At the same time.
At the foot of Clear Wind Mountain, before the Clear Wind Sect, stood a black-robed figure, as sharp and imposing as a sword.
In his hand, he held a black longsword that appeared to be made of fragments, yet was held together by some unknown power.
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint!
He gazed at the Clear Wind Sect, its grand defensive array activated.
The sword in his hand had been returned to him nearly two hundred years ago, after his brother, Li Yaozu, was grievously injured.
It had been sent to Li Yaotie of the Heavenly Light Sect to be reforged, and it had now become a supreme-grade spirit artifact.
And as for the Heavenly Star Sword Saint's presence...
His cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul 'Leaving the Body' stage.
Over the past century, the Azure Dynasty's Nascent Divinity List had long been reshuffled, and on it, his name was ranked third. Furthermore, he had even become a Guest Elder of the Imperial City's Sacred Hall Sword Pavilion.
Back then, the Divinity Transformation Grand Elder of the Clear Wind Sect had grievously injured his brother, Li Yaozu, right before his eyes.
Now, relying on his status as a Guest Elder of the Sacred Hall Sword Pavilion, he blockaded the entire Clear Wind Sect, yet no one dared to make a move against him!
At this moment, the people of the Clear Wind Sect could only gaze helplessly at the Heavenly Star Sword Saint, who had been standing guard at the foot of their mountain for thirty years.
Thirty years ago, after joining the Sacred Hall Sword Pavilion, the Heavenly Star Sword Saint began this vigil.
Whenever a disciple of the Clear Wind Sect dared to come down the mountain, he would invariably inflict grievous injuries, yet deliberately stop short of killing them.
He had only just departed a few days ago, and now, he was back again.
With that status, no one dared to make a move against him.
He had even said it bluntly; he was there to bully the weak, leveraging his strength.
His exact words were a defiant question: "If I can't beat your Clear Wind Sect's Grand Elder, you think I can't bully your disciples?"
The Sect Master of the Clear Wind Sect had gone to the Sacred Hall Sword Pavilion to voice his grievances, but they simply stated that the matter had its cause.
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint had been humiliated by the Clear Wind Sect's Grand Elder back then, so his revenge was both understandable and reasonable.
Besides, the Sacred Hall Sword Pavilion argued, what the Heavenly Star Sword Saint did wasn't too excessive. He only severely injured the Clear Wind Sect's disciples, without damaging their foundations; they could be healed in three to five years.
"Unlike that shameless one from the Clear Wind Sect," they had said, "a dignified Divinity Transformation master, who beat our brother until he was left with only a single breath. He hasn't healed in over a hundred years, to the extent that his cultivation can no longer advance even an inch. It even caused their Guest Elder to nearly suffer a disaster. Fortunately, a top-tier Nascent Soul cultivator, ranked third on the Nascent Divinity List, wasn't cut down in his prime."
They were making it clear they were protecting their own.
The Clear Wind Sect had to suffer their grievances and swallow their anger. If they truly couldn't accept it, they were welcome to try and kill the Heavenly Star Sword Saint.
However, they had best ensure he didn't escape, and the Clear Wind Sect had better prepare a perfect escape route of its own. Otherwise, the Sacred Hall Sword Pavilion would let them know firsthand what kind of people its swords, passed down since ancient times, had slain.
Later, the Clear Wind Sect's Master also went to seek out Prefect Shang Mi, but Shang Mi simply said, "He's someone we can't afford to offend."
"Your Excellency, Heavenly Star."
The Clear Wind Sect's Master, who had the appearance of a young man and was also named on the Nascent Divinity List, timidly descended from the sect's main gate.
Keeping a distance of a thousand meters from the Heavenly Star Sword Saint, he said bitterly, "It has been thirty years. My Grand Elder has begged you; he has exhausted all pleasant words. What will it take for you to finally leave my Clear Wind Sect?"
For thirty years, the disciples of the Clear Wind Sect had endured being severely injured, and eighty percent of them had fled. The Sect Master, too, had finally reached his limit.
"Just wait."
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint was as arrogant as ever. He didn't even spare the Sect Master a glance.
"When the opportunity for my breakthrough to the Divinity Transformation realm arrives," he said, "and I am able to kill your Grand Elder, I will naturally leave. But it would be best not to wait until then... because I am also waiting."
He did not say that he was waiting for two people.
Li Yaozu was still alive. Back then, the Sword Saint had been powerless to help.
Now, he had to wait for the brother who would wield his sword alongside him across the world to return, so they could avenge the wrongs of that year together.
And the other person... he had heard from Li Kuanghua that Wenwen was only a soul now. But that didn't matter; for a swordsman, what matters is the cultivation of the heart, not the body.
"..."
Although he had no idea what this bastard, who just stood there like a block of wood, was thinking, the Clear Wind Sect Master held back the word 'beast' that was on the tip of his tongue.
After so many years, never mind the disciples, he was afraid that even he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer and would have to flee.
He never expected that the Heavenly Star Sword Saint, ranked a dignified third on the Nascent Divinity List, would actually be so vengeful over the smallest grievance.
What was most hateful was that this person was not only arrogant but also thick-skinned and incredibly patient.
He feared that if he searched the entire world, he wouldn't find many other oddballs like this.
"I'll give you supreme-grade spirit stones! A spirit vein!"
The Clear Wind Sect Master gritted his teeth, having made a monumental decision.
"There is also a Dharma Treasure," he said. "It is my Grand Elder's only Dharma Treasure, the last one remaining in our sect. I only ask that Your Excellency, Heavenly Star, promise that after you receive these things, you will no longer harass us. What do you say?"
"Alright."
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint nodded without any hesitation.
"..."
He had agreed too quickly. The Clear Wind Sect Master showed not a trace of joy.
After a moment of silence, he asked, "Is Your Excellency serious, or are you trying to deceive me? Cultivators of our realm should always keep their word. But given Your Excellency's conduct over these past years... I wonder if Your Excellency would be willing to make a vow?"
"I can."
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint gave a slight nod. He knew he couldn't easily deceive the Clear Wind Sect Master, but it didn't matter.
The Sacred Hall Sword Pavilion had plenty of disciples; as a Guest Elder, he could simply issue a mission and send others to continue standing guard.
The more he thought about it, the brighter his eyes shone.
He thought to himself that the growth of his cultivation base over these years was a trivial matter; it was this new wit of his, which was slowly growing closer to Wenwen's, that truly mattered.
"Indeed, though we are worlds apart, have our hearts slowly drawn closer?"
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint's face was wreathed in smiles, and he was secretly overjoyed.
But how could the Clear Wind Sect Master possibly know of the petty schemes in the Heavenly Star Sword Saint's heart? A trace of joy flashed in his eyes as he thought to himself that if things had been resolved like this earlier, the sect would not have had to suffer such a calamity.
He immediately hurried away to find the Grand Elder and report the good news that wasn't really good news.
He did not see the Heavenly Star Sword Saint at that moment, the joy on his face becoming increasingly difficult to conceal!
"They've really returned, hahaha, they're back!"
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