Chapter 14: Lake Fox Shadows

In the autumn rain pouring down from the sky, many vivid red bird feathers were soaked, falling in scattered pieces. Even after hitting the ground, the spiritual essence of the blood-feathers remained undiminished; the surrounding rainwater hissed as it turned into white steam, and then the blood-feathers gradually lost their warmth under the relentless wash of the autumn rain.

Between heaven and earth, spiritual energy vibrated. All the rainwater throughout the city was shattered by the onslaught of sword qi and demonic energy, scattering in the autumn wind to become an overwhelming mist.

Amidst this mist, the shrieks of birds and the clang of swords rang out incessantly, accompanied by metallic sounds from their collisions.

Lord Blood Plume was forcefully driven from above the imperial city to Phoenix Perch Lake by this fierce sword qi.

Above Phoenix Perch Lake, countless extremely fine streams of sword qi now cut through the mist, resembling white rainbows suspended in the air. These streams intertwined to form a snow-white lotus. From the center of this flower, a cold light gleamed, and the woman in white robes transformed into a streak of sword light, piercing through the air. Simultaneously, the lotus formed by interwoven sword qi above the lake instantly shattered, turning into countless specks that converged towards the center, attaching themselves to the woman like particles of light.

That scene resembled a myriad of streams flowing into a river, eventually converging into an unstoppable torrent.

Lord Blood Plume cried out in distress. Before this sword could fully materialize, it had been restrained by a sword lock. It had just managed to break free from the sword lock using the Blood Sea Transformation Sword Art, only for the sword, formed from the shattered sword-lotus, to burst forth with dazzling light right before its eyes.

Finding no opportunity to breathe, it could only flap its wings, stirring up violent winds and waves to conceal its form as it fled across the lake, moving away from the overbearing Daoist sword. Where its wings stirred the winds, thousands of sword shadows, conjured from feathers, also rose, resembling swarms of red moths rushing towards the torrent of sword qi to block its advance.

However, these red moths were crushed in an instant. Lord Blood Plume fled rapidly, skimming the surface of the lake, while the streak of sword light pursued it just as closely, also skimming the water.

Wherever they passed, the lake water parted, rising several zhang high like towering walls of water that quickly collapsed as they moved away.

Lord Blood Plume's eyes were bloodshot. The extremely sharp sword qi had almost touched its back, beginning to peel off its iron-hard feathers.

"Damn it, when did that woman from the Divine Sword Sect become so formidable..."

Just as the sword qi was about to catch up, it could no longer bear it. It fiercely flapped its wings, striking the water, and a high water curtain rose between them.

As the sword qi pierced the water curtain, Lord Blood Plume had already turned. Its eyes, like torches, were fixed on the sword that broke through the curtain. In that instant of life or death, its iron-hook-like talons, wreathed in bloody flames, stretched out and forcibly plunged into the white light.

The relentlessly advancing sword qi finally showed a distinct pause at this moment.

Where they paused, the waves beneath their feet exploded with earth-shattering sounds. The water surface below had already collapsed into an extremely deep pit, and though vast amounts of lake water poured in from all directions, they could not fill it.

The torrent of sword qi gradually faded, and within the dazzling sword light, a gleaming longsword, starting from its tip, slowly revealed its full form.

The sword tip was merely inches from Lord Blood Plume's chest, and Lord Blood Plume, with its sharp talons, precisely grasped the sword's body, preventing it from advancing any further.

Even so, the sword's momentum had not ceased; its immense impact continued to push Lord Blood Plume rapidly backward. Lord Blood Plume, in turn, vigorously flapped its wings, raising strong winds, using this enormous resistance to counter the sword's advance.

Lord Blood Plume's retreating form gradually slowed, indicating that the relentlessly advancing sword was finally nearing its end.

Lord Blood Plume, having sustained itself on a single breath until now, finally found a moment to respite. It suddenly opened its beak, instantly drawing in the surrounding air.

A resonant cry echoed from the center of the lake.

At a certain moment, both figures finally stopped, suspended above the lake in an eerie balance.

The surrounding furious waves also gradually subsided after they stopped moving.

Lord Blood Plume flapped its wings, exhausted, a difficult smile appearing in its eyes as it gazed at the sword tip pressed against its chest but unable to pierce it.

The sword qi, like snow foam evaporated by the scorching sun, gradually dispersed amidst the strong winds and waves. The figure holding the sword stopped for the first time, clearly emerging above the water.

The woman stood holding her sword, her sword-robes as white as snow. A dark belt cinched her slender waist, from which hung a silver ring and jade pendant, with delicate red tassels swaying in the wind.

