Chapter 25
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“Hearing that Sect Master Xu has taken disciples, it was considered a great joy for the future of the Cangyang Sect. Therefore, I came to offer my congratulations and prepared a few small gifts.”
Yuchi Xiao set down his teacup and gestured. Immediately, four disciples from the Yejinmen bowed their heads and approached, with the leading disciple, wearing a sword, respectfully presenting a sandalwood gift box onto the table.
“…”
In the outer hall of the Cangyang Sect, several elders exchanged glances. After a moment, the usually amiable Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master finally cleared his throat and said tactfully, “Young Master Yuchi seems to have misunderstood. Our Sect Master has never taken in disciples. The acceptance of a direct disciple by the Sect Master, symbolizing the establishment of a successor for the sect, is a major event known throughout the world. How could rumors spread silently? I suggest you take back this gift…”
“It was personally conveyed by Sect Master Xu.”
Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master’s words came to an abrupt halt.
Yuchi Xiao reached out and opened the sandalwood gift box, speaking unhurriedly, “If this Daoist Master presents junior’s gift to Xuanji Hall, won’t everything become clear?”
Inside was a crimson waist seal embroidered with gold thread.
The waist seal, when folded, was only two feet wide, embroidered with cloud and crane patterns in gold thread. Although it was already old, its texture was smooth and intricate. There were few in the entire Immortal Alliance who dared to embroider gold threads on their robes. Everyone’s first reaction was that this must be something from the main line of Yejinmen. Someone immediately frowned: “What is the meaning of this, Young Master Yuchi? To use your own family’s old items as a gift? It’s simply—”
Before the joke could be finished, that person was stopped by Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master.
Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master’s face was very ugly, but for some reason, he managed to restrain himself: “In that case, please wait a moment, Young Master.”
The person was taken aback, “Jingxu you?”
But Yuchi Xiao completely ignored everyone’s reactions, smiling and saying, “Then, I’ll trouble Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master.”
Luckily, it was the young Master of the Yejinmen who came. Otherwise, even if it were the Sect Masters of the six major families and eight major sects, they would have been ruthlessly sent down the mountain.
Unexpectedly, Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master didn’t take long. Before half a stick of incense burned out in the hall, he returned from the direction of the Xuanji Hall, flying on his sword, and placed the luxurious gift box back on the table as it was, courteously bowing, “Young Master, everything is returned intact.”
Yuchi Xiao raised an eyebrow.
“The Sect Master said that there were many old clothes and items back then, often left behind in various places, so it’s not surprising.” Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master made a gesture of seeing off the guests with his hand, “Please, take it back.”
What did that mean?
The several elders present were not as experienced as Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master, and at this moment, they were all puzzled. But Yuchi Xiao didn’t move, and he didn’t seem surprised either. He just said, “Oh?” with a smile, “Daoist Master, don’t rush. I’ve prepared more than just this one gift. There were indeed many old clothes and items back then, so what about this one?”
Another disciple from the Yejinmen stepped forward with a gift box. This time, the box was smaller, and with a click, when it was opened, inside were two glittering gold coins!
Yuchi Xiao remained polite, “Please ask Sect Master again. If even these old items are not needed, then I will take them back and destroy them together.”
—The two small gold coins were tied with a deep red silk thread, very exquisite, like a waist pendant. But from Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master’s eyes, they were no different from two poisonous talismans soaked in poison.
Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master’s face had darkened to the extreme, but after all, he was an elder. Despite his terrible mood, he still restrained himself. He grunted heavily, picked up the gift box, and left with a flick of his sleeves.
This time, however, it took twice as long as before. Yuchi Xiao remained calm, lowering his head to drink tea, but several senior elders in the hall couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, someone finally arrived from the direction of the Xuanji Hall, but this time, there was another figure besides Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master.
Outside the hall, the disciples surged for a moment, murmuring in a low voice, “Ah, Senior Brother Wen?”
The newcomer was none other than Wen Xiuyang!
The hall’s guarding disciples held a high position within the Cangyang Sect, and several elders in the hall immediately got up to pay their respects. However, Wen Xiuyang didn’t have time for pleasantries. As soon as he landed, he strode forward and slammed the gift box onto the table in front of Yuchi Xiao, saying, “Young Master.”
