The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

“There are always mountains beyond mountains,” Jiang Wei squinted. “I have a feeling he will be a formidable opponent at this mountain gate tournament.”

"Then now..."

“Follow him and see.” Jiang Wei closed his folding fan. “I want to see what kind of methods this ‘white jade without flaws, benevolence that benefits the world’ possesses.”

At night, two figures sped across the rooftops of Longhai County.

"Jiang Chuan, slow down!" Sun Qi followed behind, panting. "Your Qi-seeking technique is too physically demanding."

Upon hearing this, the young man in black robes paused slightly, and when he turned around, the moonlight shone precisely on his angular face.

"Hold on a little longer." Jiang Chuan's voice was low, the red line formed from blood on his fingertip appearing and disappearing in the night. "The demonic energy is in that courtyard ahead."

Sun Qi forced down the burning sensation in his chest.

As the most talented member of the Sun family in this generation, she shouldn't have been struggling so much, but Jiang Chuan's speed was astonishing.

"What level are you at exactly?" Sun Qi couldn't help but ask. "I'm at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and I can't even keep up with you."

Jiang Chuan's lips curled into a slight smile: "It's a secret."

Before he finished speaking, his expression hardened, and the red line suddenly disappeared just as they were about to approach the opposite courtyard.

“We’re here.” Jiang Chuan gripped the hilt of his sword. “It’s spotted us.”

Sun Qi followed Jiang Chuan's gaze and saw an ordinary courtyard standing quietly in the moonlight, without any apparent abnormality.

But when she looked closely, she felt a strange palpitation.

“There’s something wrong with this courtyard,” Sun Qi whispered. “I can’t even see the layout inside.”

Jiang Chuan did not answer. He made a hand seal with his right hand, and a blue mark appeared faintly between his eyebrows.

In an instant, the world in his eyes changed—the originally ordinary courtyard was shrouded in a layer of light pink mist, and a towering tree with lush branches and leaves could be vaguely seen inside the courtyard wall.

"Mountain Spirit Seal," Jiang Chuan muttered to himself, then turned to Sun Qi and said, "Stay close to me, don't stray more than three steps away."

Before Sun Qi could respond, Jiang Chuan leaped and landed lightly on the courtyard wall.

Sun Qi dared not delay and quickly followed.

The moment the two stepped into the courtyard, a rich fragrance of peach blossoms wafted towards them.

"How can there be peach blossoms in May?" Sun Qi's eyes widened in surprise, then she realized something, "An illusion?"

Jiang Chuan did not answer; his gaze was fixed on the huge peach tree in the center of the courtyard.

Moonlight pierced through the clouds, draping the peach blossoms in a silvery veil. Beneath the tree, a tall, slender figure stood silently.

"You've arrived." A soft voice drifted on the breeze, carrying an indescribable allure.

Sun Qi then realized that it was a man with fox ears.

He was dressed in a snow-white robe, his face was so handsome that he seemed otherworldly, and his golden pupils shone brightly in the moonlight.

"A fox demon!" Sun Qi exclaimed in surprise, instinctively drawing his sword.

Jiang Chuan's black jade sword was already drawn an inch from its sheath, and a sharp killing intent spread out.

As this murderous aura appeared, the peach blossoms on the tree moved without wind, and the petals fluttered down, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

"With a single order from the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect, there are more and more demon hunters like you who are willing to risk your lives."

The fox demon gently stroked a peach blossom branch, a dangerous glint in her golden eyes. "Truly...annoying."

Jiang Chuan placed his right hand on the hilt of his black jade sword, a slight smile playing on his lips: "What, do you think we're sending our enemies to their deaths too quickly?"

The fox demon chuckled, her slender fingers tracing the path through the peach blossoms: "Little cultivator, do you know why these peach blossoms bloom so brilliantly?"

Jiang Chuan's gaze swept over the soft soil beneath the tree, and he said half-jokingly, "Could it be that there are dead people's bones buried underneath?"

“Jiang Chuan!” Sun Qi’s face turned pale, and his hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

The fox demon clapped her hands in praise: "Clever! It seems this isn't the first time you've seen something like this."

Jiang Chuan remained expressionless, his black jade sword already drawn an inch from its sheath: "I've personally killed monsters uglier than you in the southern region of Yan; and I've seen plenty more handsome than you."

