Gu Qing was Gu Han's younger brother and Guo Nanshan's Sword Attendant.
He was not an innate Dao Seed, but his talent was likewise outstanding. Because of Gu Han, he had been sent to Twofold Forgetting Peak just after birth and had spent all these years learning the sword from Guo Nanshan.
Among the new generation of Sword-Washing Disciples, his cultivation and strength ranked at the very top. Those familiar with Twofold Forgetting Peak thought he might even be stronger than Zhao Layue.
But he had stayed on Twofold Forgetting Peak all these years and seldom appeared beside Sword-Washing Creek, so few people knew he existed.
Gu Qing walked onto a rock in the creek and stopped.
The discussions among the cliffs and along the creek did not stop. Instead, they grew louder and louder.
Gu Qing did not take another step forward.
Position was the most important thing.
The rock he stood on was several dozen zhang from Jing Jiu.
What did this mean? Such a distance was already well beyond the attack range of the State of Keeping One. Had Gu Qing entered the Intent-Bearing Realm while still in the Sword-Washing Stage? And had he not merely glimpsed its path, but truly gained the offensive capabilities of the Intent-Bearing Realm?
Shock swept through the crowd. Only now did people realize that Twofold Forgetting Peak had been hiding such an extraordinary young genius.
Guo Nanshan's expression was calm.
Gu Qing had served as his Sword Attendant for many years. In fact, theirs was a Half-Master, Half-Disciple relationship, and he knew Gu Qing's cultivation and strength very well.
He had originally planned to use Gu Qing to take the edge off Zhao Layue's spirit. He had not expected Jing Jiu to step forward first, or Gu Han to make this request.
He understood Gu Han's feelings, so he had not stopped him.
As for the outcome of this sword contest, there would of course be no surprises.
Gu Han stared down at Jing Jiu, a cold smile at the corner of his lips.
He had disliked Jing Jiu from their first meeting beneath Sword Peak a year ago, because of Liu S sui, and for other reasons that were difficult to explain.
Ma Hua said with a chuckle, "Uncarved jade never becomes a fine vessel. I hope that when Junior Brother Jing glimpses the Great Dao someday, he'll understand the painstaking care his senior brothers took."
At the Sword Inheritance Assembly, disciples could display the Sword Control skills they excelled at, but when someone challenged them, it was best not to refuse.
The Green Mountain Sect cultivated the Sword Dao and deeply disdained avoiding battle.
That was why none of the elders had found anything wrong when Lin Yingliang stepped forward to challenge Liu S sui earlier, and Liu S sui had accepted quite naturally.
But everyone knew Jing Jiu was different from ordinary disciples. Who knew how someone as lazy as he was would respond?
Many disciples, including Xue Yongge, Junior Sister Yushan, and the other Old Residents of South Pine Pavilion, wondered whether he would shatter heaven and earth with a simple, "I won't fight you."
They thought this not only because of Jing Jiu's temperament, but also because they could see no hope of him winning.
Even if Jing Jiu had perfected the State of Keeping One, how could he match a gifted disciple who had entered the Intent-Bearing Realm ahead of time?
Across several dozen zhang, his sword could not even touch his opponent's body. How could he possibly defeat him?
Since defeat was certain, conceding naturally became an option, embarrassing though it might be.
"Please."
Gu Qing cupped his fists. His flying sword emerged from his sleeve and hung motionless before him as he performed a Level-Sword Salute.
"All right," Jing Jiu said.
He did not concede outright.
A faint stir ran through the cliffs and creek banks.
Some felt regret, some were pleased, and some sighed.
Even more people thought that what happened next was certain to be very awkward.
Junior Sister Yushan covered her face while the youth surnamed Yuan from Lelang Commandery comforted her in a low voice.
"Is this what you call tempering him? Or do you simply want to humiliate him?"
Zhao Layue looked up toward the cliffs.
The disciples of Twofold Forgetting Peak stood there.
Naturally, she recalled her battle with Uncle-Master Zuo of Jade Lake Peak in the clouds of Sword Peak that night.
A gap in cultivation truly could not be bridged by talent and tricks.
Even if Jing Jiu had a protective Law Treasure hidden away as she did, how could he use it in full view of everyone?
Besides, without Jing Jiu's help that night, she would still have died beneath Uncle-Master Zuo's sword.
As she thought about this, Gu Qing launched his sword.
