Chapter 174: Wisdom Sword Sect

A gentle, cyan-colored radiance flickered before the newly completed Tier-3 Spirit Field of Mount Hua. Soft and brilliant, the shimmering light enveloping Tang Wan seemed to eclipse the illumination from the sky above, casting a luminous glow upon her fair, translucent skin. Swaying gently in the mountain breeze, the edges of her plain cyan dress fluttered, making her look like a celestial fairy about to ride the wind and ascend.

"Go..."

Tang Wan's soft and gentle cry sounded beside Jiang Yan. From her chest, a brilliant green beam burst through the air, plunging straight toward the Tier-3 Spirit Field before them.

Silently, the glowing stream landed on the ground and instantly vanished into the soil without a trace. Yet, Tang Wan, standing by the edge of the spirit field, furrowed her exquisite brow and stood frozen in place...

Infusing spiritual power into the earth via the Spirit-Transforming Art was merely the beginning of the transformation. To balance the spiritual energy within the spirit field, the caster had to track the flow of energy through the soil, locate the uneven points of spiritual concentration, dissipate or drive them away, and ultimately level the spiritual energy of the spirit field until it resembled the smooth surface of a calm lake.

A faint cyan glow lit up within the spirit field, casting a layer of azure light even on the undersides of the spirit herb leaves. The red and yellow spirit herbs alike were all coated with a pale greenish-blue hue. As Tang Wan's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, the cyan light within the soil brightened and dimmed alternately...

"Wuwu..."

The low, faintly menacing growl of the Howling Celestial Hound suddenly rang out from behind.

Jiang Yan turned his head in confusion to see the Howling Celestial Hound arching its entire body, its fur bristling all over until it looked like a thorny ball, snarling furiously at a white-robed disciple walking over from afar. Yunying tilted her head, pressing a small finger against her chin, her large, dark eyes rolling back and forth over the white-robed disciple, looking quite puzzled as to why the hound had suddenly taken offense.

"This disciple pays respects to Master," a respectful voice sounded beside Jiang Yan.

Without needing to turn around, Jiang Yan knew the newcomer was Gao Wei, the disciple in charge of managing the spirit fields. Ever since entering Mount Hua and passing the trials of the Trial Grounds, Gao Wei had entered the inner sect and displayed extraordinary talent in the path of spirit planting. He had subsequently won Jiang Yan's praise and been accepted as his personal disciple.

Gao Wei possessed astonishing talent in cultivating spirit-planting techniques such as the *Wood Spirit Art* and the *Earth Qi Art*. With only slight familiarity, he could skillfully wield these spells; his speed in mastering these two arts almost rivaled Jiang Yan's own.

However, his superiority was strictly confined to the cultivation of spirit-planting techniques. In ordinary cultivation, his natural aptitude was inferior even to Fan Fen, who had joined the Artifact-Forging Hall at the same time. While their innate foundations were similar, Fan Fen's progress in cultivating the *Golden Flame Art* far surpassed Gao Wei's. Having entered the sect simultaneously, Fan Fen was already at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, whereas Gao Wei remained at the fourth layer—and that was only the result of Jiang Yan's repeated guidance; otherwise, he would likely have fared even worse.

Nevertheless, Gao Wei possessed an exceptionally sharp eye when it came to identifying crops grown in the spirit fields. After merely shadowing Uncle Chen for a month in tending the spirit grain, Gao Wei could clearly distinguish the growth vigor of the crop, the extent of aphid damage, and roughly estimate the harvest.

"Master Uncle Tang's Spirit-Transforming Art is truly formidable!" After paying respects to his master and seeing Tang Wan practicing the technique nearby, Gao Wei immediately grew interested, his gaze darting continually across the cyan-illuminated spirit field as he spoke with reluctant admiration.

"Wangwang..."

The white fur on the Howling Celestial Hound's body remained bristling upright as it continued to snarl at the white-robed disciple. Had Yunying not been watching closely from the side, it probably would have already pounced upon the youth.

