Chapter 5

"Indeed, this is the Cloud Peak Sword; it is truly no ordinary weapon." A moment later, Qingxi's voice came from inside the room.

"The founder of the Yunlai Sword Sect, Qin Donglai, truly deserves to be called a genuine sword master, a top-tier powerhouse who established a first-rate sect. This spirit sword is highly spirited. Holding this sword, the true qi within my body becomes more active. Senior Sister, with this sword, you will not find it difficult to advance to the rank of a Ninth-Rank Swordsman in due time."

As Qingxi spoke, she had already come to the side of the white-robed girl, holding the Cloud Peak Sword, the sect's most precious treasure, which had been refined by five generations of the Yunlai Sword Sect.

"With my cultivation speed, it won't be difficult to reach the rank of a Ninth-Rank Swordsman within two years. However, I will miss the Divine Void Academy's once-in-five-years recruitment period. But with this spirit sword, the time it takes for me to advance to the Ninth-Rank Swordsman will be greatly shortened, and I might even break through the bottleneck to the Great Swordsman before the Divine Void Sword Sect's recruitment period arrives."

Seeing that Qingxi had already taken out the Cloud Peak Sword, the white-robed girl smiled slightly, withdrew the sword she had pressed against Qin Tianji's throat, and took the Cloud Peak Sword.

The crisis resolved, Qin Tianji quickly retreated.

Noticing Qin Tianji's fleeing figure, a sneer appeared on the corner of Qingxi's mouth: "You, as the young master, are indeed very dedicated. Thanks to you, otherwise, we might have encountered some trouble in obtaining the Cloud Peak Sword."

Qin Tianji glanced at Qingxi.

In the depths of his calm eyes, a hint of coldness lingered.

Danger level, three... only?

"Hmm?"

The middle-aged man behind Qingxi glanced at Qin Tianji, his eyes narrowing slightly. His gaze was like a sword, and in an instant, Qin Tianji, whose mental perception was extremely sensitive, felt his entire body bristle with goosebumps, and a sense of death surged from the depths of his heart!

If it were an ordinary person, even a mid-rank swordsman, under such a life-and-death threat, they would likely have an instinctive reaction...

But...

Qin Tianji deeply understood in his heart!

He could not move. The coldness in his eyes was completely concealed, turning into a look of fear. He could not even pretend to notice the middle-aged man's gaze!

If he showed the slightest sign of abnormality, there was a high chance that the middle-aged man would eliminate him to avoid future trouble.

An enemy who cannot hide their anger and hatred is not to be feared; what is truly terrifying is an enemy who can endure all kinds of humiliation without uttering a word.

Especially this enemy...

Who is also the young master of the Yunlai Sword Sect.

After several seconds, seeing that Qin Tianji had no reaction at all, the middle-aged man withdrew his gaze with a hint of doubt.

"Senior Zhou Chong, what's wrong?"

The white-robed girl seemed to notice the middle-aged man's abnormality and asked softly.

"Nothing, I might have sensed it incorrectly."

The middle-aged man named Zhou Chong shook his head.

"A declining Yunlai Sword Sect, what can it do?"

Qingxi said, seemingly feeling that staying in the Yunlai Sword Sect was a waste of time, and turned to leave: "Let's go."

"Tianji, are you alright?"

Qin Yuyan's figure flashed, appearing beside Qin Tianji.

Qin Tianji shook his head.

"Caiyin, quickly, take Tianji to apply some medicine."

"Yes, Yuyan."

A female disciple stepped out from the surrounding disciples, glanced at Qin Tianji, and led him to the back courtyard.

Although she did not say anything, Qin Tianji could see a hint of disdain in her eyes.

"..."

"Su Yuhuan!"

Seeing that Qin Tianji was finally safe, Qin Yuyan's voice suddenly rang out.

The white-robed girl, Su Yuhuan, who had walked to the door, stopped with a frown, her tone somewhat cold: "What? Do you really think that with the old, weak, and frail members of the Yunlai Sword Sect, you can stop us? You are overestimating the current Yunlai Sword Sect."

Qin Yuyan took a deep breath, calming the anger that had been suppressed in her chest.

She coldly swept her gaze over the two girls, her tone becoming even colder: "I don't care who you are cultivating this Cloud Peak Sword for, but whoever it is, I will personally take it back from their hands and return it to our Yunlai Sword Sect."

"Ha ha ha ha!" The yellow-robed girl, Qingxi, couldn't help but laugh, as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world, laughing so hard that she almost fell over: "Ha ha ha ha, you're killing me! Do you think you can take something from our Xuanling Sect? Oh, you're not planning to wait a hundred years to take it back, are you?"

Even the corner of the white-robed girl, Su Yuhuan's, charming lips curled into a mocking smile.

She somewhat admired Qin Yuyan. The Yunlai Sword Sect had lost its mainstay, and she was the only one holding it up, which was not easy. But Qin Yuyan was really overestimating herself. Calling her ignorant and not knowing her place was an understatement.