Yuchi Xiao clasped his hands, “Brother Wen.”
Wen Xiuyang’s voice was cold, “The Sect Master said that these two coins were personally given by him, but they are nothing special, just ordinary gold. There are many such gold coins in the sect’s treasury. If the Young Master wants to destroy these two coins, then take them back and destroy them. Please!”
The hall fell silent, with all the elders except Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master being unclear and nervously staring at the two of them.
However, Yuchi Xiao nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly asked, “Did Sect Master Xu really say it so casually?”
Wen Xiuyang asked back, “Why not?”
“Nothing, just curious.” Yuchi Xiao paused and chuckled, “If it’s really that casual, why did Senior Brother Wen personally bring the items out in the end?”
Wen Xiuyang was furious, “You!”
Wen Xiuyang restrained himself, closed his eyes, exhaled deeply, and leaned in close. Each word was as cold as if it came from between his teeth, “I don’t know what happened last night, but I can guess. Young Master Yuchi, whether in life or death, Xiang Xiaoyuan is a disciple of our Cangyang Sect. I advise you to stop while you’re ahead. If you bring out items belonging to that Immortal before going crazy again, I can’t guarantee that you’ll still be alive today—”
“Brother Wen, calm down.” Yuchi Xiao interrupted him with a smile, saying, “The last gift is Madam Xu’s.”
With a wave of his hand, it was a spell to transmit objects over long distances. Immediately, a third identical sandalwood box appeared on the table!
“…?” Wen Xiuyang stared at him for a long time before finally saying, “Have you read too many novels, Brother Yuchi? Your dream of Madam Xu?”
“The fame of ‘Yearning Pampered Slave’ spreading far and wide is undeniable. However, it was only after I emerged from the illusion in Linjiang City that I began to understand the mindset of your esteemed Master over the years. I truly admire it,” Yuchi Rui leaned back in his chair and made a gesture of invitation. “Brother Wen, just present it to Sect Master Xu. Whether it’s right or wrong will be clear upon inspection.”
From Wen Xiuyang’s expression, he seemed very eager to forcibly dismiss his guest, and it took several breaths before he finally managed to restrain himself begrudgingly, “Then you can wait!”
Without waiting for Yuchi Xiao to respond, he took the last sandalwood gift box and soared on his sword, swiftly passing over the vast peaks of the Cangyang Mountains to land at the edge of the peach forest. According to the rules of the sect, flying on a sword was not allowed once inside the boundaries of the peach forest. However, with Wen Xiuyang’s profound cultivation and fast pace, he arrived in front of the Xuanji Hall within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, kneeling down to present the wooden box:
“Reporting to the Sect Master, Yuchi Xiao presents the final gift, claiming it to be a relic of Madam Xu!”
Gong Wei almost choked on his tea in an instant.
The Master and disciple sat facing each other in the hall, but since Wen Xiuyang returned those two small gold coins earlier, Xu Shuangce hadn’t uttered a single word.
From Gong Wei’s perspective, all he could see were Xu Shuangce’s motionless lips and chin, their contours cold and forbidding, making it impossible to discern what expression he wore at the moment.
——For someone who didn’t even exist in the illusionary realm, what kind of relic could they leave behind?
Gong Wei lived on Dai Mountain for a long time, but he would go to Yejinmen to avoid the cold every winter. It was normal for his clothes, robes, waistbands, and other items to be scattered everywhere—just like how Yuchi Changsheng was sent to Ying Kai for education since he was a child, and Dai Mountain’s Chengshu Palace also prepared various daily necessities for Little Sword Sect. As for the string of small gold coin pendants, it could also be explained. Gong Wei almost knew the burial process after his death. Ying Kai and the others could not find the Bai Tai Shou sword no matter what, so they could only preserve his personal belongings in the hope of finding clues to the whereabouts of the divine sword in the future.
But what could “Madam Xu” leave behind?
“What do you think Yuchi Xiao came for today?” Xu Shuangce suddenly asked.
Gong Wei, with a timid expression, said, “D-Disciple doesn’t know.”
