Volume 1, Chapter 107 – Samsara: The Calling

Meanwhile, Ye Ling’er raced onward. Before long, she sensed familiar fluctuations of spiritual power ahead.

Passing through a stone forest, she spotted Zhao Ling’er and Wang Zhaojun battling several Rock-Armored Scorpions, while Liu Lie, who had just arrived, fired arrows from a distance.

“Junior Sister Ye!”

Zhao Ling’er called out delightedly at the sight of her.

Ye Ling’er nodded, drew her twin Nether Moon blades, and joined the fray.

With her help, the group, which already held the upper hand, quickly finished off the demonic beasts.

“Let’s regroup with the others first,”

Ye Ling’er suggested.

Everyone nodded. Through their identity jade tokens, they could sense more and more points of light representing their fellow disciples converging on a particular area.

Elsewhere, Liu Ruyan stood at the edge of a charred grove of dead trees.

Across from her were five disciples in the robes of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, their expressions hostile.

Their leader wore a sword at his waist and radiated a keen, piercing aura. He was Chen Feng, one of the elite disciples the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect had sent into the secret realm, and he was at the early-stage Golden Core.

They had come for a Star-Patterned Ironwood growing deep within the grove, only to encounter Liu Ruyan, who had arrived before them.

“Yaochi Immortal Palace?”

Chen Feng studied Liu Ruyan, who stood alone. A calculating look flashed through his eyes before giving way to disdain.

“It seems your sect truly is brimming with talent. Even a female cultivator at the early-stage Golden Core dares to explore such a dangerous place alone.”

His words carried the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect’s customary arrogance, along with a hint of probing.

As far as he was concerned, she was alone, while there were five of them. The advantage clearly lay with his side.

Liu Ruyan remained calm and inclined her head slightly.

“That’s right. I’m alone.”

“But I discovered this Star-Patterned Ironwood first, so it naturally belongs to Yaochi Immortal Palace.”

“You discovered it first?”

A late-stage Foundation Establishment disciple beside Chen Feng scoffed.

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“The precious natural treasures found in secret realms have always gone to those strong enough to claim them. Do you really think you can keep it?”

Liu Ruyan smiled faintly.

“There’s only one way to find out.”

“But have you really thought through what it would mean to attack me?”

“Enough nonsense!”

Chen Feng frowned. Liu Ruyan’s unruffled manner made him uncomfortable, as though she were looking down on him.

“If you refuse to yield, then we’ll settle this with our swords!”

Before the words had left his mouth, he drew his sword with a metallic ring and leveled the point at Liu Ruyan.

A concentrated streak of azure sword qi erupted from the blade, tearing through the air with a piercing whistle as it shot straight toward Liu Ruyan’s brow!

The strike was fast, precise, and vicious. It contained the full spiritual power of an early-stage Golden Core cultivator, making it clear that Chen Feng intended to cripple her with a single blow!

Faced with the attack, Liu Ruyan’s expression did not change.

She raised her right hand, and a strange rune silently appeared in her palm.

An uncanny wave instantly rippled outward from the center of her palm!

The moment Chen Feng sensed its aura, his pupils contracted sharply!

His thoughts, his movements, and even the spiritual power surging through his body became unbearably sluggish in that instant!

It was as though he had fallen into a mire of thick mud or been dragged into slow motion!

The devastating sword qi visibly slowed the instant it touched that strange wave.

“What kind of bizarre technique is this?!”

“How… How is that possible?!”

Two of the Foundation Establishment disciples cried out in shock.

Their senior brother’s sword qi had been neutralized with such casual ease that it defied everything they knew.

Chen Feng’s expression darkened further. He realized that the woman before him was probably far stronger than they had estimated.

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“Attack together!”

Holding nothing back, he unleashed a killing move. Spiritual power surged wildly along his sword, transforming into a vast blade of sword energy that came crashing down with mountain-splitting force!

The other four disciples also pushed their spiritual power to the limit. Their four swords united, forming an enormous sword beam that hurtled toward Liu Ruyan’s back!

Caught between attacks from the front and rear, Liu Ruyan faced an onslaught of terrifying power!

At last, a trace of seriousness flashed through her eyes.

She brought her hands together before her without letting them touch. Between her palms, a faint character meaning “Draw” appeared, formed from countless minute runes.

“Samsara… Draw.”

She softly uttered the words and gently pushed both hands forward.

There was no earthshaking explosion. The character “Draw” met Chen Feng’s mighty Flowing Cloud Mountain-Shattering sword energy head-on.

Then something uncanny happened!

The overwhelmingly powerful sword energy began to “fade” and “dissipate” the instant it touched the character “Draw,” the process clearly visible to the naked eye.

