Bipo Mountain Range.
More than 10 days had passed, and the battlefield had been cleaned. Except for the mess outside the Stone Gate of a Thousand Swords, the corpses and bloodstains had more or less been cleared.
From the battle, the Heavenly Sword Sect had gained much wealth, which had temporarily been stored away. They would be given to the disciples with potential or those who had contributed greatly.
The Bipo Mountain Range had finally stabilized. The east sun rose, bathing the dancing Immortal Cranes with its warm rays. It had regained the ambience of an immortal realm once again.
However, many of the disciples found it difficult to be happy after such a pyrrhic battle. During these 10 days, many remained at the Stone Gate of a Thousand Swords, keeping a watch in the direction that Feng Xueya had left in. They did not speak, but waited in silence....
Lan Huayi was there as well. She had been injured by the Argenti Chain, but after 10 days of recuperation, and consuming many immortal medicines, she had regained some of her powers.
Beside, Lan Shuiyue and Lan Boli assisted her. After the battle, the Lan family's relationships had changed.
"Auntie, do you think he might return...." Lan Shuiyue's eyes were red. She had been listless all this while, her face pale.
Lan Huayi wanted to shake her head but did not wish to break Lan Shuiyue's heart. Instead, she replied, "Shouldn't be too much trouble. The Sect Leader went to save him."
But Lan Shuiyue shook her head. "More than 10 days have passed. If the Ninth Spirit wanted to kill him, he would already be dead."
From the side, Lan Boli sighed. "Wu Yu was an unbelievable talent of the Heavenly Sword Sect. His potential was limitless. If he dies, that would really be a waste. Judging by his initial rise, not even that place might have his equal."
Lan Huayi neither concurred nor refuted this.
Thousands of people kept watch, but their numbers dwindled as more gave in to their despair.
In the end, a few hundred people remained, perhaps simply for Feng Xueya to deliver the news. During these days, Su Yanli and the others did not dare to lift their heads. They were afraid that all they would see was bad news.
One fine morning, the sun rose again, illuminating figures in the far distance. Somebody shouted, and everyone gathered. The sunlight was particularly intense from that direction, and they could not see clearly how many beams of sword light there were!
In a flash, the sword light reached them!
In the lead was a handsome middle-aged man, noble and composed, with gravitas. And behind him, a youth using the Art of Sword Flight. His presence was strong, his eyes sharp. He descended like the sun, stepping before their gazes. Everyone was stunned by Wu Yu's return.
Seeing so many await his return, Wu Yu deeply understood that the fight to protect his sect had been worth it.
Many were crying.
Many were cheering.
When they landed, a crowd rushed up to hug him, as though trying to squeeze Wu Yu to death.
"You did it, you bastard!"
"You actually survived even that!"
Everyone was delirious with joy. The news of Wu Yu's safe return spread like wildfire through the Bipo Mountain Range. It finally heralded the end of the four-way battle.
"Sect Leader, where is the Ninth Spirit?" As the disciples hugged and celebrated, Lan Huayi came to stand beside Feng Xueya.
She was in disbelief, and still suspicious.
Feng Xueya gestured towards Wu Yu. "Killed by him. Of course, I didn't dare to believe it myself.... But that's how it is."
Hearing this news, Lan Huayi's shock surpassed even Feng Xueya's own. After all, she had lost to the Ninth Spirit. She reeled for a long time, and finally said, "I feel that this small pond is no longer suitable ground for the big fish that is Wu Yu. We should send him to the ocean and let him feel the waves. It is time to let him swim free."
"So you feel this way as well?" Feng Xueya looked at Wu Yu in the middle of the crowd.
"It's a simple matter. Send word of this defense of the sect, as well as Wu Yu's contributions to the 'Immortal Sect.' Those there will definitely understand that he is no ordinary talent."
Feng Xueya was surprised. "You mean, send him to the 'Immortal Sect?'" That place affected Feng Xueya deeply; a love-hate relationship.
Lan Huayi said, "His future potential cannot be measured. Would we keep such a treasure from the 'Immortal Sect,' and cheapen his power?"
Feng Xueya considered this long and hard, then sighed. "You are right. But waters run deep in the sect, and things are more complicated than they seem. I am worried he will cross the wrong person...."
After all, there would be no one to protect him once he left this place.
Lan Huayi said, "You should know that such a jewel only shines under the most extreme of pressures. If you keep him in a greenhouse, that would be a waste of his talent."
Finally, Feng Xueya said, "I have to discuss this with him. He has just escaped danger and has won a reprieve. Let him rest for a while."
Wu Yu had no idea what the "Immortal Sect" they were talking about was, or where it was....
In this battle, the Zhongyuan Dao Sect had been permanently crippled. The demons were left headless without leadership, and would find it difficult to gather again. The Heavenly Sword Sect became the only bountiful presence in the area. And with the bonanza of spiritual qi that welled within the Bipo Mountain Range, their strength would definitely triple in the next few decades!
Feng Xueya had given all of the Scarlet Sea's Seven Ghosts' and the Ninth Spirit's items to Wu Yu. After all, they were his by right.
Amongst them were thousands of spirit concentration pills, but besides using them as currency, Wu Yu had no further need of them.
