The Xuanhuang Bell of Baiyujing was specifically designed for warnings, ringing when disturbed by demonic energy. Over the past century, it had only sounded twice: once in the forty-first year of Tian Shu, when the great demon Yan Ye emerged, his demonic energy poisoning the mortal world and displacing countless commoners.
The other time was when a horde of demons invaded Baiyujing, leading to its downfall.
Fortunately, Ning Xi had fallen asleep as soon as she returned to her room, still in her outer garments. She leaped out of bed and rushed to the door, nearly colliding with a disciple who was pushing it open.
"It’s you again!"
Steward Wei’s face turned deathly pale, and he instinctively covered his neck, which had been scratched by Ning Xi’s wooden hairpin.
Ning Xi’s gaze inadvertently fell on his ten slender, pale fingers, the nails painted with vibrant red Kou Dan.
His face was also caked with a thick layer of white powder, almost completely obscuring his original features. It took Ning Xi a moment to recognize him: "Wei Shu, Da Shi Xiong."
Disciples of the Outer Sect Peak were divided into groups based on their daily tasks: Huanxi, cleaning, Lingcao cultivation, Lingchong feeding, night patrols, and so on. Each group consisted of ten members, with an older Da Shi Xiong appointed as the steward.
Wei Shu was the steward of Ning Xi’s cleaning group.
In her previous life, Ning Xi had little interaction with him. He only appeared before her when assigning tasks, often issuing a few condescending orders before disappearing. Later, during the demonic rebellion, Wei Shu also perished in the chaos.
"Are you going out?" Wei Shu, seeing that she was no longer in a daze or attacking him, relaxed slightly and let out a coquettish snort through his nose. "Perfect, I’m short-handed. Come with me."
Without waiting for Ning Xi’s agreement, he grabbed her and dragged her outside, leaping onto his flying sword.
Wei Shu was a chatterbox, rambling incessantly along the way. Ning Xi barely managed to gather that she was being taken to Baiyao Garden to fill in for someone.
"Damn these demons! Damn that Xuanhuang Bell for ringing now—I didn’t even get my beauty sleep!" Wei Shu cursed irritably, then shot Ning Xi a sidelong glance and spat, "You look clumsy. If it weren’t for most of the Baiyao Garden disciples rushing to the front lines to treat the wounded, there’d be no way you’d be here to help!"
Ning Xi’s fingers, hanging by her skirt, tightened slightly. "Is the situation at the front that intense?"
Wei Shu replied, "Pretty much. Who knows where all these demons came from? They’ve torn a breach in the Mountain Protection Formation at the eastern foothills. The inner sect disciples from Sword Peak, Weapon Peak, and Formation Peak have all rushed there for reinforcements."
Recalling the scenes of rivers of blood and corpses strewn across the fields from her past life, Ning Xi’s throat tightened. "But what about the sect leaders and elders from other sects? The matter with Da Shi Xiong isn’t resolved yet—they should still be here. Can’t we ask for their help—"
"Pah, what do you know? The Poxin Hammer won’t be fixed anytime soon. Those big shots are swamped with responsibilities—how could they wait around idly? They all left within half an hour!"
Ning Xi’s face paled. So, once again, Baiyujing would have to fight alone?!
Had all her efforts still failed to change the outcome?!
"Talk about bad luck. The big shots leave, and before we can even catch our breath, demons invade. Nothing but tasks day in and day out—so annoying, so annoying!"
Wei Shu continued to grumble, increasing his speed as he rode the sword. The chilly night wind blew against them, and Ning Xi couldn’t help but shiver.
Baiyujing enjoyed perpetual spring, fond of planting white cherry blossoms, with the cool evening breeze always carrying a faint fragrance of white cherry blossoms.
Only today was an exception—a whiff of gunpowder smoke in the wind made it impossible to ignore.
Ning Xi looked down beneath her feet. Far to her right, dark purple demonic aura filled half the sky. Golden-red flames and sword energy erupted in a flash, accompanied by the relentless clashing of metal, the roars of demon beasts, and the shouts of people.
That should be the front line defending against the demon invasion of Baiyujing—the Mountain Protection Formation at the eastern foothills.
She was flying too high to discern whether the person she sought was among them. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke up, "Senior Brother Wei, could you let me down? I want to go to the eastern foothills."
"Did you not understand what I just said?" Wei Shu was infuriated by her unreasonable request and snapped, "That's the front line of the battlefield! With our low cultivation levels, what are we going there for? To throw our lives away?"
