Chapter 920

As Ji Yuan’s Heaven-Shattering Sword Stance descended, deep within the Spirit-Locking Well, a vital area of the Spirit-Controlling Sect, the bottom of the hundred-zhang deep well contained not only a cold pool but also a network of underground passages extending in all directions. At the end of one such passage, two individuals were imprisoned in separate cells. One was bound to the rock wall by golden chains, while the other in an adjacent cell remained unfettered.

Throughout the well’s depths, hundreds of spirits shrieked, their cries filled with terror and dread.

“This terrifying pressure from above, and we are deep underground… what is happening?”

Though his hair was disheveled and he appeared miserable, True Man Purple Jade still had the strength to speak. He had just confirmed that the person before him was indeed a cultivator from Mount Yuwai, not a deceptive illusion.

Yang Ming, meanwhile, wore an expression of pleasant surprise. He had attended the Dragon Palace’s Dragon Transformation Banquet on Tongtian River and had personally witnessed the Heaven-Shattering Sword Stance in Ji Yuan’s dream realm. The current sensation was strikingly similar. He turned to True Man Purple Jade and said, “Uncle-Master Purple Jade, this is the Heaven-Shattering Sword Stance. Mr. Ji is here! We are saved!”

Seeing Yang Ming’s inexplicable excitement, True Man Purple Jade paused. “Mr. Ji?”

Yang Ming then realized that Mr. Ji had not yet become prominent before True Man Purple Jade’s disappearance. Now, with a relaxed mind, he explained, “Uncle-Master Purple Jade, among well-informed cultivators in the current cultivation world, there are certain sayings: ‘Green vines hang in the sky, a single sword shatters the heavens; true fire from the mouth, burning the sky and boiling the seas; summoning thunder from the nine heavens, the heavenly tribulation descends…’”

“Does each saying represent a powerful cultivator?” True Man Purple Jade asked, coming to a realization.

Yang Ming shook his head. “Uncle-Master, you’re half right. These describe immortals, but they all refer to one person, the Mr. Ji I speak of. The first saying refers to the Heaven-Shattering Sword Stance; when this sword art is unleashed, it possesses the might of a collapsing sky.”

As if to confirm Yang Ming’s words, Ji Yuan’s sword now collided with the Moon-Azure Mirror. For a moment, the mountains trembled, and the area beneath the Spirit-Locking Well continuously rumbled. Insects, beasts, and spirits shrieked in terror, as if the falling sky would crush them all, pulverizing them into dust.

“Is this Mr. Ji going to kill us all too?” True Man Purple Jade was also terrified by the commotion. Even Yang Ming was speechless. Not only did it feel as if the entire Spirit-Controlling Sect was about to collapse, but with the sect’s grand array shattering instantly, a terrifying, fire-like sword intent aggressively descended, overwhelming everything.

Boom!

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

Greater commotions and vibrations echoed, indicating a battle was raging above.

Outside the Spirit-Controlling Sect’s gate, endless sword energy transformed into a storm, surging above and around the Moon-Azure Mirror like roaring sword dragons. As the sword energy swept across the various peaks of the Spirit-Controlling Sect, they either exploded or crumbled away. However, the Heaven-Shattering Sword Stance’s main strike was ultimately blocked by the Moon-Azure Mirror. At least on the surface, no one in the Spirit-Controlling Sect suffered casualties.

Well, except for the man who initially controlled the Moon-Azure Mirror.

Yet, even though the sword’s sharpest edge was deflected, its power still unleashed itself upon the Spirit-Controlling Sect. It was as if a massive earthquake had struck, causing the entire mountain range to continuously shake.

Ultimately, the aftershocks of the sword art’s power did not vanish because they were blocked; Ji Yuan actively dispersed them. With a wave of his sleeve, the Green Vine Sword flew back from below. The sword-energy dragons followed, flying into the Green Vine Sword’s sheath before the sword itself returned to its scabbard with a clang.