He paused, then said, "I've come today to take your life in exchange for a ticket to the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect."

"Arrogant!"

The fox demon's long, snow-white tail suddenly shot up. "Who knows how many cultivators at the Zhiwei level are buried under this peach tree? Who do you think you are, daring to spout such nonsense!"

Jiang Chuan stopped talking nonsense, drew his black jade sword with a clang, and a dragon's roar echoed throughout the courtyard.

A bluish-green sword aura emanated from the sword, coiling around its blade as if it were alive.

"The Five Elements Sword Manual?" The fox demon's pupils constricted sharply. "Azure Dragon Sword Qi!"

Jiang Chuan's sword whistled, aiming straight for the fox demon's head.

The fox demon hastily swung its tail to block, and the sword energy collided with the demon's tail, producing a metallic clang.

"clang!"

The fox demon retreated three steps, and half of its tail was sliced ​​off by the sword energy.

Its handsome face twisted in anger: "How could someone at the Minor Knowledge Realm possess such strength?"

Jiang Chuan did not answer, but instead changed his sword stance, unleashing a sweeping attack of Azure Dragon sword energy.

The fox demon retreated swiftly, and peach blossoms fell from the branches, transforming into sharp blades that shot towards Jiang Chuan.

"Watch out!" Sun Qi exclaimed.

Jiang Chuan's sword momentum remained undiminished. He made a hand seal with his left hand, and an invisible wall of energy formed in front of him.

The peach blossom blade struck the air wall, producing a series of rapid sounds.

"break!"

Jiang Chuan's sword aura suddenly changed, and the Azure Dragon sword energy surged violently, piercing straight into the fox demon's heart.

The fox demon had no choice but to take the sword strike head-on.

"puff--"

As the sword energy entered her body, a blood flower bloomed on the fox demon's chest.

It staggered backward, its eyes filled with disbelief: "You...your sword energy!"

Jiang Chuan gave it no chance to breathe, and the black jade sword rose again, this time with a continuous and unending sword force.

The fox demon was forced to retreat repeatedly, and only by extending all six of its tails could it barely withstand the onslaught.

On the upper floor of the pavilion, Jiang Wei, dressed in brocade robes, stood with his hands behind his back.

"Young master, shall we make a move?" the sword attendant Afu behind him asked in a low voice.

Jiang Wei shook his head: "Let's take a look first."

He swept his right hand in front of his eyes, and a faint golden light appeared in his pupils, allowing him to take in the battle taking in the entire scene in the courtyard.

Jiang Chuan's sword moved like a dragon and a snake, each strike simple and sharp, without any frills, yet each move was deadly.

Jiang Wei was increasingly alarmed as he looked at the sword technique—it seemed simple, but in reality it was a return to the essence of nature, with each strike containing a terrifying killing intent.

"Excellent swordsmanship," Jiang Wei murmured to himself, his fingers unconsciously mimicking the movements.

Afu looked at his young master with surprise: "Young master, his swordplay isn't very refined."

"What do you know?"

Jiang Wei stared intently. "Sword skill isn't about the moves, but about the intent. This man's sword..."

A chill ran down his spine. "He's killed a lot of people."

Jiang Wei broke out in a cold sweat.

He prided himself on having unparalleled swordsmanship among his peers in Longhai County, but the swordsmanship of the black-robed youth before him made him feel unprecedented pressure.

"The gap is so huge!" Jiang Wei clenched his fist, feeling both frustrated and inexplicably excited.

His proud swordsmanship would probably not last three moves against Jiang Chuan.

It wasn't that the techniques were inferior, but rather the murderous intent that seeped into his very bones—a sword intent truly honed amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Jiang Wei's eyes flashed with increasing fighting spirit. "This mountain gate gathering is getting interesting." "This sword strike will take your life!"

Jiang Chuan let out a long shout, and his aura changed drastically.

The Azure Dragon Sword Qi that had been entwining the Black Jade Sword dissipated, and a scorching aura burst forth from within its body.

With each breath, his innate pure Yang energy surged within his body.

"Hmm?" The fox demon's golden pupils suddenly contracted, and its six tails involuntarily stood up.

On the jet-black sword, streaks of fiery red patterns spread out, and in the blink of an eye, the entire sword turned as red as if it had been forged in a raging fire.

The temperature in the courtyard suddenly rose, and the nearest peach trees spontaneously combusted, their petals turning to ash.

