This person's cultivation was terrifying!
That was the first thought that flashed through Chu Shanjun's mind!
He was at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm Fourth Stage!
"Who are you?"
Chu Shanjun voiced his question, but for some reason, beneath his wariness, he actually felt a faint excitement.
Meeting a powerful opponent was always exciting!
The stranger said nothing.
Suddenly, the stranger raised a hand. Jade-green fire surged forth, and in an instant, the boundless snowy landscape transformed into a verdant bamboo forest!
Chu Shanjun was astonished!
Because this snowy landscape was his domain!
Yet his opponent was acting with such abandon inside it!
"What have you come here to do?"
"Thank you!"
The stranger finally spoke, making a gesture inviting him to attack.
This was a challenge!
At this moment, the blood throughout the proud, aloof Chu Shanjun's body... boiled!
Had it finally come...
The challenge he had dreamed of!
The opponent he had dreamed of!
"Taiyi Orthodox Lightning Art, fourth form, Lightning Pan!"
A sharp cry rang out.
An ink-black longsword emerged in response.
Its blade was long and narrow, engraved with dark-gold flowing-cloud patterns. Lightning flashed, and as it left its sheath, heaven and earth fell into dusk!
Endless Sword Qi swept forth.
Dusk!
An extraordinary divine blade!
Across from him, jade-green flames surged into the sky.
Whoosh-
The roar of a tsunami rang out. The stranger stood motionless, no sword in hand, yet sword light filled the air around him. It turned into jade-green waves, filling the space with mist and clouds.
Chu Shanjun advanced, sword in hand.
In an instant!
It was only a single exchange, but that was enough.
Within the bamboo forest, the mysterious stranger was nowhere to be seen. Only the Holy Son of the Setting Sun Sect remained!
The bamboo forest vanished.
The surroundings became an ordinary forest.
Silence filled the space. Even the wind and clouds had stopped moving.
At that moment!
"Old Chu!"
Yan Fei's voice carried over.
He saw Chu Shanjun kneeling on both knees in the forest, his hair disheveled, with Dusk thrust into the ground beside him.
Yan Fei hurried over.
"So... so strong!
"That sword momentum, that sword intent... even in another five hundred years, I fear I won't be able to surpass them!
"I have learned much!"
Chu Shanjun trembled all over, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, as he gritted his teeth and murmured.
Yan Fei reached his side, his brow furrowing.
"Who did you fight?"
"Number one on the Heavenly Ranking!"
"Who? Seriously? Did you see what he looked like?!"
"No!"
Chu Shanjun shook his head. "But his voice was young, and his bearing exceptional."
Yan Fei found it even stranger. He scratched his head, full of bewilderment. "Why did he beat you up?"
"He came to thank me!"
"What the hell! He beat you up to thank you? Wow, that really shatters everything I thought I knew!"
"I've decided to follow him!"
"Are you sick in the head?"
Yan Fei immediately jumped up, his eyes wide and his voice shrill.
A masochist...
This guy was definitely a masochist!
Even if he was obsessed with martial arts, did he have to take it this far...?
"I already stand at the pinnacle. There are many things in this world that can no longer interest me, aside from swordsmanship.
"I've searched ceaselessly, yearning for an opponent strong enough, but I could never find one.
"Until today! His swordsmanship is powerful, so powerful that... it feels as though I could never surpass him in this lifetime! My intuition tells me he's number one on the Heavenly Ranking!
"Only the ultimate sword Dao is my final pursuit!
"Yan Fei, you understand me."
Chu Shanjun said.
"Yes, I understand you, but..." Yan Fei frowned.
"I know, you want to say that I'm the Holy Son of the Setting Sun Sect. But you know I'm not interested in worldly power. Besides, the Setting Sun Sect still has you, doesn't it? Young master!"
"I told you not to call me young master! I'm just an ordinary inner sect disciple. Argh, this is so annoying! I just want to be carefree, enjoying the wind, flowers, snow, and moon. Why is it so hard?!"
Yan Fei muttered.
Then he suddenly lost his temper again.
Chu Shanjun had been chosen as the Holy Son of the Setting Sun Sect for his astonishing talent, while Yan Fei was the son of its sect master, Yan Hantian!
