Unsheathed

By the time Chen Ping’an made his way down the staircase and returned to his seat, he had already missed two major battles.

Daoist Priest Zhang Shan, who was seated on the adjacent chair, hurriedly rose to his feet and cupped his fist in a grateful salute upon spotting Chen Ping’an, who returned the salute before accepting the jade badge that was being returned to him.

For this publicly disclosed battle between sworn enemies, the battlefield hadn’t been set in either Wind Lightning Field or on Sun Scorch Mountain in order to ensure fairness. Instead, the designated battlefield was the Divine Platform of Wind Snow Temple. As a Militarian sacred land, Wind Snow Temple was on friendly terms with more powers than True Martial Mountain, and it had also always kept a lower profile.

The disciples who left the sect to go on long journeys mostly did so for exploration and training purposes rather than to step onto any battlefields, so Wind Snow Temple had good relations with both sects and wasn’t going to be biased toward either one.

As for why Wind Snow Temple had chosen the Divine Platform, one of the reasons was because it was situated on the summit of a tall mountain, thereby providing a stunning view and wide horizons. Purely visually speaking, the Divine Platform was the most scenic location in the entirety of Wind Snow Temple.

On top of that, the Divine Platform had very few disciples and was being propped up almost solely by Wei Jin, but due to reasons surrounding Wei Jin’s master, he didn’t have very close ties with the sect, so it was presumably the case that Wind Snow Temple was trying to take advantage of this opportunity to add some numbers to the Divine Platform’s ranks.

After hearing the outcomes of the first two battles from Qiu Shi, Chen Ping’an was astonished. Wind Lightning Field had lost both battles, losing a pair of renowned and formidable swordsmen in the process, both of whom had perished to their Sun Scorch Mountain opponents.

For the second battle, both of the combatants had perished, but the cultivator of Sun Scorch Mountain had managed to survive just a little longer than his Wind Lightning Field opponent, so according to the rules, Wind Snow Temple assigned the victory to Sun Scorch Mountain.

Despite how vast the Divine Platform was, there weren’t many people who had come to spectate the battles. There was a small cluster of buildings situated in the Divine Platform’s northeastern corner, and only the Qi refiners of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent who possessed sufficient status and cultivation base were permitted to spectate the battles from those buildings.

As for everyone else who wished to spectate, they could only do so from afar from the other mountains in Wind Snow Temple.

Hence, the two opposing sects occupied virtually the entirety of the Divine Platform.

Only after some conversation did Chen Ping’an discover that Zhang Shan hadn’t even heard of Wind Lightning Field and Sun Scorch Mountain before. However, this wasn’t all that unexpected. The Qi refiners of Complete Reed Continent had always held themselves in very high regard, and as the smallest of the nine continents, Eastern Treasured Vial Continent had perpetually been looked down on.

Perhaps only the likes of Mountain Cliff Academy, Lake View Academy, and people like Cui Chan, Song Changjing, and Wei Jin were worthy of any degree of respect in the eyes of Complete Reed Continent’s cultivators.

Furthermore, given Zhang Shan’s cultivation base and the fact that he was from a different continent, it would’ve been much stranger if he had known so much about Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.

The entire continent was aware that Wind Lightning Field and Sun Scorch Mountain were sworn enemies. In the sword spar arena in the deepest part of Wind Lightning Field were the remains of the Sun Scorch Mountain matriarch.

Following her demise in battle, she had been exposed to the elements to this very day, and not only was Wind Lightning Field unwilling to return the body so that the disciples of Sun Scorch Mountain could hold a proper burial, even the longsword that impaled her head to put an end to her life hadn’t been pulled out.

Her body remained in the sword spar arena for all disciples and visitors of Wind Lightning Field to gawk and jeer at, and it had already been this way for 300 years.

This was humiliation of the highest order!

Sun Scorch Mountain stood at the pinnacle of swordsmanship on the continent, and it had been going from strength to strength during the past 300 years. Its three youngest generations of disciple were already more exceptional than those of Wind Lightning Field, and roughly once every 60 years, someone from Sun Scorch Mountain would issue a challenge to Wind Lightning Field in an attempt to recover the remains of their matriarch.

However, the master of Wind Lightning Field, the very same person who had slain Sun Scorch Mountain’s matriarch, lived for 300 more years after that battle. Even though Sun Scorch Mountain had churned out a whole host of prodigies during this time, none of them were able to defeat the field master.

When it came to those who came to challenge him, he dealt with them more humanely than he did with Sun Scorch Mountain’s matriarch, but he certainly wasn’t kind or benevolent by any stretch of the imagination, either snapping the bridge of immortality of the challenger, or destroying their bonded swords.

In reality, for the cultivators of Sun Scorch Mountain, this was a fate worse than death, and they would’ve much rather died a valiant death in battle than be relegated to such a terrible fate.

This was the origin of the classic story of “one man from Wind Lightning Field dominating an entire mountain”.

