Wayfarer

Chapter 799: Blue-Furred Monsters

Within the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm, Xiao Nanfeng and Lan Yaoguang's souls were sucked into the saint's green tunnel and vanished from sight. Lan Yaoguang's physical body collapsed to the ground.

A female spectral guard quickly stepped forward and caught Lan Yaoguang's soulless body.

Just then, Xiao Nanfeng's other avatar entered the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm.

"Your Majesty, Lady Yaoguang's soul appears to have left her body," the female spectral guard reported.

"Indeed." Xiao Nanfeng's avatar picked up Lan Yaoguang's physical body.

"We've failed you, Your Majesty," Ye Sanshui and Tu Feng reported, stepping forward.

"It's not your fault. Don't blame yourselves. My main body and Lady Yaoguang's soul are safe."

"Understood!"

On vast, snow-covered plains, Xiao Nanfeng's main body and Lan Yaoguang's soul were considering each other and the environment in which they were situated.

Lan Yaoguang was a True Yin spiritual cultivator, though she was only in the early stages of the realm and couldn't compare to Xiao Nanfeng's late-stage True Yin cultivation. It was fortunate that they had nevertheless remained together even after escaping from the saint's green tunnel. Somehow, Lan Yaoguang's Cursebane Sword had managed to follow her here.

"Where are we? What a massive snowstorm..." Lan Yaoguang murmured.

The two cultivators flew into the air and surveyed the endless expanse of the horizon.

Just then, a beast's roar echoed from a distant snowy mountain. They turned to see a humanoid monster, covered entirely in blue fur, glaring fiercely at them from the mountaintop.

"A blue-furred lifeform?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"Are you familiar with it?" Lan Yaoguang asked curiously.

"It's my first time seeing one, but I feel like it may be connected to the Shangqing Grandmaster."

"Why?"

"In the Taiqing Grandmaster's red moon illusory realm, there were plenty of red-furred lifeforms. The Shangqing Grandmaster may have a blue moon illusory realm populated with blue-furred lifeforms too."

"That sounds like a stretch, but it's true that there's been a persistent rumor involving the existence of a blue moon illusory realm in the Shangqing holy land. However, no one's been able to find it."

"It's likely that each of the three grandmasters excavated an illusory realm of their own, though the Taiqing Grandmaster's red moon illusory realm has long since been accessible, whereas the Yuqing Grandmaster's illusory realm was just opened."

"You mean that we may be in the legendary blue moon illusory realm?" Lan Yaoguang exclaimed.

'It's possible, but I can't be certain just yet."

Just then, the blue-furred monster on the distant mountaintop howled again.

Its howl seemed to have conveyed a message to its surroundings. More blue-furred monsters began to emerge from the blizzard, all of whom were charging fiercely toward Xiao Nanfeng and Lan Yaoguang.

"These blue-furred lifeforms seem to be as bloodthirsty as the red-furred ones from the red moon illusory realm..." Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

He brandished the divine undying blade and stood protectively before Lan Yaoguang.

"Let me fight alongside you, Nanfeng." Lan Yaoguang drew her Cursebane Sword.

The blue-furred monsters closed in on them.

"Die!"

Xiao Nanfeng unleashed a tremendous slash that sliced through the charging monsters, whose bodies disintegrated into blue mist and dissipated into the air.

Lan Yaoguang struck another blue-furred monster with her Cursebane Sword. The moment her sword connected, it absorbed the monster, which only managed to let out a brief cry before it vanished. The Cursebane Sword glowed with blue light that filtered into Lan Yaoguang's body.

"Ah!" Lan Yaoguang gasped.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Nanfeng asked quickly.

He wrapped an arm around her as he used the divine undying blade to cut down the rest of the blue-furred monsters with his other arm.

Lan Yaoguang shut her eyes, reopening them long moments later. Her face was filled with disbelief as she stared at the Cursebane Sword.

"I think I've figured out the correct way of using my sword," Lan Yaoguang suddenly exclaimed.

"What do you mean?"

"When I killed that blue-furred monster with the Cursebane Sword, the sword absorbed and refined its spirit, then channeled it to me. My comprehension of the Shangqing Yin Body increased notably, as did my reserves of spiritual power."

"You absorbed the blue-furred lifeform's spiritual power and insights?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"I did! I've occasionally seen the Shangqing Grandmaster in my dreams. He passed on countless secret techniques to me, and once said that the Cursebane Sword was an incredible treasure for cultivating the Shangqing Yin Body. I never quite understood why—until now."

"Truly? What if there are side effects? Will it be fine for you to absorb these insights?" Xiao Nanfeng asked in worry.

