Xue Ying'an caught the Eight-Faced Sword, joy and shock warring on his face. Since Little Mysterious Heaven of Taiyi, he had been without a proper weapon.
Su Yan could fight without treasures — his techniques and transformations were endless. But Xue Ying'an was a bell-and-sword cultivator at heart. A good weapon doubled his strength.
He still had three secret realms unopened. With the Eight-Faced Sword in hand, he could break through all of them.
The flesh-sky pressed lower, a massive meat-orb descending toward Jiucai Ridge. A chaotic voice burrowed into their minds, scrambling their thoughts.
The meat-orb split open, revealing a single enormous eye. The noise peaked, driving them toward madness.
Jin Buyi's twin blades sang. All interference vanished, leaving only clear blade-song.
The great eye rolled and focused on Jin Buyi.
*Shing!*
Blade-light erupted from Jin Buyi's back, ten thousand zhang of cutting qi that split the sky. Flesh rained down in burning pieces.
The eye seemed to anger — then blade-light reflected in its surface. In the next instant, the orb split in two.
Jin Buyi's blade qi grew stronger, brighter, spreading outward from Jiucai Ridge until it dominated half the sky.
"Hold on tight," the old crow muttered. "I'm old. My blood weakens. I can't keep this up long."
Su Yan helped Qingbi with her physical wounds, though her Xiyi Domain and Primordial Spirit were beyond his skill.
He produced a jade vial. "I still have some primal Dao essence. It should speed your recovery."
Yuan Qi stared. "A-Ying, where did you get primal Dao essence?"
The broken bell around his neck twitched weakly, as if wanting to speak. Su Yan said, "I poured out a little for myself before returning the rest to Minister Jiang."
"A little?" Yuan Qi asked.
"A little."
Yuan Qi didn't believe him. He watched Qingbi drink a mouthful and return the vial — clearly, more remained.
"A-Ying, really just a little? Let me see!"
Su Yan tucked the vial away, his expression earnest. "Seven Lord, you know I'm not young anymore. I need to prepare my dowry, or what woman would marry me? I'm probably twenty thousand years old. Would you let me stay single forever?"
Yuan Qi mumbled, "I see. I misjudged you. I thought you kept a sea for yourself and gave Minister Jiang a drop."
"Never!"
Yuan Qi snuck another glance at the vial but couldn't see inside.
Su Yan also helped the dragon mount regrow its body. It was larger now, though still comically small compared to its massive head.
Before long, Qingbi recovered enough to summon her Primordial Spirit. Jiucai Ridge began to shrink, rising toward the sky.
The world thundered. The ridge was returning to Yuanzhou.
The flesh-sky surged back, rushing toward the mountain. Jin Buyi screeched, fire merging with blade-light, cutting through the tide.
Countless meat-balls unfurled into giant eyes, their beams lancing toward the ridge. Jin Buyi raised his wings and swept the blades down.
Su Yan, Yuan Qi, and Xue Ying'an watched with pounding hearts as the old crow held back the heavens.
Then Jiucai Ridge shook once and vanished from the Land of Heavenly Punishment.
Light filled their eyes — then blinding blade-fire swept across the sky of Jiucai Ridge in Yuanzhou, burning it crimson.
*Clang-clang.*
The twin blades fell, embedding themselves in the peak behind Jin Buyi. The blade-light and fire whooshed back into the weapons, the flames sinking into Jin Buyi's body.
Su Yan and Yuan Qi stared, envy burning in their eyes.
Su Yan turned to Yuan Qi. "I'm sure I left myself weapons just as powerful. They're probably hidden somewhere, waiting for me to call them."
Yuan Qi nodded vigorously. The broken bell around his neck gave a dull ring.
Jin Buyi said, "A-Ying, you forgot. You never used weapons."
Su Yan froze. In Jin Buyi's memories, he indeed never carried weapons. If he used any, it was once or twice before discarding them.
Yuan Qi said carefully, "A-Ying, remember Little Mysterious Heaven of Taiyi? The broken treasures there had your palm prints. You never used weapons."
Su Yan's eye twitched. He looked at Xue Ying'an and coughed. "Ah, your master Li Xiaoke is still alive. He'll want this sword back. You can't hold onto it."
"I can hold it," Xue Ying'an insisted.
"No, you can't."
They argued like boys, until Qingbi walked over and looked at the sword. Su Yan's face reddened. He let go.
"An undying immortal stealing from a junior?" Qingbi's lips twitched.
Su Yan abandoned the sword with a silent curse.
Qingbi's smile faded. "My wounds have stabilized. I'm leaving to hunt Li Xiaoke. Until one of us dies."
Su Yan shook his head. "I still see flashes of memory, but nothing clear."
