Chapter 69

Listen! Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace!

Everyone heard this name for the first time, all shaking their heads in confusion, wondering what place it was.

Among those present, only Bai Xiaosheng and Qin Shuang knew about the Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace. Qin Shuang had heard it from Bai Xiaosheng, who had warned his six disciples that the Vulture Palace was a place not to be provoked.

Beside him, Duan Yu curiously tugged at Bai Xiaosheng and whispered, "Big Brother Bai, do you know about the Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace?"

Bai Xiaosheng turned his head and smiled at him, but did not answer. He looked at Zuo Zimu and said leisurely, "Patriarch Zuo, we've been neighbors for years, and we've gotten along well. Let me give you some advice."

Zuo Zimu came to his senses and said respectfully, "Please speak, Lord Bai!"

"This time, with the Shennong Gang, you should just admit defeat!"

Upon hearing this, the hall was in an uproar, and Zuo Zimu's face turned grim. He looked at Bai Xiaosheng and asked, "What? Lord Bai, do you think our Wuliang Sword Sect is inferior to the Shennong Gang?"

"Hehe..." Bai Xiaosheng grinned and said, "In terms of real skills, you are not inferior to the Shennong Gang. But don't forget, the Shennong Gang's best skill is poison. Do you think your Wuliang Sword Sect has much chance of winning against them? Moreover, they have the Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace backing them. This is a major force. If your matter alarms the Child of Tian Shan, your Wuliang Sword Sect might be wiped out."

"Lord Bai knows about the Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace?" Zuo Zimu was greatly alarmed.

Bai Xiaosheng did not answer, but got up and gestured to Qin Shuang and Duan Yu. He then looked up at Zhong Ling on the beam and said, "Miss Zhong, are you going to leave with us?"

"Sure, sure!" Zhong Ling clapped her hands and jumped down. Under Bai Xiaosheng's lead, the four of them walked out of the Wuliang Palace. Zuo Zimu's face changed, wanting to stop them, but thinking of Bai Xiaosheng's martial arts, he shook his head, looking bitter.

In the crowd, the guests, thinking of Bai Xiaosheng's martial arts and reputation, were all afraid of the Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace. Think about it, even the famous sword enthusiast Bai Xiaosheng left, why would they stay here to die? So one by one, they bid farewell to Zuo Zimu, and soon the bustling hall was empty, leaving only the people of the Wuliang Sword Sect, feeling secretly sad.

On the mountain path, Zhong Ling curiously looked at Bai Xiaosheng and asked, "Do you really know about the Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace?" Duan Yu also chimed in, "Big Brother Bai, tell us, what is the Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace?"

"Ah!" Bai Xiaosheng sighed and said, "Don't you two know that curiosity can kill the cat?"

"Master, I also want to know, what kind of sect is the Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace?" Qin Shuang also interjected. She was naturally curious about the dangerous place mentioned by Bai Xiaosheng, which was a warning to his six disciples. How could the six of them not be curious!

"Alright! Since you are all so curious, I will tell you about the secrets of the martial world... But remember, you must not spread these things, or you might bring disaster upon yourselves." Bai Xiaosheng warned the three of them again before saying, "There are many sects in the martial world that are unknown to people. The Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace is related to a sect called the Free and Easy Sect. The founder of the Free and Easy Sect is Free and Easy, who has three great skills: the Northern Darkness, the Lesser Formless Skill, and the Supreme Pure Yang Skill. These three great skills, though not widely known, are extremely powerful. As far as I know, the Northern Darkness skill comes from the Daoist book 'Zhuangzi' and can absorb others' internal energy for one's own use. Ding Chunqiu of the Star Host Sea is from the Free and Easy Sect, and his skill of neutralizing others' internal energy is the predecessor of the Northern Darkness skill. The Lesser Formless Skill comes from the Buddhist Formless Skill, which is formless and intangible. Once mastered, it can simulate any move in the world, comparable to the Murong family's 'Using Their Own Methods Against Them.' As for the Supreme Pure Yang Skill, I don't know much about it, but since it is listed alongside the Northern Darkness and the Lesser Formless Skill, it must also be extremely powerful."

"The Peak of the Ethereal and the Vulture Palace was founded by a disciple of the Free and Easy Sect, called the Child of Tian Shan. It is located in Tian Shan and commands thirty-six caves and seventy-two islands. All the people under her are controlled by the Child of Tian Shan's life tokens, and no one dares to disobey."

"Think about it, the Wuliang Sword Sect, though numerous, is not as numerous as the thirty-six caves and seventy-two islands. Even if they defeat the Shennong Gang today, they will face a greater enemy tomorrow. If they provoke the Child of Tian Shan, the Wuliang Sword Sect might be wiped out. This is why I warned them."

The three of them nodded, but they were still puzzled, especially Duan Yu, who did not understand the logic behind the martial world's conflicts.

"Big Brother Bai, why does the Child of Tian Shan control so many people?" Look at the question he asked, how silly!

Bai Xiaosheng gave him a look and said, "Of course, having subordinates makes things easier. She controls so many people, so when she has something to do, she just needs to give an order. These people's lives are in her hands, so who dares not to do their best..." As he spoke, Bai Xiaosheng looked up and saw two men in yellow clothes blocking the road. They had already seen Bai Xiaosheng and the others and quickly stepped forward, shouting, "Who are you?"

