Chapter 135

Chapter 135: Chaotic Times

Lin Qing Ling listened with a helpless look.

Li Shuang did not know what to say at first. After a moment, she coughed lightly and said: “Master, since Third Senior Brother has run into trouble, we should go help him.”

Lin Qing Ling sighed and said: “I will call Mingyue and the others.”

Soon, the disciples of Emotionless Peak gathered. Lin Qing Ling played Sui Jin’s ghostly wail again, and everyone wore the same wordless expression.

Lin Qing Ling explained the situation and said: “According to Sui Jin, this Devil Path group is not very strong. In that town, the strongest Devil Path cultivator is only at the Foundation Establishment Stage. But the leader of the organization and his Gold, Silver, and Copper Three Great Devil Guards are all at the Golden Core Stage. The one coming to reward him this time is the Copper Devil Guard.”

She added: “Sui Jin believes that once Golden Core experts arrive, they might see through his disguise and find he is also at the Golden Core Realm. Then a big fight will be hard to avoid. Still, since the organization is sending people, this is also a perfect chance to pull that group out by the roots.”

Lin Qing Ling went on: “By his count, the group has four Golden Core experts in total. Mingyue, Jun Cheng, Jiang Yi, the three of you go together. With Mingyue there, even if something unexpected happens, you can handle it.”

Luo Ming Yue was already at Nascent Soul Peak, only one step from Divine Transformation. Sending her to deal with Golden Core enemies was using a heavy hammer on a small nail.

Luo Ming Yue and the others agreed without hesitation.

Li Shuang’s eyes moved, and she said: “Master, I also want to train outside. How about I go with Senior Brother and Senior Sister?”

Lin Qing Ling paused, then said: “Little Shuang, you have not reached Core Formation yet. It is better to remain in the sect and train more.”

Li Shuang answered calmly and said: “My cultivation has hit a bottleneck. If I do not temper myself outside, it will be hard to advance. Master, I will not hold anyone back. An average Golden Core opponent may not be my match.”

Right now, her realm was Mid Foundation Establishment, but with her Sword Domain and her Soul Realm at the Nascent Soul Stage, she believed she could still fight a Golden Core cultivator. It was a pity she did not know any soul attack Secret Art; otherwise, with a Nascent Soul Stage Soul Realm, she would have an absolute edge against Golden Core.

Luo Ming Yue smiled and said: “Master, I will be there. Let Junior Sister come along.”

Lin Qing Ling thought it over and nodded, saying: “Then Little Shuang will go too. But all of you remember, do not leave the borders of Chenrong Kingdom.”

“Yes,” the disciples answered together.

Sui Jin’s situation was urgent, so no one delayed. They packed what they needed and left the sect at once.

On the highest peak of the Sword Sect, Meng Yi Fei watched Li Shuang and the others depart with a calm face. Jiang Rong Yi respectfully poured him tea, looking like he had something to say.

Meng Yi Fei glanced at him and said: “If you have something to say, say it.”

Jiang Rong Yi hesitated, then said: “Master, opening the Heart-Inquiry Platform is very costly. That day, Ye Zhao Zhao was already afraid. A simple bluff would have shaken out the truth. Why open the Heart-Inquiry Platform for real?”

Meng Yi Fei smiled and said: “You managed to hold that question in until today.”

Jiang Rong Yi said softly: “Master always says the sect’s interests come first. In the snow mountain case, from Ye Zhao Zhao’s expression, most people already knew she was lying and that Li Shuang was innocent. Why insist on opening the Heart-Inquiry Platform? Was that not a waste of resources?”

Meng Yi Fei took a sip of tea and said calmly: “If Li Shuang were only an ordinary disciple, I would not have opened it.”

Jiang Rong Yi looked puzzled.

Meng Yi Fei continued and said: “Even if you were the one framed, I would not open the Heart-Inquiry Platform.”

Jiang Rong Yi nodded. He had no complaint. That was reasonable.

Meng Yi Fei said: “But Li Shuang is different. In the Goldenwing Eagle matter, everyone, including the Demon Clan, believed that Ye Zhao Zhao’s talismans and Yan Fan did most of the work. As for Li Shuang, they thought she only helped a little. But that day, I saw clearly: facing Li Shuang, the prideful number one genius of Cangyuan Sect put himself in the position of a challenger. To make a top genius feel inferior, Li Shuang’s talent must be far above Yan Fan.”

“She is also the first person in a thousand years to walk the Emotionless Path. Back then, our ancestor used the Emotionless Path to raise the Sword Sect to one of the Six Sects. Li Shuang is the only one with hope to restore the Sword Sect’s glory.”

“Most important of all, through Token Projection, I have a rough sense of her character. Before, she was too kind and lacked edge. Now she is still kind, but she hides her sharpness within. A person like that has a real chance to lead the Sword Sect to greatness.”

“The future guide of the Sword Sect cannot have even the smallest stain. Opening the Heart-Inquiry Platform to clear her name was worth it,” Meng Yi Fei said as he looked at Jiang Rong Yi.

He had once trained Jiang Rong Yi as his successor. But now, Li Shuang had appeared. If she grew fast enough, the future Sect Master of the Sword Sect would likely be her.

Jiang Rong Yi understood the hint, but only nodded, calmly saying: “The sect’s interests come first. The Sect Master’s seat should go to the capable.”

Meng Yi Fei smiled and said: “Besides that, I also wanted to do Li Shuang a favor. She still needs some help from me now. If I lend a hand at this time, it is like giving charcoal in the snow. When she stands in full glory later, I might not even get the chance. I am not seeking her gratitude to me as a person. I want her to feel more at home in the Sword Sect.”

“Disciple understands,” Jiang Rong Yi said. Then he added: “Master, since you have such high hopes for Junior Sister Li, yet she left the mountain while her cultivation is still shallow, if something happens to her, would that not ruin our Sword Sect’s future?”

Meng Yi Fei said calmly: “Mortal-World Heart Tempering is a road every Sword Sect disciple must walk. The Sword Sect does not need a child raised under protection. It needs true strong people who cut through thorns. I look forward to her growth.”

Jiang Rong Yi nodded and poured him another cup of tea. Meng Yi Fei drank, and a trace of expectation flashed in his eyes.

Right now was a grand era: chaotic, brutal, and full of harsh competition. Countless Heaven’s Chosen would fall in this age, but some would ride the wind and soar to the heights.

Among the Sword Sect’s young generation, from Jiang Rong Yi to Jiang Yun Ge to Luo Ming Yue, they were all Heaven’s Chosen. But until now, the Sword Sect had lacked someone like Yan Fan, a person whose presence made other Heaven’s Chosen dim by comparison.

Now they had Li Shuang.

He was eager to see how far Li Shuang would grow after this journey of tempering.