Qingbi's Primordial Spirit reached into his Xiyi Domain and retrieved the Pure Yang Fire she had planted there. "I thought this flame would burn through your confusion and restore your memory. It seems I was wrong. You still don't remember us."
She held the flame to her lips and blew gently.
Su Yan felt fragrant wind brush his face. The flame entered his body and vanished.
"I'm planting this fire in your soul," she said softly. "Undying immortal, we'll meet again."
She called the dragon mount. The creature hopped after her on its tiny body, massive head wobbling.
"Su Yan, I won't hold a grudge about you killing my previous master. But don't do it again, or I'll kill you!" It noticed Jin Buyi watching and shrank. "Next time you kill my master, I'll be very upset."
It leaped onto the coffin and crouched. "Qingbi, after we kill Li Xiaoke, we'll settle our own score. Though I'll probably lose. Go easy on me."
Qingbi made a sound of acknowledgment.
Su Yan called after her: "If you want to learn dual cultivation, come find me! I've gathered all Six Secrets!"
Qingbi waved and vanished, the black coffin tearing through the sky.
On Jiucai Ridge, Su Yan said farewell to Xue Ying'an. The young man was helping his fellow disciples heal, explaining Li Xiaoke's crimes.
"Brother Su, I want to follow you. But these disciples are naive. They might be deceived by Li Xiaoke again. I must stay."
He straightened. "With no master, I'll become the sect leader and teach them the Six Secrets. Brother Su, your knowledge far exceeds mine. Why not stay? You would be our leader!"
Su Yan declined. "Qingbi's fight with Li Xiaoke showed me my own inadequacy."
"Inadequacy? You're a Six Secrets master who knows Heavenly Dao techniques!"
"I only learned the Six Secrets before others. Soon everyone will walk this path. As for Heavenly Dao techniques — that's the Dao's power, not mine. Anyone who masters those runes could do the same." Su Yan shook his head. "Watching them fight, I realized I may have chosen the wrong path."
"Wrong how?"
"Qingbi fought Li Xiaoke to a draw using only qi cultivation. That path has untapped potential."
Xue Ying'an nodded. "Her techniques were divine. If there's an immortal realm for technique mastery, she's already there."
"Li Xiaoke transplanted others' grotto-heavens to gain power. His techniques were formidable, but in my eyes, he was no Zhou Qiyun."
Xue Ying'an didn't know who Zhou Qiyun was, but anyone Su Yan remembered so fondly must be extraordinary.
"Since I left Jiangjia Village, I've never formally studied techniques, sword arts, or true nuo arts." Su Yan's voice grew firm. "If I want to merge qi cultivation and the Six Secrets, I must first master both. Otherwise I'll become another Li Xiaoke."
He smiled. "I'm greedy, Ying'an. I want to reach Qingbi's level in qi cultivation and Zhou Qiyun's level in nuo arts. Then, when I fuse them — perhaps I'll touch the extreme."
Xue Ying'an accepted his departure. "Your ambition is too vast for me to hold you. Wait two days, and I'll compile our sword techniques for you."
"No need. I've already learned them."
Xue Ying'an stared.
Su Yan waved and led Yuan Qi and Jin Buyi down the mountain.
Xue Ying'an watched them go, then called out: "Brother Su, we've never truly fought! Don't you want to experience Jiucai Ridge's swordsmanship?"
Su Yan stopped. He turned, battle-fire in his eyes. "Why not?"
Xue Ying'an stood on the peak. Sword qi erupted from his hands, and he rose into the air like an immortal swordsman, crossing the void to strike.
Su Yan leaped, becoming a streak of light, countless sword qi trailing behind him like a comet's tail.
Yuan Qi and Jin Buyi watched from below as the two lights danced across the mountains. Their blades clashed and shattered, silver fragments raining across the sky.
The sword qi didn't disperse. It hid in valleys and beneath leaves, waiting in ambush.
When the two fighters approached, the hidden blades erupted like snowfall, and their figures wove through the storm of silver.
The snow grew heavier, dazzling the Jiucai Ridge disciples who gathered to watch.
Even they, trained by Li Xiaoke himself, were mesmerized.
The snow-dragon sword qi approached its climax. The two dragon-shaped blades seemed about to collide — then veered apart at the last moment.
Su Yan landed on Yuan Qi's head. Xue Ying'an touched down on the peak.
The moment they landed, sword qi fell from the sky like rain, sheathing itself back into their bodies.
The snow-vision vanished.
Su Yan saluted from afar. Xue Ying'an bowed in return.
Yuan Qi carried Su Yan down the mountain. Jin Buyi hopped after them on three legs, eyes fixed on the serpent's tail.
Yuan Qi shuddered. "Lord Jin, don't you want your blades?"
The twin divine blades stood on the peak, radiant and commanding.
"Leave them there," Jin Buyi said, stretching a claw toward the wriggling tail. "My blades are fast. They'll come when I call."