Beiyuan.
The Lord of Xuanyin City knew of Bai Changsheng’s talents and was overjoyed, throwing a grand banquet in his honor that very night.
The next morning, at the break of dawn, the Lord of Xuanyin City brought Bai Changsheng and the northern elite together for a gathering. They sat in an elegant pavilion built of tens of thousands of spirit stones, feasting on the first and fattest golden goat of the season from the Beiyuan pastures, savoring the crisp autumn air, while red-veiled dancers performed graceful dances. All together, they raised their voices to condemn the tyranny of the Azure Emperor Divine Palace.
Suddenly, an explosion erupted on the distant horizon!
The merry crowd looked up to see a massive rift torn open in the sky-spanning formation of Xuanyin City. There, at the breach, stood a cultivator in a black-and-white daoist robe—slender and elegant, with an air of heroic spirit and an androgynous, bewitchingly handsome face.
Long, graceful fingers toyed with a small black-and-white blade, its edge flickering with a cold, sinister light that seemed capable of cutting through the world’s illusions. Hovering high above, the cultivator looked down on the crowd with cold, indifferent eyes.
“Xuanyin City, you refuse the Celestial Lord’s decree, collude with outsiders, and obstruct the construction of the Celestial Emperor’s Spirit-Locking Grand Array. Today, you shall be punished!”
With that, a torrent of black-and-white sword light descended, snaking through the air like a storm of electric serpents, instantly tearing Xuanyin City’s skies asunder!!
In the flash of that blade, a strange transformation swept over those below. A man felt a sudden lightness at his loins, and his movements acquired an unexpected feminine grace; his form gradually shifted into that of a woman. Meanwhile, a woman felt a sudden heaviness between her legs, grew a bristling beard, her frame growing broader and more powerful, masculine vigor surging through her. Gender and form twisted and reversed, steeped in uncanny chaos.
The Lord of Xuanyin City turned with great effort, her body shrinking as her chest swelled into two prominent peaks, handsome features softening into feminine beauty—valiant yet charming. Her lovely eyes fixed in disbelief on the white-robed Daoist beside her, who, mere moments before, had been a pleasant conversation partner and now was using her as a human shield.
“Fellow Daoist Bai, you…”
Before she could finish her words, her head lolled to the side, her breath snuffed out. A writhing black-and-white insect leapt from between her legs.
“Forgive me, City Lord,” a flash of apology flickered in Bai Changsheng’s eyes. In the next instant, he darted deeper into the pile of female corpses, trying to escape detection.
The Blade of Right and Wrong, and the Reversal Worm.
This blade used the yin and yang of its target, exploiting the principle of inversion. When struck, one’s power was severed, gender twisted, and the victim perished in terror as yin and yang reversed within, their cultivation condensed into a Reversal Yin-Yang Worm.
Cutting right and wrong, inverting yin and yang!
The attacker was none other than the Fifth Battle General of the Azure Emperor Divine Palace, Celestial Lord—Yu Shu!
Rumor had it that Yu Shu possessed an odd fetish: after inverting the yin and yang of a defeated foe, he (or she) would subject them to cruel, degrading torment.
With a single blade, the entire city fell into deathly silence.
Yu Shu hovered in the sky, raising a jade hand. Countless Reversal Yin-Yang Worms, shimmering with black-and-white light, rose from the corpses, carrying their victims’ cultivation, vitality, and fate up into the sky before merging into his (her) body.
“Oh? Someone survived this lord’s blade.” Yu Shu was about to withdraw the sword, but then, like discovering a fascinating new toy, turned to gaze at a pile of female corpses.
“No need to hide, little friend.”
Hearing Yu Shu’s summons, Bai Changsheng tensed, knowing there was no escape. He slowly stood from the pile, face pale but forcing composure, meeting Yu Shu’s eyes above.
“The Celestial Lord truly lives up to the legends. The power of that strike has opened my eyes.” Bai Changsheng cupped his hands in salute.
