Fengyunlu

Luo Hongchen suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He realized that although Ling Xue'er acted domineeringly, in his eyes, she was no longer the same person she used to be. Her strange behavior that night might be due to someone's conspiracy!

In fact, things unfolded just as he'd anticipated. Soon, word spread that the evil spirit was still lingering on the mountain. Luo Hongchen knew this must be a conspiracy against Ling Xue'er, and it was likely aimed at him. So, he began observing secretly, but for several days, he found nothing.

However, he clearly remembered the night when the Changli Sword pierced Ling Xue'er's body. The powerful force had shattered her two Purple God Palaces, and even her Yuan Shen and Zhen Ling dissipated instantly. The cold corpse gradually melted. The evil spirit in the mountain was clearly Ling Xue'er, but that night...

Luo Hongchen still couldn't understand all this, and at this moment, a stranger broke into the mountain. Luo Hongchen didn't know him, but his cultivation was not high, so Luo Hongchen didn't bother him, but continued to observe everything secretly.

The man arrived at the hut on the mountaintop and, seemingly guided by some kind of guidance, began to set up an unknown formation. As the formation took shape, the power of the surrounding mountains and rivers began to flow in continuously, along with resentment from hundreds of miles around. Even the surrounding evil energy instantly gathered in the hut.

Luo Hongchen frowned. He wanted to continue observing, but he was also worried that the man might cause something else. So, he intervened from outside, using his mortal powers to interrupt whatever was going on. The man woke up, and, relieved, he turned and left.

Seeing him leave, Luo Hongchen, fearing someone might repeat his mistakes, appeared and destroyed the formation, intending to stay there to investigate who was behind the incident. But just then, a spiritual message arrived, forcing him to temporarily leave. Desperate, he resorted to blocking the mountain road, preventing ordinary people from entering. He also used a formation to block the mountain's sensory input, concealing all resentment, evil spirits, immortal spirits, and any other auras that could be exploited by both good and evil forces within deep ravines. Even the evil spirit was temporarily sealed off by him, and only then did he depart with peace of mind.

However, upon his return, he discovered that all his efforts had been in vain. The Changli Sword, which had sealed the evil spirit, had suddenly vanished from the air for unknown reasons. Luo Hongchen tried various methods, but even the Xuantian Dharma Image was powerless. In desperation, he was forced to personally guard the evil spirit. During this time, he left behind a method, but the evil spirit still infected living beings, even devouring several practitioners.

In the end, Luo Hongchen was at his wit's end. He didn't understand the truth, and he couldn't bear to kill the evil spirit. But he had to leave again, and he could only use the Red Makeup Sword to devour the evil spirit, hoping to take it away directly.

But who would have thought that once the Red Makeup Sword moved, the evil spirit would transform into a weapon spirit, escaping directly into the endless depths during the fusion, concealing its own aura. Even with Luo Hongchen's cultivation level at the time, he couldn't detect a single bit of it.

After many attempts, Luo Hongchen felt helpless again. At that time, a major event concerning the survival of the people of the world occurred in the Xuanmen, and he had no choice but to rush there first.

This time, a dispute involving many parties was finally stopped by a single sword from the Sword Hidden Sect. Mo Wenjian and Yijian Guhan firmly occupied the top spot on the list of Xuanmen, and no one could shake the throne of the second place in the world.

Luo Hongchen was determined to achieve success, and the thirty-three Tao of the Changli Sword were subtly taught to him. However, after the Tao was achieved, the Jianyin Sect was destroyed, and the Changli Sword mysteriously disappeared.

During the Jiazi War, Luo Hongchen repeatedly interrogated and searched for the person, but there was no news. It was like a stone sinking into the sea, and the plot from that year was also lost. The most suspected poor family was almost destroyed in the war, and even the leader was seriously injured and died in prison. Where should he start to investigate this matter?

Luo Hongchen asked himself and also asked about the past ties, but no one answered, and no one could answer.

At this moment, an unexpected surprise came. The Martial Saint Jiang He rose in the Xuanmen Sect. When the two met in the Imperial Garden, they found out that he was the descendant of the woodcutter who had compensated him in his early years. He had achieved great success in practicing Taoism and brought back the Red Makeup Sword.

After searching in vain for the sword many times, Jiang He unexpectedly found it in this cheap disciple's possession. Perhaps it was fate, as Luo Hongchen felt a sense of belonging and officially accepted him as a disciple, though only in name only, not as a true heir. Jiang He remained content. In his heart, being able to fulfill his filial duty to his teacher was the greatest satisfaction, and it was also his mother's dying wish.

