Chapter 106: Wang Shu's New Master

  Liu Mengli's return to the Phantom Realm spread quickly, and with the decisive battle imminent, the young master's return boosted the morale of the many demons in Xuanmeng City. Upon hearing the news, they were all greatly encouraged, and for a time, the city was filled with joy and laughter, as if it were a festive occasion rather than a prelude to war. Liu Mengli saw this scene and quickly suppressed the worry that had been lingering in her heart. Every day, she followed Xi Zhong to learn how to manage the Phantom Realm, practiced demon magic to help Yuanyu support several boundary seals, and when she finally found some free time, she would go with Gui Xie to comfort the parents of the demons who had lost their children in the great war nineteen years ago. She was originally a clever and kind-hearted woman who was good at understanding people's intentions, and her innate compassionate heart quickly won over the hearts of the people. In just over a dozen days, she gained the respect and admiration of all the demons in Xuanmeng City.

  But she was so busy every day, Shen Bailian found it difficult to meet her, let alone talk to her. It was even more impossible to ask about Wang Shu's return to Qionghua Sect in detail. Until half a month later, Liu Mengli became familiar with the affairs of Huanming Boundary and no longer stayed by her side to guide her cultivation. Shen Bailian finally found her in a palace behind the Ri Huang Palace.

  Liu Mengli sat upright behind a cluster of purple crystal stones, absorbing spiritual energy, and listened to his explanation. He felt slightly surprised and said, "Brother, why are you so concerned about the Wangshu Sword?" He strummed the guqin beside him and remembered something else, furrowing his brow. "Brother, I've been wanting to ask you, how do you know Yun Shu, and what did you mean by those words on Juan Yuntai that day? And do you also know Qingyang and Chongguang, the two elders... Is there some connection between you and the Qionghua Sect?" As he spoke, he carefully observed his facial expression.

  Shen Bailian remained expressionless, smiling as if nothing was amiss: "What connection could a mere demon like me have with the esteemed sects of the gods? I merely happened to be present at that great war nineteen years ago and personally witnessed the ferocity of the Wangshu Sword. When you mentioned that Cloud Qing and Su Yu took it with them when they left the Qionghua Sect, I simply paid some attention. The great war is approaching; I was just making idle inquiries. If you don't know anything, then it doesn't matter."

  Liu Mengli didn't suspect otherwise, and immediately said: "That Wàng Shū Sword... Ah, the fate of that sword I not only know, but also witnessed with my own eyes. After Cloud Uncle and Cloud Gongzi's mother passed away, that sword naturally belonged to their only son. When I first met Cloud Gongzi, he had that sword on his back, shining blue and exactly the same as when I saw it many years ago..."

  "What did you say? You saw Yun Tianhe when Wang Shu Sword had... already found a new host?" Shen Baiying was shocked, he had asked his uncle Zong Lian about the twin swords and their hosts in his early years, learning that each sword had its own spirit, and after cultivating with their hosts, they became even more extraordinary. However, the relationship between the host and the sword was one of life and death, if the sword broke, the host would be injured, and if the host died, the sword would lose its luster. As Su Yu's body was the host of Wang Shu Sword, since she had already passed away, Wang Shu Sword should have lost its spiritual light. But now, the sword that Liu Mengli saw still shone with a blue light, naturally, it had found a new host.

  Liu Mengli, however, was completely unaware of the subtleties involved and asked in confusion: "What host?"

  Shen Bailian looked at her bewildered expression, indeed not knowing what to say. She sighed and asked instead: "That sword has been by Yun Tianhe's side ever since? Never leaving him?"

  Liu Mengli nodded: "Before, we didn't know the name of that sword. We only heard Yun Gongzi call it 'This is a sword', and he also said that Yun Shu had said, 'Names are not important at all, since this is a sword, just call it This Sword, simple and easy to remember'. Later, when we arrived at Qionghua Sect, one night the sword suddenly led us to a forbidden area. In the forbidden area, we found a cave filled with ice, and inside the ice pillar was sealed a person." She said this far, her hand moved, and she strummed the guqin again, producing several clear and crisp notes. "Right, brother, that person also had a sword, but the light it emitted was red, looking like a ball of fire from afar. He said that the red sword was called 'Xihe', and he also told us the name of Wanshu Sword... Brother, what's wrong with you?" She glanced at Shen Bailing's expression, and her words came to an abrupt halt.

  When Shen Bailian heard that someone was sealed in the forbidden land, he had already felt a little uneasy. When Liu Mengli said that the person carried a red sword, he suddenly felt as if a thunderbolt had struck his head, and his mind was filled with a loud noise. His face turned pale, and his heart kept echoing with one voice: It's Xuan Xiao, it's Xuan Xiao! He didn't die, he didn't die!

  Liu Mengli saw his face getting paler and more agitated, and couldn't help but ask worriedly: "Brother, what's wrong with you? Why do you look so bad?" After asking several times without seeing Shen Baiyun respond, she hurriedly picked up the guqin and plucked five strings, only to hear a burst of music ringing out, stirring up the surrounding purple mist. Amidst the melody, a ball of green energy floated out from Liu Mengli's fingers and enveloped Shen Baiyun's body.

