88: Gamble with your life

Nangong Li returned to the Sect with a worried expression. She silently watched the Disciples assisting craftsmen in repairing and clearing the debris of the grand hall, which had been left in shambles by Shen Lian's arrival, and then returned to her room without saying a word.

Lord Youyang watched Nangong Li's retreating figure and let out a cold snort. He then called over Broken Sword and instructed: "You, go and activate the Sect Protection Formation immediately."

Broken Sword asked, puzzled: "Vice Sect Master, has the danger not passed yet?"

Lord Youyang sighed lightly: "It is better to be prepared. How have the Disciples who died in vain been settled?"

Broken Sword replied respectfully: "They have already been properly buried."

Lord Youyang: "That is good. Notify all Disciples that once the Sect Protection Formation is activated, no one is allowed to enter or leave."

"Understood."

After Broken Sword accepted the order and left, Lord Youyang fell into deep thought.

"It seems that there must be some hidden story behind how Nangong Li managed to become the Sect Master of the Chess Sword Pavilion back then. I must find the clues within this."

Lord Youyang also held a grudge in his heart about not becoming the Sect Master of the Chess Sword Pavilion back then. However, he lacked the ability to handle the earth core strange fire and could not gain the recognition of the Sword Emperor, so he could only sit in the awkward position of Vice Sect Master.

If he could discover that it wasn't Nangong Li who handled the earth core strange fire back then, then perhaps he would have hope of regaining the position of Sect Master.

On the other side, just as Nangong Li returned to her room, Lu Qingyi came to her side carrying a cup of fragrant tea.

"Revered Master, you've returned? This is the Spirit Fragrant Tea that this Disciple just brewed for you; please enjoy it, Revered Master."

Looking at the well-behaved Lu Qingyi, Nangong Li's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly.

She took the tea and smiled with her eyes: "Qingyi, I frightened you today."

Lu Qingyi crouched down, knelt on one knee, raised her hand to lightly touch Nangong Li's knee, and said softly: "Revered Master, this Disciple has seen that your expression was poor since just a moment ago. Did the Grand Elder punish you?"

Nangong Li shook her head and sighed: "Revered Master is fine. Qingyi, do not overthink it; you should focus more of your mind on Cultivating."

Lu Qingyi: "But, seeing Revered Master in a bad mood makes this Disciple feel uncomfortable as well. How could I have the heart to think about Cultivating?"

Nangong Li gently stroked her head, her eyes full of affection.

"Sigh, if that bitch Su Mengyao had been as obedient as you back then, that would have been great."

Hearing Nangong Li mention Su Mengyao, Lu Qingyi couldn't help but be shocked. She thought Nangong Li intended to forgive Su Mengyao or even accept her as a Personal Disciple, which made her somewhat angry.

However, she still feigned an understanding expression on her face: "Revered Master, actually this Disciple knows that Senior Sister Su's Aptitude is above mine, and it is only natural for Revered Master to accept her as a Disciple. However, currently, Senior Sister has colluded with evil cultivators and harmed fellow Disciples. If Revered Master were to forcibly take her under your wing, I fear it would affect Revered Master's reputation. This Disciple really wants to help Revered Master, but the matter of colluding with evil cultivators is of great importance, and this Disciple cannot bear such infamy."

Nangong Li was stunned and looked at Lu Qingyi with some surprise, then smiled slightly: "Qingyi, what are you imagining? How could I possibly accept that bitch Su Mengyao as a Disciple? Rest assured, you will always be Revered Master's good Disciple."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingyi rested her face on Nangong Li's knee: "As long as Revered Master is happy, this Disciple is happy too."

"Silly child."

Under the influence of Lu Qingyi's manipulative tactics, Nangong Li's irritation caused by Shen Lian gradually subsided quite a bit.

However, Lu Qingyi was wrong about one thing: Nangong Li had never considered taking Su Mengyao as a Personal Disciple from the very beginning.

Nangong Li considered her own talent in the Dao of the Sword to be among the best of her peers. Even after coming to the Chess Sword Pavilion, aside from those few in the Grand Elder's pavilion, she was an incredible existence across the Southern Region.

