Cultivation through Skin Making

A few days later...

"Immortal Bai, you will reside in this house for the time being. If you need anything, please let the servants know. Your fellow disciples are staying in the courtyard next door."

The head of the Wang family from Southern Wu personally led Song Yan to arrange his accommodation.

This Wang family was not entirely unfamiliar to Song Yan.

Previously, the elder Wang beside Mr. Su San was the most skilled in martial arts within this Wang family, holding a status equivalent to... the old master.

But after the battle with the Fox Demon, the Su family lost their patriarch, and the Wang family lost their old master as well.

Nevertheless, the Wang family remained a prominent force in the Jianghu of Southern Wu and received special attention from the heretics of the Northern Land.

In Jianghu, it is to some extent the outer rim of the sect, and on the other hand... it's the hardest bone embedded within the Dynasty.

Song Yan settled in.

Before long, his fellow disciples from next door came to meet him.

After some brief introductions, a straightforward-looking female disciple suddenly stepped forward, directly bowed, and said, "Senior Brother Bai, I've been away from the sect for a while. How is Senior Sister Su Tangyu?"

Song Yan reminisced for a moment, recalling that "Su Tangyu" was Bai Xiuhu's former Dao companion, who tragically died at the hands of Puppet Sect disciples during their first outing. At that time, Bai Xiuhu fled in fear.

Just as the words fell, a male disciple beside them said, "Junior Sister Xiaojiu, Senior Sister Su died in battle last year. Didn't you know?"

The female disciple raised her head and stepped forward vehemently towards Song Yan, coldly saying, "I know. I just want to hear Senior Brother Bai's own response... Is Senior Sister Su Tangyu... okay?"

She enunciated each word, her eyes flashing coldly, undaunted by Song Yan, whose power realm exceeded hers.

Song Yan immediately understood.

This woman should be Bai Xiuhu's Dao companion's friend. She knew how Su Tangyu died, and now seeing Bai Xiuhu dare to return with such impudence, she was here, teeth gritted, to demand an explanation.

In truth, not just her, even Song Yan thought Bai Xiuhu was scum. Going on a mission with his wife and friend, but the moment things turned unfavorable, he sold out his wife and friend; yet he always prided himself on being loyal and righteous, always having a clear conscience.

Thus, he sighed lightly, lowered his head, and clenched his fists, saying, "I, Bai Xiuhu, am ashamed beyond measure..."

As the eight words landed, silence fell around them, with various gazes of distinct emotions falling upon them.

A rather kind-hearted disciple comforted him, "Senior Brother, don't dwell on it. Everyone makes mistakes. It's in the past now."

"In the past?"

Junior Sister Xiaojiu shouted sharply, "Can the living just move on? What about the dead? Who can forgive on their behalf?"

That disciple said, "Junior Sister, you saw how Senior Brother Bai is now, he..."

"So what? Can it bring back Senior Sister Su Tangyu?" Xiaojiu raised her head, looking at Song Yan, half a head taller than herself, and yelled in a small voice, "Senior Brother Bai, tell me, if it happened again, would you still run away?!"

Song Yan started to tremble all over. He lowered his head, feeling everyone's eyes on him, and suddenly... he pushed through the crowd and ran off into the distance, disconsolate.

Xiaojiu didn't relent, shouting after him, "You can't even control your sword! Your mental realm can't be mended! You deserve it! You liar! Big liar!!"

...

...

Song Yan couldn't help but sigh: The difference between the righteous and the demonic paths is indeed vast.

He still remembered the shock when he learned from Granny Fox that "Stone Teacher's second legacy inheritor"...

The second heir of Stone Seat Elder... was Wang Susu.

Susu Junior Sister used to flirt with Shi Peng, and after Shi Peng died, she didn't show a hint of sadness and then climbed into Stone Seat Elder's bed, trading "skills" for new skills.

