Chapter 853: There Will Be a Fight between You and Me
Xiao Chen placed his right hand on the saber’s hilt and said, “Don’t come any closer. I don’t want to know this secret. However, I do want to know why you went to the Demonic Worlds and mixed with the Demons.”
“The Demonic Worlds?” Chu Chaoyun revealed a serious gaze. Then, he said, “I suppose that place counts as part of the Demonic Worlds for now. Why did I mix with them? The reason is simple. I need to comprehend the will of darkness. I need Demon Race Martial Techniques. I need power. I am just like you. I need to keep getting stronger!
“I once said that there will be a fight between you and me. However, it is not now. In the end, you and I are kindred spirits.”
After Chu Chaoyun finished speaking, he lowered his knees to the ground. Kneeling, he kowtowed towards the cold pool three times, muttering words that only he could hear.
The flood dragon protecting the nation was no more. The final witness of the Tianwu Dynasty was gone from this world.
After the three kowtows, Chu Chaoyun stood up and left. When he had walked one hundred meters, he suddenly stopped. He turned around and said, “I can guess some of the reasons why you returned to the Sky Dome Realm. Why don’t you make a trip to the Dark Church? Maybe you might learn something unexpected.”
After the seventy-two Universe Flags stuck into the ground, Xiao Chen glanced at the dragon pearl, which still contained overwhelming energy. Then he placed it in his Universe Ring.
He pondered Chu Chaoyun’s final words. Then he said, “Ao Jiao, how credible do you think Chu Chaoyun’s words are?”
Ao Jiao spoke directly, I feel that he is trying to lure you to the Sky Dome Realm’s Dark Church on purpose. Could it be that he has a grudge with the Sky Dome Realm’s Dark Church?
Xiao Chen said, “I think so too. However, the headquarters of the Dark Church is in the Deep Abyss Demonic World. The branch in the Sky Dome Realm should not even be worth mentioning. All the same, Chu Chaoyun attaches some importance to it. Maybe there is something extraordinary about it.”
He could tell that Chu Chaoyun was purposely trying to lure him over. However, he felt curious and still took the hook in the end.
Where will you go now? The Heavenly Saber Pavilion or Mohe City?
Xiao Chen looked around for a while before replying, “I’ll go and pay a visit to Yue Chenxi’s and Gong Yangyu’s families and seniors first, to deliver the things that they asked me to.”
He felt very anxious in his heart. He wanted to rush back to the Heavenly Saber Pavilion to see the girl hidden in his heart, and his family in the distant Mohe City.
However, he had to deal with the things that his friends asked for help with first.
When the seniors of Yue Chenxi and Gong Yangyu heard about their situation in the Kunlun Realm, they were very gratified. After chatting for a while and rejecting the gifts offered by the seniors on both sides, Xiao Chen rushed over to the Heavenly Saber Pavilion.
Given his speed now, and that he could tear s.p.a.ce and travel in the void, it was not an exaggeration to say that he moved like lightning.
Before the sun set completely, the Heavenly Saber Pavilion, which nestled in the Lingyun Mountain Range, appeared in Xiao Chen’s vision.
An endless stream of disciples went up and down the mountain. Xiao Chen casually extended his Spiritual Sense and scanned most of the entrance, seeing everything clearly.
At this point, the Heavenly Saber Pavilion had undergone a drastic change—not just in numbers but also in vigor.
Xiao Chen s.h.i.+fted his gaze to Qingyun Peak. He saw a familiar figure in the middle of the mountain currently guiding the female disciples present on how to practice the saber.
This figure was none other than Liu Suifeng. However, Xiao Chen was surprised to see Chu Xinyun beside him. The two had intimate expressions on their faces. They spoke to each other with warmth in their voices.
Xiao Chen sighed and smiled. “It has been a few years. Suifeng finally got what he wanted.”
When the sun set completely, the disciples on the peak all took their leave. Xiao Chen’s figure flashed, and he silently tore through a series of restrictions to land beside the two.
His arrival startled Liu Suifeng and Chu Xinyun. They jumped back and instantly drew their weapons, looking at the newcomer with caution.
When Liu Suifeng clearly saw Xiao Chen’s appearance, he was pleasantly surprised. He asked, “Xiao Chen, why are you here?”
However, Chu Xinyun pulled Liu Suifeng back and said, “Wait a minute, are you able to make out his cultivation? Furthermore, why would Xiao Chen come back to the Sky Dome Realm at this time for no reason?”
Girls were usually more meticulous in their thoughts. Liu Suifeng was very carefree; the moment he saw it was Xiao Chen, he did not think anything about it at all.
However, now that Chu Xinyun said this, he put his guard up. The person before him had an unfathomable cultivation. Based on this person’s aura, his cultivation was much higher than Ancestral Martial Aunt Shen’s.
How could Liu Suifeng connect this person to Xiao Chen, who left just two years ago?
Xiao Chen smiled faintly and took out the Lunar Shadow Saber. Then he casually tossed it to Liu Suifeng without bothering to try to defend himself.
Liu Suifeng carefully examined the pitch-back, long, and slender blade. If this was not Xiao Chen’s treasured saber, he did not know what this was.
“Xiao Chen! It really is you!” Liu Suifeng exclaimed in pleasant surprise as he handed the Lunar Shadow Saber back.
Xiao Chen smiled calmly. “Authenticity guaranteed; an exchange promised if fake. Junior Sister Chu, you are as meticulous as ever. However, why are you coming here to teach the juniors of Qingyun Peak and not managing the herb gardens?”
Chu Xinyun smiled apologetically and said, “Senior Brother Xiao Chen, sorry for that. I did not recognize you for a moment.”
