Chapter 116: Chapter 116 - The Plain Flying Sword and Azure-Jade City
The next morning, the five selected disciples gathered at Radiant Zenith Peak.
Ji Ruyue stood quietly at the side, her expression as cold as ever.
Han Yuelin carried his sword on his back. He looked lazy at first glance, but his eyes occasionally moved toward Su Bai with thoughtful light.
Qin Baoshan stood with both feet firmly planted on the ground. Compared to before, his aura was steadier.
Liu Meng stood not far away, her eyes bright. She stared at Su Bai once. Then again. Then a third time.
"Senior Brother, you really have no aura!"
Su Bai smiled at her.
"You have sharp senses, Meng."
Liu Meng stared at him.
"But I did not sense anything."
"That is also a kind of sharpness."
Liu Meng opened her mouth, then closed it.
Han Yuelin’s shoulders trembled slightly, but he did not laugh.
Qin Baoshan looked at Su Bai seriously.
"Senior Brother Su has returned to simplicity."
Su Bai’s expression remained calm.
Inside, he felt complicated.
Returned to simplicity sounded good. It also made him sound like an old monster pretending to be young.
Ji Ruyue glanced at him once, then gave a small nod.
At the front of the platform, Sect Master Li Xuanzong stood with his hands behind his back.
Lu Canghai stood beside him.
The Peak Masters had also come to send them off.
Li Xuanzong then looked at the five disciples.
"This gathering was originally meant to broaden your horizons."
His voice was calm.
"But after recent events, the situation may be more complicated than before."
The five disciples listened seriously.
Li Xuanzong continued, "Do not act recklessly. Do not underestimate others. Do not reveal everything."
His gaze swept across them.
"Observe first. Move second."
Everyone cupped their hands.
"Yes, Sect Master."
Li Xuanzong did not say more.
He turned his palm over.
A flying sword appeared.
It looked ordinary. The blade was narrow, simple, and plain. It looked like something an elder might keep in storage because throwing it away felt wasteful.
Then Li Xuanzong lightly tapped the sword.
The blade enlarged.
Soon, it became wide enough for all of them to stand on.
Su Bai stared at the sword. So did the other disciples.
Han Yuelin hesitated.
"Sect Master... this is your personal flying sword?"
Li Xuanzong nodded calmly.
"It has accompanied me for many years."
Han Yuelin looked at the plain blade and said sincerely, "It must be hiding great profundity."
Li Xuanzong smiled faintly.
"No. It is simply durable."
The disciples fell silent.
Lu Canghai laughed.
"Do not look down on it. This sword may not look impressive, but it has carried your Sect Master away from more trouble than most treasures have ever seen."
Li Xuanzong glanced at him.
Lu Canghai immediately looked at the sky as if he had said nothing.
The five disciples stepped onto the enlarged sword.
Lu Canghai and Li Xuanzong stood at the front.
A layer of clear Qi shield spread over everyone.
The Peak Masters watched from the platform.
Huo Yan waved casually. "Remember the sect’s face."
Yao Ding added, "And remember to report any rare medicinal encounters."
Mo Shanyue said, "If anyone tries to bully you, remember their face first. Beat them later when there are fewer witnesses."
Shen Youran said softly, "Return safely."
Li Xuanzong nodded once.
The flying sword rose. Then it vanished from Radiant Zenith Peak.
...
Su Bai had flown before. He had also ridden with Lu Canghai before. But Li Xuanzong’s flying sword was different.
Inside the Qi shield, everything was calm.
If Su Bai closed his eyes, he might think they were standing on a quiet platform.
But outside the Qi shield, the world had turned into flowing lines.
Mountains rushed past beneath them. Rivers flashed like silver threads. Cloud seas split apart.
The speed was absurd.
Su Bai silently watched the world outside.
It felt like sitting inside a peaceful carriage while the outside world had been pushed into a hundred-times fast-forward.
This was the power of a true top-level cultivator.
