Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

Given the distance, Zuo Qiuchi was previously in Jiuxiang Town, which is quite far away. There's no reason why he could have met Zuo Donglu.

As for communication, the previous capture of Zuo Donglu was sudden, making it difficult for her to ask Zuo Qiuchi for help. After entering the Abyss, all means of communication became unusable...

Based on his own understanding, Li Tairan was certain that Zuo Qiuchi was trying to bluff her way into the game. She might know about Zuo Donglu's incident, but she definitely didn't know the real reason.

Li Tairan shook his head in denial:

"That's something I'll tell you later. Zuo Donglu went into the Abyss for some reason and was attacked by a ferocious beast. Now her whereabouts are unknown."

Now let's return to our previous topic, Miss Zuo. This is the late Emperor's long-cherished wish: to seize opportunities and fortune from the people of the Celestial Realm and bring blessings to the people of the Sword Dynasty. This is an act of great righteousness!

Hearing his tone, Zuo Qiuchi's sneer intensified.

He's still pretending. Putting everything else aside, Donglu's reckless entry into the Abyss was thanks to the group of pursuers. But perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. If it weren't for Fu Jiangwen of Soft Serpent Peak forcing Zuo Donglu into the Abyss, Chu Mingkong probably wouldn't have had the chance to save her.

And now it's even more impossible to see Li Tairan's true colors.

Since the other party is full of lies, their motives are obviously malicious. Once we understand this, we can clear up many confusions. After all, many times, we only need to know who the enemies are to solve the problem.

"So here's the question: since Senior Li is so passionate about the late emperor's long-cherished wish, why don't you take charge yourself?"

Li Tairan's voice was deep and resonant, his sunken eyes giving him a slightly gloomy look, revealing no trace of the righteous spirit of a sword cultivator. He said:

"The Two Elements Chaotic Soul Sword has been supported by both male and female sword cultivators who have offered their pure sword intent. Now the male cultivators' sword intents are complete, and only the female cultivators are missing. If I were not a man, I would have been the first to offer my intent, and the grand plan of the Two Elements Chaotic Soul Sword would not have been stuck in this limbo."

Moreover, more and more people have forgotten the late emperor's long-cherished wish and are now sinking into depravity and cowardice like the current Empress Naba. If I were to fill the sword intent, no one would continue this ambition. The people of Empress Naba would turn around and send the Two Elements Chaotic Soul Sword to the people of the Heavenly Realm!

"Miss Zuo, the Zuo family is a distinguished family that has served the late emperor since his time. If Zuo Donglu hadn't disappeared, you wouldn't have had to make this sacrifice. I hope the Zuo family hasn't forgotten the late emperor's favor and cultivation of you!"

When Zuo Qiuchi was in the capital, he had seen so many traitors being morally condemned that he felt an immediate sense of disgust.

However, that approach didn't really work on her; the moral pressure didn't apply to her.

"But they didn't train me. I went out to train on my own. All the elixirs and magic pills I got were scavenged from other people. What kind of training did they give me? Just basic training and some slashing practice?"

Li Tairan frowned. Zuo Qiuchi's attitude was already very clear: she wouldn't buy into his rhetoric or pressure.

"So your Zuo family is completely disregarding the care the late emperor showed you in the past? The late emperor even promised your Zuo family a marriage alliance with the royal family who are still staying in the Tianji Empire. This is all a favor."

This is all out of gratitude...

If it was an encounter with a traitor, then it was indeed thanks to the late emperor's kindness.

But that was from the late emperor's relatives. You, who just talks about being a loyal subject of the late emperor and about being kind to him, who are you?

Do dogs feel gratitude on behalf of their masters?

Moreover, Zuo Qiuchi really didn't believe that the Sword Emperor Dynasty was so large, with so many disciples, that it couldn't find an outstanding female sword cultivator.

Why not recruit your own people and instead expect others to fill in? I'll take the credit, and you'll suffer the consequences?

"So that's why Donglu set her sights on him?" Zuo Qiuchi's bright eyes glanced at him, showing no sign of goodwill, only indifference.

When Zuo Donglu was mentioned again, Li Tairan remained calm:

"When we found Zuo Donglu, she had already disappeared in the Abyss. Originally, she could have represented the Zuo family to repay the late emperor's kindness and show loyalty, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned."

Donglu has already become a nun, so if this rebuttal comes out, Li Tairan will most likely reply that Zuo Donglu is also a member of the Sword Dynasty.

Sigh, Zuo Donglu has been cultivating alone on Wufeng Cliff for so long, Zuo Qiuchi guesses she probably hasn't received any special care from these seniors...

Perhaps it's because he's been in the position of peak master of Zhengjian Peak for too long, but Li Tairan has developed a fatherly attitude in his behavior and actions, always wanting to be someone else's father and make decisions for them.

