Chapter 165
Chapter 165
Wu Huaiwei watched the battle, only acting to protect Li Jin Shuang beside Situ Jin when the clashing sword energies stirred up towering flames and air waves.
The sea fire locations marked with red strips by the Mechanism School practitioners were completely overturned by the sword energy clash just now. The originally cleaned ground became a mess again.
"What was that thing just now?" Wu Huaiwei looked at Leng Rouyin. "Yin-yang harmonious clash, seeming human yet not human, seeming ghost yet not ghost."
Leng Rouyin looked down at the tiger's mouth holding her sword, lost in thought.
When Li Jin Shuang looked up, she happened to see Wei Xizheng in black robes with both hands tucked in sleeves folded across his chest. She calculated in her mind and confirmed that this Saint actually had six fingers on both hands.
Legalist School Saint Wei Xizheng looked only in his thirties, his appearance much younger than his actual age. His slightly curled hair at the temples, combined with his overly pale skin, gave him an air of tranquility.
"Something formed by gathering energy." Wei Xizheng's light-colored pupils swept toward the long sword in Leng Rouyin's hand, his voice cold as jade striking jade. "And it carries murderous intent."
School of Names Sun Heng wore white robes, had a full head of silver hair, and a long beard. Even his eyebrows had turned white. His face showed kindness, and together with Medical School's Jiang Shulan, they were called the "Two Benevolent Elders."
Sun Heng gently stroked his white beard, also looking at Leng Rouyin, his deep voice saying: "It should be a Military School sword spirit."
"Wonder whose sword spirit it is, with such domineering Five Elements Energy, even more arrogant than your sword spirit." Wu Huaiwei stared at Leng Rouyin with a half-smile. "You just exchanged a move with it. How did it feel? What kind of person would have such a sword spirit, able to block even your Qilin Killing Sword Intent?"
Leng Rouyin sheathed her sword and looked up at Wu Huaiwei: "Who else here do you think has such ability? That sword spirit was obviously out of control, not under its master's command."
After saying this, both looked at Li Jin Shuang standing beside them. She was the most obvious Military School disciple present.
Situ Jin felt something was wrong and instinctively stepped in front of Li Jin Shuang: "Esteemed Saints, why don't we go down and take a look first? That sword spirit just now also jumped out from below."
Wu Huaiwei covered her mouth with her hand and smiled at Situ Jin: "What are you rushing to protect? Her sword spirit being special isn't a secret. If it were her sword spirit, with the person standing right here and unable to detect it, how could our Sister Rouyin still have the face to be called a Military School Saint?"
Leng Rouyin glanced at Li Jin Shuang: "Why is an academy disciple here?"
Situ Jin said without changing expression: "The Sea Whirlpool incident happened suddenly, so I brought her along."
He paused, then continued: "Thanks to her, I was rescued from my captor. That person knows Ghost Way School Heavenly Mechanism Arts and is thoroughly familiar with Northern Kun City. He also stole my family's Mechanism Spirit Puppets and is currently hiding underground. Please, Saints, capture him."
"He should indeed be caught." Wu Huaiwei's eyes turned as she scanned toward the edge of the Sea Whirlpool opening. "But those sea fires that devour Five Elements Energy have actually gone out."
She used shadow techniques to flash beside Wei Xizheng, tilting her chin up slightly: "What does your Water Vessel side say?"
Wei Xizheng glanced at her, then after a moment looked back at the Sea Whirlpool opening: "It involves Water Vessel secrets. I can only say that the frequent Sea Whirlpools growing on Mechanism Island are indeed man-made, as was the one that destroyed Northern Kun City."
Wu Huaiwei leaned close to his ear, acting intimate, speaking softly: "What secrets that you won't even tell me?"
Wei Xizheng only felt his ear tickling, his eyelashes trembling lightly, but didn't answer.
"You calling it sea fire isn't wrong. Water Vessel has gained considerable achievements in researching Strange Fire over these years." Sun Heng walked to the front of the Sea Whirlpool opening, looking down into the depths below, his words carrying some emotion. "Sea Whirlpools devour all things and have also devoured Strange Fire. But among hundreds of Sea Whirlpools, only one wasn't devoured by Strange Fire, but disappeared together with it."
