Fang Cheng ignored her and turned to leave.
Yao Shu watched the ancient bell depart, killing intent flashing across her face. With a flick of her snow-white hand, a ray of Zen Light shot through the void, landing directly in the bell’s path.
In that patch of void, a silver halo roughly an acre in size suddenly materialized. An infinite torrent of Sword Qi erupted from within, surging toward the ancient bell that shielded Fang Cheng.
Fang Cheng swore, instantly recalling the ancient bell. His body flickered, transforming into a streak of Taixu Sword Qi. He weaved and dodged with unpredictable agility, narrowly escaping the wave of Sword Qi by a hair’s breadth.
If he hadn’t been a master of Sword Techniques and hadn’t already begun to grasp the Sword Intent permeating the Sword Mark Abyss, such a feat would have been impossible.
The wave of Sword Qi roared through the Sword Mark Abyss like a raging torrent, creating thunderclaps in the void and causing endless tremors.
Fang Cheng materialized, once again shielding himself with the ancient bell, and stared coldly back at the distant Yao Shu.
He gave a cold sneer. “You think you’re the only ones who can manipulate the Sword Qi?”
With a flick of his finger, he sent out a streak of Taixu Sword Qi that gently nudged a massive stream of Sword Qi in the distance.
The next moment, the stream of Sword Qi was redirected. Like a celestial waterfall, it came crashing down directly toward Yao Shu.
Only then did terror dawn on Yao Shu. The Treasure Bead erupted with a wondrous light, forming a furious, hundred-zhang-tall wave of clouds in a futile attempt to block the Sword Qi.
TING!
A clear, crisp chime echoed through the void. The Zen Light Treasure Bead was sent flying by the overwhelming Sword Qi, plummeting to the bottom of the Sword Mark Abyss. Under that torrent of power, Yao Shu’s graceful form didn’t last an instant before the Sword Qi washed over her, utterly annihilating her.
Fang Cheng watched as the woman’s body was annihilated by the vast wave of Sword Qi. He couldn’t help but think to himself, ‘What a pity.’
‘She must have had a few immortal peaches on her…’
His gaze shifted. Looking toward the bottom of the Sword Mark Abyss, he urged the ancient bell downward. Before long, after passing through the web of crisscrossing Sword Qi, he found the Treasure Bead just as he’d hoped.
This treasure was likely another Tier Six Fragmented Artifact from the Lingkong Celestial Ruins. It was quite powerful, a significant gain for him.
After the incident with Yao Shu, Fang Cheng became even more cautious within the Sword Mark Abyss.
He continued to comprehend the residual Sword Intent in the Sword Mark Abyss, relying on his near-transcendent Sword Heart to predict and evade the omnipresent Sword Qi. As a result, his pace quickened.
After about a day, he had traversed more than half the Sword Mark Abyss. Ahead of him, a vast and majestic dark light was flying forward, fending off scattered wisps of Sword Qi and creating quite a spectacle.
Within the dark light was a tall young man. He wore a long robe embroidered with cloud patterns and ancient seal script, giving him a mysterious and profound air.
A Celestial Book floated above the man’s head, emitting a vast, dark light that seemed both real and illusory, ever-shifting and unpredictable.
At times, its light was as majestic and bright as day, though unpredictably shifting. At others, it was profoundly deep and dark, flowing onward in a vast, unending stream.
He moved through the Sword Mark Abyss, carefully avoiding the larger streams of Sword Qi. When he encountered smaller, scattered wisps, he relied on the power of his Magical Artifact to simply brute-force his way through.
To have made it this far was a testament to his formidable Divine Power.
From Pan Lang’s Spiritual Memory, Fang Cheng knew this was Beiming Long, the leader of the Beiming Immortal Race’s Jiyu Lineage.
He possessed the Tier Six Fragmented Artifact known as the Earth Book Fragment, cultivated the core legacy of the Beiming Immortal Race, was a Nine Tribulation Cultivator, and was ranked fourth on the Immortal Ascension List.
Strangely, he was now traversing the Sword Mark Abyss alone. There was no sign of Beiming Cang Xue or Beiming Xiao.
When Fang Cheng first entered the Lingkong Celestial Ruins, he had sensed this man’s aura before the Taixu Gate. At the time, however, Beiming Long had been presiding over the Flying Spirit Mountain and had not revealed himself.
Among the experts the Beiming Immortal Race had dispatched this time, Beiming Yong of the Celestial Jade Lineage, Beiming Yan of the Cangming Lineage, and Beiming Long of the Jiyu Lineage were all powerful figures ranked in the top ten of the Immortal Ascension List. They were the main pillars of the Beiming Immortal Race.
It seemed now that with the emergence of this Spirit Immortal’s Abandoned Mansion, all three major lineages had sent their experts inside.
From the Celestial Jade Lineage, it was Beiming Xiao, who was also Beiming Cang Xue’s Seventh Uncle. That much had been settled long ago.
From the Cangming Lineage, it was the Three Elders of Longyuan.
As for the Jiyu Lineage, the fact that Beiming Long had entered personally couldn’t help but set Fang Cheng’s mind racing.
He had, in fact, considered using the Spirit Immortal’s Abandoned Mansion as an opportunity to weaken the forces the Beiming Immortal Race had stationed at the Taixu Gate.
“Is that Daoist Beiming Long of the Beiming Race up ahead?” Fang Cheng called out.
Surprise flickered across Beiming Long’s face. He turned his head to glance at Fang Cheng. “It’s you!”
Fang Cheng smiled. “It seems you do recognize me, Daoist.”
Beiming Long was handsome, with sharp brows and star-like eyes, and possessed a naturally imposing aura. He halted his Escape Light, and the Earth Book Fragment above his head manifested an infinite, dark radiance, making him look like a deity descending to the mortal realm.
He studied Fang Cheng carefully. Seeing no trace of Ascendant Feng Yan, he couldn’t help but ask, “Did you enter the Immortal Mansion alone?”
Fang Cheng didn’t answer his question, instead saying leisurely, “Daoist Beiming, you blocked the Taixu Gate and cut off my path to immortality. Today, I must return the favor.”
Beiming Long sneered, his gaze sweeping over Fang Cheng’s Broken Ancient Bell. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll call over Beiming Yong and Beiming Yan to trap you here?” he said coolly.
Fang Cheng scoffed. “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
‘If he really does that, I can immediately inform Ascendant Feng Yan to force her way through the Taixu Gate.’
‘Without Beiming Yong and Beiming Yan, the rest of the Beiming Immortal Race’s members would be no match for Feng Yan at all.’
‘So Feng Yan really didn’t enter…’
Beiming Long’s expression darkened. “It seems, Daoist, that you’re determined to have a go at me right here.”