Chapter 205 - 204: The Nine Celestial Venerables of the Beast God Sect

"Eradicate the Beast God Sect?"

Qin Yang glanced at Li Zixuan in his arms and pretty much understood.

’This silly girl’s stubborn streak is showing.’

Now, even if Elder Li and the others tried to talk her out of it...

...they probably wouldn’t be able to change her mind.

However.

On second thought, Qin Yang realized this obsessive state wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for her.

After all.

A Swordsman’s will is supposed to be as sharp as a blade’s edge.

Li Zixuan’s sharp-edged mindset was, in fact, a double-edged sword. With the boost from such a state, her Cultivation would face no obstacles for a short time. Her progress would advance by leaps and bounds, making breakthroughs as simple as drinking water.

Any confusion would be resolved in an instant.

’A classic rage buff. Not bad for boosting her Cultivation.’

Qin Yang mulled it over.

With this state boosting her, Li Zixuan’s Cultivation wouldn’t be a problem.

The only concern, however...

...was the mental blocks that might arise from her state of mind during Cultivation.

At this thought...

"In that case..."

Qin Yang placed his hands on Li Zixuan’s shoulders and said softly, "It’s no use for me to try and talk you out of it, but... there is something I have to remind you."

"Mm... Go ahead, Senior Brother. I’m listening."

Li Zixuan nodded obediently. "As long as you don’t try to stop me."

"I won’t go that far. Your mind is already made up, so just focus on improving your Cultivation, but remember to act within your limits! And when you’re cultivating, be careful not to rush."

Qin Yang shook his head and urged in a serious tone,

"You must keep a calm and peaceful heart. Don’t let yourself be blinded by hatred. If you have any problems you need to work through, just come find me directly, understand?"

"Mm... Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I know my limits."

Li Zixuan nodded lightly, then realized she was still in Qin Yang’s arms. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her face turning slightly red. "Now that Master is gone, we’re the only direct disciples left under him. It’s up to us to carry on the school’s legacy."

As she spoke, she looked up, her gaze trembling slightly. "If I come to you with problems in the future, Senior Brother... you won’t get tired of me, will you...?"

Just as her voice fell.

"Don’t worry, Master isn’t that kind of person!"

Xiaobai trotted over, transformed back into the little white-haired loli, and flicked her fluffy tail, chiming in to help. "Woman, just look on the bright side. Don’t keep dwelling on all that depressing stuff."

"Mm..."

Hearing this, Li Zixuan nodded softly. Looking at the waist-high Xiaobai, she suddenly felt an urge to reach out and pat her on the head.

’A cute little loli comforting me... she’s just too adorable!’

However,

before she could make a move,

"Hey, hey! Are you getting handsy!? No improper thoughts about this Fairy!"

Xiaobai dodged, hugged her fluffy tail, and scurried behind Qin Yang, declaring proudly, "Only Master can touch this Fairy’s body!"

The moment she said that,

Li Zixuan’s ears instantly turned crimson.

She quickly waved her hands. "I... I wasn’t..."

"Bleh! You still dare to deny it?!"

Xiaobai stuck her tongue out, pressing her advantage. "A woman like you is actually lusting after this Fairy’s body? That’s so cringe..."

Before she could finish,

SMACK—

A slap landed.

Xiaobai’s bottom immediately turned red and swollen.

"Tsk, where did you pick up all this weird slang?"

Qin Yang withdrew his hand and looked at Li Zixuan apologetically. "Xiaobai is on her phone surfing the internet all day. That’s where she learns all these bad habits."

"Hmph, I do not..."

Xiaobai pouted. "I only learned a little bit..."

"Alright, go inside and cook... Junior Sister, come with me to the courtyard."

Qin Yang tossed the groceries into Xiaobai’s arms, then walked into the courtyard side-by-side with Li Zixuan.

"I’ve gained some new insights into the Sword Dao over the last few days of my Cultivation. I’ll pass something on to you. It should be of some help to your Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique."

"New insights?"