Li Xuanzong stood at the front, calm as ever.
Lu Canghai stroked his beard and glanced at the disciples.
"Do not be too shocked. Your Sect Master is already holding back."
The disciples became even quieter.
...
The journey was mostly quiet.
After some time, Lu Canghai began explaining their destination.
"We are going to Azure-Jade City."
The five disciples listened carefully.
Lu Canghai continued, "The mystic realm will open near the city, so all participating sects and clans will gather there first."
"Azure-Jade City is neutral territory. Fighting and flying is forbidden unless permitted by the City Lord Mansion."
Su Bai asked, "Master, even major sects obey?"
Li Xuanzong answered calmly, "They do."
The disciples looked at him.
Li Xuanzong continued, "Azure-Jade City is governed by City Lord Yue Cangyu. He is strict, impartial, and difficult to move with favors."
...
After several hours, the silhouette of Azure-Jade City finally appeared.
At first, it was only a line on the horizon. Then the line grew. And continued growing.
Su Bai had seen Blackwater City before. He had also seen mortal cities.
But Azure-Jade City was different.
It did not look like a city built by ordinary hands. It looked like a mountain range had been carved into walls, towers, bridges, and districts.
The city walls stretched far beyond sight, built from blue-green stone that shone faintly under the sun.
Su Bai looked at it silently.
This was a cultivator city.
A true one.
Mortal cities could not even stand in the same sentence.
As they approached, Li Xuanzong slowed the flying sword.
Then he descended toward a massive landing platform outside the city.
Flying was forbidden inside Azure-Jade City.
Even Void-Shattering cultivators gave face to that rule.
The landing platform was already crowded.
And it was crowded in a very expensive way.
A golden cloud carriage pulled by six white-scaled flood-dragon horses rested on one side.
A crimson flying ship shaped like a phoenix feather hovered slightly above the ground.
A huge turtle-shell platform carried an entire group of disciples.
A palace-like airship floated nearby, with banners fluttering in the wind.
There were also beast transports.
Compared to all of them, Li Xuanzong’s plain flying sword looked...
Very simple.
The flying sword landed quietly. The Qi shield faded.
The five disciples stepped down.
Several nearby cultivators looked over.
Then their eyes changed.
"Radiant Sky Sect."
"They finally arrived."
"That is Sect Master Li Xuanzong?"
"And beside him... Lu Canghai?"
"Wasn’t his hair white before?"
Whispers spread.
Before Su Bai could observe more, a soft laugh came from nearby.
"Well, well. Sect Master Li. "Genius" Lu."
A man in elegant white robes walked over with several disciples behind him.
He looked refined.
His smile was gentle. His eyes were narrow.
He gave people the feeling of a polished sword kept inside a silk sheath.
Lu Canghai’s expression changed slightly.
The man smiled again.
"You have finally arrived. I was beginning to worry that Radiant Sky Sect had encountered some difficulty on the road."
His gaze drifted to Li Xuanzong’s plain flying sword.
Then he sighed with perfect sincerity.
"As always, your esteemed sect remains admirably modest. Even your transport refuses to burden the eyes with unnecessary splendor."
The words were polite.
But Su Bai understood immediately.
This was a person who hid knives inside flowers. The kind of person who could insult someone while sounding like he was offering tea.
Lu Canghai’s beard moved.
He was clearly irritated.
Li Xuanzong remained calm.
"Good day, Elder Jian."
The white-robed man smiled. This was Jian Wuchen, the Smiling Viper of Myriad Swords Sect.
Behind him, several Myriad Swords Sect disciples stood near a magnificent sword-shaped airship.
The airship was long and shining, its body carved like a giant silver sword. Around it floated smaller blade-shaped platforms, each one engraved with defensive runes.
It was clearly placed where everyone could see it.
Jian Wuchen turned slightly, as if unintentionally allowing everyone to compare the two transports.
Su Bai looked at the plain flying sword behind them.
