457: Chapter 457 Testing the Power of a New Move

Night fell once again.

Inside the post house, most of the Disciples had already retired to rest, conserving their energy for the long journey tomorrow.

Ye Tian sat in his room, not Cultivating, just quietly watching the moonlight outside the window.

He would be leaving the Imperial Capital tomorrow. This trip had been a brush with death, yielding huge gains, but the burden on his shoulders had grown heavier.

The Old Ancestor's duty of guarding, the pursuit by the Nether Abyss, Li Xuanxiao's one-year agreement, the trapped Dongfang Xinghe and Pei Tieshan...

Countless thoughts swirled in his mind.

Just then, a very light knock came at the door.

"Knock, knock."

Ye Tian withdrew his thoughts and got up to open the door.

Standing outside was Shui Qingdie.

She had changed out of the water-blue dress she wore during the day and was now dressed in moon-white casual wear. Her dark hair draped over her shoulders, and under the dim light of the lantern in the corridor, her skin was as white as jade.

She lowered her head slightly, her hands behind her back, appearing to be holding something.

"Senior Sister Shui? It's so late, is something the matter?" Ye Tian was somewhat surprised.

"I... I came to see if you had finished packing."

Shui Qingdie's voice was thin, tinged with a hint of nervousness.

She quickly looked up at Ye Tian, then immediately lowered her head again, a faint blush creeping up to her earlobes.

"Everything is packed. There's nothing special to bring."

Ye Tian stepped aside: "Would Senior Sister like to come in and sit?"

"No, no need!"

Shui Qingdie shook her head hurriedly.

She bit her lower lip, and the hand she had been keeping behind her back suddenly extended to Ye Tian, a small object lying in her palm.

It was a sword tassel.

The silk thread was a soft sky-blue, woven very intricately, and at the end hung a grain-sized gemstone that emitted a gentle, faint light.

Most unique of all, at the knot of the tassel, a few simple yet vivid star patterns were embroidered with even finer silver thread.

"This... this is just something I wove... when I had some free time."

Shui Qingdie's voice was so low it was almost inaudible, her cheeks flushed a delicate red, and she dared not look into Ye Tian's eyes at all:

"I heard... that every Sword Cultivator carries a sword tassel.

Your sword doesn't seem to have one.

This, this is for you...

To keep you safe on the road."

She finished speaking incoherently, and without waiting for Ye Tian to react, she shoved the sword tassel into his hand. Then, like a startled rabbit, she turned and fled, leaving behind a sentence as faint as the buzzing of a mosquito:

"Safe travels.

I... I will wait for you in the Sect."

Before the words had even faded, she was already lifting her skirt and running away, disappearing around the corner of the corridor, leaving behind a faint, fragrant scent.

Ye Tian stood at the door, holding the sword tassel, staring blankly at the corridor, unable to react for a moment.

After a while, Ye Tian shook his head with a complex expression. He then carefully tucked the sword tassel into his clothes, keeping it close to his body, before closing the door.

At the corner of the corridor, Yu Miaoqing stood there, having appeared at some unknown time.

She watched the direction in which Shui Qingdie had run off, a hint of an emotion she herself didn't fully understand flashing through her eyes. Finally, she let out a soft sigh and quietly left.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

The group from the Liuli Xuan Sect had already gathered and boarded the Sect's cloud ship docked on the dedicated platform outside the Imperial Capital.

This was a streamlined cloud ship, slightly smaller than the "wave-breaker" they had arrived on, with the emblem of the Liuli Xuan Sect and defensive Formation inscribed on the hull.

Elder Qinglan and Elder Xing Tiexin boarded last, exchanging brief farewells with the few Imperial Court honored guests and representatives of friendly forces who had come to see them off.

The cloud ship slowly ascended, adjusted its heading, and sailed towards the direction of the Liuli Xuan Sect in the Northern Region.

As the cloud ship sailed out of the Imperial Capital's city gate area and was about to accelerate, a white figure stood quietly under a tree by the official road below, holding a sword.

It was Li Xuanxiao.

Everyone on the cloud ship saw him.

Elder Qinglan frowned slightly, and Elder Xing Tiexin's expression also turned solemn.

