Starlit Path of the Mystic Forge

South County, Nanjiang City.

Bustling streets; hawkers rise fall.

Steamed bun stall; Confucian robe figure stand; buy hot white bun; bite.

Mo Tianyu one hand hexagram banner; eat bun.

Dawn glow city; dispel night.

Streets crowd; traffic; commerce unfold.

Mo find spot; small stall.

Fortune-telling; come; tell.

Business poor.

Sense; head distant; forbidden direction.

Bun mouth.

Tortoise shell three coppers; divine.

Coppers clash crisp; spin; slide out; table whirl.

Mo palm slap.

Coppers still; slow spit one by one.

"Hm... self; now enter forbidden; great auspicious?"

"Great... no; no."

Mo shiver; continue bun; finish.

Kids stall play; Mo no drive; stroke coppers; smile watch.

Long.

Sky glance.

Time; shell coppers; self again.

Hexagram; Mo squint.

"Now enter... great ominous?"

Mo grin.

Sudden stand; pack stall; banner; big steps forbidden.

...

Nie cross air wall.

Forbidden; Young Master grave; Nie no relax.

String tight; qi blood extreme; ready burst.

Cross; like water; cool; pores shrink.

Wall thin; breath.

Then; flat ground.

Ears sudden voices; understand.

Though pronunciation differ; tone complex; meaning similar.

"Another; this time no qi condensation trash?"

"City Jindan old say; passage Heavenly origin... likely small world."

"Hey pity; we no cross; else small world immortal ancestors."

Rustle ears.

Then; vision clear.

Distant; three gorgeous robe youth; half-smile Nie.

Words clear.

Other small world?

His world; ancestors!

Indeed... heaven demons!

Wall behind; demons nest!

"Capture; Wu Emperor City."

Finally speak.

Qi burst; vast qi vortex; speed cover Nie.

"Body Storage..."

Nie brows pick.

No underestimate; unknown; full.

Waist Dragon Slayer instant draw.

Black blade sudden sweep; robe strong pounce; halved; blood ground.

"Bad!"

"Big guy; Foundation?"

"No... no Foundation?! One blade Foundation; likely Jindan!"

Gorgeous strong faces change.

Nie blade elegance; heart shock.

Before qi condensation; vigilant lax; sudden boss; unprepared.

Nie cold; kill... not first.

One kill; hand up.

Dragon Slayer float.

Hands expand; blade one to five.

Burst shoot.

Remaining kill!

Dragon Slayer return; Nie wipe blood; waist.

Then; nerves observe.

Position; broken temple.

Back Buddha statue; Nie glance; unknown.

Temple old; plaque half ground; words blur; "Bodhisattva".

"Bodhisattva temple?"

Nie murmur; unknown; no linger.

Killed four Body; reaction.

Rush old temple.

Outside; snow fly; killing qi sharp; needle.

Nie inhale; waist Dragon Slayer hand; sudden slash.

Boom!

Blade roll snow shatter; grains.

"Insolent!"

"Bold; kill Wu Emperor disciple!"

"Punish!"

Angry drink.

Palm snow; Nie blade collide; snow suspend quake; shatter; melt.

"Heaven Lock?!"

Nie condense.

"No... Jindan."

Nie realize; condense.

Distant; old crone; odd wood staff; snow; robes hunt; see Nie; drink; staff ground smash.

Ground snow dragon; mad roar pounce Nie.

"Jindan?!"

"Young Master say Jindan heaven demon realm... indeed demons nest!"

Nie tense.

But battle intent surge.

Recall upper end; heroes die demons.

Nie draw; constant slash; qi whistle; snow dragon slay!

Unclear enemies; Jindan; above?

Speed battle; escape temple.

Nie grip Dragon Slayer; run.

Speed close crone.

Advantage vs Jindan; stronger blood.

Close; blade power; halve...

"Death!"

Crone no sense Nie Jindan; perhaps Foundation.

Four staff smash; four snow walls cover.

Walls; crone chant; accumulate big.

Nie gaze condense.

Eyes sudden sharp; bully wall.

Slash!

Nie one hand Dragon Slayer; slash.

Sudden.

Walls crone eyes brilliant.

Sense needle; sudden stab Nie mind; instant daze.

Foundation no sense; no block; injure; then staff beat dead.

Nie crisis; eyes brilliant.

Sense collide. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novᴇlfire.net

Nie dizzy.

Crone wail; Nie seize; Dragon Slayer air fly.

Puchi!

Crone head sky; blood pillar!

Nie slight pant; crone body Jindan emerge; sudden blast!

