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

Zuo Qiuchi rolled her eyes speechlessly, pretending not to see it, and changed into clean and tidy clothes.

Zuo Donglu wasn't quite used to changing clothes in front of people, especially men, but seeing Zuo Qiuchi and Chu Mingkong changing, she hesitated for a moment and then followed suit, changing into clean clothes in the wilderness.

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling it should be? Now that I think about it, that great formation had a strong tendency to keep the two of you inside, or to forge you into swords."

The spoils of war that the former emperor of the Sword Dynasty won back in the Heavenly Domain might just be a trap, a scheme by the people of the Heavenly Domain to use the power of the Sword Dynasty to forge the results of the sword diagram.

Zuo Qiuchi's feelings were quite complicated when he heard this. If the truth was so, then this "grand undertaking" that had been passed down through generations could not be described as a joke.

"Forget it, I'll go to the Sword Emperor's Palace to show my face first and see what Balan says. I want to go back and rest." She sighed wearily.

“Then I…” Zuo Donglu said softly, her words carrying a hint of hesitation.

Zuo Qiuchi forcefully grabbed his younger sister's hand, giving her no choice, and said:

"What do you mean 'you'? From now on, Donglu will live with me. Stop cultivating on that deserted little peak. How's your destiny being controlled?"

"It can be suppressed to the level it was in when I was a child..."

"Okay, so your fate when you were little had such little influence. I've been by your side for so long and I'm still alive and kicking. The influence from when you were little was practically negligible."

Chu Mingkong listened from the side and smiled with relief. Zuo Donglu no longer seemed to feel so guilty about her fate, but she probably left out half a sentence.

It can be suppressed to the level of childhood, but it can also escalate to the point where even a Sword Immortal would be affected.

With their clothes almost ready, the three of them began to fly towards the Sword Emperor's Palace.

On the flying sword, Zuo Qiuchi touched Donglu's thigh and asked in a subtle tone:

"Did my rebellious disciple or son cause you any trouble?"

"Uh... because we need to break the illusion of the mental tribulation, he can't get in if we don't let him in..."

Zuo Qiuchi was silent for a few seconds, then took out a cucumber and handed it to Donglu.

"...I'm not hungry." Zuo Donglu didn't understand what he meant.

"I'll let you take this cucumber and swing it at him to vent your anger." Zuo Qiuchi held up the cucumber and gestured at Chu Mingkong's forehead.

"...I'm not angry."

------------

Inside the Sword Emperor's Palace, chaos reigned, or rather, panic ensued.

The Two Elements Chaotic Soul Formation was built right above the Sword Emperor Palace, so this place was the most directly affected. Fortunately, the Sword Emperor Palace had many defensive formations, which withstood the attack.

However, the residual power of the clash between the two bipolar forces pressed down on everyone's hearts with an overwhelming sense of oppression, making everyone in the Sword Emperor Palace feel as if they had just taken a brush with death.

I feel like if I'm not careful, I might slip and fall into the gates of hell.

But after sensing that despairing power, there were ultimately no casualties in the Sword Emperor's Palace.

The Empress had little way of investigating the matter of the great formation. She could only discuss with Balan the countermeasures for assessing the casualties, and would make further plans after Chu Mingkong and his group returned.

"They should be alright, right? The people we sent out to search for them haven't found any trace of them," the Queen said worriedly.

Even though Chu Mingkong can travel through the Abyss, the great formation contains more than just Yin energy. If he is more drawn to Yin energy, then Yang energy will be extremely poisonous to him.

Balan remained calm and composed, and said:

"They should be fine. I was nearby when the great formation was destroyed and I sensed several powerful sword intents. They must have broken out of the formation and are probably resting somewhere else now. However, one of the disciples guarding Li Tairan's remains mentioned something. At that time, his sword intent was talking nonsense."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Balan sensed several auras approaching.

Balan breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Majesty, they're here."

Chu Mingkong led Zuo Qiuchi and Zuo Donglu into the main hall. Seeing that everything was alright, he felt much more at ease.

There's really not much to say about what happened inside the formation. In short, it was about rescuing people and then running away. When the formation tried to capture them, Chu Mingkong rudely spat at them, which blew up the formation.

