Chapter 128: One Move Short
The direct disciples of Kongyuan Mountain could not leave this courtyard.
As soon as they had the intention to leave, they would immediately be "politely" persuaded back by the two outer sect disciples guarding the courtyard gate.
Whether it was Zhong Yin, Yue Chi, Lin Qifeng, or even Liu Yantang, they were all seething with anger.
When had they, as the sect leader's personal disciples, ever suffered such humiliation, being guarded by outer sect disciples?
But there was nothing they could do.
They couldn't just force their way out, could they?
Forcing their way out would only give others a handle against them.
And so, two days passed.
Chen Yan leaned against the courtyard gate, gazing up at the Heavenly Summit Palace hanging high in the azure sky.
"Little Ding."
He called out the surname of the outer sect disciple responsible for guarding the gate.
"What is it, Chief Disciple Chen?"
The outer sect disciple whom Chen Yan addressed as Little Ding replied respectfully.
"For today's Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry, are the two contestants Chief Disciple Chu and Qin Qingyu?"
Chen Yan asked.
"That is correct."
Little Ding answered.
Exactly the same as it had developed in past cycles.
But there was nothing surprising about that.
After all, in terms of pure combat strength alone, among the disciples of this generation in the Chenping Continent, these two were indeed the most outstanding.
Chu Xiyao was half a tier above everyone else.
And Qin Qingyu was several tiers above Chu Xiyao.
Previously, before the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry, people often compared Qin Qingyu to Yun Yichen from three hundred years ago, or to Jing Hongyao, the former temple master of Lingxiao Temple from five hundred years ago.
But now, that was no longer the case.
Qin Qingyu's performance so far had far surpassed that of Yun Yichen and Jing Hongyao, who had also dominated their respective eras.
Her name could already be mentioned alongside the few surviving Dao Union Realm great powers of the current age.
There were even those who compared Qin Qingyu's combat prowess to that of Su Hongzhen, the last Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator of the Chenping Continent.
This edition of the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry most likely held little suspense.
The Heavenly Summit Champion would be Qin Qingyu.
"Chief Disciple Chen is very interested in knowing the final outcome of the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry?"
Little Ding asked.
"What, can you let me go to the Daoyan Arena to watch?"
Chen Yan laughed.
Upon hearing this, Little Ding gave an awkward chuckle, then fished out a projection talisman from his robes:
"Chief Disciple Chen wanting to watch live might be a bit difficult, but if you want to watch from here..."
A projection talisman?
Chen Yan was slightly taken aback.
Projection talismans were truly valuable items; you couldn't get your hands on one without at least a dozen or so high-grade spirit stones.
He remembered, when he himself was an outer sect disciple, he had only managed to save up seven or eight high-grade spirit stones over a hundred years.
It seemed the outer sect disciples stationed on Heavenly Summit Mountain were indeed, as the rumors said, each and every one of them rolling in wealth.
"You want to sell this to me?"
Chen Yan asked.
"How would this disciple dare to sell this little trinket to Chief Disciple Chen?"
Little Ding said with a flattering smile:
"It's a gift for you."
Although Chen Yan was currently under house arrest in this courtyard, he was, after all, the Chief Disciple of Kongyuan Mountain.
His status and position were of such great esteem to a mere outer sect disciple.
A dozen or so high-grade spirit stones was a lot.
But if a little object bought with a dozen or so high-grade spirit stones could please Chief Disciple Chen, then that small cost was practically negligible.
"You keep it. I'm not that eager to watch either."
Chen Yan shook his head and said with a smile.
"Hehe."
Seeing that Chen Yan had absolutely no intention of accepting the projection talisman, Little Ding said nothing more and tucked the talisman back into his robes.
It seemed Chief Disciple Chen did not want to owe him, a minor figure, a favor.
Then he need not insist any further; saying more would only risk causing annoyance.
Chen Yan lifted his head and continued to gaze up at the Heavenly Summit Palace suspended in the air.
