Celestial Refining Divine Scripture

"You were actually able to notice me? Was it because of that sword shadow on the cliff wall?"

Xu Yang’s eyes glittered—seeing the youth charging over, he swiftly stepped out from the shadows, summoning the Four-Part Daluo Saber.

"Kill!"

The youth glared at Xu Yang, eyes brimming with a chaotic frenzy of killing intent and madness, his features twisted into a terrifying snarl.

Swish!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

He swung his sword in delirious rage, each dazzling beam of sword light stained with blood, shooting toward Xu Yang in a torrent that blotted out the sky.

Xu Yang tightened his grip and raised his saber high.

"Slash!"

Boom!

Clang!

Crack!

The saber thundered down with massive force, shattering the sky-filling sword light. At the instant it met the youth’s ancient broken sword, sparks burst forth, echoing with sharp splintering sounds.

Half of the ancient sword crashed to the ground.

The youth spat a jet of blood, struck as if by lightning, falling down in utter defeat.

In that instant, it was as if he could no longer see Xu Yang at all—he stared dully at the broken sword in his hand, face caught between despair and madness, sending chills through anyone who saw.

He doesn’t look like he’s possessed, more like he’s utterly insane.

But, between possession and insanity, there’s not much difference.

Xu Yang silently observed, calm and unflustered from start to finish.

He held complete confidence in his own strength.

Having broken through to the Immortal Realm, his body, immortal essence, and primordial spirit had all achieved immense ascension and transformation.

Though still shy of a Golden Immortal, the gap wasn’t much at all.

The youth, even with his aura enhanced by that sword shadow, remained in the realm of Peak Celestial Immortal.

Whoosh!

Yuanmie dragged back another youth, trembling violently.

Xu Yang glanced over—this youth was rather skinny, his cultivation at the Late Stage of Celestial Immortal, face written with panic and terror, but clearly a normal person.

"Speak. What’s going on?"

Yuanmie gave him a merciless kick.

The skinny youth swallowed, darting glances between Xu Yang and Yuanmie, and with a despairing look, stammered, "I—I killed a disciple of Celestial Sword Mountain and was thrown into Celestial Sword Gorge as punishment. I’ve been hiding here for ages, planning to seize the sword aura essence born from the sword scar on the cliff..."

"He’s a disciple of Spirit Sword Mountain. Pretty much lost to his demons—unable to comprehend, unable to escape, wandering in a haze."

"Where’s the sword scar?"

The youth stared in shock at the shattered cliff wall.

"It entered his body," Xu Yang said blandly.

The skinny youth’s pupils contracted as he murmured, "It was absorbed... Then that sword aura essence will likely become a sword mark."

A sword mark, like a spirit body, contains sword dao mysteries and helps sword cultivators comprehend the profundities of the sword dao.

However, once a sword mark is achieved, it’s no longer bound to one place—it can roam at will.

If one’s strength is lacking, the sword mark might even wound or control the cultivator.

"Young master, these two are no threat; should we kill them?" Yuanmie looked at Xu Yang.

The youth’s face changed, pleading as he gazed at Xu Yang.

"No need to rush."

Xu Yang shook his head slightly, fixing his eyes on the youth. "Since you survived here, you must be pretty familiar with the place, right?"

The skinny youth stammered, "More or less."

As if he’d dare admit it was pure luck.

Splurt!

Far off, the youth suddenly spat blood, the light in his eyes snuffed out. As a gleaming sword-shaped wisp flashed out from his body, his whole figure collapsed limply, life force draining away fast.

"He’s dead."

Whoosh!

The sword shadow shot straight toward the youth lying on the ground.

If he were here without Xu Yang and Yuanmie, he’d have been wildly excited to see this.

But now, faced with such an enticing opportunity, he felt not a shred of joy.

In that instant as the sword shadow struck, Xu Yang curled his hand and caught it.

Bang!

The sword light shattered, leaving only a blurred sword mark trapped in his palm.

