Hidden Restraint

It seems that murder always has its retribution; it's just a matter of time.

Here it comes now.

What should you do if an enraged swordsman tries to kill you with his flying sword?

Li Fan had seriously considered this problem as a research topic and discussed solutions with Profound Heaven Sword Intent. The answer was that there was no solution. It's like someone sniping at you; the bullet is already at your head, how can you stop it? Can you dodge it? Can you block it?

The same applies to flying swords, but some flying swords are trash; you can't even scratch them if you stand still. Some flying swords can be blocked by using a gold-avoiding technique, while others don't even give you time to react before your head falls off in a flash.

So Li Fan has now learned that it's best not to give the sword immortal a chance to unleash his flying sword to kill you. Strike first to gain the upper hand, or suffer the consequences. As for karma and retribution, that's up to fate. If you hesitate even for a moment, you'll probably lose your life.

So Li Fan complained that the Sword Immortal was too domineering, killing people indiscriminately when he got angry, which was too much.

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent is right beside me, hehe.

However, now that he had offended a Nascent Soul Stage from the Hengshan Sect, Li Fan was a little nervous. After all, when it came to the art of killing, humans were far more professional than demons. Just by hearing that shrill scream, he knew that the other side was quite agitated. The Ink Bamboo Mountain side was still clueless and hadn't reacted yet; they might just get wiped out in one fell swoop.

Hey, these Three Great Sects are so domineering, they only allow themselves to kill you but not you to kill them, how can they be so shameless? It seems we have no choice but to strike first and pay the debt later...

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, 'It seems this is a sword cultivator. Use the Heaven-Splitting Sword; it's faster, and your cultivation is insufficient. You can't hold onto the Nascent Soul Stage flying sword; you can't outmaneuver him.'"

So Li Fan nodded, took the hilt of the Golden Dragon White Star Sword he had just found, and held it between his left thumb, index, middle, and arched fingers. With a flick of his right hand, he pulled out a seven-inch-long, gleaming silver blade between his index and middle fingers.

No sooner had this action been completed than a strong wind arose, and a sword whistled through the air. The flashing Sword Light swept away the smoke, clouds, and mist, scattering the Vermilion Bird and Fire Phoenix in the sky, revealing a figure dressed in a white Daoist robe.

This person looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a broad back and a slender waist, exceptionally handsome. There was a golden light between his eyebrows, like a dragon-shaped talisman, faintly wandering in his forehead. It seemed that pure energy soared to the sky from behind his head, and his whole body was shrouded in a blue-white Dao Breath aura, which gathered but did not disperse, solidified but not solid. If it were a heavy rain, it would probably be able to force the rain curtain to open.

Looking at his attire, this person was fairly normal, wearing only proper Daoist robes, without any fine silks or satins. He had a square turban wrapped around his head, and carried a bamboo sword and an iron sword on his back.

The bamboo sword was about two feet long, with a round hilt and no sheath. Its four sides were covered with golden runes, clearly indicating it was a magical sword. The iron sword, on the other hand, was four feet three inches long, a dignified Han sword with a Tai Chi fish pattern on the hilt and a pomegranate-red tassel. It was a Hengshan sword, but slightly longer than the one Li Fan had thrown into the water. It seemed to be the Hengshan Master's own heirloom sword, which he always carried with him.

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao, roar! This protective true energy is the true teaching of the Shangqing Palace...'

Stop yelling! Tell us about the Shangqing Palace's background, its special skills, and its territory, or it will be too late if a fight breaks out!

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent, with the Upper Clarity True Qi protecting the body, even the Qiankun Flying Dragon Sword cannot penetrate it. Your current swordsmanship is also inadequate; the flying sword will be deflected by the energy field. The worst opponent is someone who also wields a sword. The Avoiding Gold Technique is no less powerful, and besides, that magic sword should be at least a mid-grade one. Also, there are sword pellets being raised in the Divine Court..."

Ugh...

