Chapter 456 - 376: First Arrival
Yun State Daoist Academy, it was late spring.
The bamboo grove in the courtyard shielded the skies, with slender and tall green bamboo, dew condensing on the leaves, and a gentle breeze rustling through.
At the center of the bamboo grove, on a green stone platform, sat a figure in blue with crossed legs — it was Chen Xihua.
He wore a Sword Robe, with an ancient long sword across his knee, surrounded by a subtle Sword Rhyme of destruction; with every breath, a fine Sword Qi leaked from his pores, evolving into a Sword Domain.
At this moment, Chen Xihua was immersed in the mystical realm of Sword Rhyme and Heaven and Earth Resonance, when the Jade Scroll hanging by his waist suddenly grew warm.
A gentle Yang Spirit thought pierced through the Sword Rhyme barrier: "Xihua, come to the Celestial Song Tower to see me quickly."
It was the voice of his teaching mentor, Xun Daoist, calm yet carrying a certain urgency that couldn’t be delayed.
Chen Xihua’s heart stirred, and the Sword Rhyme of destruction around him instantly converged; beneath his feet emerged a faint Sword Gang, merging his figure into the void before quickly arriving at the Celestial Song Tower, located at the core of the Daoist Academy.
This building was entirely constructed of nanmu wood, divided into seven floors; upon stepping into the elegant room on the third floor, Chen Xihua saw Xun Daoist seated and having tea with a middle-aged man in blue.
Xun Daoist wore a plain Daoist Robe, his beard and hair white.
However, the middle-aged man in blue was particularly striking — dressed in a dark blue robe embroidered with patterns of stars, his waist cinched with a white jade belt, the belt embedded with an egg-sized ice crystal, within which a faint chill was seen flowing.
"Xihua, you’re here."
Xun Daoist, seeing him enter, quickly stood and waved:
"Come quickly and greet Daoist Guang Yuan, this is a Refining Void Great Power from Yunlu Daoist Palace!"
"Yunlu Daoist Palace?"
Chen Xihua’s heart was stirred, immediately recalling Daoist Life-Annihilating who joined the Daoist Palace, he promptly adjusted his robe to salute:
"Junior Chen Xihua, greets Senior Guang Yuan."
"No need for excessive courtesy, young friend."
Daoist Guang Yuan laughed heartily, with a sweep of his sleeve, directly supported Chen Xihua’s form, preventing him from bowing.
His gaze fell on Chen Xihua, carrying a few traces of scrutiny, yet predominantly friendly:
"I come this time, entrusted by Uncle Life-Annihilating, to deliver something to you."
"Uncle Life-Annihilating?"
Chen Xihua froze suddenly, his mind blank for a moment.
Before he could react, Daoist Guang Yuan raised his right hand, with a gentle sweep of his sleeve, a blue light floated out, condensing into a palm-sized ice crystal box in the air.
The box sculpted from Profound Ice, its surface inscribed with complex sealing runes, which circulated emitting a biting cold, yet wrapped in a delicate Spiritual Qi, avoiding harm to surrounding objects.
Daoist Guang Yuan pointed lightly and the ice crystal box’s lid slowly opened.
From within the box, two weakly flickering cold light clusters rose, within which vague human figures were seen — the remains of Yang Spirit thoughts.
Upon seeing the familiar faces within the light clusters, Chen Xihua’s breath momentarily halted, his hand gripping the sword hilt involuntarily bulging with veins.
"Bai Changqing! Chu Renxiong!"
He gritted his teeth, spitting out these names, recalling how they set the Heaven and Earth Net to hunt down him and others, forcing him and Chen Sheng to hide in Grotto Heaven for hundreds of years.
His old friends Carefree, Zuo Xuan also perished at the hands of these two, such deep resentment etched in his heart, never daring to forget day and night.
...
At this moment, Bai and Chu’s Yang Spirits were exceedingly frail, with chaotic Divine Thought fluctuations, clearly having suffered extreme torment.
It was Chen Sheng who had put them into the Yin Yang grindstone, night and day for hundreds of years grinding, their Dharma Body and Yang Spirit crushed into purest energy to nourish the Cyan Nether Sword.
All value long drained, now remaining only two exceedingly frail residual souls.
Daoist Guang Yuan’s smile faded slightly, his tone carried a hint of chill:
"Precisely these two, Uncle Life-Annihilating entrusted me to give to young friend for disposal, also to settle some karmic bond."
With that, he lightly flicked his finger, and the ice crystal box transformed into a blue light, landing steadily in Chen Xihua’s hand.
Then, Daoist Guang Yuan waved his hand, turning to slightly nod at Xun Daoist, his tone returning to calm:
"Xun Daoist friend, excuse the disturbance, I bid farewell."
Before his words fell, a faint chill rose around him, the chill permeated like thin mist enveloping his form.
Once the chill dispersed, there was no trace of Daoist Guang Yuan left in the elegant room, only a faint trace of astral Dao Rhyme lingered.
Chen Xihua was momentarily dumbfounded, a feeling of unreality rose within him.
The two residual Yang Spirits within the box weakly pulsated; they were Bai Changqing and Chu Renxiong — once Refining Void Great Powers, now like ants at the mercy of others, handed casually to him for disposal.
"Still lost in thought?"
A gentle voice came from behind him, Xun Daoist walked close, his withered hand lightly patting his shoulder.
The warm and rich Dao Rhyme that flowed from his palm instantly calmed Chen Xihua’s chaotic emotions.
Xun Daoist’s gaze fell on the ice crystal box, a trace of sentimentality flashed in his eyes:
"Do you realize, for Refining Void Great Powers to bow so low, delivering something in person, what kind of weight your friend now holds?"
He shook his head, explaining to himself:
"Daoist Life-Annihilating, the fourth True Disciple under Dharma Master Hong Jue, in recent years, his fame among the circle of Refining Void Great Powers in the entire Yun State has been rising."
"That Daoist Guang Yuan just now is indeed Cold Monarch’s Direct Disciple, hence calls him Uncle."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xihua’s heart shook, though he did not know Cold Monarch’s Cultivation, being able to teach someone like Guang Yuan, his Realm must be immeasurable.
And Life-Annihilating being his junior, his disciple showing such respect, his standing is imaginable.