Ling Tian Sword God

WHOOSH!

No one answered the Shadow Demon. Suddenly, a golden beam of light shot out from the vortex. In the blink of an eye, the beam penetrated layer after layer of seals as easily as poking through sheets of window paper.

The beam cut through the dense black mist, directly striking the Shadow Demon within.

”No!”

A scream tore from its mouth as its body was pierced by a large hole. Wherever the golden light touched, the Shadow Demon’s body disintegrated inch by inch, evaporated, and vanished into nothingness.

In an instant, the Shadow Demon was utterly slain, without a shred of doubt.

「At that moment, in the outside world,」

Xu Ruoyan’s body was on the verge of plummeting off the cliff and smashing onto the ground below.

Just then, a golden sphere of light suddenly surged forth, enveloping her body. It enclosed Xu Ruoyan like a bubble and, in a bizarre manner, hovered motionlessly in mid-air. Though only a breath away from falling, she never touched the ground.

Suddenly, the golden light flared intensely, generating a powerful repulsive force that abruptly thrust Xu Ruoyan’s body skyward.

Simultaneously, an incomparably dazzling pillar of Energy erupted from Xu Ruoyan, shooting straight into the heavens and tearing a massive vortex in the sky above.

It was as if the sky had been ripped open. Heavenly Earth Energy poured in through the breach, coalescing into vibrant, multicolored flowers that rained down.

For a moment, a shower of flowers rained down, a myriad of colors displayed, and an astounding heaven-earth spectacle appeared.

For a hundred li around, everyone could witness this transformation of heaven and earth.

「At this time, dozens of li away,」

A black-clothed elder, seated cross-legged on a Black Greatsword and executing Flight of the Sword, suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze was like a torch, revealing a hidden, sharp brilliance as he looked at the heaven-earth spectacle of the shower of flowers dozens of li away. His expression quickly turned to shock.

Could it be... some great personage asleep here is awakening?

A shower of flowers—this was a baptism that occurred to welcome the birth of some great personage. Of course, those capable of causing such a phenomenon were truly great personages, Martial Arts titans on the Tianyuan Continent.

In such a Desolate Land, it’s highly unlikely for such beings to be born. It must be the will of some great personage, awakened.

This possibility is the strongest.

At this thought, the black-clothed elder immediately raised his hand and slapped the Black Greatsword. Vast True Qi poured into it, and the Black Greatsword abruptly accelerated, shooting towards the location where the heaven-earth spectacle had occurred.

The black-clothed elder’s speed with Flight of the Sword was incredible. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, he arrived at the cliff where Xu Ruoyan lay. However, by the time he reached her, the light surrounding Xu Ruoyan had long since completely dissipated, leaving only what appeared to be a lifeless body sprawled on the clifftop.

Was the spectacle just now caused by this girl?

The black-clothed elder saw no one else around, only Xu Ruoyan. Although the unusual signs on her had vanished, he was almost certain, nine times out of ten, that it was indeed Xu Ruoyan.

Jumping down from the Black Greatsword, the elder approached the unconscious Xu Ruoyan. After a brief scan with his senses, he frowned slightly.

Her soul intention is so chaotic, yet she’s still alive. Truly peculiar.

A flash of surprise flickered in the black-clothed elder’s eyes before vanishing. He simply pinched his index and middle fingers together and touched Xu Ruoyan’s brow. A stream of white light flowed into her. Moments later, Xu Ruoyan’s eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly regained consciousness.

”You’re awake, little girl,” the black-clothed elder said, a faint smile on his face. He didn’t mention the recent spectacle, as even Xu Ruoyan herself wouldn’t know what had transpired.

However, the awakened Xu Ruoyan’s beautiful eyes were filled with bewilderment. Her gaze was vacant as she looked around, then numbly asked, ”Where is this?”

”This is the Hundred Thousand Mountains, little girl. Don’t tell me you don’t remember anything from before?”

The black-clothed elder was momentarily taken aback, then he contemplated again. Just moments ago, Xu Ruoyan’s soul intention had been extraordinarily disorganized. Had it been an ordinary person, they would have gone mad by now, or even suffered a mental collapse. For Xu Ruoyan to merely lose her memories was indeed a possibility.

”Before?” Xu Ruoyan muttered, then fell silent, seemingly trying hard to recall past events. However, after several minutes, she still remembered nothing.

”I don’t remember. Who am I? And... who are you?” Clasping her head, Xu Ruoyan looked somewhat desperate. Her mind was a complete blank, without even a fragment of memory remaining.

”Xu... Ruo... Yan. My name is Xu Ruoyan,” she suddenly recalled, reciting it with a touch of surprise.

At the same instant, she remembered another name: Ling Chen.

But when she tried to think further, it was as if her thoughts were abruptly severed; she couldn’t recall anything more.

”I can’t remember anymore. I can’t remember anything at all,” Xu Ruoyan said, shaking her head. She longed to know who Ling Chen was and why she only remembered his name. Yet, aside from that name, her mind held no other information about Ling Chen.

