Sister Jian Chou?

For a moment, Jian Chou was somewhat surprised.

In her view, Kunwu was a sect that rivaled Yashan in reputation, and in some ways, was even more terrifying. Now, a high-cultivation Nascent Soul stage disciple was addressing her as “Sister.”

Was Yashan’s reputation this useful?

Jian Chou’s eyes held some subtle hesitation as she looked at him, discovering that though his face carried arrogant colors, his expression held no disdain, and moreover…

This gaze contained a strange scrutiny.

Jian Chou couldn’t tell if this gaze was friendly or hostile.

Since the other party had greeted her, she couldn’t very well not return the courtesy. Standing on her Ghost Axe, she cupped her hands: “Yashan’s Jian Chou. I’ve long admired Fellow Daoist Wu Duan.”

One could tell at a glance that Jian Chou was hearing his name for the first time.

The cultivation world’s so-called “long admired” was all nonsense.

Wu Duan was clear about this himself, but didn’t take offense. However, hearing “Fellow Daoist Wu Duan” felt rather distant.

He looked around, then at what lay beneath his feet, smiling as he asked: “Just now, from far away on the sea surface, I noticed strange phenomena here, so I rushed over directly. Unexpectedly, I witnessed Sister’s magnificent display—truly dazzling. Yashan has indeed produced outstanding talents these past two years. But I wonder, what exactly happened here?”

“Fellow Daoist is too kind. My two fellow disciples and I came here on our master’s orders to investigate the disappearance of Wangjiang Tower disciples. We didn’t expect anomalies beneath the reef, which led to this scene—it’s nothing major.”

Jian Chou briefly explained the situation without revealing too much information.

Wu Duan listened and raised an eyebrow, looking around her, seeing no second Yashan disciple in the vicinity, couldn’t help but wonder: “Two fellow disciples? Where is the other one…”

“That would be my Yashan junior brother Qu Zhengfeng.”

Jian Chou answered indifferently.

Qu Zhengfeng.

This name was like a curse to Nascent Soul stage cultivators.

That person who hadn’t broken through his cultivation realm for over a hundred years, always occupying the first position among Nascent Soul stage cultivators. Wu Duan was indeed at a late Nascent Soul stage, but had only advanced recently and couldn’t compare to Qu Zhengfeng.

Everyone had competitive hearts. Hearing that Qu Zhengfeng was also here, Wu Duan became interested, but couldn’t see him anywhere.

Little fatty Jiang He nearby, hearing this, also approached, looking Wu Duan up and down.

As a “veteran” who’d been at Yashan for years, Jiang He had naturally heard of Kunwu Wu Duan’s reputation. He came over to explain: “Second Senior Brother is still below, having followed someone down. I’ve also heard of Brother Wu’s great name, the third disciple under True Person Hengxu. By rights, you should be stationed at Yashan. How is it that Brother Wu appears in the Western Sea now?”

Since he’d directly asked what Jian Chou and others were doing here and what the situation was, Jiang He asking this was also reasonable.

Wu Duan recalled his master’s instructions and couldn’t help but frown slightly.

He said: “My master calculated heavenly secrets and detected some anomalies in the lands of Shijiu Zhou… so he sent me to investigate the Western Sea.”

Anomalies?

This was vague indeed; clearly, Wu Duan didn’t want people to know exactly why he’d come.

Wu Duan felt that matters like “supreme demons and evils” that could cause public panic were better left unsaid until confirmed.

Hearing the word “anomalies,” Jian Chou and the others couldn’t help but look down at their feet.

Everyone suspected today’s events were these so-called “anomalies.”

The dark sky hung low and heavy, threatening rain.

The entire sky seemed ready to press down upon the boundless sea. The black reef beneath the ice was only a vague shadow.

Just because of Mo Yuanxing’s earlier reckless strike, the stone door had counterattacked, creating this effect…

Now the trouble was enormous.

With such thick ice and unknown conditions outside the stone door, how would Qu Zhengfeng and Tao Zhang, who had entered that mysterious stone door, get out?

Looking at the ice surface, Jian Chou couldn’t help but think of this matter and frowned tightly.

Wu Duan was also examining the area below. He had indeed investigated some related situations on Deng Tiandao, but no one mentioned any anomalies. The only anomaly he’d witnessed was this very incident.

It might be possible.