Her jade crown and silver hairpin were perfectly in place, and her dark hair flowed gracefully behind her.

Her face was obscured by a pure white mask, revealing only the endless chill and killing intent emanating from her autumn-water-like eyes.

Lord Blood Plume met her gaze, and for a moment, it had the illusion that the woman herself was a cold, merciless sword.

"Half-step Purple Court?" Lord Blood Plume was greatly alarmed.

The peak of the Longevity Realm was indeed Half-step Purple Court.

A master of such a realm could establish a sect anywhere in Southern Province. Why would someone of this cultivation not cultivate properly outside the mundane world, but instead come looking for trouble with me?

Lord Blood Plume sighed inwardly, wondering if the opponent intended to use it as an opportunity to fully enter the first level of the Purple Court Realm.

The woman regarded it indifferently. She stood slightly angled, her right hand pressing on the sword hilt, still wrestling with the demonic beast. The lake wind, combined with the opposing demonic force, made her sword-robes, which clung to her body, whip wildly backward with a flapping sound. Her curves, which should have been as graceful as rolling mountains, now exuded a sharp, deadly aura.

"Tell me who instructed you, and I will spare your life."

The woman finally spoke. Her voice was clear and cold, utterly devoid of impurity, like a crystal-clear jade sword cleansed of all dust.

Lord Blood Plume gave two dry laughs and declared righteously, "I am responsible for my own actions! Besides, who in this small Southern Province could command this Heavenly Lord? You little wench, don't think you can trample on my dignity just because you have a bit of skill and managed to get the upper hand!"

The woman looked at it and said calmly, "You have a restriction inside you; otherwise, my sword would hardly have injured you to this extent. Who placed this restriction? Who exactly do you obey?"

Lord Blood Plume naturally wouldn't let go of this rare chance to catch its breath. While regulating the turbulent demonic energy within its body, it spoke:

"Heh, I think you should be grateful to the one who placed this restriction. Without it, how could a wet-behind-the-ears little girl like you be my match? By now, I'd probably have driven you into a frantic retreat all the way, so how dare you speak to this Heavenly Lord with such arrogance?"

The woman showed no anger, merely asked coldly, "You won't say?"

Lord Blood Plume laughed wildly and said, "If you abandon your sword, kneel, and kowtow three times, begging me, then I might consider telling you."

Amidst its wild laughter, Lord Blood Plume suddenly flapped its wings, and countless illusory red sword-feathers swept forth like a tide. At the same time, the hand gripping the sword's body twisted fiercely, intending to snatch the weapon.

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly. The sword was locked in a struggle with Lord Blood Plume and could not be withdrawn immediately. She decisively abandoned the sword and swept backward.

Lord Blood Plume laughed loudly, "The young lady of the Divine Sword Sect is truly obedient; she abandoned her sword just like that! When will you kowtow three times? This Heavenly Lord wouldn't mind kneeling with you, and together we can pay homage to heaven and earth..."

Lord Blood Plume, who had expected its sneak attack to succeed, suddenly lost its smile.

It discovered with horror that although the woman's figure swept backward, she had made some unknown hand seal before her chest. The sword-feathers it had launched, upon nearing her, were all assimilated by her into vast white sword qi. This sword qi converged into a tide, and with a flick of her fingers, it turned its crest and surged back towards it.

"Sword Spirit Fusion? How could such a person exist in Southern Province?"

The thought flashed through its mind, but it had no time to ponder; it abandoned the sword and fled.

It calculated the time. Although its agreement with the Prince was still some way off, it dared not risk anything further and only wished to escape with all its might.

It was convinced that if it focused solely on escape, no matter how skilled the woman's sword techniques were, she wouldn't be able to surpass it.

It was a pity the Shaman Lord had not yet appeared, and the task entrusted by the Prince would likely be difficult to complete.

No sooner had this thought arisen than, the next moment, another anomaly occurred.

An ancient staff descended from the sky, appearing horizontally before it like a massive pillar, blocking its path.

Before it, an old man with withered, white hair stood upon the lake's waves, holding a scroll in one hand and a staff in the other, the water beneath his feet boiling.

His murky, fish-like eyes fixed on the fleeing giant bird, filled with solemn gravity and deadly intent, containing decades of suppressed rage.

Decades ago, had it not been for this demonic bird wreaking havoc in the imperial city, his Dao would have progressed much further. To stabilize his Dao source, he had to protect the city's peace and fight this demonic bird with all his might.

He was too severely wounded in that battle, directly endangering the very foundation of his Dao. His cultivation path, which should have soared upwards, became incredibly arduous. Now over a hundred years old with white hair, he could already feel death approaching.

