Chapter 145: Rebellious Disciple

Ruan Dajiang, being a rogue cultivator and having emerged from the chaotic Jianghu, usually maintained a constant state of vigilance.

However, as he conversed with Li Guanxuan and Hua Yangyang today, he frequently wore a hearty smile, drinking heartily with his companions.

Seeing this, Ling Jiansheng’s expression grew gloomy.

He had previously shown goodwill toward Ruan Dajiang, only to be politely and tactfully rebuffed, after which Ruan turned to Li Guanxuan and Hua Yangyang to find a way out of his predicament. Was he truly inferior to Li Guanxuan in every way?

Yet, with so many people present, even though jealousy gnawed at his heart, Ling Jiansheng could not vent it and was forced to sit alone, drinking in sullen silence.

As a Golden Core true person and Hua Bo—who was on the verge of stepping into the mid-Golden Core stage—he had long since taken in every face at the birthday banquet with a single sweeping glance.

He had also heard rumors of the grudge between Ling Jiansheng and Li Guanxuan.

It stemmed from nothing more than Ling Jiansheng being the most talented swordsman of the Bright Moon Sword Sect, yet suffering defeat at the hands of a banished scion of the Sword Immortal Li family, leaving him harboring a deep, unyielding resentment.

Now that he had broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage, Ling Jiansheng naturally wished to steady his state of mind and face Li Guanxuan in a direct duel to settle their old scores.

"Master Li, what is your view on the current conflict between the Bright Moon Sword Sect and the three demonic sects?"

At that moment, a pseudo-Core true person looked toward Li Guanxuan and asked with a smile.

Hearing this, Li Guanxuan paused slightly.

He recognized the man, as Hua Yangyang had previously introduced him.

This pseudo-Core true person was named Sha Yutao, a quasi-third-rank alchemist and also an elder of the Dan Ding Sect.

Li Guanxuan smiled and said, "Li has always refrained from participating in sect conflicts, nor do I care to gossip idly about them. I hope Senior will forgive my reticence."

Sha Yutao replied, "As far as I know, Master Li resides in Silver Maple City and enjoys a very close relationship with the demonic cultivator Cao Feng. Back when the Ink Pavilion and the Thunder Fire Sect besieged the city, it was the demonic cultivator Cao Feng who desperately risked his life to protect you.

"Moreover, not long ago, Master Li traveled deep into the Hundred Thousand Mountains, seemingly to assist the demon Chen Yinshan in forming his Core..."

Saying this, Sha Yutao glanced at Qin Jiyue and added pointedly, "One of Master Li’s wives also appears to be a demonic sword cultivator."

Upon hearing someone bring this matter up, many sect cultivators and rogue cultivators alike cast their gazes toward Li Guanxuan.

After all, the fact that Li Guanxuan had assisted a demon in forming its Core had indeed made many human cultivators deeply uncomfortable in their hearts.

Everyone wanted to see how Li Guanxuan intended to explain himself.

Li Guanxuan收起笑容 (fading his smile), his gaze turning serious as he stared fixedly at Sha Yutao. He replied calmly, "Although City Lord Cao is a demonic cultivator, he has always advocated for 'coexistence between the two races.' I believe everyone here is well aware of that.

"As for why I went to the Hundred Thousand Mountains: firstly, to slay Sang Shaoxian and repay a portion of my debt of gratitude to City Lord Cao; secondly, to help my brother Chen Yinshan form his Core..."

At this, a wave of commotion rippled through the banquet.

Unflustered, Li Guanxuan smiled and looked toward Hua Bo.

"Everyone, quiet down."

Hua Bo’s voice, imbued with spiritual power, echoed endlessly through the grand hall, deafening in its intensity.

The crowd immediately quieted down, overcome with a sense of awe and restraint.

Sha Yutao stood up and cupped his hands toward Hua Bo, bowing to express his apology.

Hua Bo cast a placid glance at him; alchemists of the Dan Ding Sect were indeed invariably arrogant and prone to looking down on others.

"Master Li, please continue." Hua Bo raised his hand slightly.

Li Guanxuan nodded and said, "The demon you speak of was once, just like me, a lowly rogue cultivator living in the slums of Qing'an City.