After pondering for a moment, Wu Duan cupped his hands to Jian Chou: “Now four people are trapped within the stone door. I’ve long admired Brother Qu of Yashan’s abilities—if he’s inside, there shouldn’t be any problems. However, this Tao Zhang from Wuyi Sect, though weak in power, has a notorious reputation we’ve all heard of. He’s difficult to deal with and not a good person. To be safe, why don’t I dive down to investigate while Sister Jian Chou and the others wait on this ice surface for a moment?”

Though Jian Chou and the others couldn’t understand Wu Duan’s true purpose, seeing his current attitude, he was indeed much more trustworthy than Mo Yuanxing.

Little Fatty Jiang He transmitted to Jian Chou: “Though I don’t know why Second Senior Brother dislikes Kunwu people, this fellow seems trustworthy. He has late Nascent Soul strength—the strongest among us—and being from Kunwu, might have methods for that stone door.”

This was also Jian Chou’s thinking.

She looked at little fatty Jiang He with curiosity, suddenly feeling this Eighth Junior Brother’s thoughts always aligned with her own.

Jiang He, looked at with such intensity, shuddered and directly hugged himself, trembling: “S-Senior Sister, don’t look at me like that—it’s as scary as Second Senior Brother!”

Really…

Jian Chou felt that though Qu Zhengfeng sometimes gave people the feeling of being difficult to approach, most of the time he seemed quite approachable.

It seemed she’d known him for too short a time to understand his nature.

Look at little fatty—how scared he was!

Jian Chou sighed inwardly.

Wu Duan heard their conversation and roughly guessed they were transmitting to each other, but didn’t interrupt, just watching from the side.

With Jiang He looking frightened, Jian Chou didn’t explain further, coolly withdrawing her gaze.

She looked at Wu Duan: “If Junior Brother Wu is willing to help, we’re naturally extremely grateful. Let’s do as Junior Brother Wu suggests and await your good news.”

From “Fellow Daoist Wu Duan” to “Junior Brother Wu”—everyone could hear this change in attitude.

The strange feeling in Wu Duan’s heart grew even stronger.

The world’s geniuses always had some prideful air, different from ordinary people, which made them geniuses. Many were simply madmen.

The geniuses he’d encountered within his sect, including himself, all had tempers. Like that annoying Xie Buchen, who barely acknowledged anyone, spending his days either comprehending sword intent at the river’s heart or cultivating at the Earth Fire Altar.

But this “Senior Sister Jian Chou” from Yashan gave him a completely different feeling.

Wu Duan looked at Jian Chou for quite some time.

Jian Chou’s brow furrowed slightly as she coughed once, reminding: “Junior Brother Wu, what’s wrong?”

“Hmm?”

Finally snapping back to attention.

Wu Duan hadn’t expected to be lost in such thoughts. He didn’t hide it, smiling: “Sister Jian Chou, forgive me. I’ve rarely encountered Yashan fellows, and this first contact has surprised me, feeling that Yashan is truly different from others.”

This was strange.

Jian Chou was somewhat puzzled.

Wu Duan explained openly: “Sister Jian Chou is gentle and courteous, approachable and unpretentious—completely unlike typical so-called ‘geniuses.’ Wu Duan was momentarily moved, hence distracted. Our Kunwu Junior Brother Xie is nowhere near as approachable and easy to get along with as Sister Jian Chou.”

In that instant, Jian Chou looked at Wu Duan with an additional trace of coldness in her eyes.

Junior Brother Xie…

Undoubtedly Xie Buchen.

After speaking, Wu Duan directly cupped his hands: “Enough idle talk. Let me first dive down to investigate.”

Jian Chou also cupped her hands, her gaze falling on Wu Duan’s white bone sword. She saw a flash of flowing light pass over the white bone sword, and Wu Duan had already entered the sea from the ice edge, disappearing.

Little fatty Jiang He slowly approached, stroking his chin and muttering: “This person isn’t quite what I expected…”

“How so?”

Jian Chou glanced at Mo Yuanxing nearby, whose expression was strange, and asked.

Jiang He said: “True Person Hengxu of Kunwu has twelve direct disciples. Wu Duan is among the earlier cultivators, reportedly always domineering and unfeeling, full of Kunwu arrogance. But seeing him today, he seems like a completely different person… Could he have taken the wrong medicine, or… been beaten down by someone?”

“…”

No words.

