51: Chapter 51 Fallen Phoenix City

"Sect Master Liu, are you planning to step into the fray yourself?"

You are completely unfazed, casually tossing the identity token in your hand.

Liu Qingshan falls silent. Looking at his distraught disciple below and thinking of the sect's supreme treasure, the seven-heart glazed lamp, his expression shifts uncertainly for a moment.

Seeing this, you inwardly let out a sigh.

In this world where strength is supreme, even with a sufficient background, it is still difficult to play a decisive role in the face of tangible interests.

"Since Sect Master Liu cannot make up your mind, this junior will find someone to help you."

The smile on your face fades. Standing up, you cup your fists toward the high sky and say:

"Senior Brother, please reveal yourself."

As your voice falls, a clear sword hum travels from afar to near, echoing across the firmament.

Everyone hastily looks up, and before they know it, a man dressed in white is quietly suspended above the plaza.

He does not emit the slightest aura, yet his entire being is like a peerless sword that has yet to be unsheathed. That sharpness seems capable of piercing directly into one's soul, causing people to involuntarily tremble in their hearts.

The newcomer is none other than your mysterious senior brother, the little expert of running away—Daoist Master Duanwang.

Before setting off, you already inquired about the existence of the seven-heart glazed lamp from Lin Bufan. This item is not an offensive treasure, but rather an exotic treasure capable of assisting cultivators in refining their state of mind.

The second realm of the Sword Dao is called Sword Heart Clarity. This realm is quite special and can be specifically divided into three minor realms: Sword Heart Awakening, Intent Condensing into a Line, and Cleansing the Heart to See the Edge. It is a continuous transformation of the state of mind, placing extremely strict demands on a swordsman's state of mind.

Although the Sword Dao of the second realm requires foundation establishment before one can continue comprehending it, you are determined to obtain the seven-heart glazed lamp on this trip!

Therefore, you pestered him endlessly, acted cute and spoiled, and even went so far as to sell your looks, thereby obtaining Master Qingming Zhenren's pass phrase through Ling Shuanghua.

However, this senior brother is no pushover either and initially wouldn't buy it at all. But after you displayed your cultivation in the second realm of the Sword Dao and let him know what item you needed, he immediately agreed.

In a mere span of seven years, breaking through two realms of the Sword Dao consecutively from a mere mortal—in the eyes of this pure swordsman, this is far more worth investing in than your peak Qi Refining cultivation.

"This fellow Daoist..."

Liu Qingshan's expression changes, and he hastily stands up, cupping his fists toward the figure in midair.

"This seat belongs under the sect of Master Qingming Zhenren of the Tianxuan Sword Sect."

Daoist Master Duanwang's brows and eyes are cold and clear, his voice indifferent, yet it causes Liu Qingshan's heart to suddenly sink and his breathing to nearly stagnate.

Being fellow Core Formation cultivators, he feels that he is definitely not a match for the other party for even a single exchange.

"Senior Brother~ This old man wants to renege on his debt!"

Your untimely remark causes a trace of cold sweat to quietly seep from Liu Qingshan's brow.

Daoist Master Duanwang does not speak, merely casting an indifferent gaze upon him.

"..."

Such bandits!

Liu Qingshan wails powerlessly in his heart, knowing that he cannot muddle through today. With a gentle brush across the ring on his fingertip, a palm-sized multicolored lotus flower emerges and then slowly lands in front of you.

You unceremoniously store it into your storage pouch, then look at Lin Bufan, who is still in a daze, your red lips moving slightly.

Lin Bufan's mouth twitches slightly, his expression filled with helplessness.

But as if thinking of something, he braces himself and steps forward a few steps, snatching the Flaming Luo Umbrella from Liu Qingyue's hands amidst her incredulous gaze.

"You!"

Liu Qingyue's pretty face flushes red as she points at Lin Bufan, unable to speak for a long time, only to be magnificently ignored by him.

"Let this spiritual weapon serve as your apology from ten years ago."

Hearing this, Liu Qingyue falls silent.

Liu Qingshan, seeing this scene, stops himself from speaking. Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the white-clad man in midair, he ultimately lets out a silent sigh and says no more.

"Let's go, Junior Brother."

You are in a great mood. Amidst Liu Qingyue's gaze that seems ready to devour people, you smilingly take the Flaming Luo Umbrella, and even turn back to wink at her.

"Little Yueyue, I'll come visit you again when I have time~"

"Pfft~!"

At the moment you board the giant eagle, you faintly hear the sound of someone vomiting blood...

High above in the sky, the white-robed man stands at the eagle's head.

"Senior Brother, I always have a bad premonition in my heart. Why don't you accompany us for a bit longer?"

You look pitifully at the other person, your fingertips cautiously clutching the corner of your sleeve, your voice carrying a trace of easily detectable tremor.

This nearly breaks Lin Bufan's heart as he watches from the side, but in front of a Core Formation cultivator, he wisely chooses to follow his heart and keeps quiet.

Looking at his aggrieved appearance, you blink your eyes. Why does this have the déjà vu feeling of an impotent husband?

Originally, you did not plan to join in the fun, after all, this simulation still has three years of time for cultivation, but you always feel that following the Son of Destiny will bring unexpected gains. This trip to the Qixia Sect is the best example.

In the past few simulations, Lin Bufan never uttered a single word about his family's changes; there is likely a hidden story behind it all.

News involving the Son of Destiny like this is no different from a time bomb, especially within Tianxuan Prefecture. It is best to investigate it thoroughly to the bottom.

"Where are we going?"

An indifferent voice comes from ahead.

Luofeng City...

As soon as the words leave your mouth, your heart skips a beat. This person seems to have had some rather unpleasant memories there.

Sure enough, Daoist Master Duanwang turns his head to glance at you, his gaze cold, clear, and penetrating, as if wanting to see through all your little thoughts completely.

You aggrievedly lower your little head.

What you are thinking inside, however, is: Are Ruthless Dao swordsmen really all this handsome and cold? It feels like the difficulty of getting your hands on one is extremely high...

After a long while, just when you think the other party is about to refuse, an extremely light word comes from ahead:

"Mm."

...

In ancient times, there was a phoenix in the nine heavens named "Azure Phoenix", whose feathers burned with undying flames and whose cry could stabilize mountains and rivers.

At that time, demons from beyond the heavens descended, and Azure Phoenix transformed its body into an array, triggering heavenly fire to burn and destroy the evil spirits, ultimately perishing when its strength was exhausted.

Luofeng City is rumored to be the place where Azure Phoenix fell, but the era is far too ancient to be verified at all.

Legend has it that in the past, many peerless powerhouses also came to explore, but all of them returned empty-handed. To this day, it is merely one among countless myths and legends.

Arriving in Luofeng City once again, your state of mind is no longer what it used to be.

Once an ant among the common masses not long ago, you now stand atop a giant beast, overlooking the panicked kowtows of numerous mortals, yet your heart holds not a shred of superiority, leaving only a calmness as serene as water.

At this moment, you suddenly recall a rather untimely phrase: The strong should ruthlessly humiliate the weak!