Bai Xiaosheng glanced at them and said calmly, "Bai Xiaosheng of the Famous Sword Manor! What? Are you Shennong Gang trying to stop me?"

The two men were startled by the name and immediately clasped their hands, bowing respectfully, "No, no, we did not know Lord Bai was here. Please forgive us. Lord Bai, are you going down the mountain..."

Bai Xiaosheng looked at him, and the man shuddered, intimidated by his sharp gaze, and quickly said, "Damn, I deserve to die! Lord Bai, please! Behind, clear the way!"

"Who would have thought you are so powerful, those people cleared the way just by hearing your name." Zhong Ling looked at Bai Xiaosheng curiously and asked, "Who are you really?"

"Didn't you just hear? I am Bai Xiaosheng of the Famous Sword Manor!" Bai Xiaosheng laughed at her innocence, but Zhong Ling had not heard of his name and was even more curious, pressing for an answer.

Bai Xiaosheng could not boast, so he quickly gave his disciple a look, and Qin Shuang explained to her.

Soon, the group descended from Wuliang Mountain. At the crossroads, Bai Xiaosheng suddenly said, "Miss Zhong Ling, can I ask you to do me a favor?"

"What? Tell me." Zhong Ling nodded, blinking her eyes at him.

Bai Xiaosheng pulled Duan Yu over and said, "This friend of mine is new to the martial world and knows nothing. I have some matters to attend to and cannot keep him with me. If you have time, could you take him with you and teach him? He is a very interesting person..."

"Really?" Zhong Ling's eyes lit up, and she carefully examined Duan Yu.

Duan Yu's scholarly appearance was quite likable, and being scrutinized by a girl made him blush, which Zhong Ling found very amusing. She said, "No problem!"

"Great! I leave Duan Yu to you!" He then said to Duan Yu, "Duan Yu, don't you want to see the martial world? If you stay with me, you won't learn much. If you stay with her, you will understand what the martial world is like."

Duan Yu quickly nodded, and Bai Xiaosheng chuckled, leading Qin Shuang down another path, quickly disappearing from sight. Zhong Ling also pulled Duan Yu and chattered away, heading down another path.

Soon, the two of them were out of sight. In a place they could not see, Bai Xiaosheng appeared. He smiled and said to Qin Shuang, "Shuang'er, let's go back to Wuliang Mountain!"

"Yes, Master!"

Qin Shuang did not ask more. The six of them had been with Bai Xiaosheng for years and knew his temperament. He was very easy-going and kind, especially to the six of them, treating them like his own children. However, he had some quirks that made the six of them quite helpless, such as his penchant for mischief, playing pranks on them, which made the six of them quite helpless.

Now, since Bai Xiaosheng did not explain, it meant he would not. If she asked, she would be played by Bai Xiaosheng again. So it was better not to ask and wait until they arrived to understand what her master was going to do.

With their Lingbo Weibu, they easily bypassed the Shennong Gang's guards and re-entered Wuliang Mountain. Under Bai Xiaosheng's lead, the two of them walked through hidden, uninhabited areas, quickly and quietly passing the front palace and the crowd, reaching the back.

Due to the attack by the Shennong Gang, the back area was already empty. Bai Xiaosheng walked into a room with ease. Upon entering, Qin Shuang immediately understood Bai Xiaosheng's intention.

This was a library, storing the martial arts of the Wuliang Sword Sect.

Every sect has its own martial arts. Even if the high-level skills are not openly displayed, there are still many things on the surface. This library, like a study, contained hundreds of books.

These were the collections of the Wuliang Sword Sect over hundreds of years, perhaps not very advanced, but extremely rare.

However... Qin Shuang looked at Bai Xiaosheng strangely. Over the years, Bai Xiaosheng had collected martial arts, adding them to the Hundred Schools Spectrum, but generally through duels. This kind of taking without permission seemed to be the first time. Otherwise, with his martial arts, he could have collected countless martial arts long ago.

Bai Xiaosheng seemed to notice Qin Shuang's gaze and said without turning his head, "Silly girl, do you think I want to steal these martial arts? It's for you all. Although you have learned martial arts from me, the skills I know are limited. Over the years, Feng'er and Bing'er have not made much progress because my skills are not suitable for them. To put it bluntly, our sword sect's martial arts are too few. This time, it is out of necessity."

Upon hearing this, Qin Shuang nodded slightly. The six of them had made rapid progress under Bai Xiaosheng's guidance, but their progress varied. Among the six, the second disciple Li Yun had the highest skill and the fastest progress, followed by her, the eldest sister, then Yunlei and Xiangyu. The four of them had some differences, but not much. However, when it came to Cheng Feng and Bai Bing, the differences were significant.

They all knew it was because the martial arts were not suitable. Bai Xiaosheng had tried to find solutions, but with the limited skills he knew, he could not teach the two girls advanced skills. As Bai Xiaosheng said, if it were not for his disciples, he would not have come here.

Of course, his words were sincere, though they might seem hypocritical. His initial intention was indeed for his disciples, but later, he also had the idea of broadening his knowledge of martial arts from various sects, which he quickly suppressed.

Bai Xiaosheng, being a swordsman, had a deep impression of certain sword principles, such as Ximen Chuixue's "Sincerity to People" and Ye Gucheng's "Sincerity to the Sword." He always kept these in mind and wrote them down to remind himself.

Such theft, though driven by curiosity, should not be done out of greed.

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