"To improve their lives and raise their cultivation levels, he and his beloved, Zhao Guili, ventured to the outer peripheries of the Hundred Thousand Mountains to hunt beasts and gather herbs. To their dismay, they were waylaid and plundered by scions of the Beast-Taming You family.

"Even after the couple handed over their spiritual herbs, the scions of the Beast-Taming You family refused to let the matter rest, instead toying with the two of them for sport.

"Left with no other choice, Zhao Guili covered Chen Yinshan’s escape, plunging deep into the Hundred Thousand Mountains..."

At this point, Li Guanxuan stared directly at Sha Yutao, his tone level. "May I ask Elder Sha, as a true person, would you dare to venture deep into the Hundred Thousand Mountains?"

Sha Yutao was taken aback, his expression turning somewhat unnatural, but he had no choice than to bite the bullet and reply:

"...I would not."

"Back then, Zhao Guili was only at the third layer of Qi Refining, yet to survive, she still threw herself headfirst into the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains."

Li Guanxuan said calmly, "The outcome was obvious: she was left with only a single breath remaining. Meanwhile, Chen Yinshan, who was at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, returned to Qing'an City to inform me of the event, and the very next day, without a moment's hesitation, he plunged deep into the Hundred Thousand Mountains to search for his wife...

"Later on, he encountered a senior Nascent Soul demonic monarch, who used a wisp of demonic Qi to sustain Zhao Guili’s dwindling life force while bestowing the *Seven Killings Demonic Art* upon Chen Yinshan, telling him that once he forged his Golden Core, gifting it to Zhao Guili would revive her..."

Li Guanxuan raised his wine cup and drained it, his voice ringing with profound resonance:

"Li asks all of you here: faced with such a desperate extremity, would you choose to become a demon, or would you choose to accept the torment of aristocratic family scions and die a helpless death?"

The people present fell silent one after another.

Even Sha Yutao, who had initiated the questioning, now found himself at a loss for words.

Everyone knew well that the Beast-Taming You family had once been a vassal of the Hua family.

Yet in the end, this fence-straddling family had defected to join the ranks of the Thunder Fire Sect.

"There are no monsters or demons here; there is only a person who simply wanted to live on alongside his wife."

Li Guanxuan sighed softly and continued, "As for whether he will ever harm human cultivators, please rest assured: Chen Yinshan is currently only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and although Zhao Guili possesses a Golden Core, she cannot unleash even five percent of its might...

"Furthermore, both of them have long grown weary of the cruelty of the cultivation world. They have now departed for the mortal realm, intending to live out their remaining years in peace, and will never step foot into the world of cultivation again."

With that, Li Guanxuan swept his gaze across everyone's faces, speaking with resolute conviction:

"Fellow Daoists here today, especially the cultivators of the Hua family, I know that you and Chen Yinshan harbored many unpleasantries due to the matter of the Beast-Taming You family. If there is still lingering anger in your hearts...

"I, Li Guanxuan, am willing to take it all upon myself!"

As his words fell, True Person Hua Bo waved his hand and spoke indifferently, "I shall act as a witness. Victory or defeat aside, all past grievances are hereby wiped clean. From this day forward, if anyone dares to bring up 'Chen Yinshan' again, it will be the same as trampling this old face of mine into the dirt."

A Hua family cultivator stepped forward, cupping his hands in a salute.

"Master Li, Chen Yinshan once severely injured my son. If Master Li can take ten moves from me, let this matter be settled once and for all. How does that sound?"

"Please enlighten me."

Li Guanxuan set down his wine cup and drifted gracefully toward the bamboo grove outside the grand hall.

This Hua family cultivator was also at the late Foundation Establishment stage, standing at the eighth layer. Seeing this, he likewise flew toward the bamboo grove.

Spiritual power surged overwhelmingly as the Hua family cultivator unleashed every technique at his disposal.

Yet after ten moves, he still could not inflict even the slightest scratch upon Li Guanxuan. In the end, he had no choice but to cup his hands and bow in resignation:

"My grievance with Chen Yinshan is from this moment scattered like smoke in the wind."

"Many thanks for your understanding, Fellow Daoist."

Li Guanxuan returned the salute, flicking his finger to send out two restorative pills.

