“But I’m a Demon King.”
Li Qingshan was slightly surprised. Even if the master of the Sword Collection palace wanted to kill him here, he would not be surprised. After all, the power he used was unacceptable to the righteous path, which would even raise the suspicion that he was colluding with the Demon domain. He had even gotten in the Light Queen’s way and let the Dark Queen escape.
If the master of the Sword Collection palace had not turned against him, then so be it, but he even allowed him to collect a sword, which was just a little too generous of him. Was there a scheme involved?
“Even the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga believes you have a buddha nature, so it’s not up to the Sword Collection palace to do some house cleaning. My Sword Collection palace upholds all promises it has issued. Since we have agreed to give you a sword, then come collect one!”
“What if I don’t want to go?” Li Qingshan asked.
“That’s up to you too.”
The master of the Sword Collection palace proactively moved out of the way and made an inviting gesture, expressing that he was free to leave.
The Light Queen and Ji Xuanri exchanged glances and also stowed their swords away.
“Wouldn’t I come off as haughty if I don’t go, given the palace master’s sincerity? Let’s go then!”
Li Qingshan smiled. No matter what kind of scheme was in place, he was confident he could break through it by force. Even if it was a lair of danger, he would barge right into it.
“Sure enough, you do have some courage!” the master of the Sword Collection palace said. He had not seen a single hint of fear from Li Qingshan the entire time.
“What, is the palace master supposed to harm me?” Li Qingshan said.
They travelled north together. Ji Xuanri and the Light Queen took Yu Zijian and Fu Qingjin with them, while Li Qingshan flew next to the master of the Sword Collection palace.
The swords moved extremely quickly, such that Li Qingshan fell behind very soon. He just smiled and did not try to keep up with them.
But soon after, Li Qingshan saw the Sword Collection peak that was renowned throughout the world.
A single peak hovered in the sky, splitting open the sea of clouds like a lone island.
Great Budda mountain of the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga earned its name because it resembled a great buddha, while the Sword Collection peak resembled an unrivalled sword!
Many mountains stood below. They were just like swords, paying homage to the divine sword in the sky!
Between the Sword Collection peak and the many mountains below were countless colossal, metal chains as if the divine sword would fly away the moment they snapped.
Li Qingshan thought, The mountains form the terrain, and the terrain composes the formation. The protective formation of the Sword Collection palace is definitely anything but ordinary. If I enter here and the master of the Sword Collection palace suddenly turns against me, it won’t be any safer than entering the Ink sea.
“Please!” The master of the Sword Collection palace raised his hand.
“Alright!”
……
The Sword Collection palace did not have a rule where flying was forbidden like the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga. The Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga was littered with buddha statues and pagodas. Buddhist disciples were forbidden from flying over the heads of eminent monks, bodhisattvas, and buddhas. However, to sword cultivators, flying on their swords was a basic among basics.
The various peaks flashed with streaks of light, assembled into sword formations as groups, dueling against each other one-against-one or flying alone, practising their sword-riding ability as they toured through the landscape. They really possessed the bearing of sword immortals.
The master of the Sword Collection palace invited Li Qingshan onto the Heaven Leaning peak, into the towering main hall of the sword palace. He issued orders. “Go inform the swordmasters of the various peaks to hold the Sword Selection ceremony immediately!”
Li Qingshan gazed outside. The sword-like peaks all suddenly lit up with lights of various colours, and they rapidly reached the Sword Collection palace along the metal chains.
In that moment, Li Qingshan heard a strange thrum. There was a rising lightness within the heaviness, enough to make his soul tremble.
The Sword Collection peak had been activated. A streak of light shot into the air, shattering all of the clouds and revealing the bountiful stars and boundless moonlight. They seemed to be spinning, which was a dizzying sight.
All of the disciples from the Sword Collection palace stopped what they were doing, looking up at this sight. Their expressions were basically no different from the disciples of the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga when the Dharma Ceremony of Meditative Chan was being held.
“What an annoying sound. Li Qingshan, where the hell are you right now?”
