Chapter 412 - 285: Finally Meeting Qi Baiyu (2)
His master, the Sword Elder of the previous generation in Sword King City, once commented on Nie Ghost God. He is the kind of person who becomes stronger when facing strong opponents and weaker when facing weak ones, so his potential is very high.
In the Martial World, opinions about Nie Ghost God have always been controversial. Some believe he can stand shoulder to shoulder with the top ten experts on the Grandmaster List, or even enter the top three. However, many don’t recognize this because, since his debut, the same Realm experts he has challenged were not the very top of that Realm.
The war that cemented Nie Ghost God’s reputation was in Qingzhou, where he challenged a veteran Supreme Grandmaster and it ended in a draw. After that battle, no one doubted his Supreme Grandmaster strength, but there were doubts about his rumored ability to rival those on the Grandmaster List.
After all, he has never killed a Martial Artist of the same Realm in his life,
and although people say he becomes stronger when facing strong opponents, he has never challenged someone who could really remove the controversy surrounding him.
However, for this reason, no one can be sure if he really only has that level of power or if he truly possesses the ability to challenge the top ten experts.
This question,
the people in Sword King City do not know, and even Nie Ghost God himself does not know.
Because in usual sparring sessions, it’s impossible to fight to the death, there’s no way to confirm the true combat strength. Also, although he is a Supreme Grandmaster, he is a generation younger than universally recognized top ten experts like Wei Wuya and Yuan Zhixiang, so he cannot really fight with his seniors, and he has no chance with other experts.
Thus, the true strength of the evenly matched Nie Ghost God has always been an intriguing topic in the Martial World.
...
At this moment, behind Yuan Zhixiang and Nie Ghost God stands a black-robed figure wearing a ghost face mask, with a sword strapped to his back resembling a fire poker, standing motionless like a statue.
Looking at that god-like and demon-like person on Danyang Mountain, Nie Ghost God tightly grips his sword, filled with a thick battle intent, barely able to restrain the urge to go out and fight.
Unlike Yuan Zhixiang’s calmness,
Nie Ghost God is just over fifty, in his prime.
While Martial Arts Cultivators cannot extend their lifespan, compared to ordinary people, the body’s functional decline is delayed significantly, with a longer period at peak performance. Generally, a Grandmaster without hidden ailments typically only begins to decline after the age of sixty.
So, Nie Ghost God is currently at his peak,
seeing Gu Zhan’s demon god-like demeanor, he really wants to fight him, but he does not act and not even a trace of energy leaks out, standing quietly in the heavy falling snow observing.
"Uncle Master, how much longer must we wait?" Nie Ghost God asked.
Yuan Zhixiang maintained a calm expression, gazing towards Danyang Mountain, and slowly said, "Soon, soon, it’s a matter of striking while the iron is hot, then weakening, then exhausting. When Gu Zhan runs out of strength, that’s when Qi Baiyu will make his move!"
Nie Ghost God instinctively turned his head to look at the ghost face mask man behind.
This man behind the ghost face mask is the Fallen Demon Qi Baiyu.
Looking at Qi Baiyu, Nie Ghost God felt a bit emotional,
he had not caught even a whisper of this before, never imagining that the famous Qi Baiyu was actually created by his two Uncles, Sect Leader Wei Wuya and Grand Elder Yuan Zhixiang.
When that day Wei Wuya and Yuan Zhixiang came to him and told him about this event and the plan that had been in the making for so many years, he was shocked.
Qi Baiyu, when he was just a child,
had already been discovered by Wei Wuya.
But, Wei Wuya did not bring Qi Baiyu back to Sword King City, instead, creating supposedly fortuitous encounters in the shadows, step by step guiding Wei Wuya to become the number one prodigy in Yunzhou.
It can be said that Qi Baiyu’s entire life has been orchestrated by Wei Wuya and Yuan Zhixiang, like Qi Baiyu’s rise to fame, the divine skill secret manual Qi Baiyu accidentally acquired, the enemies Qi Baiyu encountered on his journey to fame, a certain accident, and so on, have all step by step guided Qi Baiyu’s beliefs, shaped his thoughts,
even the fact that Qi Baiyu fell in love with Liu Baishi at first sight, and Liu Baishi was also moved by Qi Baiyu, was all orchestrated under the arrangement of Wei Wuya.
Every time he thinks about this,
Nie Ghost God can’t help but feel a chill and horrifying realization, recalling his master’s advice when he was alive, to just perform the duties of a Sword Elder and not harbour thoughts that shouldn’t be harbored,
until that day, he truly understood his master’s advice.
The real Sect Leader was too terrifying.
At the same time, he also felt some sympathy for Qi Baiyu,
a once-in-a-generation demon-level prodigy, to have lived his entire life within the confines of someone else’s design, even his character and thoughts had been molded by others.
Of course, he just expressed his sentiments and had no other thoughts, clearly knowing his own position, just a helping hand to maintain unexpected developments.
Because this stage is too sensitive, the Demon Dao is watching with eyes like a tiger, the White Lotus Sect and the Court are in intense conflict, and the attention of various powers of the world is focused on Yunzhou. Wei Wuya’s identity is too conspicuous, and if he does not appear in Sword King City for a long time, it would easily attract attention.
As for Yuan Zhixiang and himself, it’s different,
Yuan Zhixiang originally often meditated in seclusion, and as for himself, he is famously fond of traveling and disappearing for three or five months doesn’t attract any outside attention.
So, the wrapping-up work for Qi Baiyu’s fall to demonhood is left to the two of them.
Although he is now involved, the actual part he plays is not substantial, just following Yuan Zhixiang, preparing to control the situation if things go out of control.