The blade gleamed under Gu Qingyun’s hand, and upon that mirror-like surface of the sword, the blurry silhouette of Ye Qianjue holding Ye Yuan was actually reflected.
Summoning Lindong back, a dark cloud of sorrow covered Gu Qingyun’s face.
“Understood.” His voice was fragile, on the verge of shattering.
Ye Qianjue’s heart tightened as he looked at his despondent Master. Had his words been too harsh? Master looked so heartbroken, but his original intention hadn’t been like this at all! He only wanted to save Ye Yuan…
“Master…” Ye Qianjue looked at Gu Qingyun with self-reproach.
Gu Qingyun did not blame Ye Qianjue. How could he possibly blame Ye Qianjue? That was the disciple he had raised with his own hands and painstakingly nurtured.
Even if—
His current disciple had developed some ideas of his own.
Gu Qingyun stepped forward, slowly extending his right hand toward Ye Yuan, his fair and slender fingers about to touch the beast.
“Master!”
Ye Qianjue retreated, showing wariness toward Gu Qingyun.
Gu Qingyun looked at Ye Qianjue, feeling utterly lost as he said bitterly, “Your master will not harm him, it is merely… placing a dao curse, nothing more.”
Still half-doubting, Ye Qianjue took a step forward.
Watching his disciple’s hesitant steps, his expression had already turned dead as ashes.
Thinking back to the past before Ye Yuan had ever appeared, Ye Qianjue would never doubt him, let alone distance himself from him.
But now, values were degenerating, and everything seemed to have changed.
“Your master will use a spell to seal his remaining magical power and place a curse upon him. If the other party attempts any treacherous designs against you, the Ice-Mountain Silkworm Silk around his neck will make him pay the price.”
Gu Qingyun extended his hand, but that fair, jade-like hand paused in midair and was lowered once more.
He looked toward Ye Qianjue.
“This is the greatest concession your master can make. Consider yourselves warned.”
Ye Qianjue looked at Gu Qingyun with heartache, gratitude, and guilt, calling out “Master” over and over in a low voice, but Gu Qingyun did not halt his steps.
Exiting the Treasure Pavilion, Gu Qingyun vanished into the wind amidst countless pear blossoms right under the gaze of the two.
“Master…”
Ye Qianjue put Ye Yuan down, frowning as he said, “I saved you, so do not do bad things in the future. Otherwise, next time, even I won’t be able to help.”
Ye Qianjue left the Treasure Pavilion, while Ye Yuan looked at the room full of treasures, feeling entirely uninvested.
Escaping death should have made him very happy, but why did his chest feel tight and uncomfortable like something was blocking it upon seeing Ye Qianjue so sad?
Ye Qianjue ran to catch up with Gu Qingyun, sprinting on the ground while continuously shouting: “Master! Master, please wait for me!”
Gu Qingyun never turned his head, vanishing into the bamboo forest.
Ye Qianjue stood lost in the emerald bamboo forest, lifting his head to look at the sky. It was bright blue and cloudless for miles, but his mood was entirely covered by dark clouds.
“Master, Qianjue really doesn’t blame you, it’s me…”
This was the first time Ye Qianjue had called out to Gu Qingyun without receiving any response, and he collapsed, sitting helplessly on the ground.
He was fundamentally just a fifteen-and-a-half-year-old child who had grown up in a single, simple environment from a young age; encountering this kind of sudden situation was completely beyond his expectations.
A sob echoed out.
Ye Qianjue curled up into a small figure, hugging his legs and weeping silently, his body trembling continuously. It felt as though he had done a bad thing and hurt his Master. What was he supposed to do!
“Master, Qianjue wants Master, Master please don’t abandon Qianjue…” He sobbed all by himself in his dark grief.
A gentle breeze swept past, blowing Ye Qianjue’s hair into the air. He lifted his head in pleasant surprise, only to find Gu Qingyun standing beside him at some unknown point in time.
Ye Qianjue broke into a smile through his tears, throwing his arms around Gu Qingyun.
“Master, don’t leave Qianjue behind, Qianjue only has you left…”
The space between Gu Qingyun’s brows relaxed, and he knelt down to pull Ye Qianjue into his embrace.
It just so happened that this scene was witnessed by Ye Yuan, who had rushed over. Looking at this warm display, his heart twitched with a slight, stinging pain.
This was Ye Qianjue’s life. He had Gu Qingyun’s companionship; what he had said back in the Treasure Pavilion was nothing more than a lie told to save him.
Ye Yuan drooped his ears, his tail trailing against the ground.
Like a dog sweeping the floor, he left dejectedly and in isolation.
With three days remaining before the Immortal Alliance Conference, fellow daoists from all corners of the world had already gathered beneath the Three Immortal Peaks. Temporary sheds were set up at the foot of the mountain, and even the lotus pond that was usually cold and deserted was now packed with crowds of people.
