Li Yingqiong narrowly escaped disaster thanks to a rare treasure, but she was even more shocked to see the "Peach Capital" sword acting so familiarly with that mischievous Daoist.
This was harder for her to accept than falling into the mud earlier.
Heaven knows how much suffering Li Yingqiong endured to tame the "Peach Capital" sword!
She had tried everything—grabbing it with her hands, enduring burns and blood, using her willpower, feeling like she was choking on charcoal.
Even after all that, she could only muster half of the sword's power at best.
Sometimes, it wouldn't even budge in her dantian.
So why was this Daoist able to control it so easily? Why was the "Peach Capital" so affectionate toward him?
On the other side, after circling the Daoist a few times, the "Peach Capital" sword calmed down, extinguishing its fiery aura, and nestled into the Daoist's arms.
No matter how much Li Yingqiong tried to summon it, the sword remained motionless.
The young Daoist looked down at the "Peach Capital" resting on his lap.
The sword had shed its fiery brilliance, revealing its true form.
The Daoist was captivated, marveling at its beauty.
How could such a magnificent sword exist in the world?
This sword was completely different from the "Autumn Water" sword.
The "Peach Capital" had the design of a sword from the pre-Qin Warring States period, with a broad blade almost as wide as its guard.
The guard, hilt, and pommel seemed to be made of the same dark, bluish-black material, resembling some kind of mysterious iron, about six inches long.
The blade itself was a deep red, neither copper nor jade, about three feet and eight inches long.
Its lines were straight and smooth, with a prominent ridge running down the center.
The blade narrowed slightly toward the tip, forming a sharp, willow-leaf-shaped point.
This was definitely a flying sword, the Daoist thought.
Flying swords didn't need guards, and their broad, sharp blades made them incredibly lethal.
He reached out to pick up the sword.
It felt warm and smooth, like a piece of heated jade, and was much lighter than he expected.
"Put down the 'Peach Capital'!" Li Yingqiong shouted, unable to accept that the Daoist could hold the sword without being harmed.
She conjured a white bone-like arrow and hurled it at him with all her might.
The Daoist guessed it was some kind of talisman arrow.
He focused his will on the "Peach Capital," feeling its warmth like a winter sun or a campfire on a cold night.
The sword seemed to respond to his thoughts, its consciousness lively and eager, like a playful white dog.
He communicated with the sword's consciousness, asking if it could rise into the air.
Slowly, the "Peach Capital" floated out of his arms and hovered mid-air.
The Daoist smiled and looked at the stunned Li Yingqiong.
"Go," he said softly.
The "Peach Capital" shot forward like a streak of fire, disappearing in an instant.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion followed, accompanied by thunder and flames.
The "Peach Capital" intercepted the bone talisman arrow, which erupted with a force far greater than any talisman the Daoist had ever made.
The Daoist called the sword back.
It was unscathed, its brilliance only enhanced by the thunder and fire.
"Carrying such a treasure, can this really be called training?" the Daoist muttered, shaking his head.
He turned to Li Yingqiong and commanded, "Go!"
The flying sword shot toward her without hesitation.
Li Yingqiong paled, closing her eyes and clutching a piece of cold jade she had pulled out to protect herself.
"Clink!"
Another crisp sound rang out.
After a moment, Li Yingqiong cautiously opened her eyes.
The cold jade in her hand emitted a cool blue light, forming a bubble-like shield around her, with rippling water-like patterns flowing across it.
The "Peach Capital" returned to the Daoist's side, having failed to penetrate the shield.
"Hahaha—" Li Yingqiong burst into laughter, glaring at the Daoist.
"You fool! I have the 'Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade' gifted by my master's wife! Your fire and your flying sword can't harm me! And as for the 'Peach Capital,' that traitorous sword, how can it compare to my 'Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade'?!"
The Daoist shook his head.
The "Peach Capital" couldn't pierce the "Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade," but that wasn't the sword's fault.
It was simply because his own cultivation wasn't high enough.
The cold jade was indeed powerful, but it wasn't due to Li Yingqiong's own strength.
Her master's wife must have infused it with her own power.
The Daoist couldn't understand why Li Yingqiong, with treasures like the "Peach Capital" and the "Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade," wasn't staying on Mount Emei to meditate.
Why had she come down the mountain? To slay demons? If so, why not just send the sword? Why bring herself along?
But the Daoist wasn't afraid of her.
He calmly stood up, ready to leave.
"Where are you going?!" Li Yingqiong shouted.
The Daoist found her question odd.
"Naturally, I'm leaving this peach miasma-infested place. Do you think you can stop me?"
Li Yingqiong was at a loss.
She still had some treasures, but none of them could destroy the "Peach Capital."
"Mischievous Daoist, leave the 'Peach Capital' behind, and I'll let you go. Otherwise, if my master finds out, you won't escape even if you flee to the ends of the earth!" she threatened.
But the Daoist ignored her, walking away with the "Peach Capital" following closely behind.
Left behind, Li Yingqiong stomped her feet and cursed.
Before the Daoist could take more than a dozen steps, a deafening roar shook the ground.
The sound was like a giant hammer smashing into his chest, shattering his organs.
He collapsed, looking back at Li Yingqiong.
But she had also fallen to the ground, writhing in pain.
Even the "Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade" couldn't protect her from this.
Before the Daoist could think further, the ground began to shake violently, as if they were on the open sea.
He gritted his teeth, trying to ride a cloud to escape, but a massive crack opened beneath his feet.
Before he could react, he fell into the abyss.
Li Yingqiong wasn't spared either.
The ground beneath her gave way, and she too tumbled into a bottomless pit.
If anyone had been flying overhead, they would have stopped to witness this once-in-a-millennium spectacle.
The Rotten Peach Mountain had always been high on the sides and low in the middle.
Over the years, fallen peaches had accumulated in the center, creating a low-lying area where moisture gathered, giving rise to the rare peach miasma.
Over centuries, the miasma had built up layer by layer, becoming increasingly toxic.
The deepest layers slowly seeped underground, eventually connecting with the southern wasteland's earth fire.
Everyone knew the southern wasteland was rich in earth fire, but no one expected a fire vent to lie beneath the lush peach forest.
The earth fire and the miasma had intertwined, refining each other over time, creating a deadly earth evil energy.
This energy had hollowed out the land beneath Rotten Peach Mountain.
Now, with continuous heavy rain, the low-lying center of the mountain had turned into a vast swamp.
But the thin layer of earth beneath the swamp couldn't hold the weight.
With a thunderous crash, the ground gave way, and the swamp poured into the underground cavern.
The earth evil energy surged out, shooting straight into the sky.
This energy, born from the fusion of peach miasma and earth fire, was as dazzling as peach blossoms and as radiant as flames, creating a breathtaking display of colors.
End of Chapter 58.
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