Chapter 25: The Return of the Old Sword Master

Guiyi Sect on Dawushan Mountain.

Unlike the steep Xiuwen Mountain, the Sword Testing Peak where Guiyi Sect stood had a particularly gentle slope.

Just after the morning exercise ended, the disciples returned to their respective main peaks in twos and threes.

Inside the main hall, Xiao Qing was meditating on a futon, with two long swords circling gently around her.

Guiyi Sect cultivated the True Immortal Technique and practiced the Falling Flower Sword Technique.

Surrounding Xiao Qing were the renowned Yin-Yang Twin Swords, which were also the family heirlooms of the Xiao family.

Twenty years ago, Qin Zheng and Xiao Tian had met at the Famous Swords Tournament. Both were participating for the first time, yet they fought their way through the competition all the way to the final.

It was a rare and fierce battle. Both were at the peak of their strength, and the fight had continued until neither could hold back.

Spring rain battling fallen flowers. Qin Zheng narrowly won.

As two genius swordsmen, they admired each other and forged a deep friendship from that day on.

At the time, many people believed that these two young men would surely restore the glory of the sword. Unfortunately, a few years later, a time of chaos caused by demons and monsters struck. Both of them perished. The two new stars of the sword that had been dormant for a thousand years fell.

Xiao Qing, dressed in a thin pink dress, opened her eyes. An invisible stream of true energy instantly spread out, and the two flying swords quietly returned to their sheaths.

"Almost there..."

Xiao Qing murmured, then quietly stood up. When she stepped into the hall, she was already wearing a red-and-gold robe.

Compared to other female cultivators in the lower realm, although her attire was luxurious, it was somewhat conservative. An elder outside the door had been waiting for a long time. When Xiao Qing approached, he quickly lowered his head and stepped forward slowly.

"Sect Master, an old Taoist priest from the foot of the mountain is requesting an audience. He claims to be an old acquaintance of the Xiao family, but I observe that his cultivation is mediocre..."

Before the elder could finish speaking, Xiao Qing released her divine sense and sensed the aura of the person coming from down the mountain. She was suddenly startled.

"I’ll go take a look."

With her lips slightly parted, Xiao Qing gracefully walked down the mountain.

The elder was full of doubt, thinking to himself that he was just an ordinary old Taoist priest, so why did the sect leader have to greet him personally?

The elder’s gaze swept over Xiao Qing’s graceful figure, and he quickly turned his head away, not daring to look any longer.

A moment later, at the foot of Guiyi Sect Mountain.

Upon seeing the person’s face clearly, Xiao Qing’s eyes reddened. She was about to run forward when she suddenly remembered her identity and froze on the spot.

"Qing’er has grown up."

The old Taoist stroked his beard and looked at Xiao Qing, who already carried the demeanor of a sect leader, with eyes full of satisfaction.

"Uncle Song..." Overwhelmed by the pressure of the past few days, Xiao Qing hesitated to speak.

The newcomer was none other than the old sword master. He was dressed in a gray Taoist robe, and the sinister aura he had exuded in Langya Cave had been completely dispelled.

Composing herself, Xiao Qing slowly stepped forward and said, "Isn’t Uncle Song in seclusion?"

The old sword master smiled slightly and said, "Nowadays, many sects are eyeing the Guiyi Sect covetously. If I continue to go into seclusion, how can I face Brother Xiao in the afterlife?"

Upon hearing the old sword master mention Xiao Tian, Xiao Qing’s eyes welled up with tears again.

"Besides, I have already reached the Saint Realm. Continuing to go into seclusion would only be a waste of time," the old sword master continued.

"Uncle Song has already reached the ninth level?" Xiao Qing was overjoyed. There were very few ninth-level experts in the lower realm. As far as Xiao Qing knew, apart from Xuan Yuan Liushuang, who was ranked first on the Heavenly Talent Ranking, there was no one else.

The old sword master nodded and said, "In the battle at Wutong Mountain, I and other powerful figures from various sects were trapped on Xuanhuo Peak. It’s a pity about Xiao Tian and Qin Zheng..."

With a long sigh, the old sword master murmured, "The heavens are jealous of talent..."

"Please, Uncle Song, follow me into the sect first." Xiao Qing bowed slightly, gesturing for the old sword master to enter the Guiyi Sect with her.

But the old sword master did not make a move, saying, "I am coming out of the mountain in secret this time, so remember not to make a fuss."

