It was raining in Zhaoge City as well.
The rain in spring was quite common, and so was this sentence.
However, this was the first rain of this spring, and many people knew what it meant.
Standing in front of the grand hall, the Emperor and the Royal Concubine Hu looked at the pattering spring rain and said sentimentally, "You will die eventually."
The Royal Concubine Hu was worried, asking, "Are you alright?"
The Emperor said, "As long as I'm alive, the Zhongzhou School won't dare do anything. After I'm dead, the Aoyama Sect will take care of you; but you have to be prepared to suffer for a few years."
The Royal Concubine Hu protested, "Long live the Emperor. Why do you say so?"
…
…
The quiet room in the Shui Yue Nunnery was as quiet as ever.
Guo Dong was still sleeping soundly. Some of the silk threads drifted to the outside of the window and fell down after being soaked by the rain.
The window was round, facing the lake. Many of the trees by the lake had been cut down, and some of them had grown back over the years, looking a bit messy.
There was a small courtyard on the other side of the lake, which was blocked by the formation set up by the Shui Yue Nunnery.
Jing Xin lived here.
He was expelled from Zhaoge City and couldn't enter the Guocheng Temple, so he had no choice but to come to the Shui Yue Nunnery.
Even though he was a former prince, he was still a prince. It was a humiliating thing for him to live in a nunnery.
Yet, no anger or resentment could be seen on his face, and the expression in his eyes was as calm as the lake water.
The spring rain fell on the surface of the lake, creating ripples.
…
…
The strong wind whistled, rolling up the raindrops and scattering them everywhere. The raindrops hit the mud walls of the hut, making "pah" sounds.
The Thousand-Mile Wind Corridor was famous for the strong wind that would blow up from time to time.
No matter how gentle the spring rain was, it would become angry in such a place.
As the wind stopped, the formation in the nunnery was dismantled. The raindrops fell on Liu Shisui's face soundlessly.
He looked at the south, remaining reticent.
Bu Qiuxiao came to Jing Jiu's side along with the faint watery mist. Looking at the world in the spring rain, he asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Liu Shisui rubbed his eyes and said, "I'm worried."
Bu Qiuxiao understood what he meant.
The relationship between Aoyama Sect and Zhongzhou School, which had eased up a little, became tense again in the past few years, even more so than before.
Be it the matter of Taiping Zhenren or the throne, it was destined that the two leaders of the righteous path would clash head-on.
Bu Qiuxiao was certain that given Bai Zhenren's temperament and methods, Chaotian would have many troubles from now on.
After his conversation with Jing Jiu, Yimaozhai chose to remain neutral.
However, Liu Shisui was always ten years old and would not make a choice.
The strong wind roared again, cutting the rain into countless pieces, rolling them up and hitting the mud walls of the thatched hut.
Bu Qiuxiao said, "The most pressing issue right now is who will be the sect master."
He had sent a disciple to Zhaoge City to ask about it, but he got a boring answer.
The whole of the Cultivation circle knew that the peak master of Yunxing, Fu Wang, had no hope of becoming the sect master. So, would it be Fang Jingtian or Guangyuan Zhenren?
These two peak masters were the most promising swordsmen in Aoyama to break through and enter the Heavenly Arrival State. Would they wait until that moment to decide?
Or, would Yuan Qijing take over Aoyama by force, regardless of the public opinion?
…
…
The spring rain fell on the clouds and fog.
The clouds and fog dispersed gradually.
A dozen valleys that looked like the fairyland gradually appeared in the human world.
As soon as the spring rain fell, the Zhongzhou School ended its three-year stay on the mountain.
A long and loud shout echoed through heaven and earth.
It was the shout of the Unicorn; it was unclear whether it was a demonstration or an expression of his satisfaction.
The elders and disciples cultivating behind closed doors on Cloud-Dream Mountain walked out in tandem, their expressions calm and confident.
Countless small sects affiliated to Cloud-Dream Mountain started planning to go to Cloud-Dream Mountain to pay their respects.
The cloud-like ribbons hung on the treetops. Bai Zao walked to the edge of the cliff and looked southward, remaining silent.
Where had his Big Brother gone?
Jing Jiu, how would he feel at the moment?
…
…
The spring rain fell on the human world. Everybody could sense it, and they all knew that the Immortal Liu Ci had left.
Liu Ci had kept a low profile all his life, and his achievements were inconspicuous. As such, he would only occupy a small space in the history of Chaotian.
However, the unstoppable sword light from three years ago had completely changed his position in history.
The deviant sects in the world had been eradicated, and the Muddy River had turned red overnight. The Zhongzhou School was forced to close its mountain. The whole world was deathly quiet.