"That one should be the Sea Whirlpool's final form, called the Returning Void Eye, capable of matching Strange Fire."
"But no one knows when it appears, where it is, or how to find it. While studying Sea Whirlpools, Water Vessel has also replicated Strange Fire within Sea Whirlpools."
Sun Heng's words attracted everyone's attention. No one interrupted.
"Give Water Vessel a little more time, and we'll find a way to completely destroy Strange Fire." As soon as Sun Heng said this, it caused surprise in everyone else's eyes. Sun Heng placed both hands above the Sea Whirlpool opening, left hand resting on right wrist, right hand pointing with two fingers, tracing a character in the void.
School of Names Heavenly Mechanism Art: Enlightenment.
Five Elements Energy flew from Sun Heng's fingertips, materializing into the character "fire" floating in the air. Golden Five Elements Energy swirled around the character. Sun Heng said in a deep voice: "Gather."
A massive Five Elements Energy spread from around his body, drilling down toward the Sea Whirlpool opening below, like fierce wind sweeping through every corner of the stone walls, scraping away the remaining sea fire.
The weak sea fire rose with the wind, transforming into threads of fire lines flying upward, entering the "fire" character.
The Mechanism School people who had witnessed the sea fire's power watched this scene in disbelief. How could the strange fire that devoured Five Elements Energy now obediently follow the Saint's Five Elements Energy?
School of Names Enlightenment could command all things related to that character.
That wasn't true Strange Fire, but replicas created by Water Vessel. Being able to be enlightened and subdued, Wu Huaiwei wasn't surprised.
What concerned her somewhat was the method Sun Heng mentioned for destroying Strange Fire.
Had Water Vessel people found the Returning Void Eye?
Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu below in the Coiling Dragon Stone Cave both felt invisible Five Elements Energy sweeping and patrolling around them. Yu Sui's Li trigram flowing fire was completely extinguished by the sweep. This domineering and powerful force emanated irresistible power that made Yu Sui's heart jump, while the Strange Fire deep in her consciousness remained unmoved.
"School of Names Heavenly Mechanism: Enlightenment, targeting fire arts." Mei Liangyu came to Yu Sui's side, pulling her out of the water. "There should be Saints acting above. Did you create that black thing?"
With the flowing fire extinguished, the surroundings became pitch black again. Yu Sui wrapped her arms around Mei Liangyu's neck and nodded at his words: "It should be. Senior Brother, what do you think it looks like?"
Mei Liangyu was amused by her words. Yu Sui, pressed against his chest, could feel his chest cavity trembling lightly, then heard him ask: "What do you mean 'should be'?"
"It doesn't listen to me." Yu Sui said in distress. "It just flew out on its own. I don't know where it went or if anyone saw it."
Mei Liangyu carried her back to the Buddha statue in the dark, saying: "Try concentrating and sensing it."
Yu Sui closed her eyes and did as he said, then opened them: "No response."
"Then it's disappeared." Mei Liangyu said. "Something formed by gathering energy, yin-yang clashing. It's not Taoist purple talismans or Buddhist mind manifestations, nor Yin-Yang School constellations. Military School sword spirit fits best."
He turned his face toward her. They were forehead-to-forehead distance. A cluster of bright flames lit up beside them, dispelling the darkness. Mei Liangyu stared at Yu Sui: "Is that a sword spirit born from your Five Elements power?"
This gaze contained inquiry and surprise. Yu Sui met his gaze, blinked, and said softly: "Yes."
Yu Sui stared at Mei Liangyu intently, observing his reaction.
Mei Liangyu pondered: "Isn't this something only Military School disciples have?"
"I don't know!" Yu Sui buried her head in his shoulder and neck, avoiding eye contact. "I got it in a confused way. I've been practicing swordsmanship with Li Jin Shuang lately."
"If simply practicing swordsmanship could produce a sword spirit, then you'd be exceptionally gifted, and disciples from other schools would be jealous to death." Mei Liangyu lightly shrugged his shoulders, making her lift her head instead of hiding.