However, this was merely Nangong Li's own perception. In fact, her talent for Cultivating was simply not worth mentioning in front of a group of true Heavens Chosen Prodigies.

The reason she had such a feeling was entirely an illusion created by the simp Shen Lian.

Back then, Shen Lian brought an Innate Sword Bone and fused it with her Divine Soul and Physical Body; only then did Nangong Li have the qualifications to pursue the upper echelons of the Dao of the Sword.

In fact, before Nangong Li obtained the Innate Sword Bone, her insights into the Dao of the Sword were not much better than those of an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple.

Coupled with her mediocre cultivation Aptitude, if not for Shen Lian's assistance and his doting on her as if she were his wife, how could she have the qualifications to become the Sect Master of the Chess Sword Pavilion?

However, Nangong Li deliberately severed her past, ordinary self from her current self, and also regarded Shen Lian's sacrifices as a matter of course.

However, when the twelve-year-old Su Mengyao appeared, Nangong Li truly realized what a Heavens Chosen Prodigy was.

Back then, the twelve-year-old Su Mengyao, after reading the Sword Scripture once, could not only recite it word for word, but could also draw inferences and point out the flaws and deficiencies in the Sword Scripture.

Furthermore, just by relying on the Incomplete Manual of sword Moves on the wall, she could deduce all the Moves, even in the exact same order.

With such terrifying talent in the Dao of the Sword, any Sect leader with a normal brain who saw it would definitely fight to take her in, just like the protagonists in other Xuanhuan cultivation novels.

But in Nangong Li's eyes, it was not so.

She believed that Su Mengyao's appearance had seriously affected her own status.

Although her own Aptitude was mediocre, her years of experience allowed her to judge that with Su Mengyao's talent, within twenty years, she would be able to leave a significant mark on the Dao of the Sword.

Therefore, from the day she learned of Su Mengyao's talent, Nangong Li not only never thought about how glorious it would be to have such a talented Personal Disciple, but instead had to suppress her in every aspect.

Coupled with Su Mengyao's straightforward personality and her inability to use any special methods to please her, Nangong Li would never give her any good looks.

Therefore, when choosing a Personal Disciple back then, Nangong Li chose Lu Qingyi, whose cultivation Aptitude was far inferior to Su Mengyao's.

After all, Lu Qingyi knew how to make her happy; isn't the goal of being a Sect Master to enjoy the feeling of being above others?

However, Nangong Li never imagined that Su Mengyao actually possessed the Supreme Sword Bone; how had she not discovered it all these years?

However, it was not too late to discover it now. As long as she obtained the Supreme Sword Bone and fused it with the Innate Sword Bone in her body, her strength would definitely reach a higher level.

"It seems that I must find time to have a good talk with Shen Lian."

In order to keep her position as Sect Master, and even more so to obtain the Supreme Sword Bone, Nangong Li decided that she must meet with Shen Lian.

"This simp is the easiest to manipulate. He must have learned some tricks from somewhere and is trying to get my attention. Hmph, how truly naive."

She quickly formed a plan and layout in her mind to deal with Shen Lian...

Meanwhile, Shen Lian strolled to the front of the Chess Sword Pavilion's Forbidden Ground.

To solve Nangong Li and successfully retrieve the crouching dragon marrow, the three Grand Elders of the Chess Sword Pavilion were a problem that absolutely had to be faced.

As for how to solve this annoyance, Shen Lian had already thought of a strategy when he headed to the Southern Region.

Looking at the azure Dao Rhyme energy shield condensing in the Void Realm, he curled his lips and snorted coldly: "A ninth-grade Sect Protection Formation? Ridiculous."

Subsequently, he stepped toward a stone platform in the depths of the Forbidden Ground.

Just as he had taken two steps onto the stairs.

"Back off, this is not a place you should come to!"

Boom—

As the voice fell, a bolt of thunder descended from the Void Realm, landing three steps in front of Shen Lian's toes.

"Hmm?"

Shen Lian stood with one hand behind his back and looked up at the high platform.

He saw a burly man standing on the high platform, carrying a heavy sword on his shoulder, his body full of muscles.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Facing the question from the one blocking his path, Shen Lian had a crazed expression as he slowly spat out four words.

"Shen Lian, gambling with lives!"