In the space of a single breath, the terrifying sword energy disintegrated on its own, scattering into motes of light.

At the same time, Liu Ruyan shifted slightly to the side as though she had foreseen the attack, evading the sword beam coming from behind with perfect timing.

The sword beam skimmed past her and struck the charred ground in the distance, blasting out a massive crater.

The four Foundation Establishment disciples stared in utter disbelief. Their combined attack had not even touched the hem of her robe!

After neutralizing their assault, Liu Ruyan did not seize the opening to counterattack.

She lowered her hands and remained where she was, her aura steady, as though the exchange had barely cost her any effort.

“Do you still wish to continue?”

She looked at the pale-faced Chen Feng and asked calmly.

Chen Feng’s chest rose and fell, and the hand gripping his sword trembled slightly.

By now, he understood perfectly well that the five of them had no hope of defeating her.

That unfathomable divine ability of hers, which seemed capable of dissolving attacks, was simply unheard of.

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But as an elite disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, how could he preserve his dignity if he backed down now?

Just as he gritted his teeth, preparing to issue a few threats or send a signal summoning his fellow disciples…

“Senior Sister Liu!”

“Senior Sister, we’re here!”

Several shouts came from outside the charred grove.

Immediately afterward, five figures riding artifacts and wreathed in surging spiritual power streaked toward them. They swiftly landed beside Liu Ruyan.

Forming a semicircle, they shielded her behind them while warily scrutinizing Chen Feng and his four companions.

They were disciples of Yaochi Immortal Palace who had heard the fierce fighting and sensed the fluctuations of spiritual power, then followed the commotion here!

The five newcomers consisted of three men and two women, all at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. They, too, were among the disciples who had entered the secret realm.

Although their cultivation fell far short of Chen Feng’s, not one of them showed the slightest fear. Their eyes burned with fighting spirit and fierce determination to protect one of their own!

“Wang Chuang, Li Mo, Sun Xiaoguo, Lin Wei, and Li Xin greet Senior Sister Liu!”

The five bowed to Liu Ruyan in unison, their voices ringing with undiminished vigor.

Liu Ruyan looked at the junior brothers and sisters who had rushed over and placed themselves in front of her without hesitation.

A genuine smile appeared on her gentle face as she nodded.

“Your timing is perfect.”

Chen Feng saw that the other side had suddenly gained five reinforcements.

Although they were all only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, their united presence and fearless gazes made his heart sink even further.

He knew there was no longer any chance of achieving his goal today.

Liu Ruyan alone was already unfathomable. Now that she had reinforcements, Chen Feng’s group would be at a severe disadvantage if the fighting resumed.

His expression shifted several times before he finally drew a deep breath, suppressed his resentment and fury, sheathed his sword, and cupped his hands.

“Yaochi Immortal Palace… truly lives up to its reputation.”

“Your divine ability is astonishing, Fellow Daoist Liu. I, Chen Feng, am impressed. The Star-Patterned Ironwood is yours. Let’s go!”

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With that, he lingered no longer. He turned and left, and the four Foundation Establishment disciples hurried after him.

The group soon vanished into the depths of the charred grove, their retreat looking rather hasty.

Seeing the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect disciples withdraw, the five disciples of Yaochi Immortal Palace all breathed sighs of relief, though they remained vigilant.

Wang Chuang, a capable-looking young disciple, stepped forward and asked,

“Senior Sister Liu, are you all right? They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Liu Ruyan shook her head.

“I’m fine. Thank you for rushing here.”

“Senior Sister, there’s no need to thank us!”

The female disciple named Lin Wei replied brightly,

“The Palace Master and Deputy Palace Master have both taught us that fellow disciples are family. When we’re away from the sect, we must always look out for one another!”

“Exactly! They outnumbered you and even tried to steal your treasure. If you hadn’t been so strong, we would’ve fought them with everything we had!”

Sun Xiaoguo added, brandishing his fists.

Warmth filled Liu Ruyan’s heart, and she smiled.

“All right. We shouldn’t stay here for long.”

“Let’s collect the Star-Patterned Ironwood, then regroup with the others as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, Senior Sister!”

Everyone readily agreed.

Liu Ruyan successfully harvested and stored away the Star-Patterned Ironwood growing deep within the charred grove.

The Star-Patterned Ironwood was exceptionally tough, making it an excellent material for refining flying swords and defensive artifacts.

Using their identity jade tokens to determine the right direction, the group of six swiftly set off toward the area where they sensed the greatest concentration of fellow disciples.

At that moment, throughout the secret realm, the scattered disciples of Yaochi Immortal Palace were relying on their identity jade tokens to sense one another and doing their utmost to converge.

Encounters, disputes, and alliances both large and small continued to unfold throughout the dangerous secret realm.