Xiao Cong frowned, sizing up the person before him. Clearly a sword cultivator of the Star River Realm, why would he challenge him, an eleventh-realm cultivator, to a duel? Did he genuinely not see his cultivation level?
"Fellow Daoist."
Xiao Cong cupped his fists gently and said, "I am here on my master's orders and have important matters to attend to. Thus, I must respectfully decline your request. Let's forgo this duel, shall we?"
"You dare not?"
The other party chuckled, "Are all Confucian sword cultivators this cowardly?"
"You..."
Xiao Cong gritted his teeth.
Liu Xing Shu frowned, bowed, and said, "I am Liu Xing Shu, a disciple of the Confucian school. May I know your name, friend?"
"Pleasure to meet you, Gu Yan Shu."
A young sword cultivator in a crimson robe cupped his fists and smiled, "I don't have your fortune. You still have a Master, while my Master, my esteemed teacher, passed away twenty years ago. My master was a pitiful soul. He worked for many, but when he died, no one lent him a hand. Truly pitiable."
Upon hearing the name Gu Yan Shu, Liu Xing Shu knew who he was.
Xiao Cong drew his sword directly and frowned, "Gu Yan Shu, is that the legendary Xun Lu Sword you're carrying on your back?"
"I don't know..."
Gu Yan Shu smiled lazily, stroking the rust-covered hilt of his sword. "If you defeat me, this sword is yours. You can do with it as you please. However, if you lose, your sword will be mine. Tell me first, what is your sword called?"
"It seems this cannot be resolved peacefully."
Xiao Cong held his sword horizontally before his chest, his gaze sharp. He chuckled, "My sword is called Hong Chen. A woman who studied with me once gave me this sword when she heard I wanted to practice swordsmanship. It's not of particularly high quality, and after so many years of refinement, it's still not an Immortal Sword. But it doesn't matter. I love her, and she once loved me. Even though she's married with children now, it doesn't matter. It doesn't stop me from being unable to forget her in this lifetime."
"Alright, alright."
Gu Yan Shu scratched his head and laughed, "Save those affections and entanglements of the mortal world for when you become a lonely spirit. I, Gu Yan Shu, don't have the leisure to listen to your ramblings."
"Is that so?"
Xiao Cong raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled, "So confident."
"Of course."
Gu Yan Shu slowly drew his sword. The moment he unsheathed it, wisps of milky white light emerged from the scabbard. As the rust-covered sword was fully drawn, a fleeting beam of ethereal light flashed, causing Xiao Cong's heart to feel a heavy pressure. Despite its rusty appearance, this sword was likely the legendary Xun Lu Sword. The moment Xun Lu Sword was drawn, his Hong Chen began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Shall we begin?"
Gu Yan Shu smiled and asked.
"Yes."
Xiao Cong looked at Liu Xing Shu and said, "Senior Brother, if I die, remember to tell Master that I didn't dedicate my full heart to the path of the sword. I only spent ninety percent of my effort practicing swordsmanship, and the remaining ten percent was spent thinking of her."
Liu Xing Shu's eyes instantly reddened. "Junior Brother, do you think your Master wouldn't know? He knows, and he doesn't blame you. So, just go all out and fight. Kill him if you can. There's no need to let this Gu Yan Shu live."
"Understood!"
Xiao Cong's sword light flashed, and he charged forward. Instantly, the entire forest was filled with surging, fine sword energy. None of the Confucian school's top five realm sword cultivators were mere decorations!
Gu Yan Shu narrowed his eyes and also delivered a sword strike. In the next moment, Xiao Cong spun in the wind, using a wisp of sword intent to neutralize Gu Yan Shu's attack. However, an arterial bloodstain appeared on Gu Yan Shu's arm. Had it not been for his dense protective sword aura, Xiao Cong's strike would have been enough to cripple Gu Yan Shu's arm.
"Excellent, excellent!"
Gu Yan Shu laughed heartily, holding his rust-covered sword. With a sudden flourish of his sleeve, he transformed into a cold glint. Despite being the weaker party, he launched a fierce assault. His two innate flying swords zipped through the air with a "chichichi" sound, clashing with Xiao Cong's innate flying swords. He thrust his sword forward, aiming directly for Xiao Cong's heart.
Xiao Cong's expression turned grim. Gu Yan Shu's fighting style was clearly one of mutually assured destruction. Even if this strike could heavily injure him, he would be cut into seven or eight pieces by Hong Chen. In that instant, Xiao Cong withdrew some of his sword intent, leaving only a bloody gash on Gu Yan Shu's back. Gu Yan Shu, like a wounded cub, turned and lunged again.
After dozens of exchanges, Gu Yan Shu's fierce sword finally drew blood on Xiao Cong's shoulder, trading over ten of his own wounds for one of Xiao Cong's. Gu Yan Shu seemed immensely pleased. His attacks grew more ferocious, and his expression became more savage. He laughed, "What damn Confucian top five realm sword cultivator? In the end, aren't you just prey for my sword!"
Xiao Cong continuously parried, no longer solely defending. Instead, following Liu Xing Shu's advice, he aimed to kill. The Gu Yan Shu before him was far more complex than he appeared. However, as Xiao Cong began to trade minor injuries for the opponent's fatal wounds, he realized something was amiss. A wisp of spiritual energy was being drawn from his wounds, and this extracted spiritual energy was being fed back to Gu Yan Shu by the sword. This was likely the reason Gu Yan Shu dared to exchange blows so recklessly.
