Chapter 400: Matter Settled

Above the high sky of the valley, the wind and rain rolled out a huge empty hole, which showed the urgency of the person coming. Then, he stopped instantly on the treetop ahead, looking at the tragic traces around him with his sword held alertly.

His gaze slowly fell on the two people standing facing each other below.

Seeing Pei Ye looked at this figure, his heart sinking heavily.

Green clothes, straw sandals, crane hair, holding an unsheathed sword—the former Sect Master of Kongdong, sixty-seventh on the Crane List, 【Old Sword Forgetting Pine】 Ji Changyun.

Three and a half hours ago in Sword Belly Mountain, he had tilted a desperate 【Sword Sea Chapter】 toward the woman's back in a situation no one expected.

Seeing Pei Ye had had no time to think about the reason behind that until now.

—If Ji Changyun was standing on the side of the Huan Si Tower, then he could not have found those clues and the truth at all. That day at the cliff behind the Law Enforcement Hall, Xi Tianji and Jiang Yitong would not have died either.

In the last meeting between him and Wu Dong and Sui Zaihua, the two adults also said very clearly that since Xiao Tingshu was controlling Kongdong and colluding with the Huan Si Tower, then Ji Changyun, who was excluded, was a strong reinforcement that could be won over.

So when the woman said he had appeared in Sword Belly Mountain, Seeing Pei Ye felt truly settled in his heart.

However, the turn of events came unexpectedly.

Before he made a move, he had clearly almost lost his life in the hands of two people.

Now he had risked everything to chase here... what about Magistrate Sui?

However, now was not the time to worry about others. No matter what twists and turns were behind this, this old man had already stood before the two with cold killing intent, and they... were indeed exhausted of any strength.

Seeing Pei Ye could maintain his current standing posture only out of exhausted politeness. From his mind to his body, he could no longer support even half a bit. The girl beside him could stand, but Seeing Pei Ye doubted that even they could walk back to Kongdong.

Now, another such strong enemy had come.

Seeing Pei Ye wanted to let the Immortal down again at this moment—He would of course definitely come down, but...

"Becoming a demon for the sword is not as good as turning back to the shore, Mountain Master Ji." Ming Qitian suddenly said peacefully.

She looked at the old man without the anger or shock of being betrayed. The woman who had had a sincere discussion about the sword with him seemed to understand better than Seeing Pei Ye how all this happened.

Ji Changyun was silent and lowered his eyes. Facing this woman, the cold killing intent actually dropped for a moment.

"A lost guest on a divergent path, let the sword master laugh." Ji Changyun closed his eyes and sighed lightly, then opened them again. "However, one step wrong, and it is eternal damnation, with nowhere to turn back."

Ming Qitian still looked at him quietly and said softly: "Yunlang Mountain can ensure Kongdong is safe."

"." Ji Changyun stared at the woman fiercely.

Ming Qitian looked back calmly: "Yunlang Mountain rarely has any anger. As long as the person who did wrong bears the cost, it is fine."

"."

Ji Changyun moved his throat with difficulty, and his hand gripping the sword was not so forceful for the first time.

Seeing Pei Ye looked at the old man's performance in surprise. He didn't expect that two sentences would really make him waver... but soon a handwriting suddenly surged from his memory, and he was stunned, suddenly beginning to understand everything.

That move 【Sword Sea Chapter】... it turned out that it didn't actually come from Ji Changyun's careful consideration.

Just now in Sword Belly Mountain, he had truly tried his best to kill Sima and Yi Duanzhi there—even if he really paid with his own life, he even looked forward to paying with his own life.

Because this was his way as the true master of Kongdong to treat this matter.

The Huan Si Tower wanted to borrow the land of Kongdong to arrange the 【Mirror Dragon Sword Sea】, and Bai Tianqu wanted to borrow the 【Mirror Dragon Sword Sea】 formation to sort out the "Kongdong Sword Collection," so the two sides hit it off.

Building a living sword dragon with the harmony of heaven and earth was a goal that both sides wanted to achieve.

But the next step was different.

The Huan Si Tower would tell Kongdong that they were doing this to obtain some ancient treasure, but would never say they were plotting against the descendant of Yunlang.

So when the plan moved to the next step, Bai Tianqu entered the mountain to retreat, and the Huan Si Tower killed him, stealing the position of Kongdong for ten whole years, and through Xiao Tingshu, mobilized the entire Kongdong to facilitate this matter.

Of course, no one knew about all this.

Xiao Tingshu pitifully thought he had always been following his senior brother's wishes, thinking that everything he did was for the "Kongdong Sword Collection," and the remaining sixteen peak masters knew even less that the Sect Master had cooperated with the Huan Si Tower.

