Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 457 - 406: The Autumn Breeze Doesn’t Stir, Creating a Diversion by Making Noise in the East and Striking in the West

Chapter 457: Chapter 406: The Autumn Breeze Doesn’t Stir, Creating a Diversion by Making Noise in the East and Striking in the West

"Was it your arrangement?"

"Yes, as the news of Senior Brother slaying the [Heavenly Sword King Chengtian] at Pinghu came with the letter, and moreover, the news that the Demonic Barbarians were about to invade was also mentioned. At that time, I felt something was off.

Those are Demonic Barbarians, extremely cunning and brutal Demonic Barbarians, they are actually people, not demons. Could there be a possibility that they won’t rigidly follow downstream along the River, but instead might try some tricks?"

Zhou Ping’an looked at Lin Huaiyu curiously, his heart filled with astonishment.

His soul seemed to have grown to some critical point, and after stepping over it, his spiritual power extended to a distance of five hundred meters.

At the same time, his innate crisis perception ability had also strengthened significantly.

At this moment, as he looked around, especially towards the vast eastern forests, he felt gloomy as if something bad was about to happen.

Despite his enhanced vision, he couldn’t discern anything amiss.

But through his mental induction, he sensed an obscure flow of Qi there, a slight hint of evil Qi blending with the breeze over the fields, imprinting into his soul.

Indeed, in the forests, enemies might already be secretly watching, with malice well-concealed.

If careless, these enemies could kill their way into the plains and surge into the town.

He could detect this sign only because of a sudden mystical perception.

But then, how did the Third Miss receive such a premonitory warning?

He considered a possibility.

"Take my move."

Zhou Ping’an suddenly said, and as the words left his mouth, his palm turned into a blade, slashing out hazily. He controlled his strength to match Lin Huaiyu’s, but his Palm Blade shifted instantaneously and was extremely fast and incredibly cunning.

Lin Huaiyu was dazzled by his Palm Blade, and for a while, she felt as if there were blade shadows of the Palm Blade everywhere in front of her, with constant, unpredictable changes between reality and illusion, containing various subtleties of shaking, penetrating, rotating, and engulfing forces.

"Good coming."

Lin Huaiyu’s eyes lit up, and reflexively, she too executed a Palm Blade strike.

Both of their palms turned into sharp long blades in that moment, clashing with a ringing sound for nine blows, with power exerted and then immediately retracted...

Lin Huaiyu defended against nine moves without letting any strike be in vain.

"Clarity of heart and mind, intention leading the blade..."

Zhou Ping’an blinked as he watched the delicate Third Miss, finding himself suddenly with little interest in speaking.

He had been running around, enduring two Demon Subduing Trial Illusionary Realms to reach the Subtle Second Realm, and Lin Huaiyu had already achieved it.

Although the primary reason was because of his "Dual Divine Intention Cultivation," the fact that she understood it so quickly still left Zhou Ping’an somewhat incredulous.

’After the battle of heaven, everyone said my talent was stunning, a rarity of a century. What kind of talent does the Third Miss have then? No, it’s not just talent; it’s like she’s cheating.’

Zhou Ping’an secretly scoffed.

After reaching the subtle intricacies of "Heart-mind Clarity," one could say that aside from Uncle Yu Changsheng, within their own faction, Lin Huaiyu had once again become the second strongest.

Even Yu Changlie, if he really fought her, would have little chance of winning.

Most importantly, from now on, Lin Huaiyu could truly hold her own, foresee enemy intentions, possessing clear and penetrating insight, always acting preemptively.

Simply put, she would no longer be caught off guard by surprise attacks.

Thus, she also had the ability to see through the enemy’s moves, whether physical or not, whether concealed or overt.

Just like the potential enemies in the forest.

The moment they had an intention on their side, it was already perceived here, taking pre-emptive measures.

To put it dramatically, before the autumn wind even stirs, the cicada senses it.

It was just that outrageous.