Only when the immortal sword was sheathed did the terrifying pressure encompassing everyone in the Spirit-Controlling Sect significantly ease. People lowered the hands they had held over their heads. Some then noticed that many low-ranking disciples were kneeling on the ground.

Under the terrifying sword stance that felt like the sky was falling, very few had the courage or ability to cast spells and resist. Even cultivators with considerable cultivation, using magical artifacts and spiritual talismans, were merely making desperate struggles. As for various profound abilities, most were directly disintegrated by the sword’s momentum before it even fully descended. Only internal abilities, like body tempering arts, could withstand it.

However, the pressure only lessened; it did not disappear entirely. Ji Yuan remained standing on a cloud, indifferently observing the Spirit-Controlling Sect below. He watched Min Xuan’s senior brother, still gasping for breath, and the sect’s cultivators, whose breathing also remained erratic. And, of course, he watched the person holding the Moon-Azure Mirror, enveloped in a hazy, luminous mist.

“You are Ji Yuan? The Heaven-Shattering Sword Stance certainly lives up to its fearsome reputation!” The person was consistently shrouded in a blurred light and mist, appearing to have no solid form. It was a condensed manifestation of powerful magic and spiritual energy, preventing Ji Yuan from discerning his appearance.

The person spoke calmly, but inwardly, he was certainly quite astonished. He had previously heard that Ji Yuan’s lightning magic caused heavenly tribulations for countless demons, turning the Black Desolation’s myriad demon banquet over thousands of miles of mountains and rivers into a lightning prison. This had led him to believe that Ji Yuan’s strongest skill was lightning magic. He had not expected the power of this sword to be so astonishing. Had it not been for the considerable magical power his condensed mirror-form could access, he might have almost met with disaster.

Ji Yuan’s pale eyes calmly gazed at the other party. “That Your Excellency could block this sword suggests there are indeed hidden masters within this Spirit-Controlling Sect. First, an opponent with whom I’ve crossed paths before, and now, a profound and mysterious master like Your Excellency.”

The person below chuckled. “Hahahahaha… The vastness of heaven and earth cannot be fully explored by human power. No one can know everything under heaven. Mr. Ji does not know me, just as I have repeatedly overestimated Mr. Ji, yet his renown still does not do justice to the reality!”

The person’s words were clearly intended to ease the atmosphere, but Ji Yuan did not fall for it. After nodding, he still demanded the captives. “Since Your Excellency is here, I can temporarily set aside my past grievances with the person behind you. However, True Man Purple Jade and True Man Yang Ming must be handed over. Otherwise, I fear that Your Excellency and I will inevitably have to fight today.”

Ji Yuan’s tone was extremely indifferent, like a calm greeting to an acquaintance. But the meaning of his words and the unwavering, unyielding will behind them made the person below twitch his eyebrows.

Even though the person confronting Ji Yuan possessed excellent self-restraint, a faint anger stirred within him. This ignorant junior, relying on his powerful magic and sharp abilities, dared to speak so arrogantly and disrespectfully. Yet, despite his anger, he knew that in his current state, he was likely not Ji Yuan’s match. Rashly turning hostile would only make him a laughingstock to this junior. The person within the light and mist suppressed his anger and spoke to Ji Yuan in a light, unconcerned tone.

“Hehehe, Mr. Ji’s profound abilities naturally give him cause for arrogance. However, given Mr. Ji’s current reputation in the cultivation world, I imagine he is not truly ill-mannered. True Man Purple Jade offended me first; even shattering his body and spirit would not have been excessive. His current temporary imprisonment is already a display of leniency.”

Had the other party said this about someone else from Mount Yuwai, Ji Yuan would likely have dismissed it as nonsense. But with True Man Purple Jade, it was genuinely hard to say if he might have done something out of line. This feeling was similar to how Daoist Qingsong often couldn’t help but blurt out the truth when divining.

“Since True Man Purple Jade offended you, how about I make a trade with you? The person behind you had a close relationship with you at the time, and he caused a lot of trouble among mortals. If you hand over True Man Purple Jade and True Man Yang Ming to me, then as long as I don’t encounter that person again, I will not pursue the previous matters.”