In the Demon Sect, who would get angry like Junior Sister Xiaojiu for a deceased senior sister? Dead is dead.

Thinking of this, Song Yan then swung his knife, killing the pig that was pressed on the wooden table, skillfully performing a series of actions to extract its lifespan.

Afterward, he went to the river to wash his hands.

During the day, Lady Ling practiced on the east riverside and only came over at night.

However, the words from last night lingered in his mind.

"Insects are very sensitive to breath, and these soul insects are especially sensitive not only to breath but also to the Divine Soul they recognize."

Song Yan turned his head to look at the shadows cast by the trees on the east riverside.

He could clearly see that those shadows were filled with soul insects, asleep.

...

...

That night.

After dual cultivation, the two lay flat on the couch.

Song Yan suddenly said, "Do you think... five years from now, where can I go?"

Just as the words fell, a soft voice came from beside him, "You... finally asked."

Lady Ling gently rested her hands on her stomach, gazing at the canopy overhead, calmly saying, "I can roughly pick out those soul insects that can detect your Divine Soul. Once you leave, I'll destroy them all.

I know that the Purple Mansion cultivators can search through Divine Souls. This way, even if five years later, they discover the night candle soul insects, they can't find anything unusual from these soul insects.

We... indeed are at a crossroads.

You must leave.

And I... must stay.

The Vilan Jiao Insect Race's Purple Mansion cultivator is a mortal enemy to you.

But to me, it's a great opportunity.

After you leave, I will become Grandmother Zhu.

I have many more things to do; I absolutely cannot let that great cultivator know... that I am Hua Linglong."

Song Yan also remained calm. In fact... when he discovered the "Fox Granny Shadow Puppet" wandered around Nanwu Sword Sect unscathed, he considered going to the Nanwu Sword Sect himself.

One reason was to acquire more advanced magic techniques; the other was to repair the ancient teleportation array.

These days, though he was in Candle Land, his heart was at Nanwu Sword Sect.

Indeed, as Lady Ling said: they had reached a crossroads, one with different opportunities and paths ahead.

Song Yan asked, "Can you give those soul insects to me? Or rather, do you have the Insect Control Technique, can you teach me?"

Lady Ling replied, "The Insect Control Technique is not something I perform, but something I execute through the thoughts of the great power I have fused with. You cannot take it away..."

The two continued to talk.

...

Several days later.

Song Yan left the Candle Land Secret Realm. During this period, the longevity gains he accumulated totaled 2746 years, with the [Longevity gains] tab showing [32/17372]. Even if he stopped making skin for a while, it would be enough to last him a long time.

He did not leave Lady Ling a shadow puppet, nor did Lady Ling give him any gifts, neither was there any drama; instead, it was all quite plain... Lady Ling saw him off at the entrance to Candle Land and said, "Take care, Dao brother."

He also smiled and gently replied, "Take care."

Then, the two of them turned around.

Lady Ling looked at those crushed soul insects, then stood in front of the wooden house Song Yan had built, gazing at the pig pens and sheep pens one by one. Although she wanted to wave her hand to command the soul insects to destroy these things, she didn't act; instead, she turned and rode the clouds toward Hedong, her gaze confused and vacantly horrified.

She came from Jianghu, having gone through much love, life, and death, her romance was also dramatic. Now, she inadvertently stepped onto the path of Cultivating Profound, henceforth it would be like rowing against the current, not progressing means dying.

...

...

Over a month later...

Southern Wu.

In a dense forest, three figures crossed, yet only one remained.

Song Yan directly used the "Hundred Forms Demon Body" to swallow the shadow puppets of "Grandmother Fox" and the "Fox Demon", then used Illusion Technique to transform into the appearance of Bai Xiuhu, and turned back toward the Wang Family.

After this, he would need to spend time understanding many, many things to transform himself into the "real" Bai Xiuhu.

...

...

Half a year later...

