Time trickled by in the inn, settling into an eerie calm.
The six Elders, their Dao hearts unwavering, remained unmoved by Qin Yi's arrogant demeanor, demonstrating their profound cultivation. Each had cultivated for decades, reaching the eighth realm of mastery. Their endurance and mental fortitude far surpassed those of ordinary mortals.
Since Qin Yi wished to wait, they complied. After all, they were fellow disciples, bound by the ties of senior and junior brotherhood, and it would be improper to push things too far. Some of them were already over a hundred years old, making Qin Yi the youngest among the juniors.
Half an hour later, another group arrived at the inn, led by a Mount Shu Elder. He entered with his sword slung across his back, surveyed the room with a raised eyebrow, and settled into a corner without a word. Even without asking, he seemed to grasp the situation immediately.
Another fifteen minutes passed before the final Elder arrived.
By now, all eight Elders and thirty-two disciples of Mount Shu had gathered in the small inn, completely filling the space.
The inn remained eerily silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Qin Yi sat cross-legged in his second-floor room, his expression blank and eyes tightly shut. He showed no reaction to the arrival of the eight Elders downstairs. An Yi, however, grew increasingly tense, her small hands clenching the hem of her robe.
The people of Mount Shu were unlike any other Sect, and they were on a completely different level from any Demon.
As the force guarding the gateway between Mount Shu and the Mortal Realm, their power was unimaginable. While the Demon Realm was divided into numerous minor worlds, Mount Shu was home to the largest concentration of demons and the most formidable demonic entities. As the foremost of the seventy-two Immortal Lands in the human realm, the strength of Mount Shu's disciples and Elders far surpassed that of any other Sect.
Facing Mount Shu, the pressure was palpable.
"Junior Brother Chang Yi seems remarkably composed. Don't you think you should say something?"
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, an Elder spoke calmly.
The eight Elders sat in their seats, some sipping tea, others idly turning teapots in their hands. Their expressions remained serene, showing no signs of impatience or anger.
"I'm not particularly close to any of you. There's nothing to say," Qin Yi replied indifferently, his eyes closed.
"You certainly are calm," the Elder remarked. "Why not return to Mount Shu with us? The Sect Lord wishes to see you."
"I'm not ready to go back yet," Qin Yi replied.
"Under normal circumstances, we would let you be. Mount Shu respects its disciples' freedom, and as the Laws and Morals Elder, you're practically beyond our authority."
"However, this time, your actions have put us in a very difficult position. We're afraid you'll have to come with us."
An Elder's expression turned cold, his voice deepening with severity.
"What have I done?" Qin Yi asked, seeking the Dao.
"Consorting with a Demoness, injuring Fellow Daoists for a Demonic Creature... Chang Yi Junior Brother, I never imagined you would commit such an unpardonable act!" the Elder roared in fury.
His aura erupted violently, shattering the teacups before him and sending tea cascading across the table.
At that moment, his surging Sword Intent coalesced into a raging dragon, roaring as it lunged toward the second floor. Coiling and snarling, it smashed through the room's door and charged directly at Qin Yi.
Suddenly, Qin Yi's eyes snapped open.
His face was icy, and twin swords flashed into existence within his pupils.
"Even if you are my fellow disciple, I must still ask you to leave."
Buzz!
Qin Yi's eyes widened, and his own Sword Intent surged forth, clashing directly with the Elder's.
"Watch your mouth!"
As the words left his lips, his Sword Intent collided with the Elder's.
Bang!
Instantly, the second-floor inn rooms cracked and shattered, cleaved apart by the Sword Intent. In the next moment, the Elder's Sword Intent shattered completely, followed by a streak of light that pierced through the floor, hurtling toward the Elder seated below.
"Such terrifying Sword Intent!"
The Elder's pupils contracted, his eyes filled with shock.
With a flick of his right hand, the longsword behind him shot from its sheath, sweeping horizontally in a swift arc.
Boom!
A thunderous crash echoed as a shockwave erupted, shattering all the inn's windows and sending a gale rushing outward.
The sword-wielding Elder staggered backward four or five steps, each foot leaving a deep imprint in the floor before he slammed into another table behind him.
Crack!
The long table, unable to withstand the residual Sword Intent emanating from the Elder, shattered into pieces with a thunderous crash.
"Junior Brother!"
The other seven Elders gasped in alarm, their gazes fixed on the sword-wielding Elder with concern.
"I'm... fine!"
The Elder gritted his teeth, his right hand trembling. He glanced down to see his longsword, which he had carried for decades, now lying in fragments scattered across the floor.
A single strike of Sword Intent had shattered his treasured blade!
'How terrifying!'
Pfft!
As the Elder spoke those three words, he attempted to take another step forward. But the moment his foot touched the ground, his expression twisted, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face instantly paling.
"Take another step, and you'll cough up a second mouthful!"
From the second floor, Qin Yi emerged slowly from his room, appearing before the assembled crowd.
He had now reverted to his appearance from his twenties, youthful and handsome, with sharp, sword-like eyebrows and piercing, star-like eyes. His gaze radiated an icy, regal dominance.
The sword-wielding Elder glared up at him, his eyes burning with fury.
"Withdraw. I have no desire to draw my sword a second time."
Qin Yi's words, spoken from his elevated position, pierced the Elder's heart like a blade.
The Elder's eyes blazed with rage, but after three breaths, he let out a cold snort, flicked his sleeve, and turned to leave.
Defeated in a single move, the sword-wielding Elder knew he could no longer remain.
"Are you all going to attack me at once, or will you come at me one by one?" Qin Yi asked indifferently, turning his gaze from the departing Elder to the remaining seven.
His words were calm, yet they radiated an overwhelming aura of domineering contempt.
"Junior Brother Chang Yi, after more than a decade apart, your cultivation has reached such heights. It truly astonishes us!" one of the Elders sighed, slowly drawing the longsword from his back.
"For the past 130 years, this humble Daoist has cultivated this Sword Intent, yet my cultivation still falls short of yours. I am truly ashamed."
"Senior Brother Zhangqing speaks the truth. If you had remained at Mount Shu back then, our sect might have ushered in a second golden age. Alas..."
As the sigh faded, the longsword was fully drawn, its tip gleaming before the crowd, its razor-sharp edge radiating a chilling, otherworldly cold.
"The concept of fate is truly lamentable."
"Since Chang Hao is now the Sect Lord, this humble Daoist must act to assist him, obey his commands, and safeguard the reputation of Mount Shu!"
"It seems, Junior Brother Chang Yi, you'll need to explain yourself at Mount Shu!"
With these words, the old Daoist suddenly pointed his sword forward.
Buzz!
The void rippled, sending out concentric waves. A tempest of wind, torrential rain, lightning, and hail descended simultaneously, filling the modest inn with terrifying Sword Intent.
It was as if the Sword God himself had arrived.
Qin Yi's eyes lit up. Behind the old Daoist, a phantom of a white-robed swordsman materialized, his features indistinct, his hair and beard snow-white, radiating an ethereal, immortal aura.
Yet even in this ethereal form, he exuded an overwhelming Sword Intent.
"Sword God!"
At that moment, the old Daoist's eyes widened in fury as he roared, his sword pointing directly at Qin Yi.
Mount Shu Sword Skill, a technique that transcends mortal limits, the Sword God!
A sword that communes with the divine, summoning the Spiritual God. Sword Control to subdue enemies. With a single strike, only the sword remains in all creation.
In that instant, nothing else existed within the inn.
Only the sword!
(End Of This Chapter)
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