Jiang Liu had grand ambitions and was naturally generous, taking out two magical artifacts: a golden halberd and a command flag.
With a casual wave of Jiang Liu's hand, the long golden halberd unleashed a barrage of sharp, overwhelming shadows. Meanwhile, the command flag, covered in wind and fire runes, unfurled to reveal a swirling purple flame within, an eerie and mysterious sight.
"I need the two of you to unify the demon realm! At the very least, I need to find out the exact number and location of all the demons in the world... I will come to find you when the time is right!"
"Yes!" Xiao Yi gripped the golden spear, feeling its power, and was immediately filled with boundless ambition.
For Xiaowei's sake, and for my own, what does it matter if I slaughter my way through the entire demon realm?
This golden halberd and command flag were magical artifacts obtained from the Dragon's Tomb in "Yang Shen," and were hardly valuable to Jiang Liu at his current level. Watching the two demons leave, Jiang Liu did not head towards the direction where Yan Chixia and Xiahou Jianke were locked in combat.
Instead, he sat cross-legged in Lanruo Temple, his hands pointing like swords. In an instant, the five sword pellets that had not been used for a long time burst forth simultaneously. The energies of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—surged forth and merged together to form three hundred and sixty sword energies. The sword energies instantly materialized, each sword several feet long, with lifelike and vivid sword edges, spines, hilts, and blades.
Five Elements Sword Dao Divine Power!
With Jiang Liu's current cultivation level, his sword intent condenses, unleashing three hundred swords in a single thought, capable of shaking heaven and earth.
The sky was filled with flying swords, cold and gleaming, awe-inspiring and chilling. The enormous, sharp swords were all formed from condensed sword energy and had become physical entities.
The fiercely fighting Yan Chixia and Xiahou the swordsman immediately stopped, staring in shock at the sword formation in the sky. These swords were very clear, each with two sides. One side depicted mountains and rivers, while the other side featured bird-shaped characters. The hilt was shaped like a beast's head, neither quite a dragon nor a qilin. The concentrated intent on the sword reminded Yan Chixia of the sacred swords forged by ancient sages.
"A sword immortal?! The majestic sword intent of the holy path, excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"
Yan Chixia uttered three "good"s, his eyes wide with utter admiration. He too practiced swordsmanship and knew that many ancient sages recorded in ancient texts carried swords of this design. These ancient sages, overcoming countless obstacles, forged their hearts with unwavering resolve, tempering their divine will with sharp swords, battling against endless beasts and demons to carve out a space for humankind to survive. This will is the path of the saints.
The Way of the Sword, the Way of the Five Elements, the Way of the Sage!
"Big Beard, this...this...we're not even worthy of arguing about who's the greatest swordsman in the world! We're not even fit to carry someone else's shoes!"
Three hundred and sixty sage swords left an indelible mark on the night sky.
Yan Chixia immediately sheathed his sword, leaped away, and said, "Let's go! The senior is powerful enough to exorcise demons, let's go and pay our respects! Xiahou, your sword has gone to extremes and is about to go mad. If you can get guidance from the senior, you will surely improve... This is a divine opportunity! I never thought that I, Yan Chixia, would encounter a sword immortal again in my life!"
Chapter 382 Guidance 1
"senior!"
Although Jiang Liu looked far too young, Yan Chixia's address was genuinely sincere. In cultivation, those who had achieved mastery naturally came first. The ability to control swords in formation, with hundreds of holy swords crisscrossing the sky, was a phenomenal and supernatural power worthy of Yan Chixia's respect.
More importantly, the sword intent released by Jiang Liu was that of a glorious holy path; even the sword itself was a holy sword forged by ancient sages, one side depicting mountains and rivers, the other adorned with bird-shaped characters. How could such a sword belong to someone of the evil path? Yan Chixia was absolutely certain that he was a righteous sword immortal.
As they leaped in, they were greeted by a scene of utter chaos from the battle. Although the battle between Zhong Kui and the Locust Tree Demon was concealed by the river, the traces of the battle were still clearly visible to Yan Chixia and the Xiahou Swordsman who followed.
The giant locust tree, ravaged by lightning and fire, still stands in Lanruo Temple, but its thick trunk is hollow, its demonic heart ripped out by Jiang Liu, and most of its branches are burned away.
