The Qingping Sword Saint still had that half-asleep look about her, but her aura wasn’t lazy at all. Instead, it carried an air of Mystic mystery that made her impossible to read.
Remnant Sword Ancestor was utterly shocked. His bleary old eyes nearly bulged out of his head. Once he regained his composure, he hurriedly stood up and bowed deeply at the waist.
“Your unworthy disciple Remnant Sword pays respects to Qingping Lord.”
Only then did the Qingping Sword Saint notice Remnant Sword Ancestor. After a brief moment of recollection, she remembered who he was and said flatly, “It’s been a long time, Remnant Sword. Back then, you were just a Peak Elder, and now you’ve become a Supreme Elder.”
Remnant Sword Ancestor was terrified and deferential. “Thanks to Qingping Lord’s blessings, I have had the honor of shouldering this great responsibility.”
The Qingping Sword Saint’s face remained expressionless. “With the Holy Lord absent, you and Heavenly Sword Old Ancestor hold all the power in the Holy Land. You’re perched high above everyone else, so naturally, you don’t want to acknowledge the successor This Seat has chosen, right?”
Remnant Sword Ancestor’s face stiffened at her words, beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down his forehead. “Please quell your anger, Qingping Lord. Your disciple had no such intention. It’s just that the prospective Holy Lord is still not quite mature enough to bear the heavy burden yet, so we’ve let her stay on Cloud Arrival Island to cultivate in peace for now… Your disciple had no idea that Qingping Lord had returned. Otherwise, we would have come to pay respects at once and welcome your holy arrival!”
The Qingping Sword Saint gazed down at him silently for a long moment before speaking again. “This Seat won’t forcibly interfere in the selection of the new Holy Lord, but you had all better follow the ancestral rules passed down through the generations. Otherwise, even if This Seat is no longer at her peak, she will step in on Qingyun’s behalf and give you lot a proper lesson.”
Remnant Sword Ancestor wiped the sweat from his brow in relief and quickly replied, “We shall strictly heed Qingping Lord’s teachings.”
The Qingping Sword Saint let out a soft hum and shifted her gaze to Yan Zhen, her tone displeased. “You little kid, stop clinging to Yun Xiu and Wenqing all the time. It’s time for them to cultivate.”
Yan Zhen’s mouth twitched slightly as he reminded her, “Sword Saint Senior, my name is Yan Zhen.”
The Qingping Sword Saint ignored him and turned to Yun Xiu. “Head to the back mountain shortly. No slacking.”
Yun Xiu smiled faintly and nodded in acknowledgment.
Beside them, Huangfu Wenqing pouted, letting out a quiet sigh.
Only then did the Qingping Sword Saint withdraw, satisfied.
Yan Zhen felt a bit helpless. There had been no specific details about the Qingping Sword Saint in his previous life’s script, so he didn’t know much about her personality. He only knew she was the strongest Holy Lord in the history of Evergreen Holy Land. He hadn’t expected her to be the type of elder who acted like a strict homeroom teacher.
Watching the Qingping Sword Saint’s departing figure, Remnant Sword Ancestor finally straightened his back. A hint of emotion flickered in his old eyes.
“I never imagined I’d see Qingping Lord again in my lifetime. Perhaps this is heaven reminding me that after clinging to the old ways for so long, it’s time to make a change.”
Yan Zhen said calmly, “There’s a saying—’keep pace with the times.’ Only by accepting new things can you progress. Of course, those who hold firm to the end are admirable too.”
Remnant Sword Ancestor nodded wordlessly before bowing deeply to Yun Xiu. “It was this old man who was rude before. Please forgive me, prospective Holy Lord. Allow me to pay my proper respects now.”
Yun Xiu didn’t take it to heart; she knew Remnant Sword Ancestor’s character well. “There’s no need for that, Ancestor. My lack of strength is a fact.”
Remnant Sword Ancestor felt deeply ashamed, yet also quite relieved.
“I’ll keep a close eye on Heavenly Sword Old Ancestor’s movements. You all be careful too.”
“You should worry about Yinghuo Sword Venerable and the others,” Yan Zhen said. “They’re aligned with Heavenly Sword Old Ancestor’s faction, but they have no idea about Asura Heavenly Monarch.”