Yan Fei calmed himself. "You can pursue your sword Dao, but you have to promise me you won't leave the Setting Sun Sect!"
Chu Shanjun nodded!
The person who had fought Chu Shanjun was none other than Xie Feng!
He had some mysteries he wanted to unravel, and he happened to have cultivated the ability to calculate heavenly fate.
He was a heavenly diviner!
Heavenly diviners could calculate all heaven's secrets.
Heavenly fate could be cultivated!
Heavenly fate measured ten feet. An ordinary heavenly diviner who cultivated three or four feet was already outstanding, while cultivating seven feet allowed one to calculate the entirety of the Heavenly Dao.
Beyond eight feet, one could calculate the Great Dao!
Xie Feng had cultivated seven feet of heavenly fate, allowing him to calculate every subtle working of the Heavenly Dao!
His questions included:
Who had spread the news that the Heavenly Sword Holy Land had provoked the Azure Dragon Clan?
Why had the Heavenly Sword Holy Land, despite knowing it was taking the blame, gone along with the mistake and declared war outright?
In the incident at the Land of Blood Slaughter, Sushang should have drawn the most attention. Who had deliberately concealed news of her?
His calculations had led him to Chu Shanjun!
It was this man who had spread the news and made the Azure Dragon Clan take the blame!
The reason was simple. He paid considerable attention to the experts on the Heavenly Ranking and pursued battles against powerful opponents with extreme fervor. Out of appreciation for a fellow hero, he had chosen to act on Sushang's behalf and resolve the trouble posed by the Heavenly Sword Holy Land!
"This fellow is rather endearingly headstrong."
Xie Feng laughed.
So he had gone to find Chu Shanjun to express his thanks!
Although Chu Shanjun had meddled in this matter entirely of his own accord, at least it showed that he was not an enemy!
When Xie Feng returned to the Xuanji Sect, the little girl was still training hard. Finally, one dusk, with her face bruised and swollen, she perfectly executed the ultimate technique, Swallowing Rosy Clouds, broke through the swirling storm, and reached the purple bamboo!
Countless rays of sword light cascaded down.
She reached out and plucked a bamboo leaf.
After thinking it over, a trace of indignation appeared on her little face. This wretched bamboo had tormented her for so many days, and all she got to do in the end was pluck a single leaf? That wasn't satisfying.
"I'll pluck you to death!"
"I'll pluck you to death!"
Sushang angrily reached out and furiously plucked its leaves.
Suddenly!
"Little girl, you can't pluck me to death like that."
An aged voice spoke quietly.
"A ghost!"
"I'm not a ghost. I'm bamboo."
"Oh, a bamboo spirit."
"How rude! I'm old enough to be your grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's grandfather!"
"Oh, hello, grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's grandfather bamboo spirit!"
"You!!"
Thick white smoke began rising from the purple bamboo's crown.
"Little Shang, don't be rude!"
Just then, Xie Feng entered the domain. Seeing his somewhat stern expression, Sushang's eyes immediately misted over. She spoke timidly. "I didn't mean to. Please don't be angry. I-I'll apologize..."
"Old grandpa, I'm sorry!"
Sushang stood before the purple bamboo, lowered her head, stuck out her bottom, and bowed deeply. She held the pose without moving, her expression solemn and grave, her large, watery eyes on the verge of tears. Only after five seconds did she straighten.
Pfft!
The purple bamboo nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Child, you're certainly considerate. Are you bowing like that to send this old man to his grave?!
"Forget it. Children speak without malice," the purple bamboo said insincerely.
Sushang stuck out her little tongue, not daring to say anything more, and hid her tiny body behind Xie Feng.
Sigh, better not say anything. It seemed the more she said, the more mistakes she made...
The world of adults was so difficult!
This purple bamboo had also been left behind by Xie Feng's master. It was a ten-thousand-year-old spirit bamboo that guarded Xuanji Mountain.
Its greatest hobby was sleeping. If Xie Feng hadn't made it serve as a sparring partner, and if Sushang hadn't plucked it until it couldn't resist complaining, it would never have wanted to speak.