"I have attained enlightenment!"
Inside Biyou Palace!
Tongtian's eyes shone, brimming with delight.
Just moments earlier, the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords he had placed inside Biyou Palace had suddenly risen, hanging high in the air.
Drawn by the sword intent Gu Changqing had released, they had erupted in resonance.
Such a sight was already a rarity across the ages.
But what shocked Tongtian even more was this.
Hearing Gu Changqing's words, even Tongtian had felt his Dao Heart being questioned.
In an instant, inspiration flashed through him, like nectar poured over his head, and he attained sudden enlightenment.
This was an immense opportunity. As long as he reflected on it carefully, his cultivation in the sword Dao would surely advance dramatically, reaching another level.
Beside him, seeing Tongtian's excitement and hearing his exclamation,
Duobao and the others were utterly stunned as well.
A single remark from a disciple had brought their sage master to enlightenment?
Anywhere in the entire Primordial World, this would have been utterly earth-shattering.
And Gu Changqing was merely a lowly Outer Sect disciple.
It shook the world and defied all convention!
It was beyond belief!
Everyone felt as though none of this was real.
Yet outside Biyou Palace, Qiu Shou Xian knelt before Gu Changqing, his face filled with terror.
Together with the tightly shut doors of Biyou Palace, it all became undeniably real.
They had no choice but to believe it.
Just then, Qiu Shou Xian's expression shifted.
He could sense that, as he begged for mercy, the terrifying killing intent surrounding Gu Changqing abruptly withdrew.
Fellow disciples must never deal each other a killing blow.
This was an ironclad rule of the Interception Sect, unchanged through the ages.
Only now, with Qiu Shou Xian terrified out of his wits, did Gu Changqing finally stop.
At once, Qiu Shou Xian felt as though he had been granted a pardon, though fear still lingered in his heart.
He had no time to say anything more.
He immediately stood up and, ignoring everyone's strange looks, slunk back to his cave abode.
This time, he had truly disgraced himself beyond all measure!
Presumably, if he encountered Gu Changqing again, he would have to take a detour.
A sparring match that had begun with swords drawn and bows bent had ended with a tiger's head and a snake's tail.
The Interception Sect disciples, however, were even more bewildered.
"What exactly happened? Why did Senior Brother Qiu Shou Xian suddenly back down? He even knelt and begged for mercy!"
"Could Junior Brother Changqing have used some unknown technique earlier?"
"Is this what a clash between powerful cultivators looks like? It was already over before we saw anything."
Only after Qiu Shou Xian had vanished completely did everyone begin whispering among themselves.
Their voices were filled with shock and disbelief.
The looks they directed at Gu Changqing lost their earlier contempt, replaced by deep solemnity.
Beside Zhao Gongming, the exquisitely graceful Three Xiao had an extraordinary light gleaming in their eyes.
"Heavens, Junior Brother Changqing's performance today truly opened my eyes."
"Heehee, looking so drunk and carefree, yet frightening Qiu Shou Xian until his heart and courage shattered, making him kneel and beg for mercy. How imposing!"
"Exactly, exactly. That's just how you should treat someone like Qiu Shou Xian, a dog swaggering behind his master's power."
As elite Outer Sect disciples and personal disciples of the sage, the Three Xiao naturally had no reservations.
Their words overflowed with amazement and praise for Gu Changqing, along with ridicule for Qiu Shou Xian.
As they spoke, Bixiao, the youngest, with her sweet, pretty face, skipped over to Gu Changqing.
"Junior Brother Changqing, how did you do it? And how did you bring Master to enlightenment with a single sentence?"
"Tell us about the mysteries behind it too, will you?"
Bixiao shook Gu Changqing's arm affectionately, asking in a coaxing manner.
This sight brought envy, jealousy, and resentment to countless disciples' faces.
The Three Xiao Sisters each possessed their own distinctive charm and were unattainable goddesses in the disciples' hearts.
Seeing Bixiao behave this way left everyone intensely envious.