The bones scattered on the ground looked even paler in the firelight.
"Just how many people has this old demon eaten?!" Yan Chixia had lived in Lanruo Temple for over a year and had fought countless times with Granny Huaimu, but he was still no match for her. Now, seeing the white bones scattered all over the ground, he secretly cursed his own lack of strength.
Jiang Liu saw that Yan Chixia had already arrived and had already withdrawn the sword formation. The five pills floated in the air, emitting sword light and each emitting a different color of light.
The fire sword was pure white, emitting a dazzling white light, like a small sun, but within that white light were many flame-shaped runes, making it appear extremely mysterious.
The golden sword was dazzling, its flashing light like countless fine needles that pierced the eyes, making even a single glance painful!
The wooden sword was verdant and full of life, resembling a blue lotus.
The water sword condensed into ice, within which tiny runes faintly flowed, yet it was a scripture composed of countless ice-like fragments.
The earthen sword was as heavy as a mountain, resembling a mountain of swords.
Jiang Liu raised his hand, and five sword pellets filed into his sleeve and disappeared.
Such a strange phenomenon truly filled the newcomers with awe. Yan Chixia was somewhat better off, after all, he had received the inheritance of the Sword Immortal and knew the ultimate swordsmanship, enough to fly through the sky and escape into the earth, kill people from thousands of miles away, form swords into balls and swallow them into his stomach, and spit out boundless sword light with a single breath.
However, Xiahou the swordsman's knowledge was far inferior; his expression was one of surprise and disbelief, as if he were in a dream.
"Swordsman Yan Chixia pays his respects to Senior. Senior's slaying of the Old Demon Huaimu is truly a blessing for Guobei County and for the human race!" Yan Chixia was well aware of Old Demon Huaimu's strength. He had fought her countless times but had been helpless against her. He never expected that she would die tragically on the spot today, her body and soul extinguished.
Looking at Jiang Liu, after fighting such a terrifying demon, his body was spotless, and his robes fluttered in the night wind. He was truly a god!
First impressions are very important. In Yan Chixia's eyes, Jiang Liu was already a sword immortal who vanquished demons and monsters and took it upon himself to uphold humanity. He was truly a role model for us all!
A sword immortal, wielding a divine sword that soars into the heavens and descends to the deepest hell, his fate determined by his own will, not by the heavens. He can uphold justice, slay demons and monsters, and roam the world freely, his sword capable of traversing thousands of miles.
Yan Chixia felt that all he needed now was a pot of wine, so he could sing to the moon.
"Exorcising demons in chaotic times is the duty of us Qi cultivators. Fortunately, this wood demon is not yet powerful enough. If it were that Black Mountain Demon, we would have a real headache!"
"The Black Mountain Demon?"
Yan Chixia had heard of this name before, but didn't know much about it. Now, hearing the Sword Immortal mention it again, he figured it must be an old demon who wreaked havoc on the mortal world.
"My name is Jiang Liu. I can see that you are also a cultivator, but it seems that your skills are not yet proficient!" Jiang Liu said very frankly, just like an elder pointing out to a junior that his skills are not yet proficient.
"Senior is right!" Yan Chixia was naturally forthright, his face covered with a large beard, and it was impossible to tell whether he was blushing or not.
"You're a pure swordsman, but with demons roaming freely, your sword alone won't suffice!" Jiang Liu turned his head, glanced at the swordsman beside him, and said. This person was none other than Xiahou the swordsman who, in the movie "A Chinese Ghost Story," made a minor appearance and was killed by the tree spirit Granny of Lanruo Temple.
To be fair, Xiahou the Swordsman was quite strong, no less so than Zuo Qianhu before him. However, Zuo Qianhu had now become a follower of the Azure Emperor, and even Yan Chixia was no match for him now. His ambition to defeat Yan Chixia and become the greatest swordsman in the world shows that Yan Chixia was indeed the greatest swordsman in the world of Liaozhai. In the original story, Xiahou was actually only slightly inferior to Yan Chixia in sword fighting. Unfortunately, he was ultimately just a swordsman, lacking the ability to subdue demons and monsters. Furthermore, he was bewitched by a female ghost, leading to his easy death at the hands of Lanruo's tree spirit.
