World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 423: A Slip of Hand, A Moment of Joy

My cultivation's too shallow to be useful. I'm such an embarrassment.

Deep within the dense forest, where lightning and fire intertwined, Xiaomiao sat cross-legged on the grass. At times, she would look up to watch her two "martial brothers" locked in fierce combat, and at times she idly scribbled on the ground.

This is all Big Sister's fault. My progress over the past two years is nowhere near impressive because she always calls me to play.

There was no helping it. Although her master was powerful and had given her a solid foundation, she had started too late. She was no prodigy in cultivation, either.

Catching up to her elder brother or senior sister was already out of the question. Even surpassing the talents of his generation, like Shi Qianzhang or Liu Yunzhi, would take years of accumulation.

Looking up, she saw that Shi Qianzhang had already seized complete advantage. After all, they had prepared as best as they could in advance, laying traps and planning their moves with care.

Crafted by a Nascent Soul Realm expert, Liu Yunzhi's lightning talismans were tremendously powerful. However, his fighting style was far too limiting. He relied too much on summoning lightning to strike his opponent.

The lightning descending from the heavens lost much of its force in this place due to the thick forest canopy and abundant trees. Hence, he had to depend on the Lightning-Summoning Talismans that the experts of his sect had made. A mere late-stage Golden Core Realm disciple could only possibly possess so many of those.

Once his stock ran dry, Liu Yunzhi's offense would crumble. Even now, he was already struggling to withstand Shi Qianzhang's endless barrage of talismans.

During sparring matches, Shi Qianzhang held back from using his costly talismans. There was no point wasting precious resources when his sharp tongue was enough to dominate Liu Yunzhi, especially since his sect only gave him a limited monthly allowance for crafting them.

However, Shi Qianzhang couldn't afford to be stingy in this fight. Crane spirits, serpent spirits, feral tigers, and leopards—dozens of beasts conjured from talismans attacked Liu Yunzhi relentlessly. Talismans that manipulated wind, fire, lightning, and ice flew in from every direction and relentlessly bombarded Liu Yunzhi, filling the air with violent bursts of light.

Besides those standard talismans, Shi Qianzhang also used Qi-Suppressing Talismans, which drained the primal qi in the area, and Flash Talismans, which silently flew toward Liu Yunzhi before unleashing blinding light. A few others, absurdly called "Inflated Boy Talismans," created illusory figures to ruin Liu Yunzhi's focus.

He also utilized Phantasm Substitution Talismans, Space-Warping Talismans, Blackwater Talismans, Void Condensation Talismans, Odor Talismans, Body-Flipping Talismans, Saros Nesting-Doll Talismans...

Shi Qianzhang had spent twenty years amassing this collection. Even the old, dusty ones had finally seen the light of day. A single thread of his enchanted power fueled each one, creating a wide array of unpredictable effects.

In terms of raw power and control over enchanted power, Liu Yunzhi and Shi Qianzhang were equals. Some of Liu Yunzhi's talismans were even stronger. However, when it came to quantity and variety, Shi Qianzhang was undoubtedly superior—evidencing that he was a true genius in talismanic arts.

It had barely been two minutes since the battle started, yet Liu Yunzhi was already unsteady on his feet and vomiting blood. His once pristine Daoist robe was now stained in every color imaginable.

"We have to end this soon," Xiaomiao called out.

Shi Qianzhang hesitated briefly, then took out several black talismans from his sleeve. The wings of light that his talismans had formed fluttered behind him as he lunged at Liu Yunzhi.

Realizing defeat was inevitable, Liu Yunzhi went berserk. His Golden Core trembled violently, sending waves of unstable energy through his meridians. But amid his fury, confusion flickered in his eyes. As his injuries worsened, the silver light in his eyes began to fade and scatter.

The location of their battle wasn't chosen at random. It was carefully picked since it would give them enough time to subdue Liu Yunzhi before the Special Warfare Unit or the corrupt cultivators from the southern border could arrive and intervene.

***

Inside the standard warfare command hall at the Special Investigation Unit headquarters.

"Captain Mou! We've detected signs of cultivators clashing near the southern border. Judging by the primal qi fluctuations, more than ten Heavenly Abode Realm cultivators are likely fighting there!"

"Has the surveillance satellite arrived?"

"It'll be in position in one minute."

"Good. Project the visual feed to the main screen," Mou Yue calmly instructed. She then glanced at the Special Affairs officer seated beside her. "You look tired, Captain Zhang. Why don't you take a break? If we find Xiaomiao, I'll inform you immediately."

Zhang Jiuqian smiled wearily. "I'm under orders to find her. Until I've accomplished it, I can't rest. She's simply too special. Not only has the soul of a fox fiend possessed her, but she is also the younger sister of the Hua Republic's strongest sword cultivator.

"If we fail to purge the fiend's soul from her body before her brother appears and starts demanding answers, the cultivation world and the secular world could be shaken."

Mou Yue chuckled softly and sighed. "You have only just taken office, yet you're already this diligent. Xiao Lan, get Captain Zhang a cup of coffee."

"Yes, Captain Mou," a young clerk nearby responded. She set aside her paperwork and walked toward the coffee machine in the corner.