Xiao Qing naturally knew what he meant, so she smiled slightly and resumed her demeanor as the sect leader.

The Old Sword Master, whose real name is Song Hongdao, was the chief disciple of Langya Cave in the South China Sea forty years ago. Like Qin Zheng and Xiao Tian, he was also a genius with exceptional talent. He had been practicing swordsmanship since childhood and had reached the sixth level of the Knowing Destiny Realm by the age of twenty.

Before demons wreaked havoc on the world, the three were known by many as the Three Sword Masters, and they often discussed swordsmanship together.

What the world doesn’t know is that these three sword masters had already sworn brotherhood and become sworn brothers.

"Elder Luo, this is Daoist Song, an old acquaintance of the Xiao family. Now that the Daoist temple has fallen into decline, he has come to seek refuge with the Guiyi Sect. Go and find him a place to stay."

Upon arriving at the sect leader’s main hall, Xiao Qing addressed the elder.

Elder Luo was startled, not expecting the old Taoist to be telling the truth. He claimed to be an old acquaintance, but judging from his age, he must have had a connection with the former sect leader, Xiao Tian. With this in mind, Elder Luo dared not be negligent and hurriedly instructed his disciples to clean a fine guest room.

"How many people are still inside?"

The old sword master followed Xiao Qing through the Taiji Square and walked along the bluestone path in the Guiyi Sect, asking the disciples in twos and threes.

"More than four hundred and seventy," Xiao Qing replied calmly.

"Where are the eight elders?" the old sword master asked again.

"They all died in battle at Wutong Mountain. Now, four more have been selected, all with cultivation levels around the sixth rank," Xiao Qing said.

"What a pity, what a pity," the old sword master murmured.

"How are the preparations for the wedding of the Qin family boy going?" the old sword master asked.

Hearing him ask about Qin Luo, Xiao Qing finally blushed and said, "After he enters the mortal world..."

"Entering the mortal realm? This kid has reached the Qi Refining stage?" the old sword master asked, feigning surprise.

The two had already entered the courtyard. Without outsiders to disturb them, Xiao Qing seemed to relax a lot and then said, "Yes, I communicated with Aunt Nangong a few days ago and she said that she has already reached the fourth level."

"Heh, it’s a pity I never got to see this kid..." the old sword master said, standing under the pear tree in the courtyard.

The old sword master released a burst of divine sense, and Xiao Qing felt as if countless eyes were staring at her, which made her slightly uncomfortable.

"Fifth-tier Great Perfection, almost there." The old sword master withdrew his divine sense, his eyes full of admiration.

"My coming out of seclusion this time can only protect you for a while. If you want to preserve Guiyi Sect, it still depends on yourself," the old sword master continued.

"Since Father has entrusted the Guiyi Sect to me, I am certain that I can live up to it." Xiao Qing’s eyes were firm.

"I can help you break through to the next realm." The old sword master looked at Xiao Qing. Even though he had been in seclusion for the New Year, he couldn’t help but be moved when he saw Xiao Qing’s stunningly beautiful face.

"Thank you, Uncle Song." Xiao Qing was extremely grateful and made a move to kneel down, but was firmly supported.

"These formalities can be skipped." The old sword master waved his hand, and Xiao Qing immediately stood up straight.

"As long as I can reach the sixth level of the Knowing Destiny Realm, I am confident that I can restore the Guiyi Sect’s sword formation," Xiao Qing said.

"Sixth rank? Heh..." The old sword master smiled slightly and said, "It’s seventh rank, the Subtle Realm."

"What?" Xiao Qing seemed not to have heard clearly.

"I’m only one step away from entering the Upper Realm. Before that, I’ll help you break through two realms in a row. Otherwise, even if I enter the Upper Realm, I won’t feel at ease," the old sword master said confidently.

"So what does Uncle Song plan to do..." Xiao Qing blushed, hesitating to speak.

As a person with a refined physique, she naturally knew that cultivating with a powerful person was the fastest way to improve one’s cultivation level. This was also the reason why the Golden Crow Hall wanted to form an alliance for this purpose.

But for Qin Luo’s sake, she knew she couldn’t agree no matter what, since Qin Luo was her only obsession besides Guiyi Sect.

"If Uncle Song wants to practice dual cultivation..."

Xiao Qing’s expression changed, and she thought to herself that even if she could break through two realms in a row, she would not hand over this body to someone else.