Then at the silver sword airship.
Then back at Jian Wuchen.
He understood.
This man had waited here just to show off transportation.
That was dedication.
Li Xuanzong glanced at the airship.
Then he smiled faintly.
"My Radiant Sky Sect is indeed poor. We cannot compare with Myriad Swords Sect’s wealth."
Jian Wuchen’s smile deepened.
But before he could speak, Li Xuanzong continued calmly, "Your Myriad Swords Sect even agreed to bear the one million spirit stone contribution for the mystic realm opening. Such broad-mindedness truly makes this Li admire you."
Jian Wuchen’s smile froze. The nearby cultivators also became quiet.
One million spirit stones. That was not a small number.
Several Myriad Swords Sect disciples stiffened.
Lu Canghai lowered his head and coughed. His shoulders shook once.
Jian Wuchen’s face reddened faintly.
But Su Bai saw it.
Jian Wuchen quickly recovered and gave a light laugh.
"Sect Master Li’s memory is excellent."
Li Xuanzong smiled.
"When others show generosity, this Li naturally remembers."
Jian Wuchen’s eyelid twitched.
Then he snorted softly.
"In that case, we shall meet again inside the city."
He turned and walked away.
The Myriad Swords Sect disciples followed behind him, their expressions slightly stiff.
Lu Canghai waited until they were far enough away before laughing.
"Gahaha! Still the same. His mouth is sweet, but his heart is smaller than a needle hole."
Su Bai looked at Jian Wuchen’s back.
He had met people like this before in his corporate life. People who spoke softly while handing others trouble.
Jian Wuchen felt familiar in a very unpleasant way.
Lu Canghai noticed Su Bai’s gaze and said, "Avoid that man once we enter the city."
Su Bai turned.
"Master, is he dangerous?"
"Dangerous, petty, and patient." Lu Canghai stroked his beard. "A bad combination."
Han Yuelin asked, "Does Radiant Sky Sect have a grudge with him?"
Lu Canghai smiled.
"It is not that simple."
He looked toward the city gate.
"Jian Wuchen is Jian Wushuang’s younger cousin."
The five disciples were stunned.
Even Ji Ruyue looked over.
Lu Canghai continued, "They came from the same Jian Clan. Both practiced the sword. Both were talented."
He paused.
"But Jian Wushuang was the favored child of the clan."
Su Bai immediately understood.
Lu Canghai said, "Later, Jian Wushuang entered Radiant Sky Sect. Jian Wuchen joined Myriad Swords Sect."
"Because of rivalry?"
"Partly." Lu Canghai’s smile became amused. "Mostly because he wanted to prove that he could surpass Jian Wushuang on another path."
Liu Meng asked, "Did he?"
Lu Canghai laughed.
"Jian Wushuang never cared."
The disciples fell silent.
That somehow sounded more painful.
Lu Canghai continued, "For people like Jian Wuchen, being hated is acceptable. Being opposed is acceptable. Even being treated as a rival is acceptable."
He stroked his beard.
"But being ignored by the person he wants to surpass? That is more painful than a sword wound."
Su Bai felt deep agreement.
Some people did not want victory. They wanted acknowledgment.
If they did not get it, they would turn every road into a stage and every meeting into a performance.
Jian Wuchen was probably that type.
Lu Canghai’s expression became more serious.
"Inside the mystic realm, do not trust verbal cooperation from the Myriad Swords disciples too much. Agreements outside are agreements outside. Once inside, people will act according to benefit."
Li Xuanzong nodded lightly.
"Myriad Swords Sect has agreed to cover our contribution. That does not make them our friends."
The five disciples cupped their hands.
"Yes."
Su Bai looked toward Azure-Jade City.
The city gates stood wide open.
Inside waited major sects, old clans, hidden geniuses, strange opportunities, and people who smiled too politely.
Su Bai’s mouth curved slightly.
Perhaps this gathering would not be boring after all.
