Qingyun Sect was destined for a restless night.
"Clang—"
Many Qingyun Disciples, still asleep, heard a clear sword chime in the depths of their dreams.
Immediately afterward,
they saw a terrifying azure Sword Light slash across the sky.
Looking up,
they saw the entire night sky illuminated by that Sword Light.
Terrifying Sword Intent tore through the Sky Dome. Blue light flashed like lightning, its force surging like a rainbow. It was as if the entire night sky had been split open by a sword, leaving a long gash that stretched hundreds of meters and shocked everyone nearby.
"Dong—"
The deep, sonorous toll of a bell rang across the Seven Peaks.
In an instant,
several streaks of Sword Light shot up from the peaks.
The Seven Peaks' Masters hurried toward Yuqing Hall on Heaven-Reaching Peak.
At that moment,
countless Qingyun Disciples wondered what had happened.
Great Bamboo Peak, the back mountain.
As the one responsible, Ye Changfeng
didn't keep paying attention to the Demonic Sect's invasion of Qingyun Sect. After all, his earlier strike had been meant to warn the sect.
By now,
Qingyun Sect was in an uproar.
The Demonic Sect probably wouldn't dare cause any more trouble.
Ye Changfeng returned to his little courtyard.
He lay back in his rocking chair
and sank into thought.
He could more or less guess why the Demonic Sect had secretly infiltrated Qingyun Sect to carry out an assassination. They must have been frightened. After seeing the Demonic Sect's future revealed by the Heavenly Curtain's exposure, they had decided to take a desperate gamble.
As for how the Demonic Sect had avoided Qingyun Sect's defenses
and slipped into the peaks without anyone noticing,
Ye Changfeng could more or less guess the reason.
Don't forget—
There was still a traitor inside Qingyun Sect.
As True Lord Daoxuan's trusted subordinate, Daoist Cangsong not only held authority over the sect's punishments but also managed the defenses throughout Qingyun Sect.
With an inside man like that,
it was all too easy for the Demonic Sect to infiltrate Qingyun Sect without a trace.
"Cangsong..."
Ye Changfeng's eyes flickered slightly.
A deep murderous intent stirred in their depths.
Cangsong was certainly a pitiable man.
But
what did that have to do with him?
Every pitiable person had something detestable about him!
Ye Changfeng couldn't worry about other people right now. He only wanted to protect those and the things around him.
There had always been one line he would never let anyone cross:
the friends and family by his side.
If he hadn't been there today,
some of his fellow disciples from Great Bamboo Peak might have died at the hands of the Demonic Cult Assassins. That had crossed the line Ye Changfeng would never tolerate...
And to make matters worse,
Lu Xueqi had nearly died that night.
That was what enraged him most.
"Vmmm—"
Murderous intent glinted in Ye Changfeng's eyes.
Terrifying Sword Intent gradually spread from him, affecting a wide stretch of bamboo grove. A razor-sharp gale swept through the surrounding sea of bamboo, but before long, everything fell silent again...
Just then,
Ye Changfeng paused.
As though sensing something, he slowly sat upright and turned his keen gaze toward the depths of the bamboo grove. In a calm voice, he said:
"May I ask which senior has honored me with a visit?"
"Would you care to show yourself?"
As soon as he finished speaking,
a faint rustling came from deep within the bamboo grove.
An old man in coarse clothes slowly emerged. He was thin and gaunt, and a faint Sword Intent stirred in his cloudy eyes as he studied the young man before him with interest.
"Such terrifying bloodlust?"
"I wonder who you're targeting?"
Ye Changfeng raised an eyebrow.
He looked at the Elder in coarse clothes, glimpsed his "unyielding" Sword Intent and the faint Tai Chi True Intent around him, and immediately recognized who he was.
After all,
among the sword cultivators in Qingyun Sect who could compare with Ye Changfeng,
there was no one else besides Wan Jianyi of the Ancestor Shrine.
Ye Changfeng's guard gradually relaxed. He casually gestured toward the seat before him and said:
"Please, have a seat, Senior."
Wan Jianyi didn't stand on ceremony.
He walked straight into the courtyard and sat down.
Then he sighed with feeling. "I never expected the future Number One Sword Immortal Under Heaven to be nothing more than an ordinary disciple of Great Bamboo Peak!"
"Does Tian Buyi know he has a disciple like you?"
Ye Changfeng shook his head slightly.
"My master doesn't know."
"Then why have you chosen to hide your abilities?"
Wan Jianyi asked curiously.
Ye Changfeng thought for a moment. "I originally planned to tell my master, but after the Heavenly Curtain's exposure, I reconsidered."
"After all,"
"I hate trouble."
Wan Jianyi nodded slightly.
He had already learned what had happened in Qingyun Sect on his way there. He hadn't expected Demonic Sect fiends to dare sneak into the Seven Peaks and carry out assassinations!
They really had some nerve!
"Given the situation, it's best if you don't reveal your identity."
Wan Jianyi nodded.
If Ye Changfeng revealed who he was now, he would likely face endless assassination attempts from the Demonic Sect!
Of course,
Ye Changfeng wasn't afraid of being targeted.
But...
he hated trouble.
"You still haven't answered my earlier question."
"Why did you let such intense killing intent show?"
Wan Jianyi asked curiously.
At that,
Ye Changfeng furrowed his brow.
He said coolly, "There's a traitor inside Qingyun Sect."
"What!?"
Wan Jianyi froze.
He clearly hadn't expected Ye Changfeng to say that.
"Do you have proof?"
"The Demonic Sect's attack tonight is the best proof!"
Ye Changfeng said indifferently. "The defenses across the Seven Peaks may not be exceptionally strict, but they aren't so full of holes that Demonic Sect Assassins could slip in unnoticed. Unless..."
"Someone secretly tipped them off."
At this,
Wan Jianyi fell silent.
Though he had confined himself to the Ancestor Shrine for three hundred years,
he wasn't a fool.
After hearing Ye Changfeng's reasoning,
there really might be a spy inside Qingyun Sect.
"Do you suspect anyone in particular?"
Wan Jianyi asked.
Ye Changfeng answered without hesitation. "Cangsong!"
Cangsong held authority over Qingyun Sect's punishments and also controlled its defenses. Under the circumstances, it was only natural to suspect him.
Wan Jianyi furrowed his brow slightly.
When he heard the name "Cangsong," he seemed about to object, but...
in the end, he said nothing.
Forget it.
He was just a "dead man."
These matters were better left to the head of Qingyun Sect.
Wan Jianyi shook his head gently.
He sighed, his interest waning, and prepared to leave.
After all,
he had left the Ancestor Shrine this time
to see what sort of bearing the future "Number One Sword Immortal Under Heaven" had.
Now that he'd seen him,
it was time to go.
Wan Jianyi rose to leave, then glanced back at Ye Changfeng, surprised. "Aren't you curious about who I am?"
Ye Changfeng raised an eyebrow.
He replied casually, "Isn't your identity already obvious, Senior?"
"Oh?"
"Among the sword cultivators in Qingyun Sect, there seems to be no third person as devoted to the sword as you and me. Would you agree..."
"Martial Uncle Wan?"
At that,
Wan Jianyi's body trembled slightly.
"A devoted sword cultivator?"
"Heh—"
"Interesting."
The old man in coarse clothes lowered his head and chuckled.
Then he turned and left.
However,
just then,
a carefree voice sounded behind him.
"Sorry for the trouble, Martial Uncle Wan, but please keep my identity a secret..."
"Mm."
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