The night.
Longming Mountain was ablaze with lights. As the foremost sword sect of the human race, Longming Mountain had always possessed profound heritage. Even though night had fallen, disciples in various peaks and halls had lit their lanterns. Practitioners of swordplay could be seen sparring in the mountains, while elders of the eleventh realm sword cultivators patrolled the skies, ensuring the safety of Longming Mountain throughout the night.
Now, with the return of the Mountain Lord, Su Qingjiu, this Longming Mountain was even more impregnable.
On the mountain path, Liang Xi, a senior sister of the eleventh realm, wore a long dress. Beside her walked a girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old. The girl was exceptionally handsome and was already a Golden Core sword cultivator. She was not only a potential sword immortal but also a budding beauty, much beloved by Elder Liang Xi.
In the Palm Master's Grand Hall, within the Moon Radiance Pavilion.
Su Qingjiu had just set down her bowl when Senior Sister Liang Xi and her disciple, Xu Qingcheng, arrived.
"Greetings, Palm Master Uncle-Master!"
Xu Qingcheng said with a cupped fist salute, her expression bright.
"Mm."
Su Qingjiu smiled, dimples appearing on her cheeks, and said, "Our Qingcheng is growing more beautiful by the day. I wonder which young rascal on which mountain will get to be lucky when she grows up."
Xu Qingcheng's pretty face turned red. "I don't want to get married! I'll be like Palm Master Uncle-Master, remaining single and guarding Longming Mountain."
"Silly girl."
Su Qingjiu chuckled. "Uncle-Master hasn't met anyone she likes enough to marry, hence her solitary state. You are different. If you meet someone you like in the future, you should open your heart to them. Although we are cultivators on the mountain, there's no need to be too averse to matters of romance. Otherwise, you won't be able to truly merge with the Dao."
" Aren't you going to thank your Uncle-Master for her teachings?"
Liang Xi smiled. She genuinely believed Su Qingjiu's words were pearls of wisdom. After all, this fellow disciple, the Palm Master, possessed unparalleled sword-path talent and aptitude. Thus, Liang Xi and others regarded Su Qingjiu's insights into the sword path, cultivation, and Dao integration as their guiding principles. Every word from Su Qingjiu was treated as a directive from the Palm Master, destined to be recorded in their little notebooks.
"Alright, alright~~~"
Su Qingjiu laughed. "Love on the mountain, like practicing the sword, is all about going with the flow. When destiny arrives, there's no need to evade it; just let it be."
As she spoke, Su Qingjiu casually raised her hand and took out a dark blue long sword from her storage pouch. The scabbard was dark blue, and the chilling glint of the blade was also dark blue. The entire sword appeared exceptionally delicate and exquisite. She sheathed the sword, held it horizontally, and presented it to Xu Qingcheng, smiling. "This is an immortal sword, named Qingcheng. Perhaps it is destined for you, little girl. When I found this sword, I felt it was a perfect match for you. Qingcheng, you must practice your sword well from now on, and don't disappoint your master and me. Perhaps... you will be the next Palm Master and Mountain Lord of our Longming Mountain, so you must work hard."
"Yes, Uncle-Master!"
Xu Qingcheng quickly knelt down in reverence. Her beautiful eyes were filled with joy as she accepted the immortal sword and kowtowed again, smiling. "Qingcheng thanks Palm Master Uncle-Master for bestowing this sword!"
"Alright, alright, no need for such formality."
Su Qingjiu helped Xu Qingcheng up, then took out a few pages of paper from her embrace and handed them to Liang Xi, smiling. "Senior Sister, these are a few sword techniques and a wisp of sword intent that I comprehended during my travels in the mountains. Please study them carefully and master them thoroughly. Afterward, you can pass them down to Qingcheng. Perhaps these techniques will become the ultimate skill of your peak."
"Alright!"
Liang Xi nodded hastily. "Thank you, Junior Sister!"
Su Qingjiu waved her hand and said with a smile, "Go now, practice your sword well. I need to rest."
"Mm!"
Liang Xi, with Xu Qingcheng, retreated.
Su Qingjiu then stood up and brewed tea under the moonlight. In the words of Brother Lin Zhao, after a meal, one should take a walk to aid digestion. If one was too lazy to walk, drinking some tea to moisten the throat was also beneficial. Thus, Su Qingjiu also took this saying to heart, and after every meal, she would invariably brew and drink tea for her health.
Shortly after, she finished brewing the tea. She poured a cup under the moonlight, inhaled its fragrance, finding it pleasing, and began to sip it slowly.
...
The Upper Realm.
The Sword Tomb Mountain, a legendary place where ancient sages once buried their swords, was rich with sword intent, making it a contested territory for sword cultivators in the Upper Realm. At the highest peak of Sword Tomb Mountain stood a sword immortal in a green dress. She had been nurturing her sword intent and cultivating her sword heart here for years. She was none other than Lin Qing'er, Su Qingjiu's master who had ascended to the Upper Realm, one of the victors of the five duels at the Snow Region Celestial Pool back then.
Even after a hundred years, Lin Qing'er remained young and beautiful. Her sword path talent had always been extraordinary, and after ascending to the Upper Realm, she had become one of the strongest eleventh realm sword cultivators. After all, there was only one fourteenth realm sword cultivator in the Three Realms. Apart from that Martial Saint, Lin Qing'er, at the peak of the thirteenth realm, held a significant position among the strongest sword cultivators in the Upper Realm.