Yu Shu smiled faintly, but there was an icy, mocking edge to it. “You have a fine body. Would you be willing to join my Yin-Yang Palace as a female slave? I am quite curious what beauty you would possess after the inversion.”
“Lord, your words are truly…” Suddenly, Bai Changsheng whipped out the jade flute at his waist. “A bit too forceful!!”
In an instant, the smooth jade flute gleamed with a cold, eerie light. A piercing xiao melody rang to the heavens as the Soul-Quelling Musician leapt from behind, surging straight toward Yu Shu.
The melody changed, and another musician leapt out, instantly splitting into two figures identical to Bai Changsheng: Tian Can and Di Que, each wielding erhu and suona. As their music wailed, it sounded like the lamentations from the deepest hells, chilling all who heard, as if playing a dirge for those about to perish—these were the Final Farewell Musicians!
“Interesting, but still not enough.”
Yu Shu arched a delicate brow, and with a sudden sweep of the short blade, sword light crackled like lightning, tearing the air apart and slashing straight for the Soul-Quelling Musician—instantly engulfing it!
Two Reversal Yin-Yang Worms flickered through the void like ghosts, burrowing into Tian Can and Di Que’s bodies. At once, the Final Farewell Musicians’ vitality dissipated, vanishing from the world.
No fancy tricks—just one strike to break all.
Such was the might of a Celestial Lord!
Yu Shu stepped forward, moving like lightning, reaching out a hand toward Bai Changsheng.
But all that was grasped was an illusory strand of music, intangible and unreal.
Yu Shu was briefly taken aback, a hint of surprise flickering across that androgynous face.
“Ooooo… ooo…”
Suddenly, a melodious flute echoed from the sky. Bai Changsheng now floated high above, safe and sound, with a strange mass of musical power condensing behind him, slowly taking shape as the Free-Wandering Musician.
The Free-Wandering Musician roamed the Five Regions and Two Heavens. Unlike other musicians, it could not instantly manifest—it required time to prepare.
From the very beginning, Bai Changsheng never expected to fool Yu Shu. Showing himself, engaging in conversation, summoning the musicians—all was to buy time for the Free-Wandering Musician to take form.
Now, at last, it had!
Bai Changsheng grinned.
He raised his hand, gesturing farewell to Yu Shu.
Goodbye, eunuch of doom!
Yu Shu suddenly flew into a rage, slashing with the Blade of Right and Wrong. Instantly, black-and-white sword light surged like raging waves, devouring half the sky and shaking the heavens!
But it was already too late. The Free-Wandering Musician embraced Bai Changsheng, and in the blink of an eye, pierced through the clouds, vanishing from the sky!!
In a flash of light, Bai Changsheng reappeared in a jungle deep in the Southern Border. Cold sweat soaked his robes, his spiritual power was drained, and he gasped for breath, glancing around in lingering fear and muttering curses.
“Damn it, damn it, didn’t Celestial Wolf Immortal Lord’s luck talisman say I was due for good fortune? Wasn’t everything supposed to go my way!?”
“Celestial Wolf Immortal Lord, your luck talisman is useless! Said I’d be lucky, but I ended up running into a Nascent Soul Lord—nearly died. Good thing I run fast.”
“Forget it, better to rely on myself to find [Extinguishing Sun].”
In all fairness, Bai Changsheng was just unlucky. Facing a famous Celestial Lord at the Golden Core stage and escaping with his life—such strength already placed him among the finest Golden Core cultivators.
Suddenly, Bai Changsheng felt a weight tug at the hem of his white robe. Looking down, he saw a jade silkworm with shimmering black-and-white hues biting his robe. Its beady black eyes blinked, almost cute.
Before he could react, the next moment, the silkworm bit into his groin—
—and immediately burrowed into his body.
Bai Changsheng felt a sudden lightness below his waist, followed by a wave of indescribable, agonizing pain that swept through his body. Exhausted of power and will, the pain struck so swiftly and violently that his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
He had no idea how much time had passed when a clear, gentle female voice rang out.
“Huh? Brother Wu, is there someone outside our secret base?”
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