. Fu Luoyun, Panmo, and Ruan Qingyu, working together, killed the Underworld Palace Master, the Northern Underworld Ancestor, to obtain this item. They then refined it for two hundred years in the Kunlun Purple Heaven Divine Furnace, creating this extremely yin and chilling immortal-grade magic weapon.

If Tianqin hadn't been protected by the Heavenly Lotus Sword Sea Formation woven from the Yingzhou Lishui River, she would likely have been annihilated by the Purple Heaven Nine-Root Bracelet.

Benfeng carefully lifted Senior Sister Tianqin onto the water's surface with his left hand, and with his right hand, he pressed along the meridians of Senior Sister Tianqin's left wrist, only to suddenly discover that Senior Sister Tianqin's meridians lacked the acupoints of ordinary mortals.

This… how could this be?

"What's wrong, Benfeng?" Frost had already formed at the corners of Tianqin's mouth. The frost on her jade-like body, which had just emerged from the water, grew thicker and thicker, forming an ice shield within moments.

"I can't find Senior Sister's acupoints." Benfeng was terrified and quickly lifted Senior Sister Tianqin below the water's surface. As Tianqin's jade-like body immersed in the water of the Earth Infant Spring, the frost began to slowly melt.

However, this was only the initial chill of the Purple Heaven Nine Bracelet, which the human body could still withstand. The nine bracelets had three layers of chill; the second layer penetrated, and even the Heavenly Milk of the Earth Infant Spring couldn't counteract it. The third layer penetrated, and even if Shennong himself came, it would be too late to save her.

"What to do? What to do? It seems my meager medical skills can't save Senior Sister." After reading the *Shennong Pulse Classic*, Benfeng realized the domineering power of the Purple Heaven Nine Bracelet's extreme yin chill, which had no solution in the book.

The most unimaginable thing was that Senior Sister Tianqin's meridians had no acupoints; without acupoints, how could acupuncture be administered! Benfeng was at his wit's end and nearly despaired.

"Go to Jinglian Nunnery and find Huadao." Tianqin, submerged in the water, felt the chill slightly relieved. After speaking, she closed her eyes, slowly coiled her body into the shape of an infant in the womb, and entered a state of fetal breathing, using the breath to protect her natal lotus infant within her body.

Only Master Huadao could save her.

Benfeng walked out of the hot spring cave and saw three fairy nuns already standing beside it.

"Calamity..." Huadao chanted two words, paused slightly, and then said to Benfeng, "Junior Brother Benfeng, do not worry... clinging to appearances, going to extremes in nature, the spiritual root touching emotions, traversing all realms without leakage, the seven-turn lotus star wheel... please follow me." Master Huadao

led the way, and Benfeng followed, entering a green vine cave beside the hot spring cave.

The green vine cave was extremely yin, with ice walls throughout. A thick green vine, as thick as two people could hug, wound its way to an ice chamber. Entering the ice chamber, Benfeng saw the Bright Moon Maiden.

The Bright Moon Maiden's demonic body was like a snake, and she was covered in fragrant sweat.

"Obsessed with appearances, driven to the extremes of desire... Senior Sister Tianqin is facing a life-or-death ordeal, how can I be obsessed with appearances, driven to the extremes of desire..." Benfeng resisted the heat rising in his lower body, looking at Master Huadao with a face full of doubt.

This look stunned Benfeng. Huadao, having removed her nun's cap and outer robe, revealed her flowing hair and jade-like body, draped in a silk garment.

"True Demon Realm." A jade-like voice echoed from the ice chamber.

The sounds of wind and string instruments filled the air. What he saw was no longer the chilling ice chamber; soft couches and embroidered curtains revealed Miss Mingyue leaning against the bed, while Master Huadao... no, it should be Miss Fanchi standing gracefully beside her, plucking strings and playing music.

Miss Mingyue's soft body was partly snow-white jade, partly a vibrant green.

A demon.

"Miss Mingyue has revealed her bewitching form." Benfeng's mind was in a daze, and desire surged within him. He took a few steps towards the bed, his gaze burning as he stared at the half-covered, alluring jade-like body. "Miss Mingyue, you... how did you become like this?"

"Benfeng, I... I'm hot, so hot, please save me..." Miss Mingyue's gauze undergarment barely covered her, her jade-like breasts half-pressed down, her exquisite curves, and where her jade-like legs met, only a sliver of fabric revealed the allure of her mysterious place.