Jian Chou had never encountered Kunwu people before and didn’t know the temperament of Horizontal Void Old Monster’s direct disciples. She just found Wu Duan’s attitude toward her quite strange.

No hostility, but not exactly friendly either.

When mentioning her and his “Junior Brother Xie,” the feeling was more like complexity.

Junior Brother Xie, Xie Buchen.

Genius, difficult to get along with?

This didn’t match the Xie Buchen in Jian Chou’s memories.

He had once been a pampered young master who was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics. Though he’d become more composed after great hardships, he could hardly be called “difficult to get along with.”

On the contrary, Xie Buchen was refined and courteous, gentle and elegant in his dealings, thorough and considerate…

Unconsciously, the past Xie Buchen was gradually pieced together by memory fragments in her mind.

Thinking again of Wu Duan’s words filled with countless complexities…

Jian Chou couldn’t help but look up into the distance.

Standing between heaven and sea like a lonely seabird, about to navigate through the approaching storm.

She hadn’t known that Xie Buchen had changed so much.

This was the first time—besides people discussing his external reputation—that someone mentioned this “person.”

That momentary feeling was truly like this sky about to collapse.

Seeing Jian Chou lost in thought, everyone daredn’t disturb her.

She stood on her Ghost Axe, floating above the sea surface. Her contemplative appearance carried an indescribable weight.

Not far away, Wei Xiang, following behind Mo Yuanxing, looked at Jian Chou with eyes practically glowing.

Even her thoughtful expression was so handsome!

She lightly nibbled her finger, eyes rolling, not daring to disturb Jian Chou but jumping directly to Jiang He’s side.

“Senior Brother Jiang.”

Wei Xiang called out.

Jiang He glanced at her: “What do you want?”

After speaking, he suddenly thought of Qu Zhengfeng and immediately wore a sly, cunning smile: “Want to ask about Senior Brother Qu? I knew it, but actually, our Senior Brother Qu…”

“Do you know what Senior Sister Jian Chou likes to eat?”

Wei Xiang blinked and asked.

“…She likes…”

Likes what!

How would Jiang He know what Jian Chou liked?

Also, he suddenly realized, cleaned out his ears, and looked at Wei Xiang: “Who did you just ask about?!”

“Senior Sister Jian Chou.”

Saying this, Wei Xiang sneaked a glance at Jian Chou, quite embarrassed, her ears turning red.

In that instant, Jiang He felt a chill throughout his body…

Damn, how could he not understand the aesthetic preferences of female cultivators in Shijiu Zhou at all?

What was this situation?

He tremblingly pointed at Jian Chou: “You’re sure it’s her?”

“Yes.” Wei Xiang was a bit excited: “Are all the female cultivators in your Yashan this handsome? This good-looking? Senior Sister Jian Chou is exactly my ideal type, and her magical artifact is an axe—so unexpected, so amazing!”

“…We only have Senior Sister as our one female cultivator at Yashan.”

When saying this, Jiang He admitted he was expressionless.

Wei Xiang was so excited she was about to cry: “Does your Yashan still accept female cultivators? Can they also use axes?”

“…”

Jiang He hadn’t expected happiness to come so fast, so fierce, so unpredictable!

When Senior Sister first entered Yashan, countless people thought that with Yashan finally having one female cultivator, they would surely have more, thus ending the infamy of “Yashan has no female cultivators.”

Unexpectedly…

Now, another female cultivator was interested in Yashan…

And wanted to follow Senior Sister Jian Chou’s path…

But…

Jiang He’s heart ached.

He thought Senior Sister was handsome, but not at all delicate and charming!

People wanted to find a dao companion!

It was over. If this continued, would future female cultivators joining Yashan all be influenced by Senior Sister to use axes?

A scene appeared in Jiang He’s mind.

Senior Sister Jian Chou majestically chopped a Yashan fellow disciple off the Sword-Drawing Platform with one axe, as decisive and brutal as when she’d run away at the first sign of disagreement!

The fellow disciple spun several times in the air before finally crashing to the ground.

Looking up, many people were watching him.

One axe, two axes…

One female cultivator, two female cultivators…

All the female cultivators held axes, smiling at him…

Mother!

Too terrifying!

Little fatty Jiang He’s expression finally became horrified as he couldn’t help but swallow.

“Speak up! Does your Yashan still accept female cultivators?”