Besides spirit concentration pills, there were other immortal medicines. The Ninth Spirit had Dan Fire, which could refine immortal medicines. There were many, like the Restoration Origin Pill, and also some antidotes.
Besides these, there were also eight Golden Essence Pills, which were a golden immortal medicine about the size of a thumb. They contained tremendous amounts of spiritual qi and were refined from immortal essences that had many spiritual marks on them. The price of each golden essence pill was worth thousands of spirit concentration pills. However, these pills were only effective after one entered the Jindan Dao Realm.
Wu Yu was still condensing qi. Before he reached Jindan, he could not use the golden essence pills.
There were also various immortal essences with spiritual marks, many that Wu Yu could not even name. In the future, if he attained Jindan, he could begin to learn how to refine immortal medicines.
There was a motley collection of talismans. But it was not the Ninth Spirit's forte, and they were of ordinary power; if they had been special, she would already have used them.
The most useful thing among them was the spiritual immortal treasure Argenti Chain.
The Argenti Chain had a Dizziness Spirit Design, a Psychedelic Spirit Design, a Shapechange Spirit Design, and a Martial Spirit Design. It was of a rare quality; each spirit design was powerful and had some sentience. They were much more powerful than normal spirit designs. It was a prized weapon, and Wu Yu's first act was to learn the Drop-of-blood Curse from Feng Xueya. He removed the Ninth Spirit's blood mark from the Argenti Chain and then left his own. After this was successfully done, he thoroughly controlled the Argenti Chain. The Argenti Chain was clearly a spiritual immortal treasure, but it was linked to Wu Yu by bloodline.
"The Drop-of-blood Curse is a contractual dao technique. You cannot control too many spiritual immortal treasures at the same time, or the immortal treasures will clash. Normally, five is the limit, and two or three is optimal." That had been Feng Xueya's advice to Wu Yu.
Given Wu Yu's current level, one spiritual immortal treasure was basically the limit.
After taking hold of the Argenti Chain, Wu Yu's ability grew greatly. Although they had not crossed swords, he was already extremely close to Feng Xueya and Lan Huayi.
In the remaining time, the Heavenly Sword Sect had recovered completely, and even flourished. The disciples had been galvanized, their will soaring. The entire Bipo Mountain Range was in high spirits as they grew in strength from day to day.
Wu Yu did not think too far. He continued to train himself daily. After the battle with the Ninth Spirit, he had lost all sense of security. Only his continued growth could reassure him.
When he looked forward, the road to immortalhood stretched out endlessly before him.
After thoroughly mastering the Argenti Chain, he was summoned by Feng Xueya one day. He brought Wu Yu into the Valley of Immortal Fate. Right now, no one came to the Valley of Immortal Fate. In here, Wu Yu could feel some significant blood stench through the mist, and was even circled by an aura.
"Inside is...?" Wu Yu had roughly guessed what Feng Xueya had left there.
"That's right, it's the Paranormal Pillar of Blood."
In a flash, the two arrived at the Lake of Jade, which was now blood-red. Above the lake, a tiny staff of half a chi in length floated like a brush. One could see the fine scales and lines of blood, forming a ghastly face. It was horrifying.
Seeing the Paranormal Pillar of Blood, Wu Yu recalled his own battle with Tian Yijun. The memory of the ghosts invading his body had been frightening. In terms of killing power, the Paranormal Pillar of Blood was much stronger than the Argenti Chain.
"A ghostly cultivator's immortal treasure, which he brought with him. It has seen too many sacrifices and is extremely tainted. I was intending to purge it, but I realized that I could not purge this spiritual immortal treasure. That was why I left it alone," Feng Xueya said as he circled around the Paranormal Pillar of Blood.
He continued, "I have to say that I was a little unwilling to do it. As an uncommon spiritual immortal treasure, only martial cultivators above the Jindan Dao Realm - say, those of the Violet Kingdom of the Inner Sea Realm - can forge such a thing. And for this Paranormal Pillar of Blood, perhaps even ordinary Violet Kingdom of the Inner Sea Realm cultivators could not have created it. Although this spiritual immortal treasure is a violent thing, it is still a valuable treasure."
Wu Yu knew that ascending past the Jindan Dao Realm did not mean that one had reached immortalhood. There was still the Violet Kingdom of the Inner Sea Realm, which was said to be a terrifying existence that had godlike powers over nature itself. At least within this area, they did not exist. At that level, one's spiritual power was as vast as the sea. One was virtually a real god.
The Dong Sheng Divine Continent was a vast place, and the Heavenly Sword Sect was simply a little, modest puddle. Only passing through the Sky Region Forest could they come into contact with the elite sects.
"A long time ago, the Federation of Martial Cultivators banned us from using the immortal treasures of ghostly cultivators. Once we did, we would be subject to the sect's judgment. But as time passed, and the ghostly cultivators moved to the East Sea, the clashes between both sides lessened and the notion weakened. And now, as long as you do not forge such poisonous weapons, no one will bother you about its power. That is why I feel like you can try this Paranormal Pillar of Blood. After all, your Demon Subduing Staff is just too weak for your current level."