Exceptionally alluring! A green light shimmered between her jade-like legs, and Miss Mingyue stared at Benfeng with burning passion, a faint green light occasionally flashing in her bewitching eyes.

Bewitching, an tangible bewitching light.

"Obsessed with appearance, driven to the extreme of sex." Benfeng murmured the six words he had heard Hua Dao utter in the Yichun Pavilion, and stepped to the bedside.

"Benfeng, quickly save me, I...want..." Mingyue moaned seductively, her eyes opening and closing intermittently.

"I...save you!" Benfeng, his desire raging, grasped Mingyue's jade-like hands. One hand was extremely cold, the other extremely hot—a classic contrast of ice and fire, the kind of sensation most fashionable men crave.

Benfeng's manhood was already fully erect!

Mingyue's jade-like hands slid to Benfeng's already hardened member. Her two jade-like hands encircled that thing, caressing it wantonly, her voice trembling as she cried out, "Benfeng, quickly give me a breath..."

Hearing Mingyue's words, Benfeng leaned closer to the bed, lowered his body, and trembled as he opened his mouth to meet Mingyue's jade-like lips. Their lips met, and Benfeng felt as if he were holding a ball of burning fire within him.

Mingyue twisted her seductive body, throwing herself into Benfeng's arms, sucking and smacking her lips. The fragrant saliva entered his mouth, and Benfeng forgot everything else. He reached out and tore off the silk robe from Mingyue's body. Mingyue's jade-like body pressed tightly against Benfeng, her jade-like legs wrapped around his waist. The heat between her thighs made Benfeng lose himself in the moment.

Suddenly, he laid Mingyue down on the bed and plunged his mouth between her breasts, sucking deeply. Her two cherry-like nipples trembled and hardened. Mingyue twisted her alluring jade-like body and thrust upwards to meet him, moaning wantonly.

Benfeng sucked and caressed, his heart lost in the harbor. He caressed her proud, erect breasts, slowly moving downwards to between her hot jade-like thighs, below her concave belly, where several alluring clumps of lush greenery met her. Between the clumps were enchanting, winding, tender cleavages. He took them in his mouth, sucked a few times, and then hot liquid flowed from her peach blossom harbor.

Steam rose.

"Benfeng, I... am so anxious..." Upon hearing this, Benfeng could no longer restrain himself. He removed his clothes and, using the precise techniques of traditional Chinese medicine, forcefully penetrated the target.

The Moon Maiden let out a long groan, her body entwined with his. A dramatic rise and

fall... The Moon Maiden uttered seductive moans, her head tilted back and forth, her jade waist swaying joyfully...

Chapter 46 Demon Core Relic Births Lotus Wheel

After several storms, the Moon Maiden's demonic desire—fire—was finally extinguished by Benfeng's virginity.

Merging with the demon, there was no thunder or lightning. Benfeng, with an extremely innocent and simple manner, pinched the Moon Maiden's jade-like buttocks: "Success! The Moon Maiden has become my woman, Li Benfeng's woman, through and through."

Having become a man, Benfeng roughly conceived a method to cure Senior Sister Tianqin. What Senior Sister Tianqin lacked was the vitality born of love.

"We should change places, my sister is still down there." Mingyue's face was still flushed from the spring breeze, her demonic body still entwined around Benfeng, but her eyes were

fixed on what lay beneath her. Benfeng saw Yuchi Fanchi, his body completely exposed. Benfeng glanced down, gasped in surprise, and jumped away, still holding Mingyue. So, the passionate lovemaking he'd had with Mingyue was actually Yuchi Fanchi's true form.

Hua Dao had used his true form to help Benfeng experience the intense pleasure of the Demonic Realm of Passion. The one with the beautiful hair was Hua Dao's illusion.

Formless and selfless.

Master Hua Dao still had Benfeng and Mingyue's bodily fluids on her, but she seemed oblivious. She got up, dressed, went outside the ice room, retrieved a black, withered root, and returned with a bowl of dark red medicinal liquid.

"The black dragon root, the blood of the three-transformation fighting rooster, combined with the golden, red, and blue lotuses of the sea valley, should be able to arouse the lustful nature of Junior Sister Tianqin. When Master Wuhua cultivates the Heavenly Lotus Mantra of the Lotus Scripture to the Three Lotus Earth Immortal Realm, achieving physical sainthood, she will no longer be hindered by the acupoints of mortals. My knowledge is limited, and my cultivation is shallow; I cannot help Junior Sister Tianqin overcome this tribulation—Junior Sister Tianqin's talent is extraordinary, but this tribulation arises from her own heart. I hope that this little bit of filth from the Northern Zhou royal family can be of some assistance to Junior Sister Tianqin's tribulation cultivation." As Hua Dao spoke, he and Miss Mingyue helped Benfeng put on his clothes.