”Alright, Xu Ruoyan, I shall call you Ruo Yan then. As for the past, since you’ve forgotten it, let it be completely forgotten,” the black-clothed elder said, not interested in Xu Ruoyan’s past. His eyes gleamed with a sharp light. ”Miss Ruo Yan, are you willing to become my, the Mythical Elder’s, direct disciple? Let me be blunt: with your aptitude, reaching the Saint Realm in the future is almost a certainty. However, if you remain confined to this small place, that may not be the case. Are you willing to leave here and accompany me to the Nine Provinces Land? That is where you truly belong.”

The Mythical Elder stared intently at Xu Ruoyan. He was no ordinary person; even in the Nine Provinces Land, he was a world-renowned Martial Arts Saint, and one of the very best at that.

He had never taken a disciple. Countless young people wished to study under him, among them no shortage of scions from prominent families in the Nine Provinces, but none of them were worthy in the Mythical Elder’s eyes.

Because in his view, none of them were qualified.

But Xu Ruoyan undoubtedly pleased him greatly.

A shower of heavenly flowers—even he had never witnessed such a phenomenon. Even if Xu Ruoyan wasn’t the reincarnation of some great personage, she was undoubtedly a rare genius in this world. Accepting her as his disciple would certainly not be a mistake.

Moreover, his words were not meant to frighten Xu Ruoyan. The environment is crucial in Martial Arts Cultivation. In a minor place like the Hundred Thousand Mountains, this small Cloud Outland, even with the necessary aptitude, aspiring to the Saint Realm was as difficult as ascending to the heavens; the chances were slim. If not for seeking a specific rare medicinal herb, he would never have come to this godforsaken place.

”Aspiring to... the Saint Realm?”

Xu Ruoyan was somewhat moved. Becoming a peerless powerhouse was the ultimate goal of every martial artist, and she was no exception.

The Mythical Elder before her was a powerful Saint. From him, she could sense an aura as vast as the sea, as deep as an abyss—a terrifying presence.

To become a disciple of the elder before her was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If she missed it, there wouldn’t be a second chance.

As for her lost memories, they should slowly recover in the future, right?

”I am willing.”

Although Xu Ruoyan had lost her memory, it didn’t mean she had become a fool. After a moment’s thought, she knelt on the ground, bowed deeply to the Mythical Elder, and performed a grand salute. ”Disciple pays respects to Master.”

As long as she could become a powerhouse, she would surely find a way to recover her lost memories.

”Very good.”

Having accepted an peerless disciple, the Mythical Elder’s face immediately lit up with joy. He hadn’t expected to find such a satisfactory disciple in this Barren Land. It was a truly pleasant surprise.

”Ruo Yan, from this day forth, you are my, the Mythical Elder’s, sole direct disciple. I, your Master, guarantee that you will make a great name for yourself in the Nine Provinces Land. Let us go. Your past is unimportant, and you need not remember it.”

”Such meaningless memories will only disturb your peace of mind; they are harmful, not beneficial.”

”Yes, Master.”

Xu Ruoyan nodded gently. Her body still ached. She must have endured immense suffering before. And why was she abandoned in this desolate wilderness? Why had no one she knew come to rescue her?

Perhaps, as the Mythical Elder said, her past memories were painful ones, unnecessary things. Since she couldn’t remember them, perhaps it was heaven’s will. There was no need to deliberately try to recall them.

”Let’s go, Disciple.”

Just as various thoughts flashed through Xu Ruoyan’s mind, the Mythical Elder had already summoned his Black Greatsword, which hovered above the ground. This Black Greatsword was over ten feet long, more than spacious enough for two people.

The Sword-control Flight Technique.

This was a high-level Martial Art that only Saints could master, because only those who possessed a Saint Body could execute such exquisite Swordsmanship.

Xu Ruoyan stepped onto the Black Greatsword. As the Black Greatsword slowly ascended, she glanced back one last time. However, in the vast, endless forest behind her, she saw no sign of anyone.

A hint of what seemed like disappointment surfaced in her beautiful eyes. The next moment, the Black Greatsword was filled with True Qi. Accompanied by the sound of air being torn, their figures quickly vanished into the horizon.

「Moments after the Mythical Elder departed with Xu Ruoyan on the Black Greatsword, merely a few breaths later,」

A Qingfeng Jue unexpectedly appeared above the cliff. On the Qingfeng Jue’s back was the figure of Ling Chen.

Swooping down from mid-air, Ling Chen landed on the cliff’s edge. Upon seeing no one, his expression turned grim.

The heaven-earth spectacle just now was clearly nearby. That was unmistakably Yan’er’s aura. How could she not be here?

He was most familiar with Xu Ruoyan’s aura; he would never mistake it.

Finally, after searching for some time, Ling Chen scoured the entire area at the bottom of the cliff and, at the cliff’s edge, discovered a torn piece of a white sleeve. It was a small fragment of Xu Ruoyan’s clothing.

”Damn it!” Ling Chen stomped his foot in anger, his heart filled with extreme worry. Could Xu Ruoyan have been carried off by some Exotic Beast?

No, if she had encountered an Exotic Beast, there would be traces of blood. But there’s not a speck of blood nearby.

Ling Chen quickly calmed himself. Xu Ruoyan should be alright; at least she hadn’t met with disaster. Perhaps she simply woke up and left on her own.

No matter what, even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I will find her!