"True Fire Sword Intent!" Jiang Wei exclaimed in shock from the pavilion, his folding fan falling to the ground with a "crack".

Sun Qi's eyes widened in disbelief; she had never seen anything like it before—the burning black jade sword in Jiang Chuan's hand emitted such intense heat that it distorted the air itself.

The fox demon's expression changed drastically. A fiery red ribbon flew out from its sleeve, growing longer in the wind and transforming into a three-zhang-long red silk ribbon in the blink of an eye.

"The Crimson Silk?" Jiang Chuan's eyes flashed. "I didn't expect you to possess such a magical artifact."

The fox demon didn't answer. Instead, it grabbed one end of the red ribbon and gave it a sharp shake. With its demonic energy flowing through it, the soft red ribbon transformed into a giant red blade, its edge wreathed in demonic flames.

"Little cultivator, you have every right to be proud that you could force me to use my natal magic weapon!" the fox demon said sternly, its golden eyes filled with murderous intent.

Jiang Chuan's lips curled into a slight smile: "Perfect, let's try out this new trick."

Before he finished speaking, he had already flashed in front of the fox demon. The burning black jade sword drew a crimson trajectory, which was the second sword of the Five Elements Sword Manual - "Meteor"!
The fox demon dared not be negligent, and the giant blade formed from her red ribbon slashed down. Two completely different yet equally fiery forces collided in mid-air.

"boom--!"

Amidst a deafening explosion, a fireball burst open in the center of the courtyard.

The heatwave spread like a tide, burning down peach trees, collapsing courtyard walls, and even cracking the ground.

Sun Qi had to use all his spiritual power to resist, but he was still thrown several feet away by the shockwave and crashed heavily into the remaining courtyard wall.

Ignoring the pain, she hurriedly looked towards the center of the battlefield.

As the flames faded, the two figures remained locked in a standoff.

The flames on Jiang Chuan's black jade sword dimmed slightly, but his fighting spirit intensified.

The fox demon looked rather disheveled; its long, snow-white tail was charred black, and its red silk magic weapon had dimmed somewhat.

"Impossible!" the fox demon's voice shrill. "You're only at the Minor Knowledge Realm, how could you withstand my full-force attack?"

Jiang Chuan flicked his sword at the sparks on the ground and chuckled, "A half-step supreme being, nothing more than that."

These words thoroughly enraged the fox demon. It raised its head and let out a piercing shriek, its six tails exploding simultaneously, each wreathed in pink demonic flames.

The red silk magic weapon increased in value several times over, dancing in the air.

"I will burn you to ashes!" The fox demon's face twisted, revealing its true form—half-human, half-fox, with fangs bared.

Jiang Chuan remained calm and composed, his left hand forming a hand seal, the Mountain Ghost Seal between his eyebrows appearing and disappearing.

His internal energy circulated along a mysterious path, and the flames on the black jade sword changed from crimson to dark gold.

"That's..." In the attic, Jiang Wei's pupils contracted sharply, "True Fire Tempering Gold? He actually managed to temper his Fire Element Sword Qi to this extent!"

As the eldest son of the Jiang family in Longhai County, Jiang Wei had seen many sword masters, but those who could transform and refine the Five Elements Sword Qi were all seniors who had been famous for many years.

The black-robed youth before him was clearly younger than himself, yet he had already mastered such profound swordsmanship, which filled him with envy.

He considered himself a genius, having entered the late stage of the Knowledge Realm at the age of sixteen, and condensed two layers of Purple Mansion, making him a role model for the major families of the eighteen prefectures of the Western Region.

Seeing this today, I realize there are worlds beyond worlds.

"Sword Intent. True Fire Tempers Gold," Jiang Wei muttered to himself, "All these years, I've truly been like a frog in a well, seeing the sky from the bottom of a well."

He recalled his father's words: "The land of China is vast, full of hidden talents and crouching tigers."

Jiang Chuan exuded a powerful innate pure yang energy, and held a black jade Xuan-grade spiritual sword in his hand, the sword trembling as if accumulating power.

The fox demon opposite him looked flustered. After exchanging only a few blows with Jiang Chuan, he was forced back by the fierce attack of the True Fire Sword Intent.

As Jiang Chuan's sword strike landed, the fox demon's tiger's mouth went numb, and its demonic energy became disordered.