Master Hua Dao and Benfeng took the aphrodisiac and returned to the hot spring cave.

Tianqin was still in a state of embryonic breathing. Hua Dao placed a copper water clock beside a celestial leak, calculating the time.

Benfeng brewed the medicine by the fire spring. The Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Black Dragon Root, originating from the South China Sea, was one of only two remaining in the Northern Zhou imperial family. The last one had already caused Emperor Yuwen's excessive internal fire, leading to his death. Being an extremely yang substance, it takes at least six months to refine. Benfeng and Huadao discussed it, deciding to use the Black Dragon Root twice a day for seven days to stimulate the fetal nature of Senior Sister Tianqin's natal lotus infant, thereby arousing the vitality of her heart meridian.

...

Tianqin recovered from her fetal breathing and, held by Benfeng, drank a bowl of aphrodisiac soup.

If it were a woman of strong emotions, drinking such a bowl of yin-yang aphrodisiac soup would likely lead to unrestrained behavior and uncontrollable sexual desire. However, after drinking it, Tianqin only felt a slight warmth in her body. The yang energy temporarily formed within her body by the Black Dragon Lotus soup was only slowly dissipating the coldness within.

Benfeng and Master Huadao continued to give Tianqin the medicine at the appointed time each day, patiently waiting until the fourth day when Tianqin's meridians showed some slight signs of change. A few fine hairs sprouted from the severed veins in her heart.

Tianqin now had half an hour to sit by the Earth Infant Spring, watching the three fairy nuns and Miss Mingyue go in and out, placing the herbs they had gathered beside the spring, while Benfeng cut the roots and stems to prepare the medicine.

Tianqin, sitting softly by the pool, looked slightly rosy, but her natal lotus infant within her body showed no fluctuation.

Benfeng brewed the medicinal soup and gave it to Tianqin to drink. After sitting for a while, Tianqin entered a state of embryonic breathing again.

"It's the fourth day," Huadao said softly to Benfeng.

Benfeng knew what Master Huadao meant—it was time to activate the Lustful Demon Realm for Senior Sister Tianqin. Benfeng was apprehensive and postponed it for a day. He knew the power of the Lustful Demon Realm; these past few days, after brewing the medicine and stroking Senior Sister Tianqin to drink it, Benfeng had suppressed the restlessness within his body and meditated to cultivate the Lotus Sutra.

It felt like a thousand ants were biting him inside—if it weren't for needing to awaken Senior Sister Tianqin's fetal nature, he could have embraced Miss Mingyue day and night in blissful union.

Entering a meditative state was incredibly difficult.

If he dragged this out, he feared he would die from a burst of yang energy. But he wanted to wait a little longer. He wanted Senior Sister Tianqin to use her own fetal nature to stimulate her vitality, and then, slowly, through their interactions, their desires would grow. In three to five years, with nurturing and protecting her meridians, Senior Sister Tianqin would recover completely. Then, he could enjoy blissful union with her in the spring. Senior

Sister Tianqin was different from Miss Mingyue. Miss Mingyue was still a seductive demon, barely half-demon, half-human; truly possessing humanity would require hundreds of years of refinement. Senior Sister Tianqin, however, was already a celestial being with a pure heart and a refined spirit; naturally, a deeply unforgettable experience was needed to leave a lasting impression.

…

The Demonic Realm of Love and Lust activated at midnight on the fifth day.

The tinkling of jade pendants, the jade maiden's breath mingled with spring's warmth. What Benfeng saw were the three beautiful empresses of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, lying naked by the pool, surrounded by silken curtains.

Their seductive voices filled the air as Benfeng, naked, stepped into the Earth Infant Spring. Senior Sister Tianqin, having drunk the medicinal soup, was already erect.

Benfeng gently embraced Senior Sister Tianqin's body, using his own intense yang heat to dispel the second layer of cold energy within her.

The medicinal properties of the Black Dragon Earth Lotus had prematurely triggered the second layer of cold energy from the Nine Thorn Moroes. If the third layer of cold energy were triggered, Tianqin's natal lotus infant would be unable to generate the vitality of a fetus, instead harming Tianqin.

