Chapter 649: Fellow Travelers
There was no response from the Azi Tent. Chen Qingdu's expression even held a hint of regret. Almost the entire Barbaric Wild World belonged to that old fellow, and he only occupied a single Sword Qi Great Wall, yet he didn't dare to ascend the wall for battle? Truly, if a man wasn't a sword cultivator, he was useless.
After a moment of silence, Chen Qingdu suddenly asked, "Is the bottleneck of the Jade Purity realm really so difficult to break through?"
Wei Jin answered truthfully, "For me, it is very difficult. Back then, encountering Senior A Liang by chance and breaking through the Nascent Soul bottleneck was already a stroke of luck. To claim heaven's merit as my own, this junior has always felt guilty in his heart."
He had thought the Great Sword Immortal would mock him again, but unexpectedly, Chen Qingdu nodded. "Entering the Immortal realm is indeed not simple. Actually, for sword cultivators breaking through realms, every realm is difficult."
Wei Jin asked, "Great Sword Immortal, could you give this junior some guidance?"
Chen Qingdu turned to this man, the number one swordsman in Precious Bottle Continent, a young man who openly admitted he was troubled by love.
As for Wei Jin, in Haoran World where sword qi was relatively scarce, reaching the Upper Five Realm Sword Immortal by the age of forty was a remarkable achievement even by Sword Qi Great Wall standards. How did Wei Jin manage it? Apart from his own excellent aptitude, he had to thank that bastard A Liang for imparting some ingenious strategies. The Sword Qi Great Wall's old almanac, if you could flip through it casually, was like golden rules for Haoran World's sword cultivators. Of course, the prerequisite was being able to flip through that old almanac. A Liang had no problem with that—he'd practically flipped through all of it, claiming that a scholar stealing books was still a refined thief.
A Liang had helped Wei Jin use two methods—living beyond his means and forceful seizure—to dangerously break through early, becoming the first to seize the helm of sword dao in Precious Bottle Continent. Strictly speaking, the methods weren't glorious, nor were they particularly clever. Chen Qingdu, having lived for ten thousand years, could naturally see through Wei Jin's cultivation foundation at a glance. The saying "the strong have strong luck" had some truth. As long as Wei Jin entered the Upper Five Realm and stayed in Precious Bottle Continent, he could dominate the continent, sit at its peak, let winds and rains come from all sides, and freely plunder Precious Bottle Continent's sword qi heritage. Wei Jin only needed to follow the proper steps—after all, his aptitude was good enough. For the next hundred years, he would slowly advance, and barring accidents, an Immortal realm was certain.
The wonderful thing about Wei Jin was that he knew when to stop. After a single sword duel with Northern Juju Continent's Celestial Lord Xie Shi, which slightly solidified his Jade Purity realm cultivation, he immediately abandoned this readily available path to the great way and instead came running to the Sword Qi Great Wall. If the new Hidden Official hadn't emerged, Wei Jin would most likely have died in this foreign land, at most leaving Precious Bottle Continent with a distant, vague legend of a Sword Immortal.
Chen Qingdu had always admired such young men. They dared to contend with the great momentum and were willing to die!
In contrast, that little bastard was very unwilling to die. But preferring a living death to actual death—in Chen Qingdu's view, that was acceptable. Like himself, perhaps.
After hearing Wei Jin's request, Chen Qingdu didn't rush to give an answer. He smiled and said, "Why only ask this today? You, Wei Jin, are quite clever. Having you live in that small thatched hut at the back should have made it clear to you that this is my tacit approval. First Cao Ci, then Chen Ping'an, plus you—not everyone can be neighbors with Chen Qingdu."
Wei Jin gazed into the southern battlefield and said softly, "As the only Sword Immortal from Precious Bottle Continent, I hope to come to the Sword Qi Great Wall without selfish desires and leave it with dignity. That's one thing. Secondly, I hope to earn your guidance through my sword strokes. When Senior A Liang guided me back then, I don't want our next reunion to make him feel he helped a waste—a waste who didn't amount to anything, reduced to a Sword Immortal idly resting on his laurels."
