Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 263 - 2: Upholding Justice

Hearing Wang Jiu's words, everyone present was taken aback.

"Fight, fight? With whom?" Li Xinyu looked bewildered, his mind still lost in infinite fantasies about the Little Fish Girl.

Li Wanqing looked at Wang Jiu seriously, awaiting his instructions. This Celestial Divine Sword never jokes when it comes to battles, so she wouldn't treat it frivolously either.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingming was even more sensitive, frowning: "Demon Essence?"

Having spent the longest time with Wang Jiu, she knew very well that Wang Jiu only became this serious when faced with issues regarding the Demon Race… But to think that less than a hundred miles from Shen City, there would be Demon Essence appearing!? And even to the extent of openly threatening the lives of the fishermen?

Although the relationship between Shen City and Cyan Cloud City had been strained for decades, Shen Qingming had to admit that it was a city more powerful than Cyan Cloud City. Perhaps not as prosperous and leisurely, but under the Shen Family's decisive rule, it has always maintained an active, warlike tradition that revered strength. The number of cultivators in Shen City and their average combat power surpassed Cyan Cloud City, and thanks to the uncompromising iron-fist governance of the Shen Family, this city brimming with strong individuals did not become chaotic and disorderly, with its law and order ranking highly in Xiangzhou, rivaling even Cyan Cloud City.

And for Cyan Cloud City, it was absolutely impossible to allow a group of uncontrollable Demon Essence to appear within a five hundred mile radius.

Shen Qingming was puzzled but refrained from asking out loud at this moment, similarly awaiting Wang Jiu's instructions. Just as Wang Jiu pondered for a moment before speaking, the Little Fish Girl rushed in anxiously, pulling people along.

"Why are you standing there in a daze? The demons are really formidable! They're coming fast, and the outer alarm has been triggered; it won't take long before..."

As she spoke, the Little Fish Girl had already first grabbed Shen Qingming by the hand — among everyone in this room, Wang Jiu was a man, and his current demeanor made her blush too much to dare look, Li Xinyu appeared as an unlikable, fat man no one would want to approach, while Li Chaolu and Li Wanqing radiated brilliance as women, leaving only the delicate and harmless-looking Shen Qingming.

However, when the Little Fish Girl reached out, she found Shen Qingming was completely motionless. She, having honed strong arms from casting and pulling nets, realized in surprise that this group of people was no ordinary travelers.

Then Wang Jiu waved his hand, "Forget it, you all go take refuge, I'll go see for myself."

"What, is it risky?" Li Wanqing asked.

Wang Jiu said, "It certainly is risky for you. The Demon Essence is not strong, but there are too many of them: 733 gathered on the south side and another 441 on the east side. The weakest ones are akin to mortal second-rate martial artists, and the strongest can be comparable to a standard Cloud Flipping Realm Early Stage cultivator. Without actual experience against Demon Essence, relying solely on book knowledge would be counterproductive."

With these words, everyone fell silent, and a few seconds later, Shen Qingming released the grip on her arm and smiled at the Little Fish Girl, "Sorry, would you please lead the way? We'll follow you to the village chief's house."

The Little Fish Girl hesitated for a moment, nodding, then looked towards Wang Jiu, her eyes not daring to meet his, muttering, "Then, what about you?"

Shen Qingming huffed, "He's going to his doom, don't bother with him."

——

By ordinary standards, Wang Jiu walking out of the village's refuge, namely the village chief's house that could accommodate hundreds and was like a small square's cellar, indeed seemed suicidal.

The Celestial Divine Sword's revival process was smooth, yet as time was short, the absolute power it possessed was barely at the mid-level standard of the Cloud Flipping Realm.

Of course, as long as Wang Jiu wishes, he could crush dozens of cultivators at the same realm with mid-level Cloud Flipping Realm power, and being Immortal, he starts off invincible…

But this time, the opponent was over a thousand Demon Essence, invading and bloodthirsty Chaos Demons, weak individually but in hordes, possessing destructive capabilities that would cause headaches for anyone. During the Demon Race army's invasion of the Jiuzhou Continent, these cannon fodder creatures, despite being despised, performed great deeds repeatedly; countless Great Cultivators fell under Demon Essence sieges.

——

In the cellar, the Little Fish Girl watched as the village chief used a Copper Seal to lock the cellar door, and she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

With this Copper Seal, at least they could hold out until the patrol from Shen City arrived. Despite their unpleasant nature, they could help the village avert the catastrophe of being wiped out by Demon Essence.

Thinking of this, the Little Fish Girl began to worry about the white-clad Immortal outside, instinctively grabbing Shen Qingming's hand beside her.

"Um, everyone, shouldn't we call him to take refuge too? The demons are really terrifying! Far beyond those swirling clouds or whatever standards you measure by!"

Saying this, the Little Fish Girl swallowed in slight fear, seriously explaining, "Previously, people like you came to the village to eat fish, and when encountered with an impending demon disaster, they calculated and felt they had an overwhelming advantage, wishing to save the village. But, but..." At this point, the Little Fish Girl's eyes began to redden.

