As expected, Ping Yong-Ka chose Shenmo Peak, so people didn't have a chance to witness his talent in sword work.
Senior Master Mei Li and Lin Wuzhi smiled at each other again. They had done their best for Qingrong Peak and Tianguang Peak, so there was nothing they could do.
The Inherited Sword Competition wasn't over yet, so Yuan Qu left with Ping Yong-Ka amidst the reluctant gazes of the crowd.
When they arrived at the top of Shenmo Peak, Yuan Qu asked him to wait here for a while, and then he turned around and ran down the mountain hurriedly, probably to explain something to Young Sister Yushan.
There was no one on the peak top, except for the remaining snow.
Ping Yong-Ka was nervous, but he didn't show it on his face, because he didn't know if the rumored Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue were observing him.
Not long after, Gu Qing walked out of the Daoist Hall and said to him, "I stayed behind closed doors in autumn, so I forgot to inform you. Fortunately, you didn't forget."
Ping Yong-Ka bowed to Jing Jiu hastily, thinking that it was not that he didn't forget, but that he was bold and greedy, but he couldn't say these words out loud.
Seeing his hesitant expression, Gu Qing said with a smile, "Are you curious why my Master chose you?"
Ping Yong-Ka nodded repeatedly. By now he knew that the young man and woman he met when he climbed the Sword Peak last year were the two masters of Shenmo Peak, but he still felt it odd that he could become a disciple of Shenmo Peak because of this, wondering if he had stumbled upon something.
Gu Qing asked, "Do you know how high the two masters stayed behind closed doors on the Sword Peak?"
Ping Yong-Ka thought about it and said, "I just wanted to climb higher, the higher the better, but I was so scared that I had to climb down. I don't know how high it is."
Gu Qing said with a smile, "It looks like you don't know how high your talent is."
The Sword Peak was difficult to climb. The higher one could climb, the more talented the Aoyama disciple was in swordsmanship.
Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue were in seclusion at the Sword Peak, so the place they chose was naturally very high. Therefore, Ping Yong-Ka's talent in swordsmanship was naturally very high.
The reason was that simple. Ping Yong-Ka soon figured it out. He scratched his head happily when he remembered that he was a swordsmanship genius recognized by his two masters.
Looking at his movements, Gu Qing thought of the monkeys at the foot of the cliff and felt closer to this new Younger Brother. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "Practice hard in the future and don't embarrass your master."
After saying this, he turned around and left, preparing to continue cultivating his sword in seclusion in the Taoist Temple.
Ping Yong-Ka was stunned. Seeing that Gu Qing was about to enter the Taoist Temple, he panicked and shouted, "That … Senior Brother, what should I do next?"
Gu Qing stopped, turned around and said, "If you have finished your lessons in the Sword Garret, you should cultivate your sword first. As for which peak's real sword to cultivate, we will decide when our master comes back."
Ping Yong-Ka opened his eyes wide and asked, "Cultivate sword? You told me not to rush to get a sword, but I don't have one now. "
Gu Qing said, "If you don't have a sword, cultivate your will first. As for the sword, you don't have to worry. Otherwise, it will be troublesome when our master wants to change your sword in the future."
This was his personal experience.
He was now in the State of Free Travel and had cultivated the Sword Ghost. If he suddenly wanted to change his sword, it would be a big problem.
Even if the sword was the Sword of the Universe, he still felt it was troublesome.
Ping Yong-Ka didn't know his worries and was very happy to hear his words. He thought that the Shenmo Peak could get a free flying sword, which was a great benefit.
…
…
There were two notable events in this year's Inherited Sword Competition in Aoyama.
Shenmo Peak recruited a new disciple, but Liangwang Peak didn't show up.
The disciples of Liangwang Peak were all in the far north, fighting in the front line against the monsters of the Snowy Kingdom.
Many elders and disciples of other peaks also went to White Town, led by Fang Jingtian.
In the early spring, White Town was very cold. White smoke could be seen everywhere in the military camp built on the mountain.
