Si Yunshu's gaze sharpened.
She thought he was finally willing to reveal Lu Shaoyuan's whereabouts.
Chu Yunfei merely offered a casual reminder: " The Devil-Suppressing Hand that Li Tianxing used today is different from the martial arts techniques used in ordinary sect competitions. Saintess Si should be careful on her way back to the sect."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and left.
Si Yunshu stood there, watching the receding figure, her doubts growing stronger.
She noticed something was wrong when Li Tianxing made his move.
The chilling power in that palm strike was extremely corrosive, and evil patterns even appeared on his left arm. However, the Devil-Suppressing Hand was the core martial art of the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect, and it was not surprising that Li Tianxing, as a holy son, practiced this technique.
Why did Chu Yunfei specifically remind her of this?
Could this incident be related to Lu Shaoyuan's disappearance?
Si Yunshu sat down again, her thoughts churning rapidly.
Lu Shaoyuan was once the most dazzling prodigy of the Heavenly Edict Sect in a hundred years. He entered the Divine Sea Realm Ninth Level at the age of twenty-five and was once considered to be able to succeed the sect leader.
Later, he went on a trip and suddenly disappeared.
In order to find this disciple, Qin Yangui resigned from his position as peak master and traveled all over the eastern and western continents.
It wasn't until ten years ago that she dragged her severely injured body back to the sect, and since then she has entered the forbidden area in the back mountain and has never appeared in public again.
Some believe that Lu Shaoyuan is dead.
Some people believe that he left the Vast Waves Domain.
Thirty years have passed, and the matter is no longer publicly mentioned within the Heavenly Edict Sect, but Si Yunshu knows very well that Qin Yangui has never given up.
"Mother-in-law, what do you think?"
Si Yunshu looked up at the old woman beside her. " Chu Yunfei is young, yet he has mastered the complete Sea-Overturning Ninefold Sword. Now that he's mentioned Lu Shaoyuan, could he really know something?"
The old woman in gray walked to the window, scanned the street with her divine sense, and confirmed that Chu Yunfei had left.
"This young man, though young, possesses cultivation and combat prowess far surpassing his peers. He showed no sign of panic even in the face of my oppressive aura, and the sword he carries is also rather peculiar. He harbors many secrets and cannot be regarded as an ordinary young man."
She turned around, her tone grave. "The complete sword manual for the Sea-Overturning Ninefold Sword was last seen in the world when it was in Lu Shaoyuan's hands. Now that the sword technique has fallen into Chu Yunfei's hands, he still knows the name of Grand Elder Qin. In my opinion, what he said is worth a try."
Si Yunshu still hesitated.
" Grand Elder Qin has been in seclusion for many years and rarely sees anyone. There are even rumors within the sect that her personality changed drastically after returning from the Western Continent, and she even nearly seriously injured an elder who trespassed into the forbidden area."
She frowned slightly. "If I were to simply bring back a message of unknown origin and rashly head to the secluded retreat, Grand Elder Qin might not be willing to see me. Moreover, Chu Yunfei actually sent the Supreme Elder to the capital to see him personally; such an attitude is truly arrogant."
The old woman in gray sensed her concern.
Qin Yangui is Dao Mysterious Realm expert.
If she felt that Si Yunshu was making fun of her by using Lu Shaoyuan's name, even if she wouldn't actually kill the sect's holy maiden, she would never let it go easily.
"Perhaps the saintess should consider this from a different perspective."
The old woman returned to the table and lowered her voice. "What if Chu Yunfei really knows Lu Shaoyuan's whereabouts, or even what he's been through all these years?"
Si Yunshu's expression shifted slightly.
"Does my mother-in-law mean I should take this gamble?"
"The Holy Maiden will inherit the position of Sect Master in the future, but her status and talent alone are not enough. Each branch within the Heavenly Edict Sect has its own power base, and the elders each have their own preferred candidates."
The old woman in gray looked at her and patiently explained the advantages and disadvantages, "If you can bring back news of Lu Shaoyuan for Grand Elder Qin, you will gain the support of a Dao Mysterious Realm Elder. At that time, who in the sect will dare to question your right to succession?"
A glint appeared in Si Yunshu's eyes.
She has been a saint for two years.
On the surface, the sect is doing its best to cultivate her, but the competition behind the scenes has never stopped, especially among the disciples of the sect leader's lineage, who have always been dissatisfied with her position.
Although Qin Yangui has not been involved in sect affairs for many years, his seniority and strength are undeniable.
As long as she publicly expresses her support, there will be no further obstacles for Si Yunshu to ascend to the position of sect leader.
This opportunity is certainly worth the risk.
"Good."
Si Yunshu no longer hesitated. "I will return to the sect now and personally go to the forbidden area in the back mountain to seek an audience with Grand Elder Qin. Whether she is willing to come to the capital or not, I must at least get the name Lu Shaoyuan to her ears."
The old woman in gray nodded.
