Chapter 305: Lu Xueqi

"Clang! Clang!!"

"Clang! Clang!!"

On the training ground of Longshou Peak, multiple longswords were knocked from the hands of its disciples by Gu Qing, and many of Longshou Peak's disciples now wore grim expressions.

Qi Hao was the senior disciple of Longshou Peak, highly esteemed and well-liked; after news spread that Gu Qing despised Qi Hao, many disciples came to harass him—but with his Three-Foot Sword, Gu Qing defeated them all in three moves or less.

"Again!"

Gu Qing brandished Zhanlong Sword and cried out; his swordplay had already reached divine mastery—he understood the basic Shaoyang Sword Art and Guiyuan Sword Art of Qingyun Sect at a glance, mastered them instantly, and now used only these foundational techniques to crush the disciples, so no one dared criticize.

"Gu's junior brother's swordplay is extraordinary, worthy of admiration."

A disciple named Ding Feng stepped forward and said: "Junior Brother Gu is only at the second level of Yùqīng, yet he has defeated senior brothers at the third level—this stirs my blood…." As he spoke, Ding Feng gestured, and a white immortal sword floated out, circling him unpredictably.

Because Qi Hao cultivated a Frostbite Immortal Sword, most of Longshou Peak had imitated him—including this Ding Feng.

Gu Qing's longsword subtly extended.

Zhang Xiaofan cultivated both Buddhist and Daoist paths; at the fourth level of Yùqīng, he withstood Lu Xueqi's Divine Sword Summoning Thunder Art using his Soul-Sucking Staff and the Great Brahma Sutra within him. Gu Qing's knowledge was vast; after mastering the secret cultivation methods, he unified all into Taiji Xuanqing Dao and Great Brahma Sutra, both at the seventh level—by strength alone, even Qi Hao could not stand against him.

But within Longshou Peak, to avoid startling the disciples, Gu Qing concealed his true power.

Seeing Gu Qing ready to fight, Ding Feng commanded his flying sword upward; frosty immortal qi surged naturally, hurling ice spikes and hailstones toward Gu Qing.

Gu Qing stood firm, unmoving, sweeping his longsword—suddenly, it was as if one sword became a thousand; the ice spikes and hail shattered instantly, and Gu Qing's blade blazed emerald light as it surged toward Ding Feng's face.

"Hit!"

Ding Feng, reacting, manipulated his sword with rapid flicks—upward slashes, downward thrusts, covering every angle.

Gu Qing parried each strike with his longsword, a thought rising in his mind: A flying sword need only thrust—those who wield swords must consider far too much.

Once the sword leaves the hand, there is no distinction between feint and true strike—only speed, power, trajectory, and the sword's inherent nature matter.

"Clang…"

Gu Qing's longsword grazed the flying sword; he spun his blade in a circle, Taiji Xuanqing Dao generating a twisting force that trapped the flying sword within—no matter how its path shifted, Gu Qing's blade turned just right to block it, rendering the flying sword like a bird with clipped wings, fluttering helplessly near its master's side.

"Boom!"

While controlling his sword, Gu Qing advanced steadily until he stood beside Ding Feng. Ding Feng, already flustered from controlling his sword and fearing its loss, made no move to stop Gu Qing—until Gu Qing delivered a palm strike to his chest, sending Ding Feng spitting blood and collapsing to the ground.

"Clang!"

Gu Qing spun his longsword; the flying sword plunged into the ground before Ding Feng.

A murmur swept across Longshou Peak.

Gu Qing's strength was known to all who had sparred with him—but none could believe that a newly admitted disciple, who could not yet fly with a sword, had defeated a fourth-level Yùqīng cultivator.

The disciples of Longshou Peak stared at Gu Qing, but no one dared speak further.

Lin Jingyu stood among the crowd, watching Gu Qing shine in the arena. On that day atop Tongtian Peak, the sect leaders of Qingyun Sect had all vied for Lin Jingyu's superior talent, filling him with quiet delight.

At that time, Caomiao Village had not been destroyed; Lin Jingyu was still young and craved attention—but he never imagined that Gu Qing, who entered Longshou Peak on the same day as him, had already grown so strong.

This made Lin Jingyu wonder inwardly: Am I truly a genius?

"Junior Brother Gu's swordplay is extraordinary—I am in awe."

Another disciple stepped forward from the crowd; seeing Ding Feng's defeat, he prepared to act and let Gu Qing experience defeat.

"Come."

Gu Qing said nothing. After observing the man's flying sword technique, he thrust his blade—Taiji Xuanqing Dao reversed instantly, causing the man's flying sword to snap back and pierce his own chest.

After sparring with many Longshou Peak disciples and mastering Taiji Xuanqing Dao, Gu Qing could now apply many of his former martial arts—this was the Star-Turning Technique.

"Clang!"

Qi Hao summoned his flying sword and blocked the strike. The surrounding Longshou Peak disciples immediately gathered around Qi Hao, bowing in reverence.

"Junior Brother Gu."

Qi Hao stepped forward and said: "Forgive this senior brother's short-sightedness—I failed to recognize your extraordinary talent." Qi Hao's advance was an apology on behalf of all the disciples, seeking to end the matter on the training ground.

As Qi Hao spoke, he stared at Gu Qing. He had held the position of senior disciple for years—but now, he felt his position trembling.

Gu Qing's talent was too great, his rise too swift—and Master Cangsong still had many years of life ahead…

"Let it go, then."

Gu Qing sheathed Zhanlong Sword and left the training ground directly. Such indifference would ensure the remaining disciples continued to challenge him, satisfying their desire for sparring.

This was one stone, many birds: it satisfied Gu Qing's need for combat experience, fulfilled his good-deed quota, and if there was one flaw, it was that Qi Hao would suffer.

Qi Hao watched Gu Qing's retreating back and sighed silently. This new disciple of Master's seemed deliberate—specifically targeting him.

The position of chief disciple of Longshou Peak… is as precarious as walking on thin ice.

"Flying Sword Technique!"

Gu Qing returned to his courtyard, evaded the eyes of others, gestured with his hand—and emerald sword qi shot skyward. He mounted his blade and soared straight into the deep clouds.

Qingyun Mountain held countless secluded valleys; Qingyun Sect occupied only a few peaks. In these valleys, legends spoke of demons and evil spirits. Now, Gu Qing drifted freely through the mountains, circling at will—then suddenly turned direction, heading toward Xiaozhu Peak.

Qingyun Sect had seven peaks; female disciples were concentrated on Xiaozhu Peak, and only on Dashu Peak was there Tian Linger and Su Ru. Having cultivated in solitude for so long, Gu Qing now wished to see a woman.

Back when he played the Zhuxian game, after completing quests, Gu Qing loved to idle at Wangyue Terrace—where Lu Xueqi would occasionally perform a sword dance…

Far off, beyond Xiaozhu Peak's outer edge, Gu Qing reached into his robe and pulled out the Blood-Sucking Pearl.

In the past, the Black-Heart Elder wielded the Blood-Sucking Pearl, while the Heartless Elder held Tianya Sword; the two were bitter rivals. Now, Gu Qing channeled Great Brahma Sutra and unsealed the Blood-Sucking Pearl—its crimson glow erupted within.

Xiaozhu Peak.

A white-robed woman was deeply absorbed in sword practice when she saw the Tianya Divine Sword before her glow and hum incessantly—she frowned silently.

(End of Chapter)