Yun Liu slowly opened his eyes, his brows furrowed, his gaze indifferent to everything.
There was neither Shenhua Sect nor Radiant Light Sect in his eyes, not even this vast world caught his attention.
Jing Tan’er looked at the boy’s profile, unable to suppress her curiosity.
The boy who grew up in Mist City had walked a twisted and bizarre path, rising from obscurity to fame, falling in despair only to rise again against all odds, as if no adversity could shake him.
What on earth was in Yun Liu’s head?
Did he also long for a beautiful future?
However, the hamster chief suddenly remembered before leaving that he might have forgotten to harvest the vegetables, and the exclusive medicinal garden laborer had also left the mountain together, leaving no one to tend it.
What should I do about this!?
Whoosh!
A sudden sense of danger erupted. On the golden-yellow plain, an arrow tore through the air, locking onto the leading white-robed youth.
Once bitten, twice shy.
This time, Xiao Xinran reacted instantly, drawing her sword and swirling red clouds, shielding Yun Liu and clashing with a green light.
Clang!
Sword and arrow collided.
The arrow was deflected, still coming fiercely, but the impact numbed Xiao Xinran’s arm and forced her back several feet.
The assailant was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, powerful in spiritual energy!
The howling wind shifted toward the cloud carriage, making the two maids scream in fear.
They hurried to awaken the low-grade artifact protecting Her Highness.
Yun Liu’s expression didn’t change. With a slight movement, before the arrow could reach the carriage, he caught it in his palm, crushing both the sharp arrowhead and the turbulent Wind Spirit within it to fragments.
“Who is it!”
Jing Tan’er shouted angrily, drawing her sword and leaping from the carriage.
First it was that reckless Qingshan Sect Min Hen, and now, even in Guangming Ye, there were bandits causing trouble.
She had no good feelings for Wind Spiritual Root cultivators at this moment.
Yun Liu looked in the direction the arrow came from, spreading his divine sense to lock onto a distant target.
The boy erupted with his sword, stirring up a storm, his ethereal spiritual energy instantly surging to the mid-Foundation Establishment level.
Xiao Xinran rode her sword to flank him, following closely behind, astonished by Yun Liu’s speed.
Even with her own Sunset Sword Classic, she couldn’t compare.
The wind archer hidden in the golden plain missed his first shot and was about to retreat, but a white-hot meteor fell from the sky, slamming into the ground nearby.
Thud!
Dust flew instantly.
The “assassin” flipped away, the wind technique swift and agile.
‘What the hell!?’
In his vision, the suspicious white-robed youth appeared in front of him within two breaths!
A sword cultivator?
Or a body cultivator?
The young man wearing a crane-feather robe and carrying a large bow looked horrified.
He had never seen such a violent cultivator of the same realm.
He had just started to chant a spell to escape, when his right foot was grabbed and he was slammed back to the ground.
Yun Liu stepped on the youth’s chest, flexing his wrist.
He didn’t even bother to use the Shenhua Nine Forms or the Sword Scripture of Celestial Phenomena, or even draw his sword.
To be ambushed again so quickly—had Jing Rui’s false message been exposed?
“You! What kind of sword cultivator are you!?”
The young man struggled, unwilling, but when he saw the red-robed girl in a cloud-patterned sword robe approaching, he immediately realized something.
He seemed… to have mistakenly shot at a Shenhua ally?
‘Radiant Light Sect disciple? To deal with someone like you, my master doesn’t even need to draw a sword.’
Xiao Xinran sneered coldly, her sword already at his throat, fully immersed in her role.
The subtle change in how she addressed him made Yun Liu’s expression strange.
“Master?”
The young man was confused.
The red-robed girl was outstanding in both appearance and talent—rare even in the top spiritual caves of the world.
Such an excellent Sunset Peak disciple actually called this reckless boy ‘master’?
Could these reckless people not be Shenhua’s Five Peaks representatives after all…?
“Stop!”
A panicked shout came from afar.
