Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Taiyi Demon Suppression Array
After the brief interlude, peace returned to Shen Daoxing’s courtyard.
Shen Daoxing shook his head as he watched the two of them leave.
He then made his way toward Shangguan Yiran’s courtyard.
The Shangguan Mansion wasn’t very large, so it didn’t take Shen Daoxing long to arrive.
Fu was waiting respectfully before the courtyard gate.
Seeing him, Shen Daoxing stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Fu!"
"Mm."
Fu nodded and turned to Shen Daoxing. "Wasn’t I clear? If you have no business, you are to stay quietly in your own courtyard and not cause any trouble."
"Fu, I need to see the Commandery Princess about something important," Shen Daoxing said seriously.
"The Commandery Princess is not here right now," Fu said indifferently.
"What about later?" Shen Daoxing asked after a moment’s thought.
"She won’t be here then either."
"And tonight?" Shen Daoxing asked again.
"Not here," Fu replied.
"Fu, when will the Commandery Princess return?" Shen Daoxing paused, then spoke politely again.
"The Commandery Princess has important matters to attend to today. She will be out all day," Fu said coolly.
Since Fu had said as much, there was nothing more Shen Daoxing could say.
If he couldn’t see Shangguan Yiran, he would have to find another way to gather information.
"Fu, since that’s the case, I will take my leave."
Shen Daoxing clasped his fists and bid farewell to Fu.
Fu nodded without looking at Shen Daoxing.
Sometime after Shen Daoxing departed, the courtyard door opened with a CREAK, and Shangguan Yiran slowly walked out.
"Fu, was someone just here?" Shangguan Yiran asked curiously, having apparently heard the commotion outside.
Fu stepped forward with a slight smile. "Commandery Princess, a gadfly just flew into the courtyard. But it’s nothing. I’ve already shooed it away."
Shangguan Yiran didn’t suspect a thing. She nodded, closed the door, and returned to her room.
...
Since he couldn’t meet Shangguan Yiran, Shen Daoxing had to find another way to gather information.
Shen Daoxing left the Shangguan Mansion. Staring at the bustling streets, he felt completely at a loss, a stranger in an unfamiliar place.
Just as Shen Daoxing was wondering what to do,
"Yang?"
An excited voice rang out.
Shen Daoxing turned to see that Lv Yunsheng had appeared before him at some point.
"Yang, did you just come from the Shangguan Mansion?"
Lv Yunsheng looked at Shen Daoxing in surprise. As soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed to realize something. "Wait, Yang, could you be the person everyone in the city is talking about?"
"What person?" Shen Daoxing looked confused.
Lv Yunsheng immediately launched into a non-stop explanation, recounting all the rumors about Shen Daoxing that had been circulating in the city lately.
First, it was that Shen Daoxing and Fairy Shangguan were just good friends. Then, it became that Fairy Shangguan actually had a secret crush on him. Finally, the rumors evolved until Shen Daoxing had become Fairy Shangguan’s fiancé.
Shen Daoxing had basically drawn the hatred of every man in the city.
After listening, Shen Daoxing shook his head with a wry smile. "It’s all just baseless rumors that have gotten out of hand!"
Seeing Lv Yunsheng, Shen Daoxing suddenly had an idea and asked, "Lv, you know a lot of people. Do you happen to know anyone in Ancient Moon City who has a Cloud Ship?"
"A Cloud Ship? What do you need a Cloud Ship for, Yang? If you need to travel, you can just take one of the Business Alliance’s Cloud Ships," Lv Yunsheng asked curiously.
Shen Daoxing thought for a moment and said casually, "The place I’m heading to doesn’t have a regular port. I’ll need a private Cloud Ship."
Hearing this, Lv Yunsheng smiled cheerfully. "Don’t worry, Yang. If there’s one thing I, Lv Yunsheng, am good at, it’s knowing a lot of people. Leave finding a Cloud Ship to me."
"Thank you very much, Lv," Shen Daoxing said with sincere gratitude.
After that, the two talked for a long time, with Lv Yunsheng doing most of the talking.
But in the short time Shen Daoxing had been outside, he had already noticed many pairs of jealous eyes staring at him.
It was clearly because of the rumors about him and Shangguan Yiran.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Shen Daoxing decided after a little while to return to the mansion and let Lv Yunsheng search for the Cloud Ship.
After bidding Lv Yunsheng farewell, Shen Daoxing turned, entered the mansion, and returned to his own courtyard.
With nothing else to do, Shen Daoxing sat down on his bed to meditate. He slowly closed his eyes, and with a thought, his Divine Soul arrived in the Venerable Domain.
In the center of the Venerable Domain, the majestic mountain still stood tall, its layers stretching upward.
"Kid, it’s time I taught you a Venerable Technique."
At that moment, the Blood Dragon’s majestic voice rang out.
"A Venerable Technique!"
Shen Daoxing’s eyes lit up. He looked around but didn’t see the small snake’s body. Shen Daoxing realized that the Blood Dragon had never revealed that form in front of the other prisoners in the Venerable Domain.
"That’s right. Your strength was insufficient before, so I didn’t teach you. Now, you are finally qualified to learn this technique," the Blood Dragon’s voice said calmly.
"Please bestow it upon me, Senior!"
Overjoyed, Shen Daoxing clasped his fists and bowed to the empty air.
Immediately, a light shone from beneath Shen Daoxing’s feet, and his vision blurred. When his surroundings became clear again, he found himself on the mountainside of Venerable Mountain.
Before Shen Daoxing stood an ancient Stone Stele, engraved with twisting Sword Marks that looked like both text and pictures.
With just a single glance, he felt a sharp Sword Qi wash over him.
"This technique is called the Taiyi Demon Suppression Array. Its Taiyi Power is world-shattering. Mastered to perfection, it can suppress demons and eliminate monsters. However, the Cultivator needs to possess sufficiently strong Spiritual Power and comprehend ten or more streams of Sword Intent," the Blood Dragon’s voice slowly explained.
’Taiyi Demon Suppression Array!’
’The name alone sounds incredibly powerful. This is definitely a supreme technique.’ Shen Daoxing couldn’t help but feel excited.
"Alright, you can slowly comprehend it here. Having cultivated the Annihilation of Ten Thousand Swords Technique, you should be able to grasp any Sword Technique with ease. This Taiyi Demon Suppression Array is a type of Sword Array, so it shouldn’t be too difficult for you," the Blood Dragon said slowly.
Shen Daoxing nodded, sat down cross-legged, and began to study the Stone Stele intently.
After resisting wave after wave of incoming Sword Intent, Shen Daoxing fell into a trance. He felt as if the Sword Marks on the Stone Stele were moving on their own, as if they were dancing, or perhaps demonstrating martial stances.
"RUMBLE!"
A sudden clap of thunder echoed.
Shen Daoxing suddenly found himself in a boundless sea of swords.
"RUMBLE! RUMBLE..."
A tremendous roar erupted as ten colossal Light Sabers, like Heaven-Reaching Giants, descended from the sky. They plunged into the ground with a BOOM, forming a circle around Shen Daoxing.
The ten Light Sabers flared with brilliance, simultaneously shooting out dazzling beams of light that converged on a single point in the center of the circle.
CRACKLE!
In an instant, a seven-colored light erupted, growing larger and larger. It slowly formed a human silhouette, and finally, a giant composed of countless streams of Sword Intent appeared.
It stood tall, touching the heavens and planting its feet on the earth. Its aura was imposing, like that of an ancient War God. With a mere narrowing of its eyes, innumerable streams of Sword Intent shot forth.