" Chu Yunfei has offended Li Tianxing today, and the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect may not let this go easily. This matter should also be reported to the sect leader so that the disciples in the imperial city can temporarily refrain from conflict with the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect."
The two immediately left the teahouse.
In less than a quarter of an hour, a sky-blue spirit boat rose from the north gate of the imperial city and sped off toward the Heavenly Edict Sect.
Meanwhile, Li Tianxing had already returned to his residence on the west side of the imperial city.
After the door closed, he smashed the stone table beside him with a single blow.
Gravel scattered everywhere, and a few scraps of cloth from sleeves also fell to the ground.
Chu Yunfei!
Li Tianxing's face was terribly gloomy.
Today, he had intended to casually test Chu Yunfei's strength and use the power of the Divine Sea Realm to crush him. However, he failed to gain the upper hand in both of his attacks and was instead forced to retreat after Si Yunshu appeared.
Once the news spreads, the younger generation of the seven sects will all know that he suffered a loss at the hands of a Heavenly Origin Realm Fifth Layer.
The old man in black robes stood by the door, his expression unchanged.
"The Holy Son was indeed careless today. Chu Yunfei's Stacked Forces Sword Technique is at least at the Earth Rank Upper Grade, and his physical body and spiritual power are far superior to those of others at the same level. He shouldn't have acted rashly before figuring out Chu Yunfei's trump cards."
Li Tianxing looked at him coldly.
"You mean, this Holy Son is inferior to him?"
"The Holy Son has already entered the Divine Sea Realm. If he goes all out, the outcome can be decided within ten moves."
The old man in black robes said calmly, "But the sect leader has already instructed that Chu Yunfei cannot die before the Seven Sects Grand Competition. If the fight continues today, not to mention whether Si Yunshu and her protectors will intervene, it will likely attract the attention of the royal family in no time, which would easily disrupt the sect's plans."
Upon hearing the words "Sect Master," the anger in Li Tianxing's eyes subsided slightly.
"After the Seven Sects Grand Competition, I will personally cripple him."
Li Tianxing raised his left arm, looking at the lingering evil markings beneath his skin. "Also, his reaction when he saw the Devil-Suppressing Hand was a bit off. His expression didn't seem like he was seeing this martial art for the first time."
The old man in black robes narrowed his gaze slightly.
"Does the Holy Son mean that he might know the origins of the Devil-Suppressing Hand?"
Li Tianxing remained silent for a moment.
Then, he said coldly, "Inform the sect about this."
The old man in black robes nodded.
The next instant, he stepped back and disappeared into the shadows outside the door.
Only Li Tianxing remained inside.
He looked towards the palace, his eyes cold.
Chu Yunfei.
"I, the Holy Son, would like to see how long you can keep jumping around."
After leaving the teahouse, Chu Yunfei did not continue wandering around.
His conversation with Si Yunshu confirmed several things for him.
Qin Yangui alive and holds a very high position in the Heavenly Edict Sect.
Lu Shaoyuan's disappearance remains a major event for the Heavenly Edict Sect to this day.
That's enough.
He believed that Qin Yangui would soon set off for the capital after receiving the news.
At that time, we might find a breakthrough in the clues about the Blood Baleful Intent Tower and the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect.
By the time they returned to the side courtyard where the princess's palace was located, it was already getting dark.
The courtyard was very quiet.
After returning in the afternoon, Ling Xueyao seemed not to have left the house again, and even her personal maid was sent to wait outside the courtyard.
Chu Yunfei walked to the door of his cultivation room, and paused for a moment before pushing it open.
He could feel a gaze fixed on him from the main hall.
In that gaze, there was a hint of hesitation, a hint of inner conflict, and a trace of anticipation that she herself didn't even realize...
Chu Yunfei's lips curled slightly.
He didn't turn around, but pushed open the door and walked into the cultivation room.
The stone door slowly closed, shutting out the sunlight from outside.
He sat down cross-legged, placed the Abyss-Devouring Sword horizontally in front of his knees, and recalled the process of fighting Li Tianxing.
The spiritual power of the Divine Sea Realm has already completed its transformation into a sea, and its quantity and burst far surpass those of the Heavenly Origin Realm. Li Tianxing only used a portion of his power today, yet he could still allow the Devil-Suppressing Hand to cover an area of several dozen feet.
If we were to actually fight him head-on on the battlefield, the Sea-Overturning Ninefold Sword in its normal state might not be able to suppress him.
The Great Heaven-Burning Art is a trump card, but it cannot be revealed at the beginning.
He must master the Sea-Overturning Ninefold Sword technique to the fifth or even sixth form within this month.
At best, their cultivation level can break through one or two more levels.
Just as Chu Yunfei was about to enter a meditative state, footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
He opened his eyes, his expression turning somewhat strange.
The person who arrived was Ling Xueyao.
Chu Yunfei looked at the tightly closed stone door, and the corners of his lips slowly turned up.
This little wild horse, in the end, couldn't resist its temper.
Your Highness.
You delivered this to your doorstep yourself.