Wan La!
This is a serious problem!
Jingchen Layperson and Iron Qin Daoist both felt a deep sense of foreboding.
Daoming and Qin Qin rushed over as if chasing after the stars and moon.
Xu Muxue floated leisurely in midair.
Just moments ago, her tail suddenly burst into flames, blasting her far, far away.
Fortunately, she quickly mastered a new skill and extinguished her tail again.
But during her flight, she accidentally passed over the Inviting Spirit Array, and her tail thruster inadvertently ignited the array’s spiritual fuse.
And then the array activated on its own~
It really wasn’t Xu Muxue’s fault at all☆
Meanwhile, a sneaky figure slipped out from a secret chamber.
That figure was Shen Qinghan.
With such a commotion outside, even the two Nascent Soul Cultivators from the two sects were drawn away—how could Shen Qinghan not take the opportunity to slip away?
The Binding Spirit Shackle on her wrist was troublesome for ordinary cultivators, but Shen Qinghan was clearly no ordinary cultivator.
“…Sword Summon!”
This was a move taught by Xu Mu himself. Xu Muxue had even used it during the sword trial competition that day, but Shen Qinghan rarely used this technique.
Because the key to this move was that you had to shout, “Sword Summon.”
Shen Qinghan found that terribly embarrassing.
But with things as they were, she no longer cared about such things.
Most spiritual swords require mana to wield, but when Xu Mu forged the Qingyue Sword, he embedded a sliver of Shen Qinghan’s soul into the sword.
This allowed her to control the Qingyue Sword using her divine sense alone.
With Shen Qinghan’s shout of “Sword Summon,” the Qingyue Sword flew back from the Zen Sect’s internal treasure vault.
Its sword light flickered lightly, and the pitch-black shackle shattered into two halves.
Feeling the overflowing energy spread throughout her body again, Shen Qinghan clenched her fist, her heart filling with joy, quickly replaced by endless worry.
Jingchen Layperson did not hide the two sects’ intentions. As a Nascent Soul Cultivator in reserve, Shen Qinghan could somewhat guess their thoughts.
If the two sects truly stole the Sword Sect’s spiritual vein, the Sword Sect would fall into ruin.
The Sword Sect was entrusted to her by Xu Mu. Although he ruthlessly abandoned her, she could not bring herself to abandon the entire Sword Sect.
If the Sword Sect was lost, then the last connection between Xu Mu and herself would be severed.
Shen Qinghan raised her hand, gripping the Qingyue Sword tightly, and pressed her thin cherry lips together.
She decided to try.
She knew very well that with her late Jiedan cultivation, facing two Nascent Soul Cultivators was like an ant trying to stop a cart.
But if she didn’t go, there would be no one else.
If she could destroy the loud array, that would be best; if not, then so be it.
Maybe her ruthless Master was watching her all along, and if she really got into danger, he would come to save her… just kidding.
Suddenly, she recalled Qin Qin’s words: “You, Shen Qinghan, are still not the Sect Leader yet.”
Indeed, the hard requirement to become Sword Sect Sect Master was to be a Nascent Soul Cultivator.
In the past, whenever there was a crisis, it was always Xu Mu who bore the burden.
Every time the danger was averted, every time things went smoothly, Shen Qinghan watched it all and had become used to it.
But now that the responsibility had truly fallen onto her shoulders, she felt its weight.
If only I were a bit smarter… if only I were a Nascent Soul Cultivator.
Shen Qinghan gave a bitter smile, shook her head, and transformed into a fleeing light, flying toward the Inviting Spirit Array.
***
In front of the Inviting Spirit Array, four people looked at each other in confusion.
“Qin Daoist, why did the Inviting Spirit Array activate so quickly? Could it be that you’ve already found the Sect Master Command Token of the Sword Sect?”
“That’s something I want to ask you two seniors as well. The entire array was flawless, but why is the final segment so badly laid out that it somehow activated on its own?”
Qin Qin frowned slightly but remained respectful.
Facing two Nascent Soul Cultivators, even with the clan’s escape measures in hand, she dared not be careless.
The two Nascent Soul Cultivators were stunned by Qin Qin’s words, their divine senses probing the array.
Sure enough, the final layer of the array was in chaos, completely contradicting the array diagram.
The strangest thing was that despite all the errors, the many mistakes combined somehow barely sustained the array’s operation.
Whoever laid this last section of the array, unless extremely lucky, must be a kind of genius.
“Xu Muxue… you sly fox…” Jingchen Layperson ground her teeth.
“Was it really that little fox?”
Qin Qin’s face darkened like still water. “Where is she now?”
“Give me back my egg!!”
Daoming howled to the sky.
“What are you guys talking about?”
Iron Qin Daoist looked completely bewildered.
At that moment, a streak of light descended from the sky, revealing a graceful figure—Shen Qinghan.
The four all turned, their eight eyes fixed sharply on her.
“Uh, maybe you should discuss this a bit longer?”
Shen Qinghan tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Why are there four of you here!
Though two Nascent Soul Cultivators were already overwhelming, and two more didn’t really make a difference, she still hoped she wouldn’t die too embarrassingly…
“Shen Qinghan? How did you escape?”
Jingchen Layperson’s brows knitted.
“I escaped, so why ask more?”
Shen Qinghan shook her head and raised her sword horizontally before her.
“Shen Qinghan, are you out of your mind?” Qin Qin sneered. “Two Nascent Soul Cultivators, two peak Jiedan cultivators with strength comparable to yours—and you still want to fight? Do you really think you’re some sort of chosen one?”
“I never thought I was special. But since I’m in this position, I have things I must do.”
Suddenly, a powerful spiritual whirlwind exploded within the Inviting Spirit Array.
Shen Qinghan’s clothes whipped violently in the wind. Amid the storm, her slender figure looked impossibly resolute.
“Stop pretending to be some upright gentleman—you’re better off going to hell early and reuniting with that trash Master of yours!”
Qin Qin was furious, drawing her long sword from her waist and darting at Shen Qinghan like lightning.
Daoming hurried to intervene, but he was just a moment too slow.
Shen Qinghan merely glanced at her coldly, turned sideways, and deftly dodged the sword.
Then she channeled spiritual energy to her feet and, ignoring Qin Qin, ghosted toward the array.
“Not good! She’s going to destroy the array—stop her!”
Daoming shouted, launching a punch at Shen Qinghan.
The punch carried the roars of dragons and tigers, a devastating force pressing down on her.
Shen Qinghan swung her sword; the astounding moonlight cut through the sword force, slashing Daoming away.
She stepped forward several paces— the array was right before her.
Her heart leapt.
The two flickering stone pillars at the array’s core were clearly the center.
If she could destroy them, the array should collapse on its own.
However, just as she was about to unleash her full power, a piercing melody suddenly sounded.
Her mind shook violently; the Qingyue Sword clanged onto the ground.
A huge golden handprint grasped Shen Qinghan and lifted her into the air.
Facing two Nascent Soul Cultivators above like divine gods, Shen Qinghan’s heart sank to the bottom.
The golden hand’s grip tightened.
She sighed deeply and closed her eyes.
But the expected pain never came.
The golden handprint suddenly ignited with faint pink flames, which were instantly refined into nothingness.
Yet the flames did not harm Shen Qinghan in the slightest.
She flickered, retrieved the Qingyue Sword, and looked up at the sky.
“This is burning hot, burning hot! Hey, you two old geezers down there, listen carefully—if my tail hairs get burned off, I’ll make your Nascent Souls go down with it!”