The Xun Lu Sword, "Fu Jiao Xun Lu," a sword that kills without form. But since when did this sword possess such a divine ability? Could it be that the young sword cultivator calling himself Gu Yan Shu wasn't wielding the Xun Lu Sword?!
"You hesitated."
Gu Yan Shu suddenly retreated, his sword blade lowered. His eyes were filled with amusement as he looked at Xiao Cong. He laughed, "Once you hesitate, death is not far off. But you have no chance of escape. Your speed cannot match my sword. Your only path is death. As for the useless fellow who came with you, he cannot help you in the slightest."
Xiao Cong was already covered in wounds, his spiritual energy suppressed by the opponent. He frowned, seemingly aware of the outcome, but he still wanted to fight. If he could take Gu Yan Shu down here, perhaps many lives would be saved.
In the next moment, Xiao Cong unleashed a sword light that rapidly attacked Gu Yan Shu. As the opponent blocked, Xiao Cong detonated two of his innate flying swords, shouting, "Senior Brother, hurry and leave!"
Liu Xing Shu was aghast and retreated rapidly.
"There's no need for that!"
Gu Yan Shu laughed heartily, his sword spinning. Clouds and lightning swirled above. Instantly, milky white lightning flashed from the rust-covered sword, crushing Xiao Cong's two flying swords. Simultaneously, he unleashed a sword light, directly reducing the body of Xiao Cong, who was about to detonate his sword heart, into a mist of blood.
"Junior Brother!"
Liu Xing Shu felt goosebumps all over. The mighty eleventh-realm Xiao Cong was killed so easily, without even the chance to detonate his sword heart. Just how terrifying was this Gu Yan Shu?
"Hmph!"
Gu Yan Shu retrieved Xiao Cong's sword, Hong Chen, from the blood pool and slung it over his back. With a mere thought, his sword shimmered with milky white radiance. As Gu Yan Shu took a step forward, he was already an eleventh-realm sword cultivator. He had actually broken through his realm by trading blows, essentially using Xiao Cong's life to replenish his own cultivation.
"Gu Yan Shu!"
Liu Xing Shu clenched his fists, surrounded by the radiant characters of Confucianism. Although he was only in the Nascent Soul realm, he was willing to fight.
"There's no need."
Gu Yan Shu shook his head, his contempt evident. He looked at Liu Xing Shu and smiled, "Liu Xing Shu, you don't even qualify to have your sword taken by me. Rather than die in vain, why not spare your life and collect the corpse of your junior brother?"
He glanced at the scattered remains on the ground and laughed, "Apologies, I was a bit heavy-handed and chopped him into a bloody pulp. This might be a bit troublesome for you."
With that, Gu Yan Shu brushed past Liu Xing Shu.
Liu Xing Shu stood frozen, trembling all over. He wanted to fight desperately, but he couldn't. His Senior Uncle had given him other instructions, and he needed to fulfill them. Tears streamed down Liu Xing Shu's face. This kind of unwillingness and humiliation, perhaps only he in the entire world could understand.
...
Qinling Mountains, Great Wilderness.
Lin Zhao, Su Qing Jiu, Huang Ting Yu, and Nuo Zhi, each riding a flying sword, traversed the mountains under Lin Zhao's lead. At this moment, Lin Zhao felt an immense oppression in his heart, a baseless vexation. Even the Zhan Long Sword, which had been silent behind him, seemed to stir under its cloth wrapping, though there was still no sign of Sister Bai awakening. Lin Zhao couldn't feel her presence at all.
"My Lord."
Nuo Zhi looked ahead and said, "There's someone."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao rode his sword forward, looking up above a green stone spire where an elder stood. His aura was immensely potent; he was a twelfth-realm great cultivator from the Shu Prefecture region, a peak cultivator for the entire prefecture. He cupped his fists gently and said, "Lin Zhao of Xueyu Tianchi, greetings, senior."
"Dare not, dare not..."
The man descended gracefully, cupped his fists, and said, "I am He Wei, the chief retainer of the He family in Shu Prefecture. My young master wishes to meet the Mountain Master."
"Oh?"
Lin Zhao raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Where is the young master?"
Amidst the green mountains, figures arrived on the wind. Leading the way was a young man riding a flying sword, clad in red. He cupped his fists and smiled, "I am He Shu Fan, the young master of the He family in Shu Prefecture. Greetings, Mountain Master."
Behind him followed a dense throng of cultivators, mostly in the middle five realms.
"You are too kind, Young Master."
Lin Zhao cupped his fists. "May I ask why the Young Master is waiting here specifically for Lin Zhao?"
"There's actually nothing in particular."
He Shu Fan smiled slightly. "The mountains and rivers of Shu Prefecture have always been stable. Even if there are any schemers, with the He and Li families in Shu, there are no problems that cannot be solved. Therefore, He Shu Fan dares to say that Mountain Master Lin need not worry too much. Matters in Shu Prefecture should be resolved by the people of Shu Prefecture."
Lin Zhao couldn't help but narrow his eyes. Such shameless and arrogant words. Truly worthy of being from the lineage of Empress Dowager He, short-sighted indeed.
"It's alright."
Lin Zhao smiled. "I and the people from the Mountain Peak Villa are merely traveling through the Qinling Mountains of Shu Prefecture. Please do not worry, Young Master. Even if the Xun Lu Sword truly appears, I will not snatch it."