Wei Shu wanted to scold her further but suddenly remembered how this girl had nearly stabbed him to death with a wooden hairpin. He swallowed his words and changed his tone, "Are you afraid the demons will break in?"
"…"
Actually, she was thinking of Pei Bu Chen.
In her previous life, despite carrying severe injuries that shattered half his heart, Da Shi Xiong had stubbornly insisted on joining the battle. This time, he would surely go again.
Wei Shu said, "Unfounded fears. Do you know who's in charge of repairing the Mountain Protection Formation? Da Shi Xiong! With him there, not even a fly demon's wing could slip through, let alone other demons."
Ning Xi fell silent.
Yes, he was the Da Shi Xiong whom all of Baiyujing relied upon. When the eight-layered cherry blossoms bloomed, none could rival him. Meanwhile, she hadn't even entered Qi Refining—what right did she have to worry about him?
Yet, she couldn't feel completely at ease.
Why were the demons attacking Baiyujing earlier than in her previous life?
Considering the divergence point from her past life's fate, it was her successful rescue of Pei Bu Chen from the Pou Xin Stage this time.
Was there a connection between the two?
…
Or was the demons' early attack purely coincidental, and she was overthinking it?
…
After pondering without an answer, they arrived at Baiyao Garden.
Though it was already midnight, the entire Baiyao Garden was brightly lit and bustling with activity. The disciples rushing about were pale-faced, carrying prescription lists as tall as half a person, gliding past as if their feet never touched the ground.
Wei Shu dragged Ning Xi through the crowd, moving as if on wind-fire wheels. He grabbed a stack of ointments and gauze for himself, then shoved a basket of yellow-and-green herbs into her hands without explanation.
"Lay out the freshly picked ones to dry, and grind the already dried ones into powder. After that, there are twenty more baskets over there. Finish everything before the Chou hour tonight!"
Ning Xi clutched the medicine basket blankly, spinning around like a masterless top following Wei Shu. Only after he finished rattling off the entire series of instructions did she mumble an acknowledgment.
In the center of the hall, many outer sect disciples dressed in coarse brown linen like her were already seated on cushions, selecting herbs with fingers flying.
For a moment, the entire hall was so quiet one could hear a pin drop, filled only with the rustling sounds of disciples diligently working on the herbs.
In such an environment, Ning Xi felt utterly out of place. She stood awkwardly for a while before spotting an empty small cushion and hurried over on tiptoe.
After sitting down, Ning Xi stole a few glances at the disciple beside her, imitating her posture by straightening her back, and began selecting the herbs.
Ning Xi set aside the dried and sun-cured withered branches and leaves separately… Shortly after finishing, she suddenly heard panicked voices rushing from outside the hall.
"A great demon! The great demon Yan Ye has emerged! By the Sect Leader Token, I bring word—none of you are to leave your posts without authorization!"
The medicinal herb in Ning Xi's hand abruptly fell to the ground.
Yan Ye—the legendary ancient great demon, said to take the form of a Yinglong stretching thousands of miles, known for devouring countless cultivators and mortals alike.
Most importantly, during the world-ending war at Baiyujing in her previous life, Yan Ye had also appeared, striking Pei Bu Chen with his winged prototype form and shattering his sword bone entirely.
Ning Xi shot to her feet.
How could she have forgotten this!
Though Pei Bu Chen wasn't entering battle injured this time, Yan Ye's terror was such that even the entirety of Baiyujing could hardly withstand him. What if Da Shi Xiong faced Yan Ye again and…
What if?
Restless and anxious, Ning Xi found solace in the fact that many others shared her alarm. Blending into the crowd, she didn't stand out.
Those assigned to Baiyao Garden for logistical support were mostly young disciples with low cultivation and limited experience. Already stirred, they quickly grew lax once the silence broke, whispering among themselves.
"Wasn't it said that Yan Ye was defeated by our sect leader once, lost half his tail, and slunk back to the demon race's lair? How dare he show up again?"
"Who do you think I should ask? Probably here to avenge his tail! As the saying goes, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don't bully the young and poor—"
"Cut it out! That great demon Yan Ye must have lived millennia, older than our ancestors combined. What 'young' are you spouting nonsense about?"
"Watch your language, mind your words."
Ning Xi slipped out of the chattering crowd and swiftly caught the young disciple who had delivered the message and was about to leave. "Have you seen Da Shi Xiong?"
