Lu Xiaochan was surprised. He tapped Mo Qianqiu’s shoulder from behind and asked quietly, “I remember… you were supposed to fly by sword to Wuyi Jingtian! But you didn’t make it…”
Mo Qianqiu remained silent and just pressed Lu Xiaochan’s head.
“Then what did you do?” Mo Qianqiu’s voice remained cold.
“Hahaha! Hahaha!” Haofu suddenly burst into loud laughter.
His laughter was desolate – it wasn’t clear if he was mocking life’s impermanence or himself.
“Lord Chunning asked me if Pavilion Master Qianqiu had gone to Wuyi Jingtian? If that bastard Mo Qianqiu was dead?”
Hatred filled Haofu’s eyes as he clutched his chest and said, “She made me publicly hurt the person I cared about most! After I survived that ordeal, she still insulted me to my face! I want her life!”
In that moment, Lu Xiaochan saw another black, crazed, and murderous shadow within Haofu’s body. It was howling and struggling, trying to control Haofu’s body to kill everyone it wanted dead!
Was it… Demon Lord Luli…
So this was actually Demon Lord Luli’s true form, which had been inside Xiyuan Sword Master Haofu’s body all along.
The Sword Master being possessed didn’t happen overnight – this body was almost completely possessed by Demon Lord Luli!
“You didn’t kill Lord Chunning, did you? I haven’t heard news of her for a long time. For such a major event as selecting the next Sword Master, she wasn’t present despite being your junior sister.”
“You want to know what happened to her? That day I wanted to take her life, but my master used his last bit of strength to save her. If Master hadn’t indulged her, how would Lord Chunning have dared to falsely accuse you? So right in front of Master, I used my spiritual energy to slash her face, one cut at a time!”
Lu Xiaochan felt chilled to the bone hearing this.
Wounds inflicted by spiritual energy could not heal unless one’s cultivation level exceeded the attacker’s.
Haofu’s cultivation level was far above Lord Chunning’s at that time, so her face would never heal – the wounds would only get worse and more festering.
He had heard of Haofu’s reputation – though inflexible and conservative, he was upright and just, one of the few gentlemen in the sword sect.
But… why was his resentment so deep?
“So… the previous Xiyuan Sword Master didn’t die from the possessed Yang Cang, but was angered to death by you.” Mo Qianqiu spoke.
“Yes! He tried to stop me with his sword, but the sword energy only grazed my face and struck Lord Chunning instead! Hahaha!”
Haofu threw his head back in laughter.
The previous Xiyuan Sword Master’s sword energy was the reason for Haofu’s disfigured right face.
The events that followed, without Haofu having to say them, both Lu Xiaochan and Mo Qianqiu could guess.
What happened after Haofu returned to Xiyuan could be simply explained as: Xiyuan Sword Master had exhausted his essence in the Immortal-Demon war and perished on the way back.
He naturally inherited the position of Sword Master, and Lord Chunning also died, so no one knew what had really happened.
As for when Haofu became possessed, it could be traced back to Wuyi Jingtian.
He had witnessed Yang Cang’s “Question Heaven” sword formation firsthand, felt the overwhelming killing intent of the Wuyi Sword Sea entering the formation, and when he was exhausted and wounded in body and mind, he was enraged by Lord Chunning. His killing intent attracted Demon Lord Luli, and unable to resist the Demon Lord’s temptation, he gave in to himself and became possessed.
“When I was still the Xiyuan Sword Master’s disciple, everyone said I would be the future Xiyuan Sword Master, so I had to be righteous and decisive, setting an example for the Xiyuan Sword Sect! So when people said my beloved was unruly, I had to punish him! When they said my beloved disrespected Xiyuan, I had to banish him! I told myself, once I became the Xiyuan Sword Master, I would make them pay in blood one by one!”
“So you drew in the demonic energy from the Demon Capital and turned Chongluan Palace into a Soul Refining Cauldron. The Xiyuan Sword Master selection was just bait – those who could enter Chongluan Palace all had strong cultivation. But once they entered, they fell into the Soul Refining Cauldron!” Mo Qianqiu clenched his fists.
Haofu looked at him with a slight smile. “Why are you so worried? Didn’t I have Zhaolan lead you out? Whoever else I might refine, I couldn’t bear to refine you. But the person behind you – I must have his life! His elixir core contains the karmic fires of Chaos!”
Mo Qianqiu blocked with his sword and said coldly, “You want his life? Unless I die first—”
Haofu suddenly grabbed Mo Qianqiu’s neck, lifted him up, and started laughing.
“Qianqiu, there are no living beings here. Are you trying to save him with your own soul? If you die and your spirit is extracted, what use would that be?”
Mo Qianqiu’s hand still hadn’t lowered his sword, just coldly staring at Haofu.
Haofu also stared straight at Mo Qianqiu, his expression gradually turning gloomy. “You despise me.”
“Yes, I do,” Mo Qianqiu replied.
“You’re still the same as before, never telling a lie, not even bothering to avoid offense. Even if it means offending everyone in the world, you’ll still be yourself. One thousand three hundred years ago, you were the one who challenged Lord Chunning. Today, one thousand three hundred years later, I challenge you. We don’t need the Immortal Inquiry Platform, nor do we need spectators! We only need Lord Liche to witness!”
Haofu threw Mo Qianqiu away, and Lu Xiaochan quickly caught him.
Mo Qianqiu said quietly, “You should leave quickly, I’ll hold him back.”
“Leave my ass! He just wants me to watch you get killed by him!”
Lu Xiaochan looked at Haofu and shouted, “People should live with understanding, and even die with understanding! Tell me, how did I offend you! You want to kill Mo Qianqiu in front of me just to make me suffer, right?”
