Unsheathed

The person wearing a snow-white mask and dressed in black robes continued to stand on the surface of the water as he glanced at the distribution of corpses on the battlefield. He then started to review the sword immortal’s conflict with the cavalrymen in his mind.

There was one small matter that he needed to confirm.

By the looks of it, however, he could already bring this matter to a close.

If they had come across such a deadly Golden Core Tier sword immortal in normal circumstances, then their unpreparedness would mean that it was only a matter of time before they were killed. Indeed, it would be a reflection of the sword immortal’s benevolence if one or two of them were able to flee with their lives.

However, as critically important as one’s cultivation base and immortal treasures were during a battle between cultivators, these matters weren’t absolutely decisive factors. In any case, one’s combat power couldn’t be taken as a simple addition of their cultivation base and their immortal treasures.

The assassin standing on the surface of the water nodded at the assassin who had been gathering the souls of the deceased cavalrymen this entire time.

The latter stood up and started to stride around and form hand seals as he silently recited a mantra in his mind.

Chen Ping’an, who was caught inside the shrinking formation, surprisingly stumbled at this moment. His shoulder trembled, and he surprisingly needed to exert a great amount of effort to slightly lift his right hand. Looking down, the veins in his palm were already filled with crawling black threads.

It was as if his entire arm had been restrained.

Chen Ping’an clenched his hand and shook his fist, yet he was still unable to shake away the crawling pitch-black threads.

At the same time, the burly assassin grabbed his gigantic bow and drew it until it was full like the moon.

The assassin standing on the surface of the stream smiled faintly and asked, “Why do people need to hold incense sticks with their left hands when entering Buddhist temples? This is because they’ve killed too many living beings with their right hands, making it unsuitable for offering incense to Buddha. It’s extremely difficult for ordinary cultivators to witness this paramount technique, and if we weren’t afraid of unexpected circumstances, we would have actually used this Buddhist mystical ability to target you straight away.”

A dazzling arrow whistled through the air.

Chen Ping’an caught the arrow with his left hand, yet the momentum of the arrow was so great that he was forced to turn his head to avoid being struck. Fist aura erupted from his left hand, shattering the arrow and letting it fall to the ground.

The formation beneath Chen Ping’an’s feet continued to shrink, eventually transforming into countless rays of thin light that started to climb up like living vines. They were like a Dao net as they instantly enveloped his entire body.

Meanwhile, the brawny man continued to draw his bow, yet all six of his arrows were swatted aside by Chen Ping’an. Elsewhere, the assassin standing atop the stream remained unmoving as he unleashed a ferocious ray of sword light.

Chen Ping’an surprisingly grabbed the deadly flying sword with his left hand.

The flying sword of a sword cultivator at the pinnacle level of the Dragon Gate Tier was still a flying sword, and this was disregarding the fact that the sharpness of this flying sword was already no inferior to the flying swords of ordinary Golden Core Tier sword cultivators.

Chen Ping’an needed to block and imprison the flying sword, so even though he dodged slightly, he was still struck in the left shoulder by an arrow, with the arrow continuing to fly away with incredible might even after fully piercing through his shoulder. This was a clear reflection of the immortal arrow’s might as well as the burly assassin’s outstanding arm strength.

Chen Ping’an’s right hand was immobilized by a mystical ability, and his left shoulder had now suffered a severe wound as well. In addition to this, he was also being suppressed by the talismanic formation of the short assassin, with his soul trembling as a result. In other words, this sword immortal in azure was definitely unable to fight back at this moment.

Tears streamed down Sui Jingcheng’s face as she furiously smacked the Sword Nurturing Gourd and shouted, “Hurry up and rescue your owner! You need to at least try!”

However, the Sword Nurturing Gourd by her waist remained silent and unmoving.

Sui Jingcheng wasn’t cowardly and afraid of death, and she wasn’t unwilling to charge forward on her horse. Rather, she knew that she would only put the senior sword immortal in more danger if she recklessly charged onto the battlefield.

She started to detest her cold and emotionless observations.

Sui Jingcheng gritted her teeth and squeezed the belly of her horse with her legs, retrieving her three golden hairpins as her horse galloped toward the battlefield. The worst-case scenario was her dying before the senior sword immortal, but that would perhaps allow him to focus better and not need to worry about her. In turn, this would allow him to kill his enemies and break free.

Drenched in blood and with his soul being tortured, Chen Ping’an shook his left hand and threw away the flying sword that was about to break free from his control. He smiled faintly and asked, “Is this all? Do you not have any other trump cards?”

The assassin who had immobilized Chen Ping’an’s right hand using a Buddhist mystical ability exclaimed in a solemn voice, “Something isn’t right! How can a living person remain so indifferent to such torturous pain?”

Chen Ping’an lowered his right arm, allowing the talismanic formation to fully envelop his body.

