Shen Yue and Xuan Gong locked eyes. In the same instant, both leapt into the air, meeting in a fierce clash—one wielding a sword, the other his bare palms. Sword energy and palm force tore through the mountain ridge, blasting apart rock and soil as the two unleashed their power.
The twilight glow bathed the ridge in gold as the masters of the three sects watched from below. The two figures crossed and recrossed at impossible speed. The sheer intensity of their movements made cold sweat bead across the foreheads of every martial expert present.
Xuan Gong's strength was overwhelming—radiant and scorching like the noonday sun. Even standing more than ten zhang away, the gathered masters felt their hearts tremble. Liu Dai, Song Kejian, and the leader of the Li Yin Sect quickly signaled their disciples to spread out, encircling the ridge.
Shen Yue's sword flashed like lightning. His strikes came in a torrential rain of blows, each sweep of his blade carving deep gashes into the stone. Cracks splintered across the mountain's surface under the force of his attacks.
Landing lightly on the ground, Xuan Gong extended both arms. His vast internal energy surged outward, hurling shards of shattered stone into the air. Then, with a sudden thrust of his palms, those stones ignited into flames, turning into a storm of burning meteors that cascaded toward Shen Yue like a falling mountain.
From ten zhang away, Shen Yue flung his wooden sword. Wrapped in dense sword energy, it burst forth like a streak of cold light, slicing through the fiery stones as it sped toward Xuan Gong.
But Xuan Gong's figure flickered like a ghost. He sidestepped the deadly strike with inhuman agility, letting the sword whistle past his shoulder. Reaching out, he caught the hilt in midair, spun with the motion, and pressed forward—dragging the wooden sword in a fiery arc straight toward Shen Yue.
With a single stride, he closed the distance and slashed. The wooden sword in his hand blazed with flames, each flicker of fire devouring the air.
Shen Yue leapt backward, gaining several zhang in an instant. Between them, a rolling tide of fire surged like flowing ink across the ridge—so magnificent and violent that even the experts arranging formations nearby froze in astonishment.
Xuan Gong steadied himself, spinning the sword in his hand before flicking its edge downward. The flames spilled away from the blade, hissing as they died.
Shen Yue landed lightly and looked at him in surprise. "You use a sword too?"
Xuan Gong smirked beneath his mask. "Does this sword style look familiar to you?"
Shen Yue's eyes narrowed. "What is your connection to my master?"
A brutal wave of sword intent exploded from Xuan Gong's body. The pressure cracked the very ridge beneath his feet, sending rocks tumbling down the slope. The gathered martial experts recoiled, retreating several steps in shock.
"What kind of power is this?" one gasped.
"How long must he have cultivated to reach such strength?" another murmured.
"I heard even the founding emperor once sought his instruction…"
"This is monstrous! Not even my sect's grand elder—he's over a hundred years old—has such pure power!"
"Could it be the Mystic Yin Art?"
"No, impossible! The supreme elders of my Li Yin Sect practice it, and none have such flawless inner energy. His is too refined—no impurity at all. It's pure self-cultivation!"
Their voices trembled with disbelief.
Song Kejian of the Sword Extremity Sect stared at Xuan Gong, his face pale. "That sword technique… it can't be…"
Realization struck him, and his body shuddered.
Xuan Gong's tone turned mocking. "Song Xuanzong was nothing but a street thief. Do you really think he could've created those sword techniques himself?"
Shen Yue's expression hardened. He raised his right hand, and a surge of sword energy erupted from his palm—so concentrated it condensed into the shape of a blade.
Xuan Gong's eyes gleamed with a rare flicker of admiration. "Sword energy taking form… no one in history has ever achieved that. Perhaps you truly can rival the legends of the martial world."
The air vibrated as Shen Yue lifted his hand. In an instant, countless sword shadows materialized around him—dense and radiant, filling the entire ridge.
If any disciple of Qingxiao Sect had been there to see it, they would have cried out in awe.
Ten Thousand Swords Return to One.