“Because he keeps the breath you exhaled close to him!”
Haofu stepped forward, and a sword formation blast sent Lu Xiaochan and Mo Qianqiu flying far away.
Fortunately, the Wuhen Sword protected them and the sword formation was triggered instantly, otherwise Lu Xiaochan would have been reduced to ashes while holding Mo Qianqiu!
“If I’m going to die, I don’t want to die with you!”
Blood seeped from between Lu Xiaochan’s fingers as he gripped his sword.
He really needed a good sword hilt to cushion the spiritual shock.
“Because when he rushed to Wuyi Jingtian, it wasn’t to see me, but to save you!”
Haofu sent another sword formation blast their way, and Lu Xiaochan again formed a formation to defend, but this time, his wrists were almost shattered!
“Because he shed tears for your death, yet wouldn’t spare me a single glance!”
Haofu’s Zhongxiao sword power came crashing down, and Lu Xiaochan pushed out the Tailing Zhenyuan, the great waters entered the formation, the Yuan Ze sword formation opened, but instead of clashing head-on with the Zhongxiao sword formation, it attached itself to it, like vast ocean waters accepting the force of mountain rocks crumbling. The massive spiritual pressure made both Lu Xiaochan and Mo Qianqiu raise their arms to shield their faces.
“So after all this time! You’re just jealous and resentful!” Lu Xiaochan shouted, grabbing Mo Qianqiu’s collar and yelling, “Disciple—teach this madman a lesson! Accept his challenge! I want to see with my own eyes that even if Xiyuan Sword Master has become possessed, he’s still no match for you, Mo Qianqiu!”
“Are you crazy?” Mo Qianqiu grabbed Lu Xiaochan, his eyes wide.
“Not crazy. Who says you have no power to borrow in the Hopeless land?”
Lu Xiaochan patted Mo Qianqiu’s shoulder.
“What can I borrow? With my cultivation level, I can’t borrow Haofu’s spirit! And you want to watch? Watch me get blasted to ashes by him?”
“Turn around,” Lu Xiaochan said.
“Turn around?” Mo Qianqiu turned, and immediately got hit on the back of his head by Lu Xiaochan.
“Why are you so stupid? So, so stupid? Am I not a living person?”
As soon as Lu Xiaochan said this, Mo Qianqiu’s eyes widened, and he grabbed Lu Xiaochan’s shoulders.
“What nonsense are you talking about! Even if I were to borrow my own spirit, I wouldn’t use yours!”
Haofu lowered his head and smiled sinisterly, “Indeed, because in Mo Qianqiu’s view, your life is more important than his own. If he borrowed your spirit, and I broke the sword formation, your spirit would be destroyed, and you would never wake up again—how could he bear that?”
Lu Xiaochan glanced at Mo Qianqiu, who said coldly, “Still not getting lost? Who asked you to step in and fight on my behalf without permission?”
“Haofu became possessed because you would grieve for me, yet could bear never seeing him again. So today’s battle is not just between you and Haofu. Mo Qianqiu, I trust you,” Lu Xiaochan said.
“You trust me? Trust me with what? Haofu has first-level great power cultivation, while I can only borrow power.”
“Then borrow my spirit and enter the great power realm,” Lu Xiaochan said.
“What did you say?”
“I willingly lend my spirit to you. Mo Qianqiu, whether it’s a thousand or ten thousand years, you and I fighting side by side might only have this one chance. I’ll protect you with my spirit, and you’ll charge into the great power realm to save me – dare you or not?”
“Aren’t you afraid of never waking up?” Mo Qianqiu asked.
“I am afraid. Because I still want to see my Brother Wuxi. But you’re Mo Qianqiu! What makes one willing to die and forget death isn’t just love, but also righteousness! If you hold righteousness towards me in your heart, then you must destroy the Luli within Haofu!”
Mo Qianqiu closed his eyes, suddenly remembering when he flew his sword straight up to Wuyi Jingtian, watching helplessly as Liche was consumed by the karmic fires of Chaos and reduced to ashes.
He cried for the first time then, feeling for the first time that everything he trusted, cared about, all his joy and freedom, had also been burned away by the karmic fires of Chaos.
For over one thousand three hundred years, though his lips smiled, his heart never smiled again.
I too have an obsession.
Because in the past, my abilities were limited, you flew too high and too far, and I couldn’t save you.
This time, you’re right by my side, and I will save you.
“Haofu, today I will fight you! Whether we live or die, this ends here between us!”
Mo Qianqiu gripped the Qianqiu sword, rotating his wrist and pointing the sword tip.
His heart was like solid rock, unwavering.
“Qianqiu, then let’s feel the pain one more time.” Haofu revealed a fierce expression.
The Zhongxiao sword formation rose from the ground, drawing in all the power of mountains and earth into the formation.
Sand and stones flew, the earth shook and mountains trembled.
Even Chongluan Palace was shaking violently, and people were panicking, not knowing what was happening.
Mo Qianqiu took a breath, looked back at Lu Xiaochan, and smiled. “Scared yet?”
The Zhongxiao sword formation continued to condense, covering the sky and earth, almost spanning the entire Xiyuan chasm.
“I’m afraid—afraid you’ll cry again, you big fool!”
The Qianqiu sword swept out, and Lu Xiaochan felt his soul leaving his body, but it wasn’t painful. On the contrary, the Qianqiu sword had no killing intent; it showed mercy to all beings and held protective thoughts.
Actually, when the Qianqiu sword borrowed the spirits of all things, conversely, all things borrowed the Qianqiu sword to protect themselves.