Tianqin's body gradually warmed, and the throbbing of Benfeng's yang root made her sense it. The erotic realm manifested by the three immortal nuns with their natal true forms began to ferment.

Tianqin's hand caressed Benfeng's chest, her soft voice whispering, "Do you miss Senior Sister…?"

"Yes!" Benfeng's mouth burned with desire, his lower body blazing with urge to explode.

"Come on, let's strike a pose." Tianqin's jade-like face was flushed with excitement.

"Joyful Zen, Lotus Prajna Vajra..." Tianqin recited a sutra that Benfeng had never heard before, telling him to spread his legs, while she herself crossed her legs, her body like a lotus flower, tightly embracing Benfeng.

"Emptiness and bliss in harmony, the other shore illuminated..." Tianqin's beautiful eyes were slightly closed, her cherry lips uttering words.

Without warning, the third layer of cold energy within Tianqin's body erupted, and Benfeng felt as if he had fallen into an ice palace, losing all consciousness.

The three nuns, Huadao, Huaguang, and Huasheng, were astonished by the dramatic change. They stopped chanting and dispelled the demonic desires and desires. They stood upright with their palms facing each other and chanted in unison: "Prajnaparamita... When the mind is at ease and one practices the profound Prajnaparamita, one sees that the five aggregates are all empty... Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form... All dharmas are empty in nature, neither arising nor ceasing, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing... There is no sensation, perception, volition, or consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharma; no eye-consciousness, and so forth, up to no mind-consciousness; no ignorance, and no end of ignorance... Bodhisattvas, relying on Prajnaparamita, have no hindrance in their minds; because there is no hindrance, there is no fear... Gate Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate..."

The lotus infant within Tianqin's body, which had been completely still, dispersed like cotton wool, drifting out of her body and condensing into three white lotuses in the sky, which swirled endlessly. At that moment, the water of the Earth Infant Spring surged like boiling water. Then, a wave of light shot out, and a snake-shaped white bone exploded in the air, melting upon encountering the white lotus. Three white lotuses, imbued with spiritual energy, plunged into the boiling Earth Infant Spring!

A few breaths later, a Yin-Yang lotus wheel emerged from the water and merged into Tianqin's body.

The lotus wheel slowly rotated, and the thick layer of icy energy that had enveloped Benfeng and Tianqin began to melt away.

Seven days and seven nights… Tianqin let out a soft cry, her beautiful eyes opening. Her broken heart meridian, like a newborn infant, had a slender pulse connecting to her heart and beginning to beat.

The yin cold within Benfeng's body vanished. He let out a long cry, and without any grace, spread his arms and legs, and plop! jumped into the surging Earth Infant Spring.

Chapter 47: May's Spring Light, Fairy with Hoe

, Clear, Spiritual, Wise…

Benfeng felt an indescribable sense of relief, a feeling of enlightenment that had led him from despair to the other shore of wisdom. In the extreme cold and gloom, with Sister Tianqin, all five aggregates are empty, the mind is without hindrance, Prajna Paramita…

Prajna Paramita. The other shore of wisdom, the other shore of emotion—what you have, I have; what I have, you have—your, mine, mine, yours.

The spiritual root touches the heart. Benfeng knows that this spiritual root is not the one beneath him that was almost bursting with fiery yang energy. Benfeng's spiritual root is the nascent spiritual root of the hundred meridians connected to the mind.

The natal star lotus sprouts, the star wheel appears and disappears—from Buddhism to Taoism, the star reflects the heart, Benfeng, through the opportunity of Sister Tianqin's nascent lotus birth wheel, has advanced from the half-dark week to the bright week. The hundred meridians are initially connected, the bright points in the meridians are like thousands of stars shining in the sky, and a self-sufficient little world has appeared in the microcosm of the heart.

Bright week, the realm of the spiritual root transforming into a lotus. For seven days and seven nights, Benfeng and Senior Sister Tianqin were sealed from the outside world by the three layers of icy energy of the Purple Heaven Nine Bracelets . They were reborn from the brink of annihilation, comprehending the Star Lotus Revolving Wheel, mastering the sword with their hearts, and transforming the flying lotus into a sword.

Benfeng, like a seven or eight-year-old child, splashed around in the water for the time it takes to drink two or three cups of tea. Watching Miss Mingyue wield his Dragon-Shaped Snake Shadow Sword, he playfully uttered a soft "Rise!" A dark, luminous water lotus flew out, imprinting itself on the sword's blade. A section of the sword, swirling with water ripples, grew from the blade, fluttering from Miss Mingyue's hand and landing beside Senior Sister Tianqin.

