“Looks like your master still cares quite a bit about you.” Li Qingshan smiled at Yu Wufeng.
Yu Wufeng subconsciously tightened his grip on his hilt and let out an undetectable “Yes”. That was his master, after all!
The streak of light as lofty and resplendent as a star seemed to notice Yu Wufeng as well. It suddenly accelerated, like a comet shooting across the sky, leaving behind a long tail as it sailed over.
Everyone on the beach raised their heads and watched the star descend upon them. The resplendent light rapidly swelled up in their eyes before landing on the ground and turning into a middle-aged man in the blink of an eye. He had a grey beard and wore a large cloak with a headdress on his head, adorned with dark-golden embroidery. His wide sleeves were folded right before him, holding a sword of simplistic design in his hand.
Both he and the sword gave off a stern and desolate aura. He was the master of the sword pavilion, Ye Duanhai.
“Master!” Yu Wufeng stumbled over and dropped down to one knee, leaning on his sword.
“Stand up!” Ye Duanhai was so stern that he was almost cold. He did not even try to help Yu Wufeng to his feet. However, the Sea Splitting sword in his hand produced a clear thrum, expressing just how emotional he was.
“I was useless. I have failed to live up to the high hopes you placed on me. Please punish me, master!” Yu Wufeng lowered his head, and the Fogbow sword in his hand shimmered with white light.
“Your cultivation is still fine. Seems like you haven’t wasted the past few years. You can accept punishment in the Sword Discipline pavilion yourself once you return.”
“Yes!” Yu Wufeng stood up.
Only at this moment did Ye Duanhai shift his gaze from his disciple. This great sword cultivator, filled with resolve and rigidness, did not even spend a moment to look at Gong Yuan or Ji Changfeng. His gaze immediately locked onto Li Qingshan.
“You’re Li Qingshan?”
Li Qingshan felt like a sword had sliced the parts of him that Ye Duanhai laid his eyes on. He was only ten paces away from Ye Duanhai. Even to regular swordsmen, this was a lethal distance, let alone to one of the few great sword cultivators in the world standing right before him.
Sword cultivators treated the sword as their heart. Even their soul nascences were sword nascences. They walked a path of slaughter, achieving domination in the world. Among the same realm of cultivation, sword cultivators could basically defeat all other cultivators.
It was as if a renowned sword had been placed across Li Qingshan’s neck, where he could be beheaded in just a single moment.
Li Qingshan was confident that Ye Duanhai was very tempted to do that. No one liked to be threatened, especially when the threats came from the weak. Li Qingshan felt extremely relieved that he had declared war against the Myriad Poison Ancestor and not the one before him right now. He probably would have blown up his sword nascence without the slightest hesitation, taking him down with him.
“That’s correct.” Li Qingshan met his gaze fearlessly. He could not help but smile. If meeting the Merfolk Queen’s gaze brought great comfort to the spirit turtle, then this was the tiger demon’s favourite development—a powerful enemy, repressed killing intent, a lethal threat.
In the moment he saw Li Qingshan, Ye Duanhai knew everything would be troublesome. From his many years of experience, he could tell with a single glance that Li Qingshan was an uncommon person of courage and resolve. Threats on his life would not work.
And from what Li Qingshan had said, Ye Duanhai discovered in surprise, This kid is not afraid of fighting me. He even yearns for it slightly!
There was no way this could be faked, as it was already extremely rare for a second heavenly tribulation cultivator to be able to maintain their battle spirit before a great sword cultivator. What did it mean when his battle intent became roused instead? Was he really unafraid of death, or was he relying on something?
Ye Duanhai’s plan was to directly seize Li Qingshan and take the Blood Oath Scroll from him. It was as simple and straightforward as that! Even if he could not seize Li Qingshan in time, he refused to believe he would view his own life with such disregard that he would actually throw his life at him. However, Li Qingshan’s response made him hesitate.
However, that was only for a split second before his thoughts immediately calmed down again, becoming icy-cold. He even set aside his concern for his dear disciple, handling this matter with absolute rationality.
The Sea Splitting sword was about to exit its sheath. A great battle was on the brink of erupting!
A figure suddenly stood between him and Li Qingshan.
“Please reconsider, master!”
After receiving Li Qingshan’s promise, Yu Wufeng had completely lightened up. At the same time, he made up his mind to prevent the South Sea Sword pavilion from making an enemy out of Li Qingshan. Only he knew just how terrifying of an enemy he could be.
Ye Duanhai frowned. Masters knew their disciples best. This disciple of his had never been one that was fearful of death. He would not refuse this gamble just because of the danger to his own life.
“Very well.”
Ye Duanhai kept the talking to a minimum, turning around and making his way to the platform. This matter touched on the future of his disciple, as well as the entire South Sea Sword pavilion. After receiving such a clear warning, he would not stubbornly continue with the gamble. He planned on thinking about some countermeasures and watching how the situation might unfold. Li Qingshan and Yu Wufeng were here anyway. The situation could not get any worse. He was confident about that.
His gaze paused on Xiao An momentarily, having guessed her identity already. He felt an unfathomable sword intent from her as well. With her age, it was impossible for her to possess such a sword intent. She was not a sword cultivator either, so was she hiding a treasured sword?
His senses were very accurate, but he did not notice the existence of the Buddha Slaying sword. After giving up on the path of the sword, Li Qingshan downright gave the Three Absolutes Calligraphy to Xiao An to refine so that she could unleash it to its fullest potential.
Li Qingshan nodded at Yu Wufeng, expressing he was free to move about as he pleased. Yu Wufeng showed a hint of gratitude. He mulled over some words inside, considering how he would talk with his master. After all, he was still bound to the Blood Oath Scroll. If he accidentally divulged a secret, the blood oath would be no joke. He had made it to this point after so much difficulty, with hope in sight already. If he had lost his life just because of a slip of the tongue, then that would be the greatest joke in the world.
If it were just his life, then that was fine. The issue was once he died to the Blood Oath Scroll, the South Sea Sword pavilion would never forgive Li Qingshan, and he would become the reason for the future devastation that the South Sea Sword pavilion would suffer.
After thinking it through, he was about to chase after Ye Duanhai when excited calls rang out right beside him, “Senior brother!” “Wufeng!”
Peng Jingni and the disciples of the sword pavilion immediately gathered around Yu Wufeng.
Li Qingshan exchanged glances with Xiao An. As long as Ye Duanhai had not turned against him the moment they met, the chances that they would clash would greatly diminish. Everything was going according to plan.
Most importantly, he had no actual disagreement with the South Sea Sword pavilion. He did not plan on using Yu Wufeng to threaten Ye Duanhai. This was merely a deal. In a struggle of life or death, I captured your disciple, and he even knows many of my secrets, so of course, I can’t let you take him back just because you asked. It makes perfect sense for you to pay a little.
If it had been Ji Changfeng or the Merfolk Queen instead trying to make this deal, then it would have been perfectly normal. Ye Duanhai would have never behaved like this. Instead, he would try and negotiate right from the beginning.
As a result, the crux of the matter still depended on the word “equality”.
“It has been several years since we last saw each other. Fellow, your cultivation has progressed yet again.” Peng Jingni left the crowd and took the initiative to greet Li Qingshan.
Li Qingshan was hiding his daemon qi, but he did not intentionally suppress the demon qi from the demon heart. After rupturing and recondensing numerous times, the demon heart had become much stronger than before.
That left Peng Jingni astounded. The rate at which his cultivation increased was just a little too startling.