Wei Jin left some things unsaid. When Senior A Liang had drunk with him, he'd joked that lovelorn fools in this world rarely ended up with their beloved. Since the Old Man in the Moon's red thread was now so tangled, and you couldn't force a girl onto the bridal sedan, the next best thing was to make yourself more impressive. Let the girl you missed, because of that early brush-past, feel a small regret in her heart in the years to come. Maybe when she argued with her husband, she'd say, "That so-and-so from earlier was also my admirer."
Chen Qingdu appreciated Wei Jin's openness, so he smiled and said, "From now on, every so often, once you've accumulated enough small battle merits, I'll teach you a sword technique. The rank won't be low—it's the fundamental path of an old friend of mine from my early years."
Wei Jin cupped his fists in salute but said nothing. In Wei Jin's view, a sword cultivator's temperament and unspoken thoughts were all in the sword stroke.
Chen Qingdu shook his head. "Not quite getting it."
The old man rubbed his chin, clicking his tongue. "First there was A Liang wearing out my ears for a hundred years. Once he left, the Second Manager took over. Truly, it's hard to go from luxury to frugality."
Wei Jin said helplessly, "This junior can't learn that."
The old man laughed. "No need to learn. Besides, you couldn't even if you tried."
Wei Jin asked, "Will Senior A Liang return to the Sword Qi Great Wall?"
Chen Qingdu countered, "Have you ever thought about why A Liang taught you the method for seclusion and breaking through barriers?"
Wei Jin replied, "I've thought about it, but I haven't figured it out."
"A Liang didn't meet you by chance. He sought you out deliberately and taught you swordsmanship. He wasn't scheming against you, nor did he think you'd definitely come to the Sword Qi Great Wall. He certainly didn't think your achievements would be low and casually give you alms so that you, a future culmination of a continent's sword qi, would be grateful to him. Instead, he sincerely hoped that you, Wei Jin, would one day stand shoulder to shoulder with him. It's the same for everyone walking the same path behind him—A Liang treats them all equally."
Chen Qingdu said, "That answer is the founding principle of the sword technique I'll teach you: a sword cultivator needs to stand with the weak and duel with the strong. Those who see others as ants are themselves ants. Back in the old days, on this earth, who wasn't an ant underfoot?"
Wei Jin seemed to grasp something.
The old man clasped his hands behind his back, glanced at the sky, then withdrew his gaze to look south across the land.
Swordsmen, swordsmen—heavenly sword techniques, visiting the earth as guests.
When a sword cultivator, clearly a Sword Immortal, willingly and genuinely regards himself as a swordsman, that becomes interesting.
In Chen Qingdu's view, Wei Jin was missing that little something. Even though this young Sword Immortal had always been in the martial world, he never truly felt he belonged to it. He was a passerby in the entire human world, destined to eventually ascend the mountain and become an immortal, taking his sword with him, and doing his utmost to sever all ties with the mundane world, dreading the tangled karma it brought.
But.
Chen Qingdu looked into the distance, recalling a painting from his youth.
A sword cultivator climbs high, duels with heaven. The higher the realm, the more connections with the human world he has. Step by step, very slowly, relying on those complex threads of human connection, it's as if he's dragging the entire world upward with him.
This was the earliest sword cultivator. This was true purity of sword heart.
With great perseverance and great vows, bearing great burdens and enduring great tribulations, they were determined to lift the entire human world to a higher place.
Whether it's sword cultivators now or other Qi refiners, who doesn't want to purify the heart and reduce desires, sever the mortal world, and become a mountain immortal untouched by any dust?
Even if the vast majority of cultivators in the world follow this mindset, there's still no problem. But if everyone becomes like this, then there's a big problem.
Chen Qingdu clasped his hands behind his back, tapping his palm lightly with his fingers, and muttered to himself, "There can be more of the former and slightly fewer of the latter, but both types must exist—neither can be lacking."
