Unsheathed

The rain and mist around Misty Mountain made it appear as if the mountain were shrouded in night all year long, yet the brilliant sword light cut through the darkness and made it appear like day. The closer the sword immortal got to Misty Mountain, the quicker Chen Ping’an soared forward. He didn’t pause or hesitate at all, and it was clear that he wasn’t the least bit afraid of Misty Mountain’s mountain-protection formation. The sword light suddenly glowed with increasing brilliance, and even Lü Yundai couldn’t help but narrow his eyes at this moment, averting his gaze from the explosive burst of sword light.

As if he were cutting tofu, Chen Ping’an sliced through the mountain-protection formation of Misty Mountain with a single sword strike. He then charged straight toward the ancestral hall located at the peak of the mountain.

The six mountain-protection flying swords that had made significant contributions to the defense of Misty Mountain were surprisingly unable to block the uninvited guest. Not only that, but the flying swords swayed about as if they were going to fall at any moment, seemingly afraid of the long sword under the sword immortal’s feet.

The most terrifying thing was that the golden thread that stretched from the horizon all the way to Misty Mountain didn’t vanish after the sword immortal broke through the mountain-protection formation.

The length of the sword qi and the brilliance of the sword intent were simply astounding.

The wind and rain were swept over by the person and his sword, causing the astral wind to swirl violently and the spiritual energy to churn at the peak of the mountain. Apart from Lü Yundai, everyone else from Misty Mountain had their souls waver and their breathing stifled. In fact, some of the cultivators with weaker cultivation bases even stumbled back several steps. This was especially the case for the young cultivator who only had the right to stand outside the ancestral hall because of his aptitude as a sword cultivator. If it weren’t for his master secretly tugging his sleeve, he might have lost his balance and directly collapsed to the ground.

It was only at this moment that the cultivators of Misty Mountain clearly saw the appearance of the uninvited guest. He was a tall and thin young man wearing an azure robe.

He gracefully hovered to the ground, after which the sword under his feet returned to the scabbard on his back. Everything happened in one smooth motion.

Chen Ping’an held his hands inside his opposite sleeves, slowly walking forward and glancing at the relatively composed Lü Yundai as well as the uneasy Lü Tingjiao in white. He smiled faintly and said, “I’m visiting Misty Mountain today to tell your immortal force one thing: I’m the Dao guardian of Blusher Prefecture’s Zhao Luan. Do you understand?”

Uncle Master Hong lived in relative seclusion, and the elderly cultivator holding his walking stick with both hands had already accepted his fate. He had given up all of his power and influence in the immortal force, and he was simply relying on his status as the uncle master of the mountain master to enjoy his final years. He didn’t involve himself with the matters of the sect. However, he hurriedly nodded in understanding at this moment, not caring whether he truly understood the situation or not. He would pretend that he understood and go from there.

The Cave Abode Tier cultivator who was skilled at sword manipulation techniques felt extremely parched at this moment, and it was clear that she was feeling apprehensive and already having thoughts of surrender. She had been filled with confidence and indomitable might just then, appearing as if she were completely unafraid of the uninvited outsider. However, all of this had deserted her at this moment.

Meanwhile, her prized disciple who was a fellow sword cultivator didn’t even possess the courage to look their opponent in the eye.

Lü Yundai narrowed his eyes, feeling slightly puzzled in his mind. However, he maintained the smile on his face as he asked, “Can you please elaborate, Senior Sword Immortal?”

There were fewer than twenty paces between Chen Ping’an and Lü Yundai.

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “Your Misty Mountain is quite an interesting place. Those who don’t understand pretend to understand, while those who understand pretend not to understand. But this doesn’t matter…”

After pausing for a moment, Chen Ping’an’s gaze shifted to the area behind the cultivators, asking, “This is your ancestral hall, right?”

Lü Yundai was still weighing up the situation in his mind, but he put on a furious expression and replied, “Senior Sword Immortal, are you truly going to act unreasonably? Are you going to take advantage of your strength to suppress us without explaining the situation first?”

