The sun was slowly sinking, and the autumn breeze was refreshing.
The sparring in front of the Qingyuan main hall had almost wrapped up. The true sect leaders and mighty heroes who had received invitations from the start had all been welcomed into the main hall.
Some familiar faces from previous visits to the Qingyuan Sect stood in front of the hall, gazing at the vibrant and rejuvenated Qingyuan Sect, feeling quite emotional.
“Back in the day, the Qingyuan Sect was at its peak, showing great promise. But later, they sought permission from the emperor to guard the Ziyang Mansion.”
“Indeed, it seems to have taken on some of the characteristics recorded in the chronicles.”
Surprisingly, the overseas Penglai Sect sent representatives this time.
With a history tracing back to before the Da Shang era, the Penglai Sect was both profound and mysterious, rarely meddling in the affairs of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
The speaker was a young woman in a green dress, with warm blue eyes and a particularly pleasant voice.
Her name was Bai Jing, a sword attendant of the Dantai Sect leader. She sat confidently in the upper seat, and none of the other sect representatives found it inappropriate.
“Bai girl is correct; it truly is a whole new world. The last time I visited the Qingyuan Sect was over a decade ago.”
Elder Xu from the Hengyun Sword City looked relaxed, holding his long sword, his eyes filled with wisdom and nostalgia.
“Pfft, you were just here last month! Don’t listen to his nonsense, Bai fairy; he’s just trying to butter you up and chat you up more.”
An elder from the Sword Shack huffed angrily.
It was well-known that the Hengyun Sword City and the Sword Shack were not on good terms.
The conflict stemming from the Sacred Sword Grounds was one thing, but the real issue was that all swordsmen liked to show off; after all, a peacock certainly couldn’t tolerate another.
“Shut up!” Elder Xu slammed down his tea. “And you have no right to talk. Wasn’t it you who bragged back in your youth that if you beat Bai girl, she would take you on a trip to the Eastern Sea?”
“And then what happened?”
Just entering was Li Mo, curiously asking this question.
“He came back crying—his sword was snapped in half!”
Elder Xu scoffed.
The Sword Shack elder glared. “I didn’t win! And how did that turn out for you? You even wrote Bai girl love poems! Want me to read it out loud?”
“What’s the point of bringing up old scores? Let’s settle this outside in a duel!”
“Oh, a duel? I’m terrified!”
The pair were on the verge of coming to blows.
Bai Jing, with her gentle and calm demeanor, couldn’t help but show her helplessness; clearly, this was not their first quarrel.
The animosity between Elder Xu and the Sword Shack Elder ran deep, and it wasn’t just about their sects.
Although the Dantai Fairy held the position of the sect leader, she had been stationed in Penglai, focusing on her self-cultivation while leaving dealings in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths to her sword attendant.
Back then, when Elder Xu and the Sword Shack Elder had engaged in a sword duel, unable to decide who was superior, Bai Jing’s musical notes had eased their tension.
Afterward, both felt like they had won, each believing Bai girl had a crush on them, and thus began their pursuit of her affections.
But as everyone knew, a peacock cannot be shared…
“Please don’t get heated, elders. You’re here to spar and exchange ideas. My master will preside over things shortly,” said Li Mo as he greeted the two.
“Who’s your master, again?” the Sword Shack Elder still simmered in anger.
Elder Xu pondered for a moment. “Shang Wu; I heard she’s broken through recently.”
“….” The Sword Shack Elder went silent for a moment. “Uh, where were we? Oh right, the Qingyuan Sect does seem to have a unique atmosphere now.”
The grumpy middle-aged man suddenly quieted down.
Elder Xu reclaimed his seat, and thinking about Shang Wu potentially coming soon, he hesitated a moment and didn’t raise his tea again:
“Right, right! When I came last month, it wasn’t like this. What made everything so remarkable so suddenly?”
“There’ve been rumors for years that Qingyuan Sect has a great treasure from the Da Shang era. Could it be true?”
Bai Jing, uncertain whether changing the topic was on purpose or genuine curiosity, asked.
“Da Shang treasure?” Li Mo’s gaze sought out Shang Guan Wencang.
Shang Guan Wencang cleared his throat, looking a bit reluctant to speak.
Bai Jing chuckled, “Sect secrets! It’s only natural that they can’t be widely known.”
“Not really,” Shang Guan Wencang waved his hand, sighing dramatically:
“That Da Shang treasure is completely fictional! The nation is crumbling, its glory long gone. How could the national treasury not be empty? If anything was left…”
Shang Guan Wencang glanced aside.
Following his gaze, the other sect representatives noticed Tang Xiaobao, busy licking a lollipop, drooling, while murmuring about profound questions:
“Are humans really humans, and are monsters really monsters? What about dantian?”
“……”
Some recognized Tang Xiaobao’s background, though to their seasoned eyes, a mere divine dan embryo wasn’t extraordinarily shocking.
“That guy beside him too,” Shang Guan Wencang added.
Shang Li came bouncing in from outside the hall, slapping Tang Xiaobao on the shoulder.
“Hey, bro! Let’s go catch some frogs!”
“Sure thing!”
“…..”
The crowd suddenly thought Shang Guan’s point had merit.
A dynasty had been toppled for thousands of years; if there really was some treasure, how could Qingyuan Sect be in its current state?
Even if there were any, it was likely beyond the reach of ordinary people, probably already at the disposal of Li Mo and Ying Bing.
Thus, in their chit-chat, the topic returned to Little Li.
Looking at the composed Li Mo, with no hint of the arrogance of being the top of the Qianlong List, Bai Jing nodded:
“He possesses astounding talent; what’s rarer is his upright character. He carries himself with the grace of a gentleman. I’ve heard many tales of your achievements along the way. There’s a chance you could take the Cold Fairy to visit Penglai Island.”
Penglai Island wasn’t just a place anyone could go; they didn’t invite people based on martial prowess but rather on their character.
Li Mo, hearing this, was ready to bow and agree.
Suddenly, the token in his Yuxi trembled.
“Vice Sect Leader Yong Shen, Yu Wen Cuojin and Si Tu Ding are requesting an audience. They wish to discuss significant matters!”
Li Mo suddenly remembered he was there to chat with the elders about important issues concerning the Demonic Sect.