"I, Su Yuhuan, am the new owner of this Cloud Peak Sword. I am already an Eighth-Rank Swordsman, and with the help of this spirit sword, I will definitely make great progress within half a year and become a Ninth-Rank Swordsman. Within two years, I have a good chance of advancing to the Great Swordsman realm. If you want the sword..." The girl waved the Cloud Peak Sword in her hand, looking at Qin Yuyan and then at Qin Tianji: "Don't say I didn't give you a chance. Within these two years, if your Yunlai Sword Sect can defeat me and take the Cloud Peak Sword, I will not say a word. And I will apologize for my actions today. But if you fail..."

"There will be no failure." Qin Yuyan did not get angry at their mockery and ridicule. At this moment, it seemed as if she could no longer feel anything happening in the outside world. The only thing she possessed was the determination to crush everything and never look back!

"Two years, as you wish! I will leave the Cloud Peak Sword with your Xuanling Sect for two years, and you must take good care of it for two years! If the Cloud Peak Sword is even slightly damaged after two years..."

"Clang!"

The sword was instantly drawn from its scabbard!

Qin Yuyan, with her long hair flowing over her shoulders, looked so resolute and beautiful that it was breathtaking.

"To the death!"

Despite finding Qin Yuyan's actions extremely childish, a thought had already formed in Zhou Chong's mind...

Should he cut off the root first?

"To the death!?" A hint of coldness appeared in Su Yuhuan's charming eyes: "Arrogant! Do you really think that by blocking my sword, you can challenge our entire Xuanling Sect!?"

"Arrogant? You will see! Now, you, you, and you..." She pointed her left hand at the door: "All of you, get out! Never step into our Yunlai Sword Sect again!!"

"Hmm? Looking for death!"

The middle-aged man, Zhou Chong, took a step forward with a cold expression, and in an instant, a mountain-like aura enveloped him, and a terrifying killing intent surged, enveloping everyone in front of him like a tidal wave.

"Finally, it's time to act!"

Feeling the killing intent and determination from Zhou Chong, which seemed to want to slaughter all the strong of the Yunlai Sword Sect, Qin Tianji, who had been enduring, was shaken to the core. The mental core formed by the Ninth-Rank mental ability, stimulated by this terrifying killing intent, boiled furiously!

Since enduring again and again could not avoid it, there was only...

"Kill!"

"Protector Zhou Chong, can't you tolerate the angry words of a young person?"

Just as Qin Tianji's killing intent was about to be unleashed, and he could only choose to fight to the death, relying on the soul chip and mental advantage to fight for his life, the weak Qi Lingyun suddenly stepped forward, completely blocking Zhou Chong's aura, making the aura that was about to hit Qin Tianji, Qin Yuyan, and others fall on him.

His words were directed at Zhou Chong, but his gaze was on the white-robed girl, Su Yuhuan.

"Hmm?"

Seeing the old and weak Qi Lingyun in front of him, Zhou Chong's steps paused slightly.

In this long-established high-rank swordsman, he saw a determination to fight to the death.

If he really attacked Qin Yuyan, this old Eighth-Rank swordsman would likely fight to the death, determined to take someone down with him.

If his determination to fight to the death was aimed at himself, Zhou Chong wouldn't care, but...

His target was clearly Su Yuhuan.

The most outstanding disciple of the Xuanling Sect in a hundred years.

A world-class genius with the potential to advance to the rank of a sword master and lead the Xuanling Sect to the ranks of a first-rate sect.

After weighing the threat of Qi Lingyun's all-out attack, Zhou Chong finally slightly reined in the suffocating pressure: "Very well, Qi Lingyun, for your sake, I won't hold these young people accountable."

After saying that, his gaze swept over the silent Qin Tianji once more, and he waved his hand: "Let's go!"

He directly led Su Yuhuan and Qingxi away, disappearing from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

"Close the mountain gate..."

Seeing Zhou Chong leave, Qi Lingyun, who was already severely injured, hurriedly gave an order. It seemed he could no longer hold on, and he spat out another mouthful of blood, his body swaying, and he fell into a coma...

"Master!"

"Senior Qi!"

...

Night silently enveloped the entire Yunlai Sword Sect.

Three years ago, this was still a second-rate sect with bright lights. Now, it had become cold and quiet, terrifyingly silent.

Among the many buildings, only a few revealed any light.

"Go."

"Senior Qin..."

Qin Yuyan sat there, as if she had lost the entire world in an instant, her expression desolate and bleak.

In her hand, she tightly held the standard long sword of the Yunlai Sword Sect, and in front of her were five people, five disciples of the Yunlai Sword Sect.

Each of the five carried luggage.

Their purpose was already very clear.

"Senior, we are sorry... We will take our leave first." The disciples bowed slightly and walked out.

When they reached the door, they seemed somewhat uneasy and looked back at the dazed Qin Yuyan, sighed, and then closed the courtyard gate for her...

