Chapter 116: Chapter 114: Celestial Sword Sect, Celestial Sword Stele

She might have looked like a naive, sweet girl, but she was actually remarkably perceptive and quick-witted. The moment Song Changsheng opened his mouth, she had already guessed what he was about to say.

"If you’re also here to stop me from leaving the mountain, you can leave now," Song Qingxing said coolly, turning his face to the side.

Song Changsheng smiled faintly and sat down on a stone bench under the Cyan Plum Tree. He looked at him unhurriedly and said, "Can you tell me why you want to leave the mountain?"

"To get stronger, of course," Song Qingxing answered without hesitation. The little girl beside him nodded vigorously in agreement.

"And do you have a detailed plan? You can’t just leave the mountain and wander around aimlessly, can you?"

"I have my own plans for that. You don’t need to concern yourself," Song Qingxing said confidently.

Song Changsheng didn’t look at him, however. Instead, he turned his gaze to Song Qingxi, who was standing to the side.

The little girl pursed her red lips, then said in a small voice, "We plan to hunt Demon Beasts in the mountain range first to train our combat skills. Then we’ll head east, all the way to Xuu Province."

Song Changsheng’s brow twitched. He instantly understood and asked in astonishment, "You want to go to the Celestial Sword Sect?"

Song Qingxing shot a slightly helpless glance at Song Qingxi before nodding. "That’s right," he said sullenly. "I want to see the legendary Celestial Sword Stele."

At these words, Song Changsheng drew a sharp breath, shocked by their audacious idea.

The Celestial Sword Sect was a long-established Purple Mansion Sect in the Daqi Cultivation World. All its disciples were Sword Cultivators proficient in the Sword Dao, and masters were as common as clouds. Even the Song Clan at its peak could never hope to compare.

And within the Celestial Sword Sect was the Celestial Sword Stele, said to have been left behind by a Sword Immortal from the Upper Realm. It was said to contain the supreme Sword Dao, and anyone who could comprehend it would have the chance to achieve immortality!

The disciples of the Celestial Sword Sect even considered themselves servants of that Sword Immortal, calling themselves Guardians. They believed their purpose was to help the Sword Immortal choose a successor to inherit their legacy.

But the credibility of this legend was low. After all, over the past thousand years, had there not been tens of thousands who attempted to comprehend the Sword Stele?

Forget a Sword Immortal, not even a single Golden Core Cultivator had emerged from it. To date, the one who had achieved the most was the former Sect Leader of the Celestial Sword Sect, a Purple Mansion Great Perfection Cultivator.

Therefore, the Celestial Sword Sect’s claims had long been treated as a joke.

However, the Sword Stele was undeniably a treasure. Many people had comprehended Sword Intent from it, which was why a continuous stream of Sword Dao Cultivators still flocked to the Celestial Sword Sect to study the Sword Stele.

The Celestial Sword Sect was not stingy either, openly stating that any Human Race Cultivators could come and study the Sword Stele, with no prerequisites or restrictions.

Looked at this way, the rumor did seem to have some credibility.

But some believed this was just a method for the Celestial Sword Sect to strengthen itself. After all, Sword Dao Cultivators were rare, and geniuses were even rarer. For a Sect that only trained Sword Cultivators, recruitment was a major problem.

Thus, they came up with this scheme to attract Sword Dao Cultivators from all over, taking the opportunity to select disciples from among them to bolster their own strength.

The majority of people held this view, and even Song Changsheng felt the same. ’After all,’ he thought, ’if that Sword Stele truly held the secret to becoming a Sword Immortal, would a mere Purple Mansion Sect be allowed to control it?’

’It would have been razed to the ground in minutes. How could they have been allowed to prance around for so long?’

Of course, with Song Qingxing’s talent in the Sword Dao, if he could study the Sword Stele, he certainly wouldn’t return empty-handed.

But the most critical problem was that the Celestial Sword Sect was simply too far from the Song Clan.

If Song Qingxing and his companion were to go, they would need to travel east. After leaving Ling Province, they would have to pass through Yang Province, controlled by the Lieyang Sect, then Xiang Province, occupied by the Rong Clan, before finally reaching Xuu Province, the domain of the Celestial Sword Sect.

Not to mention the countless hardships and dangers along the way, the distance alone was immense. It was practically a journey across the entire Daqi Cultivation World. Even a straight line would be over a hundred thousand li, and they would have to make a round trip.

Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn’t guarantee they would arrive unscathed, let alone a mere Qi Cultivator. On a journey like that, they’d likely be eaten alive, with not even their bones left behind.

