Loyal Guard

CH3: Eliminating Hidden Obstacles

In September, the night was as hot as midday. The Tianqian Mountains, located in the middle of Xiyouzhou, were rich in spiritual energy. The peaks were high and the valleys deep, with babbling streams and continuous chirping of insects. The valleys were filled with rare herbs and strange beasts, making it a blessed place.

This continuous stretch of spiritual veins was led by the main peak, Tuocang Peak. Nine peaks crisscrossed in all directions, with huge rocks arranged in a unique pattern, forming numerous caves. All of them belonged to one of the four major sects - the Tianyan Sect.

The first peak to the east of the main peak was Zuiyun Peak.

The young man closed his eyes and began to cultivate. His jet-black hair was loosely tied into a bun, with two strands of hair falling down his forehead. His handsome face was covered with fine beads of sweat. The spiritual energy around him was absorbed as he cast a cooling charm, and the heat on his body gradually subsided.

He sat in meditation for several hours. When he opened his eyes and looked towards the main peak, it had been fifteen days since the sect master had summoned him.

"Bad luck!"

"Unlucky!"

"The leader of the constellations asked us to watch over this person. What's his background?"

"I don't know. He hasn't said a word in over ten days."

"Everyone else gets good jobs. Why do I always get the bad ones?"

"Stop talking. Let's clean the swords. There's a lot of work to do. I'm not as lucky as him. He got to rest for a few days and now he just sits in meditation all day."

"Really..."

"Why doesn't the supervisor assign us some other work..."

The chatter interrupted the young man's thoughts. He looked closely and saw two low-level cultivators, the same ones who had been watching over him these past few days. In the Tianyan Sect, there were not only cultivators but also servants who served them. The hierarchy was strict, and the treatment improved with each level of cultivation. The low-level cultivators were those who had been tested and admitted to the Tianyan Sect but had no talent or only mediocre talent and were thus rejected. In this sect rich in spiritual energy, as long as they diligently cultivated and did some tasks assigned by the supervisor, they could exchange for some primary spirit stones to cultivate. Eventually, they would improve their cultivation level and become high-level cultivators, and the lucky ones might even get important positions.

The young man had been here for many days to recover from his injuries, and his thoughts were complicated. He didn't pay attention to them. Today, seeing these two people, he thought of a hundred years ago when he had climbed step by step to become a member of the Twelve Palace Dark Guards. He decided to make a good connection with them. He immediately infused spiritual energy and waved his hand. All the swords that needed cleaning and repair in the sect sank into the sword pool, where all the dirt on the blades was washed away. They were then thrown into the huge forging furnace by the pool, refined and restored to their original state. The young man cast a charm and engraved a primary anti-corrosion seal on each sword. The two low-level cultivators were stunned as he threw the swords into each sword case.

"Take them in batches to your supervisor to claim your rewards."

"Thank you, senior! Thank you, senior!" The two were overjoyed and hurriedly bowed. The supervisor's work that would have taken them three months was completed in an instant. After their excitement, they were a little alarmed. This person had such profound cultivation. Hadn't they just complained? The two immediately felt uneasy. Seeing this, the young man waved his hand, lightly tapped his foot, and entered the bamboo forest ahead, leaving only the rustling of the bamboo leaves and the soft sound of the bamboo.

The youthful figure traversing the bamboo forest transformed into an ethereal afterimage, effortlessly gliding across the mountain peaks like a spectral entity, bypassing all security measures to infiltrate the cave of a Spirit Formation stage cultivator.

Every cultivator maintained a protective barrier at their cave entrance, designed to alert the occupant upon intrusion. This individual was Tianquan, a mid-stage Spirit Formation cultivator, merely one level superior to the meditating practitioner within. Skillfully, he neutralized the entrance restriction and launched a Zuxian Nail towards his target.

The occupant demonstrated remarkable danger perception, instantly conjuring a defensive spell. The azure glow of the barrier reflected off Tianquan's impassive countenance.

"Identify yourself!" the man exclaimed, his expression shifting from shock to indignation. "I am Zhao Jin, head of Jifeng Hall. How dare you assault me!" He swiftly rose, retreating while forming defensive seals, his eyes blazing with lethal intent.

Tianquan maintained his silence, one hand gripping the hilt of his flexible sword while channeling spiritual energy. A devastating strike shattered Zhao Jin's defensive spell with a piercing whistle, the sword's energy cleaving through his mid-grade protective armor, inflicting a grievous wound that gushed blood.

Zhao Jin hastily cast a hemostatic spell, desperately evading Tianquan's relentless assaults. Despite the narrow cultivation gap, he found himself thoroughly outmatched. Attempting to flee towards the entrance to summon assistance, he was pursued with deadly precision. "Who are you? What do you seek from me?" he panted.

Tianquan vaulted onto Zhao Jin's back, his gaze icy. Overwhelming spiritual energy suppressed his target as the flexible sword danced like a silver serpent, repeatedly penetrating Zhao Jin's unhealed wound.

As Zhao Jin collapsed, Tianquan sheathed his weapon and knelt beside him, murmuring, "Did you truly believe you could serve your young master without consequence?"

Zhao Jin's ashen face registered horror as he whispered, "You're one of the Twelve Palace Dark Guards."

"I'm merely guiding your young master towards the Netherworld. We wouldn't want him to stray from the path."

With these words, Tianquan drew a dagger from his boot, its cold steel piercing Zhao Jin's abdomen, shattering his dantian.

Tianquan meticulously disposed of all evidence. As he prepared to depart, a figure approached abruptly.

"What brings you here?"

"Leader!"

Tianquan and Tiansha exchanged surprised glances.