Song Changsheng was truly stunned. His head felt fuzzy, as if he were listening to some fantastical tale. The Sword Sect's lifeblood had been stolen? And right under their noses?
Was this supposed to be a joke?
Don't be fooled by how the Sword Sect displayed the Sword Stele in full view, where anyone could approach.
In reality, countless powerful formations and watchful eyes guarded it from the shadows.
Given the Sword Sect's strength, even an early-stage Golden Core cultivator wouldn't dare to infiltrate alone.
What's more, he hadn't heard any sounds of battle last night. Could the thief have made the stele vanish into thin air?
Song Changsheng's voice was grave. "Fellow Daoist Pi, this isn't something to joke about."
"Tch, it's not my story to make up. The news came straight from the City Lord's Mansion. They've locked down the city to catch the thief. Before this is resolved, leaving the city won't be so easy."
Lowering his voice and waggling his brows, Pi Xiu went on, "According to rumors, the stele was perfectly fine last night. But this morning, when the Sword Stele Forest reopened, it had somehow been swapped for an ordinary stone.
The Sword Sect's sect master was furious. He swore to find the culprit and destroy their soul."
Song Changsheng still found it surreal. The stele had stood there all this time, and now they just said it was gone?
Could the Sword Sect have stolen it themselves?
If you wanted to be more conspiratorial, maybe this was an entire play staged by the Sword Sect.
Either way, the city was now sealed, with no telling when it would reopen. That thought made Song Changsheng uneasy.
Pi Xiu, on the other hand, was unfazed. He'd never had a fixed home, his travels spanning several nations. This was his first time in the Great Qi cultivation world, and staying longer in Ten Thousand Sword City didn't bother him. He welcomed the chance to watch a spectacle unfold.
Just then, a figure stepped forward. His frame was broad and imposing, and the thick waves of mana surging from him made the crowd instinctively shrink back.
"That's Lord Li Tianzhao, who would've thought he'd be in Ten Thousand Sword City?" someone whispered, recognizing him immediately.
He was none other than one of the Great Qi cultivation world's most renowned rogue cultivators, a mid-stage Purple Mansion powerhouse. Rumor had it his swordsmanship rivaled that of the Sword Sect's own First Peak Master.
Li Tianzhao fixed his gaze on the old man sitting cross-legged by the city gate. His tone was deep and cutting:
"Sword Sect, aren't you being far too overbearing? You couldn't guard the Sword Stele yourselves, and now you're restricting the freedom of countless fellow cultivators. What is your true intention?"
The old man's drooping eyelids made him look half in the grave already. Upon hearing the accusation, he slowly opened his eyes. A flash of sword light glinted and vanished as he spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Our sect has no intention of restricting anyone's freedom. But the Sword Stele is the foundation of our sect; its sudden theft leaves us no choice. We hope everyone can understand. Once the thief is caught, I will personally open the gates and see you off."
"Hmph. The theft of the Sword Stele is your incompetence. What does it have to do with me?" Tianzhao's brows were knit tight, his rolling mana almost bursting free.
The crowd erupted in astonishment. No one had expected Li Tianzhao to give the Sword Sect no face at all. Wasn't this a direct slap to them?
"Looks like the rumors were true," Pi Xiu said, folding his arms with a smirk. "Li Tianzhao's never gotten along with the Sword Sect. This is going to be good."
Song Changsheng wasn't particularly interested in the grudges between the two sides. What caught his attention instead was that plump, round creature that looked suspiciously like a giant panda.
He'd once read in an ancient text about a rare beast called the Zhiyi, whose description bore about fifty percent resemblance to the adorable giant panda of a certain great nation back on Blue Star.
At the time, he thought it was a mere coincidence. But now that he'd seen A'Bao in person, He realized that it wasn't just a coincidence at all. They were practically identical.
Still, there were differences. On Blue Star, giant pandas had long since fallen to the role of making a living off their cuteness, but here in this world, the Zhiyi was a genuine ferocious beast.
From what he knew, the Zhiyi thrived in the ancient era, relying on its powerful bloodline to roam the lands unchallenged. At its peak, it could even contend with a true dragon.
Now, countless years later, true dragons had vanished from the world, and the Zhiyi, their contemporary, had nearly gone extinct as well. The one before him might not be pure-blooded, but it was certainly not something just anyone could possess.
Song Changsheng cast the man holding it a meaningful glance. This fellow's background was not simple.
At that moment, the elder seated cross-legged at the city gate spoke in a deep voice:
"The Sword Stele is not only a treasure of my Heavenly Sword Sect, but also a shared gem for all sword cultivators under the heavens. Now that it has been stolen by a villain, it is a loss for all fellow practitioners.
Daoist Li, you are also a sword cultivator. I ask for your understanding."