"Senior Brother." Yu Sui was forced to look up at him, drawing out her tone. Her gaze noticed the blood traces by Mei Liangyu's ear, and she reached out to touch his ear, asking: "Is your ear injured again?"
Mei Liangyu's eyes indicated she shouldn't try to change the subject, saying: "Even if I know other schools' Nine Schools Arts, I can't cultivate Yin-Yang School's star sea or Military School's sword spirit. These are their unique symbols, requiring sufficiently compatible talent. If that black mass is truly your sword spirit, you need to understand what this represents."
Yu Sui met his gaze and said: "It means my Military School talent is very high!"
Mei Liangyu remembered the talent compatibility he had tested for her initially, saying with a half-smile: "You'd better hope so."
Yu Sui said: "I only found out today too. Senior Brother, why do you know Military School Nine Schools Arts but don't have a Military School sword spirit?"
"What else could it be? Insufficient talent." Mei Liangyu let go of her, letting her stand properly. Yu Sui grabbed his hand and asked: "Senior Brother, aren't you looking at me anymore?"
"I can hear now." Mei Liangyu answered offhandedly, then heard Yu Sui say "oh" and let go of his hand. Though he felt something was off, he couldn't figure it out for the moment. His attention was on the sword spirit matter. "Your sword spirit looks quite unruly too. Before you can fully control it, you'd better hide it and not let anyone discover it."
Yu Sui nodded: "That's what I planned too."
She still needed to study it carefully. If people knew she had a sword spirit, Zhang Xiangyun might suspect her of the underwater attack.
"What those two people said just now..." Yu Sui asked halfway before being interrupted by Mei Liangyu: "Don't let Master know."
Yu Sui raised her hand in a swearing gesture: "I definitely won't tell anyone."
Mei Liangyu saw her serious expression and was amused instead. He lowered his gaze to conceal the depth in his eyes. Though he wanted to reach out and ruffle his Junior Sister's hair, he stopped himself and said instead: "If Saints come later and ask about that black thing, just say you don't know, or blame it on the two people who left through the Sea Whirlpool."
Yu Sui responded, indicating she understood.
Mei Liangyu looked her up and down suspiciously: "You really haven't been secretly cultivating other messy things behind my back?"
Yu Sui looked completely bewildered: "Senior Brother, what counts as messy things?"
Mei Liangyu was stumped by her question, thinking that she was already different from others with Strange Fire in her body, plus the troublesome half piece of Breath Soil. Maybe it was as Yu Sui said: her Military School talent was high, but various factors made it impossible to test accurately.
How many people in the world had tested talent compatibility for a World Destroyer carrying Strange Fire?
It was normal for tests to be inaccurate.
"Senior Brother, should we go up?" Yu Sui looked upward.
Mei Liangyu asked her: "Is Nian Qiuyan up there?"
Yu Sui looked back at him in surprise. Mei Liangyu's face showed no emotion as he asked: "Just tell me if she's there or not."
"She is." Yu Sui still told him.
Mei Liangyu was about to tell her to go when he heard movement from above. Xing Chun's voice carried down from far away: "Mei Mei! Junior Sister Nangong! If you're still alive, make a sound!"
Zhongli Shan formed hand seals and lit a fire, illuminating the stone cave below. Seeing the two standing on the Buddha statue's wrist, he threw the clothes stolen from Mechanism School practitioners down to Mei Liangyu.
Mei Liangyu caught them but wasn't in a hurry to put them on, casually draping them over his shoulder.
Before Zhongli Shan and Xing Chun reached the Buddha statue, they felt a hurricane pass through, carrying sword wind with a hint of warning. Yin-Yang School orbs of light floated up, illuminating the cave's darkness and also illuminating the graceful figure surrounded by red silk standing in the air above the Buddha statue.
The sudden blinding light made both Mei Liangyu and Yu Sui squint.
Leng Rouyin and Ou Rushuang stood on the other two standing Buddha statues respectively, together with Wu Huaiwei looking down at Mei Liangyu and Yu Sui at the very bottom.