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At noon on this day, Qiu Changtian was summoned to the Scripture Lecture Hall of Jade Void Palace, where he saw the Ziwei Master in conversation with a Sword Immortal.

That Sword Immortal appeared to be in his thirties, and it was none other than Jinghua True Person from Shushan.

“Is this the Qiu Changtian, Qiu Xian nephew?” Jinghua True Person said, his smile a stark contrast to the cold demeanor he had previously shown towards the disciples of Shushan, “Indeed, a man of notable appearance, a seedling of those who seek the Dao.”

“What seedling of seeking the Dao, he still has a long way to go,” said the Ziwei Master with a stern face, saying things like “my unworthy disciple is not up to par,” but Qiu Changtian knew that his mind was actually filled with immense pleasure at the moment.

After another round of mutual praise, Ziwei Master finally pointed to Qiu Changtian and said to the other,

“For this trip to Shushan, I entrust my unworthy disciple to you.”

He then turned to Qiu Changtian and said,

“This is Jinghua True Person from Shushan, a descendant of your master’s secular family. If there is anything in the Demon Locking Tower, feel free to discuss it with him.”

Qiu Changtian was shocked to hear this.

He keenly noted the Ziwei Master’s choice of words, “discuss it with him” rather than “listen to his orders.”

There was a significant difference between the two. The former meant acting under Jinghua True Person’s orders, while the latter meant having a certain degree of autonomy.

I, a Kunlun disciple, stepping onto the territory of Shushan, am actually allowed to act freely?

Upon further reflection, it made sense:

The Demon Locking Tower was by no means a benevolent place. The Shushan disciples participating in the trial were to follow Jinghua True Person’s control, which meant he was responsible for their lives and deaths.

If Qiu Changtian, as the Chief Disciple of Kunlun, were to have any mishap, how could Jinghua True Person be held responsible?

Could he bear such responsibility?

Hence, Jinghua True Person certainly would not consent to be Qiu Changtian’s caretaker; at most, he would just play a role as a guide.

Thinking this way, it made sense that when the future Qiu Changtian first entered the Demon Locking Tower, he immediately ran off without a trace.

Who would have thought that Jinghua True Person, despite his harsh treatment of the Shushan disciples throughout, was actually protecting them?

He greeted Qiu Changtian with a smiling face, but in reality, he hardly cared at all.

Having thought through this thoroughly, Qiu Changtian proceeded to salute Jinghua True Person.

Jinghua True Person repeatedly insisted there was no need for such formalities and asked Qiu Changtian to rise quickly.

In the end, the Ziwei Master gave him a few instructions and then let Jinghua True Person lead him to Shushan.

Once outside Jade Void Palace, Jinghua True Person took out a wine gourd and gestured for Qiu Changtian to step onto it with him.

For short-distance flying, a Flying Sword is used; for long-distance travel, a magic artifact is preferred. Even the Shushan Shangqing Faction, renowned for their Sword Immortals, did not enjoy flying on swords and facing the wind for hours on end.

The wine gourd bore inscriptions of a formation that provided wind protection, warmth, and shock absorption, making the journey very comfortable. Soon, they reached Shushan.

They landed at the Heavenly Extreme Square on the Emei Golden Summit and Jinghua True Person, accompanied by Qiu Changtian, entered the main hall of Shushan to pay a visit to the Jade Capital Sect Leader.

The main hall of the sect at the peak of Kunlun Heavenly Pillar is called “Jade Void Palace”; the main hall of the sect at the Emei Golden Summit of Shushan is called “Ancestral Master Hall.”

Upon entering the hall, the walls on both sides were lined with rows of sword steles. Each stele detailed the life story of a Sword Immortal who has made significant contributions to the Shushan Shangqing Faction since its establishment.

A cursory glance by Qiu Changtian caught sight of the sword stele of Qi Sha True Person, Su Jian.

The stele was densely inscribed with his glorious achievements: how many Demon Cultivators he slew on the Asura Path today, how many beast cultivators of the Eastern Emperor Path he slaughtered tomorrow, and the various heterodox practitioners he casually eliminated the day after… The exaggerated numbers piled up, making Qiu Changtian wonder how the Demon Cult hadn’t been exterminated yet.

However, he was Qiu Changtian at that moment, not Ling Yunpo, so it would not be appropriate for him to linger and examine the stele closely. Instead, he glanced over briefly and continued to follow Jinghua True Person.

“`

Passing the Sword Tablet Pavilion, one find’s himself before the Incense Hall. Here, an ancestral spirit tablet is venerated, depicting Yu Yutian of the Shangqing Realm, the Heavenly Treasure Great Deity—testament to the Shushan Shangqing Faction’s continuation of the ancient Daoist heritage of the Clarify Cult.

