Yuyi stood in the wilderness, looking up at the sky and laughing. The laughter echoed across the empty plains, startling distant birds into flight. His laughter carried madness, carried release, and also carried a trace of confusion.
"Hahaha, is my world forever different from others now?" Yuyi laughed until his whole body was weak and powerless, "Ha, a blood-colored world..."
He rubbed his eyes, then circulated his technique to check, but neither could elimingate the blood color before his eyes. That extremely faint blood-colored veil covered everything, like the killing intent in his heart that could never be erased. The sky was blood-colored, the earth was blood-colored, even distant mountains were draped in a blood-colored veil.
"This is the negative effect brought by killing aura value." Yuyi murmured, "I must accept it."
He began testing the Golden Snake Body Technique. His figure flashed, already appearing thirty meters away. The speed was no slower than Cloud-Soaring Step, but spiritual power consumption was much lower. He continued testing and found the Golden Snake Body Technique had stronger ability to borrow external forces—it could borrow wind, terrain, even enemies' attacking force. He tried borrowing a mountain wind, his figure weaving through the air like a swimming snake, effortlessly.
"Too perfect." Yuyi praised, "A technique simply tailored for me."
He circulated internal qi and found speed was faster, spiritual power continuity extremely strong. Attack explosive power wasn't great, but could instantly increase strike speed—this was crucial in actual combat. He tried swinging his sword, the sword light like lightning, reaching the ultimate speed.
Just then, a red figure flew from the distance. Yuyi turned to look—it was Xueji. Her figure was like a blood-colored ghost, drifting through the air.
"Hehehehe..." Xueji laned before Yuyi, "It seems you've broken through."
Yuyi didn't feel that inexplicable fear he'd felt last time. He guessed it was because of the killing aura—he could now face Xueji.
"Yes." Yuyi nodded, "Killing aura value reached ten million."
"Congratulations." Xueji said indifferently, "Want to drink?"
Yuyi paused, then nodded: "Alright."
The two flew up, heading toward a nearby small town. Xueji took a wine flask from her sleeve, handing it to Yuyi: "This is spirit wine brewed by Tianyin Pavilion, try it."
Yuyi took the flask and drank. The wine entered his mouth, transforming into a warm current flowing through his body, carrying a faint fragrance. That fragrance was like spring flowers, making him feel a trace of warmth.
"Good wine." Yuyi praised.
Xueji stood beside him, looking at the distant sunset, saying: "Hehehehe... looking at all this now, does it feel beautiful?"
Yuyi turned to look at her, saying: "I still can't feel it yet, but I understand why you always wear red clothes."
"Hehehehe... the same, all faint red." Xueji's voice carried a trace of confusion.
She raised her hand, biting her finger, blood seeping out. She licked the blood clean with her tongue, her expression confused, like a lost child. The movement was natural and smooth, as if she'd done it countless times.
"You see it too, the blood-colored world..." Xueji murmured.
Yuyi was silent. He finally understood Xueji's state, understood the mental changes brought by killing aura. The blood-colored world wasn't a curse, but another perspective.
Just then, a cultivator walked by in the distance. Xueji casually plucked a withered leaf, flicking it with her finger. The withered leaf transformed into a stream of light, instantly piercing that cultivator's throat. The cultivator didn't even scream before falling to the ground, dead. Fresh blood gushed from his throat, staining the ground red.
"Hehehehe... we, where were we just now?" Xueji turned to look at Yuyi, as if nothing had happened.
Yuyi's heart shook. He finally understood what mingjing had said: "When killing becomes a normal habit for you, you'll understand." Xueji's killing was as natural as breathing, without any hesitation, without any fluctuation.
"We were talking about the killing aura value question." Yuyi said, "How much is needed for the second major change?"
"Hehehehe..." Xueji laughed, "If you'll know, you'll know eventually. If not, telling you is useless."
Yuyi nodded, asking no more.
The two continued flying, arriving at an inn. The inn's decoration was very dark—dark red wooden pillars, deep brown tables and chairs, dim lighting. That dark decoration gave a oppressive feeling.
"I like dark decorations." Xueji said, "They can cover the blood color."
Yuyi understood her meaning. In the blood-colored world, dark colors could make everything look more normal.
The two entered the inn, finding a corner table to sit. Xueji ordered another flask of wine, and they drank together.