A look of puzzlement flashed across Jiang Yan's face. He stared at the white-robed disciple for a moment before bending down to feed the Howling Celestial Hound a beast-taming pill he had produced from nowhere. He patted the hound's head approvingly before shifting his gaze back to the distant white-robed disciple. Having received Jiang Yan's praise, the hound clamped the pill in its jaws and finally ceased its barking.

"Gao Wei, you stinky brat, when did an extra disciple show up here at the spirit field?"

A trace of annoyance crossed Jiang Yan's face as he asked Gao Wei in an irked tone.

"Ah, Master, what is it?" Startled by Jiang Yan's reprimand, Gao Wei snapped back to attention, reluctantly tearing his gaze away from Tang Wan to look at Jiang Yan with a bewildered expression.

Jiang Yan's expression paused. Ignoring Gao Wei, he shifted his gaze to the white-robed youth: "Li Xi, come over here. This seat has something to ask you."

***

A flicker of panic crossed the white-robed youth's face, though he concealed it remarkably well. The nervousness vanished almost instantly. After turning the matter over in his mind a few times, the youth lowered his head slightly, walked forward slowly, and said respectfully, "This disciple pays respects to the Sect Master."

Gao Wei's eyes shifted, a trace of doubt flashing in his heart as he failed to understand how his master had learned this junior brother's name. After all, he himself had only learned the youth's name a full month after the latter's arrival.

Crouched on the ground, Yunying stroked the head of the Howling Celestial Hound as it finished gnawing on its beast-taming pill. Raising her small head in bewilderment, she gazed at the approaching white-robed youth, wondering somewhat strangely why Senior Brother had summoned Little Li over.

A warm smile graced Jiang Yan's face as he stared with a beaming expression at the bowing Li Xi. Without telling him to dispense with formalities, Jiang Yan simply fixed his gaze on him, pressed his right index and middle fingers together with a slight bend to meet his thumb, and snapped his fingers.

A ring of cyan vines abruptly sprouted from the ground, enclosing Li Xi in the center. In the blink of an eye, he was wrapped three layers deep on the inside and outside, resembling a large cyan rice dumpling. This spell was precisely a minor trapping art—the Prison Cage Technique.

"Sect Master, this disciple is innocent! This disciple is innocent!"

A flash of alarm crossed the eyes of Li Xi, trapped within the cyan prison. Yet the panic vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of dismay as he cried out in a thoroughly terrified tone.

Gao Wei's dark face also jerked in sudden shock, his hands gesturing wildly as he asked Jiang Yan in surprise, "Master, Li Xi is merely an outer sect disciple. Why on earth did you lock him up?"

Yunying's exquisite, jade-carved face also creased into a frown. She looked up at her senior brother in confusion, equally baffled as to why he had suddenly turned on a Mount Hua disciple.

Jiang Yan flicked his hand, and a single vine detached itself from the cage, holding a treasured pouch and handing it directly to Jiang Yan.

Li Xi's complexion abruptly changed. The treasured pouch hidden on his person had somehow been discovered by this young sect master without his knowledge. Realizing the implications for his identity, the young man's face instantly turned ashen.

Taking the treasured pouch, Jiang Yan gave it a light wipe with his hand, erasing the rune array guarding its opening. Holding it upside down, he shook it, and countless items poured out onto the ground in a rush.

Tier-1 cyan dragon-claw pagoda trees, Tier-1 green clovers, Tier-2 fiery fire dragon fruits, and the faintly chilling Tier-3 ice soul grass... A massive quantity of spirit herbs poured out of the treasured pouch.

Seeing the spirit herbs scattered on the ground, Gao Wei's expression underwent a drastic shift. Astonishment painted his voice as he exclaimed, "Li Xi, where on earth did a brat like you get so many spirit herbs? Some of these are rarely even seen in our own spirit fields!" As he spoke, Gao Wei squatted down, sifting through the pile of spirit herb plants.

