I Guessed He Was an Ancient Monster

In the span of a single day, Old Ancestor Qingshan had stepped from the Martial Spirit Realm into the Martial King Realm.

That step was like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.

Even in the entire Southern Sands Cultivation Realm, he now ranked among the foremost.

"Hahaha... Black Tortoise, Black Tortoise, you forced me to accept a duel with you. But if you knew I'd broken through to the Martial King Realm now, I wonder what expression you'd have."

Old Ancestor Qingshan's face was radiant, all traces of his previous despondency swept away.

"Congratulations, Master, on breaking through to the Martial King Realm."

Below him, Luolan Xue knelt respectfully on the ground and spoke.

With a flash, Old Ancestor Qingshan crossed over and helped Luolan Xue up with both hands. Smiling, he said, "Xue'er, get up quickly. Your master wrongly blamed you before. You, Luolan Xue, are a great contributor to our Qingshan Sect. Your name will be recorded in the history of the Qingshan Sect."

"Master overpraises me. It was Xue'er's duty to do so," Luolan Xue said.

"Right, I was busy making my breakthrough earlier. Hurry and tell your master about that mortal... no, that senior. What exactly is he?" Old Ancestor Qingshan gently stroked the Martial Arts Book in his hands and urgently asked Luolan Xue.

"He looked very young and very handsome, and his bearing was extraordinary..." Luolan Xue gradually recalled that figure, then continued, "I didn't think much of it at the time, but looking back now, every movement and gesture of his carried the air of a Grandmaster..."

Old Ancestor Qingshan narrowed his eyes and carefully considered Luolan Xue's words. "Go on."

"He ran a small Martial Arts Hall and displayed many Martial Arts Books for sale..." Luolan Xue added.

"Many Martial Arts Books?"

Old Ancestor Qingshan caught his breath, his mouth falling open.

Luolan Xue nodded solemnly.

"Xue'er, don't be fooled by how young this person looks. Based on your description, I suspect he's an ancient monster," Old Ancestor Qingshan said gravely. "My initial estimate is that his cultivation should be at the Martial Emperor Realm!"

"Martial Emperor..."

Hearing that, Luolan Xue was greatly shocked.

Though she had guessed as much herself, hearing Old Ancestor Qingshan confirm it still left her unable to suppress her astonishment.

Back then, the ancestor of Qingshan Sect who had opened the sect with a single swordstroke seemed to have possessed only Martial Emperor cultivation!

"However, this is merely your master's preliminary guess. What the truth is, we'll only know after paying this senior a visit," Old Ancestor Qingshan said after careful consideration. "Like this, Xue'er—you'll accompany me down the mountain to visit this senior."

At those words.

Luolan Xue's delicate body trembled, and she stammered, "Master, I... I..."

"What's wrong?" Old Ancestor Qingshan frowned.

"I'm afraid... I've already offended that senior!"

The worry at the corners of Luolan Xue's eyes finally burst forth completely. Her face was filled with deep regret, as though her intestines had turned green from remorse.

Over the past day or two, her heart had been tangled and complicated beyond measure.

It had weighed on her so heavily she could barely breathe.

Although Old Ancestor Qingshan's breakthrough had resolved the sect's crisis, whenever she recalled her disrespect at that stall that day, her heart turned utterly gray.

Under Old Ancestor Qingshan's pressing questions, Luolan Xue finally recounted the scene at the stall uneasily.

Old Ancestor Qingshan's expression changed drastically.

"Master, I was wrong."

Seeing this, Luolan Xue repeatedly slammed her forehead hard against the ground, tears spilling from her eyes in panic. "I truly thought he was just a mortal then. I had no idea he was a hidden expert who had withdrawn from the world!"

"Hmph!"

Old Ancestor Qingshan's face was livid as he pointed at Luolan Xue in disappointment. "You, you... Even if he were a mortal, you couldn't have given him only one gold coin!"

"I—I only had one gold coin on me at the time!" Luolan Xue hurriedly explained. "And I saw there was only one book, so one gold coin was surely enough. Besides, I was worried about the duel between you, Master, and the Black Tortoise Ancestor, so I made such a grave mistake in a moment of distraction."

Old Ancestor Qingshan fell silent.

He had thought it was a great blessing for Qingshan Sect, but after this turn of events, one careless misstep could lead to the destruction of the entire Qingshan Sect.

"The fact that you returned alive truly means your life is tough," Old Ancestor Qingshan said with a sigh.

Tears welled in Luolan Xue's eyes, and her heart was filled with bitterness.

Who could deny it?

Looking back, she had practically walked through the gates of hell. She might even have implicated the entire Qingshan Sect because of it.

"Fortunately, Junior Sister was there," Luolan Xue said thankfully. "Although I gave that senior only one gold coin, he didn't pursue the matter. He even said to treat it as though he'd given the book to Junior Sister. He probably spared my life because Junior Sister was adorable!"

"So when it comes to visiting that senior, Master should go by yourself," Luolan Xue said dejectedly.

Old Ancestor Qingshan considered it briefly, then solemnly shook his head. "Not only must you go—you absolutely have to go."

Luolan Xue parted her red lips.

"But Master, if I go and provoke that senior's anger, I might instead bring disaster upon Qingshan Sect. The consequences... So wouldn't it be better for me to avoid him?" Luolan Xue raised her head and asked.

"Hmph, what do you know?" Old Ancestor Qingshan rebuked her. "With that senior's discernment, do you think he won't know you're a disciple of Old Ancestor Qingshan and Qingshan Sect just because you don't go?"

At those words, Luolan Xue's lovely body trembled.

"Since that senior didn't act against you at the time, it means he didn't take such trivial matters to heart." Old Ancestor Qingshan stroked his beard and said, "Given his status, if you properly accompany me to apologize later, he wouldn't deign to bicker with a junior like you."

"On the contrary, if we try any little tricks behind his back and behave like jumping clowns, that would be what might anger that senior."

"Master's lesson is correct. Then this disciple will bear thorns on her back and beg forgiveness, leaving myself to that senior's disposal," Luolan Xue said, gritting her teeth as she nodded.

Afterward, Old Ancestor Qingshan grabbed Luolan Xue and turned into two streaks of light, shooting toward Pingjiang City.