Walking past the Incense Hall, Qiu Changtian caught sight of the Jade Capital Sect Leader of the Shushan.

This middle-aged, lean Daoist, adorned in a Seven Star Daoist robe and a long beard, carried an imposing and serious demeanor as he patiently spoke with Qiu Changtian.

Qiu Changtian, abiding by the etiquette expected of juniors, responded respectfully.

The exchange between them consisted mostly of superficial pleasantries, with each uttering courteous remarks such as “coming from afar” and “grateful for your reception,” flawlessly observing all social proprieties.

After the pleasantries were through, the Jade Capital Sect Leader summoned a disciple and instructed her to take the Chief Disciple Qiu around.

Upon closer inspection, Qiu Changtian realized she was none other than Bi Sheng, ranked sixth on the Immortal Sword Ranking.

As previously mentioned, among the Foundation Establishment disciples of Shushan on the Immortal Sword Ranking, there was a solitary Weed-Cutting Sword Immortal at the very top, referred to as “the woman we do not speak of.”

Next were the four powerful individuals known as “Duan Shan, Fenhai, breaking the moon, and Po Yun,” dominating the second to fifth places and being the subject of many discussions and admiration by the Shushan disciples.

Following these five were Sima Changyan and Bi Sheng. While not as strong as the top four, their abilities were exceptional within the top twenty, earning them the moniker “contenders for the strong ones.”

Although not acquainted with them, Ling Yunpo had heard extensive details from Lin Duanshan before the Shushan Great Competition and had come face to face during the competition, leaving him with some impression.

Sima Changyan appeared to be in his thirties, short-bearded and serious; while Bi Sheng was a girl in her twenties with a long ponytail, equally cold and awe-inspiring in demeanor.

Both were said to have chosen the path of the unfeeling Dao, pursuing the ultimate swordsmanship as their life’s goal; therefore, Qiu Changtian had no intentions of engaging in small talk with Bi Sheng, merely gesturing a hand salute.

Bi Sheng was straightforward in speaking, bluntly stating,

“Fellow Daoist Qiu, if you have traveled far and wish to rest, I can show you to the guest rooms.”

“If you’re in the mood, I’ll take you on a tour of Shushan.”

Qiu Changtian replied with a smile,

“Then I’ll trouble you to lead the way.”

Truth be told, he was already well-versed in the terrain surrounding Shushan, particularly the area around Qingluo Peak, which he had traversed countless times with Sword Light by day and night.

But that was Ling Yunpo’s memory, and for Qiu Changtian, it was his first visit to Shushan. To avoid blowing his cover, he had no choice but to act as if this was all new to him, feigning curiosity towards the scenery of Shushan.

Bi Sheng wasn’t surprised by Qiu Changtian’s response—after all, the Sect Leader had said to “take him around”—and so she turned and said,

“Fellow Daoist Qiu, please follow me.”

Leaving the Ancestral Master Hall, they rode their sword lights across the Sky Edge Square and flew onward. Bi Sheng led the way, explaining,

“Although the influence of our Shushan does not stretch as far and wide as the two-thousand-mile span of the Kunlun Mountain Range, our domain is also vast, reaching from Micang Mountain in the north to Daliang Mountain in the south, encompassing nearly a thousand miles.”

“The Various Peaks within Shushan are often named for their color, shape, or associated elements, such as Red Sun Peak, Green Bamboo Peak, Ziyun Peak, and so on.”

“The one exception is Mount Emei, the location of our ancestral Ancestral Master Hall, the traditional dwelling of the Sect Leader lineage.”

The Sect Leader lineage… Qiu Changtian pondered.

He had heard from Lin Duanshan and Guan Shanyue that, though it appeared the Jade Capital Sect Leader held the highest position in the Shushan Shangqing Faction, there was actually another figure looming above—Long Eyebrow Immortal.

According to the Kunlun Mirror, the Heaven-Mending Stone was carried by Long Eyebrow Immortal, who resided deep within the Demon Locking Tower beneath Thunder Hole Flat, which itself was situated within the bounds of Mount Emei.

This meant that Long Eyebrow Immortal must have a very close connection with the Sect Leader lineage residing on Mount Emei… and it might be reasonably inferred that each generation’s Sect Leader appointment was likely subject to Long Eyebrow Immortal’s approval.

In the Immortal Cultivation World, the lifespan of immortals could match the heavens themselves.

Having stayed in Shushan for at least ten thousand years, Long Eyebrow Immortal’s influence and control over the entire sect, regardless of his terrifying power, must have been profound.

Whether Qiu Changtian chose to seize the Heaven-Mending Stone overtly or scheme to attain it covertly, success seemed improbable; he felt that revealing himself to Ah Jing might be a more feasible approach.