So what if you have someone backing you?

Gu Yuanqing did not feel particularly alarmed. He knew none of the newcomers, so there could be no grudge between them. Surely they had not come for him. Perhaps they were merely passing through; he only worried about getting caught in the middle.

Still, it paid to be prepared. With a thought, he activated his newly learned Qi Concealment Technique, sealing off his aura as thoroughly as possible.

Safety came first when watching a show!

Whoosh! A streak of arrow light curved through the air. Just as it neared Qin Baijun and his grandfather, an eagle's cry suddenly rang out.

The arrow glowed with an eerie light and transformed into a huge Eagle Phantom, spreading its sharp talons to seize the old man and the young man.

"Who dares trespass upon Great Qian's forbidden ground? Do you think the laws of Great Qian count for nothing? Surrender, and your lives will be spared!" Amid that furious shout, the armored Imperial Guard Commander, Chen Chuanshan, reached the summit. He raised his bow and loosed several more arrows.

These arrows flew even faster, striking at Qin Baijun and his grandfather almost simultaneously with the eagle that had spread its wings.

The white-haired old man pressed his palm against the air. A gigantic hand appeared in midair and caught the Eagle Phantom in its grip. A mournful cry seemed to ring out before the eagle shattered, turning into a broken arrow that fell to the ground. As for the arrows following behind it, the old man swept his sleeve, and they all tumbled from the air.

Chen Chuanshan's pupils contracted slightly. "The Void Great Hand Seal! Which senior of the Lingxu Sect might you be? The Great Qian Dynasty has always enjoyed friendly relations with the Lingxu Sect, and Her Highness the Eldest Princess is a true disciple of your sect master. If you wish to enter North Spring Mountain, you can request an Imperial Decree in the Imperial Capital. Why skulk about with your face concealed?"

His face covered with black cloth, Elder Qin stepped forward and stopped atop a treetop, his body swaying gently in the breeze. He smiled and said, "General, I have no wish to make things difficult for you. I merely ask to pass through tonight to attend to a little business."

"I have royal orders to obey. Forgive me, but I cannot comply. If you insist, Senior, then even knowing I am no match for you, I can only ask to test your skill!" Chen Chuanshan's expression remained calm, his voice steady.

"Yes, sir!"

Everyone behind him activated their cultivation techniques and formed a battle array. The strength of several soldiers merged into one. Though they were only at the Profound Martial Low Rank, in an instant, an aura approaching the Profound Martial Middle Rank rose from them!

This was Great Qian's military formation. An army of ten thousand could contend with a grandmaster! Ordinary sects of the martial world would never willingly oppose the Imperial Court, and Great Qian's military formations were one reason why.

"Why put yourselves through this? Ah! Jun'er, leave this to me. Be quick." As he spoke, Elder Qin floated upward.

Qin Baijun nodded and used his movement technique to slip away to one side.

Chen Chuanshan's face darkened. "Stop him."

The soldiers arrayed behind him drew their bows and crossbows. Arrows shot through the air, combining into an eagle that swooped toward Qin Baijun.

Gu Yuanqing watched from the sidelines with keen interest.

The Imperial Guard Army's martial arts all share the same lineage. That makes sense. How else could they form a military array? Judging by this, they must belong to the Divine Eagle Guard, one of the Imperial Guard Army's four divisions.

"I told you, your opponent is me. Why won't you listen? Since that is how you want it, take a palm strike from me first." The old man's tone was indifferent. He pressed against the air again, shattering the eagle once more, then lifted his left hand as though supporting something in midair before turning it over and pressing down.

In an instant, everything within a five-zhang radius of Chen Chuanshan was enveloped by the force of that palm. Looking up, it was as though a giant's hand were bearing down upon them.

Chen Chuanshan's expression changed sharply. With his cultivation at the True Martial Seventh Layer, he still had time to escape. But if he left, none of the soldiers beside him would likely survive. He dared not gamble on his opponent being unwilling to kill. He roared, "Use me as the formation's core! Form the Divine Eagle Formation!"

Gu Yuanqing noticed Chen Chuanshan's grim expression and thought, An expert has come today. He's in a completely different league from those two last time. They're actually taking the Imperial Guard Army head-on. Nice, nice. Tonight's getting interesting.

Gu Yuanqing took another sip of tea and reclined in his chair, anticipating what would happen next. This is forbidden ground, after all. Surely the Imperial Court of Great Qian has something else up its sleeve? Huh? Why is that bastard running this way? Is there some treasure over here that I don't know about?

Qin Baijun never paused or looked back. Since his grandfather had taken action, nothing could possibly go wrong unless the entire Divine Eagle Guard was present and assembled into its complete Grand Formation.

At the Profound Martial Ninth Heaven, one was invincible so long as no grandmaster appeared.

In the blink of an eye, he reached the small courtyard where Gu Yuanqing lived.

Gu Yuanqing sat upright. While waiting for the man to pass, he also raised his guard a little.

Qin Baijun had already let out a furious shout. "Gu! I know you're in this courtyard! You despicable, shameless wretch! Get out here!"

???

This man... came for me? I seem to be the only person surnamed Gu on North Spring Mountain. But I've never met him.

The turn of events came so suddenly that Gu Yuanqing, who had been planning to watch the show all along, had yet to decide what to do next.

"You're as timid as a mouse, hiding here without even daring to answer! Do you think you're worthy of my junior sister?" Amid his furious roar, Qin Baijun slashed his sword toward the courtyard, aiming straight at the spot where Gu Yuanqing had been reclining. The Qi Concealment Technique Gu Yuanqing had cultivated had not worked at all.

Boom! Sword Qi blazed like a rainbow. The courtyard wall and the house shattered beneath that single slash, and its razor-sharp aura hurtled straight at Gu Yuanqing.

Every hair on Gu Yuanqing's body stood on end.

This bastard wants to kill me?

In the blink of an eye, the sword qi was almost upon him. Gu Yuanqing flung away his teacup and dodged several meters before using his movement technique to burst through the window. Once outside, he leaped onto the roof.

Seeing the room he had lived in for more than eight months destroyed by a single slash—and knowing he had nearly died inside it—filled him with shock and fury.

Qin Baijun also swept onto the roof, his expression icy. "You're Gu Yuanqing?"

Hearing his name, Gu Yuanqing finally confirmed that the man had not mistaken him for someone else. He really had come for him. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his emotions and asked, "Is there a grudge between us?"

Qin Baijun's eyes brimmed with murderous intent. "We cannot live beneath the same sky!"

"I've never met you. Could there be some misunderstanding?" Glancing at the old man nearby, who was dealing with the Imperial Guard Army with effortless ease, Gu Yuanqing once again forced down his anger. Damn it, so what if you have someone backing you?

"A misunderstanding? There is no misunderstanding. Right now, I only want you... dead. Only by killing you can I free my mind!" As he spoke, Qin Baijun's aura surged. Perhaps because he was about to witness Gu Yuanqing's death, the knots that had accumulated within him over the past several months instantly vanished. His cultivation, which had failed to advance even an inch, immediately broke through its bottleneck.

Above his head, the phantom of a longsword took shape. In an instant, his killing intent solidified and enveloped Gu Yuanqing.

This was a Profound Martial Phenomenon, the hallmark of the True Martial Seventh Layer!

Gu Yuanqing had not expected this young man, who was about his own age, to possess such formidable cultivation. An intense sense of danger rose within him.

I can't wait for him to attack. If he unleashes that sword strike, I'll die without a doubt!