Seven or eight more Foundation Establishment cultivators flew over, and when they saw their own comrade pinned under the white-robed youth’s foot, their faces turned tense, each gripping their artifacts tightly.
Jing Tan’er and the others arrived in time, and for a moment both sides faced off in Guangming Ye, the atmosphere tense as drawn swords.
Friend faced friend, each utterly bewildered.
On one side were the southern sword cultivators in cloud-robed uniforms, on the other, Radiant Light Sect disciples in crane-feather robes.
It seemed things were not as either side imagined.
So the archer underfoot was not from the Eight Banners Demon Cult.
Yun Liu shrugged, feeling a bit sensitive, like being startled by wind rustling grass.
The leader of the Radiant Light Sect group was a sickly-looking young man.
After clarifying the situation, he cupped his hands in apology, gently explaining the misunderstanding.
This was Radiant Light Sect territory; Guangming Ye was like their back garden.
The sect’s fame was widespread, and few outsiders who didn’t understand the rules passed through.
The southern cultivators, unaware of the truth, had crossed the border without notice, causing this farce.
“Everyone, calm down. It’s a misunderstanding. This is Patrol Disciple Zhuang Heng, who sensed spiritual energy fluctuations invading Guangming Ye and fired an arrow as a warning according to procedure. He didn’t expect you to be Shenhua guests. Your skills are impressive. Respect, respect.”
What yours or mine—in Her Highness’s eyes, all land within the empire’s borders belongs to the nation.
Is there any place she can’t go?
Jing Tan’er snorted.
“That’s a warning? Anyone else would think it was a declaration of war. The local sects are so rude!”
“That arrow only used half my cultivation, meant to deter intruders. If I had used full strength, would you have escaped so easily?”
Zhuang Heng argued, his face red.
He tried to get up, but Yun Liu pressed him back down.
“Bluffing without a draft. You clearly aimed at people.”
Xiao Xinran pouted.
If that arrow had hit, it wouldn’t have felt good.
What Radiant Light Sect arrogance.
When she was patrolling in the Sea of Clouds Peaks Forest, even with passing rogue cultivators, she would at least greet them first.
The white-robed youth still hadn’t lifted his foot.
With two sharp-tongued girls beside him, the Radiant Light Sect disciples grew even more indignant.
Clearly it was Shenhua Sect who intruded into Guangming Ye, yet they were playing the victim!
The sickly youth introduced himself as Bai Yu, neither rushed nor slow, apologized to Yun Liu again, and helped Zhuang Heng up.
“There’s an old saying in the jianghu: ‘No discord, no concord.’ I’ve long admired the great name of Shenhua. We welcome you to the Radiant Light Sect. This young lady has an impressive bearing—may I ask which peak of the Sea of Clouds she hails from?”
“You’re not qualified to question me.”
Jing Tan’er’s expression was proud. She didn’t even look at Bai Yu, only stared at Yun Liu’s hand.
Remembering how Yun Liu had risked himself just now, Jing Tan’er’s heart felt sweet, but she also worried that the arrow might have hurt him.
If this were in Yudu, these annoying people would all be thrown into Linglong Prison for seven days and nights.
A female Radiant Light Sect disciple couldn’t stand it any longer and frowned.
“You were clearly in the wrong first. Senior Brother Bai already treated you with courtesy—how can you not speak properly?”
“Watch your words, commoner. Listen well, the person before you is—”
The maid Nini cleared her throat, about to announce herself, but Yun Liu stopped her.
“Since it’s a misunderstanding, we’ll leave now.”
Yun Liu waved his hand, calling Xiao Xinran and Jing Tan’er to withdraw from Guangming Ye and continue their journey.
But Bai Yu smiled.
“We represent the sect in attending the Shengyu Festival. Who would have thought we’d meet Shenhua disciples as soon as we descended the mountain? The reputation of Sea of Clouds sword cultivators precedes you. You must also be heading to Yudu. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared, it’s fate. Why not travel together for mutual support?”
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