Chapter 12

Chapter 12: In This Life, I Live for Myself

“Rebellious disciple, are you ignoring your master’s words now?”

On the Back Mountain of the Qingyang Sword Sect, the angry voice of Sect Leader Jiang Qitian echoed outside the Reflection Cave.

“Master, the sect rules are as solid as a mountain. I wouldn’t dare disobey them, please don’t make things difficult for me,” Xiao Yang replied sternly from inside the cave.

“You…” Jiang Qitian was left speechless.

He never expected Xiao Yang would use the sect rules to pressure him.

“Holy Son, don’t throw a tantrum. Just come up the mountain with us!” Transmission Elder said sternly.

“Throw a tantrum?” Xiao Yang couldn’t help but laugh.

They actually thought he was throwing a tantrum.

As if he had time to mess around with them!

Isn’t it better to quietly cultivate and improve his skills here?

Did they really think he was going to risk his life for them?

Come on!

In this life, he was only living for himself.

“Holy Son, if you’re willing to come up the mountain and fight for the sect, I will lift your punishment. How about it?” the Law Enforcement Elder hesitated, then made a compromise.

As the Law Enforcement Elder of Qingyang Sword Sect, Lei Lie had always been strict in upholding the law.

No matter who they were, anyone who broke the sect rules would face severe punishment, no exceptions.

But now, out of necessity, he actually compromised.

This surprised Xiao Yang a little.

To think the usually rigid Lei Lie would bend like this.

“Law Enforcement Elder, are the sect rules something you can just change with a single word? What do you think the rules are? Is the Law Enforcement Hall your personal playground? Punish when you want, ignore when you want? That’s just childish!” Xiao Yang said with righteous indignation.

“This…” Lei Lie was left awkward and his face flushed.

“Holy Son, your words are misguided. This concerns the reputation of the entire sect. In urgent matters, we must be flexible. Don’t you want to see the last two levels of the True Sun Sword Technique? I have brought them here. If you come with us up the mountain, I’ll teach you!” Transmission Elder said, pulling out a sword manual.

But upon hearing this in the cave, Xiao Yang got angry.

Qin Fei was the one who set him up for peeking at the True Sun Sword Technique.

Now this—Transmission Elder was giving him the sword manual personally?

Moreover, he already had the Futian Sword Technique, so he wasn’t interested in the True Sun Sword Technique anymore.

“Not enough!” Xiao Yang said nonchalantly.

“Then what will it take for you to cooperate?” Jiang Qitian asked, struggling to keep his anger in check.

He still needed Xiao Yang to help the sect gain a good rank in the Jiazi Grand Competition, to secure more cultivation resources.

He wouldn’t make a move against Xiao Yang before the competition.

“Lift the punishment, teach me the sword technique, and let me enter the Secret Realm to cultivate for six months!” Xiao Yang pondered for a long time before saying.

“This…” The three leaders of the Qingyang Sword Sect looked troubled.

The first two conditions were manageable, but the last one, allowing him to enter the Secret Realm for six months, was tricky.

After all, the Qingyang Secret Realm was the most important place for the Qingyang Sword Sect.

The sect’s supreme treasure, the Qingyang Sword, was hidden within the Secret Realm.

Since the founding ancestor of the Qingyang Sword Sect, only the sect leader had the qualification to enter the Secret Realm.

Even Transmission Elder, Law Enforcement Elder, and Sect Holy Son couldn’t step foot in there.

“Sect Leader, why not just agree?” Transmission Elder suggested after some thought.

“After all, he is the Holy Son, and he will eventually take over as sect leader. It wouldn’t hurt to grant him entry to the Secret Realm,” added Law Enforcement Elder.

“Fine, I agree,” Jiang Qitian said as he saw both elders were on board.

In truth, without Jiang Qitian’s approval, Xiao Yang wouldn’t be able to enter the Secret Realm at all.

Because within the Qingyang Sword Sect, only the sect leader held the method to enter the Secret Realm.

Xiao Yang stepped out from the Reflection Cave.

Transmission Elder directly handed over the sword manual to Xiao Yang.

Xiao Yang had already cultivated the Qingyang Sword Technique to the seventh level, and the eighth and ninth levels were only available once he broke through to the Divine Martial Realm.

Why let that opportunity go to waste?

No way was he letting Qin Fei have the upper hand.

Xiao Yang took the sword manual.

“It was originally meant to be passed to you, so why were you peeking?” Jiang Qitian mumbled as he glanced at the manual in Xiao Yang’s hands.

“Exactly, it’s my thing; why would I need to peek?” Xiao Yang calmly said as he tucked the manual away.

Did they really not understand such simple reasoning?

Qin Fei’s setup against him was full of holes.

The reasons for the setup didn’t hold water.

Yet they preferred to believe Qin Fei over him, Xiao Yang.

“Uh…” Jiang Qitian and the two elders were at a loss for words.

Yeah, Xiao Yang, as the Holy Son of the Qingyang Sword Sect, would eventually get to practice those last two levels of the Qingyang Sword Technique; why would he need to sneak a peek?

They all felt something was off.

But now was not the time for pondering over details.

“Let’s go!” Jiang Qitian said, looking at Xiao Yang before soaring into the sky on sword light, heading for the peak of Qingyang Mountain.

Law Enforcement Elder and Transmission Elder followed suit, taking to the skies as well.

Xiao Yang waved his sleeve, and a flying sword immediately appeared in front of him.

He leapt onto the sword, taking his time as he soared towards the mountain peak.

Once a swordsman breaks through to the Heavenly Martial Realm, they can communicate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, flying with their sword and traversing the void.

…

At the peak of Qingyang Mountain, in front of the Qingyang Great Hall, on the square.

Countless disciples of the Qingyang Sword Sect were eagerly awaiting.

Everyone was extremely anxious.

Their sect leader was back, so why wasn’t the Senior Brother here yet?

“Sect Leader Jiang, your disciple sure has a lot of attitude!” Li Daozhen said, a little annoyed.

“I want to see just who this so-called Holy Son of the Qingyang Sword Sect really is,” Li Xingyao added, looking perturbed.

“Xiao Yang, where are you?”

Outside the square, in a pavilion, Qin Fei was scheming away.

“He’s coming!” At that moment, someone shouted loudly.

“Senior Brother has finally arrived…”

As a figure riding a flying sword leisurely rose from the mountainside, the square erupted into chaos.

The numerous disciples of the Qingyang Sword Sect were all buzzing with excitement.

“Xiao Yang, you really came…” Qin Fei glared at the soaring figure, eyes filled with malice.

“Hmph!” Jiang Ting looked displeased, she was angry at Xiao Yang for rejecting her invitation.

Xiao Yang’s parents and younger sister also wore unhappy expressions.

They felt Xiao Yang was disobedient and didn’t understand the importance of things, which embarrassed them.

“Little Junior Sister, use tea to toast your Senior Brother and cheer him on!” Qin Fei, half-reclining in the pavilion, suddenly spoke up.

“This is premium spiritual mist tea…” Qin Fei added.

Jiang Ting’s eyes lit up upon hearing this.

Premium spiritual mist tea could clear a sword cultivator’s mind and was extremely beneficial for them.

Especially during fights, maintaining a clear mind could greatly increase their chances of winning.

Jiang Ting quickly poured a cup of spiritual mist tea and walked towards Xiao Yang, who had just tucked away his flying sword.

Qin Fei watched Jiang Ting’s back, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, his eyes cold.