On the southern battlefield.
That Jade Purity realm Sword Immortal death-seeker exchanged one sword strike with Ning Yao, sustaining minor injuries. He still didn't linger, immediately escaping far away using a bizarre secret technique. On the battlefield, at certain pools of blood, a series of extremely subtle ripples appeared, clearly the soul traces of that demon Sword Immortal death-seeker. Moreover, his escape path wasn't straight; it seemed to employ some kind of formation.
Ning Yao's second sword actually missed entirely. Not only that, but sixty yards behind Ning Yao, in a depression of blood, ripples gently formed. For a sword cultivator, this distance was practically within arm's reach. That Sword Immortal death-seeker intended a desperate strike. Ning Yao was even more ruthless, determined to trade injury for life. She could have dodged in time, but she deliberately slowed for an instant, giving the demon Sword Immortal an opportunity.
But that death-seeker also abandoned the opportunity, completely giving up the assassination attempt and choosing to leave the battlefield.
The golden dharma robe Ning Yao wore, according to the records in the Azi Tent's booklet, was unquestionably of immortal soldier rank. For an assassin of his caliber specializing in a single decisive strike, it was extremely counterproductive.
Unable to locate the enemy's trace, Ning Yao looked around. The nearby battlefield also showed no sign of him, so she let it go.
But she had already memorized that Sword Immortal death-seeker's escape route, silently deducing it in her mind.
If there was another chance to fight, Ning Yao's sword strikes would be more measured.
What truly irritated Ning Yao was that the Nascent Soul sword cultivator targeting Chen Ping'an had also failed with one strike and decisively retreated. The demon army served as a natural barrier. When Ning Yao delivered her third sword, that Nascent Soul sword cultivator barely dodged it. With both hands forming sword seals, the sword cultivator directly transformed into a thousand streaks of sword light, scattering and flying away at extreme speed. Ning Yao raised her hand, and the thousands of broken weapons abandoned on the ground rose like flying swords, each one chasing after those streaks of light.
The battlefield sky seemed to rain a torrent of tiny flying swords.
At the same time, Ning Yao swept sideways for over ten yards, circling around Chen Ping'an in the distance, and slashed forward with one sword.
But that Nascent Soul sword cultivator's flying sword, which had earlier ambushed Chen Ping'an, had only "failed" in the sense that it hadn't killed him. Trapped in a great formation, with a Nascent Soul sword cultivator suddenly striking, Chen Ping'an had nowhere to hide. All he could do was avoid a fatal wound. His entire shoulder was pierced by the flying sword, and most of it was blown apart. A sword cultivator's flying sword inflicts injury not just through sharpness, but through lingering sword qi. Using the victim's personal microcosm as a battlefield, the dense, intricate sword qi and strands of sword intent are like countless dragons crossing a river. The sword qi, like a burst dam, clashes against acupoints and energy palaces.
Being injured by a sword cultivator's flying sword makes recovery the hardest—this is a known fact. Sword cultivators are deservedly the top of the "four troublesome ghosts" among mountain cultivators.
On the battlefield, Fan Dache could no longer see Chen Ping'an's figure.
The vast demon army swarmed in from all directions, covering the sky and the earth, clearly intending to encircle and kill that young man together.
First, a demon cultivator recognized the young Hidden Official's face. After revealing his identity, the army's retreat was instinctive self-preservation.
Both because the young Hidden Official, in his one-on-one duel with Togetsu Mountain's secluded disciple Li Zhen, not only won but beat Li Zhen—the foremost genius of the Barbaric Wild World—until his soul scattered. This feat had already spread throughout the demon army, and this news would inevitably spread slowly southward, becoming a hot topic in the wild mountains, grand cities, and small alleys of the entire Barbaric Wild World. Year after year, like wild grass, it would sprout and wither everywhere. Even a hundred years later, there might be those with good memories who would still discuss it with relish over tea and meals.