"I suddenly don't really want to talk to you anymore. It's a bit exhausting. On one hand, you put on your noble and righteous image, spouting words of gratitude and morality, while on the other hand, you're full of lies and nonsense. If I hadn't become a sword immortal, you would probably have already called on someone like Fu Jiangwen to surround and kill me."

Li Tairan's expression hardened.

If we had previously only considered Zuo Qiuchi's statement as a guess, then Zuo Qiuchi's words just now contained a great deal of information.

She knew perfectly well that Zuo Donglu had been chased and killed by Fu Jiangwen!

But... how did she know that? She was still quite far away at the time.

But considering that Zuo Donglu's life lamp is still mysteriously lit, could it be that she was saved by Zuo Qiuchi?

After a few moments of internal struggle, Li Tairan's expression changed quickly:

"I won't inquire how you saved her, Miss Zuo. If she's in your hands, many things will be much easier. Just send Zuo Donglu here to fulfill the late emperor's wish, and you won't have to worry about anything else."

"..."

Zuo Qiuchi looked at him as if he were a fool.

Why is he able to negotiate with such an air of authority? Is it the confidence given to him by the sword domain in the sky?

"The life lamp of Winter Dew is in your hands, isn't it? Take it out and take a look at it a few times?"

Li Tairan, puzzled, took out the Life Lamp with some skepticism. The lamp, engraved with sword patterns, not only emitted a light indicating Zuo Donglu was still alive, but also transmitted a signal—

She's getting closer!

It could even be said that it has already arrived.

A commotion arose outside the palace gates, and several screams rang out from the guarding disciples before falling silent, as if they could not even struggle to delay.

Suddenly, black flames erupted from the heavy palace doors, and the molten iron was eroded and consumed by the extreme yin energy within the flames before it could drip down.

Chu Mingkong pulled Zuo Donglu closer, glanced around curiously, and sat down next to Zuo Qiuchi, jokingly saying as if no one else was around:

"Oh, how come there's such an ugly heavy sword here? Did Li Tairan use it to bribe his master to give you this precious sword? Isn't that a bit too perfunctory and careless!"

Zuo Qiuchi couldn't bear to look and threw the sword box into his arms:

"This is a gift from the Hundred Flame Sword Tomb."

Li Tairan's expression was solemn. He glanced at the extremely yin aura emanating from the palace gate, then his gaze fell on the man who had entered:

"Who is your Excellency?"

Chu Mingkong didn't really want to introduce himself like this, but suddenly felt it was quite appropriate, especially for someone who liked to quote the late emperor as a catchphrase.

"Senior Li, you keep referring to the late emperor, so you must know about the marriage alliance the late emperor arranged for the Chu family of the Tianji Empire."

"As luck would have it, I'm Zuo Donglu's fiancé. I happened to witness her being chased and rescued her. Who ordered the chase? Could it be the work of some loyal minister of the late emperor?"

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Mysterious Woman Opens the Mountain

Chu Mingkong realized that he seemed to have taken the moral high ground this time, which was a rare occurrence.

Regardless of what the late emperor's wish was, Zuo Donglu was a party to the agreement made by the late emperor. Li Tairan attacked her without saying a word, which doesn't seem like someone who takes the late emperor's words to heart.

This seems more like... that the Two Elements Chaotic Soul Sword could be profitable for him, so he used the late emperor's name to do all sorts of nonsense.

I may have the benefits, but I must uphold morality.

"What's wrong? You're not going to talk? If you're not going to talk, then let's see who's the best." Chu Mingkong casually drew a simple heavy sword from its case and swung it around, producing a buzzing sound.

The heavy sword was drawn from its sheath, and even the blunt edge of the blade gleamed with a cold, sharp light.

Outside the palace gate, the guards who had just been slapped away by Chu Mingkong stumbled in, seriously injured, and hurriedly reported:

"Peak Master, this person... ignored warnings and fought his way up, severely injuring many disciples of Zhengjian Peak..."

Since Li Tairan took charge of Zhengjian Peak, he had not been threatened by anyone for many years. He had served by the side of the late emperor since the time of the previous emperor, and even the new emperor had to show him some respect. But now, he was actually beaten up at his door by a few juniors.

He gripped the armrests of the antique wooden chair with both hands, the strong veins on his arms bulging, a surge of anger coursing through his veins. Li Tairan's square face was slightly lowered, his expression hidden in the shadows of the light.

"Snapped!"

The sturdy ancient wooden handrail shattered in his palm, sending wood chips flying. Even the fragments seemed to carry a powerful sword intent. Without using a trace of spiritual power, the fragments pierced through the palace wall inscribed with array patterns.

These fragments, as they flew towards Chu Mingkong and Zuo Qiuchi, were stopped by the invisible, extremely yin flames.