The Hua family cultivator was startled, then accepted them with a pleased expression.

With True Person Hua Bo personally acting as a witness, no one dared to renege on their word.

The Hua family cultivator sighed, "Come to think of it, this matter was also of my own doing. If I hadn't insisted on protecting the You family back then, it wouldn't have resulted in my son being severely injured, and in the end... the You family actually threw themselves under the banner of the Thunder Fire Sect. I must have been blind."

Li Guanxuan smiled faintly without offering a reply.

None of the onlookers were fools; they could all tell that Li Guanxuan’s cultivation was immensely powerful, otherwise he could not have taken those ten moves with such effortless ease.

Moreover, Chen Yinshan’s initial trip to Huajing Immortal City had been precisely to settle accounts with the Beast-Taming You family.

Most of the people who held grudges against Chen Yinshan were those who had been closely aligned with the Beast-Taming You family.

Besides, the You family’s subsequent defection to the Thunder Fire Sect... made them one of the indirect culprits behind the downfall of the Hua family.

In the cultivation world, there were not nearly as many people willing to risk their lives for a brother as one might imagine.

Most actions were driven by self-interest, with righteousness merely serving as a convenient pretext.

Li Guanxuan knew well that the Hua family's actions were also an unspoken signal from Hua Bo, letting him know that all these past grievances had been completely written off.

Hua Bo smiled and said, "The fact that my Hua family was able to retake Huajing Immortal City is, truth be told, owing a favor to Master Li’s elder brother. If Master Li ever encounters trouble in the future, you may come find this old man at any time, and I will surely assist you with all my strength."

Hearing this, the cultivators present all fell silent in tacit agreement.

Anyone could see that True Person Hua Bo was throwing his full weight behind Li Guanxuan.

Sha Yutao was also tactful enough to speak up, "It was my previous misunderstanding of Master Li, and I offer my apologies to Master Li here."

With that, Sha Yutao cupped his hands and bowed.

"Elder Sha flatters me."

Li Guanxuan returned the greeting with a smile.

Yet he understood that this was merely a gesture by Sha Yutao to salvage his reputation.

What was pride compared to fundamental interests?

Sha Yutao knew very well that continuing to target Li Guanxuan would only incur the displeasure of True Person Hua Bo.

This was a true person on the cusp of breaking into the mid-Golden Core stage, possessing vast connections and remarkable talent. Who knew what great fortuitous encounter he might stumble upon in the future to break through to the Nascent Soul stage?

However, just when everyone thought the matter had come to a definitive end, Ling Jiansheng stepped forward and spoke up:

"My minor grievances with Chen Yinshan are not worth mentioning. But ever since my breakthrough, I have remained utterly unable to let go of what happened in the Chilian Mountain Range. I still believe my swordsmanship surpasses that of Fellow Daoist...

"Coming out today, I wish to seize this opportunity to exchange a few pointers with Fellow Daoist, adding a bit of lively spirit to Senior Hua's birthday banquet."

Li Guanxuan was slightly taken aback; he had not expected Ling Jiansheng to be stubborn to such a degree.

Qin Jiyue’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she made to step forward, only to be stopped by a single look from Li Guanxuan.

"Fellow Daoist, please make your move."

Li Guanxuan smiled.

Seeing this, Hua Bo glanced at Yu Hongyao, the master of the Bright Moon Sword Sect, and said with a faint smile, "Your sect certainly has someone who loves to contend for supremacy."

Yu Hongyao replied helplessly, "Please forgive him, Fellow Daoist. Swordsmen are, after all, lifelong seekers upon the path of the sword."

Hua Bo chuckled softly and stated bluntly, "The scions of the Sword Immortal Li family are not so easily defeated."

"A banished scion is no different from an abandoned child." Yu Hongyao retorted just as directly.

In her view, Ling Jiansheng’s talent in the Dao of the Sword was unquestionably superior to Li Guanxuan’s.

After all, Li Guanxuan’s true strengths lay in talismans, puppets, and those unfathomable arrays.

Without resorting to those methods, relying solely on swordsmanship, Yu Hongyao believed Li Guanxuan was by no means a match for Ling Jiansheng.