Even more because the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall had for so many years been completely synonymous with that "little girl" with pigtails named Xiao Xun.
After the demon army remembered that this Hidden Official was not that Hidden Official, and since Chen Ping'an was alone and too deep in enemy territory, and Ning Yao seemed to have no intention of reinforcing the new Hidden Official, demon cultivators who had lost close friends to that young martial artist harbored death wishes, wanting revenge, willing to trade their lives for the young man's injury. Others thought that since he was just one man while their army was thickly arrayed, they could sneakily cast a spell or hurl a lifebond object in safety. And still others, golden core demons and sword cultivator death-seekers with various schemes, struck with extreme precision and ruthlessness, not hoping for a one-hit kill, just aiming to slowly cut away flesh.
Battlefield slaughter has a tremendous infectious power. Individuals caught up in it often follow the tide—rout, mutiny, fight to the death, or die generously—it's all the same.
Finally, add the wound inflicted by that Nascent Soul sword cultivator's flying sword on the young Hidden Official.
Dangers lurked everywhere, covering the sky and the earth.
In the distance, Fan Dache murmured, "He shouldn't have opened the formation like this—it's too dangerous. On a battlefield like this, unexpected things happen everywhere. After all, it's not a martial arts duel."
If not for Ning Yao backing him up, the Second Manager fighting like this would be courting certain death.
Ning Yao said, "Precisely because I'm here, he fights like this. That's the order of things. The reasoning has to be understood this way."
Ning Yao also knew why Fan Dache was so unsettled—ultimately, he was worried about Chen Ping'an's safety.
Ning Yao didn't elaborate. Fan Dache wasn't a pure martial artist. The path of a sword cultivator and the gradual ascent of a pure martial artist dueling at the highest level might seem to converge, but they are fundamentally different.
This was true martial arts combat. Fighting and competing with others is only the minor path of martial arts. Using one's own strength, with just a pair of fists, to contend with heaven and earth—that is the grand scenery of the way.
At the center of that encirclement in the distance, it had almost turned into a slowly moving small hill.
During a break between sword strokes, Fan Dache couldn't help asking, "If this continues, will he really be okay?"
Ning Yao said, "The other side will be the one in trouble."
Fan Dache had nothing to say to that.
He could only continue to wield his sword at the edge of the battlefield, doing his best to share some of Chen Ping'an's burden.
It probably didn't mean much, but he had to do something.
In dealing with the world, when your strength falls short, at least try to find peace of mind—that's a good habit.
Ning Yao piloted that sword immortal, freely traversing the battlefield. A golden line, in the midst of the demon army, coalesced and lingered, unbroken. There were both long, straight lines crisscrossing and twisted golden trails stretching thousands of yards. Wherever it went, limbs and broken bodies were severed by the golden sword. The golden light itself was like a natural talisman formation, heavily imbued with sword intent, plus sword qi overflowing all around, causing the demon army immense suffering. Quite a few Middle Five Realm cultivators simply lay flat on the ground to avoid those golden lines, which were increasingly converging at higher positions.
Many Dragon Gate and Golden Core demon cultivators had already quickly left this suspended golden sword formation.
Ning Yao glanced at the golden lines on the battlefield. Once enough sword qi had gathered, she formed a hand seal with two fingers and lightly drew it downward.
It was like a heavy rain suspended in midair, a vast pond barely above the ground, then suddenly crashing down to earth.
On that part of the battlefield, the ground trembled, and the fist aura rumbled like thunder.
Demons nearby were blasted and scattered. That small hill formed by the demon army seemed to shatter from the inside.
Fan Dache breathed a sigh of relief, finally catching sight of Chen Ping'an's figure. He looked ragged—tattered clothes, bloody and battered. The fist intent was so thick it was almost visible, flowing over Chen Ping'an's entire body like a god's protection.
This must be the most worthy pure martial artist Golden Body realm in the world.
