Chapter 206: Sword Intent Stone
Thanks to Mei Qiuyuan's preemptive suppression, Chu Feifei successfully slipped the 4th-tier Solar yang pill into Fei Lianlian's mouth without much resistance. As soon as the pill entered her system, Fei Lianlian's struggle ceased.
Immediately, wisps of black mist began seeping out of her body, and her gaze grew noticeably clearer.
"Junior Sister, it's done!"
Fei Lianlian's voice rang out. Upon hearing it, Mei Qiuyuan released her hold on Fei Lianlian.
"Senior Sister, how do you feel?" Mei Qiuyuan asked.
"My mind feels completely clear now. That hazy, fogged-up feeling is gone," Fei Lianlian nodded, still somewhat shaken. Despite being a Nascent Soul cultivator, she had unknowingly fallen victim to demonic manipulation—proof of how silent and insidious their techniques could be.
"That's good to hear."
Seeing her senior sister recover, Mei Qiuyuan finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"Junior Sister, earlier I said we should wait and bait a bigger fish. Well, I think it's time to reel it in," Fei Lianlian said, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, she was far from helpless—anyone who dared lay a hand on her would face her full retaliation.
"But hasn't the Scent-Tracking Technique already failed?" Mei Qiuyuan asked, puzzled.
"Well, now we've got a fresh marker," Fei Lianlian replied, lifting her hand. The black mist that had previously leaked from her was now sealed and contained by her spiritual power.
"Junior Sister, hold down the fort. I'll be back shortly." As she spoke, Fei Lianlian transformed into a plume of smoke and vanished from the sect's main hall.
Far from the Hundred Blossom Sect, hundreds of miles away, a massive beast made of smoke descended from the heavens and flattened the entire region beneath it.
Hundred Blossom Sect disciples weren't known for their combat prowess, but that didn't apply to Fei Lianlian, who had inherited the sect's ancestral legacy. The smoke beast was the very symbol of that inheritance—aside from its powerful support abilities, it also possessed devastating combat strength.
And this was Fei Lianlian without the Hundred Blossoms Sect Saint Physique, meaning she had not yet fully mastered the ancestral techniques. According to legend, the founder of the Hundred Blossom Sect had not only possessed unparalleled supportive powers but was also ranked among the top combatants of her era.
Unfortunately, cultivating the Hundred Blossom Sect's ancestral techniques required the extremely rare Hundred Blossoms Sect Saint Physique. The condition was so stringent that even the Demon Sect rarely bothered to target the Hundred Blossom Sect.
By contrast, the Grand Yan Sword Sect was far more dangerous in their eyes—after all, cultivating the Grand Yan Sword Canon required no such prerequisites.
Still, with Chu Feifei's emergence, the Hundred Blossom Sect now had hope of resurgence. She had received the full inheritance from the sect's founder. Once she stepped into the Nascent Soul stage, her combat ability would likely surpass even Fei Lianlian's.
"Master Sect Leader, I have vital intel to report!"
From the ruins of the flattened land, Fei Lianlian dragged out the high-ranking Demon Sect spy who had previously escaped. To maintain influence over Fei Lianlian, he hadn't gone far.
However, the spy clearly had no idea how Fei Lianlian had suddenly tracked him down and launched an attack. Still, he wasn't panicking—believing that since she had been compromised before, he could influence her again and escape.
Smack!
Before the spy could finish speaking, Fei Lianlian slapped him unconscious. She had no interest in hearing any of his nonsense.
Having captured the man, Fei Lianlian didn't return to Hundred Blossom Sect. Instead, she flew straight to the Yin-Yang Sword Sect. After all, that sect was full of hot-headed madmen, and some had even charged recklessly into Demon Sect territory—only to get captured.
By handing over this high-ranking Demon Sect spy, Fei Lianlian could help the Yin-Yang Sword Sect retrieve their captured disciples.
"Welcome, Fairy of the Hundred Flowers!"
As she approached the Yin-Yang Sword Sect, a Nascent Soul Sword Sovereign from the sect came out to greet her.
"I've captured a high-ranking Demon Sect spy. I figured you'd need him, so I'm giving him to you," Fei Lianlian said bluntly, tossing the unconscious man to him.
"Ah!"
The Sword Sovereign was briefly stunned by her directness—but a high-level Demon Sect spy was indeed a valuable asset.