Though knowing Yashan’s admission standards were high, and reportedly no female cultivator had crossed this threshold, leading to rumors that Yashan didn’t accept female cultivators.

But…

What if?

Senior Sister Jian Chou was already a Yashan female cultivator, proving Yashan did accept female cultivators. She might have a chance!

Seeing his disciple running off to ask if Yashan accepted female cultivators, Wangjiang Tower Elder Mo Yuanxing finally couldn’t bear it and coughed heavily twice: “Cough cough!”

Hearing this, Wei Xiang’s hair stood on end.

She awkwardly turned around to finally see her master behind her.

In that instant, like having her pigtail grabbed, she pitifully lowered her head and obediently returned to Mo Yuanxing’s side, not daring to speak again.

Jiang He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He quickly shrank toward Jian Chou’s side.

Well, though Senior Sister Jian Chou’s fighting style was a bit too fierce, at times like this, she was particularly reassuring!

Wuu wuu wuu, worthy of being our Yashan’s Senior Sister, our protective umbrella.

Senior Sister, I support you!

Jian Chou had also heard those ridiculous conversations and sighed inwardly, pretending to still be in thought, too lazy to engage.

Now feeling Jiang He’s approach, she glanced sideways, lips curving as she was about to speak, when suddenly her brow furrowed and she raised her hand, Liwai Mirror already in her grasp!

“Bang!”

A tremendous ice-breaking sound!

On the ice surface frozen for a hundred zhang, a huge breach suddenly appeared, ice fragments flying!

The dark blue sword light had a shocking brilliance under this gloomy sky.

The reef under the ice shattered completely, fragments shooting outward.

A flowing light shot up from the seabed—

Black robes stained with blood, when blown by wind, shook out blood droplets, startlingly red, scattering in mid-air and on the ice surface.

Qu Zhengfeng!

He burst up from beneath the ice, with three human figures following behind him.

Looking carefully, Jian Chou saw Qu Zhengfeng holding a rope emitting blue light, having tied these three people together like dumplings.

Now emerging from the ice, he directly raised his hand and threw, and the blue-glowing rope immediately disappeared.

The three bound people were thrown by him from mid-air onto the ice surface.

Thud thud thud…

They rolled away.

This action was too casual, as if completely indifferent to these three people’s lives.

One person Jian Chou recognized—clearly Tao Zhang, now covered in blood, somehow already unconscious.

The other two wore Wangjiang Tower clothes, presumably Mo Yuanxing’s two missing disciples.

Seeing them, Mo Yuanxing immediately shouted: “Fifth! Sixth!”

He dove down to check their condition.

Qu Zhengfeng, in mid-air, didn’t look down once.

He only stared ahead at the Kunwu disciple who’d burst from beneath the ice—Wu Duan!

Wu Duan stood on his white bone sword, his expression quite grave. Just after bursting out, he immediately stopped, floating above the ice surface, saying to Qu Zhengfeng: “Senior Brother Qu, that was a misunderstanding, I…”

“Misunderstanding?”

Qu Zhengfeng’s voice was cold and icy.

He looked at Wu Duan across from him with an almost expressionless face.

A blood mark on his shoulder seemed to be an injury from someone, and his black robe had a huge tear.

Rumble…

Thunder came from the horizon.

Wild winds swept, heavy rain approaching.

Qu Zhengfeng raised his hand, pulling off his heavy black robe.

The wide robe, caught by the sea wind, immediately billowed up, blown far away, slowly falling to the sea surface.

Splash splash splash…

Heavy rain came.

Dense raindrops like beans hammered down on Qu Zhengfeng’s back.

Besides a fresh blood mark, his back bore a hideous old wound extending from front to back!

Terrifying scars seemed to have accumulated over many years but showed no signs of fading.

This former chief disciple of Yashan, now the second senior brother, was steady and reliable, thoroughly gentle and refined.

Only when this robe was removed…

Did something seem exposed?

At that moment, Jian Chou couldn’t describe what she felt inside.

She only saw Qu Zhengfeng’s hair soaked by the downpour, rainwater flowing down his spine, mixing the fresh blood from his shoulder wound with rain, staining the hideous old wound red!

In the wind, a cold laugh.

Qu Zhengfeng slowly raised his hand, gripping the Sea Light Sword in his palm.

Looking at Wu Duan as if facing a great enemy, he slowly spoke two words—

“Draw… sword!”