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'But thankfully, they're from the Hengshan Sect, practicing the Shangqing True Qi, which means they have a legitimate lineage and aren't primarily focused on killing. They shouldn't start a bloodbath right away.'"

Indeed, if the Hengshan Sect member had possessed even a fraction of the ruthlessness of Li Fan, now corrupted by the Xuantian Sect, he could have caught everyone off guard upon his appearance and unleashed a devastating sword strike, decapitating everyone from Ink Bamboo Mountain. Fortunately, in the midst of this battle between humans and demons, the Hengshan Sect master, having lost a disciple, managed to restrain himself. He swept his hawk-like eyes across the arena, his face expressionless, and coldly asked, "What happened?"

"Master Xu, I finally managed to find a bouquet of flowers, but the people from Ink Bamboo Mountain immediately tried to take it. We are no match for their numbers and strength. Please, Master Xu, do me a favor."

That fairy maid from the Nangong Family, who carries a pipa, starts making a whiny, whining noise as soon as she opens her mouth.

"Please, Your Excellency, decide this!" The members of the Nangong Family also jumped back, probably realizing that they couldn't take the item by their own ability, and thus they no longer honored their previous agreement.

Those on the Ink Bamboo Mountain side exchanged bewildered glances. A few of the younger generation were quite indignant, while the older ones simply rolled their eyes. They had probably seen it all before and were used to being bullied. They were used to the Nangong Family and nothing new to them.

"This is a master whom the Nangong Family invited from the Xuanmen sect to assist them; Daochong the Real Person from the Jiangzhen Temple of the Shangqing Palace on Mount Heng."

Old Daoist Tian Shu clearly recognized the newcomer's strength, and quickly tried to calm his fellow disciples down. He first introduced the newcomer's prowess, then stepped forward and said, "Brother Daoist, I am Tian Shu of the Seven Star Temple on Ink Bamboo Mountain. Today, I have been ordered by the abbot to lead the disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain to the front lines to investigate the movements of the Demon Race."

Xu Daochong of Hengshan nodded, then looked at the Gurong again, "Is this something you are destined to have with you, fellow Daoist?"

Tian Shuzi hesitated for a moment. At this moment, Jiang Liuqing stepped forward from the side, bowed, and said, "Please forgive me, Immortal. This junior is in dire need of this Gurong to make medicine, so I offered this pill in exchange for a fellow Daoist from the Nangong Immortal Family. However, this fairy accepted it, but suddenly changed her mind and said that it was not enough to exchange for. Therefore, we agreed to a best-of-five match..."

"I just don't want to switch with you anymore. So what?" Seeing that Master Xu's words to Ink Bamboo Mountain were unfriendly, the fairy holding the pipa felt emboldened. She rolled her beautiful eyes, waved her hand to collect the Gurong flower, and leaped into the air, standing beside the Hengshan Sect. She laughed, "Master, why didn't you drink with me today? Why did you come looking for me?"

Yuan Tianxiao raised his thick eyebrows. "Are you kidding us?! If you're not going to exchange them, give us back the pills we gave you!"

Liu Qing quickly stopped him and shook her head.

Master Xu ignored the fairy maidens who were clinging to him, and instead glanced at the seemingly unwilling Ink Bamboo Mountain group, saying, "Is everyone from Ink Bamboo Mountain here today on patrol?"

Tian Shuzi nodded and said, "That's right, we're acting together to guard against a sneak attack from the Demon Race."

"It wasn't you..." Xu Daochong then looked at Xianji again, "Where are the people you brought? They're all here."

"Several others went out to travel with your disciples. Upon seeing the Vermilion Bird Talisman, they immediately returned... And here they are."

Sure enough, in the direction the Pipa Fairy pointed, a disciple from Hengshan was riding back on a cloud, flanked by two female cultivators from the Nangong Family, chatting and laughing. When the disciple saw the True Person who looked so much like himself, he quickly put away his smile and stepped forward to respectfully bow and greet him, "Master, what brings you here?"

Master Xu gave the disciple a deep look and asked, "Where is Dexin?"

