He Qingqing wanted Chen Hongzhu to come up, but Chen Hongzhu wanted He Qingqing to come down.
The disciples of the Celestial Sound Sect all found Chen Hongzhu peculiar and quietly scanned ahead for any ambushes.
Otherwise, since she had come, why were there no disciples from the Huawel Sect accompanying her?
If He Qingqing truly wished to leave, could she be stopped by just one person?
The two sides remained deadlocked in a tense silence when suddenly, a figure flew out from behind the carriage, using Sword Kinesis Flight to block Chen Hongzhu's path:
"Junior Sister, stop this nonsense! Either return to the Huawel Sect with us or step aside. If you delay the treatment of our master, don't blame me for turning ruthless!"
It was actually Yuan Qingshi. He hadn't been sitting inside the carriage but had been following on the other side of the procession.
Chen Hongzhu glanced at him before averting her gaze. On one hand, she recalled how her father, senior brother, and the various Peak Lords and elders of Huawel had once doted on her endlessly, only to later obstruct, threaten, and even plot against her repeatedly. She sighed at how things had changed and the sorrows of the world.
On the other hand, she was angered by Yuan Qingshi's own lack of resolve, now displaying the same fervent attentiveness toward He Qingqing as he once had toward Miaoyan. Such affections came quickly and vanished even faster—seemingly touching but devoid of any genuine sincerity.
Chen Hongzhu sneered, "I fear that if I return, I'll never be able to leave again. I won't go with you, nor will I make way."
Yuan Qingshi, his pride wounded, caught a glimpse of the figure inside the carriage from the corner of his eye: "Chen Hongzhu, I don't wish to fight you. I advise you not to be ungrateful."
"How dare you!" Chen Hongzhu snapped sharply. "I am the legitimate heir of Huawel, recognized by the 'Huaw Micro Seal' under the mandate of heaven and our ancestors! Even Xu Yun must bow before the ancestral tablets in the clan hall when he sees me! What status do you hold? When I speak with the leader of the Celestial Sound Sect, what right do you have to interrupt?!"
In the darkness, the Huaw Micro Seal glowed brightly, accompanied by the resonant hum of a sword.
The "Hundred Flowers Killer," stained with blood since the celebratory banquet, had accompanied its master through countless battles over the years, honed to ever-greater sharpness—no longer merely a "decorative sword."
Caught off guard, Yuan Qingshi bore the full brunt of the sword's resonance, feeling as if struck by a heavy blow. His ears rang, and disbelief quickly turned to burning rage: "You... how could you..."
"Enough. I wish to speak with Fairy Chen. All of you, step back for now." The cool, clear voice of a woman sounded once more.
Slender fingers gently lifted the emerald gauze curtain, revealing a lotus-like face by the window.
She still did not step out of the carriage but had voluntarily shown herself.
Yuan Qingshi seemed about to say more, but He Qingqing cast him a faint glance, silently stopping him.
The night sky grew quiet again, leaving only He Qingqing and Chen Hongzhu facing each other.
They weren't actually familiar with one another. Since parting at the Fleeting Water Bridge, they had never met again, but both had made names for themselves in the Cultivation World, inevitably hearing news of each other.
Just because someone has watched the same moonlight and fireworks as you doesn't mean they are your friend.
Chen Hongzhu said, "Sect Leader He, you are in great danger now. I wish to advise you to proceed with caution and avoid missteps."
He Qingqing replied indifferently, "I am now the sole leader of the Celestial Sound Sect and the 'Acting Alliance Leader' of the Righteous Immortal Alliance. With thousands paving the way and building bridges, even perilous paths can be trodden as if on level ground."
"I've heard some of what you've been doing in the Immortal Alliance."
"Oh?" He Qingqing seemed unconcerned.Chen Hongzhu spoke slowly, "After becoming the 'acting alliance leader,' you did three things. First, you established rules and ranks within the alliance, promoting a group of people from various sects to serve as guardians, helmsmen, and altar masters. You declared that these positions could be competed for, with higher ranks granting greater authority within the alliance and more Ascension Pills. With the Ascension Pills in your hands, those people naturally scrambled to pledge their loyalty to you. But you didn’t want them to unite, so you ensured that no two individuals in the same rank were from the same sect or on good terms, leaving everyone wary of each other. This was to establish your authority."
He Qingqing grew somewhat intrigued. "Go on."
