Jing Tai's Disappointment, Ye Fan's Smile

In his black imperial robe, Emperor Jing Tai's increasingly youthful body looked eerie.

Even the Buddhist nuns could not see through the strength of this Emperor, who held a lower seniority than them in the path of cultivation.

However, no matter what, this was absolutely not the strength they knew Emperor Jing Tai to possess.

Now, Emperor Jing Tai revealed a disappointed gaze.

Inside the magnificent Mahavira Hall, the candles flickered.

The bald young monk had a sincere smile, as peaceful as an old grandfather.

However, a Qing Lian, a monk?

It was actually not the ancestor.

Emperor Jing Tai was utterly disappointed.

He might as well return to the palace to cultivate the "Kui Hua Bao Dian". If the ancestor truly appeared, they would definitely seek him out first.

He should not let his thoughts wander.

Emperor Jing Tai casually said:

"Old Ninth, you have done well these past few days..."

Without attendants or guards, Emperor Jing Tai came alone and left alone, leaving behind only a soft remark before vanishing from the Nian Ci Nunnery.

The Ninth Prince watched Emperor Jing Tai's departing figure in silence.

Taking advantage of the night, Ye Fan quietly descended the mountain... Before walking far, he saw a rugged swordsman severely injured, lying in a dark alley.

The alley was named Ping'an, a memory of the swordsman when he left home.

Now, he could only gasp for breath, then spat.

"This monk is truly formidable."

However.

Why did something feel slightly off.

The air suddenly erupted with a desolate, killing atmosphere. An extremely familiar sensation rushed in from all directions, making this rugged man shudder.

"Du Gu Jiu Jian?"

The fierce sword qi seemed to have evolved to a higher realm. It appeared as though sword qi was everywhere, but in reality, it was empty.

However, it seemed that with just a single thought of resistance.

There would be one more corpse on this deserted street.

'It truly is the Du Gu Jiu Jian, the closely guarded secret of the Du Gu Clan.'

Although the swordsman felt fear, his expression grew even more solemn, as if an important moment was approaching.

"Who is it?!!"

The swordsman's voice contained anticipation and expectation, along with a hint of challenge.

"Hu..."

The thing hidden in all directions, like a specter, was not sword qi, but sword intent!

This was the opponent's answer!

The killing sword intent was completely unbridled.

It was the backward glance of a swordsman who had ascended the high tower and gazed to the end of the horizon.

Lonely, desolate.

Like spring weeds, everything withered away.

The swordsman suppressed the turmoil and fear in his heart, tightly gripping the nameless longsword in his hand, waiting for the opportunity.

'It's here, it's here.'

At this moment.

"Clang."

A white light hidden in the darkness flashed, leaving only Du Gu Xiang Tian with a dazed expression.

The crescent moon was like a hook, and the fading stars were like a dream.

A sword in the mortal realm, yet it slashed through illusions.

In the swordsman's hand, nothing remained.

As a swordsman, when the sword breaks, the person perishes.

"You are too weak!"

Du Gu Xiang Tian's eyes were bewildered. This was an aged voice he had never heard before.

Mặc dù không nhìn thấy mặt, nhưng thực lực của đối phương tuyệt đối ở trên mình, có tư cách nói chuyện từ trên cao nhìn xuống như vậy.

Now, Du Gu Xiang Tian seemed unable to even risk his life.

Because the opponent had indeed spoken the words Du Gu Xiang Tian anticipated:

"Is the strength of the Du Gu Clan's main branch only at this level?"

In Du Gu Xiang Tian's heart, there was a trace of sorrow.

Within a single day of leaving the Hu Long Shan Zhuang, he had first been defeated by a young monk of unknown origin, and then by someone who was highly likely the descendant of that man.

Du Gu Xiang Tian, after all, was still not Du Gu Qiu Bai.

Would the glory of the main branch wither away in his hands?

"Cough, cough, cough."

"If you want to kill me, then do it. Why waste words?"

"Foolish."

He heard that aged voice speak with utter disdain once more.

Then, the opponent seemed to gently toss something.

A willow branch fell before Du Gu Xiang Tian.

"It is merely a dry branch. Use it to end your own life."

Despair filled Du Gu Xiang Tian's heart. He tightly gripped the willow branch thrown on the ground, unleashing his sword qi.

Suddenly.

Inside the willow branch, a stream of sword intent seemed to flow backward, surging into Du Gu Xiang Tian's body. The sword qi within his body became chaotic, uncontrollably beginning to suppress this sword intent.

However, sword intent held a suppression of realm over sword qi.

Soon, his body was in complete chaos. Du Gu Xiang Tian failed to end his life and could only sit on the ground to adjust his inner force.

After adjusting, Du Gu Xiang Tian raised his head, looking at the figure before him that remained completely obscured from beginning to end.

He was utterly shocked.

"You have entered a profound and unpredictable realm above the first grade, and even possess sword intent?"

"What if I have?"

Du Gu Xiang Tian's voice was sorrowful.

"I understand. The main branch of the Du Gu Clan should be handed over to you..."

They faced each other in silence.

After a long while.

He heard that aged voice speak with a hint of helplessness.

"I am already the last of the side branch. Why would I need your main branch status?"

"Besides, as the main branch, with a first-grade Xiantian cultivation base, you... can be considered up to standard."

"Therefore, I did not come to kill you."

Du Gu Xiang Tian's body was hunched, leaning against the corner of the wall, as a strange change seemed to occur within him.

The sword qi chasing after the sword intent had actually become more refined?

Hearing the 'old man's' words, Du Gu Xiang Tian finally realized that the opponent had not only spared him but had actually come to grant him an opportunity!

"Then... what does the elder need me to do?"

"Very well!"

Du Gu Xiang Tian did not care whether the Hu Long Shan Zhuang had reached an agreement with the Third Prince to secretly eliminate the experts beside the Ninth Prince. No benefit could compare to the gift this person before him had bestowed.

Along with it came the reconciliation of the two branches of the Du Gu Clan.

Du Gu Xiang Tian said resolutely:

"Elder, rest assured. The Hu Long Shan Zhuang will absolutely not oppose the Ninth Prince!"

Another gust of wind blew.

The old man before him vanished.

In Du Gu Xiang Tian's heart, infinite battle intent surged once more. As a first-grade Xiantian, he had been conservative for too long.

At this very moment, he finally woke up.

Even in the aspect of the Du Gu Jiu Jian that he was most adept at, there was someone who had gone further than him.

Without seeing the high mountain, one would never know how long the road ahead was.

But with a mountain there, a direction existed.

The sword qi in Du Gu Xiang Tian's body became more refined and active.

Now he had two choices.

First, refine this stream of sword intent to break through above the first grade, but an inner demon would forever remain in his heart.

Second, conquer it, achieving his own sword intent.

Du Gu Xiang Tian took a deep breath.

"Continue fighting!"

Ye Fan went and returned quickly. He increasingly felt that the "Shen Gong Bi Wen" of the maid Xiao Lan, gifted by the system, was a treasure.

It recorded in detail how the two branches of the Du Gu Clan had split due to competing for the position of the princess's consort.

Of course, looking at it now, this was merely imperial mind games.

However, he had secretly resolved the issue with the Hu Long Shan Zhuang...

If there was trouble in the future, he could let Monk Zhi Shen handle it while he slacked off.

Ye Fan smiled.

"Am I getting a bit lazy?"