Qin Yi smiled faintly as he named the newborn sword. Far above, separated by tens of thousands of meters, the sword seemed to hear his voice.
The white-robed phantom lowered its gaze, looking down and meeting Qin Yi's eyes.
Without a word, the phantom bent at the waist and bowed deeply to Qin Yi, thanking him for the gift of life. Then the phantom dissipated, merging completely into the Cangsheng sword.
Qin Yi raised his hand toward the sky.
Buzz….!
In an instant, Cangsheng shot downward, its speed reaching the extreme. In just a few breaths, it landed steadily in Qin Yi's hand.
Holding Cangsheng before him, Qin Yi gently ran his fingers across the blade. The edge was incomparably sharp, crimson-gold, with roaming dragon patterns flowing along it, capable of slicing through space itself. Yet after his touch, Qin Yi was completely uninjured.
A sword with a spirit does not harm its master.
This was one of Cangsheng's unique traits. Ordinary swords, being lifeless objects, could still injure their owners. But Cangsheng would not.
Moreover, compared to ordinary blades, this sword possessed the ability to grow autonomously. With the passage of time, it could absorb ambient qi, merge with rare metals, devour spirits, and evolve itself.
It was, without question, a Spirit Sword that could accompany Qin Yi throughout his entire path of growth. Placing Cangsheng into the sword sheath he had prepared in advance, Qin Yi hung this King Sword, his own, at his waist.
Only then did he turn around, wearing a faint smile.
"Jiang Qing, why have you come here to find me?"
Jiang Qing immediately clasped his fists and bowed. "Senior Martial Uncle!"
"There's no need for such formality between us," Qin Yi said, waving his hand.
Though there was a difference in seniority, the two had once sat together discussing the Dao, forging a deep bond. They explored their respective paths, learning from and merging insights with one another. Such a relationship could truly be called that of Dao companions.
On the path of cultivation, the journey was often lonely. Having even one or two confidants was no easy thing.
Qin Yi's gaze shifted, falling upon the woman beside Jiang Qing.
She was beautiful, heroic in bearing, yet carried a faint trace of allure between her brows.
"This must be Miss Yue, daughter of the Venerable Devil, correct?"
The casual remark caused both Jiang Qing and Yue Rouxia to stiffen, their expressions changing abruptly.
"Senior Martial Uncle, I…" Jiang Qing hurriedly began to explain.
"There's no need to explain," Qin Yi interrupted him directly, striding over to An Yi's side and speaking with a firm smile. "If a man cannot even be with the woman he loves, then what meaning is there in living?"
Jiang Qing was stunned. When he saw the woman beside Qin Yi, he immediately understood.
In a sense, the two were the same kind of people. They naturally resonated with each other's circumstances and understood one another all the more.
Not long after meeting Yue Rouxia, Jiang Qing had fallen in love. Though he distinguished between good and evil, he never cared about race. To him, someone without evil intent could not be considered a demon. In fact, many demons were far less cruel and cold than certain humans.
Having roamed the martial world for years, he had seen too much. Long ago, he had formed his own principles and way of conduct.
"Thank you, Senior Martial Uncle!" Jiang Qing said with a smile, feeling much lighter at heart.
The man before him was extraordinarily gifted. Even though Jiang Qing's cultivation had once far surpassed Qin Yi's, and even now had reached the Ninth Layer, he still felt that Qin Yi was unfathomable, inspiring instinctive respect.
"Why did you suddenly come looking for me?" Qin Yi asked, puzzled.
For ordinary Mount Shu disciples, finding him would be extremely difficult. But for someone like Jiang Qing, whose cultivation was comparable to his own and who shared an old acquaintance, this was not a problem.
"I had gone down the mountain to handle matters related to the demon race,"
Jiang Qing said.
"Then I heard news from Junior Brother Situ. He said that you, "
His gaze swept briefly over An Yi, and Jiang Qing did not continue that part.
"Daoist Fu Ze went to confront the Sect Lord. Now, a large number of Mount Shu disciples and Elders have been dispatched to bring you back to Mount Shu to accept punishment."
He briefly recounted the entire course of events, all the while carefully watching Qin Yi's expression.
He had a premonition that in the near future, he himself might encounter the same predicament his Senior Martial Uncle was facing now. And when that time came, how would he choose?
Would he abandon his identity as a Mount Shu disciple and fly away with Rouxia to live together freely? Or would he turn back to the so-called righteous path and give up this love etched into his very bones?
"Daoist Fu Ze."
Qin Yi curled his lips in disdain. Toward that old Daoist who had harbored killing intent toward his woman, he felt not the slightest shred of goodwill.
"If Chang Hao wants to move against me, then let him come."
"But sending Elders to capture me?"
"I'm afraid that will only end in disappointment for him."
With a cold laugh, Qin Yi turned and strode forward.
Jiang Qing and the others followed. In the blink of an eye, the four figures vanished from the spot. A quarter of an hour later, the four of them were seated opposite one another in a tavern.
Qin Yi and Jiang Qing sat face to face, while An Yi and Yue Rouxia quietly observed each other. It could be said that these two pairs were closer in spirit at this moment than anyone else, they shared the same fate.
"As for Mount Shu… Senior Martial Uncle, what do you plan to do?" Jiang Qing asked hesitantly.
Choosing between love and the sect that had raised one since childhood, this was truly a cruel decision.
To Jiang Qing, Mount Shu was his home. Yue Rouxia was the woman he loved. This dilemma was as agonizing as that classic question from Earth: Do you love me, or do you love your mother?
"All these years, I have never forgotten Mount Shu's kindness to me," Qin Yi said calmly.
"Especially Senior Brother Zhangqing." As he spoke, a trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
"But if Chang Hao insists on coming to find trouble with me, Senior Martial Uncle here doesn't mind telling him one thing."
Jiang Qing's eyes tightened. He already sensed what was coming.
"This Mount Shu does not belong to Chang Hao alone."
"Though I, as Laws and Morals Elder, have not returned for many years, I am still an Elder of Mount Shu."
"I still have the right to speak."
"And if my words are not allowed, "
"Then I still have a sword in my hand."
"As for the majesty of his Sect Lord authority… I'd quite like to experience it for myself!"
Those few sentences made Jiang Qing's pupils contract sharply. His heart trembled as he deeply felt the dominance and tyranny of this Senior Martial Uncle. He still remembered their first meeting. Even then, Qin Yi's talent had astonished him, like clouds high in the heavens, distant and unreal, untouched by mortal dust.
But now, upon meeting again, he could clearly sense the vast, domineering Kingly Sword Intent radiating from him.
Yue Rouxia's eyes shone brightly as she stared at Qin Yi for a long while.
Such a man, if he were in the Demon Realm, would undoubtedly be a Venerable Devil, a peerless genius never seen in an age. In certain aspects, he might even surpass her own father.
Yue Rouxia's father was one of the Demon Realm's Venerable Devils, standing on the same level as Chong Lou, though his strength was far inferior to Chong Lou's.
After chatting a bit longer, Jiang Qing departed with Yue Rouxia.
He had come solely to inform Qin Yi of Mount Shu's movements. Now that he had done what needed to be done, and understood his Senior Martial Uncle's choice, his heart felt even heavier.
Moreover, his recent duties could not be delayed any further.
"Senior Martial Uncle has made his choice."
"So… what choice should I make?"
Jiang Qing closed his eyes, his heart wavering. He wanted to make a decision quickly, yet no matter what, he could not harden his heart.
In the end, Jiang Qing let out a long sigh and pulled Yue Rouxia into his arms, pain etched across his face.
(End of Chapter)
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