Chapter 40: Inside the Ruins (Part 1) [Please keep reading]

Sword cultivators were already renowned for their formidable offensive power; even a Black Butler at the late stage of Foundation Establishment would need to be on high alert against a full-strength strike from a Foundation Establishment sword cultivator.

The Black Butler swung his sleeve, releasing a winding river of blood in an attempt to swallow the sword light, but he had miscalculated. The sword light sliced directly through the river of blood, crashing into his protective astral qi with undiminished momentum.

"Ugh."

The Black Butler let out a muffled groan, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. This single strike had left him with a minor injury.

Slowly wiping the blood from his lips, the Black Butler's fury reached its peak. He no longer had any intention of playing games; he only wanted to suppress and kill these people!

"[Sea of Blood Overturning the Heavens]!"

With a violent thrust of his arms, a vast sea of blood suddenly manifested, sweeping toward Song Changsheng and the others.

By this time, Song Changsheng and his group had already run into the [Xuan Yang Heavenly Astral Array], leaving only two unlucky souls who were a step behind to be swept away by the rushing sea of blood.

After a brief, futile struggle, they were transformed into mere parts of the blood sea.

As the sea of blood continued to spread, a faint layer of light emerged, blocking the aggressive tide of blood.

As the filthy blood water made contact with the light shield, a series of "sizzling" sounds erupted.

"What? The [Xuan Yang Heavenly Astral Array]?" The Black Butler's expression changed instantly. Had this great array not been broken?

Zhu Yiqun and the others looked at the reactivated formation, their expressions equally colorful. Their gazes converged on Song Changsheng almost simultaneously.

Facing their stares, Song Changsheng said candidly, "I managed to gain control over this array specifically to deal with unexpected situations like this."

The group exchanged glances, and Zhu Yiqun was the first to break the silence. "It is a good thing, regardless. Otherwise, we would have been in grave danger today."

Zhuang Yuechan chimed in, "We must thank Fellow Daoist Song for leaving us a way out. I have already sent a request for aid to my elders; we only need to hold our ground for a while."

"This [Xuan Yang Heavenly Astral Array] is of supreme Yang nature and extreme hardness; it is a famous magic-refining array. Although that Blood Demon at the Foundation Establishment stage is powerful, breaking this formation will not be easy. We can now explore this ruin to our heart's content."

Song Changsheng was not surprised by their attitude. Had it been him, he would likely have reacted the same way, so he chose to ignore them and turned his gaze toward the cave dwelling not far behind.

At this point, of the dozen or so people in their group, only Zhu Yiqun, Zhuang Yuechan, Xu Yunhe, and Song Changsheng remained; the rest had returned to the heavens and earth.

It was all for the sake of this cave dwelling...

The entrance to the Foundation Establishment cave dwelling was a cave located beneath a low hill covered in ivy, with a deep, dark tunnel leading straight into the heart of the mountain.

Song Changsheng walked at the very front of the group, holding the precious gourd, while Zhu Yiqun supported the heavily injured Xu Yunhe in the middle. Zhuang Yuechan followed at the rear, cradling her zither.

The tunnel was long and silent. If not for the great array outside, no one would have suspected that a Foundation Establishment cultivator's dwelling lay within.

At the end of the tunnel, a stone gate made of bluestone blocked their path.

Song Changsheng cautiously stepped forward to investigate and found that an array was obstructing the stone gate. However, what struck him as strange was that a portion of the array was missing.

Furthermore, the grade of the array was not high; it was simply that the person who set it possessed profound array mastery, making even a simple formation incredibly exquisite and complex.

"Changsheng, what's the situation?" Zhu Yiqun asked in a low voice.

"The array on the door is quite unique. It needs the missing part to be completed before the gate can be opened."

"Are you confident?"

Song Changsheng frowned slightly and nodded. "I'll try."

With that, he sat cross-legged before the stone gate and began attempting to complete the formation.

Only then did Zhu Yiqun have time to tend to Xu Yunhe's wounds. His right arm had been severed at the shoulder, and the wound was still tainted with the signature blood-colored demonic light of the Blood Demon. If not treated immediately, Xu Yunhe would likely perish.

Zhu Yiqun took a white jade bottle from his spatial bag, poured out a round, milky-white pill, and placed it by Xu Yunhe's mouth. "This pill will help you recover from your injuries. Take it."

Due to excessive blood loss, Xu Yunhe's face was a sickly pale. Looking at the fragrant pill before him, his eyes were hollow as he said, "Fellow Daoist Zhu, there is no need to waste precious treasures on me. My path is blocked; I only seek death."

His words carried a profound death wish, like a withered log quietly waiting to rot in a swamp.

To a swordsman, the sword was his everything. Now that he had lost the very arm used to wield it, what purpose did he serve in living? It was better to die!

Zhu Yiqun grew furious. He grabbed Xu Yunhe by the collar and lowered his voice to an intense whisper. "What nonsense are you talking? Without your right arm, can you not practice the sword with your left? You are still so young; even if you have to start from the beginning, so what? Why succumb to such despair? So many of our comrades have died today; those of us who live should cherish life even more!"

Xu Yunhe gave a tragic smile, his heart filled with desolation. "I am but a rogue cultivator, struggling fiercely on the path to immortality. Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm was already a thousand difficulties. Now, my body is broken, and my meridians and flesh are incomplete. The hope of reaching Foundation Establishment has become even more remote. Rather than lingering in misery, I would rather die."

Zhu Yiqun fell silent. For an ordinary cultivator, the chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment was roughly ten percent; even those with superior talent only had a twenty or thirty percent chance.

Although Xu Yunhe's talent was decent, it was merely average. His hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage was already low, and now it had become even more difficult.

The dual blow to his body and spirit had caused Xu Yunhe to lose the courage to face the future.

Just as Zhu Yiqun was at a loss for how to persuade him, Song Changsheng, who had finished completing the array, stood up and said coldly, "A swordsman should rather break than bend, rather snap than bow. No matter how difficult or dangerous the path ahead, one should remain unyielding and charge forward. To give up so easily at the first sign of setback and speak of death—do you deserve the three-foot blade in your hand? Do you deserve the title of a swordsman? Even if you must die, you should die on the path of progress, not die pathetically in this barren wasteland!"

"I..."

Xu Yunhe's mind was shaken, waves of emotion surging within him. Yes, he was a swordsman. No matter how difficult the road ahead, he should strike it down with a single sword strike; only then would he not fail the blade in his hand!

"Fellow Daoist Song's words are like a sudden blow to my senses. You are right. Even if I die, I should not die here."

A spark of life returned to Xu Yunhe's eyes. He laboriously raised his left arm, took the pill from Zhu Yiqun, and swallowed it. As the pill transformed into a sweet medicinal liquid that spread through his limbs and bones, his complexion began to gradually improve.

Zhuang Yuechan glanced at Song Changsheng in surprise; this fellow truly always managed to exceed expectations.

"Changsheng, is the array resolved?" Zhu Yiqun asked, looking at the bluestone gate blocking the way.

"It is. However, I suspect there will be more arrays behind the door, so remember to follow my footsteps closely." With a wave of Song Changsheng's hand, the gate opened with a "rumbling" sound, and the inner area of the cave dwelling finally opened up to them...

(End of Chapter)