Chen Huaian’s consecutive two sword strikes not only startled Zhang Tinghai but also the onlookers from other sects around.
Those core experts from sects like Lingxi Valley, Danzong, and the Zen Sect who had participated in the extermination of the Devil Cult weren’t surprised. They had already heard that a powerful ancestor had returned to the Sword Pavilion.
As for what level he was at, opinions varied.
Some said he was at the “Union” stage, others claimed he was at the “Great Union,” and there were even those who said he had reached the “Cavernous Void.” In any case, no fool would think this Ancestor of the Sword Pavilion was below the Union stage.
Just by standing there, he was an embodiment.
How strong his abilities were displayed depended entirely on his mood.
“Ancestor, this Sword Pavilion is rather too aggressive. The Shaoyang Sect is, after all, a major sect, yet they are given no face over just a single training ground…” Qingxuan Daoist stopped mid-sentence because he saw his mother looking longingly at the figure holding the sword in front of the Sword Pavilion’s war chariot.
Her gaze pierced through the cloud screen.
He felt an ominous premonition.
Considering her abnormal behavior recently…
He came to an absurd conclusion.
—His mother liked the Ancestor of the Sword Pavilion?
“Qingxuan, what did you say?”
Qingxuan Daoist glanced at his mother, swallowed hard, “Nothing… I just said that the Shaoyang Sect has no shame, even seizing the training ground of the Sword Pavilion.”
“That’s right.” Rong Qingyun coldly snorted: “In the future, we will not sell medicine or magical tools to the Shaoyang Sect, and it is forbidden for disciples of our Bluecloud Sect to interact with those of the Shaoyang Sect. If anyone is found interacting, they will be expelled from the sect!”
Qingxuan Daoist: “…”
Finished, now he could almost confirm.
Qingxuan Daoist clenched his fists as he stared at Chen Huaian’s back, filled with hatred and helplessness. He had imagined a thousand reasons why his mother’s attitude towards the Sword Pavilion had changed, but never, dared not think that their home had been infiltrated!
Lu Changtian also looked at the flying boat, at the elegant figure in a plain white dress beside the Ancestor of the Sword Pavilion.
Not only was he watching, but several people from Chixiao Peak were watching as well.
“Is that Junior Sister Qingran?” Lu Changtian murmured to himself.
Li Qingran was different from how she used to be, even unfamiliar to him.
It was as if someone had cut out her ink shadow from an old rice paper and suddenly colored it.
The girl who always lowered her head and gathered her skirt at the end of the corridor,
When did she become the lively little deer wearing golden bells and stepping lightly in the spring breeze?
He remembered that when Li Qingran smiled before, there was always a glow of moonlight hanging at the corner of her eyes, like the trembling fish under the thin ice of early spring.
She used to smile while serving tea in front of Qingxuan Daoist, and when scolded by the elder, she didn’t know what to do; even when seeking him for sword discussions, she always carried a careful flattery… But the girl standing beside the Ancestor of the Sword Pavilion now, her eyebrows dyed with the broken twilight, even her eyelashes were immersed in honey-colored light.
Under the hem of her white dress, embroidered lotus shoes adorned with silver bells were revealed, and every step made a cheerful jingle; that segment of snow-white wrist, which used to be hidden in faded sleeves, was now wrapped with gold-threaded precious bells, creating a dazzling shimmer with her movements while wiping the Black Scaled Sword sheath.
The red string bells on her wrists and ankles symbolized the expectation of love.
Had she also worn them?
For whose attention was she trying to attract?
His gaze subconsciously fell on Chen Huaian, the Ancestor of the Sword Pavilion, unlikely…
But this Ancestor of the Sword Pavilion also had youth-preserving techniques, his handsome and stern appearance made him feel that his title of the most elegant person in the Bluecloud Sect was a joke. Moreover, Xu An and Duan Feng of the Sword Pavilion were also good-looking at first glance.
Lu Changtian’s mind got more confused the more he thought about it.
Confused voices from some junior brothers beside him added to his confusion.