"No, it’s too dangerous. Not only will I not agree, but the Elder Council won’t agree either. Even for training, you must know your limits."

Song Changsheng flatly refused. They could leave the mountain, yes, but only within the bounds of Ling Province or its immediate surroundings. That way, if anything happened, the clan could respond in time. If they went so far away and some accident occurred, the clan would be too far to help!

"Uncle, does this mean you’ll allow us to leave the mountain?" Song Qingxi asked, suddenly delighted.

Song Changsheng kept a stern face. "I never said you weren’t allowed to leave the mountain, but that absolutely does not mean I approve of this insane plan of yours."

’At least, not this time,’ he added silently to himself.

An awkward silence fell. Song Qingxing stared at him coldly, and he stared right back, not showing any weakness. The two of them were locked in a stalemate.

Seeing this, Song Qingxi stomped her foot. She walked up to Song Qingxing, glared at him with her hands on her hips, and said fiercely, "Don’t you look at our uncle like that! He’s our elder!"

In her presence, Song Qingxing lost all his fight. He could only withdraw his gaze helplessly, though he remained stubborn in his heart.

After "scolding" Song Qingxing, the little girl turned and hugged Song Changsheng’s arm, shaking it back and forth as she wheedled, "Uncle~ Please think of something! The Celestial Sword Stele is really important to Brother Xing."

This one-two punch left Song Changsheng feeling weak in the knees. He gave the little girl a doting look and said, "Alright, alright, stop shaking me. Any more and I’ll fall apart."

Song Qingxi obediently stopped but kept a firm grip on his sleeve, staring up at him with her big, sparkling dark eyes.

Song Changsheng pondered for a moment before saying, "It’s not entirely impossible for you to go..."

Song Qingxi’s big eyes instantly lit up, and even Song Qingxing couldn’t help but look over.

"However, I can’t let you go alone. You will wait for a while. After the Fourth Elder and I return from Luoxia City, one of us will accompany you. That is my final offer, and it is not negotiable," Song Changsheng said in a solemn voice.

This arrangement was clearly much more acceptable. Song Qingxi quickly looked at Song Qingxing, signaling him frantically with her eyes.

Song Qingxing sighed inwardly before finally nodding. "Fine. How long do we have to wait?"

"It will take me at least a year or more. The Fourth Elder will be much faster."

"I agree, but I have one condition."

"Name it."

"While you are away in Luoxia City, we also want to leave the mountain," Song Qingxing said in a calm tone.

"That’s not a problem, but you are limited to the Moon Viewing Mountain Range or Liuyun Marketplace." This was something Song Changsheng had already planned to agree to, so he had no objection.

"Fine," Song Qingxing replied coolly, uttering just one word.

Seeing the two finally reach an agreement, a happy smile spread across Song Qingxi’s face. In truth, she didn’t care where she went; she only cared who she went with.

’If he wants to go to the Celestial Sword Sect, I’ll go with him. If he doesn’t want to go anywhere and wishes to spend his whole life here on Little Cyan Mountain, I’m willing to stay with him, too.’

"Just don’t go back on your word," Song Changsheng said with a faint smile.

Although their existence within the clan was a closely guarded secret, unknown to the outside world, and their movements were restricted, Song Changsheng still prepared some protective items for them, just in case.

"This is a Thunder Pearl and a Substitute Paperman," he said, taking out two Jade Boxes and handing them to Song Qingxi. "The former is powerful enough to kill a Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator, and the latter can save you from death once. Keep them safe."

These were treasures he had acquired in the past. They were no longer of much use to him, but they were perfect for her.

"Thank you, Uncle," Song Qingxi said with a sweet smile.

"This Jade Pendant can block a full-force attack from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Keep it on you at all times. And this is a Tier Two Middle Grade Divine Flame Talisman; your Twelfth Grandpa asked me to give it to you." Song Changsheng handed the Jade Pendant and the Talisman to Song Qingxing.

The Jade Pendant was a protective gift from his own mother, which he no longer needed. The Talisman had been personally drawn by Song Luhuai and was extremely powerful.

Staring at the items before him, a flicker of emotion stirred in the depths of Song Qingxing’s eyes, but it was quickly hidden. He simply offered a quiet word of thanks.

That was just his personality, so Song Changsheng didn’t mind. He began to explain some things they needed to be aware of when they left the mountain, a lecture that went on for several days! 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Before long, the day of their departure arrived. Song Changsheng bid farewell to the siblings and returned to the clan...