688 Sword Saint's Letter of Challenge

Gai Tianjiao caught up from behind and spotted Zhang Ruochen standing at the foot of the altar. Looking curious, she asked, "What are you doing, junior fellow apprentice Lin Yue?"

Zhang Ruochen's Spiritual Power rapidly flowed back into his body like a stream of water.

Zhang Ruochen retracted his hand from the altar, turned around, and glanced at Gai Tianjiao. "Nothing, really. I was just curious as to whether this Jade Stone Altar has been standing on Ancient Gods Mountain since ancient times, or if it was built later on."

Unthinking, Gai Tianjiao said, "This altar was used in the ceremony to worship heaven during the Sword Technique Conference. Its renovation 500 years ago required the mobilization of a huge amount of materials and manpower. To this day, millions of Spiritual Crystals are still required annually to maintain the array at the foot of the altar."

Zhang Ruochen frowned. Tentatively, he asked, "You need that many Spiritual Crystals to maintain it for just a year?"

"I don't know exactly. There are many secrets hidden in Ancient Gods Mountain. Some places are forbidden areas. If I were to enter, I would definitely die."

Gai Tianjiao appeared puzzled as she said, "Why are you so concerned about the Jade Stone Altar, junior fellow apprentice Lin Yue?"

Sensing that Gai Tianjiao was starting to get suspicious, he quit the idea of investigating further into the altar. He quickly replied, "I was just curious."

"Excuse me."

Zhang Ruochen folded his hands and bowed to Gai Tianjiao, taking his leave. He left Ancient Gods Mountain without further delay.

Gai Tianjiao fixed her eyes on Zhang Ruochen's back for a while as he walked away. Then, she returned to the Sword Pavilion.

The Moon-Burier Sword Saint remained sitting cross-legged at higher ground. "Have you sent him away?" he asked when he saw Gai Tianjiao.

Gai Tianjiao nodded and said somberly, "Master, I think there is something amiss about Lin Yue. He seems to be hidding something from us. Is it alright for us to trust him so much?"

Smiling, the Moon-Burier Sword Saint replied, "Don't you worry about Lin Yue. He is someone appointed by Patriarch Taiyi. You may not want to trust him, but you have to trust Patriarch Taiyi."

Gai Tianjiao sighed gently with relief and said, "Since he was appointed by Patriarch Taiyi, then my mind is at ease! However, isn't it risky to place all our hopes on him alone?"

"He is exceptionally talented and intelligent. He might reach the second realm of Sword Two if he practices in the Sword Pavilion."

"However, I am afraid he might not be able to reach even the first realm in Sword Two by the ninth day of the ninth month if he practices outside the Sword Pavilion."

Not only was Gai Tianjiao worried, in fact, but even the Moon-Burier Sword Saint also did not have much confidence in Lin Yue.

Sword Two was many times more challenging than Sword One. "Yin-Yang Alternation" in the entry level of the first realm alone was very tedious for many sword heroes. Some of them did not pass that threshold, even after studying it for ten to twenty years.

Gai Tianjiao was one such sword heroine.

She had accomplished the Completion of the tenth level of Sword One long before this, however she just was not able to cross the threshold into Sword Two. Somehow, she could not grasp the realm of "Yin and Yang Alternation."

Although this had to do with her phyical quality, it also showed that it was extremely difficult for a Monk of the Fish-Dragon Realm to perfect Sword Two. Even the Beginner level was as difficult as climbing into the sky.

The Moon-Burier Sword Saint pondered deeply for a moment and said, "If that's the case, I will send you to watch and urge him on. You can make sure he's not growing complacent. As long as he can reach the second realm of Sword Two by the ninth day of the ninth month, there'll still be hope for us."

"Yes sir," replied Gai Tianjiao.

"Waaa!"

At this moment, a light flew across the sky like a meteor. It penetrated through the clouds surrounding Ancient Gods Mountain and began circling around the Sword Pavilion.

The Moon-Burier Sword Saint muttered something and thrust his hand forward to grasp thin air.

Immediately, a jade talisman appeared in his palm.

After skimming through the information contained in the talisman, he smiled and said, "This year's Sword Technique Conference is going to be very lively."

"What's happened, Master?" asked Gai Tianjiao.

The Moon-Burier Sword Saint said, "Sword Saint Xuanji and Nine Serenity Sword Saint have each penned a letter of challenge, indicating their wish to vindicate their disciples. They have requested that I would be their judge on the ninth day of the ninth month, at the Sword Pavilion, when they will have a battle to the death."

"The two Sword Saints are going to battle to the death?" Gai Tianjiao asked in astonishment.

All the monks in the Eastern Region were aware that Nine Serenity Sword Saint had slain Zhang Ruochen, Sword Saint Xuanji's disciple. This incident had caused a great commotion a few months back.

Everyone knew that Sword Saint Xuanji was one to conceal his faults. He would not let this matter rest so easily.

Sword Saint Xuanji had made a move. A sword saint always carried out what he had said. In this case, it meant that there really would be a battle to the death as stated in the letter of challenge.

Two men enter, one man leaves.

Would Nine Serenity Sword Saint turn up for the battle?