“Hehe! I married Xinyun half a year ago. She has married into Qingyun Peak already and now manages it together with me,” Liu Suifeng answered happily.
When Xiao Chen heard this, he was somewhat surprised. Liu Suifeng already married. He took out two Sage Grade Secret Treasures and a bottle of Rank 9 Medicinal Pills. Then, he handed them over and said, “Consider this my late congratulatory gifts, then.”
Not standing on ceremony with Xiao Chen, Liu Suifeng immediately accepted the gifts. Then, he tossed them to Chu Xinyun. He said, “Come, let’s talk inside. I have not seen you for more than two years. Let’s catch up over a hearty drink.”
Chu Xinyun received that two Sage Grade Secret Treasures and took a look. Her expression changed immediately, and she wanted to say something to Liu Suifeng. However, he was already far away with Xiao Chen.
Chu Xinyun could not help but smile bitterly. If Liu Suifeng knew that these two were Sage Grade Secret Treasures, he would not have accepted them so casually.
At a stone table inside a courtyard, Liu Suifeng caught Xiao Chen up on the Heavenly Saber Pavilion’s developments. Then Xiao Chen asked, “Where is Ruyue? Is she not at Qingyun Peak?”
Liu Suifeng drained the wine in his cup before answering, “She left long ago. Since Qingyun Peak regained its past glory, she handed its management over to me. Then she left with Princess Ying Yue.
“Half a year ago, she, Miss Feng, and Princess Ying Yue appeared at my wedding.”
Since Ruyue is with Ying Yue, then I don’t have to worry about their safety. However, I wonder, what are the three of them doing?
Liu Suifeng did not know much, either. He said, “I’m not clear on the details. However, given how Princess Ying Yue is, there is no need to worry.”
Xiao Chen nodded slightly. However, he felt somewhat disappointed in his heart. Naturally, the person he wished to meet the most on this trip back to the Sky Dome Realm was Liu Ruyue. Meeting her was even more important than finding out why he had to be chased out of his clan.
However, Liu Ruyue would be fine with Ying Yue. In any case, he would not be returning to the Kunlun Realm until he broke through to the seventh layer of the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation. So he had plenty of time.
Soon, the news of him killing Sima Hong would spread. At that time, Liu Ruyue would probably rush back.
When it was late at night, Xiao Chen told Liu Suifeng not to spread word of his return. Then, he started roaming Qingyun Peak alone.
Xiao Chen had spent two years learning the saber in Qingyun Peak. He was very familiar with every part of Qingyun Peak, every gra.s.s, every pavilion, every building. When he saw these places, he could not help but reminisce about his time here.
That waterfall where he cultivated the Dragon and Tiger Body Sculpting Art. The forest in the back mountains where he comprehended the Lingyun Saber Technique.
The trees that he chopped down in the past looked different now. The people practicing there were now girls about fourteen or fifteen years old.
Even though it was late at night, they continued to work hard.
The flowers and plants were there like before, belonging to no one.
Xiao Chen continued walking, arriving where Xiao Bai had changed forms. He thought about that time when that girl suffered so much to undergo a tribulation for his sake. Even until now, his heart ached over it.
He walked silently under the moonlight, not startling anyone. Then, he arrived at the summit of Qingyun Peak. He looked at the highest, nameless peak of the Lingyun Mountain Range in the darkness.
His lips could not help but reveal a smile. He thought back to when he professed his love for Liu Ruyue there. How juvenile! If it had been any other girl, they would have been scared away.
Xiao Chen gently leaped, jumping off Qingyun Peak. He continued roaming the Heavenly Saber Pavilion. A few familiar sights stirred several old memories.
Those old memories surfaced in his mind one by one, replaying in his mind like black-and-white movies.
He walked to the Heaven Ascending Platform. That battle here made him famous in the entire Great Qin Nation. Thinking about it now, it felt very grand.
Faintly, without even him noticing, his mental state had come a full circle on this walk.
On this martial path, Xiao Chen had kept walking forward without looking back. Now that he carefully reviewed his past away from the intense compet.i.tion in the Kunlun Realm, he had reaped a special harvest.
Even after all this, he was still young. The heroism in his heart would never die out.
Xiao Chen returned to his courtyard and started to cultivate the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation. Now, the bottleneck of the sixth layer was not like before, far beyond sight.
He could feel himself getting closer to the horrifying Lightning Tribulation and the even more horrifying Heart Tribulation.
Xiao Chen did not know if he could clear these tribulations. This was his biggest crisis since he started cultivating. If he was careless, he would die.
If he could clear them, he would be like a caterpillar breaking out of the coc.o.o.n to become a b.u.t.terfly. He would be reborn, walking a path that no one had walked since ancient times.
When the first rays of sunlight eliminated the final bits of darkness, the entire Heavenly Saber Pavilion turned lively. The sounds of morning practices blended together, presenting a vigorous vitality.
Xiao Chen opened his eyes, stood below the cliff, and took everything in. All the disciples of the Heavenly Saber Pavilion’s seven Peaks practiced their Saber Techniques under the supervision of the Peak Elders.
He withdrew his gaze and raised his head. Then, his smile froze as he sighed.
There was still a precipice at the summit of Qingyun Peak. The top of that precipice was the true summit of Qingyun Peak. However, no one had been there for many years.
None of the new Qingyun Peak disciples would know that there was an old man sealed in ice there, who had used his life to seal a high-ranked cultivator from the Demonic Worlds.
Given Xiao Chen’s strength now, this ice seal was naturally nothing to him. If he had this strength back then, Liu Ruyue’s father would not have ended up like that.