Fan Dache, though a sword cultivator dreaming of becoming a Sword Immortal, had to admit after witnessing this scene that a martial artist charging into a formation with an unbreakable golden body was simply ferocious.
Chen Ping'an was hit in the back by a dazzling spell. He stumbled one step but used the momentum to surge forward, straight ahead for over ten yards, clearing the way with his fists.
A military demon cultivator struck his waist with a large halberd, sending him flying sideways for dozens of yards. A dozen spells and techniques, along with several lifebond object attack weapons, followed him like shadows.
In the blink of an eye, as soon as Chen Ping'an landed, another small hill formed on the battlefield, and he was lost from sight again.
Fan Dache had one good quality: he didn't do unnecessary things.
But Fan Dache's heart grew more and more fearful. Were those demon cultivators insane? Did they care so little for their own lives?
Ning Yao still left the front line to the heavily wounded Chen Ping'an to handle alone. At most, she helped by wielding her sword, engaging the flanks of the battlefield, using that sword immortal to shave off some of the demon army's horizontal thickness.
That sword immortal, as an immortal soldier, already had a hint of spiritual awareness, like a babbling child beginning to understand. It was clearly having a grand time now.
When wielded by Chen Ping'an before, it had indeed been somewhat stifled. Being summoned and dismissed by a master who wasn't even a sword cultivator was one thing, but every time in battle or life-or-death combat, the sword immortal had never performed to its full satisfaction.
Though Ning Yao appeared calm and composed, her sword heart tranquil, and her strikes always precise, it didn't mean she wasn't at all worried about Chen Ping'an's situation.
On the battlefield, how great was the merit of killing the Sword Qi Great Wall's Hidden Official?
Among the sixty demon tents, there was great controversy on this matter, roughly divided into three views.
A group led by the Gengyin Tent argued that killing Hidden Official Chen Ping'an should be considered equivalent to killing a Jade Purity realm Sword Immortal. Their reasoning: although Chen Ping'an, as the new Hidden Official, held high authority on the Sword Qi Great Wall, and his command of the Hidden Official lineage's troop deployments had caused great losses to the Barbaric Wild World—this was indisputable—still, Chen Ping'an was not a sword cultivator. Moreover, his realm was not particularly high. Although he could kill Li Zhen with his fists in a duel, in reality he probably didn't have the combat power of a Nascent Soul peak sword cultivator. Adding his position as Upper Hidden Official, treating him as equivalent to a Jade Purity realm Sword Immortal was most reasonable.
Another large group, led by the Dingmao Tent, with the endorsement of two Throne-level great demons Yang Zhi and Huang Luan, believed that regarding both the tangible threat he posed and his symbolic meaning to the Sword Qi Great Wall, killing Chen Ping'an should grant merit equal to that of an Immortal realm sword cultivator, treating him as a Great Sword Immortal—this was not excessive.
Outside of these, the lonely Jiashen Tent proposed an even more astonishing view: as long as Chen Ping'an was killed, the merit should be at least between that of killing Dong San'geng, Chen Xi, Qi Tingji, Lu Zhi, old Deaf, and Nalan Shaowei—these two groups of Sword Immortals. It wouldn't be unacceptable even if the merit equated to a Flying Ascension realm sword cultivator!
The debate was endless. The Jiazi Tent specially compiled all opinions and finally decided: the merit would be assessed as killing a Great Sword Immortal, but between Nalan Shaowei and Yue Qing, not simply treated as an ordinary Great Sword Immortal.
Fan Dache's heart shuddered.
In the distant battlefield, Chen Ping'an, who was responsible for opening the formation and advancing, was for the first time sent flying toward Fan Dache's direction by a demon cultivator using double fists.
Chen Ping'an twisted his body in midair, dodging some critical spells and dharma artifacts, and withstood the rest of the attacks. He landed lightly, sliding back five or six steps. He stomped heavily, then with even greater speed returned to the battlefield, directly seeking out that demon cultivator who also followed the path of a pure martial artist. The latter was not only the leader of a demon army but also a Daoist cultivator, and additionally a Far Wandering realm cultivator. After taking human form, he was burly, with bulging muscles and an imposing manner, unarmed.