The cultivators of the Heavenly Sword Sect were known for their unyielding and irascible temperament. With Li Tianzhao openly slapping them in the face like this, everyone thought they were about to witness a grand duel between Purple Mansion cultivators. Unexpectedly, the sect's seat-holder turned out to be so… reasonable.
Unfortunately, Li Tianzhao wasn't buying it. He stepped forward, his voice icy:
"And if I must leave the city?"
The elder gave him a cool glance and replied evenly:
"You may as long as you submit to a search and prove you have not stolen the Sword Stele. Then you may naturally go."
Hearing this, Li Tianzhao's expression darkened. The man's meaning was obvious; he intended to search his storage bag.
But every cultivator had their secrets. Even if he truly hadn't stolen the Sword Stele, how could he possibly allow others to peer into his possessions?
Still, for reasons of his own, he had to leave the city today.
"Ridiculous!
You dare try to bar me?" Li Tianzhao roared, transforming into a streak of light as he shot straight toward the city's outskirts, clearly intending to force his way out.
The elder's eyes suddenly flared with dazzling light. Rising to his feet, he became a beam of sword-light and gave chase.
All eyes turned skyward, anticipation flickering in their hearts. Would the roaming swordmaster who had dominated the Great Qi cultivation world for decades prevail, or would the Heavenly Sword Sect's seat-holder prove stronger?
Clang!
A high, ringing sword cry split the air.
They were too fast and too high. Song Changsheng could only make out a brilliant flash of light slicing across the sky, as though the blue heavens themselves had been split apart.
Fierce sword-qi raged in the air, the battle stretching on for more than half an hour before finally subsiding.
"Look! Something's falling!" someone suddenly cried, pointing upward.
Song Changsheng followed their gaze. Indeed, a black speck was plummeting at great speed. On closer look, that wasn't a speck at all, but a person.
Boom!
Dust flew everywhere as a massive crater appeared before the city gate. When the crowd drew closer, who else could it be but Li Tianzhao?
Now, his body was covered in blood, not a single patch of unbroken skin left. He looked utterly miserable.
For a moment, it seemed the entire square forgot to breathe, the air filled with the sound of collective gasps.
The elder descended slowly, sword in hand, sweeping the onlookers with a cold glance that sent chills down their spines.
At this moment, silence spoke louder than any words.
The cultivators who had been loudly demanding to leave the city just moments ago now fell completely quiet, none daring to stir up trouble again.
What a domineering Heavenly Sword Sect… Looks like we won't be leaving anytime soon, Song Changsheng thought grimly.
He had no shortage of secrets, and if anyone developed covetous thoughts toward them, it would be nothing but trouble.
Of course, not everyone had that many secrets. Quite a few cultivators chose to give in, allowing themselves to be inspected by the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect before leaving the city, and before long, a long line had formed.
Among the crowd shuffled along two cultivators, one old and one plump, keeping pace with the others.
As their turn drew near, the chubby youth swallowed nervously and said to the shabby-looking old man beside him, "Old man, are you sure this is going to work?"
The old man's brows were full of confidence as he transmitted his voice, "Relax. The Devouring Spirit Body contains a world within its belly. Anything you've swallowed will be completely cut off from the outside world. Unless they slice open your stomach, there's no way it'll be exposed."
Looking at the fierce-looking Heavenly Sword Sect disciples one after another, the chubby youth felt his legs go weak. His voice carried a hint of a sob as he said, "Why don't we just give it back? It's useless to us anyway."
When he first left the mountain, he'd never been afraid.
When he encountered a blood demon while exploring ruins, he wasn't afraid.
When he went alone to the frontier province in search of the old man, he hadn't been afraid.
But this time… he was truly frightened. This was the Heavenly Sword Sect's lifeblood they were talking about. If they were exposed, how could he ever survive in the Great Qi cultivation world?
The old man cast him a look full of disdain. "Handing it back now would be like walking into the tiger's jaws. Look at you, one little Heavenly Sword Sect, and you're scared witless. When you roam the world in the future, don't you dare say you're my disciple."
"If you're not afraid, why'd you have to drag me into this?" the chubby youth said indignantly.
"Enough, shut your mouth. It's our turn next."
The chubby youth immediately shrank his neck. As the saying goes, a guilty conscience needs no accuser. He didn't have the old man's acting skills, darting his eyes around like a panicked mouse…
"Huh? I think I just saw Brother Pig… was that my imagination?"
Just as he was about to leave, Song Changsheng caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of his eye that looked suspiciously like someone familiar.
He quickly turned to look in that direction, but the person had already been inspected and gone out of the city gates, moving in quite a hurry.
"Probably just my imagination. No way he'd come here."