  Shen Bailian only felt a strange fragrance in her nose, and suddenly felt clear-headed, her mood also calmed down a lot, and she forced a smile: "Thank you."

  Liu Mengli looked at him and saw that his expression was not as terrifying as before, so he put down his guard: "Brother, there's no need to be overly polite. This 'Xun Tan Jing Yi' is just a minor technique, the incense ingredients used are nothing special either. It's just that your mind was unstable earlier, and even your demonic energy was affected by it. If you're not careful and disrupt your internal energy, it would be easy to fall into madness, and that would truly be terrible."

  Shen Bailian nodded slightly, deeply feeling her kindness, but with a worried heart, she couldn't help but ask again: "Mengli, you said you saw Xuan...saw that person in the forbidden land, why was he sealed in an ice pillar?"

  Liu Mengli sat down on the purple crystal stone again, hugging her guqin, and said: "This person is Yun Shu's master brother, named Xuan Xiao. It is said that his cultivation method was too fierce, causing him to go mad and injure the disciples in the sect. Later, he was sealed in a forbidden land by the sect leader for self-reflection. With his abilities, it's not difficult to leave the forbidden land, but if he doesn't suppress the cold energy, the yang flames will be hard to control. If he wants to break out of the ice, he needs to get three cold artifacts to assist him."

  "Ah!" Shen Bailian suddenly realized, "So that's why you came to Ju Chao country to find Kun Lin, it was all for him." Thinking of Xuan Xiao's suffering from walking into the devil's lair and being frozen in solitude for 19 years, her heart couldn't help but feel deeply saddened.

  "Yes." Liu Mengli nodded and said, "Later, I found three cold instruments and had Yun Gongzi take them to him. I don't know how he is now..."

  How is Xuan Xiao? Naturally, it's to break the ice and rush out again, eager to start operating the Xihe sword and forge a sword pillar, binding the demon realm to report the deep blood feud of that year. Shen Bailian couldn't help but sigh and fall into thought. Since Xuan Xiao is alive, the host of the Xihe sword will not change, but what about the host of the Wangshu sword? From Meng Li's words, it seems that Yun Tianhe and Xuan Xiao are very close friends, even going to great lengths to help him find the cold instrument. It would be easy for Xuan Xiao to get the Wangshu sword from his hands, but back then, Yun Tianqing and Su Yu took the Wangshu sword down the mountain, leaving behind a force to support the sword pillar, which led to Xuan Xiao's current situation. He probably deeply resents these two people and would not have any good feelings towards Yun Tianhe. Now that he has used up all his strength, Yun Tianhe will probably not be able to stay in the Qionghua Sect for long... No, there's something wrong here! Shen Bailian suddenly felt a chill in her heart: when Meng Li met Yun Tianhe, the Wangshu sword had already found its host. But if it weren't for the yin fate woman, the Wangshu sword would not have awakened. At that time, Yun Tianhe had not yet arrived at the Qionghua Sect, so how could he know about everything that happened later and find a new host?

  There are so many questions that can only be answered by seeing Yun Tianhe and the old friends from Qionghua Sect, but how to face them? Shen Bailian was filled with bitter thoughts, muttering: "Xuan Xiao, Yun Tianhe... Yun Tianqing's son actually treated Xuan Xiao with all his heart, it's really..." Thinking of the memories of Yun Tianqing, Su Yu, Xuan Xiao and herself cultivating the Taoist way together, studying swordsmanship was so happy, who knew that later she learned about her origins, Yun Tianqing and Su Yu also broke up with Xuan Xiao, after many years of twists and turns, she thought Xuan Xiao had died, unexpectedly he was still alive, but was imprisoned in a forbidden land for 19 years, living like this is no different from death?

  Just as he was lost in thought, a sudden "ding" sound rang out. He looked up to see Liu Mengli's hand tightly grasping the guqin strings, already standing up, her expression solemnly gazing at the swirling purple mist above her head, and suddenly said: "Someone has broken through the seal!"

  Shen Bailian was taken aback, then suddenly enlightened. During this time, Liu Mengli had been practicing demonic arts with Yuanyu, so it was natural that Yuanyu would have taught her the various techniques of the master of the Phantom Twilight Realm. Feeling the anomaly in the seal was only to be expected. She said, "The seal set up by Elder Yuanyu at the entrance of the Phantom Twilight Realm is incredibly powerful, ordinary...

  "It should be difficult for humans to pass through, yet someone has broken the seal?"

  "No." Lingyun's eyes sparkled with an unusual glint, "If the seal is broken, I will definitely suffer a loss of power, but the breath that passes through the seal is extremely gentle, almost imperceptible. Moreover...I can feel that the person who came has no malicious intent..."

  Shen Bailian was taken aback, casting a sidelong glance at her, and felt that his sister's words were laced with profound meaning, as if she had already guessed the identity of the intruder in the Fantasy Realm. He couldn't help but think deeply about it, and could only say: "Then we'll have to go take a look, after all, we need to know their intentions."

  Liu Mengli hesitated for a moment, then suddenly smiled slightly: "Alright. Let's go and welcome them."