"Reporting to Master, my disciple Dexin went off separately to seek opportunities. Perhaps he went too far and got carried away with playing and forgot to come back?"

Master Xu remained silent, so the disciple could only bow his head in reverence, clearly confused and somewhat uneasy.

However, Daoist Tian Shu smoothed things over, saying, "Since we're not exchanging them, let's continue patrolling the Demon Race's movements. Liu Qing, you don't need to worry. Lei Marsh is so vast; there will always be opportunities to encounter treasures again."

"Wait a minute," Master Xu suddenly said, "Gurong is not a rare treasure needed for breakthroughs; few pill formulas can utilize it. I wonder why you all wish to obtain this item."

Liu Qing did not hide anything and cupped his hands in reply, "Please forgive me, Master. My younger sister has suffered a setback in her cultivation, and her Dao heart is unstable for a time. I came to Lei Marsh Swamp to search for treasures and brew some elixir to calm her mind and suppress evil. I happened to come across this Gurong, and thought that there was a celestial dish that would be suitable for her, so I came to ask for it in exchange. I have no intention of taking it, so please do not take offense."

So it was for Fuling cocos... Luckily, he already has one, so he can just have Kun deliver it.

The Pipa Fairy smiled, "Oh dear, what a coincidence! I also have a younger sister whose Daoist heart is wavering, and I was thinking of brewing this flower for her to drink. What a coincidence! Hehe!"

Yuan Tianxiao couldn't stand seeing his girlfriend being mistreated, especially since it concerned Fuling's cultivation. He angrily retorted, "Do you even know how to refine pills?! This flower isn't for boiling! What a waste! If you're not going to give it to me, then don't lie! What a load of rubbish!"

"Hmph! Slap me, you scoundrel!"

The fairy maiden angrily plucked her pipa, and with a resounding clang, a sound wave shot out and blasted straight towards Yuan Tianxiao!

Yuan Tianxiao also laughed loudly, and with a flick of his hand, a flash of light from his blade shattered the sound of the pipa, sending it crashing into the misty waters.

It seems this fairy's skill level is really not that great. A dignified Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, the waves she releases can't even compete with those of Golden Core Stage. Perhaps the Cultivation Method she practices isn't for fighting, but simply for playing the pipa...

"Master, look at these scoundrels, they've gone too far!" The fairy maiden, probably feeling embarrassed, nestled against Master Xu with a coquettish tone.

Xu Daochong remained expressionless, glanced at the disciple who was still bowing and not daring to raise his head, and slowly said, "Good."

He stretched out his hand, and the fairy was overjoyed to see that he really wanted to stand up for her. She took out the Gurong and placed it in Xu Zhenren's palm.

"I have heard of the reputation of Ink Bamboo Mountain in Li Country in the Central Plains. Now that I have this rare opportunity, let me, this unworthy disciple, experience the high level of Ink Bamboo Mountain. Since we agreed on a best-of-five series, let's have five series. Even if he loses one, I will give the Gurong to you all. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, the people from Ink Bamboo Mountain changed color. What did he mean? No matter how powerful your Xuanmen sect is, one Golden Core cultivator taking on five opponents is a bit much, isn't it?

Li Fan also felt that this was a bit much. One-on-one was a matter of choice; he could take on five hundred people like Ink Bamboo Mountain... cough cough, I've gone too far, gone too far. Sword intent, what do you think? What's Hengshan up to? Weren't they seeking revenge for their deceased disciple? Why are they organizing a competition to help Nangong Zheng?

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said that an elite disciple of the Hengshan Orthodox Sect would never die silently in a fair fight, so he must have been ambushed.'

The disciple had just died, but the connection between them hadn't dissipated, and the master was aware of it. He might have just been summoned by Nangong by chance, or he might have vaguely sensed that the murderer was here, but he couldn't tell exactly who it was.

Based on my experience, he probably suspects his disciples are killing each other more, so he wants to use Ink Bamboo Mountain to test them out, right? Whether they've killed anyone before, and what their current abilities are, will be revealed once they make a move.