Of course, no one knew that Bai Tianqu was already dead.

And at that time, because of his insistence on the Sword Collection, Ji Changyun had already broken with his two disciples and was excluded outside of Kongdong.

The Huan Si Tower thus eroded Kongdong and completed the arrangement secretly.

This was of course the whole process of the matter. Kongdong was wrong, wrong in the stubborn Bai Tianqu and the obedient Xiao Tingshu, wrong in trading with the Huan Si Tower, but Kongdong was of course also a victim, with the Sect Master dead, the acting Sect Master becoming a puppet, and the entire sect being secretly controlled by outsiders for ten years.

When the Huan Si Tower's actions were leaked, the anger of the entire Kongdong, and Xiao Tingshu's disbelief when Bai Tianqu's corpse was placed before him... were all the most real reactions.

Therefore, when they were shocked to realize that they were actually going to take action against Ming Qitian, the entire Kongdong, plus Ji Changyun who rushed in from the outside, were truly fighting to the death.

A generation of Mountain Master, the unique pillar of Kongdong, would die for this at the hands of the Huan Si Tower.

Unfortunately, they still couldn't protect the life of the Glaze Ming Ming Jianzhu.

Kongdong was drilled with a leak and of course had to bear the responsibility, but the real anger would of course still pour toward the Huan Si Tower.

This was the end of this matter.

The only thing that was not realized by everyone was... this was actually also the result Kongdong wanted.

How could Ji Changyun really let go of everything... unless this was really moving in the direction he hoped for.

Seeing Pei Ye remembered the note he saw in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.

It was an old letter from the long-dead Bai Tianqu, handed to the equally dead 【Great Si Mountain】 Chi Jianzong.

"Junior Uncle Chi, the 'Kongdong Sword' of our dreams is like true gold in the seabed. Although we know it must exist, the water is dark and dim, and no one can touch it. Now, the Mountain-Water Sword Formation is an upward leap for the 'Sword Collection,' and 'activity' is a clear emergence for the Mountain-Water Sword Formation... However, you still don't want to believe that it is already at a depth that can be touched by people."

"I thought for a long time and decided to tell you my truest heart here for the first, and also the last time."

"You are right."

Seeing Pei Ye recalled in a daze, clearly remembering the next sentence.

—"But, we still have one more chance to make it clearer and reborn."

Now, Seeing Pei Ye of course already knew what this chance was.

【Sword Strategy】.

The 【Mirror Dragon Sword Sea】 integrated by Ming Qitian with 【Sword Strategy】 was the sweet fruit that Kongdong truly wanted to pick. Integrating the twenty-four sword gates into one was the cloud ladder for Kongdong to cross the pass, and the key that had trapped Kongdong's predecessors for two hundred years.

When the Huan Si Tower took away the Xiting Heart and 【Sword Strategy】, they would of course leave behind the "Twenty-Four Swords" after integration.

They couldn't leave, couldn't be taken away, because the 【Mirror Dragon Sword Sea】 was rooted in the mountains and waters of Kongdong, and from then on, it would remain in Kongdong for generations. 【4

They cannot leave, and they cannot be taken away, because the 【Mirror Dragon Sword Sea】 is rooted in the landscape of Kongdong and will remain in Kongdong for generations to come.

This is the situation Ji Changyun wanted to see.

This is also part of the reason why Kongdong was so easily manipulated by the Huan Si Lou—Bai Tianqu not only saw through the Huan Si Lou's plot but actually chose to keep it secret.

But didn't Bai Tianqu and Ji Changyun have a conflict? Why did he eventually die?

But regardless, they indeed succeeded. Everyone will only curse Kongdong for being useless and stupid; no one will think of that other absurd possibility.

Isn't this also a kind of amulet?

Unfortunately, human schemes will ultimately lose to human nature.

In Jianfu Mountain, Ji Changyun watched as Ming Qitian was about to escape. It was the realization of twenty years of anticipation right before his eyes, only to suddenly shatter. At that moment, he suddenly became a red-eyed gambler, his body actually moving ahead of his thoughts.

Even if that sword strike had succeeded, with the Huan Si Lou aware of it, the situation would have fallen into a state he did not want, not to mention that it had missed.

Then his only choice was to see this path through to the end.

Sima quickly saw through him and wanted him to keep the Immortal Platform.

Because assassinating the successor of Yunlang and murdering the number one sword talent of the Great Tang—these two charges combined were enough to tear Kongdong apart.

Therefore, he almost no longer cared about leaving behind any evidence. Suppressing Sui Zaihua and delaying the Immortal Platform—any evidence of collusion with the Huan Si Lou could be pinned on them, as long as it wasn't Ming Qitian herself pointing out this shocking crime.

