The sky was dark and overcast. Heavy rain mixed with flashes of lightning and claps of thunder, pouring into the courtyard like a waterfall plunging into an ancient dragon pool.
The nine painted wooden flood dragons coiled around the pillars outside the main hall seemed to have had their eyes dotted. The darker it grew, the more alive they appeared, as though they might soar into the heavens the very next moment.
Chen Ping'an was hesitating over whether to ask Sword Immortal Xu Jun to stay. Their realms were both new; a sparring match now would benefit them both.
He remembered that, years ago, in the rain outside Heavenly Palace Temple on Tongye Continent, he had once crossed swords with Sword Master Pei Min, one of the Haoran Three Absolutes.
Pei Min, who possessed four Natal Flying Swords, had not gone for the kill. Indeed, his killing intent had been weaker than that first sword he had used as a "greeting."
Pei Min had once used an umbrella as a sword and hurled it at Yellow Flower Temple in Mirage City, nearly piercing Chen Ping'an straight through the heart and pinning him to a wall of books.
As for whether Pei Min might use this opportunity to Ascend to the Fourteen Realms, Chen Ping'an had no great apprehension about it. Nor did he care.
Pei Min had not been among the twenty people in that Patriarch Hall, which was rather unexpected. After all, both he and Zou Zi had been Dao impartors to Lu Tai.
Whenever Chen Ping'an thought of Lu Tai, with whom he had once traveled the jianghu of Tongye Continent, he felt somewhat wistful. They had parted long ago and had not met in ages.
He still remembered that journey through the jianghu, its mountain and water