"So… Fairy Lianlian, what would you like in return?" he asked after receiving the prisoner.
"Something suitable for a junior at the Core Formation stage. What do you have?" Fei Lianlian asked. She already knew who the Solar yang pill had been for. Owing such a massive favor, she had to repay it—if not in full, then at least with a meaningful gesture.
"That's easy enough!"
Relieved that she only asked for something suited to a Core Formation junior, the Sword Sovereign let out a breath—but then furrowed his brow again. If the gift was too ordinary, it would not only make him look bad, but also reflect poorly on the Yin-Yang Sword Sect.
"Does this junior of yours happen to have any interest in swordsmanship?" he asked. The sect's most valuable treasures were naturally all sword-related.
"Probably," Fei Lianlian replied, uncertain. The recipient was from the Shennong Valley and likely a spiritual herb cultivator. Still, the Yin-Yang Sword Sect obviously didn't have herb-related treasures, so a sword cultivator item would do. At worst, the recipient could trade it later for something more suitable.
"Then how about this Sword Intent Stone?" the Sword Sovereign offered, producing a stone etched with a single sword scar.
"That will do," Fei Lianlian nodded.
She was familiar with the value of Yin-Yang Sword Sect treasures. The Sword Intent Stone was said to come from a stone wall within the sect—carved with countless sword marks said to have been left by the sect's founder during cultivation. These marks contained the sect's yin-yang sword intent.
Only inner disciples were allowed to approach that wall and study the yin-yang sword intent. Only those who comprehended it were permitted to learn the sect's core techniques.
The Sword Intent Stone was a fragment that had broken off that wall. Though small, it still contained traces of the yin-yang sword intent. By using it, one could gain insight into that power.
Of course, this particular stone likely only held one half of the dual intent—either yin or yang—and not both.
Which was to be expected. Yin-Yang Sword Intent was the sect's most closely guarded legacy. Allowing someone to grasp even half was already generous.
Besides, considering that Fei Lianlian had just delivered a high-level Demon Sect spy, the Yin-Yang Sword Sect couldn't afford to be stingy. One of their own disciples had foolishly run off to "slay demons and uphold justice" and ended up captured. Now, that disciple's release hinged on this very exchange.
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At Hundred Blossom Sect
"Gu Mo!"
Chu Feifei arrived with light, graceful steps and found Gu Mo.
"It's settled?"
Seeing her expression, Gu Mo smiled as he asked.
"Mm-hmm."
Chu Feifei nodded and then handed him a stone. "This is from the Sect Leader, for you."
"Sword Intent Stone?"
Gu Mo glanced at the stone and immediately recognized it. His avatar had heard of these when it was stationed at the Grand Yan Sword Sect.
A long time ago, the Grand Yan Sword Sect had possessed similar items—but after years of decline, much of their heritage had been lost.
Sword Intent Stones allowed sword cultivators to perceive and comprehend sword intent. Their value was directly proportional to the strength of the sword intent they contained. The more powerful the intent, the greater the value.
"This one's from the Yin-Yang Sword Sect."
As soon as Gu Mo accepted it, he sensed the intense yin and yang sword energies radiating from it—unmistakably the Yin-Yang Sword Sect's unique sword intent.
Being one of the six great sects, the Yin-Yang Sword Sect's core sword intent was nothing to scoff at.
"Wow!"
Chu Feifei was stunned. She had prepared an explanation for him—but he had immediately identified the stone's origin and nature with ease.
Most people, without deep knowledge of swordsmanship, wouldn't have been able to recognize it.
"Please thank the Sect Leader for me," Gu Mo said.
To him, this Sword Intent Stone was a priceless treasure. His own comprehension of Killing Sword Intent had yet to cross the threshold. But now, with this stone, he could study the Yin-Yang Sword Intent instead—a path far more potent.
Not because the Killing Sword Intent was weak, but because the insights Gu Mo had gained through slaying Demon Sect spies were simply too shallow.
This stone, however, contained the sword insights of countless powerful Yin-Yang Sect cultivators—including some at the Soul Formation level.
Naturally, insight from higher-realm cultivators carried far greater weight. And while this stone only offered one half of the full yin-yang intent, it was still vastly superior to Gu Mo's prior understanding of sword intent.
