Chapter 28: Ye Qiu Xian, the Powerful Spirit Beast
“Damn it!”
Zhou Xingma raised his arms to shield his head, enduring the onslaught, his heart filled with frustration. This was nothing like the sparring he had imagined!
In his mind, the duel was supposed to be a direct clash with Yang Dai—blades flashing, bodies weaving, spells cast with deft hands—a battle of youthful passion, a rivalry destined for the summit. Yet now!
Yang Dai hadn’t even lifted a finger; he simply summoned his followers to suppress Zhou Xingma.
“Get out—!”
Zhou Xingma roared, his arms trembling, and suddenly his whole body ignited with blue flames. In an instant, the fire enveloped Tian Bu Zhong, Bai Wei, and Cheng Hungry Ghost, startling the three shadowy figures into retreat.
Soldiers watching from outside the wire fence cried out in surprise. Was this some kind of berserk transformation? This talent resembled a superpower—simply incredible!
Yang Dai was also taken aback by Zhou Xingma’s eruption. Was he some kind of unstoppable hero?
“Form the formation!”
Tian Bu Zhong shouted. Bai Wei and Cheng Hungry Ghost immediately spread out, surrounding Zhou Xingma. Each raised their right hand, index and middle fingers extended, channeling spiritual power that coalesced into sword blades.
Zhou Xingma laughed loudly, “You still dare approach me?”
The blue flames blazed fiercely on their bodies, but the three ignored the burning pain and rapidly formed a battle array.
The Grand Celestial Sword Formation!
Their spiritual sword blades released countless streams of sword energy, weaving together into circular pillars of force, and Zhou Xingma stood right in the heart of the formation.
Hu Li was visibly moved, his expression incredulous.
“A sword formation! Impossible!”
Hu Li was stunned. Among the current trial participants in Xia Nation, those who could execute a sword formation were exceedingly rare—countable on one hand—and all were top-tier, one even a Pillar of the Nation!
Tian Bu Zhong and his companions formed the array swiftly, and the sword formation struck even faster. Sword energy surged from all directions, flooding toward Zhou Xingma.
Boom!
The sword energy instantly dispelled the blue flames on Zhou Xingma. His white shirt and jeans were torn open in strips, blood splattering across the ground.
“Stop!”
Hu Li shouted, rushing to Tian Bu Zhong’s side, grabbing his shoulder and yanking him back. Tian Bu Zhong was sent flying, and the Grand Celestial Sword Formation collapsed in an instant.
Cheng Hungry Ghost and Bai Wei were knocked back, their sword energy dispersing. Zhou Xingma, bloodied, fell to the ground.
Hu Li shook his right hand, realizing the blue flames wouldn’t dissipate, and was forced to use spiritual power.
Tian Bu Zhong and his companions immediately burrowed into the earth, seeking to extinguish the flames clinging to their bodies.
Hu Li called for soldiers to carry Zhou Xingma to the medical ward.
The soldiers passing by cast strange glances at Yang Dai. None had expected the battle to end in such a manner.
But undeniably, the sword formation from the three shadowy figures was formidable. Where Zhou Xingma had stood was now a circular crater, the surrounding ground etched with countless fine marks—the aftermath of rampaging sword energy.
Soon, Tian Bu Zhong and his companions emerged from the earth and approached Yang Dai.
“Not good, master! This fire won’t go out!” Cheng Hungry Ghost exclaimed, panic evident in his voice.
He was already dead; he had no desire to vanish altogether.
Yang Dai, hearing this, quickly turned and called out, “Brother, help my followers extinguish their fire!”
Hu Li hurried over, producing a talisman from his sleeve. With his left hand, he performed a spell, absorbing all the blue flames from the three shadowy figures into the talisman.
Yang Dai and his followers breathed a sigh of relief.
Hu Li smiled, “This talisman was prepared in advance. Zhou Xingma’s fire is not ordinary—it’s spiritual fire. Within the same realm, it’s nearly impossible to smother it with your own spiritual power. You need sealing techniques or much greater spiritual strength.”
