Chapter 6: Xuanyuan Lingxue

The next day, master and disciple set out together for the Monster Beast Forest.

Gu Qingyi surveyed the wild, overgrown landscape ahead and asked Xuanyuan Lingxue cautiously, “Master, are we there yet?”

Xuanyuan Lingxue glanced around and answered calmly, “We’re already here—the Monster Beast Forest is just up ahead. Stay alert. The beasts and poisonous insects here aren’t strong, but there are countless of them.”

Let’s find the Rampaging Fire Lion first.

This kind of beast loves hot places, lives in groups, and their power is usually at the second rank. With your current Sword Sea Realm, you can handle them easily.

………………

In the volcanic heat, magma bubbled everywhere. Dozens of Rampaging Fire Lions, their fur ablaze, prowled the area.

“Master, are those our targets?” Gu Qingyi’s eyes widened at the sight of these massive beasts and turned to Xuanyuan Lingxue in amazement.

“No need to wait—let’s move,” Xuanyuan Lingxue nodded at the fiery lions ahead.

With swift reflexes, Gu Qingyi unleashed his sword and shouted, “Ten Thousand Swords Pierce the Heart!” This move, from the Ten Thousand Vaults Sword Technique, filled the world with blinding sword qi, each blade racing straight for the enemy’s heart.

In that instant, thick smoke erupted all around.

When the smoke cleared, the herd of Rampaging Fire Lions that just moments before had wandered so carefree now lay dead and scattered across the ground.

Xuanyuan Lingxue stared at the carnage, shaking her head. “It’s a pity—these Rampaging Fire Lions are too low-level, there’s no demon core inside them.”

“Come on, Qingyi. Let’s check out the next place.” Xuanyuan Lingxue gave an exasperated sigh, and the two were about to leave, disappointment written on their faces.

“Human scum! How dare you slaughter my kin? I’ll make you pay with your lives!” An enraged roar echoed from behind them.

They whirled around, barely able to contain their excitement as a massive figure strode out from the mouth of the volcano.

It was the Rampaging Fire Lion King, towering over the other corpses, flames burning even fiercer on its body. The “king” character blazed on its forehead, the mark of its status. This king had already reached the third rank.

“Talk about good timing! We were just thinking how to find it and now it’s come right to us!” Xuanyuan Lingxue was so thrilled she nearly jumped for joy.

“I’ll take it down right away.” Gu Qingyi raised his sword, barely able to contain his excitement.

“This Rampaging Fire Lion King won’t be easy. I can sense its aura—this is a third-rank beast. We need to be cautious,” Xuanyuan Lingxue said, pulling Gu Qingyi back with a thoughtful look.

Gu Qingyi blinked in confusion, “Master, are we giving up?”

“Give up? Not at all! This is a rare opportunity—everything comes down to this fight!” Xuanyuan Lingxue shook her head. “That Lion King definitely has a demon core. With that, we’re one step closer to our goal.”

“Still, we have to be careful,” Xuanyuan Lingxue’s eyes turned cold. “Even a lion goes all out to hunt a rabbit. Don’t hold back.”

“Let’s attack together!” Xuanyuan Lingxue began chanting and instantly pinned the Rampaging Fire Lion King in place.

“All right, here we go!” Gu Qingyi nodded, then unleashed his sword. Fierce, overwhelming sword qi exploded in every direction. Sensing his chance, Gu Qingyi struck with lightning speed, sending a colossal wave of sword energy crashing toward the Lion King.

Smoke billowed up all around.

“Master, did that kill it?” Gu Qingyi thought his full-force blow must have finished the beast.

But as the smoke faded, the Rampaging Fire Lion King stood battered and bloody—but very much alive. If anything, it was now even angrier.

“You filthy humans, release me! I’ll rip you apart!” The Lion King roared and tried to lunge at Gu Qingyi, but Xuanyuan Lingxue’s binding held it fast.

Powerless to escape, the Lion King’s furious howls echoed for miles, shaking the very ground.