On one line, two pure martial artists charged toward each other. Fist met fist. The fist aura shook violently. The surrounding demon army was knocked back by the surging, vast fist intent.
The Far Wandering realm demon and Chen Ping'an each took a punch, and neither retreated a step. They exchanged another punch. Each took a hit to the face, and their heads both snapped back.
On the battlefield, sounds like dull drumbeats echoed.
The Far Wandering demon let out a roar, signaling the nearby Golden Core and Dragon Gate cultivators to ignore his life and just throw all their dharma artifacts and spells at him.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Ping'an swapped hands and delivered sixteen punches in succession.
Since the opponent refused to move from his spot, Chen Ping'an was even less inclined to step back. Regardless of their identities or factions, when two martial artists exchange blows, there is no more exhilarating method than trading punches in place.
Straightforward and aboveboard—as long as his fist technique was superior and his punches heavy enough, the opponent would obediently fall, as if paying homage to a higher fist in the path of fist techniques.
---
Among the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage, Deng Liang was the most steady in temperament. Having started as a wild sword cultivator and later taken in by a sect to become a registered immortal master, he knew best the mud of the mortal world and had also been steeped in the ethereal immortal aura of mountain caves. Naturally, his temperament wasn't easily agitated.
Almost everyone's equanimity was ground out bit by bit.
But Deng Liang today, for some reason, suddenly knocked over his desk.
Then Deng Liang instantly calmed down, said "Sorry," sat blankly for a moment, then got up and silently set the desk back.
Sword Immortal Chou Miao gently shook his head, signaling everyone not to say anything.
With Chou Miao expressing himself this way, the other sword cultivators could only turn a blind eye. Even Xuan Shen, Cao Gun, and other sword cultivators who, like Deng Liang, were outsiders, remained silent.
Dong Bude glared at Guo Zhujiu, who was frantically signaling her.
What was that supposed to be? Deng Liang liking her, Dong Bude, didn't mean she had to like him back.
Deng Liang looked gloomy, took out a wine flask, and drank silently.
During the earlier process of the Barbaric Wild World dueling with the Sword Qi Great Wall, three young geniuses of the Sword Qi Great Wall had their lifebound flying swords destroyed.
Three sword immortal seedlings, outstanding even by Sword Qi Great Wall standards, had their great way entirely cut off, with no chance of recovery.
Then in this melee, four more were assassinated by demon death-seeker sword cultivators. As for young sword cultivators not on the lists, there were even more.
This was even after two more stationed Sword Immortals and over forty Earth Immortal sword cultivators temporarily descended from the wall to support and lie in ambush.
The spiritual qi of the Sword Qi Great Wall was plummeting rapidly.
The daily resource consumption was a colossal expenditure that no sect in Haoran World could imagine. Converted into immortal money, it would shake the Dao heart of anyone overseeing finances, even with just a glance at the numbers.
The exchange of heaven and earth between the two sides had been subtly accelerated by the Barbaric Wild World.
According to the heavenly secrets leaked by that Hidden Official, the three holy men of the Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist schools had not been easy with each previous intervention. After they jointly forged that golden river cutting across the battlefield, it felt more like a resolute choice—there was no turning back, or perhaps there was a path but they chose not to take it anymore.
The great tide surged relentlessly. No matter how the Hidden Official lineage racked their brains, no matter how the sword cultivators on the city wall forgot life and death and poured out their sword strokes to kill the enemy, delaying the tide for a moment seemed ultimately unable to change its course.
Deng Liang had come from a wild cultivator background. He could accept failure, but he had never felt so stifled, aggrieved, and indignant. In the end, it turned into a kind of dejection, so he could only drown his sorrows in wine.