But Shen Yue's version was far beyond anything Li Qingqiu had displayed—more overwhelming, more complete. The power of his will alone made the absence of a true sword seem irrelevant.
He didn't need a weapon. His very spirit was the blade.
…
At dawn, Li Qingqiu stepped out from a small wooden cabin halfway up the mountain, stretching lazily. Behind him, Li Dongyue followed, her pace light.
The courtyard held only two cabins, a simple chopping block, and a stack of half-split firewood.
Li Qingqiu smiled faintly. "Let's head back today. Next time, you'll bring the disciples here yourself. Xiao Ba can guide the way for you."
Li Dongyue nodded. "Don't worry, I'll handle it properly."
Thinking back to the low-level monster realm they'd discovered days ago, her heart raced with excitement. That place was a treasure beyond price.
She said thoughtfully, "The old books spoke of Source Valleys, hidden away from the mortal world. It seems those tales weren't myths. That monster realm is like its own little world. Living there… it feels like paradise."
Li Qingqiu chuckled. "That's only because you haven't lived there long enough. Stay too long, and you'll start missing the bustle of the human world. Anyway, don't forget to explore Mount Tianji thoroughly—I suspect there's more opportunity hidden there."
He wasn't planning to investigate it himself. If Tianji Mountain truly contained spiritual veins or relics of immortal cultivation, he'd leave their discovery to Li Dongyue and the others.
In time, he intended for Qingxiao Sect's disciples to explore the world freely—discovering hidden lands, spiritual treasures, and untapped fortune without relying solely on the Dao Lineage interface. That was the path to true strength for the sect.
Of course, when it came to guarding or exploring the monster realm, he would personally choose who to send—disciples of proven loyalty.
As they spoke, the door of the second cabin creaked open.
Yang Xuan stepped out, yawning. "Master Uncle, Master, why are you both up so early?"
He had already been accepted as Li Dongyue's disciple—a decision arranged by Li Qingqiu. She had agreed mostly out of sympathy, unaware of Yang Xuan's extraordinary potential.
With his excellent cultivation aptitude and excellent comprehension, Yang Xuan was destined to become a peerless genius—one who would someday uphold Li Dongyue's name and bring glory to Qingxiao Sect.
"We're heading back," Li Dongyue said with a gentle smile toward Yang Xuan.
Yang Xuan's eyes lit up instantly. "Then I'll pack up my things!"
"Hold on," Li Qingqiu called out, stopping him mid-step. "We need you to stay here."
Yang Xuan turned around, looking nervous. "Master Uncle, Master… you don't want me anymore?"
Li Dongyue quickly explained, "It's not that. I'll be bringing more people here later. Mount Tianji is important to Qingxiao Sect, so we need you to stay and watch over this place."
Yang Xuan looked a bit wronged. "But didn't you say Qingxiao Sect is really far away? By the time you go back and return here, how many years will that take?"
Li Qingqiu raised his hand and whistled sharply. Yang Xuan blinked in confusion.
Then, with a roar of wind, a massive black shadow descended from the sky. The gusts tore through the courtyard, darkening the world in an instant. Yang Xuan fell to the ground in fright as the enormous form of Xiao Ba landed, its wings blotting out the sun.
Li Qingqiu and Li Dongyue leapt lightly onto Xiao Ba's back.
The great black eagle shifted its stance, folding its wings slightly to let sunlight fall back over the courtyard.
Looking down from above, Li Qingqiu said, "Disciple-nephew, train hard. Within one month, your master will return. By then, I expect you'll be qualified to ask her for the third layer of the cultivation method."
As his words faded, he tapped his foot lightly, and Xiao Ba spread its wings wide. With a thunderous gust, it took to the skies, stirring the mountains below into waves of swaying green.
Yang Xuan gaped, speechless, watching Li Qingqiu and Li Dongyue disappear into the clouds astride the giant eagle.
"Disciple, wait patiently for your master's return."
Li Dongyue's voice echoed faintly across the mountains.
