Singing with a Sword

The following is the main text of the novel "{?$article_title?}" ({?$jieqi_title?}) provided by {?$jieqi_sitename?}. Please enjoy! The sect has nine branch halls, each with its own residences. Most disciples of these branch halls live in their respective residences. A few are transferred to the main hall, that is, to work in the Wushen Palace, especially the Hengshan Hall, which is ranked first. Wen Erya, the senior disciple of the Hengshan Hall, also frequently visits the main hall. He also has a residence within the Wushen Palace.

Wen Erya's residence in the Wushen Palace was a small courtyard, where several of his fellow disciples from Hengshan Hall also lived. That afternoon, Wen Erya sat cross-legged in his room, meditating and cultivating. Before long, he suddenly felt a burning heat within his body, and the Yuan energy in his dantian began to fluctuate violently, as if disturbed by external forces.

Wen Erya realized something, immediately opened his eyes, and shouted, shaking the window open. Looking through the window, he saw that a large amount of earth-elemental energy had gathered in the sky. Wen Erya knew something was wrong; his special constitution was acting up again! Thinking this, the large amount of earth-elemental energy in the sky rushed towards him.

The earth elemental energies were like civilians being chased by enemies, while Wen Erya's dantian was like a city of refuge, with the former frantically crowding into the latter.

Wen Erya cursed under her breath and immediately began to circulate a special technique to resist the erosion of the vital energy! If all of this vital energy were to squeeze in, Wen Erya's life would be in danger.

In fact, this kind of thing had happened more than once or twice in the twenty-odd years he had lived. The first time it happened, Wen Erya, with the help of his master Shen Fanba, forcibly blocked the invasion of earth-elemental energy and thus saved his life. Afterwards, Shen Fanba taught Wen Erya a special technique, which was specifically used to seal off all the vital channels in the body to resist the erosion of the energy.

At this moment, Wen Erya was practicing this very technique. Slowly, the slightly yellowish earth-elemental energy began to swirl around Wen Erya, finally unable to penetrate his body. Wen Erya breathed a sigh of relief; the situation had finally stabilized.

The moment he relaxed his guard, suddenly, the earth elemental energy stirred up again, rushing into Wen Erya's body as if being reincarnated!

Wen Erya was shocked and focused her attention, beginning to circulate her cultivation technique with 200% concentration. However, this time, the technique seemed to have failed, unable to withstand the erosion of the vital energy! A large amount of earth-elemental vital energy, like a horde of bandits, invaded Wen Erya's dantian, causing her qi sea to expand, like a saturated balloon being continuously filled with more and more gas!

Wen Erya let out a painful scream, immediately attracting the attention of her junior brother next door. This junior brother was Shen Fanba's second disciple, named Liao Huaxian, who was also Wen Erya's second junior brother. In fact, Liao Huaxian had already noticed Wen Erya's abnormality, but he knew that his master had already taught his senior brother a unique technique that could resist the violence of the Yuan Qi, so he hadn't made any move just now.

Upon hearing his senior brother's scream, he knew something was wrong and rushed over to check. What he saw shocked him: his senior brother's dantian was like an inflated ball, showing signs of bursting!

Liao Huaxian immediately notified his master Shen Fanba, who arrived almost at the same time. Upon seeing the scene, Shen Fanba's expression became more solemn than ever before. He immediately helped Wen Erya up, and they faced each other with their palms to help him resist and dispel the terrifying earth elemental energy.

An hour passed, and Wen Erya's dantian finally deflated. However, Shen Fanba still dared not relax and remained highly vigilant. He continued to face Wen Erya with his palms facing each other, expelling the excess earth elemental energy from Wen Erya's dantian bit by bit.

Two hours later, Shen Fanba withdrew his palms and let Liao Huaxian help Wen Erya to bed. At this moment, Wen Erya was pale and weak, like a patient in the throes of a serious illness. She was helped to bed by Liao Huaxian in a daze.

Although his beloved disciple was alright, Shen Fanba's expression was not good. He walked out of the room, went to the courtyard, and sat on a stone bench. Just then, someone suddenly appeared on the stone bench beside him.