He strode forward and vanished from the spot.

He was going to kill the formation cultivator first.

This was something that Mao Xiaodong had repeatedly warned him about following the extremely perilous battle in the capital of the Great Sui Nation.

The short formation cultivator was clearly aware of his own importance.

He immediately fled through the ground.

The flying sword of the assassin standing atop the stream and the arrow of the burly assassin arrived at the spot in front of the short formation cultivator at almost the exact same moment.

However, the sword immortal in azure didn’t appear near the short formation cultivator, and he instead quietly shifted five or six steps to the side, grabbing the neck of the female assassin with his hand and lifting her up into the air. The female assassin was killed immediately, with her soul instantly obliterated by the overwhelming astral energy flowing through Chen Ping’an’s hand.

Chen Ping’an threw the corpse of the female assassin toward the arrow before stomping his foot and causing the entire earth to shudder.

There was a muffled groan as the short formation cultivator burst out from the ground and appeared behind the burly assassin. Chen Ping’an casually waved a hand and destroyed the Sword Suppressing Talisman as well as the several yellow paper talismans.

He then vanished from the spot again.

He launched a single punch and crushed the chest of the burly assassin in black, despite the latter wearing a suit of Dew Armor.

Chen Ping’an’s left hand penetrated all the way through to the back of the burly man’s body, and his fingers were in the perfect position to grab the short formation cultivator’s face, popping his head with a squeeze.

The assassin standing atop the stream sighed upon seeing this, putting away his flying sword and rapidly melting into the water.

Only the Qi refiner, who was able to immobilize a cultivator’s arms depending on how many living beings the cultivator had killed, remained. However, his body limply crumpled to the ground as his soul transformed into wisps of azure smoke that fled into the surroundings.

First and Fifteenth rushed forward together, quickly evaporating the wisps of azure smoke.

Chen Ping’an’s right arm was still hanging by his side, and his shoulder trembled slightly as he stumbled forward. However, he was still able to arrive atop the stream in just two steps, standing in the spot where the assassin in back had vanished. Sword Immortal was already in his hand, and he thrust down into the water.

There was an explosion in the stream, throwing towering waves into the sky.

Near the mountain peak, a figure leaning against the cliff face suddenly leaped up and transformed into a streak of light that raced away.

Chen Ping’an released his grip, allowing Sword Immortal to draw a long golden arc in the sky as it rushed after the fleeing assassin.

Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an narrowed his eyes and observed his surroundings.

First and Fifteenth returned to Chen Ping’an’s body through two different acupoints.

In the end, Chen Ping’an’s gaze landed on a stone cliff on the opposite bank. He slowly walked over and mused, “Do you truly think I’m a three-year-old infant? You shouldn’t have released your flying sword, and you genuinely might have been able to flee.”

The assassin wearing a white mask and dressed in black robes immediately dashed out from within the stone cliff.

Their flying swords exchanged attacks.

Chen Ping’an guarded his chest with his left hand, and the tip of the flying sword between his two fingers was only millimeters away from penetrating his heart.

On the other side, the assassin’s glabella had already been penetrated by First and Fifteenth.

The flying sword between Chen Ping’an’s fingers instantly lost its radiance and luster, no longer possessing any spirit or sword qi.

He rapidly launched the flying sword forward.

The assassin was still hanging on by a thread, but he knew that death was already inevitable. He chose to end his own life, blowing up all of his critical acupoints and not leaving a single trace.

Chen Ping’an jumped backward, floating over the stream and landing on the opposite bank. He put away his two flying swords and dispersed the chaotic ripples with a single punch.

Sword Immortal flew back from the distance.

Chen Ping’an caught the pseudo-celestial sword with his left hand, stabbing it into the ground and leaning against it as he took a deep breath. He then turned his head and spat out a mouthful of thick blood.

Sui Jingcheng’s horse galloped over, after which she immediately dismounted and looked at the senior sword immortal.

Chen Ping’an looked at her and said, “I’m okay.”

Sui Jingcheng blinked her eyes, and Chen Ping’an chuckled, “They don’t have any more trump cards or backup plans.”

Tears finally streamed down Sui Jingcheng’s face at this moment. She looked at the blood-soaked sword immortal in azure and sobbed, “Didn’t you say the battlefields have their own rules and the cultivation world has its own rules? Why did you get involved in these outside matters? This bloody battle wouldn’t have taken place if you hadn’t chosen to get involved in these outside matters…”

Chen Ping’an squatted down beside the stream and used his left hand to scoop up a handful of water to wash his face. With Sword Immortal resting upright beside him, he gazed at the stream that was once again flowing in a serene manner, replying in a calm voice, “I mentioned this to you before. What’s the reason for speaking complicated reasons and principles? It’s for the sake of more easily throwing punches and unleashing sword strikes.”