“We can only take it one step at a time. This old man will head back now.”
“Take care, Senior.”
Yan Zhen watched Remnant Sword Ancestor leave before stretching lazily, a weight lifting off his shoulders.
To be honest, dealing with something like the Star God Clan—where he could just blow them up outright—was far simpler. Having to tiptoe around like this, always on the defensive, was a pain. He needed to lure Heavenly Sword Old Ancestor and Asura Heavenly Monarch into revealing themselves before he could strike back. It was too much hassle, wasting both time and energy.
Seeing this, Yun Xiu sidled up behind Yan Zhen and began gently massaging his shoulders. “You’ve been working hard.”
Yan Zhen turned around, spread his arms, and threw himself into Yun Xiu’s embrace like a spoiled child, burying his face in her ample bosom. She naturally held his head and softly stroked his silky hair.
“Want to cultivate with us, Yan Zhen? You’re a sword user too—maybe you can pick up something from Sword Saint Senior.”
Her words stirred Yan Zhen’s interest. Though he wielded a sword, his swordsmanship was honestly mediocre—just two brute-force hacks like Flame Extinction Ashless Slash and Flying Fire Meteor Sword. He hadn’t grasped the essence of the sword at all.
Even his three beautiful masters weren’t sword experts, so he had no one to learn from. Consulting the Qingping Sword Saint might boost his comprehension of Sword Dao.
He had to wait for Heavenly Sword Old Ancestor to slip up anyway. Might as well learn some swordplay in the meantime.
“Will Sword Saint Senior teach me?”
Yun Xiu blinked and whispered, “Sword Saint Senior actually loves teaching people. She just hates idiots.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got great aptitude.”
“We’ll see if you do.”
“Mm… Jiu Youyue, you join us too? Weren’t you practicing the sword back at Cloud Heaven Palace? How come you never use it in fights anymore?”
Yan Zhen thought back carefully and realized that ever since Jiu Youyue had shed her “Ninth Sword Immortal” identity, she rarely used her sword.
The demoness rolled her eyes at him. “I cultivate Yin Mystic Power. It doesn’t mesh well with an upright path like Sword Dao, so I got lazy about delving deeper.”
Yan Zhen shook his head. “The essence of Sword Dao is offense and conquest. That’s exactly what you’re lacking. You should listen to what Qingping Sword Saint has to teach.”
Jiu Youyue paused, suddenly finding his logic quite convincing.
And so the four of them headed to the back mountain together. Upon arrival, without any summons, the Qingping Sword Saint appeared on her own.
It was unclear if it was intentional, but she always showed up floating higher than them, her bare little feet stepping through the air, her clothes and hair fluttering in the wind. Her cute face still looked like she hadn’t fully woken up.
Spotting Yan Zhen, the Qingping Sword Saint furrowed her delicate brows. “You little kid want to cultivate too? It’s not impossible, but This Seat doesn’t casually instruct others.”
She had quite the air of prestige about her.
Yan Zhen glanced at Yun Xiu, who gave him an encouraging look, so he said, “No problem. I’ll just watch and learn.”
Maintaining her lofty demeanor, the Qingping Sword Saint directed the Inheritance Sword to lift Yun Xiu and Huangfu Wenqing up to the clouds.
Yan Zhen considered for a moment, then summoned his Great Extreme Tyrant Sword and said to Jiu Youyue, “Jiu Youyue, let’s get started too.”
Jiu Youyue batted her beautiful eyes and summoned her Moon Radiance Longsword.
Right there in front of the Qingping Sword Saint, the two of them began sparring, trading blows back and forth in a flirtatious display that looked halfway decent.
The Qingping Sword Saint had her focus on Yun Xiu and Huangfu Wenqing at first, but a momentary glance at the pair nearly blinded her with their awful swordplay. She couldn’t hold back any longer. “You two, stop that right now!”
Yan Zhen and Jiu Youyue exchanged a look, halted their swordplay, and put on the innocent, bewildered expressions of total newbies.
“Does Sword Saint Senior have any pointers?”
(The demoness tilted her head.)
The childlike sword saint’s lips drooped, her face sour with displeasure. “This Seat will teach only once. Watch closely.”