Furthermore, Luo Hongchen had already accepted Feng Wanlin as his disciple at that time. Although Jiang He was dull, he was really happy for his teacher when he saw Feng Wanlin's extraordinary talent, and he took extra care of Feng Wanlin.

Although he could not help his teacher with the matter he had been investigating, he was still determined to investigate it. He always carried the red cloth left by his father with him. Whenever he felt a sense of connection, he would delve into it with great care. Although he always came back empty-handed, he never gave up. Over the years, he almost ignored other matters and focused on investigating the mystery.

Three years ago, Feng Wanlin suffered a devastating disaster. Martial Saint Jiang He was heartbroken, blaming himself for not taking good care of Feng Wanlin and not being there for him when the disaster struck. While he was busy investigating the cause of the accident, he also kept a close eye on Feng Chen. After all, Feng Chen was the orphan of his junior fellow apprentice, so he couldn't miss a thing.

Two days ago, Fengchen showed up in Mobei. Upon hearing about it, Martial Saint Jianghe rushed over from elsewhere, but by the time he reached the desert, he was already too late. Later, when he heard that Lei Gong had taken Fengchen back to Leiming, he became even more worried and hurried northwest.

On his way, he encountered Xu Yi walking alone towards the Seven Killing Hall. The two of them got into a fight after a disagreement, which delayed him for most of the day. Finally, the Two Sages of the Clouds appeared. He saw that he could not deal with three of them alone, so he quickly withdrew and headed towards Leiming. His journey was relatively smooth, but he ended up in the Thunder Pond at that moment.

The Spring and Autumn Emperor Luo Hongchen and Fairy Ji Yao of Yaochi Wonderland were both scowling, wondering how to break the Acacia Sword Formation. As for Mo Wenjian, the one trapped, he wasn't panicking at all, as if he were watching a play.

Luo Hongchen stared at him, recalling the past. He knew that even if he couldn't bear it anymore, he couldn't hesitate any longer. Otherwise, he might be fine under the sword formation, but it would be hard to say for Fairy Ji Yao.

The most formidable aspect of the Acacia Sword Formation wasn't its sheer force, but its purpose—to seal the town. Its most ruthless attack was its endless, searing power.

This power is most capable of stirring the inner demons. Even at the highest level of cultivation, it's inevitable that there will be some inner demons. This sword formation amplifies the person's state of mind and then merges it with the sword formation. The ultimate result is that the trapped person redeems themselves.

This is somewhat similar to the Heart-Tormenting Mantra, but it's slightly different in that it controls everything, and anything can become a demon in the heart. However, the Acacia Sword Formation is different; it only traps the word "love."

Almost no one can escape the word "love". Even a master like Bai Qianyi may be tortured by his state of mind if trapped in it, not to mention Fairy Ji Yao. Her past life is destined to be full of emotional pain, which is also what Luo Hongchen is worried about.

In fact, Luo Hongchen himself should have been tortured by the Acacia Sword Formation, but after his experience in the mortal world, his state of mind had become indestructible. Even though the Hongzhuang Sword was closely connected to him, even though this sword formation was originally set up for him, it could only trap his body. As for torture, the murderous intent could not erode his state of mind at all.

However, Luo Hongchen took the initiative to open his heart. He wanted to make peace not only with the Red Makeup Sword, but also with the Changli Sword. This required him to be deeply in love with the sword in order to summon the original evil spirit of the Red Makeup Sword. Once the evil spirit appeared, Luo Hongchen would be able to clarify some of the past and know who was plotting against him.

"Old Master Luo?" Fairy Ji Yao couldn't help but speak. In her opinion, Luo Hongchen's expression was dull, which shouldn't be the case. Given the old man's high cultivation level, he should be able to break this sword formation with his own strength. Why did he allow himself to be manipulated by the illusion? Could it be that Mo Wenjian was behind this?

Fairy Ji Yao thought for a while and felt that the Hongzhuang Sword was in her hand, without any external force affecting her. There was only a slight traction that prevented her from letting go or taking the sword back.

This sword is truly formidable. I wonder how it was forged. Even my Taiyin Mirror's essence can't let it go. It seems it's using me to accomplish some purpose. It seems Old Man Luo must have had quite a story back then, otherwise why would the Acacia Changli Sword be so unusual? Alas, after all, everyone has a past. This world is truly...