There was no hot spring there, but there were countless barrels filled with hot water.
There had been several small monster tides in recent years. The Northern Battlefront Army didn't lose too many soldiers, but there were many wounded soldiers, so they needed hot water and medicine.
The doctor monks of Guocheng Temple were responsible for the latter, and the sects that were good at Talisman Taoism, such as Yimaozhai, were responsible for the former, including heating and logistics.
The disciples of Aoyama were responsible for killing the enemies as they had done in the past years.
Dozens of sword lights returned from the snowland and landed on the field in front of the mountain.
Guo Nanshan glanced over and counted the number of people again. He felt a bit relieved after making sure that none of his colleagues were left behind in the snowland.
Gu Han, You Siluo, Jian Ruoshui and other disciples of Liangwang Peak had all entered the Free Travel State, and their fighting prowess was very strong. They led their colleagues in hunting down those powerful monsters that had escaped from the battlefield and might head south. It wasn't a head-on battlefield, but it was more dangerous. Over the last few years, seven disciples of Aoyama had been sent back to Aoyama with severe wounds. As the monster tides appeared more frequently and more powerfully, death would come soon. What worried them was that the deviant sects on the Cold Mountain were ready to take action as the situation in the snowland became tense.
Guo Nanshan said, "I only hope that the Cultivationists of the Kunlun Sect can control the situation."
Gu Han said expressionlessly, "With those useless things? In my opinion, we should clean up the Cold Mountain while the snowland is quiet for the time being, so as to intimidate those evildoers. "
"Don't count me in for this," a feeble voice came out from the crowd.
Guo Nanshan and the others looked in the direction of the voice and found it was Zhuo Rusui, their expressions changing slightly.
Gu Han stared at him and said, "Do you want to see the deviant sects like the Mysterious Dark Sect take advantage of the situation and grow stronger?"
Zhuo Rusui said listlessly with drooping eyelids, "They are called the Mysterious Dark Church now. Judging from the name, it is obvious that they are opposing the Windy-Broadsword Church. Even the Broadsword King isn't worried about it; why are you people worried about it?"
People looked at him with complicated expressions in their eyes.
Zhuo Rusui had a great reputation among the disciples of the young generation. He had finally come out from behind closed doors on top of Tianguang Peak at the Sword Trial of Aoyama and defeated Zhao Layue, which boosted his reputation even more.
The disciples of Liangwang Peak hoped that he could compete with Jing Jiu. Unexpectedly, after he lost to Jing Jiu on Cloud-Dream Mountain, his style of doing things became more and more like the people on Shenmo Peak.
As for what kind of style of doing things was, nobody could explain it clearly, not even Jian Ruoshui, who hated Shenmo Peak the most. It was probably because he was afraid of trouble or that thing.
No one came to the snowland from Shenmo Peak this time, but Zhuo Rusui was the personal disciple of the Immortal Sect Master, so he had to come.
Yet, he was different from Guo Nanshan. One couldn't find any of the good qualities of fighting bravely, taking the lead in everything, or leading by example.
Jian Ruoshui said to Zhuo Rusui with a gloomy expression, "If you are as afraid of death as Gu Qing, you shouldn't have come."
Hearing this, Gu Han's expression changed slightly, but he didn't say anything.
Zhuo Rusui looked at Jian Ruoshui and raised his head slowly.
He didn't want to show his disdain by looking down at him, but he was going to say "hmm".
As the first disciple of Tianguang Peak, Guo Nanshan had heard his Master Liu Ci say "hmm" many times, so he knew what Zhuo Rusui wanted to do. He shouted in a deep voice, "Shut up, all of you!"
Zhuo Rusui thought, "I don't need to open my mouth to say" hmm ". Does Big Brother's words have anything to do with me?"
You Siluo suddenly looked in the direction of the snowland and asked, "Who is that?"
It had been less than a hundred days since the end of the last war, and there were still many dangers in the snowland. Why would someone come out alone?