Chen Hongzhu continued, "Then, you made everyone abandon their sect titles and seniority, addressing each other solely by their alliance positions. Those without positions were to be called 'allies,' and they had to refer to 'our alliance' in speech, never their own sects. Those who disobeyed the rules had their Ascension Pills withheld, which were then rewarded to those willing to publicly share their sect's scriptures and cultivation methods. Those who contributed to the alliance could exchange their merits for Cultivation Methods or Ascension Pills. This was a mix of favor and intimidation."
He Qingqing nodded. "And the third?"
Chen Hongzhu’s tone suddenly turned stern. "The alliance is full of proud individuals, yet you, young and inexperienced, seek to control everyone. Your Ascension Pills are both elixirs and poisons—once taken long-term, they become impossible to quit!"
He Qingqing chuckled lightly. "You claim my pills are problematic—do you have proof? Inability to quit is merely human nature. Once someone takes a shortcut, who would want to climb mountains and cross ridges?"
Chen Hongzhu didn’t argue with her. "I suspect your next step is to disband and mix the various sects, unifying the entire alliance. All sect scriptures will be stored within the alliance, and the sect leaders will exist in name only, all obeying your commands as the alliance leader. Those who submit to you will gain power within the alliance, while those unwilling to comply will be eliminated as examples to others."
Contrary to He Qingqing’s expectations, Chen Hongzhu had come to analyze the situation with her, not to appeal to emotions or reminisce about the past.
"You guessed correctly, but you’ve grasped too little. The alliance is just a starting point. The Cultivation World needs only one alliance leader."
Chen Hongzhu hadn’t expected He Qingqing to admit it so directly; she thought the other wouldn’t be this "forthright."
Yet He Qingqing was precisely such a person—talented, strategic, and ambitious.
Chen Hongzhu couldn’t help but frown. "Have you considered that each sect has its own Domain and traditions? By extinguishing their spiritual heritage, the Cultivation World will inevitably decline. Your Ascension Pills are merely a shortcut to hell. If you seek to rule hearts through force, fear, and greed, you are doomed to fail."
He Qingqing raised her eyebrows sharply. "I’m doomed to fail? Just because you can’t do something, you assume others can’t either? Chen Hongzhu, look at yourself first. You have a home you dare not return to, power you dare not seize; you’ve broken with your father but lack the courage to truly kill him. You hold good cards but are burdened by your reputation. Your kindness, in my eyes, is nothing but cowardice and hypocrisy!"
Her words came faster and her tone grew sharper. Seated upright in the carriage, she exuded an imposing presence:
"There are too many things you don’t dare or cannot do. As for what I’ve accomplished, it far exceeds those three things you mentioned—I have plenty of methods and means."
With that, she waved a hand and let the green gauze curtain fall before her eyes.
Chen Hongzhu wasn’t angered.Her gaze flickered, as if seeing through the swaying green gauze before her the white-robed, veiled girl standing before the steps of Song Courtyard.
"Miss He, I came here today not to compete or argue with you. I simply don't wish to see you walk down a path of no return, dragging half the Cultivation World into the mire while you yourself fall into the abyss."
Before Chen Hongzhu finished speaking, He Qingqing burst into laughter: "Why is your path the righteous one while mine is crooked? Just because you're Chen Hongzhu and I'm He Qingqing? You were born in the Carefree Palace up high—what do you know of the abyss? Have you ever even seen an abyss?"
"Miss He." Chen Hongzhu used the wrong address again but didn't correct herself. "Being born in the heavens isn't necessarily a good thing."
He Qingqing laughed in fury: "Oh really? You used the Spirit Stones, Cultivation Methods, and precious swords your father gave you to establish the small Huawel Sect. When you later lacked 'orthodox' status, 'that person' delivered it to you. Do you think you've had it hard? Have you ever been called a monster and spat on? Have you ever been pushed down a mine shaft? Have you ever tasted the feeling of having your face sliced a thousand times?"
Chen Hongzhu remained silent.
He Qingqing patted the carriage wall, and disciples of the Immortal Music Sect swarmed from all directions.
Yuan Qingshi was the first to stand before the carriage, like a coachman.
The Jet-Black Gold Carriage started again with a roar.
He Qingqing: "I'm not afraid to tell you—I've seen my fate on the Three Lives Stone. I will surely seize the initiative at every step. What others can achieve, I can achieve too. What others cannot achieve, I can still accomplish. The future of this world is mine to command. This is how I 'persist in my delusions and remain unrepentant even unto death.' If you have nothing more to say, then don't block my path!"
