Fueled by one breath of resolve, he wanted to uncover that blank space.
But upon truly seeing her, he realized he had thought it too simple.
Just now, he hadn’t even had the courage to step forward and greet her.
And the matter was too long in the past; even if he wanted to investigate, he didn’t know where to start.
Could he just go ask her directly?
Getting beaten out would be the light punishment.
Or rather, there was actually another way.
Just as he was unwilling to seek Shen Chengyin’s help, Mu Daoying actually didn’t want to go to that second young master either.
Times had changed, his mindset different; facing Cheng Xun now, his thoughts were entirely unlike before.
But he couldn’t avoid it. Right now, to learn more about Liu Qiao’e, he had to start with Cheng Xun.
He felt guilt in his heart.
–
On the day the Spring Terrace Dao Inquiry grand assembly opened,
It was the fifth day Liu Qiao’e had stayed at Soaring Cloud Peak.
In these five days, the batch of Joyous Union Palace disciples she brought—
Or rather, the Demonic Sect elites disguised as Joyous Union Palace disciples.
No one knew what methods Luo Naji used, but they had evaded the checks at those fifty-four gate caves.
This batch of disciples—mixed between Joyous Union Palace and Demonic Sect—were all elites and dead men.
In these five days, they had largely scouted Wandering Sword Pavilion’s defensive formations.
The defenses of one of the three great sects naturally weren’t easy to crack, but it was merely to prevent mishaps and maximize success.
Their goal this trip was solely the Mountains and Rivers Sword.
Today was the first day of the Spring Terrace Dao Inquiry.
Liu Qiao’e once again stood at the lattice window, gazing coldly and silently at the tallest distant peak.
This was the venue for this session’s Spring Terrace Dao Inquiry, a vermilion tower over a hundred feet tall that rose straight from the ground, with bells at its four corners resounding through the clouds.
On the day of the Spring Terrace Dao Inquiry finals, a peony would be tied to the top of the tower with silk ribbons.
Whoever retrieved that peony first would be the champion of this session’s Spring Terrace Dao Inquiry.
Liu Qiao’e had no interest in who would win this time, because she had already seen the best.
No one possessed Mu Daoying’s stunning elegance.
The youth wore only a faded light blue Daoist robe, the color of the clearest, most expansive sky after rain. He descended gracefully, exuding a true Daoist aura, truly like an immortal descending to the mortal world.
His fair fingertips pinched a peony flower,
which he protected so well that even the dew on its petals had not been scattered by the clouds.
The young geniuses of the cultivation world all had some arrogance, for they truly possessed the capital for pride.
Later, she had seen other champions, all of whom became somewhat complacent and deliberately showed off their charm.
After seeing a few, she still remembered Mu Daoying’s clean and calm demeanor.
So plain and unadorned, without the slightest arrogance. It was “Having comprehended the vastness of heaven and earth, yet still cherishes the green of grass and trees,” truly revealing waves in the subtle details, peerless elegance amid the ordinary.
In these past few days, Liu Qiao’e rarely appeared in public. When she did, she merely glanced around a few times before turning back to Soaring Cloud Peak.
Even if Mu Daoying wanted to seek out Cheng Xun, Cheng Xun guarded her side day and night without leaving an inch, leaving him utterly helpless and at a loss.
Zhao Yange had also come to the Wandering Sword Pavilion and visited him once with Shen Chengyin.
In just the short span of two months, he seemed to have rapidly fallen into destitute straits, with whiskers growing on his chin and a somewhat dazed expression.
When he saw Mu Daoying, though down on his luck, still maintaining that pure, clean, and refined charm, with a serene and peaceful aura around him, his injuries seemingly healed, and rich spiritual energy flowing around him like mist.
He poured him a cup of tea and let him speak slowly. The two seemed to have reversed roles.
Zhao Yange let out a breath of relief.
He knew that Mu Daoying was the kind of person who, even in adversity, could keep himself neat, refined, and impeccably composed.
“Ning Xia, you were right, we were all wrong.” He picked up the tea and drained it in one gulp, smiling bitterly. “I was wrong! So very wrong!”
Mu Daoying asked, “Is it that Great Dream Pill?”
Zhao Yange sucked in a cold breath, shocked by his calm composure.
“You… Sigh!” He let out a heavy sigh.
That aphrodisiac, along with the Soul-Returning Lamp, had been sent together to the Jade Capital. Although the Immortal Alliance showed no movement.
“But these past few days, disciples from the Immortal Alliance have been coming and going from the Jade Clarity Temple. They come hastily and leave hastily; this was just giving face to the Jade Clarity Temple without making a fuss!”
Zhao Yange smiled bitterly. “The Immortal Alliance has already grown suspicious. Sooner or later, they will trace it back to the Jade Clarity Temple. At that time, our sect master, our Jade Clarity Temple… Who would have thought our Jade Clarity Temple was truly colluding with the Demonic Sect!”
Mu Daoying refilled his cup with tea. “The most urgent matter now is to first find an elder or senior who can shoulder the responsibility. Otherwise, when the truth is exposed, everyone in the sect will be in a difficult position, and we may have no place left in the Immortal Alliance.”
At this point, he could face it with even greater calm and composure.
He too understood Zhao Yange’s helplessness and pain.
The Jade Clarity Temple had once been their home, after all. Even knowing the sect master’s sordid deeds, how could he bear to expose it and watch his own home become the target of public criticism?