Even if it wasn't his disciple who did it, if he were to test which member of Ink Bamboo Mountain was the most skilled and capable of defeating a Hengshan disciple single-handedly, the likelihood of them harming his disciple would be higher.

Wow... Seriously... how come you're so experienced with this kind of thing? Are there many instances of disciples in the Xuanmen sect killing each other?

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'Tch, where were there so many Heavenly Treasure for everyone to break through in the past? There might only be one chance to break through once every hundred or so years. Even if you fought your way through and snatched the opportunity from the Divine Immortal Palace, if many of your fellow disciples were still alive and coming back, would you be so generous as to give it all to your senior and junior brothers?'"

This isn't just a fortune of 100,000 strings of cash; it's an opportunity to attain enlightenment! Will such a thing truly happen again in a few hundred years? What if my lifespan ends?

Since everyone here is exceptionally talented, why should we give way? Of course, we should all compete based on our own abilities! It's just a matter of how hard we go.

There have been instances where those of low character killed their fellow disciples and even their masters to seize power. That's why the teachings shouldn't be lightly passed on. But how difficult it is to discern a person's true nature...

But then again, isn't the timing a bit too perfect right now? Even something as rare as the Gurong, which only appears once every thousand years, can produce two blooms... Sigh, it seems even cats and dogs have the chance to attain enlightenment...

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent is probably a mind reader for these old-school Xuanmen cultivators. Xu Daochong's thoughts are roughly the same as the Sword Intent's guess, because he clearly said to his disciple, "Since Dexin hasn't returned yet, Decheng, go and learn a few moves from the fellow Daoists of Ink Bamboo Mountain."

Na Decheng breathed a sigh of relief, since bullying rogue cultivators was better than being scolded by his master. He immediately agreed, "Yes, disciple obeys."

So he flashed into the arena, bowed, and said, "Su Decheng of Hengshan has come to learn from the superior skills of Ink Bamboo Mountain. Who would like to offer guidance?"

Liu Qing naturally stepped forward without hesitation, and being prepared, she easily tossed the noisy Yuan Tianxiao behind her. She drew a pair of jade-green snake-head daggers from her hands, clasped her hands, and said, "Jiang Liuqing, Tianmen Peak, Ink Bamboo Mountain."

Li Fan observed them for a moment. Su Decheng and Jiang Liuqing were both at the Golden Core Stage, and the Qi they gave him was about the same. Their level was roughly the same as before he started dual cultivation with Qin Nanxin after his Qiongqi Dao Body stabilized. They were both considered True Cultivator with relatively solid foundations. Of course, they were no longer in his eyes.

In reality, these rogue cultivators from Ink Bamboo Mountain are much better than those good-for-nothings from the Nangong Family. However, they are still far behind Li Fan. It's hard to say how many trump cards they have, but the amount of true qi they can control is indeed limited. Yuan Tianxiao seems to be a bit stronger than Liu Qing, but these two are constantly injured and recuperating, so it's hard to determine their true level.

The most powerful one should be Yuhengzi. His cultivation level is probably about 80% of Zhang Jiugao's, and similar to Li Fan's after dual cultivation of <Guicang>. However, now that Li Fan has also cultivated the Five Mountain Gods Body, the gap has widened. Regardless of their mental discipline or magical treasures, at least in terms of sheer power, Yuhengzi definitely can't beat him...

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao cannot be judged so easily. Some Cultivation Method only reveal their inner energy without being overtly apparent, while others appear imposing but are not so easily discerned without a direct confrontation.'

Oh, so how do we decide? Who do you think will win?

'The Profound Heaven Sword Intent is simple; Hengshan will surely win.'

... I knew it, no need to ask, the Xuanmen sect is awesome...

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, not all Xuanmen masters are experts, but after looking at the Mo Shan Daoist techniques you've learned and the scheming of the abbot in Changsi City, I've come to understand a bit."

This Ink Bamboo Mountain has been deliberately hiding its true strength and showing weakness to the Three Great Sects. They've even repeatedly held back against the Nangong Family, so they definitely won't reveal their true abilities in front of Hengshan. Who knows what they're secretly plotting...?