"The betrothed of the Zuo family, the heir of Xiling in the Tianji Empire, and this strange Yin Fire—it seems you are Chu Mingkong! You are selfish and ungrateful! I shouldn't have trusted Fu Jiangwen's abilities back then. I should have personally captured Zuo Donglu, and then there wouldn't have been so many complications!"

Li Tairan held no sword, yet his aura was like a three-foot-long green blade, enveloping his body. He clasped his hands together in front of him as if drawing a sword, and the sharp sword intent condensed from his body into a long sword in his hand. His aura burst forth from his body, and the main hall was smashed into ruins.

His guards were all the best in Zhengjian Peak, and would be considered outstanding even in the Sword Emperor Dynasty. However, under the sword immortal's sword intent, the skin of several sword cultivator guards cracked, their protective techniques were rendered useless and were pierced through, and they were all swept off Zhengjian Peak.

However, such an unexpected sword strike did not affect Zuo Qiuchi and the others too much.

The house collapsed, but the chairs they were sitting on remained intact.

"Everyone says that those who cultivate their minds and swords at Zhengjian Peak are filled with righteousness. I almost laughed when I heard your lies earlier. Now you're not going to pretend anymore and you're still talking about the late emperor? Or have you fooled yourself too?"

Zuo Qiuchi did not hide his strength and released his sword intent as well. Without much fanfare, his move of taking out the Extinction Sword and slashing at Li Tairan was as ordinary as someone without cultivation, recklessly rushing towards a master sword intent expert.

However, Zuo Qiuchi's sword intent was all contained in the heavy sword in his hand. The sword, which was simple in its essence, burst out with a powerful force that could split mountains and divide seas at the moment of impact. The sound of the sword reverberated throughout the sky of the Sword Emperor Dynasty, and even the Zhengjian Peak trembled and swayed precariously in the aftershocks.

As the shockwave dissipated, Zuo Qiuchi's dress fluttered, outlining her exquisite and graceful curves, while Li Tairan was not injured, but his sleeves were tattered and on the verge of being torn.

Zuo Qiuchi gently stroked the gleaming black blade of the Extinction Heavy Sword with her delicate hand, and said:

"I heard that when I left the Sword Dynasty, Senior Li was already a quasi-Sword Immortal. Why is it that after so many years, while we juniors have caught up, you have stopped progressing? Is there something wrong with your thinking? Are you truly loyal to the late emperor's wishes?"

This was a clash between two generations of sword immortals. It seemed like the outcome was undecided, but the result was obvious.

Zhengjian Peak is the current mainstream sword peak of the Sword Emperor Dynasty and can be regarded as the orthodox longsword of this region. Li Tairan's cultivation is solid and profound, and after many years of accumulation, his sword intent has long reached the peak that countless sword cultivators can hardly reach in their entire lives. However, he is now unable to gain any advantage in front of Zuo Qiuchi.

"When did I ever need a junior to lecture me?"

Enraged, Li Tairan swung out a strange longsword. The sword seemed to possess a spirit. Although he clearly did not have the skill to control flying swords, the sword seemed to have its own will, tearing through the void and flying towards Zuo Qiuchi invisibly.

“That sword is a bit strange…” Zuo Donglu, a sword cultivator specializing in flying swords, keenly sensed the anomaly.

Feng Ying originally wanted to help Zuo Qiuchi block the flying sword, but after thinking about it, he decided to let Zuo Qiuchi do it himself. Zuo Qiuchi was too lazy to move, but he had no choice but to use his sword to block it. However, the flying sword's attack seemed ordinary, but it suddenly released another sword intent!

Chu Mingkong caught the flying sword with one hand. The concentration of the extreme Yin power he possessed was now far greater than before. The flying sword held on in his hand for a while before it quickly withered and decayed, melting into scrap iron and falling to the ground.

"What's going on with this flying sword? Does it really have its own spirit? Its sword intent is different from Li Tairan's." Zuo Qiuchi wondered, and with a light sweep of his foot, he kicked the broken sword over to Donglu for inspection.

Taking advantage of the brief moment, Feng Ying moved with ghostly speed to the top of Li Tairan's head, the black killing intent in his dagger piercing down, a silent strike aimed at a fatal blow.

"Sword Domain Slays the Enemy!" Li Tairan formed a sword incantation with one hand, and the aura of heaven and earth changed drastically.

The thousands of sword cultivators in the Sword Emperor Dynasty looked up at the terrifying aura of battle on the True Sword Peak, and now they saw the Sword Domain covering the entire country, with countless golden longswords reaching out, ready to rain down.

"What's going on at Zhengjian Peak? Is that evil Taoist priest causing trouble again?"

"Just now, it was clearly a clash of two powerful sword intents. Apart from the Peak Master, the other person was also a powerful sword cultivator, so he shouldn't be a demonic cultivator!"

"This has forced the Peak Master to use his Sword Domain. Just who has invaded Zhengjian Peak? Peak Master Li is a Sword Immortal!"