That person's movements were extremely strange. He came to the edge of the snowland from the Black Mountain in less than a minute, and nobody could see how he did it.
Gu Han asked, "Is he from Zhongzhou School?"
In most people's impression, only the Escape Method of Heaven and Earth from Zhongzhou School could be so elusive and unpredictable.
Guo Nanshan shook his head and said, "It's He Zhan."
The disciples of Aoyama were quite startled.
That person walked out of the snowland and came to the front of the military camp. His monk robe was in tatters, looking as messy as his newly grown hair.
Looking at He Zhan, the expressions in the crowd's eyes were different.
Gu Han asked with furrowed eyebrows, "Is he the first successor of experiencing the mortal world who has been in public since the beginning?"
Now that he was going to experience the mortal world, he had to conceal his identity in order to perceive the true meaning of the mortal world. Over the years, the successors of experiencing the mortal world in the Guocheng Temple had done the same thing. They wouldn't reveal their identities until they had accomplished their feats. The previous successor of experiencing the mortal world, the Broadsword King Cao Yuan, chose to stay in the north instead of taking over as the Chief Monk of the Guocheng Temple; but he had concealed his identity at the Windy-Broadsword Church for many years.
… …
… …
It was evident that He Zhan had experienced a series of arduous battles in the snowland and was wounded badly, but nobody in the military camp went to greet him.
It was not because the doctor monks of the Guocheng Temple were too busy, or because the masters disliked him for being too ostentatious and ruining the intention of experiencing the mortal world; it was because someone had gone to greet him.
Along with the crisp ringing of the bell, Sensei, the young master of the Platanus Sect, came to the front of He Zhan like a band of green smoke and held his arm, showing a concerned expression on her small face.
"Are you alright?"
He Zhan shook his head.
Sensei felt relieved, and asked, "Are you going to the birthday party of the Grandmaster or not? I can't stay here for too long. I have a lot of things to arrange. "
He Zhan shook his head again.
Sensei lifted her small face and pleaded, "You should go. My mother wants to see you."
He Zhan didn't say anything.
Sensei said in a sorrowful voice, "Something serious will happen that day. I'm scared. I hope you can be by my side."
He Zhan still didn't say anything.
Sensei got angry. She shook off his hand and said, "Don't try to deceive me. I've asked Big Sister Layue. The Guocheng Temple doesn't practice the Vow of Silence!"
He Zhan kept his mouth shut and walked on without saying anything.
Sensei halted her steps and looked at his back while standing in the snow. "I'm crying," she said in a sobbing tone, "I'm telling you, I'm going to cry!"
He Zhan's body stiffened slightly. He turned around slowly and said to her, "I found Jiang Rui's corpse in the snowland."
Sensei had been pretending to cry. Hearing this, the sobbing tone in her voice disappeared. "It's a pity," she said in a serious and sympathetic tone.
He Zhan said, "What can you do even if you let him go?"
Sensei said proudly, "What can I do even if I kill him?"
He Zhan sighed and turned around to walk on. His movements were as elusive as a ghost's.
Sensei knew that she couldn't catch up with him. She felt both angry and curious, wondering where he had learned such a peculiar movement.
She suddenly thought of the method He Zhan learned from the old eunuch Hong in the Illusionary Realm of the Green Sky Mirror. She covered her mouth in surprise, wondering if he had really cut himself open.
…
…
There was a mountain behind White Town.
There was a small temple at the foot of the mountain.
There was a golden Buddha statue in the temple.
There had been no monk in this temple before; but there was one now.
He was a young monk with the highest status in the Zen sects.
Zen Master had been in White Town for seven years.
He had been playing in the mud in this small temple over the last seven years. He would go out once in a while to show off his skills.
If Zen Master were Guo Dong a few years ago, the Broadsword King would be much more satisfied.
Zen Master was not satisfied either, feeling bored.
The mountain of sticks suddenly collapsed, scattering on the ground in front of the doorsill.
It was unclear what kind of omen it represented.