Chen Ping’an turned his head slightly to look at Lü Yundai, and the Dragon Gate Tier cultivator’s demeanor and speech couldn’t trick him at all. He was very familiar with these kinds of people, and their outward strength was nothing more than a facade, with their true intention being to occupy the moral high ground.

Lü Yundai didn’t need to speak his true thoughts, but Chen Ping’an was aware that he wanted to say that the Colorful Garment Nation now fell under the jurisdiction of the Great Li Empire. As such, Chen Ping’an should carefully think about his actions. More than half of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent was controlled by the Great Li Empire’s Imperial Song Clan now, so even a so-called sword cultivator like him wouldn’t be able to act arrogantly for too long.

Since this was the case, Chen Ping’an used the official dialect of the Great Li Empire to say to Lü Yundai, “I’m a citizen of the Great Li Empire, so your backer might not be as effective as you think if it’s unfortunately the heavy cavalry of the empire. Of course, it’s completely up to you whether you believe this or not. Moreover, my relationship with the imperial court of the Great Li Empire is only so-so.”

Lü Tingjiao cursed in his mind.

This sword cultivator was speaking a load of half-truths, so taking into account the swaying loyalty of the cultivators in Misty Mountain, how could they still work together to face this enemy?

Lü Tingjiao was indeed trashy when it came to cultivation, and the rumors swirling around the nation were absolutely on point. In reality, even his father was helpless regarding this matter. However, Lü Tingjiao’s ambition had never been to cultivate on the mountains and attain immortality. This ambition was far too lofty and unattainable. Instead, he took a step back and pursued something easier, hoping to become a mountain master who didn’t need to charge into battle himself. Lü Tingjiao was confident that he was more than talented enough to achieve this.

What Chen Ping’an said next was very frank and direct, similar to how he had barged through the mountain-protection formation and strolled into Misty Mountain. “As Zhao Luan’s Dao guardian, I’m not going to waste my breath with you after traveling all the way to Misty Mountain. I simply want to ask you and your son a question: Will you still covet Zhao Luan’s cultivation aptitude in the future, and will your son still lust after her beauty? You simply need to answer me with a yes or a no.”

Lü Yundai’s expression became solemn.

There was nothing that annoyed him more than blunt and straightforward negotiations.

Lü Tingjiao was just about to say something to get some wiggle room and try to win back some face for Misty Mountain.

However, the young sword cultivator in azure unexpectedly smiled and cut him off, continuing, “This is my final warning to you. I know all about your glib explanations and so-called reasons. Things like you, Lü Yundai, being sure that Zhao Luan is a cultivation prodigy, so Misty Mountain will definitely treat her with the proper respect and etiquette and guide her with all its ability, not having any ulterior motives. You won’t force her either if she’s truly unwilling to join Misty Mountain, and you most definitely won’t threaten Wu Shuowen’s relatives to achieve your goals.

“Taking a step back, talented young men are naturally fond of fair maidens, so how can I convict Lü Tingjiao of any crime, seeing that he hasn’t yet violated Zhao Luan in any way? In addition, the Great Li Empire has also established a rule stating that those in the mountains aren’t allowed to wantonly challenge each other without permission, or else the imperial court will hold them accountable. I understand all of these nonsensical explanations and reasons.

“You people have a lot of spare time on your hands, so you can afford to stand here and waste time. However, I’m a very busy person with little time to waste. So, circling back to the two questions I asked just then, answer me with a yes or a no.”

Chen Ping’an raised his hands and rubbed his cheeks, saying in self-ridicule, “No, I need to fix this habit of rambling on before a fight. Otherwise, I’ll be no different from how Ma Kuxuan was back then.”

Chen Ping’an waited quietly for a brief moment.

He then nodded and said, “I understand.”

Chen Ping’an held his hand out.

There was a crisp metallic ring as Sword Immortal flew out of its scabbard on his back and into his hand.

Chen Ping’an lightly slashed downward.

