Wait Sword!

A surge of immense energy erupted from Lin Qingfeng!

His cultivation had once again skyrocketed, in a way Su Ling'er couldn't comprehend at all.

[Subsequent quests are unlocking.]

[Progress: 0%]

[Progress: 1%]

[Progress: 2%]

Having completed the quest, Lin Qingfeng was already ecstatic. All pretense of being a reclusive master or a grand figure had been cast aside.

"This Dao Lord is back on track! Hahahaha!"

His laughter echoed through the Sword Mound, growing increasingly wild and triumphant.

But to Su Ling'er, it sounded no different from the victory cry of a Nine Nether Demon God.

She watched, wide-eyed, as Lin Qingfeng's cultivation surged once more without any warning.

This time, there was no enlightenment, no rare treasures, not even a single pill consumed. The sinister demonic pact from before hadn't even manifested.

He had simply taken her for a stroll here, telling a bunch of stories that sounded like pure fabrication.

And then...

He broke through?!

What was going on?!

Could it be... that this Sword Mound was some kind of evil cultivator formation?

Did he bring me here precisely to use me, a newly initiated disciple, to activate some evil formation within the Sword Mound?!

Were every word he spoke, every step I took, part of a ritualistic process?

But why me, of all people?

What was so special about me?

Could it be...

Because I just received the reward from the Dao Seeking Ladder?

Looking at the other disciples, it seemed no one had climbed past a hundred steps...

Did reaching a hundred steps somehow fulfill the requirements for their ritual?

Or, as Senior Disciple Brother and the others were plotting, was this all just a prelude to sacrificing me to forge a sword?

Su Ling'er's face instantly turned pale.

She suppressed the urge to turn and flee, trembling as she asked, "Sen... Senior Disciple Brother, what... what's wrong?

Did you have an epiphany?

How... how did you suddenly..."

Lin Qingfeng took a deep breath, forcing down the joy in his heart.

He glanced at the next quest that was activating. There should be enough time.

What would the next quest be?

No matter. The most important thing now was to take his junior sister and finish the act they had planned with Junior Disciple Zhan!

Thus, he regained his nonchalant demeanor, tilting his head forty-five degrees to gaze at the sky.

"Indeed, your brother accidentally broke through again.

After all, for someone of my talent, breaking through is as easy as eating and drinking, hardly worth mentioning.

It's just a pity that if someone with your talent doesn't cultivate... alas! You'll ultimately be like a pearl hidden in dust."

Su Ling'er knew exactly what he was getting at.

Wasn't he trying to bring up the matter of the Sword Refining Art again?

Wasn't he implying that someone with her abysmal talent couldn't break through as easily as he could, and therefore she had to cultivate the Sword Refining Art?

Besides, who had such incredible talent?

Breaking through just by walking around, and calling it "hardly worth mentioning"?

I don't believe you for a second!

Your thick skin could probably withstand the sect's protective mountain array!

However, this only solidified her suspicions.

In those storybooks, only those demonic outsiders who spent their days devouring souls would speak of such sudden gains in cultivation as if it were "ordinary."

Just as Su Ling'er's thoughts drifted to whether she would be drained dry by the formation beneath her feet, an overwhelmingly domineering aura descended from the sky!

"Lin Qingfeng! Come out and face your death!"

A person shouted, descending from the sky with an unstoppable aura!

With a loud "Boom!", he heavily impacted the open ground of the Sword Mound, kicking up a cloud of dust.

As the dust settled, a burly figure stood proudly. Strapped to his back was a giant sword disproportionate to his frame, exuding a menacing aura.

It was Junior Brother Zhan, who had arrived!

Before the words even faded, the giant sword was drawn with a clang, its hum like a dragon's roar!

He seemed to have no intention of giving Lin Qingfeng any chance to react, his figure turning into an afterimage as he raised the giant sword and brought it down towards Lin Qingfeng's head!

"Be careful!"

Su Ling'er subconsciously cried out, but her thoughts raced faster.

What's going on?

Are this Senior Disciple Brother's enemies here to seek revenge?

That made sense; he had killed two fellow disciples casually upon entering the sect, so it was normal for him to have countless enemies within the sect.

Moreover, this guy didn't even say a word and went straight for a killing blow. He truly lived up to the reputation of the Demonic and Evil Sects!

The killing intent from that giant sword was absolutely genuine!