Yang Dai’s opinion of Zhou Xingma rose. An S-class talent—truly deserving of its reputation.
Amid the soldiers’ cheers, Yang Dai was escorted back by Hu Li.
Yang Dai hailed from Hanxi Province, while Zhou Xingma was from another province, like a challenger from afar. Naturally, they supported Yang Dai.
Back in his room, Yang Dai immediately entered the Deep Domain to continue his cultivation.
The battle with Zhou Xingma hadn’t harmed him in the slightest; he had no need to rest.
…
Inside the base infirmary.
Bound head to toe with bandages, only his eyes exposed, Zhou Xingma stared blankly at the ceiling.
Hu Li walked to the bedside, sat down, lit a cigarette, and began to puff leisurely.
“Xiao Zhou, once your wounds heal, head home,” Hu Li said kindly, blowing a smoke ring.
Zhou Xingma snapped out of his daze, glanced at Hu Li, and gritted his teeth, “Director Hu, how many summoned followers like the ones just now does the Tyrant have?”
He was unwilling to accept defeat, feeling that he had simply been careless. He could have evaded the sword formation—this was his first encounter with such, and he lacked experience.
But reason told him Yang Dai might have even more tricks up his sleeve, for throughout the battle, Yang Dai had remained serene and unruffled.
Hu Li smiled, “I’ll tell you, but you mustn’t breathe a word of this—it’s classified.”
Zhou Xingma replied seriously, “I won’t say a thing, not even to my parents!”
Hu Li chuckled and raised his left hand, extending five fingers.
“Five? He’s strong…”
“Fifty.”
“What? Impossible!”
Zhou Xingma was stunned, instinctively trying to sit up, but the movement tugged his wounds, making him grimace in pain. He hurriedly lay back down, his bandages quickly turning red, but he ignored it, his gaze fixed on Hu Li.
Hu Li nodded, “That’s right—fifty followers. So, Xiao Zhou, don’t bother competing with him. Xiao Yang is a good guy; if he went all out, you’d be in real trouble.”
Zhou Xingma was shaken, deeply unsettled.
How could anyone summon fifty followers…
Hu Li kept a straight face, secretly pleased.
Silly kid, I’m afraid to scare you.
In truth, Yang Dai could summon a hundred shadowy followers!
…
In the valley.
Yang Dai was cultivating the second layer of the Sublime Method Sutra with eight shadowy followers, requiring mastery of nine different spell seals.
Across the brook, dozens of followers were diligently training in the Grand Celestial Sword Formation, while the rest sat in meditation, gathering spiritual energy.
At first glance, this valley resembled a military training ground.
A figure leaped swiftly from the cliff nearby, landing lightly before Yang Dai with the grace of a swallow.
“Master, nothing unusual discovered today,” Tian Bu Zhong reported softly. Yang Dai didn’t open his eyes but nodded slightly. Tian Bu Zhong turned and walked toward the group practicing the sword formation.
He had stayed in this valley for seven days, rarely venturing out, but each day he sent followers to scout the surroundings for any signs of travelers who might perish here.
Unfortunately, he had been disappointed.
[Congratulations to Xia Nation’s trial participant ‘Ye Qiu Xian’ for successfully passing the Minor Celestial Tribulation and advancing to the Spiritual Illumination Realm]
Yang Dai opened his eyes, startled by the notification before him.
The Spiritual Illumination Realm—the highest realm currently in Xia Nation!
Reaching this level brought a meteoric rise in status; even if not a Pillar of the Nation, one would earn strategic importance.
Xia Nation had twelve Pillars—the strongest twelve people—followed by Provincial Pillars and City Pillars. Unlike National Pillars, each city had only one City Lord, each province only one Provincial Pillar. Those in the Spiritual Illumination Realm qualified to compete for Provincial Pillar, though qualification alone wasn’t enough.
Yang Dai felt a twinge of admiration and envy, but didn’t dwell on it. The emergence of more experts in Xia Nation was a good thing.
After a while, Cang Wolf approached and bowed, “Master, there’s a powerful monster thirty miles to the south. Shall we hunt it?”