Yang Xuan slowly came back to his senses, excitement lighting up his face. His admiration for Qingxiao Sect grew even deeper.
'One day,' he thought, 'I'll be as free and powerful as Master Uncle.'
…
Since Li Dongyue had already experienced riding Xiao Ba before, Li Qingqiu commanded the bird to fly even faster this time. She was forced to gather vital energy under her feet to stay balanced against its immense back.
After half an hour, the two descended within the courtyard of Lingxiao Pavilion.
Li Dongyue exhaled in wonder. "This is unbelievable. It's so fast! If every disciple of Qingxiao Sect could raise an eagle like this, traveling and carrying out missions would be much easier."
Li Qingqiu paused for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully. She wasn't wrong. It would be a long time before the teleportation formations were ready, but training spiritual birds—he already had experience with that. Besides Xiao Ba, he had successfully raised Xiao Jiu as well.
The low-level monster realm contained many such spiritual birds. Though they were far weaker than Xiao Ba, they were far more intelligent and responsive than ordinary beasts.
A new idea began to form in Li Qingqiu's mind.
"You should go rest for a while," he said.
He needed time to think this through—perhaps even start another hall dedicated to this concept.
Just then, Yuan Qi came running into the courtyard, his expression grave. "Sect Master, something major has happened!"
He had spotted Xiao Ba flying in and immediately guessed Li Qingqiu had returned, so he rushed over without delay.
Li Qingqiu turned his head. "What's the matter?"
"While you were away," Yuan Qi said quickly, "Senior Shen Yue was ambushed by the Three Founding Sects and the Martial Enforcement Guards. He's been seriously injured."
Li Qingqiu's brows furrowed.
Shen Yue being wounded was no trivial matter—especially if it had been for Qingxiao Sect's sake.
"Take me to him."
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Yuan Qi led the way. Li Dongyue hesitated briefly, then followed behind them.
As they walked, Li Qingqiu asked, "What about the enemies? Did they cause any more casualties afterward?"
"No," Yuan Qi replied, his tone filled with awe. "They were all driven off by Senior Shen Yue."
Li Qingqiu suddenly stopped, turning to give Yuan Qi a long, complicated look.
Yuan Qi blinked, puzzled. "Sect Master… what's wrong?"
Li Dongyue covered her mouth to hide a smile. This kid was too honest for his own good.
"Nothing," Li Qingqiu said sincerely. "You're a good one. Keep that up."
He resumed walking, his thoughts a mix of amusement and sympathy. Well, at least now I'm not the only one who's ever fallen for Shen Yue's tricks.
Yuan Qi brightened instantly, clearly delighted by the praise, and hurried to catch up. Behind him, Li Dongyue stifled a laugh.
A short while later, the three of them reached the Sword Hall. Inside Shen Yue's quarters, Zhang Yuchun was already present. When he saw Li Qingqiu and Li Dongyue enter, he rose immediately.
"Senior Brother," Zhang Yuchun said, "I was just about to ask Senior Shen about Grand Director Xuan's situation."
Li Qingqiu glanced toward Shen Yue. The old Sword God lay on the bed, his breathing steady but weak. Though his injuries seemed under control, his vital energy was clearly depleted.
"Go on," Li Qingqiu said with a nod.
Yuan Qi, showing good sense, slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Shen Yue opened his eyes slightly, then closed them again, speaking in a calm but heavy voice. "That man, Xuan Gong—his cultivation is terrifying. I could sense several centuries' worth of foundation in him, at least a few hundred years of accumulated strength. He's mastered countless martial techniques, and his swordsmanship is no weaker than mine was before I ascended the mountain. But now, he can no longer defeat me. I wounded him first. Unfortunately, those men who took Martial God Pills and Yin Ghost Pills swarmed me afterward while I was injured. Their siege drained my strength completely."
His lips curved into a faint smile. "Still, this battle pushed my sword path to a new level. I've shed my old self and been reborn. Sect Master, when I recover, I will challenge you again—be prepared."