Night Capital City, Midsummer Rain Alley, figures were crisscrossing and darting around, every household's doors were tightly shut, mothers covered their children's ears, hiding their own heartbeats, cowering silently under blankets.

The city where the Wang Family was situated was a major city of Southern Wu – Jianshui Capital.

The battles grew increasingly fierce, this capital city, once nightfall came, turned into a Chaotic Scene.

People from Jianghu and enemy forces swarmed in, there were Demon Sect cultivators waving large banners, stirring up flying sand and rocks, hiding blood corpses; Demon Sect disciples pulling Fox Demon Shadow Puppets, able to impersonate anyone, passing through unhindered; beautiful women in white dancing on rooftops, but with bloodless faces, upon closer look found to be paper figures...

On this night, the wind howled, torrential rain poured down, sand and gravel rose from the streets and alleys.

The brutal clash between cultivators and people from Jianghu proceeded simultaneously.

Dang!

Dang dang!

In the distance, layers of radiance clashed and collided, only to retreat and disperse.

One sword cultivator landed, staggered back a few steps, looked at his fellow disciples, and exclaimed, "Not good, tonight the Demon Sect sent more experts, we... We might all..."

"What are we afraid of?" another sword cultivator, unflinching, flexed his fingers and controlled his sword, laughing heartily, "Then let's take out a few demon brats before dying!"

"Together!"

"Then let's fight together!"

These sword cultivators, tempered by adversity, although their Realm hadn't improved, their Mental Realm had grown much stronger. This made their Sword Spells even more powerful.

At this moment, everyone gathered, even though rain pounded down on them, yellow sand flying through the air, yet they felt their blood was burning.

The sword cultivators were about to take flight with their swords, when a female voice came from behind.

"I will join too!"

Little Jiushu Junior Sister stepped forward, head held high, a stance of gallantly facing death.

The sword cultivators exchanged glances, their eyes filled with smiles.

"Rise!"

"Rise!"

"Rise!"

Accompanied by determined shouts, flying swords unsheathed, person and sword fused into one, becoming a rainbow that pierced through the rain curtain.

But no sword cultivator called Song Yan.

Because, they all knew what kind of person this "Brother Bai" was, so they held no expectations for him, whether he fought or fled, no one cared.

Song Yan stepped into the pouring rain, looked up at the battle in the sky, murmuring to himself, "It's about time, I should head back, I don't have the time to linger here anymore."

The next instant, he took a step forward, uttering an intense shout, "Rise!!"

Keng!

Sword light instantly fused with him, slicing through the rain, thunderously crushing towards all sides.

The overwhelmingly large Sword Rainbow spun high in the air, wildly slashing, occasionally exploding in blood, all of it the blood of Demon Sect experts...

At the height of summer, wind and thunder arose suddenly.

The white rainbow patrolled the sky, like a flood dragon finally gaining the opportune moment, moving into the sea, devastating everything, divinely unstoppable, indomitably thrashing.

Song Yan stood out conspicuously, naturally attracting many Demon Sect experts' siege, but soon... those Demon Sect experts all became corpses, flung onto the streets.

The sword cultivators, originally seeing death as home and fighting desperately, also noticed that extraordinarily fierce white rainbow, their pressure greatly relieved, even pausing to meet each other's eyes in surprise, asking, "Which senior came to support us? Truly impressive!"

And some sword cultivators who saw clearly rushed over, saying in a disbelieving tone, "It's... it's Brother Bai."

Little Jiushu Junior Sister stared up in shock, looking at that rainbow like a flood dragon, her mood inexplicably complex...

The honest junior brother jumped and shouted, excitedly yelling, "It's Brother Bai! Brother Bai, he can control the sword again! His Mental Realm, it's recovered...

No, not recovered, but reached a whole new level!

What kind of heart, what kind of understanding of Sword Dao, is needed to execute such a White Snake Sword Technique? Is this still the White Snake Sword Technique?!"