This wasn’t entirely acting; he really didn’t know. Although he had made the gesture of “get your uncle to come save me” to Yuchi Xiao last night, he didn’t expect there would be no Sword Sect’s Yuchi Changsheng, who was supposed to descend with a divine weapon, to show up the next day. Instead, he got the crazy Yuchi Xiao.
Everyone knows that Law Flower Immortal is the archenemy of the Cangyang Sect Master, to the extent that even mentioning his name is taboo, let alone sending his belongings one by one in front of Sect Master Xu. Today, Nephew Yuchi came like he’s gone mad, challenging the limits recklessly. With Gong Wei’s meager imagination, one can only suspect that he woke up this morning, thinking he’s terminally ill, and specifically came to court death, hoping to extort funeral expenses from Xu Shuangce.
“Young Master Yuchi probably went crazy after practicing too hard last night and woke up confused this morning.” Gong Wei cautiously lowered his head and said, “Sect Master, shall I go and advise him in person and quickly send him down the mountain…”
“Then wouldn’t I be fulfilling his wish?”
Gong Wei was taken aback. What did Xu Shuangce mean by this? Did he think that Yuchi Xiao had come here today just to see him?
Xu Shuangce said coldly, “Bring it up!”
Wen Xiuyang then stepped into the hall quickly, bowing respectfully as he presented the exquisite sandalwood square box, giving Gong Wei a glance with unclear meaning. That gaze was hidden and complex, seemingly mixed with a condescending scrutiny, subtle and unspoken pity, and a trace of indescribable disgust, but Gong Wei didn’t have the mind to think about it. He only saw Xu Shuangce reach out to open the gift box, and the next moment, the veins on the back of his hand bulged out inch by inch.
Gong Wei’s eyelids suddenly twitched—
It was a golden ring that they were both extremely familiar with.
***
Half an hour later, in the front hall of the Cangyang Sect, a meteor-like white light cut through the mountain stream, landing steadily in front of the main hall.
All the disciples bowed in unison, “Senior Brother Wen!”
With a sword in his hand, Wen Xiuyang quickly walked forward, and the first thing he said as he entered the hall was:
“What do you want?”
With composure, Yuchi Xiao set down his teacup, raised his head, and asked, “Where’s the golden ring?”
The eyes of several elders in the hall followed Wen Xiuyang’s hand, only to find that this time, unlike the previous two times, the gift box was nowhere to be seen!
Wen Xiuyang repeated himself, his tone becoming even more intense, “What do you want exactly?”
But Yuchi Xiao didn’t answer directly; instead, he asked, “Hasn’t Madam Xu never existed in the Cangyang Sect?”
“—Yuchi Xiao!”
Wen Xiuyang’s voice was almost sharp and stern, causing Jingxu and the others to stand up with suspicion in their eyes.
But after a few breaths, Wen Xiuyang forcibly suppressed himself.
Although he didn’t know what significance the golden ring held, the terrifying gaze of the Sect Master from just now was still vivid in his mind. He forcibly expelled that image from his mind, then gritted his teeth and lowered his voice, asking word by word, “What do you want today?!”
Wen Xiuyang leaned in a bit closer, speaking with the same low tone, “I just want the Sect Master to remember that the dead are already dead.”
“…”
There was silence all around, and after a while, Yuchi Xiao raised an eyebrow, “Brother Wen is indeed the disciple who has followed the Sect Master the longest. You seem completely unsurprised. You’ve been aware of it for so many years, right?”
Wen Xiuyang stood up straight and said coldly, “I’m just surprised at how determined you are to seek death.”
“You’re thinking too much.” Yuchi Xiao didn’t hold back at all, then looked around at the various expressions of the people present:
“Now that the Sect Master has accepted my gift, please also agree to my other request. I once left a jade pendant at your sect, the Blood Qilin, which has been passed down through the generations at Yejinmen. However, it was taken away by the Sect Master last night. An heirloom must not be lost. Could I trouble you all to return it?”
Everyone couldn’t help but be surprised. After all this commotion, he only wanted this?
Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master breathed a sigh of relief. “That jade pendant was originally given as a token for the betrothal between disciples. Now that the engagement is being dissolved, the token should naturally be returned. I’ll go…”
However, Yuchi Xiao interrupted him, “Daoist Master, don’t be in a hurry. I haven’t finished speaking yet. How the Blood Qilin was given away back then, I want it returned the same way now. Do you understand?”