"There’s no time like the present, so why don’t we forget about returning for now and wipe out this morning’s meal first before discussing what follows?"

The transformation of his soul, a great increase in spiritual power.

Zhou Ping’an believed his control over his body’s strength and Gang Qi was much more delicate, and his combat power had grown rapidly without notice.

And Lin Huaiyu had also made rapid progress in a short time.

At this point, there was no need for him to maintain a defensive stance.

In some cases, offense was actually the best defense.

"Good, who can rest peacefully by the side of the couch?"

Since her cultivation had greatly advanced, Lin Huaiyu had not yet genuinely fought a life-and-death battle with an enemy and was now eager to try.

She stretched out her arm, and once Zhou Ping’an took hold of it, she immediately gathered her Qi for lightness, and as the light flickered around them amidst the howling wind and bursting air, they both shot rapidly into the forest.

...

"How much time has passed this time?"

In Guangyun City, in the rear courtyard of the County Yamen, a luxurious underground palace appeared after directly ascending the stairs and following the winding ninety-nine steps.

The underground palace wasn’t too spacious.

But its architecture and furnishings were extremely luxurious.

Rails of white jade, steps of green jade, draping silk, rows of armor standing at attention.

Deep within the building, the sounds of stringed and wind musical instruments occasionally drifted through the air.

Cui Guangling simply walked to the entrance of the inner hall and did not proceed any further. He bowed his head and reported, "To answer the Elder, this time the rain of golden threads lasted for a full half hour."

"Good, very good. After the second Spirit Tide passes and the world returns to normal, before long, we too can act freely once again, no longer needing to confine ourselves to boundaries and hide deep underground."

A middle-aged man in a red robe with an eerily pallid complexion sat quietly on a wide golden chair. Casually discarding the woman’s body in his hand, he wiped away a bright trace of blood from his lips, closed his eyes to feel his surroundings for a moment, then spoke, "Guangling, of late, you have not been very diligent in your work. The quality of blood food you’ve been bringing is getting more and more diluted..."

"Please excuse me, Elder. Recently, I do not know where the rumors started, but quite a few significant households have moved away. To find a girl of this quality is actually quite difficult. If the Elder is not fully satisfied, I have already rounded up an equal number of male and female children to perform a blood sacrifice."

"Let it be so. The matter of the blood sacrifice should not be neglected. You know, everything you do is seen by Slave Xiang; you cannot hide anything from me. If you have thoughts of treachery, I will make sure that you wish you were dead."

The evil-looking middle-aged man’s eyes blazed with blood, and he gave a cold snort.

Cui Guangling, as if hit by lightning, collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing.

One of his heads became grotesquely red and swollen, while his body twisted like a corkscrew. His blood seeped out like venomous snakes, viciously biting into his flesh, causing his body to alternately stretch like a rope and then bunch up like a ball.

Amidst the cracking sounds of muscles and bones, only Cui Guangling’s screams could be heard from the depths of the Underground Palace.

"Elder, please have mercy! I will devote myself entirely to assist the Elder in restoring his cultivation and will henceforth dominate the world."

Even as he was wracked with pain to the depths of his soul and his blood and flesh were being torn and reconstituted, Cui Guangling remained respectful and uttered not a word of complaint.

"Good that you know. I made you, and I can destroy you just as easily. You must not have thoughts that you shouldn’t have."

The man in the red robe narrowed his blood-shot eyes and stared intently at Cui Guangling for a long time before stopping the punishment.

"Elder should know that the girl chosen this time failed to impress because Zhou Ping’an has taken control of the Three Counties of Liyou. This man comes from a rural mountain family and has a way with winning people over, so many people from the county have fled to him."

"Moreover, the previous batches of children have been intercepted by his people. Even Chen Dazhong, the chief steward of my household, has been killed by this man. I really have the will but lack the means. Please, Elder, grant me a treasure that can help me sever the head of this scoundrel..."

"Zhou Ping’an? You can’t handle him either?"