"Sect Leader asked me to thank you as well," Chu Feifei said with a smile. "To avoid drawing too much attention to you, she decided not to thank you in person—I hope you don't mind."
"It's her way of protecting me," Gu Mo shook his head.
"Oh, by the way—the Hundred Flowers Festival is wrapping up today. There's going to be a wonderful performance. Want to go watch?" Chu Feifei asked with a grin.
Toward the end of the festival, Hundred Blossom Sect's female disciples would also showcase their talents—not through combat, but via song and dance.
Over the next few days, Chu Feifei kept Gu Mo company, wandering all across the Hundred Blossom Sect. She knew his departure was imminent.
Once he left, it would be a long time before they could meet again.
"Gu Mo, take this. If you ever need me, you can use it to get in touch."
Chu Feifei handed Gu Mo a small pink smoke beast—a fragment of her own smoke beast power. No matter how far apart they were, the little creature would always find its way back to its original body. It could carry messages and deliver them directly to her.
The distance between Hundred Blossom Sect and Shennong Valley was far beyond what regular transmission talismans could cover. High-end ones were used only in emergencies.
Normally, long-distance communication relied on spiritual beasts or Sound-Breaking Talismans. The former had range limits but real-time communication, while the latter had no distance limit but could be intercepted and required time to deliver.
Chu Feifei's smoke beast, however, had neither of those drawbacks. Invisible and difficult to catch, even if it was captured, the messages it carried were uncrackable—unless intercepted by someone with the exact same Hundred Blossom Sect founder's inheritance.
"Then take this."
Gu Mo handed her a petal—one of Elder Xiaohua's. With it, Xiaohua could instantly locate Chu Feifei if needed and even run errands.
Although Shennong Valley was far from Hundred Blossom Sect, with Xiaohua's perfected Wood Escape technique, it would only take half a day to travel the distance.
And Wood Escape wasn't even the fastest among the Five Elemental Escape arts—Earth Escape was even faster.
"Time to go, my adorable grand-disciple!"
The voice of Hou Chunyu rang out. This time, Gu Mo wasn't returning alone—Hou Chunyu had personally come to escort him back. The journey between the two sects was long, and with war against the Demon Sect on the horizon, Gu Mo—who had cultivated the Sunlight Glazed Flower—was a prime target.
Even if Gu Mo posed no current threat, the flower's mere existence was one. Though not quite as threatening as Lin Wu of Grand Yan Sword Sect, the Demon Sect would not pass up any chance to eliminate him.
They even maintained a hit list ranking the most dangerous young talents in the righteous path. Killing anyone on that list would earn massive rewards.
And that list had been passed along by righteous cultivators' spies embedded within the Demon Sect.
Gu Mo had recently made the list—not highly ranked, but included nonetheless. Being on the list meant he was officially recognized as a threat.
It's said that one's enemies understand you best. The list was considered highly reliable.
And in the latest edition of the list, a new name had stormed into the top ten—Lin Wu of the Grand Yan Sword Sect. Most rookies started at the bottom of the list, with rankings adjusted as more intel came in.
But Lin Wu had debuted at number ten.
The top ten were all peak Core Formation elites with clear potential to reach Nascent Soul. That Lin Wu entered the rankings at the tenth spot, despite being early Core Formation, shocked everyone.
The reason? The list confirmed that Lin Wu had formed an Immortal-grade Core.
Only two names on the entire list were known to have formed such a core—those ranked first and second. If Lin Wu weren't still early-stage Core Formation, he'd be ranked third instead of tenth.
Of course, this list only included individuals the Demon Sect was aware of. Hidden talents like Chu Feifei—whose identities had yet to be discovered—did not appear.
"Coming, Master Ancestor!" Gu Mo replied.
After saying his goodbyes to Chu Feifei, he boarded Hou Chunyu's flying vessel.
"Interested in that little girl? Why not take her with you?" Hou Chunyu asked, glancing toward Chu Feifei in the distance.
"She's a friend I trust deeply," Gu Mo replied with a faint smile. "A trusted friend is far more precious than a cultivation partner."
The journey home was smooth. With Hou Chunyu—late Nascent Soul—personally escorting him, even potential troubles ceased to be threats.
Once Gu Mo was safely delivered, Hou Chunyu vanished again. His responsibilities were heavy, and he had only made this trip because it was Gu Mo. For anyone else, he wouldn't have bothered.
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