The large screen at the front of the command hall flickered to life, displaying the satellite's live feed. The image glowed cyan, under which faint flashes of lightning and fire could be seen piercing through the forest canopy.

The satellite adjusted its position, changing the angle of the image. Eventually, it focused on two silhouettes locked in relentless combat.

"Those look like two experts," Mou Yue commented. "Log everything and alert the nearest Special Warfare Unit base. Send a team to investigate immediately as well. Find out if they're Hua Republic cultivators fighting corrupt cultivators."

"Yes, ma'am!"

The command hall swiftly grew busy. Dozens of people began their work with practiced precision.

Zhang Jiuqian frowned. "If it's nothing major, prioritize finding Xiaomiao."

Mou Yue nodded. "Of course."

She glanced at the corner of the main screen, then signaled an operator to revert to the previous feed.

They had deployed an orbital surveillance satellite to sweep through the area where Xi Lian had been sealed, scanning back and forth.

Zhang Jiuqian didn't notice the faint change in Mou Yue's expression as she looked down at the document. She appeared to be momentarily deep in thought, then exhaled quietly.

Earlier, the corner of the feed had shown the blurred face of a girl looking up at the sky. Perhaps the battle above had reached a turning point, drawing her gaze. A few technicians from the Special Investigation Unit had noticed the same detail. The three operators glanced at each other, then subtly adjusted the satellite's angle until the girl was cropped out of view.

Three minutes later, a technician stood and called out, "The fight has ended, Captain Mou. The victor either captured the opponent or carried off the body. Either way, they're headed south."

"Understood." Mou Yue's patience thinned. "Have the Special Warfare Unit do an on-site check and report back. Tell them not to enter areas across the border that corrupt cultivators have taken over. According to Captain Qin's latest orders, our top priority is ensuring the Immortal Dao Conference goes smoothly. Only after that will we pursue the corrupt cultivators in the south."

"We'll notify them immediately, Captain Mou."

The satellite operators typed commands and returned the satellite to its prior orbit trajectory.

Mou Yue drank coffee while observing Zhang Jiuqian's expression. Remaining composed, she went on with her usual work, but a string of thoughts stirred under her calm mien.

If I'm not mistaken, Wang Xiaomiao was the girl that the satellite captured. Why would she be on the southern border, and who were the two experts fighting? Have corrupt cultivators taken her?

Five minutes later, the Special Warfare Unit arrived at the battlefield. After searching the area, they brought back a shocking discovery.

"Captain Mou, Captain Zhang, the Special Warfare Unit found what appears to be a message for Chief Qin Yishen at the site."

Mou Yue was shocked. "What?"

"Play the footage," Zhang Jiuqian ordered.

The technician hesitated. "But, Captain Mou—"

"Just play it! Obey Captain Zhang!" Mou Yue sharply interjected.

The technician hurriedly complied. A video then played on the main screen, showing a battlefield that seemed covered in daylight due to the massive searchlights. The ground was torn, trees were broken and bent, and elemental primal qi churned wildly.

A voice off-screen called out to someone.

「Xiao Zhang, over here! There's writing on the ground. Get it on camera.」

The feed wavered, then focused on a patch where grass had been stripped and the soil flattened. Several lines were written on it in huge, fierce strokes.

Listen here, Qin Yishen of the Special Affairs Unit. Stop pinning every piece of blame on me!

Corrupt cultivators? Strange poison? What a joke. I withdrew south because I don't want to scrap over territory with the Daoist sects. Who would willingly go to war with your sects or the Special Warfare Unit?

I've just captured a Golden Core Realm cultivator to test a poison. If you stir the Daoist sects up against me again, I'll sneak in and have you castrated!

Signed,

Valley Master of Myriad Poisons Valley

Under the signature was a drawing of a crude fist giving the middle finger.

Mou Yue's shoulders trembled. She covered her mouth and coughed.

Zhang Jiuqian's expression darkened. "Classify that video as top secret since it's a direct threat from foreign corrupt cultivators. I'll report this to Captain Qin at once."

"Well... it might be too late for that." A technician frowned. "The video has spread through the Special Warfare Unit before it reached us."

Another technician stood up, flustered. "Sorry, Captain Zhang. I accidentally sent a screenshot to the Special Investigation Unit's internal chat. It's internal, though. Nobody will post it online. I'll contact the admin and have it deleted."

Zhang Jiuqian glared at them furiously. "You guys—"

"It was really an accident. I'll accept all necessary punishments, Captain Zhang."

Mou Yue slammed the table and rose. "Do you want to lose your jobs?! No discipline, no organization! Get yourselves together and fix it now!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the group answered in unison.

Zhang Jiuqian nodded once, then left the command hall, her heels clacking on the floor with contained anger.

Mou Yue raised her voice again. "Trace and contain every copy of those screenshots and videos. Under no circumstances can the Daoist sects learn of this, especially those who suffered casualties on the southern border! If word gets out, there will be chaos!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Zhang Jiuqian's heel slipped slightly, and she let out a cold snort.

Before she reached the top-floor office, the screenshots and the short clip had already flooded cultivator forums, news sites across the Hua Republic, and hundreds of active cultivator group chats.

The Special Investigation Unit couldn't do anything about it. After all, they were "incompetent" and were backed by a team of "useless" technicians.