Chapter 429: The Sword From the Moon! (IV)

After Qin Yishen left, laughter suddenly echoed through the corridor.

Chi Ling clapped twice, drawing everyone's attention. "Stop staring. The Immortal Dao Conference is about to begin. All departments, maintain your current status and continue your work."

"Yes, ma'am!" a group of young staff shouted in unison.

"Remember this at all times: we serve the people and the nation. We do not serve cultivators, and we certainly do not serve any one person. There are matters I will not bring up again."

Chi Ling's words reached every corner of the hall.

"The Special Affairs Unit and the Special Investigation Unit will not undergo major personnel changes in the near future, but I do hope that, in time, some of you will correct your ideological deviations, change your attitude, know your position, and understand your responsibilities. Also, notify the mid-level Special Affairs Unit officers who are currently here to come to my office on the top floor for a brief report."

Chi Ling turned around and left, taking the still-dazed Qing Yanzi with her. Soon after, thunderous applause filled the hall again.

Qing Yanzi hesitated several times as if wanting to speak, but by the time they reached the office, a few Special Affairs Unit officers had already arrived to report.

A few minutes before 8:00 AM, the office finally quieted down. Almost every Special Affairs Unit officer stationed at the Special Investigation Unit headquarters had reported in except for Zhang Jiuqian.

Qing Yanzi could not help but ask, "Honey—no, Captain, how did you pull this off? Just a few days ago, I was worried you'd taken the blow too hard. Now, you've turned Qin Yishen's promotion into a demotion in disguise and smoothly taken over the Special Affairs Unit.

"You've also completed a round of restructuring between the two departments, transferring some sub-divisions from the Special Investigation Unit to the Special Affairs Unit. On the other hand, I do hope you have follow-up plans. Qin Yishen was pretty easy to deal with, but what about the ancient cultivators? How do you plan to handle them?"

Chi Ling smiled gently, her gaze showing a hint of apology. She took out a jade talisman from her pocket and softly instructed, "It's time. Take this and go to the formation of the Hidden Earth Sect. The talisman will protect you as you enter. Once you're done, head to Mount Hua as fast as you can."

Qing Yanzi froze, his expression turning complicated. "So you've had everything planned out all along?"

"Five years ago, one of the ancient cultivators broke free of the seal. The Celestial Master contacted me the very same night. Unfortunately, the ancient cultivators were far stronger than what the cultivation world or the Special Warfare Unit could handle back then. That's why I contacted the Hidden Earth Sect immediately; only the immortal of the Small Nether Realm could stop them."

Avoiding Qing Yanzi's, Chi Ling brushed back her short hair.

She then continued, "Back then, we could not predict what kind of impact the ancient cultivators would bring, and we feared that public knowledge would cause unrest. Hence, we kept it secret and drafted three contingency plans. Sure enough, Qin Yishen began submitting proposals to use the ancient cultivators.

"Too many interests were entangled in all this, yet we still placed our hopes on them. We never expected they would destroy that hope themselves and reveal their true nature."

"So, to deal with them, you used an innocent person as bait, then ignored the consequences and felt no remorse. Is that it?"

Qing Yanzi clenched his fists.

Chi Ling slowly closed her eyes and softly answered, "

Mm.

"

"That's going too far, Ah-Ling!"

"But have you ever thought about it? Xi Lian herself is an unstable factor!"

Qing Yanzi growled, "Have you forgotten the blood she shed in the Small Nether Realm? It hasn't even dried yet!"

Chi Ling slammed her hands on the desk and stood up. She had never lost her composure like this before.

Facing the one person she thought would understand her best, she shouted, "What else could I do about it?! Tell me, what else could I do?! When the ancient cultivators were rescued, the higher-ups said they could be useful and forbade killing them. Their Daoist heritage said the same, claiming their return could restore their missing inheritance, so they couldn't be killed!

"Now, they've regained their power and are ready to cause chaos! What else can I do but find ways to restrain or eliminate them?! Yes, I used Xi Lian! I also used you and the immortal of the Hidden Earth Sect!

"There's a newly developed nuclear weapon hidden under Mount Hua. It has little radioactive residue, controllable energy flow, and unimaginable explosive yield! If the Hidden Earth Sect and the Shu Sword Sect fail to handle those ancient cultivators, I can erase that mountain and turn over two hundred thousand cultivators to ash!

"My duty has never been to ensure that cultivators live forever. My duty is to protect the legal citizens of this nation who cannot cultivate or ascend! Whether you like it or not, accept it or not, this is my job now!"

Qing Yanzi, a respected figure of the cultivation world, stared into her bloodshot eyes, his lips dry. In the end, he could only smile bitterly. He lowered his head, picked up the jade talisman, and turned toward the door. Several Special Investigation Unit officers outside stepped aside quickly.

Just before exiting the office, Qing Yanzi looked back at Chi Ling, who had already sat back down.

"After the Immortal Dao Conference ends, I plan to enter seclusion for a while. My cultivation has fallen too far behind my disciples'. It's embarrassing."

Chi Ling closed her eyes and remained motionless. Softly, she answered, "Alright."

Qing Yanzi left in haste, in his hand a key that could perfectly resolve the situation.

The fifteen ancient cultivators were already standing under the sunlight, about to face countless cultivators. There was no longer anywhere for them to hide.