The more he was in the Summer Palace, able to access first-hand intelligence and view the overall situation, the more thoroughly he analyzed each battle and the gains and losses on both sides. The more he understood the war's trajectory, the more powerless he felt.
Lin Junbi was busy with his tasks.
Chou Miao glanced at Lin Junbi. The young Sword Immortal gave an almost imperceptible nod. Lin Junbi, this darling of heaven from Central Earth Divine Continent, would likely have a relatively high great way.
Lin Junbi didn't know that he was rated so highly in Chou Miao's mind.
After arriving at the Sword Qi Great Wall, the first thing Lin Junbi learned was to lower his posture.
In fact, though Lin Junbi gave the impression of being resourceful, quick-witted, and intelligent—all exceptionally outstanding—he still seemed less trustworthy than Chou Miao. It was like a piece of rough jade, exquisitely carved and polished. But precisely because of that—though this was comparing Lin Junbi to Chou Miao—the other sword cultivators in the main hall of the Summer Palace acknowledged that Lin Junbi's third seat was secure.
Chou Miao and Lin Junbi were complete opposites—unpolished and reserved.
This young Sword Immortal, carrying a large basket of legendary deeds, had become a sword cultivator of the Hidden Official lineage but not the new Hidden Official, slightly lower in status. He had never said a single word that elicited applause, nor done a single thing that shocked the world.
But he could command respect and inspire trust.
Among the Hidden Official lineage, everyone must have thought: if something unfortunate befell that young Hidden Official, who would become the next Hidden Official? It would inevitably be Chou Miao, not Lin Junbi.
Lin Junbi didn't have many complaints about this. When you're inferior in skill, you have to accept it. Lin Junbi was never afraid to deal with experts. He learned everything quickly. As long as it wasn't a life-or-death situation, after a sparring match, his chess skills improved, all going into his own coffers.
Lin Junbi clearly understood that Sword Immortal Chou Miao could command respect not simply because of his high realm.
There were many things about Chou Miao worth pondering and learning.
For instance, no one would ever think that Sword Immortal Chou Miao was the kind of brilliant, infallibly calculating genius.
That impression would never arise from anyone's first encounter.
If Chou Miao was a sword technique master with a gentle temperament and no sharp edges.
The impression that young Hidden Official gave was of low realm but high combat prowess, deep scheming and heavy scheming, yet surprisingly a good person.
Add to that the varied strengths of the sword cultivators in the Hidden Official lineage, and Lin Junbi gained immensely from every day of training here. So why would he leave? Even if Chen Ping'an drove him away now, Lin Junbi might not go.
Lin Junbi glanced at the empty main seat and shook his head lightly. Not leaving was one thing, but he absolutely didn't want to be that Hidden Official.
---
Chen Sanqiu assessed the situation near the battlefield, thought for a moment, then called out to Dong Huafu. Together, they flew on their swords toward Chen Ping'an's area. At the same time, he told Fatty Dong and Diezhang to put in more effort; once they caught their breath, they would immediately return to reinforce.
The two flew their swords to a new battlefield, forming a pincer position with Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao.
Dong Huafu crouched on his long sword and began to sum up: "Compared to Sister Ning's opening of the formation, it's a bit slower."
Dong Huafu thought for a moment, recalled the Second Manager's lifebound ability was keeping accounts, and added belatedly, "But A Liang said a man shouldn't be too fast."
Chen Sanqiu burst out laughing.
Unexpectedly, the Second Manager, just then punched by a military demon cultivator wearing Golden Crow armor, seemed to break through the formation, punching through the thinned army formation that Chen Sanqiu had slashed open. He tumbled to the ground not far from Chen Sanqiu, rolled, stood up, shattered a lifebond object clinging to him like a stubborn disease, shifted his fist stance, forced a mouthful of pure qi to steady himself. As wounds split open, blood flowed.
The dharma robes borrowed from the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage were almost all used up. The last one he wore was already in tatters, leaving his upper body nearly bare, covered in wounds, with white bones exposed everywhere. Chen Ping'an put on the final Ning Manor green dharma robe, turned to look at Dong Heitan.