The disciple, likely just returned from the battlefield, was covered in dust and bloodstains from head to toe. Startled by being grabbed, he answered reflexively, "Da Shi Xiong was originally overseeing repairs to the Mountain Protection Formation at the eastern foothills. Upon hearing of Yan Ye's emergence, he led a team there immediately."
Just as she feared.
Ning Xi uttered a quick "My apologies" and decisively snatched the sword from the disciple's waist.
The disciple's face instantly flushed crimson.
Taking a sword cultivator's sword was no different from stealing another man's wife!
But having just returned from the battlefield and rushed here on his sword to deliver the message, his legs were as weak as noodles. He couldn't possibly catch up with Ning Xi's swift strides, and could only watch helplessly as the girl seized his sword and dashed out of the hall.
Damn it!
The disciple felt like crying but had no tears, thinking to himself that his mother was right—pretty women were all tigresses!
Ning Xi ran at full speed, following the scent of blood and iron in the air toward the eastern foothills.
The mountain path was dark, its construction aged. She nearly tripped over protruding bricks on the road, scraping her palm against the stone surface.
Fortunately, years of labor had given her palms a thin layer of calluses. Aside from a burning sensation, she wasn't seriously injured.
She glanced up at the stars, estimating it was past midnight, but the eastern foothills were still a mountain away. If she relied on her own two legs, the battle would likely be over by the time she arrived.
Gritting her teeth, Ning Xi drew the disciple's sword, preparing to attempt Ride the Sword.
The sword, unwillingly taken from its owner, flickered with faint, resentful light.
Recalling the techniques she'd seen others use for Ride the Sword, Ning Xi formed a hand seal and chanted the incantation: "Rely on nature, all things, all beings, all phenomena, all actions—move by heart, rise with the wind!"
The long sword lay motionless in her palm.
Ning Xi gritted her teeth and tried again.
"All living beings, all phenomena, all actions—move by heart, rise with the wind!"
Still no response.
"All living beings, all phenomena, all actions—move by heart, rise with the wind!"
…
Until her voice grew hoarse, Ning Xi lost count of how many times she had tried. Within her spiritual realm, it felt as though a mud ball was clogging everything, the crucial passage remaining shut.
She swallowed, tasting the metallic tang in her throat.
She wasn't really surprised. If mastering the art of Riding the Sword were truly this easy, she wouldn't have remained an outer sect disciple for so many years.
Back then, she hadn't even passed the foundational aptitude test.
Dejectedly, Ning Xi glanced at the long sword in her hand, then lifted her gaze toward the direction of the eastern foothills.
She was actually quite close to the eastern foothills, only separated by a tall mountain that needed to be circumvented.
The dark purple demonic aura was even denser than before.
The demonic aura was terrifying, seemingly condensed with millions of distorted demonic faces, their dark maws gaping wide. Each glance made one feel they were about to devour the entire Baiyujing.
Yet every overwhelming assault was blocked by an invisible barrier.
Beneath the barrier, hovering in the air, stood a figure in fluttering white robes.
Ning Xi's pupils contracted.
She hadn't expected to see Da Shi Xiong, Pei Bu Chen.
Alone with his sword, he stood like an army of thousands.
The demonic aura solidified for a moment, then a pitch-black dragon head, three stories tall, surged out from the dark purple haze. Its roar was like thunder, its maw like an abyss, charging straight toward the small, plain-robed figure.
The Zhu Ri Sword erupted with a brilliance as bright as daylight, clashing against the dragon's fangs with a grating metallic screech.
At the same time, within the pitch-black mountain forest, Ning Xi suddenly felt an epiphany. A spark of clarity ignited in her spiritual platform, and the blockage in her inner realm dissolved.
She had actually gained enlightenment from the sword technique Pei Bu Chen executed in his life-and-death struggle!
Spirit Rhinoceros flashed in her mind, her body moving as her heart willed. Without hesitation, she bit her index finger and smeared the blood onto her sword. The previously dull and lifeless blade suddenly burst into radiant light.
The sword, originally mere ordinary iron, becomes spiritual through wielding, moves by heart, and comes alive through blood!
The next moment, Ning Xi's feet left the ground.
The wild evening wind surged like a torrent, lifting the girl's ink-black long hair. Her heterochromatic eyes, clear as amber, blazed brightly in the night.
For the first time, she was Riding the Sword by her own power.
She could finally go save him!