Finally, the master of Wind Lightning Field passed away, and it was said that he had gone into the cycle of reincarnation in early spring. His passing also coincided with the passage of 60 years since the last challenge, and even though Wind Lightning Field had done everything in its power to keep this a secret, the cultivators of Sun Scorch Mountain were still somehow able to find out.

In the wake of this news being leaked, the cultivators of Sun Scorch Mountain were ecstatic, with some offering incense and wine to their deceased matriarch, while some of the elderly cultivators who had lived through the humiliation from 300 years ago drank until they were completely inebriated.

The young swordsmen of Sun Scorch Mountain were raring to go, having finally been presented with an opportunity to exact vengeance for the 300 years of humiliation that they had suffered.

Sun Scorch Mountain had won the first two battles in very convincing fashion, and as a result, the third battle that was supposed to have decided the outcome of the contest had become completely superfluous.

Qiu Shi was actually feeling a little concerned. In her eyes, the final battle most likely wasn’t going to happen. Wind Lightning Field had already lost two battles, and they were able to save some face in the second battle, during which both combatants had fallen to their demise, but if they were to lose the final battle, then that would be three losses in a row, and Wind Lightning Field’s reputation would’ve been completely ruined.

If Wind Lightning Field were to stop here, at least it could be said that they were gracious in defeat.

All of a sudden, Chen Ping’an thought of the swordsman Liu Baqiao, who had accompanied him into the mountain in search of model trees, and he said, “Wind Lightning Field will definitely fight the third battle.”

To Chen Ping’an, Liu Baqiao wasn’t a friend or a foe. However, among the group of cultivators who had visited the small town from the outside world, he was one that had left a very deep impression on Chen Ping’an, and he just had a feeling that a sect that could produce a swordsman like Liu Baqiao definitely wouldn’t back down just so save face.

Sure enough, after a secret three-way discussion between Wind Snow Temple, Wind Lightning Field, and Sun Scorch Mountain, the short and child-like master of Wind Snow Temple led a pair of cultivators to the center of the Divine Platform, where he declared the imminent commencement of the third battle.

Sun Scorch Mountain had sent out Su Jia, and she had a longsword strapped to her back and a Sword Nurturing Gourd strapped to her waist. As usual, she was truly stunning to behold.

The swordsman representing Wind Lightning Field was the final disciple of the field master, and his name was Huang He. He carried a massive sword case on his back, and it was unclear whether there was a single massive sword inside or multiple smaller swords.

Almost everyone’s attention was focused on the young swordsman and swordswoman, but in contrast, Chen Ping’an was circulating the True Qi within his body, and his gaze was directed toward the cluster of buildings on the Divine Platform, trying to find a certain person.

The scroll was only so large, but one of the main reasons this practice was so popular was that Qi refiners and martial artists both had far superior eyesight compared with the average person. A mortal saw a grain of sand as just that, whereas a Dao Ancestor could see an entire world.

All of a sudden, a cold gleam flashed through Chen Ping’an’s eyes as he picked up a few sparrow’s tongue tea leaves to chew on.

Standing in the corridor on the top floor of a tall building was an imposing elderly man dressed in a white robe. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he looked down at the plaza on the Divine Platform, and there was a little girl with a set of intricate features straddled across his shoulders.

The elderly man was standing slightly to the right relative to the center, and all of those next to him were extremely esteemed figures on Sun Scorch Mountain, giving off a vast collective aura that rose straight up into the heavens.

Chen Ping’an stared intently at the old man in white for a moment, then shifted his gaze toward another tall building, this one having been assigned to Wind Lightning Field’s cultivators by the Divine Platform. There were very few swordsmen standing on this building.

In contrast with Sun Scorch Mountain, which had sent out virtually all of its swordsmen of the Middle Five Tiers, Wind Lightning Field had barely sent anyone to the event, and most of them appeared quite young.

For example, Liu Baqiao was seated on the railing in an uncouth posture, but despite his lackadaisical demeanor, there was a grim look in his eyes in the wake of the two consecutive defeats suffered by Wind Lightning Field.

Zhang Shan was intently scrutinizing the unfolding scene, and he murmured to himself, “It’s about to begin!”

Qiu Shi smiled as she said, “For the first two battles, both sides were aiming to kill one another. However, the outcome of this battle is inconsequential, so I’m assuming it’ll be more of a back-and-forth affair and won’t be as fierce as the previous two.”

Chen Ping’an refrained from offering any opinion on the matter.

His thoughts were still primarily lingering on that Mountain-moving Ape of Sun Scorch Mountain.

Chen Ping’an silently committed to memory all of the faces that he could see on the pavilion assigned to the Sun Scorch Mountain cultivators. Only by knowing the enemy could he be best prepared. Compared with hearing about these people from others, it was far more reliable to see them with his own two eyes.

Perhaps these people were going to stand in his way during his future ascent to the mountaintop, so they were all potential enemies of his. Of course, he was still very far away from reaching that point. After all, at this moment, he was still only a third-tier martial artist.