“Hahaha, this matter is not something you, Mr. Ji, can unilaterally decide. However, given your cultivation, I am willing to befriend you. As for True Man Purple Jade’s offense against me, I can let bygones be bygones, but he must return something to me!”

Ji Yuan narrowed his eyes, watching the person below. The other party’s tone was very firm when he said this.

“What thing?”

Only then did the person retract the Moon-Azure Mirror. The mirror’s light, which had enveloped the entire Spirit-Controlling Sect, returned to the divine artifact. Then, he took a step, clouds forming beneath his feet, and slowly approached Ji Yuan, treating Ji Yuan’s oppressive presence as if it were nothing.

When he was close to Ji Yuan, the person transmitted his voice. “It is commonly believed that the sky is boundless and the earth is infinitely deep. However, when heaven and earth were first formed, there were natural boundaries, though these boundaries are beyond ordinary human comprehension. Within these, the extreme apex of the celestial vault was formed from a five-colored celestial stone. What I want True Man Purple Jade to return is a Heavenly Spirit Stone. This Heavenly Spirit Stone was originally mine. I was in secluded cultivation for many years. In a semi-waking state, I sensed an anomaly with the Heavenly Spirit Stone. I instructed Shen Jie to investigate, and it ultimately traced back to True Man Purple Jade.”

Ji Yuan frowned, his thoughts racing like lightning as he quickly pondered the other’s words. In his previous life, there was the myth of Nuwa mending the sky, which involved five-colored spirit stones, one of which transformed into Sun Wukong. He had never expected to hear about such a thing from the other party.

“Mr. Ji’s surprise is understandable, but what I say is not false. This spirit stone is extremely important to me. To others, it is nothing more than an inert object. If Mr. Ji can make True Man Purple Jade return it or reveal its whereabouts, I will release them.”

Ji Yuan calmed his mind and looked at the other party with a questioning expression. “With your ability, Daoist, you haven’t been able to retrieve the spirit stone from True Man Purple Jade for years?”

The other party shook his head helplessly. “I was in secluded death meditation for a very long time. It was only a few years ago that my true spirit awakened, and even now, I can only appear in this state. I imagine Mr. Ji can tell that this is not my true body. Previously, Shen Jie was helping me trace it. True Man Purple Jade’s cultivation is not low; he has endured every means of coercion without uttering a single word. And I cannot harm him excessively; it is truly difficult!”

Saying this, the person turned back to look at Shen Jie, who was currently sitting cross-legged on the mountain peak below, suppressing his injuries. “To be honest, we have also sent people to Mount Yuwai multiple times to investigate and confirmed that True Man Purple Jade has not mentioned the matter of the Heavenly Spirit Stone.”

Ji Yuan feigned deep thought for a long time, then nodded. “Very well. Bring True Man Purple Jade and True Man Yang Ming here. I will ask him for this Heavenly Spirit Stone.”

“Excellent! After this matter is resolved, I also hope to befriend Mr. Ji. I have lived for an extraordinarily long time and know some secrets that ordinary people cannot fathom, secrets concerning heaven and earth. I would be honored to share them with Mr. Ji!”

These words were full of sincerity, but Ji Yuan inwardly sneered. When he heard the other party speak of his true spirit awakening earlier, he had already suspected something. Now, these words were remarkably similar to those of Zhuyan back then, though the attitude was much more sincere.

However, the previous Zhuyan had to be killed out of necessity, but there was no need for a deadly conflict here.

“You are too kind, Daoist. Ji Yuan has always enjoyed befriending virtuous cultivators from all corners of the world!”

Ji Yuan’s attitude had visibly improved, causing the person within the light and mist to slightly sigh in relief. As Ji Yuan’s attitude softened, the oppressive feeling from the sky rapidly diminished, making everyone in the Spirit-Controlling Sect feel as if a great weight had been lifted from their hearts.