Hmph! You want to use my own sword against me? Utterly delusional.
A cold glint flashed in Xuan Ping Elder’s eyes, brimming with disdain. He was just about to dispel the shield before him and personally teach this insolent Magnetite Demon a lifelong lesson.
However, just as his mind relaxed and the radiance of his shield faded away—
Boom! Boom boom boom boom—!!
A series of deafening, thunderous explosions suddenly shattered the tranquility of the bamboo grove.
The shattered remains of the Immortal Force Swords, still gleaming with lingering light on the ground, exploded one after another like a string of powder kegs ignited simultaneously.
The violent shockwaves, mingled with a wild surge of chaotic immortal power, instantly engulfed the utterly defenseless Xuan Ping Elder.
“Cough! Cough, cough, cough—!”
Smoke and dust rolled and billowed. Xuan Ping Elder staggered backward several steps from the smoke, barely managing to stand firm, his face a mess.
The Daoist robe that had once looked tidy was now ragged and torn, riddled with scorched holes, and his face was smudged with black ash.
Even the tuft of proud, well-kept beard he always boasted of was singed, curled, and burned. How could there be any trace left of an Immortal’s elegance or a master from beyond the mortal world?
The Immortal Force Swords I condensed… they… they can actually self-detonate?!
Xuan Ping Elder was completely dumbfounded, his mind blank as if struck by nine bolts of heavenly lightning in succession.
Then, a wave of humiliation and fury at being played shot straight to his head.
Xuan Ping Elder could no longer care about any elder’s dignity or immortal grace—he strode forward in a rage, right up to the Magnet King that still glimmered with vicious red light.
With a furious shout, he clenched his right fist, gathering a surge of Immortal power filled with all his humiliation and anger, and smashed it down hard upon the deep crimson Magnetite Cap.
“Break for me!”
Bang!
A heavy thud rang out.
The Magnet King seemed utterly disinclined to dodge—or perhaps, with no legs and a body rooted in place, it couldn’t dodge at all.
It took the Immortal-powered blow head-on; its massive Magnetite Cap shook violently, its anthropomorphic face twisting in agony (X_X), and the mushroom body gave a faint “puff,” dissolving into scattered motes of spiritual light, following after the Magnetite Sprite.
At last, silence fully returned to the bamboo grove.
Xuan Ping Elder’s chest heaved violently, and he gasped for breath.
He looked down at the scorched pits blasted into the earth, then glanced at his own wretched, lightning-struck, beggar-like state, and felt a choking, inexplicable frustration clogging his chest—enough to make him want to spit blood.
I’ve walked the Immortal World for a thousand years, and today I was toyed with… by two Magnetite Sprites?!
What’s more infuriating, my own techniques were turned into the Magnetite Sprite’s attacks!
He sucked in several deep breaths of night air thick with the scent of smoke and dust, forcefully suppressing the turbulent energy and killing intent surging within him, then began to smack the thick dust, grass, and leaves from his robe.
“Ugh, what bad luck…” he muttered under his breath, straightening his tattered robe, and then staggered off in the direction of the Tianquanfeng Small Courtyard, his desolate silhouette cast long beneath the moonlight.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Steady knocking sounded outside the Small Courtyard on Tianquanfeng.
Xuanya opened the door at the sound, expecting her little disciple Gantang, but instead found herself staring at none other than her image-conscious Senior Brother—Xuan Ping Elder.
Moreover…
For once, Xuanya’s always-cool face showed a flicker of astonishment as she sized up Xuan Ping Elder’s beggar-like, burnt-smelling, tattered robe, along with the obvious black smudges and scorched, curled beard on his face. She couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Brother, what happened to you…?”
“Ahem, it’s nothing, nothing, merely chanced upon an ancient remnant demon along the way and exchanged a few moves. Your Senior Brother’s Dao is profound, of course, and I emerged slightly superior.”
Xuan Ping Elder seemed a bit choked up, but straightened his back, trying to maintain an Immortal’s bearing, waving his hand with affected nonchalance.
