Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 241 - 234 Layout Part 2

Chapter 241: Chapter 234 Layout Part 2

As he listened, Lin Xin began to understand what this Mystical Rankings was used for. The cultivators here had a close relationship with the common folk, much closer than the relationship between the Immortal Sect and the common people. Cultivators mingled with Martial World individuals, merging to create Martial Arts-like techniques that were even more powerful.

"Indeed, the world is vast and full of wonders. Just the Underworld alone has such a huge diverse system," he marveled. "Unfortunately, we can’t really witness the power of the top contenders of the Mystical Rankings here."

"If we were outside, the moment anyone from our group saw Tian Qing the Ancestor, none would expect to live!" Ma Qiuqiu swallowed nervously, whispering.

Lin Xin shook his head and patted Ma Qiuqiu’s head. He then noticed a small green hair clip on her hair, which had appeared at some unknown time. It was elite and transparent, exceptionally exquisite, and looked very pretty.

His heart stirred slightly, but he comforted her, saying,

"Don’t be afraid, we’ve already started to withdraw. They shouldn’t be able to find us before they get back."

"Yes!" Ma Qiuqiu’s spirit was still somewhat restless. "Our convoy has only ever seen ordinary external and internal Martial Arts masters for many years, but regarding the Mystical Rankings, they are considered insignificant. Encountering a top Mystical Rankings master this time... Such a level of opponent... we are not able to handle..." Her little face turned a bit pale, clearly flustered.

Lin Xin sighed deeply, knowing that no words would help. He just had her sit down, poured a cup of water, and held it for her to drink.

The carriage soon started moving, the convoy’s guards urging the white oxen towards the entrance of the canyon, where much of the black wind had already dissipated. The ox carts were coated with a lot of pale green liquid which, when coming into contact with the black wind, quickly emitted a faint luminescence, seemingly forming a protective layer to block the erosion by the black wind.

One by one, the ox carts slowly entered the canyon.

Behind them, the mouth of the canyon grew farther and smaller until it gradually vanished into the snowstorm.

Ma Yuan was extremely anxious, but seeing the rest of the convoy members also unsettled, he felt he couldn’t afford to be chaotic. Struggling to suppress his emotions, he sat steadily in the first ox cart, continuously sprinkling some fine transparent powder according to earlier experiences. He also constantly identified which fork in the road ahead they should take, directing the way.

Dry white trees with gnarled branches kept sweeping past on both sides of the ox cart, as the sky dimmed. From time to time, faint and strange cries could be heard from the mountains on either side, the source of which was unknown.

After traveling several hours and turning at several junctions, the traces behind them were covered by heavy snow. Only then did Ma Yuan start to relax gradually, and the oppressive atmosphere of the entire convoy also slowly eased.

"Leader Ma, the Ancestor Tian Qing shouldn’t be able to catch up now, right?"

Someone asked in a low voice.

"Yes, once in this canyon, all traces will be destroyed by the black wind and heavy snow. Even if he wanted to pursue, he wouldn’t dare to recklessly charge into the Black Wind Canyon alone. If the black wind here gets stronger, it destroys everything," Ma Yuan reassured. "I didn’t expect that we could encounter one of the top ten from the Mystical Rankings and survive. We are indeed lucky!"

"That’s true," another leader nodded with relief. "These Mystical Rankings masters are either murderous by nature or brutally tyrannical, or even if they are well-natured, they are walking large troubles, constantly embroiled in grievances, never at peace. We ordinary people seeking a livelihood are better off not getting involved."

"Yes... but being able to see a legendary Mystical Rankings master is also quite something. In this lifetime, I can also tell others that I have seen a Mystical Rankings expert," several guards also laughed, and the mood lightened considerably.

Knowing that Ancestor Tian Qing and others were unlikely to catch up, all going after Bao Luofei who was carrying the secret treasure of the Green Fish Lamp, the team relaxed significantly. With Bao Luofei drawing attention and leading away the trouble, the convoy should have no problems this time.

Following the slow advance of the ravine, they occasionally passed by long, smooth stone walls, created by the powerful black winds.

The caravan gradually relaxed, and the ox carts communicated constantly through flag signals. Ma Yuan thought for a moment and then had the guards signal the rear.

Not long after, a bald mage in a white robe slowly emerged from the second ox cart, his neck adorned with a large string of sandalwood beads, and four or five strings of redwood beads hanging from each wrist. His waist was also encircled with a yellow amber bead belt.

The monk mage had a calm demeanor, appearing to be in his forties.

"Virtue of the Buddha. Does the benefactor Ma plan to use it now?"

"Thank you for your efforts, Mage," Ma Yuan stepped down from the first ox cart and climbed onto the other side, both stood at the front of the cart, on a flat platform that extended outwards. People from the surrounding caravan also peered over toward them, and some got off the carts intending to draw near, but they were all kept distant by Ma Yuan’s orders.

"Don’t mention it, but remember, each time that thing is used, one less remains. It’s up to you," the Mage replied as he took out a fire-red object, resembling coral, from his bosom. Then, he muttered under his breath and tossed the object outward.

Bang!

Instantly, the fire-red coral exploded, transforming into a large amount of red powder that scattered around the caravan, hanging in the air like a red fog without dispersing.

"Please go ahead, benefactor," the Mage said as he pulled out a white smiling little Buddha statue from his bosom, holding it in his hand, mumbling under his breath.

Ma Yuan watched the coral shatter, feeling somewhat heartache, but equally took out a black Buddha statue from his bosom, murmuring to himself.