With his Dao stalled indefinitely, death was his only outcome.

The root of all this was Lord Blood Plume.

How could he be reconciled to this?

"You evil creature!"

The old man roared in anger, and his wooden staff struck through the air, smashing down directly towards Lord Blood Plume's head.

The sword immortal woman, who had been in close pursuit behind it, instead stopped. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the ancient scroll in the old man's hand.

Lord Blood Plume, however, was unafraid; a rare ferocity erupted in its pupils.

In its youth, even the Shaman Lord at his peak could only injure it through schemes and tricks. Now, though it was restricted and heavily wounded, "you're old, aren't you...?"

Firelight and blood-red light illuminated the lake surface and pierced through the rain. Lord Blood Plume shrieked loudly and charged forward.

The Shaman Lord stood unmoving. He bore the destiny of the city and represented this ancient, majestic city.

The two collided. Lord Blood Plume let out a pained shriek, its red feathers trembling violently all over, its chest a bloody mess.

The old man's body also swayed. Meanwhile, the imperial city by the lake now trembled as if from an earthquake, and many structurally unstable buildings began to collapse.

Lord Blood Plume's bloodthirsty eyes glared at him: "You've grown weaker. If you weren't holding this immortal scroll, your breastbone would have shattered completely just now."

The Shaman Lord gazed at it icily, wasting no words. He looked towards the masked woman standing with her sword behind the lake surface and demanded loudly, "What are you waiting for?"

The woman said, "This scroll is meant for me to bring back to my sect. If you allow it, I will kill it for you now."

The Shaman Lord's expression turned grim: "Do your renowned immortal sects also engage in such opportunistic behavior?"

The woman said, "I know this immortal scroll is the true bearer of the imperial city's destiny. Our immortal sect will protect it well, ensuring peace for your Zhao Kingdom."

"Whether the Zhao Kingdom prospers or declines, it is solely in my hands."

The Shaman Lord scoffed, gripping the ancient scroll tighter. He no longer looked at the woman, turning the scroll to a certain page and chanting an extremely obscure incantation.

Lord Blood Plume felt as if thunder rumbled beside its ears. It was equally enraged but did not act rashly. The next moment, the lake water beneath its feet began to sink. It felt something invisible and extremely heavy pressing down on its back, threatening to force it to the bottom of the lake.

It was the power of an entire city.

The woman watched the struggling red-feathered demonic bird, sighing silently. The sword in her hand lightly traced through the air, creating clear, circular ripples on the undulating lake surface.

That light stroke of the sword, however, carried a killing intent as heavy as a thousand jun.

Slaying demons was, after all, her duty on this journey. Regardless of whether the Shaman Lord agreed to her terms, she would draw her sword.

At that moment, Lord Blood Plume truly felt chills all over its body.

With the weight of an entire city pressing down on it, how could it evade this sword?

Just then, within the imperial city, the bells precisely chimed.

It was the noon bell.

Lord Blood Plume's mind reeled. This bell chime was the agreed-upon time with the Prince; it only needed to stall until this very moment!

Now the time had come! Why was there still no activity from the imperial city?

Could it be that that damned girl had long intended to use it as a disposable pawn?

If that were the case...

Utter despair, certain of death, engulfed its heart. The sword behind it was about to strike, yet it could not muster any power to resist.

Zhao Xiang'er! Even as a ghost, I'll...

Before it could finish its venomous curse, a streak of sword qi struck its back. It spat blood and tumbled towards the lake, but was surprised to find that the sword's impact was far, far lighter than it had imagined.

It seemed to sense something, abruptly turning around, only to find that the masked sword immortal woman had already turned away, no longer looking at it.

And the Shaman Lord, with whom it had a blood feud, also had his gaze fixed elsewhere at this moment.

It realized that a figure formed from condensed flames had appeared on the lake surface at some unknown point.

The mass of flames had no definite shape, resembling twisted lightning or an eerie eye.

The moment that figure appeared, a powerful fear surged within it—an innate dread, as if from the depths of its bloodline, even more intense than the life-threatening sword strike it had just faced.

Yet, it did not hesitate because of this anomaly. As a bird, it did not fly upward, which would be too conspicuous, but plunged directly and deeply into the lake water.

It didn't care what kind of demon or monster the newcomer was; at this moment, it only wanted to seize this slim chance to escape with its life.

The darkness of the lake bottom swallowed it. It, who once hoped to become the Demonic King of Southern Province, now dragged its heavily wounded body, mobilizing its last remaining strength, fleeing desperately into the dark depths like a lake fish stripped of its scales.