Martial Saint with Passives

Gu Qingxuan seemed to have just finished her mission to clear out the Black Wind Mountain Range and was on her way back to the Sect.

”Fang Muye?”

Gu Qingxuan looked at his wretched state, like a stray dog that had lost its home. A flicker of doubt crossed her cold eyes.

”What are you doing here? Where’s Jiang Che?”

According to their mission plans, although their two teams were assigned to adjacent cleanup areas, their routes were completely different. They shouldn’t have met here.

Fang Muye was stunned to see Gu Qingxuan. He hesitated for a moment, then gathered his thoughts and quickly recounted their encounter with the Ghost Hand Rakshasa.

”...In short, I barely managed to escape. Jiang Che... I’m afraid he’s already... gone...”

”What did you say?!”

A terrifyingly sharp Sword Intent erupted from her body!

Struck by this Sword Intent, Fang Muye felt a chill run through him and took an involuntary step back.

Without another moment of hesitation, Gu Qingxuan’s figure flickered, and she charged straight back toward the perilous Wolf Fang Valley!

”Are you crazy?!”

Fang Muye cried out in alarm. ”What are you going back for?! That’s a Demon Sect Guardian at the True Master Realm! You’ll be walking to your death!”

Gu Qingxuan didn’t slow down in the slightest.

Only a few cold, resolute words drifted back on the night wind.

”If I go now, maybe... I can still make it in time!”

”If I don’t go...”

”My Sword Heart... will never be at peace!”

The moment her voice faded, she had already transformed into a streak of azure light, speeding toward the valley!

Fang Muye stood frozen in place, his mind blank as he watched her determined, unhesitating figure disappear.

A moment later, as if struck by some ridiculous thought, he began to laugh neurotically.

”Heh... hehehe... haha... HAHAHAHA!”

”Fools... Every... single... one of you... is a damn fool!!!”

His laughter was filled with boundless absurdity and self-mockery.

’I’m not wrong... Staying alive is what matters most... As long as I’m alive...’

He muttered to himself as if trying to hypnotize himself.

Then, he forcefully suppressed the sliver of guilt he felt for abandoning his companion, got his bearings, and prepared to take a detour back to the Sect.

He couldn’t go back the way he came.

Who knew if that True Master Realm Guardian from the Demon Sect would chase him down the mountain path?

However, just as he turned to step onto a more hidden forest trail, a figure appeared as silently as a ghost from the shadows of the trees before him.

Every hair on Fang Muye’s body stood on end in that instant!

He almost instinctively prepared to burn his blood essence again and use Blood Style Chasing Wind to flee for his life!

But when he saw the person’s face, he forced himself to a halt.

The newcomer wore a purple, cloud-patterned Daoist Robe. He had a gaunt face with a white beard and hair. With his hands clasped behind his back, he watched Fang Muye with a placid, emotionless gaze.

It was the Vice Sect Leader of the Cangyun Sect—Xie Songnian!

”Vice... Vice Sect Leader!”

After experiencing extreme terror followed by extreme relief, Fang Muye’s body could no longer support him. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees with a THUD.

He gasped for breath, his voice hoarse as he performed a wretched salute.

Xie Songnian slowly stepped out of the shadows, the moonlight illuminating his seemingly gentle face.

Seeing Fang Muye’s distraught state, he frowned almost imperceptibly and spoke.

”Muye? What happened to you? What’s with all this panic? It’s unseemly! By the way, where is Jiang Che? I just sensed that the Sect Leader’s Talisman Seal on him was triggered! What’s going on?!”

Fang Muye’s body shuddered violently at the mention of Jiang Che’s name.

”Vice Sect Leader! Quick! You have to go save them!” he said with frantic urgency.

”Wolf Fang Valley... There’s a True Master Realm expert from the Demon Sect in Wolf Fang Valley! Jiang Che is trapped inside!”

”And Junior Sister Gu! She went in alone to save him! You... you have to hurry and save them!”

After hearing this, a perfectly measured look of shock appeared on Xie Songnian’s usually impassive face.

”What?!”

He strode in front of Fang Muye, and the terrifying pressure of a True Master Realm expert descended with a boom!

”Those Demon Sect villains dare to ambush my Sect’s chief disciple?!”

Killing intent flared in his eyes, as if he were truly enraged by the danger his disciples were in.

Then, his figure flickered and vanished on the spot, as if he had teleported.

Watching the direction in which Xie Songnian had disappeared, Fang Muye collapsed completely to the ground.

He let out a long sigh of relief.

The last trace of guilt in his heart also vanished into thin air.

’With the Vice Sect Leader taking action himself, he should... be able to save them, right...’

’In any case... I’ve done my part...’

He muttered to himself, then struggled to his feet and began dragging his exhausted body toward the Cangyun Sect.

...

After dealing with everything, Jiang Che’s figure flickered and quickly vanished into the deep night of Wolf Fang Valley.

Not daring to linger for a moment, he pushed his Body Technique to its absolute limit, speeding toward the Cangyun Sect like a black shadow skimming across the ground.

However, he had just exited the bounds of Wolf Fang Valley and stepped onto a desolate mountain path when, without any warning, a sense of mortal danger far more terrifying, profound, and despair-inducing than what he’d felt from Ghost Hand Rakshasa enveloped him. It was like ten-thousand-year-old ice from the depths of the Nine Hells, instantly encasing his entire body!

Jiang Che’s steps came to a sudden halt!

Every muscle in his body tensed to the absolute extreme in an instant!

The [True: All-Seeing Eye] blared warnings in his mind, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end!

This aura...

It was far, far stronger than Ghost Hand Rakshasa, who was at the First Layer of the True Master Realm!

He slowly, stiffly, turned around.

There, on the mountain path not far behind him, under the cold moonlight, a figure in a purple, cloud-patterned Daoist Robe with a gaunt face stood silently, having appeared there at some unknown time.

Just by standing there, he seemed to merge with heaven and earth, yet he emanated a terrifying pressure capable of withering all life!

It was the Vice Sect Leader—Xie Songnian!

Jiang Che’s scalp instantly went numb!

’What... is he doing here?!’

He quickly halted and bowed. ”Greetings, Vice Sect Leader!”

”Jiang Che?” Xie Songnian stared at him, his brow furrowed, and asked in a concerned tone, ”Fang Muye said you were ambushed by a True Master Realm expert from the Demon Sect! What happened? You... how are you unharmed?”

His gaze was like the sharpest of blades, threatening to dissect Jiang Che from the inside out!