Hearing this, Li Zixuan’s eyes instantly lit up.

Only a few days had passed,

’and Senior Brother already has new insights?’

She had always acknowledged her senior brother’s talent in the Sword Dao. To be above the Grandmaster level at such a young age, he was definitely not to be underestimated.

’Whatever he’s figured out now must be extraordinary!’

At this thought,

Li Zixuan nodded, eagerly watching Qin Yang’s movements, and said softly,

"Senior Brother, what’s this new insight you mentioned?"

"Just a little idea. I had some free time while slacking off at the dojo, so I gave it some thought."

Qin Yang walked to the center of the courtyard, picked up a fallen peach blossom branch, and turned to Li Zixuan. "How is your practice of the Sword Drawing Technique I taught you a few days ago?"

"Mm... It’s going well."

Li Zixuan nodded. "I’ve been practicing the techniques of our school diligently. You don’t have to worry about that, Senior Brother."

"Good, that makes this easier to explain."

Qin Yang flicked the peach blossom branch, assuming an opening stance, and said leisurely, "Junior Sister, have you ever thought about... what would happen if you combined the Sword-Opening Celestial Gate and the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique...?"

"What would happen?"

The moment he spoke.

"?"

"Senior Brother, you mean... fusing Martial Arts?!"

Li Zixuan was stunned, finding it hard to believe.

"Senior Brother, you’re researching this?"

She knew.

How difficult was it to fuse techniques?

It required both experience and talent; neither could be lacking.

The slightest misstep would cause the two techniques to clash, leading to irreversible consequences.

’Given the hardship involved, even Senior Brother... might not succeed, right?’

At this thought,

Li Zixuan was a bit doubtful. "Isn’t that too dangerous?"

"It’s fine! Don’t you trust me?"

Qin Yang said with a smile, holding out the peach blossom branch. "Just like last time, come here. It’s faster to demonstrate it directly."

"Okay..."

Hearing this, Li Zixuan obediently came to Qin Yang’s side and took the peach blossom branch, her heart starting to pound. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.

The back of her ears burned red.

"Don’t be nervous,"

Qin Yang held her hand, his voice gentle. "Just like last time, feel the flow of the Star Force."

"Mm."

The next moment,

Li Zixuan heard his voice and looked up at the sky.

Suddenly!

A violent surge of Star Force flooded her meridians, guiding her arm to strike out with explosive power.

SHING!

The peach blossom branch erupted with sharp Sword Intent, transforming into a blur of overlapping images as it unleashed thirty-two consecutive sword-drawing strikes, shredding the sea of clouds.

Fast!

It was the ultimate expression of speed.

The two Sword Intents merged, as if unleashing a hundred strikes in a single instant.

"...Okay, Senior Brother, I can’t take any more."

Two seconds later,

Li Zixuan’s hair was a mess as she panted for breath. The ferocious Star Force had completed a full circuit through her body, and she savored the memory of the movements.

There was only shock in her heart.

It was too fast.

In just a few short seconds, the full power of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique had been unleashed.

The surge of Star Force wasn’t her senior brother’s fault; it was that she simply couldn’t withstand it.

Thirty-two consecutive strikes.

The Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique was executed almost instantaneously!

Li Zixuan was dazed, her mind blank. She recalled the Emperor Level Star Beast she had encountered during the previous Beast Tide.

’If I’d had this technique back then, even if that Emperor Level Star Beast wasn’t critically injured, it would have at least lost a layer of skin, right?’

"What’s wrong, Junior Sister?"

Qin Yang frowned, noticing her strange expression. "This is just a preliminary fusion, it’s not truly complete. Your reaction shouldn’t be this dramatic, should it?"

"No... It’s nothing."

Li Zixuan tucked her hair behind her ear, forcing herself to appear strong as she recalled the scene from moments ago.

She felt her Dao Heart was on the verge of collapsing.

The Sword Drawing Technique she had worked so hard to master.

’In Senior Brother’s eyes, could it be... just a casual, minor skill?’