The mystery surrounding this formation, and its unusual aspects, are largely based on subjective speculation.

"This grand formation, which consumed the efforts of several generations of the Sword Emperor Dynasty, is still destroyed." Chu Mingkong sighed insincerely. After all, it was someone else's property, so he had to show some regret.

Although the Queen of Ba had regrets, she maintained a peaceful state of mind.

"Destroying it may not be a bad thing. That formation has been stuck in a state of near completion, and there might be a second Li Tairan in the future. Now it can be said that an unknown hidden danger has been eliminated."

Moreover, Balan just mentioned that Li Tairan's sword intent was nonsensical, and he seemed to know that the great formation specifically required a living, high-level sword cultivator as the material for forging the sword, just like the sorcerer Peng Bao who used swords to cultivate pills...

Balan also said:

"If that's really the case, then if this great formation is left unused, it might be used by someone with ulterior motives in the future, and perhaps then it will be my turn to be tricked into the great formation to forge a sword."

After making his decision, Chu Mingkong decided to see if he could offer some compensation to the Sword Dynasty. Although the Two Elements Chaotic Soul Array was a scourge, it was also the culmination of the efforts of several generations and was of great significance. Moreover, it indirectly helped him and his master's precious relationship... and also Aunt Donglu.

"It's a pity that no clues related to the Heavenly Realm were found in the end."

Chapter Sixty: The Mysterious Woman in the Bath

There are many more things worth discussing, but it's unnecessary.

As for Queen Ba, now that the hidden danger of the Two Elements Chaotic Soul Formation hanging in the sky has been eliminated, it would be better to deal with the casualties in the country and the aftermath left by Peng Bao Daoist and Li Tairan's troubles. It would be better to deal with the urgent matters first and then go back to think about the Two Elements Chaotic Soul Formation.

Doing this might seem like a lack of focus, but if you treat the Yin-Yang Chaos Soul Formation as the main thing, then you'll likely waste a lot of time talking about it.

As for Chu Mingkong, he knew he wouldn't get anywhere with the discussion, and all he wanted to do now was take Zuo Qiuchi and Zuo Donglu back to their nest for a proper chat.

With the Two Elements Chaotic Soul Formation destroyed and no clues about the Heavenly Realm emerging, his focus would no longer be on that.

Even if the Two Elements Chaotic Array truly possessed some immense benefit that could haunt Li Tairan's dreams, causing him to call upon the array even after his death, Chu Mingkong remained uninterested and unmoved.

I just want to run to the bedroom right now, I'm in a real hurry!

"By the way, our men were searching for the remnants left after the great formation was destroyed and found a sword." Balan said, ordering his men to bring up the sword they had found.

Chu Mingkong thought he had really forged some great sword, but upon closer inspection, he realized that it was the same heavy sword he had used when blocking the sword pit in the center of the formation.

Its appearance was originally refined to resemble that of the Extinction, but the impact of the explosion caused it to undergo a second round of appearance reshaping, and now it has become... battle-hardened.

It doesn't look brand new at all.

“However, we did not detect any divine sword power from it, and this sword has been tempered by those two extreme forces, so ordinary five elements spiritual energy cannot be used to wield it. Moreover, this is a heavy sword,” Balan continued.

If that great formation, after so many years of painstaking effort, even if it has a hidden danger, ultimately leaves the Sword Dynasty with a half-finished divine sword, then it can comfort the ancestors and show that their efforts were not in vain.

But Balan had already tried to wield this sword, and couldn't. To her, it was an indestructible iron sword.

Chu Mingkong couldn't bear to deceive them, lest they have too much expectation for the sword, so he quickly told them the truth and added some details about rescuing people and breaking the formation.

Queen Ba sighed regretfully. She had indeed held some hope for this sword, perhaps believing it would be the most precious gift left by the late emperor. But it turned out that this was truly the case...

"I see. Mingkong, if you can use this sword, then take it."

Chu Mingkong didn't touch the sword. If he found it usable, he would have to accept it, but he still preferred to use other people's swords.

"No, I won't. A sword that can survive the dual forces, even if it can't be used, can still be kept as an extraordinary memento to be passed down to future generations."

