Had Heaven Not Birthed Me, the Wine Sword Immortal, the Sword Dao Would Be an Eternal Night!

"This is bad! Run!"

Dingguang Xian shouted, immense terror welling up in his heart.

Both men reacted swiftly.

Before his words had even faded, they spun around and raced toward the exit of the Cave Abode like lightning.

But the moment they stepped through the entrance of Gu Changqing's Cave Abode, both men abruptly froze.

A great cloud of blood mist burst before them, its stench assaulting their noses.

Dingguang Xian and Qiu Shou Xian exchanged a glance.

Then excruciating pain struck, instantly twisting their faces.

Only when they looked down did they realize that both their legs had been severed cleanly at the knees.

The ten thousand rays of divine radiance that had suddenly erupted earlier were dazzling, razor-sharp sword intent.

"Aah..."

Severed limbs could regrow, but the tremendous pain coursing through their bodies was all too real.

Unable to restrain themselves, Dingguang Xian and Qiu Shou Xian let out agonized screams.

For a moment, the vast Interception Sect erupted into an uproar.

Countless disciples turned to look, bewildered and uncertain.

"Dingguang Xian? Qiu Shou Xian?!"

"As Attendant Immortals, shouldn't those two be serving at Master Tongtian's side? Why have they come to our Outer Sect?"

"That place... seems to be in the direction of Junior Brother Changqing's Cave Abode!"

"Gasp..."

In an instant, a flash of insight struck more than a hundred thousand disciples, and realization dawned.

Revenge!

That thought rose in everyone's minds.

Qiu Shou Xian had once knelt before Gu Changqing and begged for mercy.

Everyone knew of the grudge between them.

And Qiu Shou Xian was the sort to avenge even the smallest slight.

He must have gone to seek revenge against Gu Changqing today.

Yet if this was revenge, those earlier screams had clearly belonged to Qiu Shou Xian and Dingguang Xian.

What exactly had happened inside Gu Changqing's Cave Abode?

Without another word, everyone hurried toward Gu Changqing's Cave Abode to find out.

When they saw the scene, they gasped, their jaws dropping.

Qiu Shou Xian and Dingguang Xian stood motionless at the entrance to Gu Changqing's Cave Abode, a good deal shorter than before.

They looked as though they were kneeling to beg forgiveness.

But blood flowed freely beneath them, a shocking sight.

The Eight Great Personal Disciples had also arrived.

Duobao's expression darkened at the sight.

"What on earth happened here?!"

He demanded angrily.

Disciples often sparred with one another.

But severing both legs clearly went far beyond sparring.

This violated the Interception Sect's rules.

As the Interception Sect's senior-most disciple, Duobao also had a duty to uphold justice.

At Duobao's words, Dingguang Xian looked as though he had found his savior.

"Senior Brother Duobao, save us!"

"We know we were wrong! We should never have come here to disturb Junior Brother Changqing's peace!"

"Please put in a good word for us, Senior Brother Duobao, and ask Junior Brother Changqing to spare us!"

Dingguang Xian hastily pleaded with Duobao.

But his words glossed over the grave offense and dwelled only on the trivial.

No one else could be allowed to learn that they had plotted against a fellow disciple, even going so far as to use the Six Souls Banner.

Duobao frowned at his words.

Junior Brother Changqing?!

Could Gu Changqing have severed their legs and reduced them to this miserable state?

Half believing and half doubting, Duobao turned to look inside the Cave Abode.

One glance left him stunned.

Gu Changqing lay quietly inside the Cave Abode, his snores rumbling like thunder.

Even the tremendous commotion outside failed to elicit the slightest response from him.

Could a drunk like this have cut down Dingguang Xian and Qiu Shou Xian?

Duobao found it hard to believe.

"Hmph! What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Junior Brother Changqing is still dead drunk! He shows no sign of waking!"

"What does your condition have to do with him?"

Duobao grew even more displeased.

Dingguang Xian and Qiu Shou Xian both froze at his words.

Trembling, they turned to look, and sure enough, it was just as Duobao had said.

Moreover, Gu Changqing seemed to have remained like this the entire time, without making a single move.

Their eyes filled with confusion.

Had that sword strike that severed their legs truly come from Gu Changqing?

Even they began to doubt it.

Everyone exchanged bewildered looks, utterly at sea.

What was going on?

Were Dingguang Xian and Qiu Shou Xian trying to sling mud at Gu Changqing?

At the cost of their own legs?

That was... far too ruthless!

Duobao was equally speechless, unable to make sense of the scene.

After a long silence, he finally said in a stern voice:

"Enough. Reconstruct your Dao bodies at once and return to serve Master Tongtian!"

"What sort of decorum is this, looking as though you're kneeling on the ground?!"

Tongtian, too, adopted a reprimanding tone before Dingguang Xian and Qiu Shou Xian.

Of course, he had the standing and authority to do so.

At those words, the two men felt as though they had been granted amnesty and let out long breaths of relief.

"Yes... yes..."

They hastily agreed and immediately prepared to leave.

They could no longer spare a thought for anything else.

But the moment Dingguang Xian moved, a sudden change occurred.

Swish!

A faint sound rang out in the void.

Killing intent arose from thin air!

A fierce ray of sword radiance flashed into existence, tearing through the void before anyone could react.

The next instant, the sword light flashed past and sliced a chunk of flesh clean off Dingguang Xian.

Blood rained down, exposing stark white bone in Dingguang Xian's chest.

At that very moment, a faint, drifting voice rang out behind the two men.

"Heaven does not birth me, Wine Sword Immortal; the sword Dao lies through eternity like an endless night..."

There was no doubt: it was Gu Changqing's voice.

Everyone heard it with their own ears, and shock spread across their faces.

The sword Dao lies through eternity like an endless night!

Such words dominated heaven and earth, scorning the ancients and towering over the present!

Though Junior Brother Changqing drank excessively, every verse he recited possessed an undeniably peerless grandeur.

Yet when they looked toward the voice, they saw only one of Gu Changqing's hands stir slightly before he fell still again.

It was as though those words had merely been a sigh uttered within his dreams.

But now, Qiu Shou Xian and Dingguang Xian were utterly terrified, every muscle drawn taut, no longer daring to take another step.

"Senior Brother Duobao, it's Junior Brother Changqing!"

"It must be Junior Brother Changqing! He won't let us leave!"

Their voices already carried a hint of sobbing.

If what had happened earlier was merely coincidence, that last sword strike certainly could not be dismissed as one.

Every hair on their bodies stood on end.

They could clearly sense that Gu Changqing's entire Cave Abode had become a Sword Dao Killing Domain!

Within the seemingly empty void lurked countless lethal strikes.

This was the true, overwhelming terror of life and death!

If they dared to take another step, ten thousand strands of sword intent would instantly carve them to pieces.

Terrifying!

Far too terrifying!

By now, even Duobao had grown bewildered and uncertain.

Could that sword strike have been Gu Changqing's warning?

Did Gu Changqing object to his letting Dingguang Xian and Qiu Shou Xian leave?

This...

For a moment, Duobao felt utterly speechless.

Wasn't this leaving him, the Interception Sect's senior-most disciple, with far too little face?

None of them knew.

At that moment, elsewhere, inside Biyou Palace.

Tongtian's expression shifted as he, too, noticed the commotion in the Outer Sect.