A group of cultivators rushed through the city and towards the damaged section of the wall. It had to be defended, or else the insects in the marsh would pour through the gap and flood the city.
“Finally, reinforcements.”
“Hurry! We can’t hold on much longer...”
The reinforcements consisted of only about a dozen cultivators, but that was still enough for those who had been holding the line to breathe easier and take some breaks.
Half a day later, the insects retreated. The cultivators stayed at the damaged section of the wall until men from the city lord’s estate arrived with some special materials to repair it. Only then were the defenders truly able to relax, and dozens of them collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
“It’s finally over.”
“Not even close. Without the support of a powerhouse, the insects will probably never be wiped out from the Blackmarsh.”
“Blackmarsh City will never know peace again.”
“Be content. At least we haven’t run into any Verdant Sages.”
“Do you think that Verdant Sages are numerous? They’re opponents for the top figures to deal with. For people like us, just facing a Scrollbane Centipede is incredibly difficult. Not only are those creatures as strong as a powerful Spirit Warrior, but they’re also invisible and able to move anywhere. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
“What are you complaining about? I didn’t see you fighting against the Scrollbane Centipedes. Everyone in Blackmarsh City who’s above a Spirit Warrior has already been gathered to fight them. We’re already lucky enough...”
As he listened to the nearby conversations, Lu Yin silently leaned against the city wall, treating non-existent wounds with medicine. Upon arriving in Blackmarsh City, he had altered his appearance, disguising himself as a dour cultivator. He had done so precisely to avoid being discovered by Yong Heng.
In and of herself, Cheng Xue had no value. Her only value was in serving as a guide to Yong Heng.
Lu Yin understood perfectly well just how cautious Yong Heng was. The fact that a lead had been found through the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm already defied all odds, and it was only possible because there was no chance that Yong Heng could have considered this possibility. The man would have never dreamed that Lu Yin could use the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm.
Since a clue had been found, it could not be wasted.
Rashly searching for Cheng Xue’s bones would be of little use, even if Lu Yin managed to capture them. His goal was to use those bones to lure Yong Heng out. Besides, the reason why Cheng Xue was in the depths of Blackmarsh was also a mystery.
To avoid startling the snake, Lu Yin had refrained from sweeping the depths of the swamp with his consciousness, and he did not dare to make any move at all.
The fact that Cheng Xue was under the swamp strongly suggested a connection to either Silent Death or the Netherfiends, both of which were forces that even the Greater Sancti could not find. If Lu Yin did anything overt, he would surely be detected.
Since he could not make any progress by acting as a powerful cultivator, then he needed to approach the matter from the perspective of someone weak, possibly even an ordinary human.
The fact that either the Netherfiends or Silent Death had hidden themselves beneath the Blackmarsh rather than in some desolate place suggested that they were using the city’s bustle to conceal their traces. In that case, Lu Yin would use the city to conduct his search. That method was the least likely to be noticed.
It was so difficult to find a clue that any he found needed to be handled with the greatest caution.
A burly man patted Lu Yin’s arm. “Brother, thanks for earlier.”
Lu Yin smiled. “Think nothing of it.”
While fighting against the insects that had risen from underground, Lu Yin had casually saved this man. Without that help, the man would have been either crippled or killed. He really did owe his life to Lu Yin.
The burly man shuddered at the thought. “If not for you, I’d be dead, and my sister would have no one to look after her.”
“Brother, don’t say something so unlucky.” Beside the man stood a dark-skinned woman with delicate features. She had clearly been hardened after years of combat. Her eyes were resolute, and she carried a bow on her back.
She also offered her thanks to Lu Yin. “Thank you, for saving my brother.”
Lu Yin waved it off. “Everyone fighting on a battlefield should help each other. Next time, you might be the ones to save me.”
“Rest assured. With my arrows, no insect will even get close to you,” the woman firmly promised.
The burly man rolled his eyes. “That’s the same thing that you told me last time.”
The woman shot a vicious glare, and the man chuckled awkwardly.
“I still don’t know your name, Brother. I am Ling Guang, and this is my sister, Ling Shu.”
“Just call me Fugui,” Lu Yin said, with a straight face.[1]
Ling Guang and Ling Shu exchanged a strange look. “Fugui?”
Lu Yin smiled. “An elder gave me this name as a cultivator, saying that a humble name makes it easier to survive, as one is less likely to die.”
“Haha, so that’s how it is. Your elder was truly farsighted,” Ling Guang laughed. He had simply assumed that Lu Yin wanted to hide his identity, but the story behind the name left nothing to argue against.
Ling Shu also laughed and then started chatting with Lu Yin.
Two days quickly passed, and the bugs attacked Blackmarsh City again, resuming the previous slaughter.
Lu Yin fought together with Ling Guang and Ling Shu, relaxed and unafraid of the bugs. Even when a Scrollbane Centipede tried to ambush them, Ling Shu noticed it in advance, which allowed Lu Yin and Ling Guang to retreat in time. That particular encounter left Ling Guang shaken, as the three of them were no match for a Scrollbane Centipede.
For half a month, Lu Yin stayed in Blackmarsh City. Not only did he grow more familiar with the two siblings, but he also got to know the other defenders.
Most of the people fighting on the walls were independent cultivators. While their cultivation was nothing impressive, they all had rich combat experience and were particularly skilled at surviving.
During these few weeks, several women tried to seduce Lu Yin, which reminded him of his experiences during Earth’s apocalypse.
“Fugui, your swordsmanship is impressive. Have you ever visited the Seventh Night Pillar?” someone asked, drawing the attention of many others who overheard.
Lu Yin had revealed a hint of his true swordsmanship. While he only revealed a low level of cultivation, his sword skills were impressive enough that he had quickly become famous.
“No.”
“Then you really should. That’s the Sword Pilgrimage Grounds. Even the Four Commands Sword Sect sends their people there, as does the Fifth Night Pillar’s Azuresword Sovereign. Everyone in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse who uses a sword goes to that place to learn. That’s the home of the Nine Odysseys’ Sword Sovereign.”
“It isn’t easy to get onto the Seventh Night Pillar, is it?” Lu Yin asked doubtfully.
Someone replied, “That used to be the case, but no longer. I heard that Senior Gu Duanke moved the stone wall that’s etched with sword techniques off of the Night Pillar so that anyone can study it. Still, you need to be careful. That sword intent can easily cause a backlash if you aren’t strong enough. I’d say that you should wait until you’re at least a late-stage Spirit Warrior before going, since that wall isn’t marked with ordinary sword intent.”
Ling Guang nodded his agreement. “Brother, don’t be in a hurry. Just wait until you have a breakthrough. I’ve even heard that Mr. Lu left his sword intent there. That’s not something that common folk should view.”
Lu Yin blinked. “That Mr. Lu?”