There were a dozen or so cultivators in the inn drinking and chatting noisily. Xueji frowned slightly, casually picking up a chopstick, flicking it with her finger. The chopstick transformed into a stream of light, weaving through the inn, instantly killing those dozen or so cultivators. The chopstick was like a swimming snake, drawing beautiful arcs in the air, each arc taking a life.
The inn instantly fell silent. Xueji continued drinking, as if nothing had happened.
Yuyi looked at her, complex emotions surging in his heart. He understood Xueji's state, understood the changes brought by killing aura. Killing, for her, had already become a normal behavior, just like eating or drinking. Her eyes held no killing intent, only calm, as if doing the most ordinary thing.
The two ate and drank in silence. Xueji handed the wine flask to Yuyi: "It's yours now."
Yuyi took the wine flask, saying: "Thank you."
Xueji stood up, saying: "I should go."
"Where to?"
"I don't know." Xueji's voice carried confusion, "Maybe to find more people to kill, maybe to find a quiet place to space out."
She turned and left, her red figure disappearing into the night.
Yuyi sat alone in the inn, looking at the wine flask in his hand. He finally understood mingjing's words, understood Xueji's state. But he knew he hadn't yet reached that realm. Killing, for him, was still not a normal behavior.
He stood up, flying toward Zhongzhou City.
Returning to the Nitian Alliance headquarters in Zhongzhou City, Yuyi began flipping through books, searching for records of sword weapons. He realized the Nirvana Sword needed a soft sword to unleash its maximum power. He flipped through one ancient text after another, searching for clues about soft swords.
"Soft sword..." Yuyi murmured, "Where to find a soft sword?"
Just then, Bingxin walked in. Seeing Yuyi, she frowned: "You're back?"
"Yes." Yuyi nodded, "I want to ask you something."
"What?"
"Do you know where there are soft swords?" Yuyi asked, "I want to buy one."
Bingxin paused, saying: "Don't tell me you want to practice soft sword?"
"No choice." Yuyi sighed, "The Nirvana Sword actually requires a soft sword."
"Nirvana Sword?" Bingxin was puzzled, "What technique is that?"
"Actually, the Nirvana Sword's original form is the Golden Snake Sword Art." Yuyi said, "I've already merged with the sword intent."
Bingxin was silent for a moment, saying: "I don't know whether to call you lucky or unlucky. Where to find one? The world is vast, soft swords are already rare, and no sects have techniques using soft swords. I heard soft sword refining techniques are very complex, requiring special materials and methods—ordinary artifact refiners can't refine them at all."
"I'll find one." Yuyi said, "Help me keep an eye out for news of the Golden Snake Divine Sword."
"Golden Snake Divine Sword?" Bingxin frowned, "What is that?"
"A legendary soft sword." Yuyi said, "The matching dharma treasure for the Golden Snake Sword Art. Legend says the Golden Snake Divine Sword is an artifact from ancient times, possessing miraculous power."
Bingxin nodded: "I'll help you keep watch."
Yuyi left the Nitian Alliance headquarters, returning to Youyue Valley. He commissioned expert artifact refiners to forge a soft sword, but the artifact refiners said they needed a long time to experiment, because soft sword refining techniques were very complex. He tried multiple materials, but none achieved the ideal effect.
Just then, people came outside Youyue Valley demanding an explantion. They claimed Yuyi had killed their friends and demanded compensation.
"Compensation?" Yuyi sneered, "They sought death themselves, who's to blame?"
"Valley Master Yuyi, you go too far!" the person said, "Our friends were just passing by the Kunlun Sect Rebirth Formation, and you killed them!"
"Passing by?" Yuyi said indifferently, "They barged into my killing formation, who's to blame?"
"You..." The person was speechless.
"Drive them away." Yuyi said to the disciples beside him, "From now on, when such people come to cause trouble, drive them out directly."
The disciples took the order and drove those people away. Yuyi stood in Youyue Valley's main hall, realizing he'd killed too many people these past two years, bringing constant trouble. But he didn't care—this was the path he chose, whatever the cost, he would walk it.
He returned to his study, continuing to flip through ancient texts, searching for clues about soft swords. The blood-colored world unfolded before his eyes, but his heart had gradually calmed. He knew he still needed more time and experience to truly understand mingjing and Xueji's words.