Xu Taiping answered Fairy Lingyue inwardly, then began transmitting his voice to Sect Master Zhao Qian.
He briefly recounted to Sect Master Zhao Qian how he had encountered Sword Immortal Qionghua's divine soul in Golden Court Prefecture, and how he had discovered Su Chan's plot after arriving at Liuxian Town.
As for Fairy Lingyue, however, he only said that she was a senior he had met in the Withered Stone Sea, without elaborating.
After hearing Xu Taiping's account, Sect Master Zhao Qian was first alarmed, then frowned and said:
"Taiping, you shouldn't have come to this Sword Champion Assembly."
Zhao Qian immediately added:
"Before we came to the Mount Taiyue Immortal Abode, Ninth Uncle told me that if Su Chan were still alive, he would stop at nothing to eliminate you."
"Now, in this Heavenly Demon Sword Inquiry, you and he are both among the ten challengers on your respective sides. If you meet..."
He did not continue, but his meaning went without saying.
Although Xu Taiping had displayed combat strength comparable to a cultivator who had just entered the Heaven Questioning Realm during the earlier Sword Inquiry Trial, Su Chan was now a Demon Emperor of the Nine Abysses.
Thus, in Zhao Qian's view, if Su Chan targeted Xu Taiping, he would have almost no chance of winning.
Xu Taiping shook his head and said:
"Sect Master, Ninth Uncle once told me."
"For us sword cultivators to unleash our strongest strike, what we lack is not a sword manual or a renowned sword, but a reason to draw our swords."
At these words, Sect Master Zhao Qian's body jolted.
Then he silently turned around and gazed steadily at the young man before him, both familiar and unfamiliar.
Xu Taiping met Zhao Qian's gaze, his eyes calm and resolute as