After Changing to the Ruthless Way, the Brothers Cried and Begged for Forgiveness-Chapter 470: Five Elements Dao Sect or Heavenly Sword Sect, Who Is Champion?
Lingyin Sect.
Yu Zhao, fondly toying with the Soulcalling Bells, stood in stark contrast to the pair walking away from the mountain gate under personal escort by Elder Qun Fang and the Heng Nan Sect Master—Ancestor Fei Hong and his son were in the opposite mood. They traveled thousands of li in silence, the air tight between them.
At last Du Wu Xiang could not hold it in and confessed: “Father, I was incompetent and shamed you.”
“You think I am angry because you lost?” Ancestor Fei Hong’s tone revealed nothing, yet sweat beaded on Du Wu Xiang’s brow and he went stiff in an instant. Since Father said so, there had to be another reason—but rack his brains as he might, he could not think where else he had gone wrong.
“Foolish!” Ancestor Fei Hong barked, his wide robe snapping in the wind of his breath. “Losing is one thing. But you moved to use vile means under the gaze of all—did you think no one would see?”
Du Wu Xiang turned ashen. He truly had not thought it through. The threat Yu Zhao posed was too great, especially the terrifying talent she had shown in Illusion. Instinctively, he had wanted to cut root and branch. In his mind, even if her soul were gravely wounded and he was punished, with his father present he would escape intact. Who knew Yu Zhao had already seen through his play and meant to turn it on him? If Father had not intervened in time, the wounded soul would have been his.
Realization brought a cold back-sweat.
Ancestor Fei Hong’s disappointment deepened at the sight. Du Wu Xiang had struck without considering consequences, and forced him to clean up the mess. The Soulcalling Bells had been a gift prepared for Du Wu Xiang’s breakthrough to the Void Refinement Stage; from materials to refining master, all chosen with care. But to soothe Sui Bian’s fury and to teach his son a lesson, he had given them to Yu Zhao instead—a heavy loss.
Face burning, Du Wu Xiang could not argue; he followed in silence. Soon he noticed Ancestor Fei Hong was not heading toward the Teleportation Array: “Father?”
“You cannot represent the Lingyin Sect in the debate, but the Bifang Realm has more than one sect.” Since he was here and knew of the coming grand event, Ancestor Fei Hong would not leave empty-handed. He had accepted Lingyin Sect’s invitation out of regard for Qun Fang, but they were not the only ones who had invited him. Cautious by nature, he had not explicitly refused the others. Now he could present himself.
“But with Yu Zhao at Lingyin Sect…”
“As long as you place in the top ten, you will enter the Eye of Bifang. Yu Zhao is only one person. There are nine other slots. Can you not secure one?” Du Wu Xiang’s spirit lifted. Monsters like Yu Zhao—he had seen but one in all these years.
“Rest easy, Father. I will not disappoint you again.” Ancestor Fei Hong answered with a grunt from deep in his throat.
Du Wu Xiang clenched his jaw and swore in his heart: he would stand out in the sect debate and win a place in the Eye of Bifang.
…
“Senior Sister Yu Zhao, Ancestor Sui Bian asks you to come to the main hall.” Yu Zhao thanked the messenger and headed for the Lingyin Sect’s main hall, puzzled as she walked. Why call her there now? These last few days she had been in her room harmonizing with the Soulcalling Bells, while Ancestor Sui Bian had been running daily to Elder Qun Fang’s residence. Because of that day’s affair Elder Qun Fang’s attitude toward Ancestor Sui Bian had improved; by rights, Ancestor should not want to see her at the moment.
Holding that doubt, she quickened her pace. Before she reached the hall she heard frank, hearty laughter within. As she stepped across the threshold, Ancestor Sui Bian waved her over at once: “Little Yu Zhao, come, let me introduce you. This is Ancestor’s best friend, and the Heavenly Sword Sect’s ancestor, Black Daoist —you may call him Ancestor Black.”
Beside Ancestor Sui Bian stood a slovenly Daoist. His hair was a tangle like dry grass, his robe was shabby and patched over patch, and on his back he carried a sword swaddled in layer upon layer of ragged cloth. Filthy from head to toe, his eyes were nevertheless bright as stars, and when he looked at Yu Zhao it was as if he had found a peerless treasure, light kindling in their depths.
While traveling the Land of Divine Remains, Yu Zhao had often heard Ancestor Sui Bian mention Old Black Daoist. This man was singular; he scorned worldly things and put all his heart into the sword. Aside from a Flying Sword, it was hard to find anything else on him—he embodied the Heavenly Sword Sect’s style to the extreme.
“Disciple of the Five Elements Dao Sect, Yu Zhao, greets Ancestor Black,” she said.
“Good, good!” Old Black Daoist answered in a rush, then patted at himself only to come up empty. Chagrined, he dropped his hand and shot Ancestor Sui Bian a glare: “Why didn’t you tell me sooner who Yu Zhao was? I didn’t even bring a proper meeting gift.”
Ancestor Sui Bian snorted: “Even if I told you, you still couldn’t cough up anything decent. I’m doing you a favor.”
After so many years he knew Old Black Daoist too well. Back when they traveled together, Old Black Daoist, to save on Spirit Jade for the Teleportation Array, insisted they cross the Starry Sky on Flying Sword. Midway they ran into a Starry Sky Exotic Beast; Ancestor Sui Bian had to spend half his ancestral darling treasure to escape by the skin of his teeth. Afraid of a repeat, Ancestor Sui Bian later offered to pay for Old Black Daoist’s Teleportation Array fees, and Old Black Daoist still refused. That was when the two finally went their separate ways.
“Who says that? I can’t produce something now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t later,” Old Black Daoist protested. “Yu Zhao, I’ll owe you the meeting gift this time, and make it up to you next time.”
Yu Zhao moved to decline, but his attitude was firm. It was a rare chance to meet a junior from the cultivation world; as an Ancestor, he had to show something. Besides, he had a great many things to ask her—being a total miser would be inexcusable.
When they finished speaking, Ancestor Sui Bian asked Elder Qun Fang to arrange lodging for Old Black Daoist. No sooner had he been settled than Old Black Daoist could not wait to ask: “These days in the cultivation world, who holds the championship, the Five Elements Dao Sect or the Heavenly Sword Sect?”
“That even needs asking? Of course it’s my Five Elements Dao Sect. Otherwise the one standing before you now would be your Heavenly Sword Sect’s disciple,” Ancestor Sui Bian said, chest out and face triumphant.
Xu Kai Shan, that tiger cub’s greatest achievement was taking Yu Zhao as his disciple; it had made Ancestor shine.
Old Black Daoist didn’t want to believe it. But looking at Yu Zhao, refined under the boughs with her aura held in tight, he had no choice. He sighed: “Ai.”
Chapter 470: Five Elements Dao Sect or Heavenly Sword Sect, Who Is Champion?
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