The middle-aged man in the red robe seemed a bit perplexed.

The Spiritual Mechanism has not fully awakened, and those in the True Martial Realm wouldn’t be hasty to appear; otherwise, without the use of Form Refining Techniques and the attraction of Heaven and Earth’s Divine Opportunity, it is very likely they could capsize in the ditch under such conditions.

Under these circumstances, Cui Guangling, in theory, should have cultivated a Blood God, and even if he encountered the Elder of a major Sect, he should be able to suppress them easily. Why then would he fear an upstart from the rural mountains?

In his view, Cui Guangling was a man who feared death and was also very crafty.

Such a crafty person should understand that it’s useless to wrestle with a power that could not be overcome.

Nor would he risk acting recklessly.

Therefore, if he did not act, not being fully confident, it could be considered reasonable.

In fact, his life was in his own hands.

He wasn’t worried about Cui Guangling lying to him.

After some thought, he turned and ordered, "Qiu Ling, Bi’e, you two go on this mission, take the Blood Transformation Sword and the Ten Thousand Souls Banner. As long as it’s not a Form Refining Technique, even if you face so-called Grandmasters, you can easily execute them. Bring me Zhou Ping’an’s head to avoid delaying my important affairs..."

Thinking of the arrival of the second Spirit Tide, and its duration of half an hour, a sense of urgency rose slightly in the heart of the man in the red robe.

Immediately, he dispatched the two concubines that were by his side.

"Elder can rest assured and recover, I shall return shortly."

Two red-dressed women, whose bodies writhed like snakes, clung to the man in the red robe a while longer before one took the sword and the other the banner, and floated out of the Underground Palace.

Cui Guangling pretended he didn’t exist from beginning to end. He did not even lift his head to glance at them and quietly waited.

Not until the women were far away, and he heard a voice say, "Roll out,"

Only then did he leave the Underground Palace like a person pardoned from death, with a forehead full of cold sweat.

Emerging into the garden, he pushed a mechanism and sealed the gates.

Only then did a smile flicker across Cui Guangling’s lips.

"It’s almost time, I have finally waited for this day. Guangyun County is mine, Jiangzhou and Yunzhou are also mine. Old Man Wu, heh heh, you will never know what happened."

After inwardly swearing for a while,

Cui Guangling calmed his emotions and, with a gentle smile on his face, proceeded to the bedroom.

There, his wife, Lady Wu, also known as "Slave Xiang", was waiting for him...

...

"Heaven helps me, too."

Three hundred ships entered the River.

Amidst the fierce roars of numerous strong men covered in tattoos, Longmu Camp Master Ba Longmu, with eyes as cold as ice, waved his hand to order their departure.

The war drums thundered.

The roaring sound was like thousands of thunders striking at the same time.

Below the water surface, ripples spread for ten li, and from the sky above, those with keen sight could see many water monsters seemingly leading the way.

"Stepfather, now that the Spirit Tide has risen again, the strength of our men has increased. It is indeed an opportunity for a swift conquest. However, according to my investigations, Zhou Ping’an is not an easy opponent to defeat. With the support from Cloud Water Sect Elder Yu Changsheng, it will not be easy to capture him. Perhaps, we should request the presence of the Demon Chief to take charge..."

On the main deck of the Central Army’s ironwood ship, a tall and burly young man, careful with his words, spoke.

"Silence, Heishui, you must know that the Demon Chief acts according to his own will, whether he chooses to intervene is not for us to discuss. If we need his excellency to personally deal with a mere Zhou Ping’an, then we would be utterly incompetent."

Saying this, the Longmu Camp Master smirked eerily, "Everyone thinks that the people of Southern Marsh’s Thousand Pools are single-minded and inflexible, even referring to us as Demonic Barbarians. Do you know what the ’barbarian’ implies, Heishui? Hmph, this time, let this so-called ’barbarian’ teach them a lesson about the tactic of feinting one direction and attacking another..."

...

Requesting a Monthly Pass.