"No, no, none of that. The Cursebane Sword filtered the blue-furred monster's spiritual power before channeling it to me. I was able to distill it immediately. The insights are granted in such a way that I experience them myself, too." Lan Yaoguang's eyes lit up in delight.

"So this might as well be a treasure trove for you?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

Lan Yaoguang nodded. Her cheeks flushed in excitement.

"In that case, I'll help you find more blue-furred lifeforms to kill," Xiao Nanfeng suggested.

"You cultivate the Shangqing Yin Body too, don't you? Why don't you try using the Cursebane Sword as well?" she urged eagerly.

"My avatar cultivates it, not my main body. It's better if you reap all the benefits," Xiao Nanfeng demurred.

"It won't hurt to give it a try, would it?" Lan Yaoguang tugged at Xiao Nanfeng's hand, her voice filled with playful insistence.

"If you insist." Xiao Nanfeng smiled and nodded.

The two cultivators continued flying until they encountered another group of blue-furred monsters.

Xiao Nanfeng sheathed his blade and flew over with Lan Yaoguang.

With a roar, the monsters charged toward them.

"Hegemon's Fist!"

Xiao Nanfeng sent the blue-furred monsters in the vicinity flying, leaving only a few weaker stragglers for Lan Yaoguang to take down. She cut them down with the Cursebane Sword, triggering the same effect. Insight and spiritual power coursed through her body.

As Xiao Nanfeng sent the stronger threats flying, Lan Yaoguang's cultivation continued to rise.

After she had absorbed dozens of blue-furred monsters' worth of spiritual power and insight, she handed the Cursebane Sword over to Xiao Nanfeng. "Now you try."

Xiao Nanfeng did so, slaying one of the blue-furred monsters with the sword, but nothing happened. The Cursebane Sword absorbed the monster's essence—and didn't transfer it to him.

Lan Yaoguang: ...

Xiao Nanfeng: ...

"Try again," Lan Yaoguang urged.

Xiao Nanfeng killed a few more blue-furred monsters, but the sword continued to ignore him.

"How can this be? Cursebane Sword, don't play favorites!" Lan Yaoguang fumed.

"Don't worry about me. Come on, let's help you absorb what you can," Xiao Nanfeng urged.

Despite her annoyance, Lan Yaoguang nodded and resumed fighting.

"Die!" she shouted, slashing her sword at a group of blue-furred monsters.

The Cursebane Sword absorbed their spiritual power and insights, then channeled them into her body.

The two cultivators fought for an entire day. Lan Yaoguang grew stronger and stronger, and her understanding of the Shangqing Yin Body deepened.

Finally, a day later, after they had slaughtered just about all the monsters in the vicinity, Lan Yaoguang sat cross-legged atop a snowy peak as she entered a meditative state.

Not long after, a surge of energy exploded from her body. Snow flew from all directions and caused a massive avalanche below her.

"You're at mid-stage True Yin now?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"The insight from killing all these blue-furred monsters seems to be equivalent to consuming fortune. It's clearing my karmic consequence away!" Lan Yaoguang analyzed.

"Not quite the same, I believe. Fortune works for any sort of karmic consequence, but this insight only seems to apply to the Shangqing Yin Body. Try using another spiritual cultivation technique and see if it has any effect," Xiao Nanfeng suggested.

Lan Yaoguang experimented with another technique only to find that Xiao Nanfeng was right.

"Even so, being able to advance the Shangqing Yin Body is incredible enough," Lan Yaoguang said. "Once I'm stronger, it'll be my turn to protect you."

"Alright, then. I'll look forward to that," Xiao Nanfeng said with a smile.

Hand in hand, they continued to fly across the snowy landscape. Before long, they spotted another pack of blue-furred monsters.

"I'm charging in!" Lan Yaoguang's face was filled with excitement.

Xiao Nanfeng followed behind her, providing cover as she fought. Before long, their battle attracted an even larger group of monsters over.

Just then, within a massive snow-filled valley, something seemed to stir beneath the surface of the snow.

The snow trembled as it split apart, revealing a snowy-white superior yin pearl. It opened its mouth wide, baring its sharp teeth and letting out a deafening roar that caused the nearby mountains to quake.

It floated into the air like a bright moon, radiating a soft white glow. As its light fell upon the land, the nearby blue-furred monsters below began to bow in reverence.

Sensing the distant battle, the pearl let out another roar that reverberated throughout the land. All the blue-furred monsters in the vicinity trembled as if receiving orders from their king. They began to rush toward the source of the disturbance.

Xiao Nanfeng and Lan Yaoguang, frowning at the commotion, turned to the source of the sound.