Is it a sign of weakness? Is it because of the precedent set by the Luo Sect...? But actually, Mo Shan's Cultivation Method aren't exactly legendary either.

Li Fan also discovered this from his own experience during his brief year of training.

Although the False Moon in the sky and the Heavenly Dao has undergone a major change, the Three Great Sects, especially the ancient Immortal Palace and Xuanmen, still cling to the old methods of cultivation. As a result, the growth rate of cultivators is actually very slow, which is incomparable to the new methods. However, this problem is overshadowed by the overwhelming influx of Heavenly Treasure that can be used for breakthroughs, as well as the demons and monsters that cause trouble and attract attention Fourth Department.

However, these old men and women had the advantage of being the first to act and had the right to speak. Meanwhile, Ink Bamboo Mountain itself had not yet figured out the Tai Su Dao. Mozhu Mountain had too few people, Lou Guan was too deeply involved in worldly affairs, and the scattered cultivators of Bamboo Mountain had too shallow a foundation. Moreover, they were surrounded by enemies on all sides and had no confidence to stand up and fight against the world now, or to directly withstand the pressure from the Three Great Sects. So they could only continue to admit defeat and follow the rules of the old sect.

Now it remains to be seen whether the emergence of the cult and the rise of monsters will draw attention away from the surrounding area, giving Ink Bamboo Mountain time to grow.

"Hehe, you flatter me."

Sure enough, in the short time he was distracted, Liu Qing had already lost; there was nothing particularly noteworthy about it. Liu Qing went up and simply used her twin swords to twirl and weave, exchanging a few blows, and even used some serpentine Dark Underworld Daoist techniques to attack. However, she couldn't break through Hengshan Su Decheng's protective Shangqing True Qi at all. Then, after Su Decheng parried two moves from both sides, he flashed his Sword Light and, taking advantage of Liu Qing's defensive lapse, struck her left wrist with his sword, severing her hand and sword together.

"Qingqing!" Yuan Tianxiao was no longer one to pretend or hold back; he was so angry that he gritted his teeth and his scalp turned red.

Jiang Liuqing picked up her severed hand, her forehead covered in cold sweat from the pain, but she still gritted her teeth and bowed, saying, "My skills are inferior; I admire you."

The Nangong Family burst into laughter, Xu Daochong remained expressionless, while Li Fan frowned.

She was really faking it. He had personally witnessed Liu Qing's martial arts skills, and he had also experienced the combined attack of the Lu Family's puppet assassins—it was no joke. Yet, even their sword formation couldn't subdue Liu Qing for a while. This Su Chengd's swordsmanship wasn't particularly superb, and the sword he used wasn't even a Hengshan sword. Could he really so easily break through her years of cultivated body and sever her wrist so cleanly?

Lu Chai used the Blood Talisman Sword to break Li Fan's Qiongqi Dao Body, and it still took him several hundred strikes. The Hengshan Sword Technique couldn't be that strong, could it?

It's likely that Liu Qing deliberately suppressed his power, but the one from Hengshan showed absolutely no mercy.

Why endure this much...?

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'Ha, you Ink Bamboo Mountain truly live up to your reputation as rogue cultivators. It seems this one has suffered since childhood. You've really gone through some tough times.'"

Although it probably won't fool the discerning eyes of True Cultivator, perhaps this is for the best. This should show them that these rogue cultivators from Ink Bamboo Mountain would never dare harm his disciples.

Indeed, Ink Bamboo Mountain's feigned weakness deepened Xu Daochong's suspicions, but his killing intent diminished.

Sword intent, really can't be used to ambush Nascent Soul Stage in broad daylight? Now he truly has the will to kill...

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao is not impossible, but since Ink Bamboo Mountain has already put on such a show, you shouldn't cause them any more trouble. What you should do now is not to kill two more Nangongs from Hengshan to vent your anger, but to quickly find an unlucky guy to take the blame for what you did..."

Oh, looks like you're in luck; a monster is coming.