His movement was casual, yet the sword qi contained inside Sword Immortal wasn’t ordinary at all.

The ancestral hall of Misty Mountain was separated into two.

However, it ultimately didn’t collapse into a heap.

Those who were more experienced in conflicts didn’t dare to turn around to look.

Only cultivation fledglings like the young third tier sword cultivator turned their heads in a slightly stiff manner, looking at the outcome of Chen Ping’an’s sword strike.

Chen Ping’an raised his arm and resheathed his sword.

Lü Yundai seemingly noticed something strange at this moment, and he wanted to take a risk to confirm his speculation. Thus, his hand moved slightly inside his sleeve.

The peak of Misty Mountain shuddered with a loud boom, yet it wasn’t the majestic ancestral hall behind them suffering further damage. Instead, the ground where the sword immortal in azure had been standing was fractured, and the sword immortal was already nowhere to be seen.

Just when Lü Yundai had wanted to do something, Chen Ping’an’s other hand hidden inside his sleeve had already retrieved an Inch Movement Talisman.

There were fewer than twenty paces between them.

These cultivators from Misty Mountain are quite confident and bold, huh? They’re completely unworried about standing this close to a pure martial artist who essentially fights to the death with a Far Roaming Tier grandmaster every single day?

Is the physique of a Dragon Gate Tier cultivator this indestructible?

There was a deafening rumble.

Chen Ping’an was already standing beside Lü Yundai’s initial position, while the mountain master of Misty Mountain and the paragon cultivator of the Colorful Garment Nation had already been thrown back like a broken kite. Blood spurted from his face as he thudded to the ground dozens of meters away.

Including Uncle Master Hong and Lü Tingjiao, everyone who fell under Chen Ping’an’s gaze started to shuffle back in retreat.

Chen Ping’an patted his Sword Nurturing Gourd, and First and Fifteenth that had already been itching for action for a long time flew out one after another, carving two streaks of light in the air as they impaled themselves into Lü Yundai’s palms, eliciting a howl of agony from the mountain master.

In Chen Ping’an’s view, this Dragon Gate Tier cultivator was reacting so pathetically to these minor injuries because things had been far too smooth-sailing for him in the Colorful Garment Nation. He hadn’t experienced pain and hardship for far too long.

It was because of this that he was… quite similar to Pei Qian?

Chen Ping’an looked toward Lü Tingjiao and asked, “You’re also involved in this matter, so tell me your answer.”

Lü Tingjiao was extremely frightened, and he replied, “Since Senior Sword Immortal is Zhao Luan’s Dao guardian, I guarantee that all cultivators from Misty Mountain will take a detour when we see her in the future, no exceptions!”

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “It’s without a doubt that you’re conceding on the surface but fuming on the inside, thinking that you’re still yet to unleash your trump card. No matter, I’ll stay in the Colorful Garment Nation’s Blusher Prefecture for a few days to wait for you. Either come in person or send me a letter, but at least give me a sincere response. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to make another trip to Misty Mountain.”

Chen Ping’an’s gaze was solemn as he glanced at the repairable ancestral hall of the immortal force, and Sword Immortal, the sword on his back, surprisingly rang in a cheerful manner. Its ringing sounded like a roaring dragon, and golden light continued to flow out from the sword scabbard, with the sword qi appearing like flowing water. This was an extremely strange sight that further shocked the cultivators of Misty Mountain.

Chen Ping’an took a deep breath and composed himself before saying slowly, “Don’t delay my cultivation!”

He turned around and took a single stride, transforming into a streak of azure as he dashed away from the mountain peak. He plummeted downward, yet Sword Immortal immediately left its scabbard and appeared under his feet, allowing him to immediately shoot upward and soar into the clouds.

The cultivators of Misty Mountain had no idea what kind of technique the sword immortal in azure had used to defeat the powerful flying swords of their mountain-protection formation, sending them spiralling around in disarray.

After flying to Misty Mountain on a sword and shattering its mountain-protection formation with a single sword strike, the uninvited guest in azure was now flying away on his sword.