The Xuantian Holy Son did not bother to wait until the end to see what Li Qingzhou decided. He knew Li Qingzhou wouldn't be switching sides so he decided to leave.
Li Qingzhou, on the other hand, looked very troubled. Who had he offended? Why did the Holy Son challenge him?
'I only want to cultivate with a low profile. Why must you all force me to act in the opposite manner?'
And Li Qingzhou wasn't the only one who was depressed. The Black Sword Peak Lord was too. He looked at Li Qingzhou with a gloomy expression and said, "Did you join Qingyun Peak during the Disciple Acceptance Ceremony two years ago?"
"Yes." Li Qingzhou replied straightforwardly.
"You said that out of the 108 peaks of Xuantian Holy Land, only Qingyun Peak was willing to take you in? So are you saying that Black Sword Peak did not extend an offer to you?"
The corner of Li Qingzhou's mouth twitched as he said, "After my aptitude test, everyone knew that my Sword Spirit Body had been crippled. At the time, the representative from your peak was not willing to give up as he flew over to the tablet to personally examine me. But in the end, he shook his head and left. I had wanted to join Black Sword Peak but they did not accept me!"
"Zuo Jiansheng! How short-sighted of him to actually let such an outstanding disciple go just like that! You really make me angry!" The Black Sword Peak Lord gritted his teeth as a sharp sword intent surged out from his body and split the clouds in the sky into small blobs.
Zuo Jiansheng?
Was he the representative of Black Sword Peak who attended the Disciple Acceptance Ceremony two years ago?
Judging from the reaction of the Black Sword Peak Lord, Zuo Jiansheng would most likely be severely punished upon his Peak Lord's return!
How pitiful!
The Peak Lord of Black Sword Peak was about to leave before he turned around once more and flicked a sword-shaped token toward Li Qingzhou. "This is the Sword Observation Token of Black Sword Peak. Just show this token when you approach Black Sword Peak and you will be allowed to enter our Scripture Pavilion to read any and all of the secret sword methods and skills to your heart's desire. Don't let your talent go to waste!"
And with that, the Black Sword Peak Lord cupped his hands towards the Xuantian Holy Lord before he rode his flying sword into the sky for Black Sword Peak.
Li Qingzhou looked at the Sword Observation Token and was at a loss.
Honestly, Li Qingzhou didn't actually care how many secret sword methods and skills Black Sword Peak had. All he knew was that they neither had the Dao rhythm his master exuded during cultivation nor did they have Vision Pills for him to consume.
Although the Black Sword Peak Lord's offer wasn't bad, they were nothing compared to what he could obtain at Qingyun Peak!
Li Qingzhou had wanted to reject this Sword Observation Token, but he was worried that it would be too embarrassing for the Black Sword Peak Lord. In the end, he didn't know what to do with it.
"Take it. It would be good to learn more one day!" Ye Chen casually reassured his disciple.
"Yes, Master!"
Li Qingzhou put away the token, but he still felt that it was a bit too hot to handle.
"Farewell, then, Holy Lord, Elders!"
Ye Chen cupped his hands toward the Xuantian Holy Lord and elders, then left with Zi Menghan and Li Qingzhou for Qingyun Peak.
As soon as they had left, Zi Menghan couldn't help but gloat at Li Qingzhou as she covered her laugh with her hand. "Junior Brother, you've really made a name for yourself this time!"
Li Qingzhou's face turned black as he said, "Senior Sister, don't make fun of me. If there is such an opportunity again, I'll let you take the limelight!"
"Enough. You may talk once we've returned!" Ye Chen interrupted their conversation as the three rushed toward Qingyun Peak.
They were still in Xuantian Holy Land, but one could never know when someone would be listening in with a secret art. Thus, it was best that they did not speak carelessly beyond the array boundary of Qingyun Peak.
Soon, the trio arrived at Qingyun Peak and walked through the Heaven and Earth Five Elements Reversal Array. An indescribable sense of reassurance and security returned to Ye Chen's heart.