Yet his conscience made it hard for him to sit idly by.
Thus, he was trapped in torment day and night, like a frightened bird.
This was something he had to figure out for himself.
Mu Daoying comforted him a little and asked if Qingxu had shown any unusual behavior these days.
Zhao Yange was sullen. “How could I tell! On the surface, there’s no problem. Hasn’t he come to watch the Spring Terrace Dao Inquiry?”
For this Spring Terrace Dao Inquiry, four prominent sect masters and mighty figures from the cultivation world had arrived.
The host, True Person Zhan, sect master of the Wandering Sword Pavilion.
True Person Qingxu, sect master of the Jade Clarity Temple.
Song Huarong, current head of the Cloud Mountain Song Clan.
Lan Shuying, sect master of the Supreme Harmony Sect, who had been in seclusion for over a decade and had not appeared in public.
And her, Liu Qiao’e.
As the competition reached its final day, the four sect masters gathered together.
In the Eastern Florescence Realm, status was determined by cultivation realm.
Even today’s spectator arrangements were quite particular.
Hidden at the highest point in the clouds, where their dharma images could vaguely be seen overlooking the center of the venue, were naturally the four sect master True Persons.
Mu Daoying looked up at the clouds, hoping to spot that figure from his dreams beyond the mist.
But with just one glance, it was as if ten thousand great bells tolled beside his ears, churning the blood in his chest, like a force of a thousand jun pressing down, a sweet tang rising in his throat.
Mu Daoying silently swallowed the blood in his throat.
This was the full might of Seven Realms cultivators, untouchable like heavenly might.
A youthful refusal to yield rose in his heart, and he secretly resolved to strive forward, one day standing shoulder to shoulder with her atop the clouds.
But for now, he could only stand with Zhao Yange and the others on a slightly lower cloud.
Around them were the flying boats of great clans, these massive structures floating in the clouds, blocking most of the sky.
Many young masters and ladies in fine brocade were busy calling for servants, toasting and exchanging cups, with delicacies flowing like water to entertain these young lords and ladies while they watched the matches.
Although he had pulled strings to get an invitation, as the previous champion, he neither could nor needed to participate in this session’s selection.
Instead, people frequently looked his way with curiosity, pity, or schadenfreude, but Mu Daoying remained aloof, treating them like a clear breeze by the river or a bright moon in the mountains.
The bells and drums surrounding the venue rang out in unison.
Rainbow lights filled the sky, petals scattered in profusion.
The final day of the Spring Terrace Dao Inquiry grand competition began.
After a special ritual to the heavens, the crowd’s spirits lifted, for the most important part of the ceremony was about to come.
“Inviting the Sword.”
–
Boom!
Accompanied by a deafening roar like Pangu splitting heaven and earth, the sound echoed through the entire valley! The ground began to shake, and distant mountains surged like waves.
Even the cloud beneath Mu Daoying’s feet trembled faintly from the earthquake.
He gazed intently and saw a distant green mountain slowly splitting in half from the middle, a gigantic sword spanning heaven and earth emerging suspended from within the mountain!
The Mountains and Rivers Sword was invited forth!
Its blade was engraved with a thousand miles of mountains and rivers, sun, moon, and stars. Its sword intent formed a hazy white mist, with starlight flowing and surging intermittently.
As one of the three relics left by the Holy Lord, the Mountains and Rivers Sword was always guarded by the Wandering Sword Pavilion and rarely shown except at grand events like the Spring Terrace Dao Inquiry shared by the entire cultivation world.
Even so, special chains bound its blade to prevent its baleful aura from harming people.
Under everyone’s gaze, the iron chains twisted.
The Mountains and Rivers Sword slowly floated to the center of the venue, above the crowd’s heads.
Iron chains stretched across the sky, locking the world-shocking giant sword.
Its magnificent sword shadow covered the heavens!
Just as the crowd exclaimed in awe at the sword’s splendor,
At the peak of the clouds, the Jade Clarity Temple’s True Person Qingxu suddenly struck, flipping his palm to attack True Person Zhan of the Wandering Sword Pavilion!
At the same moment True Person Qingxu moved, Liu Qiao’e also moved. She leaped forward, her long sleeves billowing in the wind, her toes touching down, and she steadily landed amid the sky full of iron chains!
True Person Zhan had been stroking his beard with a smile, pleased at his sect’s grand event today, caught completely off guard as True Person Qingxu’s palm struck his chest!
Since he had no defenses up, and True Person Qingxu had used nearly all his power in that palm, aiming for a killing blow.
True Person Zhan was struck so hard that his five viscera ruptured, blood spurting from his mouth. Fortunately, his deep cultivation allowed him to mobilize true qi in time to protect his heart meridian, avoiding instant death.
Even so, he had lost half his life and tumbled down from the clouds.
Everything happened too quickly; before the crowd could realize what occurred, they saw a black figure falling from the clouds.
Shouts of alarm rose!
Disciples of the Wandering Sword Pavilion soon realized that figure seemed to be their own sect master.
As his body plummeted, True Person Zhan’s expression changed drastically. “Qingxu! You!”
“Sect Master!!” The Wandering Sword Pavilion disciples present all paled and rushed forward to aid, but Liu Qiao’e had already taken advantage of the crowd’s attention on True Person Qingxu and True Person Zhan, stepping across the iron chains straight toward the Mountains and Rivers Sword!