"Don’t worry, since Brother Xiao calls me ’Big Brother,’ I won’t make you feel wronged." The old sword master seemed to have seen through Xiao Qing’s thoughts.

"Then Uncle Song is..." Xiao Qing didn’t know that besides dual cultivation, there was another method that could break through realms in a short period of time.

The old sword master didn’t speak, but gestured for Xiao Qing to follow him into the room before closing the door and saying, "Langya Cave has a top-secret method that allows one to directly draw the true energy of a powerful expert into their body."

Xiao Qing frowned deeply; this sounded almost exactly like dual cultivation.

"It’s not dual cultivation." The old sword master’s eyes seemed to see through Xiao Qing’s thoughts as he said, "But both of you need to remove your clothes, since this is going against the heavens and cannot be interfered with by any external things."

Upon hearing the old sword master’s words, Xiao Qing’s pretty face flushed red, and her heart suddenly raced. Was she about to be naked in front of Uncle Song...?

"However, if you feel it’s inappropriate, I can try to repair the Guiyi Sect’s sword formation again." The old sword master stood up, his back to Xiao Qing, and said.

The Guiyi Sword Formation is hidden beneath the Taiji Square, a fact that is almost an open secret in the lower realm. If it could be restored, the news would deter many sects from annexing the Guiyi Sect.

However, sword formations are static, and this is ultimately not a long-term solution.

"Uncle Song, please give me some time..." Xiao Qing stood up and bowed.

"It’s alright," the old sword master said calmly.

"Let’s see how good your swordsmanship is first." The old sword master opened the door and gestured for Xiao Qing to come into the courtyard.

Since she was at the Guiyi Sect, Xiao Qing was not carrying a sword at the moment. She slowly walked into the courtyard, slightly activated her true energy, and the Yin-Yang Twin Swords flew over from afar.

With a gentle wave of her jade hand, two flying swords traced a dazzling sword light in the air.

"The Falling Flower Sword Technique emphasizes the combination of feints and real attacks. The Yang sword is mainly for offense, while the Yin sword is mainly for defense. Feints and real attacks are Yin and Yang."

Watching Xiao Qing’s graceful figure dance, the old sword master casually uttered the sword intent of the Falling Flower Sword Technique.

The Yang sword flew straight out instantly, while the Yin sword let out a soft hum, circling around the Yang sword. Xiao Qing, under the pear tree, moved nimbly, creating gusts of wind, and her pair of fair and smooth legs were faintly visible under her skirt.

"The sun shines brightly in the sky, and the moon hangs high in the air; the sun and the moon represent yin and yang."

The old sword master stroked his beard, his eyes full of admiration.

Pear blossoms fell silently, and amidst the pure white petals, Xiao Qing’s figure appeared like a phantom, her Yin-Yang twin swords soaring into the sky.

"The clouds are high above, the earth is thick and supports all things; heaven and earth are yin and Yang."

The old sword master took a step forward, and a wisp of sword energy quietly shot out, heading straight for Xiao Qing.

Xiao Qing remained calm and composed, the Yin-Yang Twin Swords instantly returning to her hands. With a light tap of her toes, she quietly ascended into the air.

With three more taps in mid-air, Xiao Qing suddenly turned around at the highest point, drawing a graceful arc before instantly combining her two swords and pointing them directly at the old sword master below.

"Clang!"

Two breaths later, the old sword master stretched out his finger and lightly touched the sword blade in the air with his fingertip, which produced a clear metallic sound.

"Boom!"

A surge of true energy erupted from the sword’s edge, instantly whipping up a gust of wind in the tranquil courtyard.

"Good!"

The old sword master withdrew his true energy, and Xiao Qing gracefully landed.

"You have mastered three of the Seven Styles of Falling Flowers," the old sword master said, looking at Xiao Qing, whose forehead was already beaded with sweat.

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Song." Xiao Qing put away her twin swords and said that after just one exchange, she felt that her swordsmanship had improved even more.

"If I could catch a glimpse of the Six Views and the Farewell move before I attain sainthood, I would have no regrets in this life," the old sword master said quietly.

Xiao Qing looked somber. The "Farewell" move was the final move of the "Seven Forms of Falling Flowers," and the "Six Views" move was Qin Zheng’s final sword strike. It was a pity that she only saw the "Six Views" move back then, but not the "Farewell" move.

Even until the very last moment of his life, Xiao Tian was unable to comprehend that sword technique.