"Hmph, today is your death day!" Jiang Chuan sneered, his spirit sword dancing even faster.

The fox demon dodged and thought to itself that it was not strong enough against the True Fire Sword Intent, and that it would soon perish if it fought head-on.

I forced myself to stay calm and realized that I couldn't use my weaknesses to attack my strengths.

Jiang Chuan gave the fox demon no chance to breathe, raising his sword and shouting, "Behold my sword move 'Crimson Clouds' from the Five Elements Sword Manual!"

In the blink of an eye, a blazing red light illuminated the courtyard. The intense light made Sun Qi squint, and the high temperature made it difficult for him to breathe.

The fox demon was shocked and used its magical artifact to defend itself, with red ribbons fluttering to form a barrier.

Jiang Chuan's black jade Xuan-level spirit sword severed the red ribbon, and the spirit sword pierced through the fox demon's chest.

Jiang Chuan felt something was wrong. The fox demon transformed into a peach wood figure, quickly growing into a spherical peach wood barrier that tightly sealed him inside.

At the same time, the fox demon appeared behind Sun Qi.

Jiang Chuan, trapped, shouted urgently, "Sun Qi, watch out behind you!"

Upon hearing the shout, Sun Qi lunged forward, narrowly dodging the fox demon's attack.

The fox demon, having missed its attack, sneered angrily, "Hmph, you lucky brat. I'll deal with you first, then I'll take care of the trapped ones!"

Then he lunged at Sun Qi.

Jiang Chuan secretly groaned inside the barrier, knowing that Sun Qi was no match for the fox demon and that he was trapped and unable to help.

He then deliberately spoke loudly, "Hmph, you think you can do whatever you want just because you've trapped me? Reinforcements are on their way, you'll be in for a world of hurt!"

Upon hearing this, the fox demon paused for a moment, somewhat puzzled, but did not stop her attack on Sun Qi.

In the critical moment, a flying sword was planted at the foot of the fox demon.

The fox demon stopped and looked up to see Jiang Wei standing at the courtyard gate with his sword.

"You audacious fox demon, stop your insolence!" Jiang Wei shouted.

The fox demon saw Jiang Wei and said fiercely, "You've come at the right time. I'll leave you all here today!"

Jiang Wei snorted coldly and stepped forward to confront the fox demon.

Enraged, the fox demon formed hand seals and chanted, "Taste the power of my 'Peach Blossom Tribulation'!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the enchanting peach wood in the courtyard shimmered and emitted a captivating fragrance.

Jiang Chuan and Jiang Wei were startled, knowing that this "Peach Blossom Tribulation" could bewitch the mind and render people unable to fight.

Surprisingly, Sun Qi didn't seem to be affected much.

Just as Jiang Wei was wondering what was going on and was about to charge at the fox demon with his sword, a charming laugh rang out.

A group of stunningly beautiful women appeared around Jiang Chuan and Jiang Wei. They were veiled in light gauze, their figures graceful and their appearance charming, captivating all who beheld them.

Jiang Wei felt a rush of heat to his head, and blood started flowing from his nose.

Jiang Chuan suppressed the strange feeling, closed his eyes and silently recited the principles of mutual generation and restraint of the five elements, trying to use the platinum sword energy to break the peach wood barrier, since metal restrains wood.

Taking advantage of Jiang Chuan and Jiang Wei's distraction, the fox demon rushed towards Sun Qi.

Sun Qi was far weaker than the fox demon. The fox demon flashed in front of him and reached out with its sharp claws.

Sun Qi raised his weapon to defend himself, but each exchange caused him excruciating pain in his arm, forcing him to retreat and quickly putting him in danger.

"You audacious vixen, don't come near me!" Jiang Wei was thrown into disarray by the vixen beside him and brandished his longsword to disperse her.

In the chaos, the blade sliced ​​across a woman's arm, and with a "crack," the hand fell to the ground.

"How could you be so heartless, young master?"

A seductive voice whispered sweet nothings in Jiang Wei's ear, and the fair arms of the enchantresses climbed up his neck.

The young Taoist priest, his face flushed, closed his eyes and brandished his sword, only to hear a "ripping" sound as cloth tore, and suddenly grasped something warm and soft in his palm.

When she opened her eyes, blood was gushing from half of her severed arm. (End of Chapter)