Sui Jingcheng squatted beside him, placing her cheeks in her hands as she sobbed quietly.

“You should count yourself lucky,” Chen Ping’an said. “Take a look around and see if you can find any immortal treasures nearby or on the corpses of the assassins.”

Sui Jingcheng smiled through her sobs, and she wiped away her tears before standing up and running away to search for the spoils of battle.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, the two steeds left the mountain valley the way that they had come, making their way back to the village that had been ravaged by the cavalrymen.

Chen Ping’an’s body gently swayed back and forth as he sat on his horse, and his right arm had already slowly regained feeling.

Sui Jingcheng’s expression was much more cheerful than before as she asked, “Why are we returning to the village, Senior?”

“To give those residents a complete corpse in death,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Sui Jingcheng nodded earnestly upon hearing this.

However, she immediately felt a slight sense of guilt afterward.

“There’s no need to feel guilty,” Chen Ping’an said slowly. “Human power has its limit, and this is similar to how your father wasn’t fundamentally incorrect by choosing inaction in the pavilion. There’s no need to ask too much of a bystander. For some people, however, the gulf between not being incorrect and living up to one’s own conscience is like the gulf between heaven and earth. Sui Jingcheng, I feel like you can have a clear conscience. Remember, it’s normal for people to feel powerless against certain challenges and calamities, but if you manage to survive, then you don’t need to feel too guilty afterward. Otherwise, you’ll eventually suffer a mental breakdown.”

Sui Jingcheng hesitated for a moment before turning around and asking, “Senior, even though you made some small gains, you did become severely wounded in the process. Do you not feel any regret?”

Chen Ping’an raised his left hand and pointed behind himself, replying, “You should pose this question to them.”

Sui Jingcheng didn’t turn around to gaze in the direction that the senior sword immortal was pointing in. Instead, she continued to dazedly stare at Chen Ping’an.

They arrived at the small village.

Evening became late night, which eventually became early morning.

The two steeds slowly left the village and continued to travel north.

Sui Jingcheng remained silent for a long time, and only when she saw the senior sword immortal grabbing his Sword Nurturing Gourd and taking a swig of wine did she finally ask, “Senior, why have you been willing to teach me so much during this trip?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and sidestepped her question, asking, “What do you think about the character of Sweeping Villa’s Senior Wang Dun?”

“He’s a very good person,” Sui Jingcheng replied.

“And what do you think about Senior Wang Dun’s disciples?” Chen Ping’an asked.

“Even though I’m not familiar with the true personalities of those three people, they appeared to be fairly decent, at the very least,” Sui Jingcheng replied.

Chen Ping’an nodded and asked, “Then have you considered the influence of Wang Dun? Is he truly nothing more than the villa master of Sweeping Villa? Just how much is the cultivation world and the entire existence of the Five Mountain Nation affected by Wang Dun?”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “So I’m thinking, after the Sui Clan of the Five Mountain Nation gains a cultivator in the future — even if she won’t be staying at the Sui Clan very often — and after this cultivator replaces Old Assistant Minister Sui Xinyu or the next nominal clan leader, becoming the true backbone and decision-maker of the Sui Clan, will she allow the Sui Clan to genuinely live up to its reputation as a pure and righteous clan?”

Sui Jingcheng continued to gaze at the senior sword immortal.

“I feel like there’s a good chance,” Chen Ping’an said to himself.

In the end, he smiled faintly and continued, “I have Downtrodden Mountain, and you have the Sui Clan. A person shouldn’t become too delusional and self-important, but a person shouldn’t become too humble and self-deprecating either. It’s very difficult for us to make big changes to the world in a short amount of time, but we are indeed changing the world at every single moment.”

Sui Jingcheng nodded in response.

A short moment passed, and Chen Ping’an turned around with a seemingly puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong, Senior?” Sui Jingcheng asked in confusion.

Chen Ping’an shook his head and put away his Sword Nurturing Gourd, replying, “You naturally did very well when you were charging forward to seek death before, but let me tell you something very ordinary and boring. If someone desires death yet chooses to live on through suffering for the sake of someone else, forcing themselves to endure lasting pain, then this is a very praiseworthy matter. Not everyone will necessarily be able to understand this, but don’t let the misunderstanding of other people become a burden on your mind.”

Sui Jingcheng suddenly flushed bright red and asked loudly, “Senior, am I allowed to like you?!”

Chen Ping’an remained calm and unfazed as he replied, “Allowed to like me? That’s completely up to you. However, I won’t ever like you, not in that way.”

Sui Jingcheng felt a huge sense of relief as she smiled and beamed, “That’s okay!”

Chen Ping’an seemingly recalled something cheerful, with his smile growing very wide. He didn’t turn around, but he raised his thumb at Sui Jingcheng who was riding beside him and remarked, “You have fairly good taste.”