Chen Hongzhu stepped aside and said quietly: "One last thing... Back then on the Fleeting Water Bridge, I owed you a word of thanks."
Before the words faded, the Jet-Black Gold Carriage vanished like distant smoke and clouds, leaving behind only a brilliant crimson glow.
Chen Hongzhu manipulated the Hundred Flowers Killer and turned to leave.
The precious sword dimmed, the long night grew desolate, and the starry river fell silent.
But then a voice descended from the distant night sky:
"Helping you back then—I have never regretted it. If we become enemies in the future, I will not hold back either—"
The crimson glow at the horizon dissipated. The fragrant breeze could no longer be smelled, the music of strings and pipes no longer heard.
Chen Hongzhu gazed distantly toward the direction of Thousand Canals.
The night breeze blew gently, coaxing a full moon from behind the clouds.
Tomorrow would be another clear day.
In Thousand Canals' summer, clear days always outnumbered others.
......
......
When the "Truth-Breaking Sword" cleaved through the siege of raging wind and snow, Song Qianji opened his eyes and finally saw the moon again.
Why was this night so long, even the moon setting slower than before?
As he grew accustomed to the coldness of the sword in his hand, he no longer felt the surrounding wind and snow as cold.
"Good lad! The Truth-Breaking Sword has accepted you!" Xian Jianchen exclaimed in surprise. "How did you suddenly have an epiphany?"
Song Qianji deliberately spoke contrary: "All thanks to your excellent teaching. Good master, keep up and follow me out of this snow formation!"
Xian Jianchen thought for a moment, then suddenly understood: "You've wielded the 'Snow Blade' in Blood River Valley before, right? The Truth-Breaking Sword is made of the same material—you have experience with it."
Song Qianji retorted: "You think everyone is as friendless as you?"
Xian Jianchen shook his head: "This master actually believes you were always meant to be like me."Song Qianji couldn't be bothered to retort. The Truth-Breaking Sword traced arcs of cold light in his hand, like fleeting icicles.
The power of the snowstorm besieging them gradually weakened until it completely dissipated.
Having successfully broken through, their vision cleared to reveal followers covered in wounds as if flayed alive.
Flowing blood soaked the snowy ground, dyeing the opposite side into a crimson sea!
Even with Song Qianji's vast experience, he was momentarily stunned by this bizarre and cruel spectacle.
The unified chanting suddenly shifted into some form of hymn.
Xian Jianchen: "Again?! Retreat!"
Song Qianji immediately grabbed his cheap master and leaped onto the Shadowless Sword.
Before they could steady themselves, the snow where they'd just stood exploded violently, revealing a piercingly cold sutra pillar.
The pillar was carved from ice, its patterns clearly distinguishable.
In the blink of an eye, countless octagonal pagodas and lotus-shaped sutra pillars erupted from the ground, each towering like small mountains.
The earth shook as these ice sculptures of varying forms spread across ten miles, both majestic and sinister to the extreme.
Song Qianji wielded the Truth-Breaking Sword, cutting through obstacles.
Followers continuously collapsed and died at the rear of the procession, yet none stopped.
"Have they lost consciousness?" Song Qianji found it hard to believe.
"No, they can feel the pain. But the power of faith can transcend suffering, making people abandon their lives." Xian Jianchen sighed. "To win this battle, you mustn't feel pain on their behalf."
Song Qianji calmed his mind, finding the Truth-Breaking Sword increasingly responsive.
Gradually, he felt separated from his surroundings by a transparent barrier. The desperately devoted followers, in their horrific states, could no longer shake him.
Simultaneously, his emotions rapidly faded—intense love, hatred, and anger all veiled by ice.
If Xian Jianchen tried to pick a fight with him now, he probably wouldn't even respond.
He couldn't help wondering: Is this what Ziye Wenshu's perceived world looks like?
Within the Killing Array, dangers emerged incessantly. Amid the chaos, a thought flashed through Song Qianji's mind:
The moon is so bright tonight—I wonder what Ziye Wenshu is doing?
When he sees what's in the box, he should understand my meaning.
But will he accept such arrangements?
Suddenly, Xian Jianchen screamed and cursed: "Are you kidding me? Daydreaming at a time like this! Trying to get your master killed?!"
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