Chapter 100 The Dream of Seclusion
Xiao Yifeng snapped back to reality,finding himself seated before a kitchen stove,the rich,savory aroma of broth wafting from the iron pot.
He shook his head,a frown creasing his brow.Why did it feel as though he had forgotten something crucial?He glanced down at his attire:coarse linen robes,his jet-black hair bound loosely with a simple strip of cloth.To any observer,he was indistinguishable from an ordinary peasant.
In his hand,he gripped the Zhan Xian sword—not for battle,but to tend the fire.The blade,once renowned throughout the world,was now soot-stained and blackened,its former glory completely obscured by years of domestic use.
Hiss...Hiss...
Suddenly,a strange rustling emerged from the nearby woodpile.A small,snow-white snake uncoiled from among the logs,flicking its crimson forked tongue as it slithered slowly toward him.
The snake’s scales were crystalline and translucent,shimmering like ice,yet atop its head grew two small protrusions—dragon horns.
This was Xiao Yifeng’s companion:the Profound Frost Ice Python,Little Bing.It was a terrifying Demon Beast at the Cave Void Grand Perfection stage,merely one step away from transforming into a true dragon.
Unhurried,Xiao Yifeng extended a hand.Little Bing glided up his arm,disappearing into his sleeve before emerging from his collar to coil contentedly around his shoulder.
Xiao Yifeng smiled faintly.How many years had it been since the earth-shattering Great War between Good and Evil?Since he had faked his death and vanished?He had long since washed his hands of worldly affairs.
He had discarded everything related to the Starry Sky Sacred Hall—fame,fortune,authority,and beauties—casting them aside like worn-out shoes.
Only Little Bing,the companion who had braved life and death alongside him,remained.Together,they lived in seclusion on a small hill on the outskirts of the Wentian Sect.He had laid down a formation to deter mortals,shrouding the area in perpetual mist.
Locals who strayed here would find themselves walking in circles until they exited at a different foothill,convinced they had encountered ghosts.Over time,the fear took root;not only did the villagers stop coming,but the nearby settlements relocated entirely,leaving the mountain in absolute silence.
Xiao Yifeng found peace in these dull,ordinary years.He tossed another log into the stove,wielding the once-fearsome Zhan Xian demon sword as a mere fire poker.
Since mastering the Wuxiang Sutra,a Buddhist secret technique,the sword’s fierce,baleful aura could no longer corrode his mind.Furthermore,the sword spirit had perished long ago,leaving the blade devoid of spirituality.
The thought of the Zhan Xian sword spirit’s demise brought a pang of melancholy;he feared he would never again see that haughty,queen-like woman.
Nowadays,life was tranquil.With his daily practice of the Nine Scrolls of Asking Heaven and his refusal to draw the blade in anger,the residual baleful qi in his body had been purged.Over time,this demonic sword had truly become nothing more than a stick for poking fires.
Throwing in the last piece of firewood,he let the embers simmer the bone broth to perfection.He stood up and stepped outside.
The cabin was a sturdy wooden structure,its crooked chimney puffing lazy spirals of smoke into the sky.Outside,two neatly stacked piles of firewood stood guard.Beneath the eaves,a row of bamboo wind chimes danced in the gentle breeze,their melody crisp and soothing.Xiao Yifeng stared at them,entranced.
Moments later,he snapped out of his trance and gazed toward the distant Wentian Sect,a tender smile touching his lips.Today,his wife,Liu Hanyan,was returning.She was the reason he remained here.
If the world knew that he,a notorious demon,was not only alive but married to the Righteous Path's illustrious Guanghan Fairy,Liu Hanyan,jaws would drop across the realm.
In just another half year,she would hand over the affairs of Feixue Hall to a successor and join him in true retirement.They would live as a devoted couple,inseparable,ignoring the dust and noise of the mortal world.
Just as Xiao Yifeng lost himself in these warm thoughts,his brow suddenly furrowed.He turned sharply toward the direction of Wentian City.
A dense,bloody aura was rocketing toward him,closing the distance in a heartbeat.
The aura tore through his protective mountain restrictions effortlessly.It circled the peak once before a powerful Divine Sense swept the mountain,finally locking onto his dilapidated cabin with predatory intent.
A thick crimson mist halted in mid-air.The silhouette within was indistinct—human or demon,he could not tell—but the stench of blood was suffocating,assailing his nostrils.
Xiao Yifeng knew the visitor came with malice.He raised his guard,his voice turning cold."What manner of monster are you?Hiding your head and showing your tail?"
"The Blood Sword Demon Lord has refined tastes,"a raspy voice echoed from the mist,neither male nor female."The dignified Vice Hall Master of the Starry Sky Sacred Hall living in seclusion beside the Wentian Sect,married to the world-renowned Guanghan Fairy...If this spreads,both the Righteous and Demonic paths will be shaken to their cores."
"But tell me,Demon Lord,with a beauty in your arms,have you forgotten the countless vengeful souls who died for you in the Starry Sky Sacred Hall?Do you remember your old friends?"
Xiao Yifeng felt a sudden sense of dissonance—this scene felt eerily familiar—but he had no time to dwell on it.
The stranger had bluntly exposed his identity and his marriage to Liu Hanyan.Xiao Yifeng’s heart sank,and a sharp killing intent rose within him.
"I am no longer a member of the Demonic Sect,"he declared icily."I know not how you found me or what you seek,but if you cannot provide a good reason,you shall remain here forever!"
The figure in the bloody mist cackled weirdly."Worthy of the Blood Sword Demon Lord,a Mahayana Perfection expert.You have confidence.But to keep me here?Let us see if you have the capability!"
As the words fell,the blood mist lunged toward Xiao Yifeng.
He was prepared.With a beckoning motion,the Zhan Xian sword flashed with crimson light,leaping into his grip.However,the oncoming mist suddenly detonated,instantly swallowing the entire mountain peak in a thick,blinding fog.
The black shadow vanished without a trace.Even with his cultivation,Xiao Yifeng’s vision was limited to a few meters,and the strange blood mist completely severed his connection to his Divine Sense.Shock rippled through him.
On his shoulder,Little Bing’s pale golden eyes shimmered.It looked left and right cautiously,the patterns on its forehead suddenly flaring with golden light.The snake’s head snapped toward a specific direction,its mouth opening to unleash a thunderous hiss.
The sonic wave tore a rift in the dense fog.Xiao Yifeng’s spirit rallied,and he launched himself forward.
Ahead,the blood mist churned and parted."Hehe..."A chilling laugh rang out from the front.
But before the laughter died,a streak of lethal blood-red light shot from his side like a meteor,aiming straight for his chest.The terrifying radiance bathed the world in crimson.
Xiao Yifeng was startled—the assailant’s sword qi and killing intent were terrifying,likely matching his own strength.
They exchanged a flurry of blows within the blood mist.The enemy was a phantom,striking and vanishing,their moves vicious,sinister,and aimed to kill.
Since the strange mist blocked his Divine Sense,Xiao Yifeng was forced to rely entirely on instinct.Although Little Bing could pinpoint the enemy,the attacker was too fast.For the moment,Xiao Yifeng was forced entirely on the defensive,struggling to parry the relentless assault.
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