Tianqin, now dressed in pure white robes, stood gracefully by the fire spring, slowly drinking the meridian-nourishing medicinal soup prepared by the two immortal nuns, Huaguang and Huasheng, according to the prescription Benfeng had written in the *Shennong Pulse Classic*.

Looking at the dragon-shaped snake-shadow sword that had flown to her side, Tianqin gently scolded, "Naughty boy, the ginseng and lotus seed soup Madam Feng made for you is getting cold. Aren't you going to put on some clothes?"

Benfeng chuckled, took the long, wide towel from Mingyue, dried himself, and put on the silk clothes and trousers hand-sewn by Mingyue and Master Huadao.

Passing several hot springs, Benfeng saw a long, winding table covered with old, gnarled vines near the hot spring cave. On the table were more than a dozen exquisite pastries and a large bowl of nourishing soup.

Madam Feng rested her chin on her hands, like a young woman in her boudoir, yearning for love.

"A man should live like this, with wives and concubines by his side, enjoying happiness together." Although Benfeng hadn't even held Madam Feng's hand, he already considered her his mistress, a concubine outside the main house.

He quietly approached Madam Feng and coughed lightly.

"You startled me! Are you hungry? Here, have a bowl of soup, and a little pastry. Don't eat too much; you haven't eaten for seven days and seven nights, you must be starving..." Madam Feng, like an ordinary peasant woman, moved a rattan chair for Benfeng to sit down and handed him a soup spoon.

Madam Feng maintained a very tactful distance from Benfeng. If it were an ordinary young woman, she might have thrown herself into Benfeng's arms, acting coquettishly and personally feeding him soup. But

the shrewd Madam Feng did not.

Benfeng was indeed very hungry, and quickly finished a bowl of soup, then picked up a plate and ate heartily. At his current level of cultivation, he couldn't, like Senior Sister Tianqin and the three nuns of Jinglian Nunnery, consume dew and air as a meal. Having lived a life of poverty, Benfeng had to feast to his heart's content when he encountered delicious food and drink.

After finishing two dishes, Benfeng wanted to eat more, but Madam Feng blocked his way, saying, "You can't eat anymore. Take a nap and eat again at noon."

Madam Feng's tone at this moment sounded like that of a caring housekeeper.

In the battle of Tianlai Mountain, Wang Xizang was pierced through the chest by the Three Yang Immortal's sword and his body was left in the street. The Wang family was thrown into chaos. Several rough men from the same clan, armed with knives, spears, and clubs, went to seek revenge on the Three Yang Immortal. The once-great Wang family had lost its leader and was on the verge of collapse. Several of Wang Xizang's favorite concubines even packed their valuables and fled to other places. With the male members of the Wang family declining and Wang Xizang dead, the position of leader of the Langya Sect was once again in dispute. Seeing Wang Xizang die such a ignominious death, several disciples who were confident in their Taoist skills wanted to establish a stronghold in the Langya Sect and go to Mount Shu to seek justice.

Madam Feng, however, handled the arrangements skillfully. She had Wang Xicang's body carried back to the Wang family mansion, placed in a coffin, and set up in the mourning hall. As the mother of Wang Xicang's exiled grandson, she took charge of the Wang family mansion. Regarding the affairs of the Langya Sect, Madam Feng instructed Wang Qingyang to temporarily appoint an elder who had served Wang Xicang for many years as the sect's leader, allowing the Langya Sect to barely maintain its reputation as the premier Daoist sect in Hedong.

Busy with various tasks, Madam Feng had only just begun to sort things out. Dugu Jialuo sent Su Wei and presented Madam Feng with a memorial arch, bestowing upon her the title of a third-rank official—the Virtuous and Upright Lady. Dugu Jialuo initially used a show of force to eliminate them, but after the initial battle, realizing the extermination was hopeless, she quickly shifted her focus, winning over the hearts of the people. Dugu Jialuo, seizing the opportunity, bestowed titles and honors upon Madam Feng, Old Madam Qin, and over a dozen other wealthy families in Hedong who had Daoist support. Dugu Jialuo was indeed no ordinary woman.

Although Madam Feng was also extremely tired, she arranged for a soft rattan bed to be laid out for Benfeng so he could sleep, before lying down on a white jade stone a dozen steps away from him for a short nap.