"With a sword in my hand, demons cannot get close to me!" Xiahou the swordsman's expression tightened, and he placed his hand on the scabbard. He had practiced swordsmanship all his life, and his lifelong faith was in the sword in his hand.
Jiang Liu shook his head, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He took out three jars of wine, broke the mud seal, and a fragrant aroma of wine wafted out.
"To vanquish a great demon, one should raise a great cup of wine..."
One of them threw down a jar, then looked at Yan Chixia and said, "...Big Beard, judging from your appearance, you must be a self-taught swordsman! Would you be willing to learn swordsmanship from me, uphold humanity, pacify the world, and restore a bright and clear world to humanity!"
"Senior, you may not know this, but when I received the immortal sword inheritance from the nameless senior, I became his disciple. Once a disciple, always a disciple..." Yan Chixia politely declined, which surprised Xiahou greatly.
“I’m not going to take you on as a disciple just to teach you swordsmanship. It would be such a waste if your talent stopped here. You will come with me to subdue demons, and I will guide you. If another sword immortal emerges in the world, it will be a blessing for the common people!” Jiang Liu took a sip of wine and looked at Xiahou, saying, “You are too competitive, too violent, and even more obsessed with fame and fortune. Your swordsmanship is fast but inaccurate, and you will hardly achieve anything in the path of immortal swordsmanship. I will show you a clear path: go to the capital, and you will surely gain something.”
Xiahou's sword was swift, but his heart lacked resolve. Lacking in Dao heart and with limited talent, Jiang Liu naturally wouldn't bother with him. However, he was ultimately just a supporting character; letting the Azure Emperor take him in would suffice.
"Senior, please have pity on Xiahou's sincere heart in practicing swordsmanship and offer some guidance!"
"Alright, demonstrate your swordsmanship once!" Jiang Liu said.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The sword flashed, the strike as swift as lightning. After completing a set of sword techniques, Jiang Liu pointed out a few points. With his mastery of swordsmanship, his guidance to Xiahou was effortless and exquisite.
"Go to the capital, trust me!"
"Thank you for your guidance, senior!" Xiahou felt that the few casual modifications to the angle and force of his sword were truly ingenious. Seeing that Jiang Liu had no interest in him, he could only leave dejectedly.
Yan Chixia had finished a jar of wine and was slightly drunk. Seeing that Xiahou's wine was still there, he broke the mud seal and took a big gulp. Then he slapped the sword box, and the Xuanyuan Divine Sword pierced the sky in the moonlight.
"Senior, please give me some pointers!"
Chapter 383 The Boundary Between Yin and Yang
Riding the wind on a sword, I vanquish demons across the land!
Yan Chixia has not yet fully grasped the methods of the Sword Immortal. The Xuanyuan Divine Sword is indeed a powerful weapon for subduing demons, but he is still far from being able to fly on the sword and take a person's head from a hundred paces away.
However, while his swordsmanship was not yet perfect, his Taoist magic was quite proficient. He bit his index finger and used his blood essence to quickly draw a Tai Chi symbol on his palm.
"Prajnaparamita, the universe is boundless, and the law of heaven and earth is borrowed!"
As the Tai Chi symbol appeared in his palm, Yan Chixia uttered a low shout. As soon as he finished speaking, a terrifying magical power emanated from his body. This move allowed him to borrow the magical power of heaven and earth for his own use.
With a single strike, he could shatter stone tablets and split rocks with ease. Furthermore, by borrowing the power of heaven and earth, he could even kill ghosts and monsters.
Jiang Liu's goal is to devour the Heavenly Dao of the Liaozhai world, not to destroy it. In Jiang Liu's plan, after successfully devouring the Heavenly Dao, he will completely control this world and become its ruler. With the Azure Emperor's abilities, this world will undoubtedly be perfectly developed, with its people living in peace and prosperity, enjoying abundant food and clothing, while also collecting faith along the way.
If managed properly, it will continuously provide faith for the Azure Emperor, contributing to his cultivation and ascension to godhood.
For the people of the Liaozhai world, isn't this a kind of liberation? Rather than struggling in vain, it would be better for Jiang Liu to end all of this and usher in a golden age.