"Swoosh!"

Another talisman flew across the sky.

The Moon-Burier Sword Saint caught the light talisman and studied it for a moment. He sighed and frowned. "Nine Serenity Sword Saint has accepted the challenge! The entire Eastern Region will be watching out for the battle to the death between these two sword saints. Many more monks will be flooding to Yin and Yang Sect. I hope that doesn't spell more accidents."

The Moon-Burier Sword Saint was not the only one to receive the light talisman. That night, news of the battle between the two great sword saints had spread all over the great Suzerains and powerful saint families throughout the Eastern Region. The entire region came alive right away.

At that time, Zhang Ruochen had returned to Zixia Sacred Mountain. Therefore, he was not aware of the news regarding Sword Saint Xuanji and Nine Serenity Sword Saint's letters of challenge.

"Swoosh!"

Blackie appeared out of the night and landed on the wattled wall. His eyes were marbles emitting brilliant light.

"Did you find the Heaven and Earth Altar on the Third-level Mountain of Ancient Gods Mountain?" he asked.

Zhang Ruochen replied, "Not so much the Heaven and Earth Altar. However, I did discover something interesting.But, there were too many masters in the Sword Pavilion, so I was unable to check it out personally. Come with me to the Sword Pavilion next time, and we'll find out the source of power of the Heaven and Earth Altar."

In the sky, a dark cloud drifted over, blocking out the moonlight. Instantly, the earth was darkened, and the ambience became oppressive.

Muffled sounds of thunder resounded, and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi quivered.

A thunderstorm was impending.

Zhang Ruochen asked, "These last few days when I was at Ancient God Mountain, did you see any abnormal behavior from Qi Feiyu?"

"She was guarding the foot of Ancient Gods Mountain the whole time you were on it. I suspect she has fallen for you," Blackie said, yawning.

Blackie quickly continued. "However, she left immediately when you descended the mountain. What's strange was that she did not return to Pure Jade Palace. Instead, she left the Yin and Yang Sect."

"She left the Yin and Yang Sect."

The expression in Zhang Ruochen's eyes kept changing. Something came to his mind, and he said, "Something's not right... Blackie, I guess you have no problem catching up with her?"

Blackie laughed and said, "I have already collected her aura using a secret spell. As long as she is within a radius of 10,000 miles, I can find her by smell."

"Let's go after her and check it out."

Zhang Ruochen put on a metal mask. Then, he dashed out of Yin and Yang Sect through the mountain gate.

...

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After Qi Feiyu left Yin and Yang Sect through the mountain gate, her graceful, tender body transformed into a ball of blood fog. She darted into the bushes and vanished into the night.

After a while, thunder boomed and lightning flashed across the sky. It started pouring.

The numerous peaks of the Fallen-Gods Mountain Range were like pillars leading up to the heavens, magnificent and imposing. Usually, during thunderstorm weather, powerful savage beasts living in the wild would emerge from their lairs to absorb power from the lightning bolts.

At the foot of one of the peaks was a bottomless valley filled with poisonous miasma. A 200-meter long centipede darted out from the valley. It was completely black but for its eyes, which had a golden glow.

The gigantic centipede circled the mountain peak as it ascended rapidly to the top. It opened its mouth to suck dozens of lightning bolts into its body in just one breath.

"Whizz!"

Suddenly, the gigantic centipede transformed into a man with eight legs and eight arms and landed onto the ground on the peak.

A blue-gray ancient Taoist temple stood on top of the mountain. A broken tablet lay outside the door with the inscription, "Birthless Temple."

Besides the man with eight arms and legs, there was a young lady with a pair of blue wings on her back standing outside the Taoist temple. In between her brows was a mark shaped like a flame.

She was wearing a blue feather coat. Each of the feathers was metal and very sharp.

"You're here!"

The man with eight arms and legs stood in the rain with the lady with the blue wings, one on the right of the Taoist temple, and the other on the left. They looked out on the curtain of rain.

A ball of blood fog flew out from the trees, giving out a special fragrance.

As the blood fog moved through the air, it gradually transformed into the slender figure of a woman wearing a robe. She finally landed gently.

"Greetings, Saintess."

The man and woman standing outside the Taoist temple simultaneously greeted Qi Feiyu with a bow.

"Creak!"

The wooden door of the Taoist temple opened, and a man in his twenties emerged from within. He had thick black eyebrows and hard features, and he was wearing plain blue clothes. Holding on to an opened oil-paper umbrella, he walked towards Qi Feiyu in the rain.

"I have prepared a pot of your favorite Refreshing Tea. I have been waiting for a while."

The blue-robed man moved the oil-paper umbrella over Qi Feiyu's head to shelter her from the rain, and he used his body to shelter her from the wind.

He lifted his head to glance at the sky. He said, "Tonight, the storm has come so suddenly. Let's go into the temple so we can have a good chat. Centipede Eight and Bird Nine, stand guard outside the door and keep vigilant."

The blue-robed man and Qi Feiyu entered the temple and sat down facing each other, crossed-legged. A pot of tea was boiling on the stove right between them.

The tea rumbled while it boiled, and its fragrance diffused into the air of the whole temple.