Therefore, when Lin Qing'er first arrived at Sword Tomb Mountain, she fell deeply in love with the place. Immediately, she claimed the highest peak of Sword Tomb Mountain with an undeniable posture, cultivating there for years in the hope of glimpsing the threshold of the fourteenth realm.
Furthermore, over the years, Lin Qing'er had gradually cultivated the art of deduction, giving her a superior understanding of the evolution of the Three Realms' situation compared to other sword cultivators.
"Hoo..."
She suddenly frowned and slowly awoke from her meditation. As she surveyed the lower realm with the Water Moon Vision technique, her deduction was further confirmed. In an instant, Lin Qing'er rose.
Xiao Jiujiu was in danger.
She frowned.
At this moment, an old Daoist appeared in the sky, a wine gourd hanging from his waist, exuding a formidable sword intent. He rode the wind and suddenly stopped. He glanced at Lin Qing'er, sitting on an old sword, and said, "Lin Qing'er, the next time the rift to the Outer Heavens opens, you will have to join the expedition. You can't let us old bones fight out there every day while you young sword immortals sit back and enjoy the spoils, can you?"
Lin Qing'er felt a little awkward and smiled. "Senior, are you here to inform me of the next battle?"
"Sort of."
Old Daoist Wang sighed. "Not long ago, the Undying Heart Demon retaliated. Two more thirteenth realm cultivators perished in the ancestral land of the Martial Arts lineage. Two thirteenth realm True Daoists also perished at White Jade Mountain in the Daoist lineage. Life in the Upper Realm is getting harder and harder. Although you, Lin Qing'er, are a rogue cultivator of the Upper Realm, you still have to contribute."
"Yes."
Lin Qing'er looked towards the lower realm. "But, concerning the matters in the lower realm... Xiao Jiujiu she..."
"Worry clouds judgment."
Old Daoist Wang smiled slightly and said, "Xiao Jiujiu naturally has her own destiny. As her master, you cannot possibly foresee everything for her, can you? A reminder is sufficient. As for descending to the lower realm to protect her path, it's not necessary. Your disciple's sword path may not be inferior to yours, Lin Qing'er."
"Yes, thank you for the reminder, Senior."
Lin Qing'er watched Old Daoist Wang depart, a faint smile on her lips. Of course, my Xiao Jiujiu's sword path is an absolute standout among the younger generation in the Three Realms, and she certainly won't lose to anyone else. Thinking of this, Lin Qing'er let out a sigh. It had been decades since they last met, and she missed her dearly. Entrusting her with the vast Longming Mountain had indeed been a hardship for her.
The next moment, Lin Qing'er held her breath, circulated her sword intent, brought her index and middle fingers together, and sent a streak of golden sword light through the Water Moon Vision, as if connecting the Upper and Lower Realms. Immediately, she inscribed her intended words into text with her finger force, which cascaded down.
...
The Lower Realm, Longming Mountain.
Xiao Jiujiu was drinking tea in the Moon Radiance Pavilion within the Palm Master's residence. As she brewed her tea, she gazed at the moonlight in the sky, lost in thought. At that very moment, a wisp of golden texture, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, appeared in the moonlight beneath the window. As these golden textures refracted onto the teacup with the moonlight, characters were reflected on the inner wall of the teacup.
There were four characters in total.
They were, in order: Do Not Leave the Mountain.
"..."
Su Qingjiu frowned and murmured, "Do not leave the mountain... Do not leave the mountain..."
Clearly, this was a warning from the Upper Realm. And the person who would warn her from the Upper Realm was most likely her master, Lin Qing'er. Immediately, an overwhelming sense of longing for her master, Lin Qing'er, welled up in Su Qingjiu's heart. She rose and stood by the bed, her brows furrowed as she looked up at the sky, saying, "Is Master warning Xiao Jiujiu not to leave the mountain during this time? Xiao Jiujiu remembers. Please rest assured, Master. Also... Xiao Jiujiu misses Master, very, very much..."
However, Lin Qing'er sent no further messages.
After all, transmitting any message from the Upper Realm to the Lower Realm required immense cost. For instance, the four-character warning Lin Qing'er sent to Su Qingjiu consumed at least a month of her cultivation. This was also why powerful cultivators in the Upper Realm rarely descended to the Lower Realm; the cost was too great. For example, when Ding Muchan and Ming Yuechi, both of the fourteenth realm, descended, although they were there to protect their junior brother, the price they paid was far greater than what Lin Zhao received. The invisible consumption of the rules between heaven and earth was something no one could avoid.
Su Qingjiu looked at the starry sky, understanding dawning in her heart.
If even her master, a peak thirteenth realm sword cultivator of the Upper Realm, felt that something was dangerous, then it must be a grave peril. Su Qingjiu was not yet prepared to ascend at the thirteenth realm, so seeking stability in all matters was only reasonable.
However, what was about to unfold in the mortal world? Su Qingjiu was completely unaware. Moreover, if disaster were to strike, and be upon them, could she truly remain indifferent and just stay within Longming Mountain? It was unlikely. As the peak twelfth realm Lord of Longming Mountain, she was, in fact, the guardian of the Southern Border of the entire human realm. Some responsibilities were unavoidable.
...
Late at night, Demon Soul Mountain.
Huang Tingyu, carrying a blood-stained amber, crossed another valley and arrived at the second mountain of Demon Soul Mountain. As he ascended the peak, he saw a distant figure clad in green. It was a middle-aged man in a green robe, exuding a powerful demonic aura. He was another thirteenth realm demon soul, a green Flood Dragon on the verge of transforming into a dragon.