As long as it wasn't that the leaders of Kongdong had been preparing to murder the successor of Yunlang for many years.

Therefore, he had to kill Ming Qitian and Seeing Pei Ye at the hands of the Huan Si Lou.

But now...

The woman in white stood below looking at him. She was indeed completely powerless to fight back, and the youth was also dying—no matter who caused these tragic marks, no one could stop him from taking these two lives now.

But she said... Yunlang Mountain would not pursue this too far.

This was absolutely a path of return filled with sincerity.

As long as he abandoned his sword and bound himself, Yunlang and the Great Tang would not view the entire Kongdong as sinners, the Daoqi Society would not expel Kongdong, and there would be no countless jackals and wolves coming to tear at this piece of fat meat with a foul reputation.

No longer hiding, he would completely reveal the bloody scar himself. Even though twenty years of effort had come to nothing, and even though Kongdong had lost Ji, Bai, and Xiao, leaving it extremely hollow, it could still decently maintain its status as a righteous sword sect.

This was by no means just an empty name.

The valley was silent for a moment.

Ji Changyun's throat moved dryly. He really hadn't made such a difficult decision in a long time. The promise of the Glazed Ming Ming Jianzhu could certainly be trusted; this was a chance to remove a deep-seated illness.

Ming Qitian looked at him and said softly, "Mountain Master Ji, one should know when to pull back."

Everyone saw Ji Changyun's hesitation. He certainly still didn't want to let go of this sharp weapon he had carried for many years, but it was only a matter of time.

Seeing Pei Ye looked admiringly at the woman beside him. He had always known she was formidable, but he hadn't expected her to have this ability to turn back an enemy with three words. But just then, he suddenly turned his head.

Sima, who was pinned to the stone wall and dying, suddenly lifted his arm.

There was no eruption of True Xuan, and he did not utter a single word.

But under the gaze of the three, a mirror of heart-amber seven feet in diameter was spat out from the void in his sleeve and slowly floated in the air.

It was hazy like a dream, faint and ethereal, as if it would steal every gaze that looked upon it.

He had actually been carrying the Sword Dragon Heart Mirror with him the whole time!

Of course, this was the tool for seizing the "Sword Strategy." After he found Ming Qitian, it was impossible for him to bring her back to Kongdong.

In the quiet rain, everyone clearly felt the stiffness of Ji Changyun's body.

It turned out it was only one step away.

As long as he placed the powerless woman before this mirror that would not leave, everything would be completed, the sword treasury would be formed... the Huan Si Lou's plot would not succeed, he could kill everyone here, and even kill himself...

Once this hurdle was crossed, Kongdong would see the clouds part and the sun appear.

Ji Changyun suddenly realized that the blankness in his mind at Jianfu Mountain was no accident.

Because at this moment, he clearly felt the surge of hot blood.

Seeing Pei Ye watched the change in his expression with a tight throat and subconsciously shielded Ming Qitian: "Mountain Master Ji, you..."

But Ming Qitian had already lowered her head and gently gripped the Heart-Slicing Glaze.

The old man was long past the age where he could be persuaded; you could only place the choice before him.

The might of Yeque suddenly pressed down. Ji Changyun looked coldly and silently at the two swaying figures below... A green shadow flashed by, leaving only the cold light of a sword in the rainforest.

Ming Qitian pulled Seeing Pei Ye from behind, and 【Heart-Slicing】 met the attack head-on. But this was exactly what Ji Changyun had already avoided—just like Seeing Pei Ye in the cellar of Fenghuai, without the support of True Xuan, even the strongest sword could hardly land on an enemy.

It was indeed no longer the 【Sword Sea Chapter】. He did not engage in any sword-play with the woman; the simplest and purest True Xuan would tear everything apart.

The sword light came from all directions, the sharp killing intent withered leaves and snapped branches, and raindrops condensed into ice.

But at this moment... everything suddenly froze.

Raindrops, chaotic wind, swaying branches and floating leaves, and even those faint, small drums all solidified in the air.

Of course, this also included the sword and the sword light.

Ji Changyun was of course familiar with this power... Everything had also begun to slide away from this person.

【Covering Mirror into Painting】, Sui Zaihua.

It was only for an instant, but an instant was enough. The man with flying black hair roared as he arrived, shattering everything in this frozen scene in an instant. A fist of air current like silk smashed Ji Changyun out of the chaotic green shadows.

Ji Changyun raised his sword to rise again, but another strange and domineering vast True Xuan had suddenly expanded in this space. Zhang Xiaozhu indifferently pressed toward the old man's face. Ji Changyun gritted his teeth and abandoned the struggle for Xuan Qi that had already lost its momentum, all surrounding True Xuan returning to his own body. The 【Sword Sea Chapter】 once again arrived as if carrying mountains and seas.