Su Wei was waiting for news from Madam Feng at the foot of the mountain. Dugu Jialuo's attempt to curry favor with Shen Wuhua's successor of the Zhexing Pavilion was clearly intended to end the war.

On the streets of Qianmen Town, while other shops were still closed, more than twenty blacksmith shops were open. The clanging and banging of the blacksmiths forging iron felt like hammering at Dugu Jialuo's heart.

These blacksmiths were brought down from Tianheng Mountain by Chen Dingjian and Chen Dingyuan, two Daoist cultivators from the Southern Chen royal family. The five or six hundred Sui soldiers who had come to protect the emperor earlier had all been killed, and Dugu Jialuo hadn't even seen a single soldier.

She secretly issued over a dozen palace decrees, summoning the Imperial Guards, but Dugu Jialuo still couldn't find a single one to protect her—Dugu Jialuo was truly terrified, afraid that Shen Wuhua, as if she had foreseen this day, had sent down this band of bandits from Tian Hengshan.

Faced with these silent, blacksmith-forging bandits, Dugu Jialuo anxiously and fearfully sent Su Wei to the Langya Wang family to bestow rewards and honors, and to quickly find that disciple of the Zhexing Pavilion named Li Benfeng.

Even without a name, Benfeng was already a powerful force that Dugu Jialuo could not ignore or erase.

...

Benfeng slept soundly, and at noon, he got up and washed his face. Madam Feng briefly explained the current situation and Dugu Jialuo's intentions.

"Let's have a proper meal with Lady Dugu, and have a good talk. We won't argue about anything. As Master said, no Sui officials or soldiers will be stationed within a hundred li of Tianlai Mountain. All villagers within that area will be exempt from all taxes and can live independently." Benfeng never intended to argue with the Sui Dynasty about who was superior. The Sui Dynasty had a vast territory and didn't rely on the taxes from this small eastern corner to fill its treasury. Tianlai Mountain was a gathering place for Buddhist and Taoist sects. It was Lady Dugu Jialuo who instigated this bloodshed. I, Li Benfeng, along with Senior Sister Tianqin and Junior Sister Tianyin, were only forced into this desperate act of killing to fight death in Fengjiabao and Qianmen Town. Benfeng

and Madam Feng reached the foot of the mountain, where an official sedan chair awaited them, heading towards Qianmen Town.

Madam Feng instructed the sedan chair bearers to lift the curtain.

The May spring scenery at the foot of Tianlai Mountain resembled the early spring of March in Jiangnan, with peach blossoms, willows, and apricot and pear blossoms vying for attention. Wildflowers bloomed along the roadside, near and far, reflecting Benfeng's current mood, exuding a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere.

Reaching Luofeng Slope at the foot of Yingfo Mountain, Benfeng took a deep sniff. The freshly turned fields carried a refreshing and pleasant scent of flowers and pure earth. As a child, Benfeng often drove cattle along the mountain paths, picking wildflowers and occasionally bringing them to his nose to inhale the faint fragrance of the wildflowers mingled with the spring earth. The remote mountain village was poor, but it held a captivating charm.

In one field, where Old Man Chunshan had just plowed fresh soil with his oxen, Senior Sister Tianqin and Junior Sister Tianyin bent over, hoeing and planting sweet potato sprouts. In another field, three nuns were watering several transplanted peach trees.

Another figure, remarkably similar to Tianyin, stood halfway up the western slope. She glanced a few times at the fields on the eastern slope before turning and disappearing into the plum grove.

This was the second time Benfeng had seen this woman who looked so much like his junior sister Tianyin.

Tianyin, seeing Benfeng, happily picked up her hoe and ran to the sedan chair. "Brother Benfeng, Old Man Chunshan, Daxin, Dayi, and I have finished building two houses. Would you like to take a look? One is made of sandalwood, and the other of red ironwood. Which one do you prefer?"

"I like both! Come, get in! Let's go to Qianmen Town for a feast of chicken, duck, and fish. After surviving this ordeal, let's eat our fill for a few days."

Benfeng had the sedan chair bearers lower the poles, let Tianyin sit in the chair, and the bearers carried her shakily to Qianmen Town.

Dugu Jialuo hosted a grand banquet at Qin Ji Restaurant. However, she did not bestow any honors upon anyone to accompany her—a forced condescension due to the circumstances, and she did not want others to know the awkwardness of this unavoidable situation—as the mother of all people, to condescend to dine at the same table as a country boy was extremely unacceptable to her.

A powerful person always has a powerful plan that is difficult for others to fathom.

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