Like those disciples who had appeared before him, he launched it very simply.
His sleeves fluttered, and sword light sprang forth, then abruptly gathered in.
A gray line appeared over the creek.
The flying sword, bearing a faint air of antiquity, swept across several dozen zhang in an instant, its speed and power undiminished, aimed straight at Jing Jiu's face.
Zhao Layue's dark pupils contracted slightly.
Gu Qing had not only entered the Mind-Bearing Realm, but was even approaching its perfection, close to her true cultivation level.
When Gu Qing's flying sword reached Jing Jiu, he still had not moved, looking as though he had been frightened witless.
Of course, that was not the real reason. Everyone knew it was because Gu Qing's sword was too fast-so fast that an ordinary disciple could not react at all.
Next, the flying sword would stop before Jing Jiu's eyes, only inches from the point between his brows.
Gu Qing would calmly say, "Thank you for yielding," and the contest would be decided.
Everyone thought they would see this scene.
Yet that scene did not appear.
A sound rang out over the creek and spread in every direction.
It was clear and crisp.
Wind brushed the creek's surface.
The gray line stopped abruptly.
The flying sword fell at an angle into the creek, throwing up a spray of water.
Deathly silence.
Countless shocked gazes fell on Jing Jiu.
What exactly had happened?
Jing Jiu stood on the rock as though he had never moved.
He held his sword casually, like a hunter carrying a stick as he searched the mountain woods for pheasants.
When Gu Qing's sword flew up to him, he really had simply swung his sword up and smashed it down.
His sword had struck the other sword squarely, and like a pheasant hit by a stick, it had fallen into the creek without a sound.
It was quiet. The sound of the creek was very clear.
Gu Qing even thought he could hear his own blood rushing.
At first, he was somewhat uncertain what had happened to him.
Then he saw the very familiar sword in the creek.
His face felt a little hot, yet grew increasingly pale. Deep in his eyes, a faint wildfire began to burn.
He abruptly raised his head to look at Jing Jiu, his eyes filled with shock and anger, and shouted.
"Ah!"
With that shout, the flying sword in the creek rose into the air again.
This time, the flying sword was noticeably faster, its power even more astonishing.
More astonishing still, before the creek water could drain off the blade, it turned to vapor. One could imagine how scalding hot the sword was now.
When the flying sword reached the middle of the creek, it actually burst into flame!
A streak of fire lit up the cliff face, hurtling straight at Jing Jiu with an incomparably imposing force.
"Six Dragons Sword!"
"How does he know that sword technique?"
Countless cries of surprise rang out among the cliffs.
The lofty peak of Six Dragons Returning Sun!
What Gu Qing was using was clearly Shiyue Peak's sword technique!
Everyone was utterly shocked.
The Shiyue Peak elder presiding over the Sword Inheritance Assembly wore an ugly expression.
Twofold Forgetting Peak Disciples could study any sword technique from the Nine Peaks. Gu Qing had grown up on Twofold Forgetting Peak, so it was not surprising that he had learned the Six Dragons Sword Technique.
The problem was that Gu Qing was, after all, still only a Sword-Washing Disciple. Twofold Forgetting Peak secretly teaching him the sword techniques of the Nine Peaks ahead of time was not something that could be brought into the open.
It was far too unfair to ordinary disciples without powerful connections.
Seeing Gu Qing use Shiyue Peak's Six Dragons Sword Arts, many people among the cliffs felt some displeasure.
But they understood why Gu Qing would expose his true abilities even at the risk of punishment afterward.
Because Gu Qing was very angry now and wanted only to defeat Jing Jiu in the simplest, even most brutal way.
He had lost their previous exchange in a truly sorry fashion.
Though underestimating his opponent had played a part, who could accept having his cherished flying sword knocked down by a fellow disciple of lower cultivation in such a crude, utterly graceless manner...?
The burning flying sword hurtled toward Jing Jiu like a terrifying dragon of fire.
Watching this, Zhao Layue thought that if she did not want to evade its edge, she could only rely on her Sword Heart to strike first and kill.
She knew very well that Jing Jiu was not hiding his cultivation and could not attempt a counterkill as she could. Yet she was not worried. Whether because of what had happened that night or for some other reason, she trusted this white-robed youth immensely and always felt he would surely have a way to respond.
Jing Jiu's expression finally grew a little more serious.
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