Precise vision, masterful mobilization of power—abandoning the sword for Xuan when facing Ming Qitian, and now, having been suppressed by two Mystic Gate experts, he could immediately transform Xuan into his body, once again turning the hundred-foot struggle into this five-foot life-and-death sword fight before his eyes.

In the years that Ji Changyun had disappeared from the eyes of the world, he had indeed never abandoned his craft. This style of the Sword Sea Chapter was truly enough to rank among the top tier of Intent Swords.

Zhang Xiaozhu's body suddenly stiffened. Ji Changyun pierced through his chest with a sword, but in the next instant, the man's head and neck tilted strangely toward him. His left pupil transformed into a beast-like shape resembling a wolf or dog, and the markings on his left cheek suddenly ignited as if by purple flames.

Ji Changyun's heart suddenly constricted, and he retreated while holding his sword horizontally, but it was already too late. At this distance where the long sword had already entered his chest, Zhang Xiaozhu swung an unimaginable punch.

It crashed straight into the blade, and this sword from the East Sea actually shattered on the spot. The momentum did not diminish, and the punch shattered Ji Changyun's chest.

In mid-air, the old man's entire body exploded in a mist of blood, crashing straight into the valley, and Zhang Xiaozhu followed closely behind, swooping down.

Seeing Pei Ye's mood relaxed, and just as he was about to look back at the woman, another eruption of Xuan Qi suddenly came from the cliff wall beside him.

He turned his head abruptly, only to see that the dying Sima, his True Xuan exhausted, suddenly had his upper garments fall off as if corroded.

He still kept his head lowered, in a dying state without the slightest remaining strength, but on that bruised, broken, and unrecognizable body, bright markings suddenly emerged from beneath the skin.

That was the 【Other Shore Treasure Raft】 carved onto his body!

Used to escape Jianfu Mountain at the fastest speed after successfully obtaining the sword. Now, he had used the heart mirror to provoke the battle and gained this opportunity to activate the formation.

The spiritual body completed its dismantling in an instant.

Starting from his left arm, half of Sima's body crumbled like rot, flesh and blood turning into a liquid flow, and the liquid flow turning into Xuan Qi. Using this Xuan Qi as a foundation, the 【Other Shore Treasure Raft】 completed an outline in the air that no one could have expected.

The bright waterfall seemed to hang upside down from the sky, submerging Sima entirely. Seeing Pei Ye had seen this scene many times and knew better than anyone that the next moment would leave behind only emptiness. He tried to muster another sword strike to stop him, but his legs grew dizzy and soft first. The woman beside him threw the Heart-Slicing Glaze faster than him, yet she was also far too slow.

The bright light had illuminated the dark rain. At this very moment, an even brighter sword light illuminated everything.

It came piercing through the forest and rain, bringing with it an unimaginable vastness of Xuan Qi, instantly piercing through Sima's already broken body, carrying him out of the shroud of bright light, and pinning him to the muddy, rainy ground.

The bright light pierced through the sky, the 【Other Shore Treasure Raft】 was completed, and only that instantly shattered half of his body went along with it.

Sima slowly opened his blood-stained eyes, and a figure in black landed before him.

White hair, Xiao Tuo, straight neck and back. From the moment Ji Changyun entered the mountain, it was he who suddenly launched an attack, disrupting the rhythm of everything. Afterward, he used an unfinished technique to let Ming Qitian go, then disappeared, making Ji Changyun feel as if he had a bone stuck in his throat. Finally, he used a clever plot to make Zhang Xiaozhu hide, making Ji Changyun afraid not to act.

Until after chasing him here, the only thing he had never relaxed his gaze on for a single moment was this green-robed opera mask.

Between them, there had always been too many old grudges.

In this event, he had done too many critical and correct things. He had thought deeper and more than anyone else... because countless things he hadn't thought of, that already deceased Crane Inspector had long since told him.

The figure in black leaned down to pull the long sword from Sima's body, shaking off the rain and blood from the blade.

Black hilt and black scabbard, the bright mirror restrained—this was the sword of the Litaishaoqing, Sui Zaihua.

On the other side, Zhang Xiaozhu walked over, carrying the nearly crippled Ji Changyun, and said, "To think they are all still alive... This young hero is quite capable."

Seeing Pei Ye looked at this stranger. Even though he didn't recognize him, the high-ranking temperament and the old man in his hand now explained his status. Seeing Pei Ye grinned, wanting to cup his hands in salute, but as soon as he raised his hand, everything went black before his eyes.

With that, the world spun, and he lost consciousness.

(End of chapter)

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