Song Changsheng chuckled to himself and clasped his hands toward Pi Xiu. "Fellow Daoist Pi, I take my leave."
"Hey, Brother Song, fate has brought us together. I can tell we're the same kind of people. Why don't we go share a drink?" Pi Xiu stepped forward to block his path, though his eyes kept sneaking glances at the golden gourd hanging at Song Changsheng's waist, full of longing.
Song immediately understood, so this guy had caught a whiff of it.
This fellow was interesting, and Song had been inclined to make his acquaintance anyway. Seeing Pi Xiu's expression, he decided to go with the flow and agreed.
He sent the Redfire Old Ghost to take Song Qingxing and the others back to their previous inn to extend their stay, then accompanied Pi Xiu to a tavern, where they began drinking and chatting.
After a round of conversation, the two had learned a fair bit about each other.
Pi Xiu was a rogue cultivator skilled in beast-taming, fond of roaming far and wide, and making friends.
Even more rare, he was also an appraiser just like Sun Chuanming, making the two like-minded. After a few cups of wine, any lingering unfamiliarity vanished, and they gradually grew close.
After three rounds of drinks and five dishes, Pi Xiu wore a roguish grin, rubbing his hands as he looked at Song Changsheng. "Brother Song, now that we're such good friends, about that fine wine in your gourd…"
Beside him, the adorable A'Bao was also staring at Song with a pair of gemstone-like black eyes, its chubby paws rubbing together just like its master.
The master's a wine-lover to the bone, and even his spirit beast's a drunkard.
Looking at the man and beast acting in unison, Song couldn't help but laugh.
He took the gourd from his waist and poured each of them a cup.
Pi Xiu's nose twitched constantly at the golden-hued liquid, and his mouth nearly watered. With his experience, he could naturally tell this was no ordinary wine.
Cradling the cup like a precious porcelain treasure, he asked cautiously, "Brother Song, what's this wine called? Just from the scent, I can detect more than a dozen different aromas."
Song smiled faintly. "This wine's ancestor was Monkey Wine, a crude brew I came across by chance. Later, my mother refined it, removing excess impurities and adding over a dozen spiritual herbs. Drinking regularly can enhance cultivation and cleanse the body's meridians."
"So that's how it is. I regret not meeting you sooner. Well then, I won't stand on ceremony." Pi Xiu sipped it in the tiniest mouthfuls, like he was tasting an invaluable relic, pausing now and then to let out words of praise.
A'Bao, by contrast, was far more forthright, downing the whole cup in one gulp before holding it out again, eyes full of expectation.
Song couldn't help but laugh, refilling the "drunkard's" cup.
That night, the host and guests parted in great cheer.
...
Lingzhou, Wangyue Mountain Range, Cangmang Peak.
Song Xianming stood with his hands behind his back in the wind, gazing toward the Ten Thousand Mountains, deep worry flickering in his eyes.
News from Luoxia City had long since reached all the major powers of Lingzhou. They were already aware that an army of Silvermoon Demon Wolves, led by a great demon, was on the march.
The words "Third-Tier Great Demon" weighed heavily on his heart, each syllable like a thousand catties.
Only those who had faced a Purple Mansion cultivator in person could truly understand how powerful someone at that stage was.
Though he had once defeated one, so many years had passed, and every time he thought back to that day, cold sweat still broke out on his forehead.
That victory had been pure luck, impossible to replicate.
Faced with a great demon leading an entire army, could Lingzhou possibly hold out?
Song Xianyun came to stand beside him, offering words of comfort.
"Big Brother, don't worry too much. The major clans of Bianzhou are not weak. Maybe the demon wolf army will be stopped outside Lingzhou."
"How could things go so smoothly, Twenty-First Brother? Why deceive yourself? The Silvermoon Demon Wolves have mobilized their entire race. The great clans of Bianzhou will have trouble even protecting themselves, let alone acting as Lingzhou's shield," Song Xianming said with a quiet sigh.
Song Xianyun could only give a bitter smile.
"Well, when the soldiers come, we'll block them; when the waters rise, we'll cover them with earth."
Just then, an immense surge of spiritual energy was stirred at the peak of Cangmang, gradually forming into a swirling vortex.
"After being in seclusion for so long, someone is finally taking the first step. I wonder who is breaking through," Song Xianyun said, his face lighting up with joy.
"It's that boy Chang'an. His talent may not be the most outstanding, but he advances steadily, step by step, with a solid foundation. His chances of success are high. The Lu clan will have someone to carry on the legacy," Song Xianming said with satisfaction, the shadow over his heart lifting somewhat.
Three hours later, the vortex dissipated, and a burst of fierce sword qi erupted from the mountainside of Cangmang Peak.
Song Xianming immediately let out a hearty laugh.
The Song clan had gained another Foundation Establishment cultivator!
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