Ye Tian signaled to the two Elders and walked to the ship's railing.

The cloud ship slowly lowered its altitude, hovering in the air a few zhang above the ground.

Li Xuanxiao looked up, his gaze like a sword, shooting directly at Ye Tian on the ship.

He flicked his wrist, and a white light broke through the air, flying towards Ye Tian.

Ye Tian reached out and caught it. In his hand was a sword-shaped jade talisman, from which a sharp Sword Intent emanated.

"With this talisman, you can roughly sense my location."

Li Xuanxiao's voice came from a distance, still cold and flat: "The one-year agreement—don't die out there."

Ye Tian gripped the sword talisman, looked down at Li Xuanxiao, the corners of his mouth curling slightly, and replied in the same flat tone: "Same to you, don't get killed by someone beforehand."

The two looked at each other from across the distance, saying nothing more.

Li Xuanxiao turned around, his white clothes fluttering, and headed in the opposite direction of the cloud ship, disappearing at the end of the official road in a few leaps.

Ye Tian also withdrew his gaze and nodded to the Disciple operating the cloud ship.

The cloud ship ascended again, accelerated sharply, and sped towards the northern horizon.

The cloud ship pierced through the clouds and mist, its speed extremely fast.

The Imperial Capital soon disappeared behind them.

Everyone was adjusting their breath or resting in their cabins.

Ye Tian stood alone on the deck at the bow of the ship, contemplating his upcoming arrangements.

At this speed, it would take about four or five days to return to the Liuli Xuan Sect.

It was a perfect opportunity to consolidate his Huahai Realm Level 5 Cultivation, attempt to break through to the seventh level of the Dragon Elephant Art, and further refine his Chaos Thunder Gang.

However, just as the cloud ship had left the Imperial Capital for about a hundred miles and was passing through a desolate, uninhabited hilly area, dozens of pitch-black arrows shot towards them, extremely fast!

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!"

These arrows were not physical objects, but were condensed from Death Qi, covering the cloud ship from all directions!

"Enemy attack!" The Disciple in charge of the lookout shouted sharply.

The cloud ship's built-in defensive light barrier was instantly activated, forming a green curtain.

"Puff, puff, puff..."

The Death Qi arrows hit the light barrier densely, making loud noises. The light barrier rippled violently, its color fading rapidly, and it was actually being corroded with holes!

More than a dozen arrows even pierced through the light barrier, shooting towards the Disciples on the deck!

"Careful!"

Elder Qinglan and Elder Xing Tiexin struck at the same time, waving their sleeves to release gusts of wind, scattering those Death Qi arrows that had pierced through.

At the same time, in the dense forest below, black shadows rose into the sky, numbering over twenty, instantly surrounding the cloud ship.

These people were all dressed in tight black clothing and masked, revealing only their eyes. Their bodies exuded the same aura as Yin Wujiang; they were clearly all people from the Nether Abyss!

The leader was tall, with the most powerful aura, having reached the Peak of Huahai Realm Level 5!

He stood in mid-air, staring at Ye Tian on the deck:

"Ye Tian, this place is beautiful, it's the perfect place for you to be buried.

Hand over the Chaos Mark obediently, and perhaps I can leave your corpse intact."

A commotion broke out on the cloud ship.

The Liuli Xuan Sect Disciples drew their weapons one after another, concentrating and guarding, with nervous expressions on their faces.

The opponent had the advantage in numbers, and each one exuded a cold, sinister aura, making them difficult to deal with.

Ye Tian looked at this group of people in black, not only not angry, but instead revealing a faint smile: "Remnants of the Nether Abyss?"

He took a step forward, walked to the very front of the deck, and faced the leader in black from a distance: "I was just worrying that after my Breakthrough, I hadn't had a good chance to test the power of my new techniques.

You came just in time, consider it a parting gift for me."

"Arrogant!"

The leader in black's eyes turned cold, and he waved his hand: "Kill! Leave no one alive!"

"Kill!"

The surrounding people in black responded in unison, erupting with terrifying Death Qi, turning into various ghost claws, skeletons, and black mist, surging towards the cloud ship like a tidal wave!