Shen Fanba looked at the man and respectfully greeted him, "Sect Leader, you've arrived." Xiang Tiannan responded indifferently, then asked, "Is he alright?"

Shen Fanba nodded. Upon hearing this, Xiang Tiannan remained silent for a moment, then said, "It's good that he's alright." After saying that, he subconsciously looked up at the sky and then said, "If something had happened to him, our plan would have suffered a serious setback."

……

……

At the same moment, in the academy of Xiaohu Town, the Fourth Master, who was studying by lamplight in his study, frowned. He had long sensed a violent earth-elemental energy drifting across the sky above his academy and then surging towards the direction of Holy King Mountain. The Fourth Master seemed to be deep in thought about this.

In the northernmost part of the continent, in the snow-covered northern region, within a massive snow-capped mountain, lies an inconspicuous valley. Deep within this valley, a man sits cross-legged on the snow. He wears a snow-white cloak with a conspicuous flame on it. From behind, amidst the icy landscape, the white cloak blends seamlessly with the snow, making it seem as if only a solitary flame floats silently in the air.

The man seemed to sense something, opened his eyes, and looked eastward, towards the direction of the Tang Dynasty. He muttered to himself, "It seems Xiang Tiannan is about to implement his plan. It seems I also need to send people to act in advance to realize my dream." After saying this, he looked up at the sky again and continued to mutter to himself, "One day, I will let you know that my plan is more reasonable and feasible!"

Besides the northern regions, in the heart of the continent, in the Mediterranean Sea, deep beneath the pitch-black seabed, inside a top-secret palace, some people also sensed the strange changes taking place within the prosperous Tang Dynasty in the East…

Therefore, cultivators within the Tang Dynasty naturally sensed this unusual activity, especially those within their sects.

Meanwhile, in the back mountain very close to the Wushen Palace, Da Yu, who was in seclusion, slowly opened his eyes at the same time. However, he was not awakened by the enormous primordial energy, but by the aura of the person outside the stone gate.

"Senior Brother," the person outside called out softly. Da Yu had heard this voice for countless years; it was very familiar. "Oh, Junior Brother Sect Leader, what brings you here?"

The person outside was naturally Xiang Tiannan. He had just been in Wen Erya's small villa, but now he had already arrived at the back mountain, demonstrating his incredible speed.

"Senior brother, you know the answer to that question. I've come here today to ask you to come out of seclusion."

Da Yu looked somewhat helpless. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Can't you do without me?" Xiang Tiannan said, "Senior brother, without the two of us, how can that formation operate? That plan will be even more impossible to execute!"

“Alright, I’ll go out then, but—” Da Yu said, “—I want to take on a disciple.”

Xiang Tiannan was slightly displeased and said, "Senior brother, do you really have no faith in my strength? Do you think we are destined to fail and be killed?"

Da Yu said, "Junior brother, you misunderstand. It's not that I'm afraid of dying or my skills being lost that I'm taking on a disciple. It's just that I've been living alone for years and it's gotten a bit boring, so I thought I'd take on a disciple." Xiang Tiannan outside didn't say anything, tacitly agreeing. Da Yu then asked, "Junior brother, who are some promising young talents?"

Xiang Tiannan said, "I'll have them all come to see you then. You can choose according to your own preference." He paused and then added, "Senior brother, when do you plan to come out of seclusion? I'll make preparations so that everyone can come and welcome you." After all, he was his senior brother, and in the sect, he was considered the most senior. Coming out of seclusion after so many years would be like returning from a long journey, and according to etiquette, he should be welcomed.

However, Yu the Great was by nature indifferent to worldly affairs and disliked ostentation, preferring a tranquil life. That's why he initially wanted to refuse to leave the pass to help Xiang Tiannan, though he ultimately couldn't resist. But he could still refuse the welcoming procession, so he said:

“I don’t like that kind of formality. You know me well, so let’s skip the formalities. But on the day I emerge from seclusion, have all the promising young people come to the back mountain to see me. Hmm—let’s set the date for the day after tomorrow!”

Xiang Tiannan responded and then left the back mountain.