Jingxu was puzzled, “What do you mean?”
Wen Xiuyang immediately interjected, “Yuchi Xiao, I’ll advise you for the last time not to seek death!”
However, Yuchi Xiao paid no attention, only a cold smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Since the token was originally given to your sect disciple Xiang Xiaoyuan, now I must make Xiang Xiaoyuan personally return it. There’s no other purpose, just that we both experienced life and death together in Linjiang City. I want to witness him return to Cangyang Sect safely with my own eyes, without encountering any accidents. Is that clear enough?”
What kind of accidents could happen in Cangyang Mountain?
Jingxu Daoist Spiritual Master hesitated, “Xiang Xiaoyuan is naturally safe and sound, but now that he has the privilege of being personally taught by the Sect Master, he definitely can’t just come out to see you, so…”
Yuchi Xiao sneered, “Taught?”
“Young Master Yuchi!” Wen Xiuyang originally didn’t want to bring up this matter, but now he was obviously truly angry, “It was you who personally came to Cangyang Mountain and firmly declined the marriage proposal. What do you want now?!”
Yuchi Xiao retorted, “I don’t want anything. I just want to ensure the safety of a friend!”
“You—”
“Sect Master Xu is hailed as the number one person in the world, with immense power and no one dares to speak against him, but he also can’t ignore moral principles and do as he pleases. Do you think I’m wrong, Brother Wen?”
Wen Xiuyang gritted his teeth and stared at him, finally saying word by word after a while, “Xiang Xiaoyuan will never come out to see you!”
Yuchi Xiao said, “Then please ask the Sect Master to return the relic of Madam Xu just now.”
“For what?”
Yuchi Xiao said slowly, “Destroy it on Cangyang Mountain!”
At the same time, in Xuanji Hall, Xu Shuangce suddenly stood up, strode out of the hall, and stretched out his hand, summoning something from the distant direction of the Heaven Extreme Tower.
“Mas… Master, Master, Master!” Gong Wei couldn’t care less about the sudden onset of heartache as he chased after desperately, “Calm down, Master!”
Next moment, Xu Shuangce drew his sword.
Yuchi Xiao, who was standing in the front hall of the mountain gate in the distance, suddenly turned around, a sword light cutting through the sky reflected in his eyes, rushing towards him!
The sky was shrouded in white light, as if suddenly plunged into silence.
After a few breaths, the loud noise finally came, sending everyone flying!
Yuchi Xiao was pushed several miles away, the Sword Spirit barely managed to intercept the overwhelming sword light just inches in front of him, but the sword shook dangerously. Several elders flew over from a distance on their swords, shouting anxiously in the intense vibration, but Xu Shuangce didn’t give anyone time to plead—
The second, even more powerful sword light came crashing down, almost instantaneously. There was hardly any immortal sword in the world that could withstand its unprecedented power.
Yuchi Xiao’s mind went blank, and he was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through the shattered cliffs, his whole body slamming into the cliff wall, causing it to crack!
The mountain peak turned into powder, the earth shook incessantly, and the sky was covered within a radius of hundreds of miles.
In front of the Xuanji Hall, Xu Shuangce’s expression remained unchanged as he raised his sword edge for the third time.
But at that moment, there was a thud behind him.
For the first time after his rebirth, Gong Wei was witnessing Xu Shuangce drawing his sword, unable to bear the excruciating pain in his chest. He knelt down on one knee, cold sweat pouring down, almost exhausting all his strength to maintain a calm expression, “Mas… Master, calm down…”
Xu Shuangce’s gaze fell on him, but his expression couldn’t be discerned.
“Sect Master’s power is unmatched in the world. If you were to draw your sword again, it might lead to loss of life…”
Then he was interrupted by Xu Shuangce’s word:
“Wait.”
Gong Wei’s voice abruptly stopped, only to see Xu Shuangce soaring into the air, disappearing into the violently shaking world in an instant.
——In the distance, several elders exclaimed, “Lord Sect Master!” “Sect Master!”
Yuchi Xiao, who was struggling amidst countless rubble and stones, just spat out blood, hadn’t even had time to wipe it off, and looked up to see Xu Shuangce coming towards him, his robes fluttering in the wind, hovering in mid-air with an imposing aura, “Nephew.”