The old man wearing the mink fur hat mused, “That lass by the name of Su Jia is most likely not in for a good time.”

The young swordsman situated to the far right was habitually patting the scabbard of his swords as he nodded in agreement. “Her loss is sealed. It’s too bad that the Sword Nurturing Gourd fell into her hands. I don’t think you’d be able to find a third such Sword Nurturing Gourd even on the entire Complete Reed Continent.”

Sure enough, the battle concluded after only three exchanges. Su Jia had drawn her sword and released the bonded flying sword from her Sword Nurturing Gourd, but she was still comprehensively defeated by Huang He. As it turned out, the huge sword casket on his back was filled with small swords, and it was as if he were carrying a hornet’s nest on his back. There was no single bonded flying sword.

Instead, he excelled in controlling a large number of flying swords at once, and Su Jia was completely powerless to retaliate. One sword pierced through her sword-wielding arm, another severed the red rope that tied her Sword Nurturing Gourd to her belt, and finally, a pair of flying swords pierced through her wrists. By the time she fell onto the ground in a puddle of her own blood, she had already fallen unconscious.

There weren’t that many truly widely admired celestial maidens on Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. The former Jade Girl, He Xiaoliang, was undoubtedly at the top of the list, following which were Su Jia and three or four other women.

They were goddesses who had descended into the mortal realm in the eyes of countless young male Qi refiners, and they were showered with love and admiration. There were even some who jokingly claimed that ever since Su Jia made a name for herself, the yearly new disciple intake for Sun Scorch Mountain had increased by as much as 30%.

Huang He was standing beside Su Jia, and he raised a foot before stepping down onto that exceptional Sword Nurturing Gourd, gently rolling it back and forth underfoot.

The corners of his lips then curled up slightly as he swept his gaze across her surroundings, then finally settled his gaze on the pavilion where all of the esteemed figures of Sun Scorch Mountain were gathered.

An inky-black bonded flying sword flew out of his glabella, and it was buzzing audibly. As soon as the flying sword emerged, the originally tranquil wind and clouds around the entire Divine Platform were instantly swept up into a chaotic frenzy.

After that public display of provocation, Huang He withdrew his bonded flying sword, then declared toward the pavilion, “In 60 years, I’ll be visiting Sun Scorch Mountain to issue a challenge, and I’ll be claiming another head to be placed in our Wind Lightning Field.”

An elderly founder of Sun Scorch Mountain standing on the top floor of the pavilion was furious to hear this, and he was barely able to suppress the urge to storm onto the plaza and stomp this arrogant little bastard to death.

All of a sudden, the doors of the top floor of the pavilion where Wind Lightning Field’s cultivators were situated opened, and a handsome black-robed swordsman emerged, from within, then cast his gaze toward the elderly founder of Sun Scorch Mountain as he jibed, “It’s not good for old men like us to pick on these juniors. If you want a fight, then how about I be your opponent?”

As soon as this swordsman emerged from the pavilion, not only was that elderly founder of Sun Scorch Mountain stunned into silence, all of the other Sun Scorch Mountain cultivators were also completely astonished, and a hint of despair had surfaced in their eyes.

This man was none other than the master of Wind Lightning Field, Li Tuanjing. He was truly a prodigious swordsman, reaching the 10th tier at just 40 years of age, but what was very strange about him was that he hadn’t advanced any further in his cultivation base during the next few centuries after that.

However, even though he hadn’t advanced to the Upper Five Tiers, he was still considered to be among the handful of most formidable swordsmen on the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, certainly the most fearsome of all of the continent’s 10th tier swordsmen.

Prior to reaching the 11th tier, Wei Jin had also admitted that he was no match for Li Tuanjing.

Wasn’t he supposed to have passed away?

Li Tuanjing paid no further heed to the bewildered Sun Scorch Mountain cultivators as he raised his head with a smile, seemingly casting his gaze toward all of the people spectating the battles from behind the scenes. He then clasped a hand behind his back before joining the index and middle fingers of his other hand, then gently swept those two fingers through the air with a flick of his wrist.

A gentle breeze was instantly released from his fingertips before transforming into a streak of vast sword Qi, and it circled around in the sky above the Divine Platform, severing the connection between the Divine Platform and the outside world.

All of the people in the scroll were completely astonished, while those outside of it were just as flabbergasted.

Standing on the tall pavilion on the Divine Platform, Li Tuanjing didn’t attack the Sun Scorch Mountain cultivators, nor did he issue any threats. Instead, he merely observed the drifting clouds in the distance, seemingly in a daze.

The cultivators of Wind Snow Temple were quite relieved to see this.

As the most formidable 10th tier swordsman, Li Tuanjing’s powers were nearly unmatched. Whenever a Qi refiner was considered to be the best among a certain group, especially in the context of an entire continent, then they were sure to be extremely fearsome.

For example, back when Song Changjing was considered to be the most formidable ninth tier martial artist on the continent, it was said that he had already displayed 10th tier combat prowess during that battle in the capital city.