“This beast’s hide is thick—it survived even that!” Gu Qingyi clapped his hands over his ears, the deafening roar threatening to split his skull. He gritted his teeth. “Let’s see how you handle this next move.” Raising his sword high, his fighting spirit soared—dust swirled, the earth trembled beneath the force he unleashed.

“Die!” Gu Qingyi seized the opening, charging forward with his sword aimed squarely at the Lion King’s head.

In a single, brutal stroke, the massive head hit the ground, blood gushing from the severed neck as the Lion King’s enormous body collapsed at last.

A red-hot demon core floated from the corpse, its color even more vivid in the molten glow.

Xuanyuan Lingxue’s face split into a wide grin. “We’ve got the Rampaging Fire Lion Core! Once we get the Green-horned Jiao’s horn and refine them together, Qingyi, your meridians will be fully healed!”

………….

Coldwater Pool: This place is surrounded by emerald-green water, so deep it seems bottomless. It’s where the Green-horned Jiao lives.

After vanquishing the Lion King and claiming its core, master and disciple journeyed for a day and night before finally reaching the edge of the Coldwater Pool.

Gu Qingyi stared at the bottomless, green water and couldn’t help but ask, “Master, are you sure the Green-horned Jiao will be here?”

“According to records, the Green-horned Jiao prefers cold pools like this. Whether it’s here or not, we’ll soon find out.” Xuanyuan Lingxue wasn’t certain either. She formed a hand seal, summoning a glowing red stream of energy, and hurled it into the pool.

“Humans, you’re courting death!” The pool began to boil away, half its water turning instantly to steam as an enraged shout thundered out.

The very next instant, a giant figure burst from the water—eight stories tall, two stories wide, scales shimmering with an icy blue-green, and a single horn on its head. Its maw dripped blood, yet it grinned, already showing the beginnings of transformation into a more human form.

“Oh no! That’s a fifth-rank beast!” Xuanyuan Lingxue’s heart dropped. “Qingyi, run—this thing is way beyond your current power! Go!”

Without wasting a second, Xuanyuan Lingxue spun her wrist, channeling energy into a protective barrier over Gu Qingyi, whisking him away at top speed.

“You damn humans! Think you can escape me? Die!” But the furious Green-horned Jiao wasn’t about to let them go. Its enormous body crashed through the trees, mowing them down in seconds, and it quickly caught up.

“Where do you think you’re going, humans? I’ll use your blood to repay this insult!” The Jiao flicked its forked tongue, eyes fixed on its prey.

With the Jiao almost upon them, master and disciple realized they had nowhere left to run. They exchanged a look, determination hardening their faces, then suddenly charged at the beast together.

“Filthy creature, don’t get cocky!” Gu Qingyi raised his sword and roared. There was a burst of sound as sword met scale.

“Really? Is that all you’ve got? Are you just trying to tickle me, humans?” The Jiao writhed in delight, not a scratch on its body, looking down on them with utter disdain.

“Pathetic! You’re so weak I barely want to bother killing you.” The Jiao actually laughed. “Come on, keep trying to amuse me!”

“Heh… let’s see your real skills. If you don’t take this seriously, you’re dead!” The Jiao opened its bloodstained jaws and lunged for the two.

Seeing the right moment, Xuanyuan Lingxue exploded into motion—one blinding streak leaping past the Jiao.

In the very next second, the Jiao’s horn was sliced clean off.

Staring at the stump in disbelief, the Green-horned Jiao’s rage boiled over. “You damn humans! I’ll kill you all—I’ll use your blood to mourn this loss!” it howled, tail lashing for Gu Qingyi with incredible force.

“Damn it, it’s gone berserk!” Gu Qingyi realized he couldn’t block the blow—the gap in strength was too great.

A terrible crash rang out. Gu Qingyi could almost feel his bones shattering.

The taste of blood flooded his mouth. He wiped it away, only to realize his hand was smeared with red. Dread settled in his heart.

“Your little games end here, humans.” The Jiao lunged in, jaws open wide, aiming to swallow Gu Qingyi whole and avenge its broken horn.