Such a thing had never happened before.
It wasn't until now that the people realized how powerful this sect master of Aoyama Sect was and how much influence he had on Chaotian.
Because of this, his departure would definitely cause a huge commotion.
The situation of Chaotian was on the verge of changing.
As Bu Qiuxiao had said, the change of the situation of the Chaotian Land depended on that matter first.
Who would be the next sect master of Aoyama?
…
…
It was very quiet in Aoyama.
It was even more so on the top of Tianguang Peak.
Everyone, including the Peak Leaders, did not speak, nor did they move. They stood in place like statues.
The shadow cast by the sheath of the Inherited Heaven Sword on the stone monument grew shorter, and then longer. In the end, it extended beyond the surface of the monument to somewhere unknown.
It was like the perception of life at different stages of one's life.
Time elapsed. The spring rain had gradually ceased. The warm red setting sun shone on the peaks, looking rather beautiful.
"This is it," said Yuan Qijing.
His back was not as straight as before, and his voice sounded a bit tired; it was unclear if it was because he had stood for too long or because he was getting old.
The mourning was over, and the next important event came to an end.
The sad and nostalgic atmosphere was still lingering among the peaks, and it would last for a long time. Yet, the path toward heaven had to keep moving forward.
It was not because the Cultivation practitioners were heartless; it was the way Aoyama had always acted.
All the disciples of Aoyama stepped on their swords in the air, waiting for the masters on the peak top to announce who the new sect master would be.
The sword wills given off by nearly a thousand flying swords were extremely swift and fierce, as if they had become tangible. The ocean of clouds among the cliffs rippled and dispersed in all directions.
The stone forest at the foot of the peak showed its true form, which looked like countless huge swords ready to fly up at any moment.
The top of Tianguang Peak was completely revealed to the eyes of the crowd for the first time.
The peak top was filled with flaky rocks, and a path could be vaguely seen among them, leading to a small hut behind the stone monument.
There was an ordinary-looking chair in the hut.
Three hundred years ago, when Taiping Zhenren was imprisoned in the Sword Jail and Liu Ci was elected as the new sect master, he walked through this path and sat on this chair.
Maybe he didn't like the memory of that day, or maybe he simply felt that the chair was a bit hard, or maybe he didn't like sitting on the edge of the cliff, which was closer to the ocean of clouds …
All in all, Liu Ci didn't like this chair.
He had never sat on it since he became the sect master, nor had he received his fellow disciples or juniors here. But it didn't change a fact.
This chair was the seat of the sect master of Aoyama.
Countless gazes fell on the chair.
Who would sit on it today?
…
…
Yuan Qijing was the person with the highest seniority, the oldest, and the highest Realm in Aoyama Sect. It would be a matter of course if he took over the position of the sect master. But Tianguang Peak and Shanghai Peak had been in confrontation for many years. How could those elders and disciples be reconciled to this? Most of the disciples of Liangwang Peak were from Tianguang Peak. What kind of attitude would they show?
Even if Yuan Qijing could suppress all the opposing opinions with his prestige and strength, he would inevitably cause a lot of criticism and dissatisfaction in Aoyama. Wouldn't it be too much to suppress the branch of Tianguang Peak as soon as the Immortal Sect Master left?
Most importantly, Yuan Qijing was older than Liu Ci, and he didn't have much time left in his life. It would be better for him to keep his identity as the Sword Justice and send the new sect master off.
According to the seniority, the next one should be the Sect Master of Xilai Peak, Fang Jingtian. Fang Jingtian had kept a low profile for many years, his white eyebrows fluttering in the wind. He looked like a regular rich man, and he hadn't shown any special performance over the years. Yet, Yuan Qijing was the first disciple of Taiping Zhenren, and Liu Ci was the second disciple, and he was ranked third. It was easy to infer that this person was not simple.
Guangyuan Zhenren, the Peak Master of Shiyue, kept an even lower profile.
It wasn't until he wielded his sword at the West Ocean that the Cultivation practitioners in Chaotian learned that his Cultivation state was exceedingly high. He had reached the upper limit of the Broken Sea a long time ago and had a chance to enter the Heavenly Arrival State.
These three were the most suitable candidates for the position of the sect master of Aoyama.
Yuan Qijing was as solemn as usual, expressionless. Nobody could tell what was on his mind.
Guangyuan Zhenren had a nonchalant expression on his face, as if he didn't care about what was going to happen next.