Although she still didn't understand how such a Demonic Sect, rife with internal conflict, had survived to this day.

In the Righteous Path, let alone among inner disciples, even outer disciples wouldn't dare to deliver a killing blow during sparring.

Every disciple was a resource cultivated by the sect. Even outer disciples could do chores, run errands, or give massages to the inner disciples.

Pointless internal strife was absolutely forbidden by the higher-ups, yet here, it seemed to be the norm.

Facing this sudden attack, Lin Qingfeng stood with his hands behind his back.

He even struck a more dashing pose, gazing at the incoming sword light, drawing in a breath, and shouting in that direction:

"Wait!"

???

Su Ling'er's mind was instantly filled with a string of question marks.

What's going on?

The blade is about to chop off your head, and you tell him to "wait"?

Do you think he'll actually listen and stop obediently?!

Last time in the Monster Locking Tower, that Yao Beast was about to crush me, and you yelled "Stop";

This time, he's about to kill you, and you still yell "Wait"?!

Do you think you won't be noticed unless you shout and try to persuade the opponent at the brink of life and death?

It's over, it's over! Senior Disciple Brother is going to be cut in half by a fellow disciple!

Will that Evil Cultivator kill me along with him?

At least Senior Disciple Brother could protect me before he completely turned himself into a "sword" in the opponent's hand...

But if he dies, I'll probably lose my life the next moment!

However, the disciple carrying the giant sword, upon hearing the shout, actually... paused his attack!

The massive sword blade stopped a mere three inches above Lin Qingfeng's head!

"Senior Disciple Brother, is something wrong?"

Su Ling'er: "???"

She was even more bewildered!

No, why did you actually stop?!

Are Evil Cultivators this obedient?

Before the words could even finish, a sudden change occurred!

With a "poof" sound, without any warning, an extremely fast, faint light shot out from the Sword Mound behind the disciple!

Arriving later but striking first, the faint light drew a straight black line in the air, ignoring distance and protective energy, piercing directly through his chest!

A heart-piercing shot!

Warm blood splattered across Su Ling'er's face, and she froze.

She slowly raised her hand, touching her cheek. The sensation was warm and sticky.

She then looked down at her hands and clothes, which were covered in glaring bloodstains.

Her mind went completely blank.

What happened?

Killed... just like that?

He actually stopped when he heard "wait," so why did you kill him?

Truly... despicable and shameless!

The disciple whose chest cavity had been pierced wore an expression of utter disbelief. He lowered his head, looking at the ancient sword in his chest, then glanced at the nonchalant Lin Qingfeng.

"Holy crap..."

A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from the corner of his mouth.

"Lin Qingfeng! You old scoundrel! Besides the 'Stop Sword', when did you get another one, the 'Wait Sword'?!"

While spitting blood, he struggled to form a hand seal. A faint light landed on the ancient sword.

"Hiss— It's still a Sword Mound ancient sword that recognized its master?! So envious! I'm eating lemons here!"

Su Ling'er: "..."

Her muddled brain instantly sorted out all the previous doubts.

"Stop"...

"Wait"...

In the Monster Locking Tower, when he shouted "Stop," the Yao Beast's attack didn't cease, but she herself was saved.

Before the Sword Mound, when he shouted "Wait," the disciple's attack was forcibly halted, and then he was pierced through the heart with a sword.

So, "Stop" wasn't to make others stop, and "Wait" wasn't to make others wait!

It wasn't about commanding others to do anything, but rather... the name of the magic treasure!

It was the name of the divine sword in his hand!

Su Ling'er's gaze fell upon the ancient, unadorned longsword still impaled in Junior Brother Zhan, its blade dripping blood.

He had hidden all his killing intent within these seemingly dissuasive words, completing the killing blow in the instant of the opponent's hesitation!

Despicable and shameless!

This was indeed the usual style of Demonic Dao Evil Cultivators!

Senior Disciple Brother... is truly too terrifying!

However, another thought also surfaced in her mind.

This method... actually seems quite useful...

Should my magic treasure in the future also be called "Wait"?

Or "Stop"?

Or perhaps... "Senior, Hear My Words"?

Meanwhile, Lin Qingfeng kept winking at Junior Brother Zhan, who was still there "eating lemons," while also sending him a private message.

[Lin Qingfeng: Hurry up and say your lines before you die!]