His tone remained unchanged, but the dazzling cold light reflected in the eyes of everyone present, revealing their horror.
“In the next life, remember, what has been given away cannot be taken back.”
Everyone didn’t even have time to react. Xu Shuangce had already arrived in person, and No Way Out drank countless blood, instantly shining on Yuchi Xiao’s fatal throat—
At the critical moment, a golden sword light descended like a giant dragon from the sky.
Someone blurted out, “Rakshasa Tower?!”
Yuchi Changsheng, the swordmaster of the Sword Sect, wielded his sword from millions of miles away, spanning across nine provinces and sixteen cities, blocking this strike that shook the heavens and earth!
“Yu…Chi…Rui,” Xu Shuangce squinted slightly.
The Rakshasa Tower tore through the sky, and at this moment, the momentum of the sword had reached its peak. With No Way Out’s exertion, it instantly dispersed into millions of golden light spots. Once again, No Way Out was pointed towards Yuchi Xiao!
Even if the Sword Sect possessed unparalleled abilities, it was too late to stop it. However, before the strike could land, a tremendously intense beam of light erupted from the distance, piercing through the heavens and earth, illuminating the faces of all with fear.
Xu Shuangce’s movement halted, and for the first time, a look akin to surprise appeared in his eyes as he murmured, “….Ying Kai?”
A massive protective barrier rose from the distant direction of Dai Mountain, resembling four city walls, shooting straight into the sky. Immediately afterward, intense burning nearly to the level of platinum illuminated the characters under the sky, revealing the word—”Ying.”
Ying Kai suddenly unleashed the Great Vehicle Seal, sealing off the entire Immortal Alliance!
“That…that’s Dai Mountain?”
“Alliance Leader Ying personally activated the seal?!”
“What’s happening to the Immortal Alliance?!”
…
Panic spread like wildfire, rapidly spreading in all directions, even causing Xu Shuangce’s footsteps to come to a halt.
Ying Kai was the Immortal Alliance’s anchor, never easily activating the Great Vehicle Seal. Since childhood, he had traveled with Xu Shuangce, and every time danger arose, Xu Shuangce would seal off the city. He feared the appearance of the Alliance Leader’s Great Vehicle Seal, would inevitably trigger fear and unrest throughout the world.
What caused Ying Kai to suddenly disregard everything and seal off the most important central hub of the Immortal Alliance—Dai Mountain—in front of everyone?
“Sect Master!” From afar, disciples of Cangyang Sect flew in on their swords, clad in white and silver armor. Among them was Sheng Bo, the guardian of the palace, who said urgently, “Reporting to the Master! There’s an envoy from the Dai Mountain Immortal Alliance! They urgently request an audience!”
Xu Shuangce did not respond but beckoned with his hand. Soon, two disciples in azure robes arrived on their swords, dressed in the attire of the Chengshu Palace, but now they were dusty and disheveled. They immediately bowed deeply upon seeing Xu Shuangce, saying, “It’s extremely urgent now. Please, Sect Master of Cangyang Sect, hurry back to Xuanji Hall!”
Xu Shuangce’s brow furrowed slightly. “Why?”
“Reporting to Sect Master Xu, last night, the Immortal Alliance suddenly encountered a crisis. Alliance Leader Ying was caught in it, and Sword Sect’s rescue efforts were in vain!”
“Once the Alliance Leader encounters unforeseen circumstances, it falls to the Master of the Cangyang Sect to assume the duties and responsibilities. Please, Sect Master, according to the laws of the Immortal Alliance, guard Cangyang, and do not venture into danger. Hurry back to Xuanji Hall immediately!!”
Yuchi Xiao exclaimed, “Uncle?!”
Xu Shuangce turned his head, the blazing platinum Great Vehicle Seal reflected in his eyes. “Where is Ying Kai trapped?”
A disciple raised his head, and one could see his Adam’s apple bobbing violently before he trembled and hoarsely said, “Ding Xian Ling.”
——Ding Xian Ling, the tomb of the various sects and families of the Immortal Alliance.
Unfortunately, the souls of the deceased masters were not sealed, and chaos erupted.
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