Now, he did not have to worry about being spied on by others.
Li Qingzhou fell to his knees and said, "Master, I am sorry!"
"And what did you do wrong?" asked Ye Chen indifferently.
"That Outer Realm Sky Demon was not that powerful, which means that I only needed to use the Lifeless Sword to finish him off. I should not have used the Supreme Sword Bone and Extreme Realm Sword Slash. I have brought too much attention to us!" Li Qingzhou reflected with seriousness.
Zi Menghan added, "Don't forget, the Xuantian Holy Son also challenged you in public. Oh, and the Xuantian Holy Lord and elders are now very interested in your progress!"
Li Qingzhou's face turned even darker.
But Ye Chen surprisingly waved his hand dismissively and said, "No, you did the right thing! Don't forget the second rule I taught you - no matter what enemies you face, you must go all out! If Liao Wuhen and the Outer Realm Sky Demon had some secret techniques up their sleeves, you would have died instantly and never have the chance to utilize your full potential!"
"What?"
Li Qingzhou was astonished as he said, "But, Master, I've attracted the attention of the Black Sword Peak Lord and the Xuantian Holy Son. I think the future only holds more inconveniences now."
Ye Chen sighed before saying, "How can one avoid all the karma in this world? If one encounters karma that one can not avoid, just find a way to get rid of it as soon as possible. Do you know why I specifically told you to come back and accept the challenge? Why do you think I didn't ask your senior sister to accept the challenge? Why do you think I didn't accept the challenge myself?"
Li Qingzhou also let out a slight sigh of relief when he knew his master did not blame him and carefully thought for a while. Then, he said, "Senior Sister was born with an Innate Crippled Body and apparently many experts had difficulty trying to find a way to let her cultivate. If she were to defeat Liao Wuhen now, it would probably cause an even greater ruckus.
"As for Master, well Master has always been cultivating while keeping a low profile without ever revealing his real potential to others. If Master made a move now, wouldn't that even be worse?
"Thus, relatively speaking, I am the most suitable since the Supreme Sword Bone I was born with but lost was reformed. No matter how it happened, my reentry into cultivation is most believable. People will only think that Qingyun Peak is lucky to have recruited me without attracting any more attention."
Zi Menghan agreed with him.
Ye Chen nodded and said, "Not bad. However, you must be able to take responsibility for the ruckus you've caused. So don't go down the mountain for the time being in case you make any more powerful enemies."
"Yes, Master!" Li Qingzhou agreed without hesitation.
Zi Menghan chuckled. "It would be good to stay at Qingyun Peak for a while. The Divine Sword School has already offered a high price for your head, Chen Beixuan of Ten Thousand Sword Holy Land!"
"You've heard about it, Senior Sister?" Li Qingzhou scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Of course! I was there when Master came up with all the aliases for us! I knew it was you when I heard Chen Beixuan's name!" Zi Menghan smiled.
Li Qingzhou shrugged. "Well, that Jian Wuchen was the one who ambushed me twice, almost preventing me from returning to attend the battle. So, I had to kill him in a hurry. But after he died, an old man from Divine Sword School suddenly appeared and asked for my name. Thankfully, I remembered Master's instruction and used Chen Beixuan's identity. So now, Chen Beixuan is famous in Eastern Wastelands."
"You're right, alright. Chen Beixuan of Ten Thousand Sword Holy Land is now famous for killing the successor of Divine Sword Sect, leaving many guessing his whereabouts and real identity in Ten Thousand Sword Holy Land. Who would have thought that Chen Beixuan would be hiding in the unremarkable Qingyun Peak of Xuantian Holy Land?" Zi Menghan was excited by the amount of attention Li Qingzhou had been getting, though what they were talking about didn't shine a direct spotlight on him.
"Alright, go cultivate!" Ye Chen waved his hand and dismissed the two.