’Using an ultimate ability like a basic attack?’

Just as Li Zixuan was lost in thought,

"Hey, you two! Come up and eat!"

Xiaobai, wearing an apron, stood on the balcony and waved. "Hurry up!! Or the food’s going to get cold!"

Seeing this,

"Let’s stop here for today, Junior Sister,"

Qin Yang took the peach blossom branch and tossed it casually to the ground.

"Oh, okay..."

Li Zixuan nodded blankly, her mind replaying what Qin Yang had just taught her. Like a clockwork puppet, she slowly walked toward the house.

’This silly girl looks dazed. Did the power surge shock her stupid?’

Qin Yang watched her back, feeling a little emotional.

However.

After this incident,

it was time for her to grow up...

...

...

「At the same time.」

On the Great Prairie, thousands of miles away,

across the vast, endless fields where the wind bent the grass to reveal herds of cattle and sheep, and majestic snow-capped mountains stretched into the distance, a sinister wind swept through the main hall of the Beast God Sect.

"Lord Nine Celestial Venerables! This is terrible!!"

A shadowy figure rushed into the hall, bowed, and knelt on the ground, trembling as he spoke. "The Vermilion Bird Earth Venerable has fallen!"

"What?"

High above in the main hall, a figure shrouded in black mist roiled, coalescing into the misty shapes of a thousand Star Beasts. "Didn’t Vermilion Bird go to Jianghai? How could he have fallen? Could it be that someone from the Venerable Alliance took action?"

"What about the Jianghai Sword God?"

"Dead."

The shadow reported in a trembling voice, "At the time, the Lord Earth Venerable attacked and completely suppressed the Jianghai Sword God, beating him so badly he couldn’t even lift his head."

"That Jianghai Sword God had indeed just entered the Venerable Realm!"

"Hm? Then how did Vermilion Bird die afterward?"

Nine Celestial Venerables asked in a deep voice, "With his Cultivation, shouldn’t crushing a newly advanced Venerable be effortless?"

"...Reporting to you, my lord, that Sword God was despicable and shameless!! When he saw he couldn’t win, he actually chose to self-destruct."

The shadow said helplessly, "According to the common folk who remained in Jianghai City, the dawn came early that night. The entire sky was filled with white light. That Sword God was likely blown to smithereens, not even ashes remaining."

"He actually chose to self-destruct? That Sword God really was a madman."

Hearing this, Nine Celestial Venerables remarked, "Still, it’s impressive that he could go that far... So how did Vermilion Bird die? I recall he had a Secret Technique that would allow him to reincarnate once."

"My lord, the Earth Venerable’s death was not related to the Sword God. Someone else intervened!"

The shadow lowered his voice. "This subordinate went to investigate that night."

"It’s rumored that a golden arrow flew in from the east and directly obliterated the Lord Earth Venerable’s Divine Sense."

"A golden arrow?"

The tone of Nine Celestial Venerables within the black mist suddenly turned chillingly cold.

"To be able to kill someone in the Venerable Realm with a single arrow... there are only a few people in the world with that level of Archery. The Venerable Alliance’s Arrow God, ’Liu Wushuang,’ is one of them."

"Fine, Venerable Alliance! Violating the Blood Spirit Contract time and time again. Do you really think our Divine Sect has no one to answer to you?"

"My lord, you mean?" the shadow asked in a low voice.

"Send out the order! Deliver a message to the Venerable Alliance!"

The voice of Nine Celestial Venerables was like thunder, shaking the great hall. "The Venerable Alliance must give us an explanation for this!"

"Otherwise, don’t blame our Divine Sect for unleashing a massacre!!"

...

「Half a day later.」

The Imperial Capital.

Kunlun Mountain Range.

Green mountains stretched for thousands of miles, the mountain wind scattered the clouds and mist, and immortal cranes flew in flocks. A magnificent palace stood among the peaks, concealed by a great Array.

Just then,

a figure leaped into the palace.

"Reporting to the Alliance Leader, someone from the Beast God Sect just arrived."