Another half-quarter of an hour later, Little Ding, who had been guarding the gate, suddenly straightened his posture, his voice stammering for a moment:
"Greetings to Elder... Elder Bai."
Elder Bai?
Chen Yan turned his head to look outside the gate.
He found an acquaintance standing there... though not really a close acquaintance, smiling at him.
Qingchan Peak True Dharma Elder, Bai Qiming.
"Chen Yan, come with me."
Bai Qiming said.
Chen Yan hesitated for a few breaths, then he stood up and prepared to walk out of the courtyard.
Seeing this, Little Ding immediately became somewhat flustered:
"You cannot..."
"And why is that?"
Bai Qiming's eyes glared at Little Ding.
He did not use any true qi, but the aura of a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator alone nearly caused Little Ding's face to pale and almost made him vomit blood.
Yet, Little Ding still had to "symbolically" persist a bit:
"Elder Bai, Elder He has given orders..."
"If anything goes wrong, I, Bai Qiming, will bear all the consequences."
Bai Qiming said.
Little Ding said no more.
Because what he wanted was precisely this statement from Bai Qiming.
"Elder Bai, may I ask what matter you seek my disciple for?"
At that moment, Lin Qifeng suddenly appeared from within the courtyard, standing with his hands behind his back as he asked Bai Qiming.
"At a critical juncture, someone must always step forward."
Bai Qiming said.
"What's happening outside?"
Lin Qifeng asked.
"Nothing has happened yet, but perhaps, something will happen very soon."
Bai Qiming said.
"Could you stop talking in circles and speak plainly?"
Although Lin Qifeng was only a Qi Sea Realm cultivator, his status was merely that of a sect leader's personal disciple, and he currently held no actual position within the sect.
Yet, his attitude towards Bai Qiming, this Qingchan Peak True Dharma Elder, was utterly lacking in deference.
And Bai Qiming was not the least bit annoyed, as if accustomed to Lin Qifeng's attitude towards him.
"I will not tell you."
Bai Qiming said.
"Then whom do you plan to tell?"
Lin Qifeng asked.
Bai Qiming did not speak, merely sweeping his gaze over Chen Yan beside him.
...
Lin Qifeng said nothing more and let Chen Yan follow Bai Qiming away from the Slaying Heaven Pavilion.
Chen Yan followed behind Bai Qiming. The direction the two were heading was towards the Daoyan Arena on Heavenly Summit Mountain.
His understanding of this Qingchan True Dharma Elder was not deep; in total, the two had only met two or three times.
In fact, because of Fu Qian, Chen Yan was actually somewhat wary of Bai Qiming.
Neither the Qingchan True Dharma lineage nor the Qingchan Martial Discipline lineage were good people.
Or perhaps there were very few truly good people in this world.
Because what was most often presented was not right and wrong, but position and stance.
"The situation on Heavenly Summit Mountain right now is very tense."
Bai Qiming said to Chen Yan as they walked.
"Who is the enemy?"
Chen Yan asked.
"You know."
Bai Qiming did not answer directly.
Immediately after, Bai Qiming spoke again:
"I had suspected that Qin Yue's death was caused by someone from your Kongyuan Mountain."
"Elder Bai no longer thinks so?"
Chen Yan said.
"No. If it really was you who did it, you definitely would not have been placed under house arrest in the Slaying Heaven Pavilion."
Bai Qiming said:
"He calculated many things, but he overlooked me alone."
At this moment, almost everyone on Heavenly Summit Mountain was gathered at the Daoyan Arena, watching the final battle between Chu Xiyao and Qin Qingyu.
Therefore, the streets of Heavenly Summit Mountain were deserted.
"Why me?"
Chen Yan asked.
"It must be you. And I can only tell you."
Bai Qiming stopped walking, then turned around, his expression unprecedentedly serious:
"The stolen Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul is in He Furen's hands."