Xiao Yifeng shook his head repeatedly: “This Li Qingran seems to be doing pretty well in the Sword Pavilion? Isn’t it said that the Sword Pavilion is very poor?”
“Hmph, it’s just that she likes dressing up now, not behaving properly!” Yun Zimo tightened his grip on the sword hilt, with a sour tone in his voice.
Zhang Hanxiao rubbed his eyes, somewhat incredulous: “I feel she’s getting more beautiful… It’s like, even prettier than Junior Sister Mu Baishuang…”
“Shut your mouths!” Lu Changtian narrowed his eyes and turned around, “Discussing and discussing, what kind of decorum is this? She’s no longer from the Bluecloud Sect, nor from our Chixiao Peak. She’s a disciple of the Sword Pavilion! Zhang Hanxiao, how dare you compare her with Junior Sister Mu Baishuang, deliberately belittling Junior Sister Mu Baishuang. How sad would Junior Sister Mu Baishuang feel hearing these words?”
“The elder brother’s teaching is correct.” Zhang Hanxiao wrinkled his nose and awkwardly smiled.
Recently, Mu Baishuang hasn’t been circling around them anymore. At first, they tried to approach her, but later found it meaningless and naturally cared less about her.
“By the way, where has Junior Sister gone?” Yun Zimo looked around but couldn’t see Mu Baishuang, so he asked Qingxuan Daoist.
Qingxuan Daoist was immersed in thoughts of being betrayed, feeling annoyed.
Hearing the disciples’ inquiries, he impatiently replied:
“The gate of the Secret Realm is about to open, and the Three Great Sacred Lands will soon appear. Are you still talking about Junior Sister this and Junior Sister that? Look at your lack of accomplishment! Mu Baishuang is such a big girl, how can she get lost? She isn’t entering the Secret Realm, maybe she went to some mortal town out of boredom. You can find her when you come out of the Secret Realm.”
Lu Changtian and others dared not defy Qingxuan Daoist’s words, so they could only hide their doubts and worries in their hearts and wait patiently for the Secret Realm gate to open.
On the side of the Sword Pavilion, after Zhang Tinghai of the Shaoyang Sect lost one arm, he completely lost the intention to provoke the Sword Pavilion.
What kind of joke is this?
The Ancestor of the Sword Pavilion could sever his arm without drawing his sword, let alone if the sword were drawn, wouldn’t he be torn apart?
He could only temporarily retreat and unhappily lead the disciples of the Shaoyang Sect to a random mountain top in the Ten Thousand Mountains below, casting frequent malevolent glances towards the war chariot of the Sword Pavilion, obviously plotting something sinister.
…
Deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Inside a hidden grand formation.
Mu Baishuang erected the tombstone in front of the cave where the Demon Master usually practiced.
Kneeling amidst the scattered stones, her fingertips repeatedly caressed the four blood-red seal script characters “Master’s Tomb,” tears splashing onto the not yet dried bloodstains.
“You always said blood should flow on the blade, on the battlefield to restore the Devil Cult.” Suddenly, she chuckled softly, her blood-stained nails piercing her palm, dark red flowing along the grooves of the inscription, soaking the name of the master, “But my blood will soak the entire Sword Pavilion!”
The Absolute Devil Seal burned into her sleeve, leaving scorch marks, and nine abyssal devil qi entwined with the silver bells in her hair.
When the last strand of severed hair fell before the tombstone, wails of ten thousand ghosts echoed from the depths of the cave.
She slowly turned around and bowed deeply to the old nun who had stood behind her for a long time.
“Please, honored predecessor, perform the ritual for me!”
Old Nun Lingpu looked at the vengeful Mu Baishuang, hiding a flicker of joy in her eyes, and solemnly said: “You must know that using this method means sacrificing your soul to the nine abysses, with no way back, certain death!”
“No matter, if the master dies… then I die too.”
“So be it, this old nun will perform the ritual for you. However, remember, the Ancestor of the Sword Pavilion is extremely difficult to deal with, and it’s merely his avatar present here. This old nun suggests that you launch a surprise attack when the Secret Realm closes. Taking advantage of the chaos may produce unexpected results!”
“Yes, latecomer… remembers!”