Xuanya stared at Xuan Ping for two silent seconds, then chose not to poke further holes in his obviously flimsy excuse.
Instead, she cut straight to the point: “Senior Brother, what brings you here so late at night?”
“It’s official business, of course.”
Xuan Ping cleared his throat, striving for a serious expression, though a habitual playful glint still lingered in his eyes.
“The bell for the Nine Peaks Grand Tournament is about to sound. I ask that Tianquanfeng’s Peak Lord Xuanya quickly finalize your participants, lest the main peak’s elders grow impatient.”
“…Senior Brother.”
Upon hearing this, Xuanya frowned slightly, her clear eyes meeting Xuan Ping’s directly, her tone as frank and puzzled as ever. “This could have been conveyed by Jade Token. Why make the trip yourself so late?”
“Ah, Junior Sister, you miss the point!” Xuan Ping brushed his sleeve, shaking his head with mock gravity.
“The art of living is all about ceremony. As the ancients say: ‘Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.’ Jade Token messages are just a few cold lines—how could they compare to the warmth of me coming in person?”
Xuanya folded her arms across her chest, her icy expression unwavering as she exposed him bluntly: “Senior Brother, you wouldn’t come here for no reason. What favor do you want this time?”
“Hahaha! No one knows me like you, Junior Sister!” Xuan Ping instantly burst out laughing, unabashed at being seen through. “Your insight is as sharp as ever. I do have a matter to entrust to you.”
He grew a shade more serious.
“Recently, demonic energy has been surging abnormally in Wanghai City under the Tianyuan Sect’s jurisdiction. I would like your two most talented disciples to go and investigate.”
He paused, adding with emphasis, “The demonic aura is unusually strong this time. Each peak has sent its most elite disciples. To ensure everything goes smoothly, the sect will also send a Heavenly Immortal-level elder as escort.”
At the mention of a Heavenly Immortal being dispatched, Xuanya’s eyes grew grave at once. “Wanghai City? What has happened there to alarm the sect so much?”
“The details are unclear for now,” Xuan Ping’s face darkened, his voice dropping a notch.
“But the Peak Master of Tianyan Peak used the Star Disk to divine the omens—there is a Lonely Star crossing Wanghai City’s heavens. That is a sign of great calamity. If not dealt with quickly, it could bring disaster and endless trouble.”
Xuanya was silent for a moment, her eyes flickering as she weighed her options, before she finally nodded slowly. “…I understand.”
“Junior Sister, you are truly noble!”
Xuan Ping instantly slipped back into his playful grin, as if his previous seriousness had never existed. He craned his neck, peering into the house behind Xuanya.
“By the way, since I came all this way to deliver news, and stood shivering at your courtyard gate for half the night, aren’t you going to invite your beloved Senior Brother in for a hot drink? A little reunion, perhaps?”
Xuanya rolled her eyes, utterly unmoved.
“Want tea? Go back to your own cave full of Lingcha. There’s nothing on Tianquanfeng to suit your refined taste—just some coarse tea for guests. Wouldn’t want to offend you.”
“Hahahahaha!” Xuan Ping took no offense, laughing even louder. “Junior Sister, all these years, you’ve never changed that cold temperament of yours!” He waved his hand with a smile.
“Enough, enough. I’m too thin-skinned to take your cold shoulder. I’ll organize the Nine Peaks Grand Tournament schedule in detail and send it via Jade Token in a few days. Just let me know your participants by then.”
Before he’d finished speaking, Xuan Ping’s form turned into a blurry azure streak, drifting up to the clouds as immortal mist gathered beneath his feet.
Standing atop a cloud, he gave Xuanya a dashing wave at the courtyard gate, calling out, “Take care, Junior Sister. Your Senior Brother takes his leave!”
At once, the swirling clouds carried his ragged-robed silhouette away, swaying yet swift, soaring down the mountain until he soon vanished into the endless night.