"I told you it's useless. We can only wait," Mo Wenjian spoke, interrupting Fairy Ji Yao's thoughts. Whether intentional or not, his words, tinged with sword intent, interrupted the faint red light of the Red Makeup Sword, which was climbing up Fairy Ji Yao's arm, aiming for her heart. Fairy Ji Yao immediately felt the power of the Taiyin converge, slowly pressing the red light back into her arm. However, no matter how hard she tried, she could only do so much; she could not force the red light back into the sword.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're so powerful, why don't you just break through this sword formation?" Fairy Ji Yao asked curiously, blinking her eyes. She knew full well that Luo Hongchen was a very capable guy, and logically, this little battle would be a piece of cake for him. But he just didn't do it, which made Fairy Ji Yao think he must have other plans.

Luo Hongchen sighed and said slowly, "I'm holding the Changli Sword. How can I just leave?" His expression was a little bitter, as if he wasn't just talking about his current predicament, but about the shackles of his life, unable to escape this troubled world. To him, being trapped in the sword formation seemed no different from wallowing in the mortal world.

Fairy Ji Yao heard the deeper meaning in his words and surprisingly felt a certain sympathy. Although they had taken different paths and were still rivals, no matter what had happened in the past, they were now in the same boat. Since he was on the side of the evil path, there was nothing to say. She secretly decided that once the sword formation was broken, she would definitely keep him, even if it meant paying a price, at least she had to reclaim the Demon Hill.

Luo Hongchen naturally didn't know what Fairy Ji Yao was thinking. But he was quite interested now, his eyes wandering around Luo Hongchen, as if he was particularly looking forward to what would happen next.

At this moment, Luo Hongchen suddenly moved, his eyes lit up. He turned around, pointed at Fairy Ji Yao's sword, and said, "Girl, let go."

Fairy Ji Yao reflexively let go of her hand, and the Red Makeup Sword was taken away by Luo Hongchen so easily. The sword that she had tried so hard to move before now flew away with just one finger.

"Old man..." Ji Yao was about to ask something, but saw Luo Hongchen wave his hand, and the Hongzhuang Sword gently pointed at the Changli Sword. Mo Wenjian responded immediately, and the two of them went back and forth, starting a wonderful sword duel.

During the entire process, there was no fluctuation of true energy, nor any trace of spiritual power. They were simply demonstrating sword moves, and in the blink of an eye, more than twenty moves had already been made.

Fairy Ji Yao watched from the sidelines, momentarily forgetting to take action. She hesitated, unsure if intervening now would disrupt Luo Hongchen's plans. Because the situation was unclear, she ultimately decided to hold back.

Luo Hongchen and Mo Wenjian continued to fight. They communicated with each other through eye contact, without words or any obstacles. They understood each other as well as brothers, and practiced in the sword formation as if they had returned to the past.

A moment later, they had exchanged more than sixty moves. Luo Hongchen swung his sword, and Mo Wenjian blocked it. The two clashed, then rushed forward, facing each other, less than half a foot apart. Amidst the tense confrontation, they suddenly smiled at each other.

Luo Hongchen then took a step back, slashing the Hongzhuang sword outwards, and Mo Wenjian followed suit. Changli's sword tip tapped, and the Hongzhuang sword followed suit. Both swords suddenly surged with true energy, and the crimson sword light and the gentle breeze intertwined, unexpectedly forming a vortex of moderate size before the two men.

There seemed to be something in the center of the vortex, or someone in another world trying to break free, trying to break through the obstacles and come to them.

"Next, it's up to you." Mo Wenjian said lightly, his tone full of profound meaning that made people confused.

Luo Hongchen nodded, turned around and waved to Fairy Ji Yao, indicating that she should stand behind him. Although Ji Yao was a little worried, she still retreated to the back and prepared her true energy in case of any emergency.

Luo Hongchen turned his head again. This time, the vortex had slowed down. A fishy wind blew out of the vortex, causing the three people in the sword formation to squint involuntarily.

The next moment, the blood mist dissipated, and a pale hand slowly emerged from the vortex. Its fingers were as slender as jade, yet as cold as frost. The hand continued to extend, and the bright red sleeves of the robe swayed gently. Then, a woman slowly emerged.

The woman wore a veil and a blood-red dress embroidered with golden phoenixes. Nine phoenixes hung upside down, their long tails swaying, a lifelike sight that made one unable to resist taking a second look. It was this one glance that made Mo Wenjian involuntarily take a step back.

Fairy Ji Yao was shocked when she saw this. To her, the woman holding a lantern in one hand and gently lifting the hem of her skirt with the other looked ordinary. How could she make even a master like Mo Wenjian step back involuntarily?

Luo Hongchen's eyes were firm, and he stared at the woman intently. The woman seemed to sense his gaze, glancing at Mo Wenjian, then at Fairy Ji Yao, before finally meeting Luo Hongchen's gaze. There seemed to be a hint of resentment in her eyes, and her expression behind the veil hinted at anxiety.