If one were to ask who was the happiest, it absolutely had to be Ye Qianjue.
“Senior Brother! Senior Sister! Over here!” Ye Qianjue leaped up in place, waving his hand vigorously. Looking closely, what was that swaying along above his head it seemed to be a sword?
Bai Xiuzhu and Bai Fulan exchanged glances.
“Could it be that Master Gu gave him a sword ahead of time? This is way too biased!” Bai Xiuzhu raised his eyebrows, his eyes full of indignation.
Bai Fulan was also immensely curious. Could it be that Master Gu’s doting on his disciple had already reached such a ridiculous extent?
Ye Qianjue skipped over to stand before the two, and Ye Yuan followed along behind him.
“Look!”
Ye Qianjue raised the sword, putting on an incredibly proud face.
“Its name is Cangyuan, and Master went to the Nine Heavens Lake to get it for me~ Isn’t it exceptionally domineering!”
Ye Qianjue could not suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth, continuously talking about how powerful Gu Qingyun was, and how he had secured it from the hands of the mythical beast guarding the sword.
Naturally, there was no shortage of exaggeration in his tale, such as claims that the moment Gu Qingyun arrived, the mythical beast was so terrified it didn’t dare come out, or that even the lake water had to step aside upon seeing Gu Qingyun.
Every single sentence could not leave out Gu Qingyun, to the point that Ye Yuan, who was on the ground, covered his ears.
Ye Yuan’s eyes grew deep as he looked at that sword. He hadn’t expected Gu Qingyun would actually go and retrieve this precious weapon; that nine-headed monster in the lake possessed immense magical power. He himself had considered taking this sword in the past, but unfortunately had never succeeded.
For Cangyuan to be in Ye Qianjue’s hands right now meant that Gu Qingyun must have severely depleted his vital energy!
Ye Yuan used his paws to tug at the Ice-Mountain Silkworm Silk around his neck, only for it to immediately flash with red light and tighten by a few fractions.
“That piece of garbage Gu Qingyun! Does this Venerable really have to accompany this little idiot here? This physical body still has a five-year limit, which means this Venerable has to be a dog for five years!”
Ye Yuan howled in bitter grief.
His life was entirely ruined at the hands of Gu Qingyun. Once his five-year limit was up, he would definitely take Gu Qingyun’s wretched life!
Bai Xiuzhu led the group down to the foot of the mountain; the land that was originally devoid of a single soul was now a sea of people.
Looking down from above, it was nothing but a dense mass of heads.
Seeing this sight, Ye Qianjue finally gained a preliminary understanding of the scale of the Immortal Alliance Conference.
“Why isn’t everyone staying in inns? Why are they setting up sheds to live here instead?” Ye Qianjue looked at these cultivators in confusion.
Living out in the wild was bound to be so uncomfortable~
Bai Xiuzhu intentionally cleared his throat to sound profound, “Well now~ Naturally, there is a reason for this~ And only I, the future sect master of Wenxian Peak, can explain a thing or two to you~”
Bai Fulan let out a sigh, saying sternly, “Cut the nonsense! Hurry up and tell Little Junior Brother!”
Ye Qianjue’s eyes went wide, and holding his sword in hand, he stared at Bai Xiuzhu with excitement and anticipation.
“This gaze is a bit too intense… Don’t look at me like that, otherwise I won’t be able to speak…” Bai Xiuzhu narrowed his eyes, looking elsewhere.
The corner of Bai Fulan’s mouth twitched as she rewarded Bai Xiuzhu with a roll of her eyes, before speaking in a warm tone, “There are degrees of closeness between sects; we do not accept guests from those smaller sects with little reputation. Only sects with significant prestige and strength will have the gates of the Three Immortal Peaks thrown open to them. The inns are too far away, so it’s better to just pitch sheds at the foot of the mountain. Right now, the disciples of the He歡 Sect are staying at Baixian Peak, the disciples of Shushan are staying at Wenxian Peak, and as for your Feixian Peak~ it is being loaned to the cultivators of the Royal Family.”
“The cultivators of the Royal Family? Are they very powerful?”
“The Royal Family represents the various sects of the mortal realm, generally managing factions like the Beggar Sect and Wudu, so they can be considered the administrators of those groups. Of course, you mustn’t look down on them either; I hear that among the disciples the Royal Family has taken in over recent years, there are quite a few top-tier experts!”
After Bai Fulan finished speaking, Bai Xiuzhu lamented from the side.
“It happens once every fifteen years. If we win, we can make all the immortal sects thoroughly respect us, but if we don’t win, the good days for our Three Immortal Peaks will be at an end~”
“Rest assured!” Ye Qianjue patted his chest, “We will definitely win this time, I have plenty of confidence~”
Bai Xiuzhu and Bai Fulan reacted as if they had just heard the joke of the century. Pointing at the proud-faced Ye Qianjue, Bai Xiuzhu questioned, “Relying on you?”