Hearing this, the Queen of Ba accepted the sword without hesitation.

There's nothing more to discuss right now. At most, he'll come over and ask about the Heavenly Domain after the Sword Emperor Palace has cleaned up the mess.

Outside the main hall, Ruyu and Qingse walked over, both looking dejected, especially Qingse, who seemed inexplicably sad.

Chu Mingkong's expression was subtle, and he felt a little guilty. He had been thinking about Zuo Qiuchi and Zuo Donglu and had forgotten about these two. He felt guilty.

Thankfully, they weren't discovered!

"What's wrong? Why are you so sad? Are you hurt?" He walked over with a concerned expression.

But they all seemed to be unharmed; the "big fireworks" in the sky didn't affect them much, except for some dust on their clothes.

Ru Yu covered her face with one hand, as if wiping away tears, but Zuo Qiuchi took a closer look and realized that the girl seemed to be covering her face and secretly laughing.

The main point is—I'm so sad, but I'm faking it.

Qingse cried out in anguish:

"Ruyu and I found a mansion. Although it wasn't brand new, it had a rich history, a pleasant environment, and the garden scenery inside was absolutely stunning. So I bought it in full. As soon as I finished signing the contract, the sky exploded."

One moment the signature is complete and the money is paid, the next the mansion has collapsed!

Ruyu nodded in agreement, appearing quite heartbroken, which gave Qingse a sense of kinship, as if they were both "fellow sufferers in this world." Her tone held a barely perceptible smile as she said sorrowfully:

"Ugh! I'm so sad. I really liked that mansion, and the worst part is that I've already spent the money on it, sob sob sob!"

Chu Mingkong really didn't want to expose this girl. It turned out she was quite a character. It was a good thing she hadn't been active in the capital back then, otherwise she and Jin Yu would have been causing a lot of trouble.

However, Qingse was indeed unlucky in this matter; the transaction happened far too quickly.

In this matter, it's really not fair to blame Qingse for buying a "second-hand" house at a bargain price. Buildings that can be called mansions don't depreciate in value just because someone has lived there. Some mansions are adjacent to natural scenic spots, contain the work of certain garden designers, or even have been lived in by certain important figures, all of which can cause the house to continue to appreciate in value.

Qingse probably bought it because of its historical significance.

"Just accept it. We're not short of money anyway. We can just buy somewhere else." Chu Mingkong's words weren't exactly comforting.

Balan and the Queen exchanged a glance, communicating silently. After receiving a nod of approval from the Queen, Balan stepped forward and said:

"If you want to find a place to stay, then just stay in the Sword Emperor Palace. Mingkong is a member of the Xiling royal family, and his ancestors had a close relationship with the late emperor. When he returns to the Sword Emperor Dynasty, he should be treated as family. How can we let you find a place to stay on your own?"

Moreover, I heard from Ruyu that the princesses of Tianji also came to the Sword Dynasty with Mingkong, and they should be more comfortable living in the palace.”

Chu Mingkong thought that the accommodation was much better than he had expected. When he came to the Sword Emperor Dynasty, he was thinking that if all else failed, he could find some civil engineering practitioners to build him a house near the Abyss.

The most prominent feature is that this is my home.

Unexpectedly, they have now moved directly into the palace. Even if the Ba royal family has tried to win them over, it doesn't matter.

If anything happens, it's easy to discuss and negotiate with each other.

"Row."

After discussing all sorts of miscellaneous matters, it was already night.

The newcomers to the Sword Emperor Palace familiarized themselves with the surroundings, then took baths and returned to their rooms to rest.

Chu Mingkong, who was the last to go to the bathhouse, really wanted to have a mixed-gender bath, but Empress Ba and Ba Lan had already gone in with Zuo Qiuchi and the others, so it wouldn't be convenient for Chu Mingkong to go in too.

As a guest after all, I had to behave myself.

While taking a bath alone, he used a note to contact the women at the Immortal Treasure Pavilion. He kept them in suspense, only saying that he had found them a nice place to stay in the Sword Emperor Dynasty, with beautiful scenery and a comfortable environment, but he didn't say exactly where it was. He agreed to pick them up the next day to move in.