"Oh? Isn't this the ice soul grass? Gao Wei, last time I asked you to send me three stalks of ice soul grass, you dared to deliver only two, almost causing me to fail in refining that Longevity Pill. Who would have thought that a lowly disciple guarding the spirit fields would actually possess such an herb."

Tang Wan had finally finished executing the Spirit-Transforming Art. Turning around to see a ground full of spirit herbs, the eyes of Tang Wan—a Tier-3 alchemist—lit up. Gazing at the bounty, she spoke in a teasing tone to Gao Wei nearby.

"No!" Gao Wei's dark face abruptly tightened. He stood up clutching a stalk of clover, staring with furious eyes at Li Xi, who remained trapped within the Prison Cage Technique. "These are spirit herbs produced from the field I oversee! Li Xi, you actually dared to steal spirit herbs!"

Hearing Gao Wei's angry shout, a trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Jiang Yan's lips. Not bad, this kid Gao Wei; he actually had the sense to mark the spirit herb plants he cultivated. The moment these herbs passed through his hands, he recognized them as his own.

Hearing Gao Wei's cry, Tang Wan furrowed her delicate brow, tossed aside the herb in her hand, and slowly rose to her feet. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiang Yan and pulling Yunying up from the ground, she frowned as she looked at Li Xi trapped in the cage in the distance.

Name: Li Xi
Sect: Sword-Wisdom Gate
Position: Outer Sect Disciple
Cultivation: Fourth Layer of Qi Refining
Weapon: Wisdom-Sword (Tier-1)
Spells: Golden Flame Art (Tier-1 Intermediate), Wind-Spirit Sword Art (Tier-1 Advanced), Disguise Art (Tier-1 Intermediate), Earth-Escaping Art, Spirit-Communication Art
Merit Points: [Hidden]
Innate Foundation: 29
Attribute: Metal
Affinity: 2 individuals, 11 sects

Li Xi's detailed information flowed through Jiang Yan's mind...

To think a spy had actually infiltrated Mount Hua! Jiang Yan felt a surge of annoyance. Because of his momentary laxity, a spy had slipped into Mount Hua, penetrated the core spirit fields, and stolen so many spirit herbs. Seeing how brazenly Li Xi had used his treasured pouch to steal them, Jiang Yan felt as though his heart was bleeding; heaven knows how many herbs this kid had already made off with.

"Sword-Wisdom Gate, little Li Xi, you've got some nerve, actually using your real name to infiltrate my Mount Hua. I will give you a chance: speak, why did you sneak into Mount Hua?"

Jiang Yan asked coldly. The moment he first laid eyes on Li Xi, he had been certain the fellow was a spy. However, hoping to squeeze some information out of him, he had deliberately chosen to let the youth off temporarily. Yet, when his spiritual sense probed the massive stash of spirit herbs in Li Xi's pouch, Jiang Yan's fury had instantly hit its peak. With a flick of his fingers, he cast the Prison Cage Technique, trapping Li Xi and seizing the pouch.

Li Xi jerked his head up, a flash of fearless arrogance crossing his face. "Hmph, Jiang Yan, since you know of my Sword-Wisdom Gate, you naturally should know our methods. Now that you've discovered me, I won't beg you to spare my life. But Sect Master Jiang, you should realize that killing me might cause some unpleasantness between our two sects."

Jiang Yan's expression remained calm. As he lightly rubbed his right thumb against his forefinger, the cage trapping Li Xi gave a sudden, violent twist. The enclosure, which had originally stood over a man's height, abruptly shrank and began sinking downward into the earth. Jiang Yan had activated the cage's lethal function to execute Li Xi.

Pulled downward by the cyan vines, Li Xi's body buckled abruptly as he was forced into a crouching posture. A look of pain crossed his face, and his voice pitched higher in a loud cry: "Sect Master Jiang, you had better think this through! My Sword-Wisdom Gate has already exterminated the Tiannan Sword Sect and occupied Tianyue City. Once we gather all five Boundary Stones, my Sword-Wisdom Gate will become the rulers of this Tianyue Realm..." *(To be continued...)*