Zen Master glanced at it twice, but he didn't figure it out, so he gave up. "When can I go back?" he asked after stretching himself.
The deep and feeble voice rang out in the temple, "Are you in a hurry?"
Zen Master said, "The temple is in chaos, and Du Hai has almost made a grave mistake; but I can't go back. How can I not be anxious?"
The Broadsword King said, "Peace will come after the winner is determined in the snowland."
The expression in Zen Master's eyes grew a bit colder, as he said, "Peace has reappeared in the human world. Maybe you have to go back."
After a moment of silence, the Broadsword King said, "I wonder if the commotion on the Cold Mountain has anything to do with that immortal."
Zen Master said, "You don't have to worry too much about the Mysterious Dark Sect. After they were slaughtered by the Aoyama Sect back then, they only have that Dao banner left."
"That Dao banner is indeed strange," said the Broadsword King.
"Of course," Zen Master said, "Otherwise, the Aoyama Sect would have attacked them already."
The Aoyama Sect and the Mysterious Dark Sect had been enemies for generations. If the Sun Banner hadn't been successfully tempered, which made it hard to deal with the Mysterious Dark Sect, the Aoyama Sect wouldn't allow the Mysterious Dark Sect to show off their prowess on the Cold Mountain and change their sect to a church.
It was then that a squeaking sound could be heard behind the temple.
It was the terrifying sound of the twisting cliffs and the rocks rubbing against each other.
Zen Master got up and walked to the doorsill.
Many houses in White Town had collapsed, the smoke and dust rising up. Fortunately, the Windy-Broadsword Church had driven away all the believers and residents, so there wouldn't be too many casualties.
The commotion in the distant snowland was even more shocking. The wind and snow rose up with a whistling sound, reaching a height of one thousand feet in the sky, and the black mountains could be vaguely seen swaying.
It was a dreadful earthquake.
Zen Master's line of sight passed through the smoke and dust, the wind and snow, and the quaking black mountains, falling on the deep end of the snowland.
A strong sense of alertness showed in his eyes.
It was a powerful energy.
The human Cultivation practitioners at the edge of the snowland came to their senses and flew into the sky, ready to fight.
The sword light flashed, and the sword light pierced through the sky. An extremely powerful sword will appeared at the forefront.
"Fang Jingtian is no match for him."
Zen Master said in a cold voice, "Ask everyone to retreat."
Fang Jingtian wasn't famous in the Cultivation circle, but Zen Master and the Broadsword King knew that it was because this Xilai Peak Master of the Aoyama Sect had kept a low profile for three hundred years.
Fang Jingtian was the fourth disciple of Taiping Zhenren. He was in the peak state of Broken Sea and had the potential to reach the Heavenly Arrival State, so he was a top-notch swordsman of the human race. Even Bu Qiuxiao, the Master of Yimaozhai, could only fight him to a draw. At the moment, he was the strongest in White Town apart from the Broadsword King and Zen Master.
Even Fang Jingtian was no match for him, so it was obvious who the intruder was. It was no wonder that Zen Master was so vigilant.
The bell rang in the small temple, indicating that all the Cultivation practitioners should leave the battlefield as soon as possible.
"Is it big or small?"
That deep and incomplete voice suddenly became extremely mellow, like the bell that was still echoing at the edge of the snowy plains.
That was because the owner of this voice had already prepared to fight to the death in an extremely short period of time.
He had guarded the wind and snow alone for more than one hundred years.
He had entered the snowland and fought a few times with the Queen of the Snowy Kingdom, but he came back with severe wounds each time, with no chance of winning.
As Jing Jiu had said, the Queen of the Snowy Kingdom was the being of the highest state in Chaotian. No one could match her, save for Jing Jiu when he ascended.
If the Queen walked out of the snowland, who could stop her?
He had thought about this question many times.
Though he couldn't come to a conclusion in the end, he had figured out one thing.
No matter who could stop her, they had to do so.
As such, the day the Queen walked out of the snowland would be the day of his death.
(End of this chapter)
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