Chapter 35: Sword Domain

“Don’t waste your strength on pointless attacks. Hurry and seek out that faint, elusive sound of the zither. It’s the music of a true master—a melody that can soothe the hearts of these monstrous beasts. Only by finding this zither virtuoso do you stand a chance of safely reaching the heart of the Hundred-Thousand Mountains!”

The elder, mustering the last of his strength, shouted out these words.

And then—

With a sickening gulp, the blood serpent swallowed him whole.

The scene was gruesome beyond imagining.

“Elder! No!” the crowd cried in anguish.

“Hurry, look for the zither’s melody!”

Even their own great elder had fallen prey to the blood serpent’s maw. That faint, almost imperceptible music was now their only glimmer of hope for survival.

Elsewhere—

“Kill!”

A slender young woman dressed in azure robes wielded a golden sword, from which dazzling golden sword-light erupted.

With a single downward slash, the intent behind her blade surged forth like a boundless sea, roaring with power.

The radiance of her sword blossomed, coalescing into thousands upon thousands of golden sword-shadows that howled toward a giant eagle.

With a sharp hiss, the eagle was instantly shredded by the endless barrage of sword-shadows, its body torn to pieces, feathers drifting down like snow.

But as soon as she had felled the eagle, several hulking green-furred wolves charged at her from behind.

“Elder Nalan, behind you!”

Several young men sharing the flying vessel cried out in alarm.

This woman in blue was Nalan Ruoshui, an elder of the Sacred Sword Sect—one of the great sects of the Southern Domain, their strength rivaling even that of the Thousand Dragons Sect.

“All of you, fall back. Be careful not to be wounded by these beasts,” Nalan Ruoshui commanded, her exquisite features set in a mask of grim determination.

At this moment, her entire being radiated a terrifying, violent sword-intent—she herself seemed almost a living blade.

The young disciples of the Sacred Sword Sect, faces pale, hastily retreated before the oncoming wolves.

Nalan Ruoshui spun, her voice ringing out: “Sword Domain!”

With a flick of her golden blade, a fearsome domain of sword-energy materialized in an instant.

In her hands, the golden sword split into two, then four, then countless more—in the blink of an eye, an endless multitude of golden blades appeared, forming a massive vortex that engulfed the onrushing wolves.

A sound like a thousand blades slicing through flesh filled the air.

Nalan Ruoshui extended her slender hand, and with a graceful motion, all the golden swords flowed back into her five fingers. The terrifying sword domain vanished.

The green-furred wolves stood frozen in midair.

With a sudden crash, their bodies disintegrated into chunks of flesh.

A chorus of sharp cracking sounds echoed from below—hundreds of towering trees within a wide radius were shattered into splinters by the wild sword-intent unleashed moments ago.

The might of Nalan Ruoshui’s sword domain was plain to see.

Yet—

Suddenly, Nalan Ruoshui spat a mouthful of dark blood.

The sword domain was the Sacred Sword Sect’s highest achievement—its power unmatched, but the risk of suffering backlash from its own sword-intent was great.

Clearly, Nalan Ruoshui had been wounded by the force of her own technique.

“Elder Nalan!” the disciples hurried to her side in alarm.

“I am fine,” she replied, though her face was pale. She waved them off and said, “The Demon Emperor truly deserves his ancient reputation—even in death, he has left such a dire snare within these mountains. The beasts here are powerful and countless. We’re only halfway in, and if we continue at this pace, even I may not be able to guarantee your safety.”

“Elder Nalan, what should we do? Should we retreat?” one disciple asked bitterly.

The others glanced at each other with the same expression of despair.

“Retreat?” Nalan Ruoshui slowly shook her head. “We’ve already come this far—how could we turn back now? We are of the Sacred Sword Sect, yet even if you look at the other factions, none are retreating. The lure of the Demon Emperor’s tomb is too great—it’s driven everyone here mad with desperation.”

“But Elder Nalan, the situation is dire—”

“Not necessarily,” Nalan Ruoshui’s beautiful eyes narrowed as she gazed into the distance. “During the battle just now, I heard the faintest trace of zither music. The melody was enchanting, filled with the essence of nature itself. Clearly, a master of the art is somewhere nearby, soothing the beasts’ souls with music and calming their rage.”

“Elder Nalan, do you mean that if we find this musician and borrow her art, we could avoid these bloody battles and reach the mountain’s heart unscathed?”

“Exactly,” Nalan Ruoshui nodded.

“If that’s the case, that would be wonderful. I hope we find her soon and can use her music to reach our goal,” the disciples said, relief washing over their faces.

Yet Nalan Ruoshui was deeply puzzled. When had such a zither master—a veritable Immortal of Strings—appeared in the Southern Domain? She had never heard of such a person before. Only now, with the emergence of the Demon Emperor’s tomb, had this mysterious figure suddenly appeared.

...

Tinkling notes lingered in the air as Huangfu Meng sat cross-legged atop her flying vessel, her focus unwavering as she played her instrument.

The music drifted like celestial song, circling the ears and settling into the heart, intoxicating all who heard it.

Their vessel glided steadily toward the heart of the Hundred-Thousand Mountains. Not a single beast had attacked them thus far.

Even the most restless and savage creatures below grew tranquil as the melody wafted down, sheathing their fangs and claws.

“We’ve finally found the zither immortal.”

“She’s truly a savior—without her, we’d never have dared to venture this deep into the mountains.”

More and more flying vessels joined the procession, advancing under the protection of Huangfu Meng’s music.

These newcomers, battered and bloodied from their battles with the beasts, looked utterly spent.

As time passed, their ranks grew into a mighty caravan.

Clearly, those gathered here were only a fraction of those who had entered the mountains—many had already perished in combat with the monstrous denizens.

The beasts here were terrifying beyond compare; even the likes of the Thousand Dragons Sect and the Sacred Sword Sect had no certainty of reaching the mountain’s heart unscathed.

“So, the people of the Southern Domain’s prefectural city and the Thousand Dragons Sect have already arrived,” Nalan Ruoshui remarked coldly as her own vessel joined the growing fleet. She spotted Bing Miaoguo, Zuo Xiangyu, and others among the crowd and let out a mocking laugh. The Southern Domain and the Thousand Dragons Sect were certainly quick to seize an opportunity.

“They’re relying on our zither to reach the inner mountains,” Baili Song said, pride written plainly on his face. “Even the city’s dignitaries, the Thousand Dragons Sect, and the Sacred Sword Sect have come—so they’re not so formidable after all.”

Thank goodness they had encountered Master Chen, that otherworldly sage.

With him behind them, what did they have to fear from mere monsters?