“Yes, relying on me~”
Ye Qianjue frowned as he looked at Bai Xiuzhu, pouting his lips, “You don’t believe me?”
Without a second thought, Bai Xiuzhu shook his head.
“Senior Sister, do you believe me?” Ye Qianjue turned his head to look at Bai Fulan.
Uh…
The smile at the corner of Bai Fulan’s mouth froze. She looked toward Ye Qianjue; her little junior brother’s crystal-clear eyes were simply too beautiful! How could she deal a blow to him!
She nodded against her conscience, giving Ye Qianjue a thumbs-up as she affirmed, “Senior Sister believes you, Little Junior Brother just needs to do his best!”
Having received affirmation, Ye Qianjue’s confidence instantly surged. He stroked the hilt of his sword, and recalling the secret weapon his Master had provided, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Watching him laugh so foolishly, the sister and brother pair exchanged glances once more.
…Could it be that Little Junior Brother’s brain has gone bad?
It was a rare occasion for Ye Qianjue to see so many people; he had never truly left the Three Immortal Peaks before, at most lingering around the lotus pond at the foot of the mountain for brief moments. This time, rare treasures and talented individuals from all corners of the world were gathered here! He absolutely had to have a good time exploring~
Ye Qianjue wove through the crowd, pausing in front of the sheds from time to time to watch the cultivators fiddle with their magical tools.
“This Myriad-Thing Pouch can hold all creation; it was snatched right out from the nest of a fire-breathing, three-headed bird!”
“Mine is even more powerful. Have you ever seen a bamboo basket that doesn’t leak a single drop of water? This one of mine can pack an entire lake’s worth of water inside!”
“Wow~ They all sound incredibly amazing!” Ye Qianjue looked at those dazzling magical treasures with a face full of envy.
Having seen enough of the treasures, Ye Qianjue still felt unsatisfied. He turned around, preparing to stroll a bit further, when he bumped right into something solid.
“Ow, that hurts…”
Ye Qianjue covered his nose, the rims of his eyes turning red as he looked aggrievedly at the young man before him, “You bumped into me…”
“Audacious! Are your eyes blind? The one standing before you is the Fourth Prince!”
That young man stood over eight feet tall, possessing an exceptionally gorgeous and handsome countenance, his pair of peach-blossom eyes staring at Ye Qianjue with curiosity.
He spoke up to reprimand the attendant, “Do not speak out of turn.”
The Fourth Prince? Was that the Royal Family his senior sister had mentioned just now?
Ye Qianjue clutched his nose, it really hurt!
It was all the fault of this strange man in front of him, making his nose throb with pain. Ye Qianjue put his hands on his hips and said, “I don’t care what Fourth Prince you are, give me an apology!”
“You!” Seeing this, the attendant made a move to draw his sword, but was stopped by the young man.
The young man inclined his head slightly, his face entirely full of smiles, “This humble one is the Fourth Prince of the Tianqi Kingdom, Xuanyuan Xinbei.”
Xuanyuan Xinbei sized Ye Qianjue up for a few seconds, saying elegantly, “You may simply call me Xinbei. Just now I collided with you, fellow immortal, and here I offer my apologies.”
“Fellow immortal? Are you talking about me?”
Ye Qianjue suppressed a laugh as he looked at him, his pair of phoenix eyes arching slightly, looking stunningly beautiful!
Even Xuanyuan Xinbei, who had laid eyes upon countless individuals, found himself dazed by the sight. It was only when Ye Qianjue inquired a second time that he snapped out of it.
“Looking at you, fellow immortal, your age isn’t great, but looking at the precious sword worn at your waist, one can discern a thing or two.”
Was the sword Master gave him really that impressive? Ye Qianjue rejoiced inwardly; this time he truly had asked for the right thing! He knew it by pestering his Master, he would always get good things!
Ye Qianjue quite liked the Fourth Prince, Xuanyuan Xinbei, standing before him!
He extended a hand, saying forthrightly, “I am definitely making you my friend.”
“Woof, woof, woof!”
Ye Yuan began to frantically tear and bite at Xuanyuan Xinbei’s robes down at their feet.
“Audacious! Where did this stray dog come from! How dare it offend its superiors!” That attendant drew his sword from its scabbard once more.
Ye Qianjue swiftly scooped Ye Yuan up into his arms, explaining, “Wait a moment, this is my spiritual pet! He won’t just bite people for no reason; just now he simply didn’t like me interacting with a stranger. But now you are my friend, so you don’t count as a stranger~”
Ye Yuan looked at Ye Qianjue with a face full of sorrow and worry.
The Fourth Prince of the Human Race, Xuanyuan Xinbei, secured his position by relying on ruthless and underhanded methods. You absolute fool, why do you always provoke such dangerous figures?