Thirty years ago, the ascension of the Immortal Jingyang attracted the attention of all of Chaotian.
Nobody knew that Taiping Zhenren, who was behind death doors in name but was actually imprisoned in the Sword Jail, had escaped from it.
Taiping Zhenren must have had a helper in Aoyama since he could pass through the sword formation set up by the Immortal Jingyang in the passageway and escape from the heavily guarded underground of Shangde Peak. Liu Ci and Yuan Qijing began their investigation. They first found out that two pieces of Thunder-Soul Wood were missing on Bihu Peak. As a result, the peak master of Bihu, Lei Poyun, was locked in the Sword Jail on the pretext that he had gone mad.
Less than two years later, Lei Poyun suddenly escaped from the Sword Jail. He yelled in the peaks, "If there is no one, what about two?"
The whole of Aoyama heard him.
One of the two missing pieces of Thunder-Soul Wood was indeed sent to the Sword Jail by Lei Poyun. He helped Taiping Zhenren transfer his soul to the body of a devil man of the Underworld, and used this method to pass through the sword formation set up by Jingyang.
Lei Poyun did this because he had been stuck in the Broken Sea State for many years. Taiping Zhenren had promised him that he would give him the two swords of the highest state in Aoyama to help him break through the sword formation set up by Jingyang.
It was a risky thing to do, but Lei Poyun had made the choice most Cultivation practitioners would make before the great fear struck him.
However, even though Taiping Zhenren had transferred his soul to the body of that devil man of the Underworld and reincarnated as Yin San, he would still be in the Sword Jail, and Lei Poyun wouldn't be able to help him escape.
Who had helped Lei Poyun send the piece of Thunder-Soul Wood to the Sword Jail? Who had asked the Dead Dog to remain silent and take Yin San away from the Sword Jail?
Thirty years had passed, and though nobody had mentioned these questions, they were still on the minds of many people.
Fang Jingtian respected and loved his master Taiping Zhenren the most. Moreover, he was the master of the Xilai Peak, who held a high position. Moreover, he had been concealing his true state all these years. Naturally, he was a suspect.
It was because the Sword Jail was located at the bottom of the Shangde Peak, and Lei Poyun was killed by Yuan Qijing himself; it looked like he had killed him to silence him. More importantly, the whole of Chaotian knew that he didn't like his Senior Master Jingyang.
Now, it seemed like Yuan Qijing had been suspecting Liu Ci all along.
Just like what Jing Jiu had said to Zhao Layue, everyone in Aoyama had a guilty conscience, so everyone looked like a ghost to them.
Yuan Qijing's cold voice came from the Three-Foot Sword, "You are the Sect Leader, so you should shoulder this responsibility. You have to give us an explanation."
Three hundred years ago, the major Cultivation sects in Chaotian and Zhaoge City reached a consensus and agreed with the decision of Aoyama to lock Taiping Zhenren in the Sword Jail instead of killing him.
It was because Aoyama had promised to lock Taiping Zhenren up until his death.
After the incident in the Guocheng Temple, many people began to suspect that Taiping Zhenren had escaped, but they couldn't question Aoyama because they didn't have any evidence.
What if someone found the evidence?
It was not easy to be the leader of the orthodox sects. The Aoyama Sect was under a great deal of pressure.
The snowflakes kept on falling down from the ocean of clouds, drifting up with the wind and landing on the top of the Tianguang Peak. It was a marvelous scene.
It didn't take long before the snow a few feet deep accumulated by the cliff's edge.
It represented Yuan Qijing's attitude and mood.
Liu Ci didn't explain it, but raised his eyebrows.
The sheath of the Inherited Heaven Sword on the stone monument exuded a faint sword will, turning the air into a wind.
As the gentle wind blew over, the accumulated snow on the cliff grew thinner, exposing the black rocks underneath.
The two figures in the Heavenly Arrival State exuded a powerful energy. Even a swordsman in the Broken Sea State couldn't sit still; he could be wounded at any moment.
The Round Turtle had lived for a great many years, so his shell was thick and his skin hard. The regular attacks of the swordsmen in the Heavenly Arrival State couldn't hurt him at all. As such, he was not afraid of the energy exuded by the swordsmen in the Heavenly Arrival State; but … he was still a bit scared.
He turned his head slowly and looked at the side of the peak top where nobody was present. He didn't open his eyes the entire time, as he said in his mind, "You guys can do it yourselves, or you can find a dog. This has nothing to do with me."
Sitting by the cliff's edge in the wind and snow, Jing Jiu's expression didn't change much. Though he was merely in the Free Travel State, the invisible sword wills could do little harm to him.
"Enough," Jing Jiu said to the Three-Foot Sword outside the cliff, "it's not like he wants to be the sect master."
Liu Ci and Yuan Qijing confronted each other. Jing Jiu was the only one in all of Chaotian who could mediate the conflict.
A sneer came out from the Three-Foot Sword.
As rumored, the Sword Justice of Aoyama, Yuan Qijing didn't like his Senior Master at all.