Fang Jingtian stayed behind closed doors in the hermit peaks, so he didn't show up that day. The representative of Xilai Peak was an elder with the surname Wu. He guessed that something must have happened to the Peak Master who stayed behind closed doors in the hermit peaks and didn't show up on such an important occasion, so he felt resentful. He shot a glance at Yuan Qijing and said, "Xilai Peak recommends Guangyuan Zhenren."
He had thought it through clearly that his Peak Master obviously had no chance of becoming the sect master this time, so it was better for him to stand out and support Guangyuan Zhenren first.
Shiyue Peak and Xilai Peak had always been on good terms with each other. More importantly, they couldn't let Yuan Qijing become the sect master no matter what.
The rest of the elders and disciples of Aoyama didn't know the inside story, so they were startled, wondering what was going on.
The Peak Master of Yunxing, Fu Wang, glanced over the faces of those people and realized that he didn't have many supporters. He sighed inwardly and said, "Yunxing Peak recommends Big Brother Fang."
His idea was simple. Even if there was no hope, he had to make the situation a bit more chaotic. Nobody could tell what would happen in the end.
Surprisingly, the Peak Master of Bihu, Chen Youtian, who was usually taciturn on such occasions, spoke up. He recommended Yuan Qijing.
The former Peak Master of Bihu, Lei Poyun, was killed by Yuan Qijing's sword. It was unclear if the two incidents had any connection.
A few of the most senior elders also stood up and recommended their own candidates for the position of Sect Leader. The scene became slightly chaotic.
The disciples of the third generation of Aoyama didn't dare speak out, their emotions fluctuating along with the names being mentioned.
Guo Nanshan felt uneasy, worried that the Aoyama Sect would be in chaos. But even though he was the principal disciple of Aoyama, he wasn't qualified to speak out at the moment.
It was at this moment that a discontented voice rang out, "Why don't we take a look at what's written in the posthumous edict of the sect master?"
The speaker was Bai Rujing. He and Mo Chi entered the sect at the same time. After the departure of the Immortal Liu Ci, he became the most experienced elder of Tianguang Peak.
In a sense, his words represented the attitude of Tianguang Peak.
Hearing this, many people came back to their senses. The elders who were eager to recommend a new sect master felt even more ashamed.
The Immortal Sect Master would of course leave a posthumous edict and make arrangements for the future of Aoyama. Why were they in such a hurry?
Everyone turned to look at the stone tablet.
The scabbard of the Inherited Heaven Sword was there, so the posthumous edict should be inside.
Bai Rujing looked at Yuan Qijing and said, "Sword Justice, please read the posthumous edict of the sect master."
He knew that the Immortal Liu Ci wouldn't pass the position of sect master to Yuan Qijing.
It might have something to do with the old resentment between Tianguang Peak and Shanghai De Peak.
More importantly, how could a Junior Brother pass the position to a Senior Brother?
Yuan Qijing remained silent. He didn't say anything, nor did he intend to stand up and take the scabbard.
It was quiet on the peak top.
The twilight was not as warm anymore.
Hundreds of disciples of Aoyama looked at the Sword Justice, whom they respected the most, not knowing what had happened to him.
It was obvious that Yuan Qijing didn't want to read the posthumous edict.
In other words, if there was a posthumous edict, he didn't want to carry it out either.
Bai Rujing took two steps forward and asked while staring into Yuan Qijing's eyes, "Big Brother, why don't you dare read the posthumous edict?"
The atmosphere on the peak top became extremely tense.
Guo Nanshan and other disciples of Tianguang Peak showed hostility in their eyes.
It was then that the sound of footsteps suddenly rang out.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.
Guo Nanshan was stunned speechless.
Jian Ruyun was the same, and then he felt an irrepressible anger.
Bai Rujing thought his eyes were dazzled.
Even Guangyuan Zhenren was quite surprised.
More people were in a trance, because the mental shock they had received was too great.
Zhuo Rusui opened his drooping eyes wide like bronze bells. Looking at the figure, he muttered reflexively, "Damn it!"
Yuan Qu and Ping Yong-Ka almost hugged each other out of excitement or fear.
Gu Qing's face was pale, and he kept telling himself that his Master was telling the truth.
There were only two people on the peak of Tianguang Peak who could remain calm.
Yuan Qijing sighed.
Zhao Layue had already thought of this, but she looked in that direction in Silence. … …
The wind blew over Aoyama.
A white robe.
Under countless gazes.
Jing Jiu walked to the front of the stele.
He stepped on the shell of the Round Turtle and took down the scabbard of the Inherited Heaven Sword.
Then.
He walked to the chair, turned around, and sat down, saying to the others, "Let me do it."
…
…
(End of Volume Five)
(End of this chapter)
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