This was the Black Mountain Buddha hand statue he had acquired in exchange for half a lifetime, embedded with an unknown exotic pill that could sustain a mobile, sustainable concealment and defense protective array. Only masters of internal arts could activate this array, which consumed spirit jade.

The quality of the array was not low; he had relied on it to freely traverse the Yang Path multiple times without much danger. However, the embedded spirit jade was rapidly depleting.

Fortunately, although the Black Mountain Buddha belonged to magical artifacts, it didn’t radiate any spiritual energy. Thus, it didn’t attract attacks from the strange blood beasts in the Yang Path.

The eyes of the Black Mountain Buddha gradually darkened, becoming deeper and blacker, resembling two tiny black holes through which one could see a seemingly boundless, pitch-black abyss.

Slowly, an invisible, semi-transparent film appeared around the team. Inside the membrane above, a ghostly, translucent Buddha figure, identical to the Black Mountain Buddha statue, was seated.

As soon as the membrane appeared, both the caravan and the white oxen became much more settled, feeling a clear sense of security.

Ma Yuan also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Master."

"No need for thanks," said the Monk, who was not skilled in combat but had managed only a bit of cultivation practice in Inner Qi, thus he was employed specifically to activate the Buddha statue.

Outsiders thought it was the Master’s magical powers, but only they knew that it was all thanks to the Buddha statue of Black Mountain. Additionally, it required Ma Yuan’s own prior preparations and consumption. It wasn’t so simple to set up this protective array.

"We should be safe now, even if that old ancestor Tian Qing catches up, it shouldn’t be a problem," he sighed in relief.

****************

Lin Xin sat by the table, meticulously wiping the Red Flower Sword and applying some protective oil on it. Besides the Red Flower Sword, he retained no other talisman swords; the remaining swords that were supposed to form the sword array had all been left behind in the Manor in the haste.

He only kept the most precious items, the dragon bone and the Demon Talisman Seed, secured within his armor, ensuring they were not lost. After all, these were crucial to his foundation-building and his attributes.

As he wiped the Red Flower Sword, his thoughts involuntarily drifted to the scene when Qiuqiu was still there.

Qiuqiu had already been sent back to rest in her own bullock cart, but when he had caressed her hair to comfort her, he had inadvertently noticed that green hairpin, feeling something was off about it.

The material of the hairpin did not seem like jade, yet it had the clarity of jade; it didn’t seem like crystal, yet it possessed the shimmer of crystal, and its texture was gentle and warm, akin to human skin, flawless.

Vaguely, he felt something was amiss with the hairpin, yet he couldn’t pinpoint what was strange.

With a thoughtful gaze, Lin Xin finished wiping the Red Flower Sword and sheathed it, then slowly stood up and walked to the window to look outside.

***********

In the snowy wind, a figure suddenly shot forth, using the canyon walls to propel herself. With each push, she could effortlessly fly tens of meters ahead, barely discernible from any direction in the massive snow that obscured visibility, with only a blurry sight of about ten meters ahead.

The figure wasn’t in a hurry, clenching an object emitting red light, quickly moving forward. After several turns, she climbed up toward the top of the mountain wall.

"Where might Miss Bao be heading? You’ve made it quite difficult for me to find you."

Suddenly, an old man in a white robe, thin with white flowing beard, appeared in front of her out of nowhere.

Bao Luofei’s expression changed, and she turned back once more.

Bang!

The old man appeared before her like lightning, striking down with a palm strike that seemed as heavy as Mount Tai.

His palm wasn’t large, but it seemed to cover a vast area, engulfing all possible angles for her to dodge. Bao Luofei had no escape.

"Fulong!"

Bao Luofei fought back desperately, her aura surfaced, transforming into a dragon-shaped True Qi around her, which she directed through a large cleaver towards her opponent.

The cleaver transformed into a shadow of a white dragon, fiercely colliding with the palm.

Bang bang!

An aura burst forth, forming ripples that slowly dissipated.

A tearing sound.

The old man, his hands suddenly holding a small storage bag, smiled briefly, but his expression quickly turned grim as he checked inside the bag.

"Where is the Green Fish Lamp?!"

"Did you think I would tell you?" scoffed Bao Luofei, a clear, blood-red palm imprint emerging on her neck. "This day’s vengeance will be repaid!"

Whoosh...

Above them, a huge, blood-colored vertical pupil about one meter tall slowly appeared against the dark snowy sky.

It was a Blood Beast attracted by the fluctuations of Spiritual Energy.

Bao Luofei’s body lit up with a white light, and she suddenly vanished, transforming into a white streak that shot into the sky, flying into the distance.

"Using a Light Escape Talisman here is courting death!"

Tian Qing, the old ancestor cursed but didn’t dare to act as recklessly. He leaped down towards the ground, while the owner of the blood-colored vertical pupil let out a low roar that cleared the snowy ground around them, and then swiftly faded in the distance, clearly chasing after Bao Luofei.

Tian Qing landed on the ground, his expression shifting as he quickly recalled places along the way where the Green Fish Lamp could be hidden.

"Thinking this would stop me?" he sneered, pulling out a purple cherry-like fruit from his storage bag, gently crushing it and applying it onto Bao Luofei’s storage bag.

"With this bag that once held the Green Fish Lamp, as long as the scent hasn’t faded, no matter where it is, sooner or later, I’ll be able to activate it forcefully!"

After closing his eyes for a moment, he suddenly opened them.

A gust of snowy wind blew past, and he completely vanished from the spot.