To end all this and usher in a golden age, these chosen ones are indispensable.
With the assistance of these chosen ones of great fortune, we can achieve twice the results with half the effort.
Jiang Liu gave him some careful guidance, even sharing his knowledge of primordial spirit cultivation. Of course, Jiang Liu also left a little trick: one should not have the heart to harm others, but one should not be without the heart to guard against others.
The most important thing is to devour the Heavenly Dao; the collection of the Azure Emperor's faith can only take a backseat.
“Brother Yan, I am preparing to eliminate the Black Mountain Demon! There are so many ghosts in the mortal world because the underworld collapsed and the City of the Wrongfully Dead was occupied by the Black Mountain Demon, allowing the wrongfully dead to come and go freely between the underworld and the mortal world. I have secretly cultivated a Ghost King. If the Black Mountain Demon is eliminated, I can transform into Yama, rule the underworld, control the ghosts in the mortal world, and separate Yin and Yang.”
Yan Chixia, pressing his hand on the sword case, said, "So you were prepared all along. If there's anything you need from me, please don't hesitate to ask!"
"Alright, come with me to the City of the Wrongfully Dead and slay the Black Mountain Demon!"
The City of the Wrongfully Dead is the place where the ghosts of those who died unjustly reside in the underworld. In the world of Journey to the West, it is an underworld city created by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva to house the souls of those who died unjustly, similar in nature to a prison for criminals in the mortal world. This world of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, though lacking a figure of great supernatural power like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, also has a City of the Wrongfully Dead, created by the Heavenly Dao.
A wrongful death refers to a death that is not a natural death, but rather a death caused by suicide, disaster, war, accident, murder, or other reasons, in which the person dies unjustly.
Those who die unjustly are gathered in the City of the Unjustly Dead and imprisoned until their predetermined lifespan ends. For example, if someone is destined to die at the age of ninety but dies prematurely at the age of forty, they will be gathered in the City of the Unjustly Dead and imprisoned until they are ninety years old.
During this period, the souls imprisoned in the City of the Wrongfully Dead can live like people in the mortal world, and can even climb the city walls to observe whether those who murdered them have received their due retribution. However, their personal freedom is strictly controlled; they cannot receive the paper money and offerings burned for them by their living relatives, nor can they return to the mortal world to receive offerings from their living relatives during the Ghost Festival, like other souls.
Therefore, the City of the Wrongfully Dead is full of vengeful ghosts.
But now, the City of the Dead has been occupied by the Black Mountain Demon, and has become a major threat.
To kill the Black Mountain Demon, one must naturally enter the underworld. Jiang Liu first summoned Zhong Kui and Nie Xiaoqian. One was unshaven, his beard as thick as Yan Chixia's, but even uglier. The other was as beautiful as a fairy, with a pure yet innate allure.
Zhong Kui was looking at Yan Chixia, and Yan Chixia was also sizing up Zhong Kui. The man and the ghost stared at each other, wide-eyed.
"As expected of someone worthy of becoming Yama, he possesses a righteous spirit!" Yan Chixia said.
"Yama? I am Zhong Kui! This is the Ghost King Nie Xiaoqian..."
Yan Chixia turned his head and was slightly surprised, clearly recognizing Xiaoqian.
"Big Beard, we meet again!"
"It's you?! You female ghost are really lucky to have such good fortune..." Yan Chixia wasn't very curious about Nie Xiaoqian's ability to reach the Ghost King level in such a short time. He had already witnessed Jiang Liu's supernatural powers during the few days he spent with him.
The river cleaved through the gap between yin and yang, leading the group into it. In an instant, the scenery between heaven and earth dimmed, and objects seen by the eyes appeared only in black and white.
It seems that only these two colors remain in the world.
Jiang Liu stood in the dim light between heaven and earth, without any sound or warmth. This was no longer the world of the living, but rather he had entered some unknown space.
This is the world of the soul, the intermediate state after a person dies when their soul leaves their body.
The intermediate state (bardo) is the place where the soul resides after death, before it leaves the body and enters the cycle of reincarnation. Everything in the mortal world seems like a reflection in a mirror—visible but intangible.