Qing Yanzi flew out from a corridor window. Several Special Investigation Unit officers whispered to each other, then hurried toward the nearby elevator.

Before they could leave, the office door opened again. Chi Ling stepped out quickly.

"Chie—Captain..."

"What are you dawdling around here for?" Chi Ling questioned sharply as she strode toward the elevator. "Return to your posts. We're facing a new emergency."

They immediately straightened and exclaimed, "Yes, ma'am!"

The officers hurried after her. Soon, the elevator descended a floor. The moment Chi Ling stepped out, two young women rushed up to her and reported at once.

"Captain, we've just detected a high-energy reaction approaching rapidly from outer space! Estimated time of atmospheric entry, ten minutes at most!"

"Based on the energy readings, they're at least at the Rebirth Realm. We suspect them to be an unknown enemy."

Chi Ling paused, seemingly coming to a realization. "Calculate their trajectory immediately. Check if they came from the Moon."

"Yes, ma'am!"

The two young women turned and sprinted off, while Chi Ling led the few confused officers quickly after them.

Perhaps it was Chi Ling's return that reawakened the hidden instincts of the Special Investigation Unit's technicians. Before she even reached her seat in the command hall, one of them stood and shouted, "Yes! They did come straight from the Moon!"

Chi Ling exhaled softly. Helplessness then flickered in her eyes.

"No need to panic. That should be Fei Yu. Track his flight path and verify his identity as best you can."

Fei Yu? The sword cultivator?

The technicians immediately went to work. Soon, the large screen showed a divine bird soaring across the sky, growing clearer with each passing second.

During those ten minutes, it wasn't just the Hua Republic that could observe the divine bird. Observatories all around the world also captured it.

Just before entering the atmosphere, the divine bird slowed sharply, revealing a lone cultivator with a sword on his back. His face was obscured, and his long hair streamed behind him. Dressed in a cyan Daoist robe, he spun once in midair, then dove straight toward the southwest of the Hua Republic.

Chi Ling immediately recognized Wang Sheng. After several quiet sighs, she turned her gaze toward Mount Hua, where the Daoist sects were beginning to climb up on the stage.

***

The lakes and mountains were familiar, but the arrays and fluctuations of primal qi were strange.

Wang Sheng's expression darkened as he dove downward.

"Yaoyun, break the array."

Spiritless unsheathed with a clear hum, descending half a step ahead of Wang Sheng. It effortlessly sliced through two layers of light barriers. Yaoyun then appeared right behind Spiritless. She grasped it by the hilt, scattering streams of immortal light into the third array's nodes.

The moment Wang Sheng landed, the three arrays that the ancient cultivators had created shattered all at once.

At the bottom of the dried lake was a solitary stone sword. He landed on its tip and looked through the translucent blade, finding a battered woman sealed within. The veins in the back of his hand bulged.

Yaoyun frowned slightly, her graceful brow furrowing. Guiding Spiritless through the air, she sent streams of spiritual power into the massive stone sword. Moments later, the stone sword began to glow.

Yaoyun then gently thrust Spiritless at the center of the stone sword. The latter trembled lightly and then shattered like glass with a sharp clang. Shards of sword radiance froze in midair.

The tip of the stone sword burst apart, and the unconscious Xi Lian fell forward, her aura barely holding together. Wang Sheng instinctively stepped forward and caught her in his arms. With his eyes fixed on her pained expression, he knelt and brushed his fingers across the crusted blood on her.

Instead of letting anger cloud his judgment, he quickly took out a jade flask and poured out a celestial pill engulfed in a faint red flame.

Xi Lian was gravely injured, her lips sealed tight. Slowly, she opened her eyes, confusion and ferocity flickering within. "Qing... Lin..."

Wang Sheng's throat trembled. In a deep tone, he replied, "It's me. Take this pill. It'll remove your devilish seed."

"Oh..."

Her lips finally parted. The pill turned into a streak of flame and entered her mouth, wrapping her in cold fire almost instantly.

Xi Lian convulsed a few times. The ferocity in her eyes faded, and her blood-stained silver hair gleamed once more, making her remaining crimson streaks even more striking.

She was still too weak. Wang Sheng waited patiently until the flames subsided, then fed her another celestial pill for healing.

In her daze, Xi Lian suddenly tensed. She murmured, "Xiaomiao... run... I can't beat them..."

Wang Sheng's breathing grew chaotic, alternating between sharp and shallow. His eyes burned, yet his hand on her shoulder remained gentle.

Spiritless returned to its sheath. Yaoyun shrank to a height of three

cun

, landed lightly on Xi Lian's shoulder, and softly said, "Her injuries have started to heal. Don't worry too much."

"How much spiritual power do you have left?" Wang Sheng asked.

"Plenty. Enough for you to kill," Yaoyun replied calmly.

"

Mm.

" Wang Sheng nodded, took out a Daoist robe, and wrapped it around Xi Lian.

He loosened the sheath and lifted Xi Lian onto his back. Half-conscious, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

Sword in hand, Wang Sheng looked around. "Where are they?"

"About twenty-two hundred

li

northeast from here. They're all there."

Wang Sheng glanced down at Xi Lian, then walked forward. His every step spread cracks in all directions, covering the dried lakebed. A moment later, he took to the skies, blazing like a rising sun piercing through the clouds.

The divine bird unfurled its wings. Rainbow light flowed from its feathers as it shot toward the northeast.