***

Two streams of sword Qi erupted from Ling Jiansheng’s eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, he drew his sword and surged forward, the sword radiance tearing through the firmament as it slashed straight ahead.

Faced with this terrifying sword Qi, Li Guanxuan remained entirely composed. His azure robes snapped in the fierce gale, making him look as though he had melted entirely into the surrounding heaven and earth.

With a beckoning wave of his hand, Li Guanxuan summoned a stalk of bamboo flying toward him.

The sword intent of life and death radiated from within his body—devoid of any murderous aura, yet still capable of making one's scalp tingle with dread.

Just as the towering sword radiance was about to reach him, Li Guanxuan gripped the bamboo stalk and swung it gently.

The formless sword intent shattered the sword radiance into oblivion!

Unstoppable!

The might of Li Guanxuan’s sword strike had not yet dissipated; instead, as it surged outward, it grew increasingly fierce and grand, swelling continuously until it felt as though thousands upon tens of thousands of massive swords had converged into one, possessing enough power to pulverize mountains!

Faced with this terrifying strike, Ling Jiansheng froze on the spot.

He even forgot to counterattack.

Or rather...

It was not that he forgot, but that he was utterly incapable of counterattacking.

*Boom!*

The might of the sword intent overwhelmed Ling Jiansheng, leaving trails of sword gashes across his body. His flesh tore open instantly, though his foundational roots and soul remained unharmed.

With another gentle wave from Li Guanxuan, the might of the sword intent vanished like smoke. Idly twirling the bamboo stalk in his hand, he smiled and said:

"Senior Hua, this bamboo is quite nice. Might you gift it to me?"

"Hahaha..."

True Person Hua Bo threw his head back and laughed heartily. Usually detached and serene, he felt an unprecedented surge of boldness at that moment and declared straightforwardly, "If Master Li likes it, take it as you please!"

"Many thanks, Senior."

Li Guanxuan then looked toward Ling Jiansheng, cupping his hands. "I concede the victory."

With that, Li Guanxuan flew back toward his seat.

As they brushed past each other, Ling Jiansheng could not help but ask, "Is this your own power... or the power of the Sword Immortal Li family?"

Li Guanxuan glanced at him and said calmly, "The Foundation Establishment mental cultivation methods of the Li family provided me with a great deal of assistance."

Ling Jiansheng sighed despondently. "Yet I still lost."

Li Guanxuan said nothing further.

Sometimes, offering well-intentioned guidance is perceived by others as nothing more than mockery.

Words were things that, the less one said, the better.

Otherwise, it was all too easy to offend people.

The surrounding crowd had originally intended to offer a few remarks, but upon seeing Yu Hongyao’s unsightly expression, they all wisely let the matter pass with a smile and kept their peace.

However...

The birthday banquet had certainly turned out to be quite lively.

***

Having attended the birthday banquet, Li Guanxuan also successfully obtained two sets of materials for crafting Golden Essence Pills.

He did not linger any longer in Huajing Immortal City, returning directly to Silver Maple City.

All matters had now been resolved.

Especially the affair concerning Chen Yinshan and his wife.

A few days after returning to Silver Maple City, Li Guanxuan received a letter sent by Chen Yinshan.

The letter stated that they had already traveled to a small mortal nation named the Hong State, which was a vassal state of the Great Heng Immortal Dynasty. They were currently touring the various towns and cities of the Hong State, looking for a place where Zhao Guili would like to settle down.

Fang Xingzhi had also written to him. Preferring books of late, and having read the adage "Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles," he wished to wander the cultivation world and take in sceneries he had never witnessed before.

Everyone had their own way of living.

Seeing that his friends were now living the lives they desired, Li Guanxuan felt deeply comforted in his heart.

Half a month later.

During this period, Li Guanxuan had continuously engaged in dual cultivation with the little green tea-drinking maid, and his Wood Spiritual Root had finally reached the supreme-grade aptitude.

At present, only his Earth Spiritual Root remained at the high-grade aptitude.

Just in time, Liu Xiaoxian returned from outside today, her cultivation having advanced considerably.

In Market District No. 1, the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion.

Li Guanxuan slipped in silently, affixing a Spirit-Warding Talisman to isolate the interior from the outside world.