Xu Yang sensed it briefly, then crushed it without hesitation.

It held mysteries of the sword dao; though he wasn’t a sword cultivator, refining it would slightly strengthen his primordial spirit or could be fused into an immortal sword—but it was too weak for him.

Absolutely worthless.

Seeing this, a flicker of regret flashed in the skinny youth’s eyes, quickly replaced by shock.

Called ’young master’ by a Golden Immortal, he’d thought Xu Yang was a sect scion with Early Celestial Immortal cultivation—not all that powerful.

But that move... was simply astonishing.

The sword mark, while incomplete, held power at the peak of Celestial Immortal—and he crushed it so easily, unscathed.

Celestial Immortal peak-level combat strength...three stages above his cultivation.

Such prowess is rare even across Eastern Continent.

"What’s your name?" Xu Yang asked, staring at the youth.

"Young master, I’m Li Fan."

"I need to get to the Eastern Continent. Lead the way."

To the Eastern Continent?

Li Fan’s mind raced. Could this man be from Northern Continent?

His face turned fawning, leaping up to nod respectfully, over and over.

"Young master, though I’m a nobody in Eastern Continent, I still know some basic information."

"Ask me anything you want—I’ll tell you everything, no holding back."

Guessing Xu Yang’s origins, he only hoped to prove his worth and win mercy.

Xu Yang looked deep into Li Fan’s eyes. "If you do well, once we’re nearly out of Celestial Sword Gorge, I’ll spare your life."

"Thank you, young master! Thank you, young master!"

Joy lit up Li Fan’s features.

"Young master, sir, this way."

"Do not go the other way—though you have Golden Immortal power, if luck fails, you could run into Golden Immortal-class immortal beasts. Plus, thanks to Starry Extreme Night, there are places where sword intent has revived—very dangerous."

"To the right is better."

Li Fan led them off along the right-hand path where he’d been captured.

Along the way, Xu Yang asked after some basic facts about Eastern Continent.

Things that even Yuanmie didn’t know.

But as for the unrest and changes in Eastern Continent during Starry Extreme Night itself, Li Fan had no clue.

He’d been thrown into Celestial Sword Gorge before Starry Extreme Night’s onset, making it out only by luck.

But the rest of his knowledge would suffice for Xu Yang.

The seven top-tier immortal sects of Eastern Continent—each had foundations among the Nine-Moon Ring of Heaven’s upper sects, with obvious differences in strength among them.

Two sects had lost their upper sects, those having been destroyed, and now kept a low profile in Eastern Continent.

The seven great top-level immortal sects were Celestial Sword Mountain, Great Yu Kingdom, Hongtian Ancient City, Canglan Sky-Rising River, Ancient Lotus Vajra Sect, the Nine-God Aristocratic Family, and Shanyang Academy.

Celestial Sword Mountain ranked near the very top for strength.

For Li Fan to have dared kill a disciple of Celestial Sword Mountain—the audacity was remarkable.

"Young master, making it through Celestial Sword Gorge to Eastern Continent means you’ll face obstruction by the disciples of Celestial Sword Mountain. Only by defeating them can you qualify for the Eastern Continent."

"However, those blocking the way typically aren’t all that strong."

"Obstruction?"

Xu Yang frowned suspiciously.

Li Fan hastily explained, "After all, Celestial Sword Gorge still counts as territory of Celestial Sword Mountain. They constantly hunt and train here—some treasures are outright forbidden to outsiders. People from Northern Continent aren’t looked upon kindly; meeting a powerful one is just a trial for their own disciples."

"If you’re strong enough to be a Golden Immortal, you don’t need to worry."

"As for fights among the prodigies, as long as it’s within the rules, even killing the other is fine."

"Among all the forces in Eastern Continent, prodigies slaying one another is common enough that these rules have been adopted. As long as you don’t go too far, it won’t draw out stronger powers against you."

"There are rules like that?" Xu Yang asked, wide-eyed with surprise.