Shen Qingming patted the shoulder of the girl, who was clearly older than she was, "Don't worry, he's a professional, and if called back at this time, he'd be angry."

Speaking of which, she felt a wave of sentiment.

How Wang Jiu's temper was like, no one knew better than her, having lived with him as a mount for more than half a year. Saying he was as gentle as jade… felt like an insult to jade, but undoubtedly, Wang Jiu truly had no temper. In her memory, there was almost no image of him unhappy or losing his temper.

But that's only because Wang Jiu doesn't care.

In the areas he does care about, any slight imperfection provokes an extremely intense reaction, and when it comes to the Demon Race issue, Wang Jiu will absolutely not compromise even a bit.

Although strictly speaking, Demon Essence can't really be considered part of the Demon Race.

——

Meanwhile, Wang Jiu was already leisurely strolling outside Yulin Village.

At this moment, less than two minutes had passed since the outermost alarm of the village was triggered. However, the Hundred-Lock Vine of the Sword World had already clearly captured the whistling sounds in the air.

Quickly converging, pressing closer, the trait of these Demon Essences seems to be speed.

As cannon fodder creatures, the Demon Race originally transformed these Demon Essences in various ways, some excelled in sheer power, others in rapid movement—perhaps in the eyes of Great Cultivators, the distinctions between these ants are negligible, but to professionals, even slight differences can lead to huge impacts.

Wang Jiu has always been particularly meticulous when dealing with the Demon Race.

The difficulty with speed-type Demon Essences lies not in how to eliminate them, but in how to completely eradicate them. Unlike their force-oriented counterparts, high-speed Demon Essences are cowardly and fearful. Once faced with life-threatening danger, they may disregard higher-level orders and flee desperately. Although these Demon Essences pose no real threat to Wang Jiu, incorrect handling could easily result in escapees.

Wang Jiu detests escapees the most.

Regrettably, he currently lacks the power to release the Demon-Slaying Light Wave that would instantly affect an area spanning hundreds of miles. Thus, he has to resort to more subtle methods as a substitute.

He salvaged a bait technique.

During the Immortal Demon War, a bait Immortal Technique hosted by Immortal Venerable Zhu Junsen was developed, which had an almost fatal attraction to Demon Essences and low-level Demon Race. Upon its release, Demon Essences within a hundred miles would swarm in, momentarily neutralizing commands even from advanced Demon Race, with no one able to stop this tide of Demon Essences.

In the initial development phase of the bait, the Myriad Immortals Alliance, utilizing this bait, eradicated tens of billions of Demon Essences effortlessly—just activate the bait and cast it into volcanic craters or the Sea of Chaos, watching them continuously send themselves to their deaths. It wasn't until later that the Demon Race, facing desperate turmoil, reverse-engineered the bait, giving the Demon Essences a chance for survival.

However, Wang Jiu can be certain that on the Xiangzhou Continent, where the Demon Race is already extinct, such countermeasures likely do not exist, making a simple bait sufficient to attract these thousands of Demon Essences blindly.

The only question is, after thousands of years of historical changes, whether the bait from back then remains effective on the current Demon Essences?

Seconds later, Wang Jiu received his answer; almost the instant the bait was released, the whistling in the air suddenly intensified, as if enraged, the already swift speed of a thousand Demon Essences increased another notch, surging towards Wang Jiu's location.

Meanwhile, Wang Jiu slowly faded the Sword Spirit True Form of the Illusion Sword Technique, under the moonlight, the pure white Divine Sword Body stood quietly amidst a heap of dead stones, like a sacred statue.

Minutes later, the demon tide surged forward, a pitch-black tidal wave clamoring irresistibly.

Then, within a mere three minutes, they were completely obliterated.

As if snow encountered scorching sunlight, the Demon Essences perished in large groups, almost requiring no deliberate effort from Wang Jiu; simply standing there, the approaching demons wailed and melted, leaving not a trace.

Currently, the Celestial Divine Sword possesses less than a ten-thousandth of its peak power, but with the Demon-slaying Blade, its suppressive effect on demons remains extraordinarily sharp.

About ten minutes later, Wang Jiu confirmed again that within a perimeter of several dozen miles, no active Demon Essences remained, then slowly manifested the Sword Spirit True Form and set off back to Yulin Village.

Afterward, he spent some time persuading the village chief to open the cellar door, confirming that the Demon Essence threat had vanished, only to be met with an unexpected cold reception, or rather, blame.

The elderly village chief almost trembled with his finger pointed at Wang Jiu, filled with indignation, he said: "Why, why can't you just be honest, relying on your cultivation and martial prowess, traveling the world to exercise chivalry, did anyone ask you to? You carelessly wield your sword for justice, have you considered other people's feelings?!"

Wang Jiu frowned: "Overjoyed?"

Shen Qingming rolled her eyes, subtly signaling him to hold his tongue; this village hides secrets, things aren't that simple.

The situation indeed isn't simple, almost at the moment when the elderly village chief issued an order to leave, another commotion echoed from outside the village.

Meanwhile, the expressions of all villagers in the cellar turned particularly unpleasant.