Boom!

Snow melt; li radius; grass wilt.

Nie unexpected temple Jindan.

Wu Emperor sect.

Many.

No linger; hand; Dragon Slayer return; grip; big steps leave.

But no out temple.

Air tear booms.

Nie face slight change; head.

Distant; purple robe speed; tear snow.

Run; four purple aura burst.

No weak crone.

"Jindan... four!"

Nie inhale.

Pressure.

But intent!

Enter for pressure?!

Slow raise Dragon Slayer; body extreme blade intent!

Four purple cold.

Wu Emperor Jindan; Heavenly portal temple; strong sense.

Dispatch guard.

Before qi condensation; no matter.

Now Jindan!

Few moves outer Jindan kill!

Inner disciples sense; rush.

Wu Emperor purple honor; inner purple robe.

"Capture!"

Four drink; Jindan aura.

Nie no underestimate.

Many Jindan; careful.

Dragon Slayer swing; blade roll snow burst.

Black blade terrible qi; boom slash.

"Aura one turn Jindan; dare!"

Four Wu Emperor angry.

Weapons draw; head gold yuan dan emerge.

Vast power burst.

Sword qi; Nie blade collide.

Boom!

Explosion.

Nie body tremble.

Four unmoved.

Nie exhale; strong; no linger.

Grip Dragon Slayer; turn escape.

Four eye; snow chase.

Killed outer; no capture; punish.

Sudden.

Escape Nie; sudden back.

Body burn.

Roar!

Low dragon chant.

Nie spine dragon; blood waves; will peak.

Gold light body.

Dragon Slayer back.

Slash kill impact!

Gold attribute intent blade!

One Jindan inner; unexpected return.

Dodge no; hasty counter.

Nie blade terrible; half body near sever.

Purple Jindan wail fly; snow drag blood trail.

Nie success; pale; cycle qi absorb; burst.

"Damn!"

"Chase!"

Three angry.

Four vs one turn; near counter kill!

Nie speed escape; out temple.

Temple mountain ridge; white snow.

Nie snow no trace; blood burst speed; instant five Jindan fight.

Crone weak; four stronger.

Nie analyze; Jindan levels.

Like Heaven Lock nine poles.

Each vast.

"This world above Jindan Heaven Lock?"

Nie ponder.

Now.

Wu Emperor.

Du Longyang knee; slight open.

"Breath familiar."

Sense surge; see temple fight.

Nie back slash near kill inner; Du eyes brilliant.

"No Jindan; but surpass..."

"What cultivate?"

Du ponder; no clue.

Mind; sense out.

Wu Emperor out.

Ridge base.

Old man open; stand; Wu Emperor slight bow.

Next; big steps temple.

Soon; see ridge escape Nie.

Old man normal.

Small Jindan; no eye.

Chase three Jindan; face change; stop; old man slight bow.

Old higher.

Nie condense; see block.

But...

No sense old aura.

Now Nie no care; Jindan everywhere demons; kill blood road; knife; sudden draw.

Intent surge.

Gold blade sudden slash.

Snow walk old smile.

"Good guts."

Old smile; hand; air crush Nie qi!

Nie shock.

"Wu Emperor lord see; follow old."

Old.

Step; aura burst; terrible; Nie suffocate; eyes shrink; face mountain.

Like Baiyujing Young Master.

Strong!

Absolute top!

Nie low roar; no capture; death.

Pressure; sudden draw; knife comprehend growth.

Indeed pressure progress.

Nie slash brilliant; gold seize light.

Old faint; pick snow leaf; sudden hurl.

Leaf snow terror blade; Nie qi inch shatter.

"Small Jindan dare."

Old faint.

Nie cough blood snow retreat steps.

Each crush snow.

Nie sink; old... strong!

Above Jindan!

No wonder forbidden Young Master grave; descend disaster; upper calamity repeat.

Nie tight knife.

Boom!

Old sudden hand.

Snow gather; big palm; Nie pat.

Pressure; Nie still.

Nie unwilling; old power... powerless.

Sudden.

Light temple burst.

Whistle.

Land Nie shoulder.

Nie stun; side; shoulder cross arms little person.

Nie see; pores blast.

"Young... Master?!"

Little Lu no speak; calm.

Sudden blast.

Next; air phantom; Thousand Blade; white snow; elegance.

...

Wu Emperor.

Closed Du sudden open; angry roar!

Familiar breath figure...

Yes!

Heaven-robbery thief!

"Damn thief; dare appear!"

Du hand; black spear grip; terrible blast; instant out chamber; Wu Emperor peak; gaze temple.