“You beast, die! Even if it kills me too!” Suddenly, a surge of unknown power erupted from Xuanyuan Lingxue. In a blur, she transformed into a giant fireball and dove straight into the Jiao’s gaping mouth.

The Jiao felt an intense heat welling inside it. As it gaped in shock, its body began to crack apart, pieces flying off in all directions.

“Why… why is this happening to me?” the Jiao wailed as it started to vanish completely. “No, I can’t accept this!” And with that, the creature dissolved into dust.

Only the horn remained behind.

Gu Qingyi, still sprawled on the ground, looked at the fallen Jiao and struggled to his feet.

Seeing the now-frail Xuanyuan Lingxue, he was about to help her up when he noticed in horror—her body was turning transparent, fading before his very eyes.

A wave of panic crashed over him. “Master, what’s happening to you?”

“I had to use up all the soul power I’d worked so hard to save, just to take down that Jiao.” Xuanyuan Lingxue’s voice was weak. “Now my soul is exhausted—I have to go into forced slumber.”

“It’ll be months, maybe even years before we meet again.” Looking at Gu Qingyi, she warned him, “Qingyi, while I’m gone, be very careful. Make sure you refine the Jiao’s horn and the Fire Lion King’s core as soon as possible.”

“Take care of yourself!” With those final words, Xuanyuan Lingxue turned into a beam of light, disappearing into the sword inside Gu Qingyi’s body.

Watching his master vanish, Gu Qingyi steeled himself. “Don’t worry, Master. While you’re away, I’ll look after myself.” With that, he bent to pick up the fallen Green-horned Jiao horn.

……………………

Monster Beast Forest, a certain cave.

Gu Qingyi sat cross-legged, absorbing the Green-horned Jiao’s horn and the Rampaging Fire Lion Core. Both radiated a wild, violent energy.

Thanks to his earlier medicinal baths, Gu Qingyi could endure the pain they brought him with little trouble.

In the blink of an eye, several days passed, and soon Gu Qingyi had nearly finished refining both treasures.

Another day and night slipped by.

Gu Qingyi slowly opened his eyes. A beam of golden light shot upward, filling the air with a dense aura.

He lifted his hand, feeling his meridians fully restored.

Even more incredible, his cultivation had broken through to the first stage of the Sword King Realm, and his Ten Thousand Vaults Sword Technique had reached small perfection.

Gu Qingyi thought to himself, “I’ve been here long enough—it’s finally time to go.” With that, he vanished from the cave.

………………

Sword Qi Continent cultivation realms: ordinary people, Sword Practitioner Realm, Sword Qi Realm, Sword Sea Realm, Sword King Realm, Sword Emperor Realm, Sword Saint Realm, (Demi-God Realm), Sword God Realm.

The Demi-God Realm has never appeared in the world, so most people have forgotten about it. It’s also known as the False God Realm, and ancient scrolls confirm its existence.

Monster Beast cultivation ranks:

Rank 1: Equals a human Sword Practitioner Realm; just starting to develop intelligence but can’t speak yet—only capable of basic beast abilities.

Rank 2: Matches the human Sword Qi Realm, able to use somewhat stronger beast techniques.

Rank 3: Matches Sword Sea Realm cultivators; can speak, use better techniques, and begin producing demon cores, though these are brittle and easily shattered.

Rank 4: Equals the Sword King Realm in humans; able to use a wide range of techniques and possess immense strength.

Rank 5: Matches the Sword Emperor Realm, monstrously powerful—at this level, some beasts start showing signs of taking on human forms and begin facing their tribulation to transform.

Rank 6: Equals the Sword Saint Realm; beast’s appearance is nearly indistinguishable from a human’s, capable of tremendous feats.

Rank 7: Matches the Demi-God Realm; can ride clouds, summon storms, and command the forces of nature.

Rank 8: Equals the Sword God Realm—utterly terrifying, a single thought can leave mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, granting near-infinite lifespan.