Darkness quietly descended...

Silence enveloped the courtyard...

The Yunlai Sword Sect, which used to occasionally have the sound of coughing, now resembled a ghostly realm, with no sound at all. The empty courtyard, in the darkness, was like a wild beast lying in wait, making the entire mountain range even more eerie.

Qin Yuyan had finally witnessed the power of Zhou Chong.

Qi Lingyun, who was already injured, lost the Cloud Peak Sword, and was in pain, and had a direct confrontation with Zhou Chong's aura, spitting out blood.

The doctor's diagnosis: Qi Lingyun...

Would not live more than three to five days.

The Yunlai Sword Sect had lost its last spiritual pillar.

...

"Young Master."

In the study of the courtyard, Qin Tianji looked at Qin Yuyan, who was sitting on the steps at the courtyard entrance, lost in thought, and remained silent.

Behind him stood a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl.

One of the few remaining disciples of the Yunlai Sword Sect, an inner sect disciple who had cultivated to the Fourth-Rank Swordsman—Jiang Caiyin.

"Let her have some time to herself."

"Yes."

"How many people are left in the sect?"

"Young Master, there are sixteen inner sect disciples, forty-eight outer sect disciples, and one hundred and nine maids, servants, and laborers... However... In the inner sect, Senior Luo Kai and Senior Fang Li have also said they will leave tomorrow morning..."

"Leave... let them leave. Sister Caiyin, if you want to leave, you can too..."

"Young Master, what are you saying?"

Before Qin Tianji could finish, Jiang Caiyin was already somewhat angry: "My parents died in a beast attack a long time ago. If it weren't for Senior Qi of the Yunlai Sword Sect bringing me here, I would have died long ago. From the day I understood, I have considered myself a member of the Yunlai Sword Sect. Even if everyone in the Yunlai Sword Sect leaves, I will never leave. I believe many of my junior brothers, sisters, and seniors feel the same way."

"Good."

Qin Tianji nodded solemnly.

"It's late, go rest. Tomorrow... there will be a lot to do."

"I will go with Senior Lin. I'm afraid she might do something rash."

Qin Tianji glanced at Qin Yuyan, who was sitting on the steps at the courtyard entrance, lost in thought, and nodded slightly: "That's fine."

After Jiang Caiyin left the room, the study was left with only Qin Tianji. In the darkness of the night, the room was eerily quiet.

"Did I make the wrong choice?"

Qin Tianji muttered to himself.

"Beep! If the host stays in the Yunlai Sword Sect, the probability of encountering danger will increase by 271%. The target, Zhou Chong, has a 67.26% probability of sending assassins to eliminate the root. It is recommended to leave the Yunlai Sword Sect to remove the threat from Zhou Chong."

"Two-thirds probability... I indeed made the wrong choice."

Qin Tianji said, with a hint of self-mockery on his face.

"But... wrong is wrong. I am only nineteen, still a young person. It's normal to be impulsive sometimes, isn't it? Or..."

In Qin Tianji's mind, he recalled the look in the white-robed girl, Su Yuhuan's, eyes when she pressed the sword against his throat today...

High and mighty!

Treating him as nothing!

Life and death at her whim!

"Beep! According to federal law, anyone in a dangerous unknown area should prioritize their own safety."

"Federal law..."

Qin Tianji looked up at the sky, where a crescent moon with a deep blue glow hung...

The Federation... that world had already left him far behind. Now, his place...

Is the Yunlai Sword Sect.

...

"To reverse the decline of the Yunlai Sword Sect, Qi Lingyun must not die. If Qi Lingyun really dies in three days, the Yunlai Sword Sect will completely collapse. Therefore..."

"Two, have you analyzed Qi Lingyun's condition?"

"Beep! Target Qi Lingyun, Level 5 severe injury, 99.81% probability of recovery. Required treatment items: twelve vials of Regeneration Agent, three vials of BSM Nutrient Solution, A-31 Type Healing Liquid..."

"Whether it's the Regeneration Agent or the BSM Nutrient Solution, I don't have them. I need a treatment plan using herbs that can be collected within three days."

"Beep! Insufficient data, please supplement the database."

"Database."

Qin Tianji's gaze fell on the bookshelf in the study.

"Spending a whole night copying data... just for an 'unrelated' sect and temporarily tying myself to this sect's fate, this is definitely a wrong choice, but..."

In Qin Tianji's calm mind, the figures of the Ninth-Rank Swordsman Zhou Chong, the Eighth-Rank Swordsman Su Yuhuan, and the Sixth-Rank Swordsman Qingxi flashed by...

"You, as the young master, are indeed very dedicated..."

"Yes, dedicated..."

"I, as the young master, am very dedicated!"

"Very dedicated!"

"I will prove... how dedicated I, as the young master, can be!"

"Xuanling Sect!"

"You... underestimated someone!"

"That is..."

"Me!"