At the same time, countless gazes settled on Gu Changqing, waiting for him to explain the mysteries behind it.
Who would have thought that, even with a goddess beside him, Gu Changqing would remain unmoved?
He simply took out another jar of fine wine and drank several hearty mouthfuls.
"Haha, that really quenched my thirst."
Gu Changqing smacked his lips and laughed in satisfaction.
Hearing this, everyone rolled their eyes.
Quenching his thirst with wine?
He certainly lived up to that grand declaration of his: "One drink drains the rivers, another swallows the sun and moon."
Only after doing all this did Gu Changqing look at Bixiao beside him.
"Huh? Senior Sister Bixiao?"
"Greetings, Senior Sister!"
Gu Changqing looked surprised.
As an Outer Sect disciple, he ought to take the initiative to salute a personal disciple of the sage such as the Three Xiao.
As he spoke, Gu Changqing cupped his hands in greeting to Bixiao.
Although it was supposedly a salute, Gu Changqing swayed from side to side, thoroughly drunk.
It was hardly a sight anyone could compliment.
Fortunately, Bixiao did not mind.
What had happened earlier was what interested her most.
"Junior Brother Changqing, hurry and tell us."
"What exactly happened between you and Qiu Shou Xian earlier? Why did he drop straight to his knees?"
Her words drew everyone's attention as they quietly awaited Gu Changqing's reply.
But upon hearing this, Gu Changqing shook his head repeatedly and said:
"Huh? Qiu Shou Xian knelt? I didn't know..."
"Wasn't I drinking the whole time? I didn't do anything."
At these words, everyone froze.
This response was entirely unexpected.
Yet they really could not refute it.
Just as Gu Changqing had said, everyone had seen clearly that he had merely been drinking.
He had not even taken out his companion sword.
What he had said was indeed the truth.
Still, no one believed the reality could be so simple.
After all, with Qiu Shou Xian's arrogance, why would he have disregarded his dignity and knelt to beg for mercy unless he had sensed something truly terrifying?
Nearby, Duobao, the Interception Sect's eldest senior brother, looked thoughtful.
"It seems Junior Brother Gu Changqing possesses some mysterious, unfathomable methods that he isn't willing to share with us."
As cultivators, they all needed a few hidden trump cards.
That was only natural.
Duobao smiled and, rather than digging to the bottom of it, changed the subject:
"Hehe, Junior Brother Gu Changqing has profound attainments in the sword Dao."
"Why not share some of your insights with us?"
This time, Gu Changqing did not refuse.
However, the words he spoke next left everyone puzzled.
"Hehe, the sword Dao?!"
"All I know is... one sword spreads frost and snow in all eight directions; one sword unleashes thunder to shatter the Five Sacred Mountains."
Everyone was completely lost upon hearing this.
What did any of that have to do with anything?
They had asked about his attainments in the sword Dao, yet he was reciting poetry?
It was a bull's head fitted to a horse's mouth.
Had they not been awed by the tremendous shock Gu Changqing had given them earlier, they would have been unable to resist grumbling inwardly that this fellow really was out of his mind.
Yet just as these thoughts surfaced in their minds,
Boom!
A thunderclap suddenly exploded in everyone's hearts.
The next moment, immortal swords, each radiating a keen edge and a soul-seizing presence, shot out of their seas of consciousness and gathered high in the sky.
"What's happening? Why did my companion sword fly out on its own? I can't hold it back!"
"Hiss... what terrifying, surging sword intent! It's summoning all our companion swords."
"This is... Ten Thousand Swords Pay Homage to the Sect?!"
Everyone cried out in astonishment.
With a single sentence, Gu Changqing had caused the companion swords of over a hundred thousand disciples to escape their masters' control and surge into the heavens.
For a moment, ten thousand swords stretched across Golden Ao Island, blotting out the sky and sun.
In the air, sword light flowed and shone against sword light, terrifying beyond compare.
The sight shook the universe. The Interception Sect's hundred thousand and more disciples stood dumbstruck, their hearts reeling with shock!
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