Chapter 17 Part 2

If a Foundation Establishment cultivator exchanged for goodies and took them out of the sect, wouldn’t that be a walking treasure vault?

Senior Brother Zheng smiled faintly. “Junior Brother Shen, though it’s a bit late, I still have to say: welcome to being a Silent Night Palace cultivator.”

Shen He: “…”

He stowed the three boxes and stood at the entrance of the Mission Hall, feeling a tragic heroism like the wind whistling cold over Easy Water.

Xie Linlang couldn’t stand seeing Shen He like the sky had fallen.

Pei Ji had never been discouraged, always vibrant and resolute no matter the time or place.

Giving up wasn’t in the dictionary of people like them!

Xie Linlang spoke up. “Didn’t you want to learn swordplay?”

Shen He was puzzled. “Uh, yes?”

Xie Linlang said flatly, “Then let’s set off. There’ll be plenty of chances to learn swordplay on the road.”

Shen He: “…Ah?”

Soon, Shen He understood what Xie Linlang meant.

Just after leaving the palace gates of Silent Night Palace and arriving at the cultivator town clustered around the sect, Shen He noticed someone covertly watching him.

Shen He quickened his pace, trying to hurry out of town and into the barren woods ahead to shake off the pursuers.

But the next second, Xie Linlang unceremoniously took over Shen He’s body.

The boy’s originally hasty movements suddenly changed temperament, gaining a composure and ease.

“What are you hurrying for? We strike right in town.”

Xie Linlang drew the Emerald Jade Sword that Shen He had refined.

The Emerald Jade Sword was entirely emerald green, with a rich emerald streak along the spine that slithered back and forth along the blade like a spirit snake.

The Emerald Jade Sword contained two auxiliary spells internally: one that enhanced the master’s perception and strengthened the bond between user and spirit sword, the other called Threading Flowers and Brushing Willows, an auxiliary spell that amplified the complexity of the flying sword’s trajectory.

Xie Linlang lightly flicked the blade of the Emerald Jade Sword, producing a soft, clear sword hum.

He reminded Shen He, “Watch closely.”

Black-purple demonic qi surged into the Emerald Jade Sword. The blade, originally light and ethereal like a touch of green amid treetops, vanished in an instant.

Even the most beautiful golden-green leaves had dark undersides, with raised, jagged veins like shadows under light.

The next second, a sword blade as cold as a venomous snake appeared at Xie Linlang’s back heart, while the ground under his feet turned into a swamp.

At the instant the spell underfoot activated, Xie Linlang pushed off powerfully, spinning lightly in midair. He raised his hand into a palm and slammed down fiercely on the side of the incoming blade.

Clang!

No one knew what deft force Xie Linlang used, but with bare hands, he dented the protective demonic qi on the blade’s outer side. With a crisp crack, fissures spiderwebbed across the sword.

Meanwhile, the Emerald Jade Sword silently arrived behind the cultivator who had cast the swamp spell, repaying him in kind, and lightly thrust toward his back heart.

Hum—

A black barrier rose; the enemy seemed to have preemptively cast a protective spell.

But the next instant, thick, jagged black-purple runes flashed on the Emerald Jade Sword. Like a nimble butterfly, it threaded flowers and brushed willows, easily piercing into the black shield and unhesitatingly penetrating the enemy’s occiput.

Xie Linlang multitasked: while controlling the Emerald Jade Sword to deal with the peripheral foe, he drew the Black Bone Bell.

After deflecting the enemy’s blade, he grabbed the handle atop the bell and brutally smashed it toward the ambusher in front.

Dong—

The bell’s tone was deep, its body heavy; sonic and physical attacks combined, instantly smashing the foe before him into meat paste.

The fight ended in less than ten seconds.

Xie Linlang pinched a magic formula to release the Black Bone Bell, directly covering the ambusher in front, while the Emerald Jade Sword hooked the other attacker’s belt and dragged him back.

With a flip of his hand, whether the Emerald Jade Sword, Black Bone Bell, or the two ambushers’ corpses, all vanished.

In a blink, the surging demonic qi calmed. The boy’s forelocks and flying ponytail settled, his black robes pristine and smooth, without a single tear or wrinkle.

The shift from motion to stillness was fluid and seamless, as if nothing had happened.

Xie Linlang pinched another magic formula, activating the Night Sea Lightbirth Illusion Technique that every Silent Night Palace disciple knew, and vanished from the sight of those spying on him.

“All good. No one will bother you for a while.”

Shen He, dubbed Fake Foundation Establishment, had casually slain two demonic cultivators of the same realm. That was enough to deter those with ill intentions.

Shen He swallowed hard. Only now did his taut nerves relax.

Awed yet excited, he said, “I never imagined Shizun’s combat prowess was so strong!”

He had thought this Jade Pendant Master, skilled in pill refining, was a technical-type cultivator like a Portable Grandpa who wasn’t good at fighting.

Xie Linlang was silent for a long time before saying, “I’m actually not skilled at combat. I just sparred often with my senior brother. This is all what he taught me.”

Shen He asked curiously, “Your senior brother? May I call him Martial Uncle?”

Xie Linlang said mildly, “Of course.”

Shen He felt a bit uneasy. “Martial Uncle must be a great power who’s attained the dao, right? After Shizun revives, will you go find him?”

Once Shizun recovered, he probably wouldn’t stick with a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator like him anymore. Th-then could he still learn at Shizun’s side?

But this sentence seemed to hit a sore spot. Until Shen He arrived near Purple Radiance Mountain, Xie Linlang didn’t say another word to him.