Chen Ping'an smiled.
Ning Yao, in the distance, also smiled.
Dong Huafu responded with a silly grin.
Chen Ping'an leaned back, barely dodging a sinister sword light striking from behind. Just before falling, he slapped the ground with one hand, flipped his body, stepped forward, and for the first time used a teleportation talisman. In an instant, he appeared beside a demon sword cultivator who had struck stealthily many times. He swept his arm, sending the head flying, then ducked low, using the headless body as a shield, and charged sideways.
A demon cultivator with a wooden expression, in the form of a middle-aged man, picked up a broken sword from somewhere on the ground—low rank, barely looking like a sword. He took one step and appeared beside Chen Ping'an, slashing down without dazzling sword light or fierce sword intent, silent like the wielder. But Chen Ping'an didn't even have time to use his Teleportation Talisman. He mobilized his full fist intent to barely catch the blade with both hands, yet was still struck into the ground by the sword.
The man didn't intend to forcefully split the opponent's hands and shoulders. He casually withdrew the ordinary sword and slashed at Chen Ping'an's neck.
Chen Ping'an directly blocked his chest with his left fist. The man was slightly surprised—his stroke was indeed changing trajectory to destroy the opponent's heart. At the critical moment of shifting the sword, the man took a step, his form ethereal like a flying sword turning illusory, directly appearing behind Chen Ping'an. The sword tip twisted casually, thrusting backward, hitting Chen Ping'an's spine. Almost simultaneously, Chen Ping'an adjusted his fist stance to arching like a great dragon. The sword tip was momentarily blocked. Using the force of the sword strike, he should have surged forward more quickly, but instead he sidestepped a few paces. Sure enough, a "second" sword-wielding man appeared directly in front of his original position, slashing straight down.
The man smiled faintly, increased his grip, and lightly tightened his hold on the sword.
On the battlefield, nearly a hundred sword cultivators appeared instantly, encircling Chen Ping'an. They all held swords, none with lifebound flying swords, their blades pointed at Chen Ping'an in various attack poses.
Not only that, outside the circular sword formation, at six different positions, a man stood with a sword, as if waiting for Chen Ping'an to use his Teleportation Talisman.
Beyond these, before Ning Yao, Fan Dache, Chen Sanqiu, and Dong Huafu, another huge circular sword formation of sword-wielding men appeared.
One man dueling Chen Ping'an, Ning Yao, the two young geniuses Chen Sanqiu and Dong Huafu listed in the Jiazi Tent's booklet, plus a Golden Core sword cultivator not on the list.
This man's true target for sword duel was both Chen Ping'an and Fan Dache.
As for the outcome, he had already given the choice to all the young sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall. He didn't really care about the result.
A sword cultivator draws his sword—the most important thing is that he is correct with himself. Battle merits are secondary.
Each sword-wielding figure was both real and false, sharing combat power, so he needed precise calculation.
The sword-wielding man seemed somewhat helpless. At a certain place, his already elusive form shattered with a bang.
The other sword-wielding figures were each targeted by at least two or three flying swords, up to five or six.
And that young Hidden Official remained unmoved.
The vanished man, who had also covered his face and hidden his aura, took one last look at Chen Ping'an, smiled knowingly, and left a sentence in pure Haoran World elegant speech: "Fellow traveler."
This strange sword cultivator, who had appeared and vanished mysteriously, disappeared to somewhere unknown.
Chen Ping'an withdrew all his flying swords, merging them into one: "Well Bottom Moon." This flying sword's lifebound ability was Moon Shining in the Deep Well. As long as the heart lake stirred, each time the sword was drawn and sheathed, it was like a full moon breaking and reforming—all in the sword cultivator's single thought.
After painstakingly nurturing two lifebound flying swords, he had to reveal this "Well Bottom Moon" ahead of time.
Chen Ping'an cursed in his heart: damned fellow traveler.