The Blade Spirit of Frenzy Flower’s voice suddenly rang through Li Qingshan’s mind. In order to stop the Blade Spirit of Frenzy Flower from talking drivel and making enemies for himself, he had kept the Frenzy Flower Blade of Path’s End in the Asura Field the entire time. However, they were mentally linked.
Only now did Li Qingshan look away. He asked in surprise, “You sensed it?”
“I hate swords the most. Hurry up and hack apart that damned sword for me!” The Blade Spirit of Frenzy Flower ordered.
“It’s not just one sword!”
Li Qingshan glanced at the Sword Collection peak. Who knew how many swords were planted there. The strange sound was probably produced when all the swords trembled away together.
“Really? Then hack through all of them!” the Blade Spirit of Frenzy Flower said restlessly.
“Don’t. One of the swords even belongs to me!” Li Qingshan was nowhere near bored enough to do that.
“What! You want to use a sword!? You dare to use a sword!?” The Blade Spirit of Frenzy Flower suddenly lashed out. Blade intent rushed straight into Li Qingshan’s sea of consciousness, producing colossal waves.
“You’re crazy!” Li Qingshan used the Spirit Turtle’s Method of Sea Suppression to suppress it in a hurry.
“You already have me. You’re forbidden from using any other weapon, let alone a sword. Those who use swords are all hypocrites who pose around. I kill them as I see them!” the Blade Spirit of Frenzy Flower said furiously.
“Haha, you’ve hit the nail right on the head! Not only are they hypocrites, but they’re posers too! Apart from my Xiao An!” Li Qingshan completely forgot about the fact that he also used swords in the past. “Don’t worry, I’m only pulling out a sword. I’m not exactly going to use it.”
“Then you better not blame me for not warning you. If you dare to refine another sword, any sword, we’re going our own ways!”
“Fellow, why do you smile?” The master of the Sword Collection palace only saw Li Qingshan smiling mysteriously.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I just felt a little excited when I saw this.”
Li Qingshan gazed at the master of the Sword Collection palace. If what the Blade Spirit of Frenzy Flower had said was correct, then this would be the greatest hypocrite and poser the world had to offer.
As they spoke, the swordmasters of the various peaks and the elders all arrived in the hall. One of them said in surprise, “Li Qingshan!”
Li Qingshan glanced over. He was a handsome man who also possessed a cultivation at the second heavenly tribulation. He must have been the swordmaster of a certain peak. Even the joy on his face was unable to dilute the sense of melancholy that he gave off, which Li Qingshan found to be rather familiar, but he was unable to recall his name on the spot. “You’re…”
“Yin Xiaochou! You’ve come at the perfect time! Are you bold enough to face me again?”
Yin Xiaochou’s face turned cold as he gripped the Breaking Water sword on his waist firmly. He had cultivated arduously for all these years exactly for this moment. If it were not for the fact that Li Qingshan had been in the Mist province, he would have visited him and challenged him a long time ago.
“Oh, it’s you!” Only now did Li Qingshan recall him. In the past, he had used a water sword to break through Yin Xiaochou’s Water Breaking sword. He had basically made his name in the Clear River prefecture through that battle.
“Since you’ve come, why still pose around?”
Yin Xiaochou was certain that Li Qingshan was intentionally trying to humiliate him by forgetting his name. Unfortunately, Li Qingshan had faced countless battles over the years, even losing count over the number of third heavenly tribulation cultivators he had killed. He had come close to death at all those times. How could a single battle with a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the past leave behind a deep impression?
At the very least, Fu Qingjin had still managed to pose a colossal threat to him, while Yin Xiaochou had been defeated by him in a single strike. His memories of him had vanished over the decades a long time ago.
“Posing around!” Li Qingshan could not help but say, “I don’t even use the sword anymore!”
“Xiaochou, don’t cause a disturbance!” the master of the Sword Collection palace said.
“Please allow me to spar with elder Li, palace master!”
Li Qingshan had forgotten about this a long time ago, but Yin Xiaochou had basically etched it into his heart, using it to motivate himself day and night. Now that an opportunity finally presented itself, he basically did not care about anything else.
ps: 今天是真的还有!很可能是还有还有!你们就原谅我那个食言的还有吧!