Jing Jiu thought that the "hmm" from Tianguang Peak sounded better. "Tell me about that letter," he said.
The wind and snow abruptly dispersed, and the sheath on the stone monument returned to its original state.
The Round Turtle stuck out his tongue to lick a snowflake that had fallen to his nostrils. Then he remembered that he hadn't drunk water for more than seventy years.
He was also interested in the letter sent by Taiping Zhenren to Aoyama. He opened his eyes stealthily and looked at the edge of the cliff.
Jing Jiu reached out his right hand to the air and produced a water bead the size of a fist, and flicked it over.
The Round Turtle opened his mouth and swallowed the water bead, a satisfied smile showing in his eyes.
Liu Ci said, "My Master said in the letter that he had already gone to the West Ocean."
"And then?" Yuan Qijing's voice rang out again.
Liu Ci said, "He wants us to take advantage of this opportunity to wipe out the West Ocean."
The Three-Foot Sword fell silent.
Wiping out the Western Sea Sword School was a great temptation for Aoyama; in other words, it was what they had always wanted to do.
In the Cultivation circle, the Aoyama Sect had never caused any trouble, nor did they bully other sects. The only exception was the West Ocean Sword School.
Some people thought it was because the Western Sea Sword School also practiced the sword work; and some thought it was because the Western Sea Sword School and the No-Mercy Sect had a deep grudge against each other. The No-Mercy Sect could be said to be the staunchest ally of the Aoyama Sect.
Yet, these were not the real reasons.
The Aoyama Sect believed that the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean was the disciple of the Great Grandmaster of the Foggy Island, so they had been suppressing him openly and secretly.
The Godly Swordsman of West Ocean was truly outstanding. He had led the whole sect to grow stronger and stronger under the tremendous pressure from the Aoyama Sect.
It wasn't until a few years ago that the Aoyama Sect led all the sects in the south to invade the West Ocean and overturn the Cloud Platform that the Western Sea Sword School could no longer become a top-tier sect.
Liu Shisui had done a great job in this event, so Liu Ci and Yuan Qijing allowed Jing Jiu to take him away from the Sword Jail. The elders of the other peaks didn't make any noise even though they knew that he had left.
However, in the battle of the Cloud Platform, the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean sacrificed his tail to survive. Though the strength of his sect had been reduced by more than half, he was still alive. Now that the Aoyama Sect was the leader of the orthodox Cultivation sects, they couldn't act at will or without a good reason. If they wanted to attack the Western Sea Sword School again, they had to have evidence, no matter whether it was Bulao Lin or some other evil deeds.
Now that the Aoyama Sect had the evidence.
Taiping Zhenren used himself as the evidence.
The fact that he hid in the Western Sea Sword School was the most evil deed he had done.
As long as they were certain that Taiping Zhenren was at the West Ocean, the Aoyama Sect would get the support of other orthodox Cultivation sects no matter how forceful they were.
But, why did Taiping Zhenren want to do so? What did he want to gain from it?
Liu Ci said after shooting a glance at Jing Jiu, "Maybe he thinks Aoyama is still his; so it's natural for him to do so."
Jing Jiu didn't think it was that simple. His Big Brother must want more than the destruction of the West Ocean, like the First Child Sword or the cloud drifting over from the south.
"Nan Qü might show up," Jing Jiu said.
It was exceedingly quiet by the cliff's edge.
The Round Turtle felt nervous.
If that was the case, then there was nothing to discuss.
Killing the Great Grandmaster of the Foggy Island, Nan Qü, was something the orthodox Cultivation sects of Aoyama had to do.
But, how could Nan Qü dare leave the Foggy Island? Wasn't he afraid that he would be discovered by the Sword Formation of Aoyama and die a horrible death?
Jing Jiu said, "What I'm concerned about is why he believes that he can deceive Nan Qü and Jian Xilai."
Liu Ci said, "In some people's eyes, our Master and we have an unsolvable grudge. The fact that our Master has contacted the two hidden swordsmen has further strengthened their judgment."
After a moment of silence, Jing Jiu said, "So, the crux of the matter is whether you trust him or not."
Liu Ci didn't say anything.
The Three-Foot Sword was quiet as well.
Jing Jiu pressed, "What if his real purpose is to kill you?"
The Great Grandmaster of the Foggy Island was the bait, and Aoyama would be tempted.
If the real target of Taiping Zhenren's scheme was Aoyama, Aoyama would be in danger.
If both Liu Ci and Yuan Qijing had a mishap, Aoyama would be as good as wiped out. Even if only one of them had a mishap, Aoyama would have to stay behind closed doors for at least one hundred years, waiting to see if Fang Jingtian or Guangyuan Zhenren had a chance to break through the Heavenly Arrival State. Otherwise, they wouldn't open their mountains, like the No-Mercy Sect.
Liu Ci pondered for a moment and said with a solemn expression, "I trust him on this matter."
"I don't trust him completely, but we have to do it, and I think it's quite simple …"
Jing Jiu got up and looked at the ocean of clouds outside the cliff, saying, "Kill Nan Qü and then kill him. The world will be at peace then."
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