Zhu Xian: The way of heaven collapses, and I only have one sword!

Chapter 43 The "Top Four" of the Seven Clans Martial Arts Competition come down the mountain!
Chen Qiye soaked in the tub, his smile growing wider as he listened to Lu Xueqi's footsteps fade away. He quickly washed himself, changed into the clothes Lu Xueqi had brought him, and walked out of the bathroom. Sunlight poured down unreservedly, gilding his long, frosty hair, which fluttered gently in the breeze.

Lu Xueqi was sitting at the stone table, gazing at the several spiritual plants in the courtyard. Hearing the sound, she subconsciously turned her head, and in an instant, her eyes fixed on Chen Qiye, and for a moment she was stunned.

Chen Qiye walked briskly towards Lu Xueqi, his tall figure outlined in the sunlight, his white hair dancing freely in the breeze. Lu Xueqi came to her senses, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly turned her head away, feigning composure as she tidied the tea set on the table.

"Qier, you are shy." Chen Qiye said with a smile.

Lu Xueqi spat lightly, "Who's shy? It's just that the sunlight is a little dazzling." As she said that, she reached out and poured a cup of tea, trying to use the fragrance of the tea to cover up her panic.

Chen Qiye sat down beside her and reached out to gently hold her hand. Lu Xueqi wanted to pull her hand back, but Chen Qiye held it tighter, so she had no choice but to let him hold it.

"I almost forgot about this little fellow," Chen Qiye said, gently shaking his sleeves. A faint green light emanated from them, and the seven-tailed centipede landed nimbly on the stone table. Its seven-pronged tail swayed gently, its brilliant colors shimmering in the sunlight, as if showing off its uniqueness.

Lu Xueqi was slightly startled by the sudden appearance of the seven-tailed centipede, and subconsciously moved closer to Chen Qiye. Chen Qiye sensed her movement and gently patted her hand to comfort her.

"Don't be afraid, Qi'er. I've tamed it now, and it won't hurt anyone," Chen Qiye explained with a smile, his eyes full of fondness for the seven-tailed centipede. He gently extended his finger, and the seven-tailed centipede, as if it understood his words, climbed up his fingertip obediently, its tentacles rubbing against his skin affectionately.

Seeing this, Lu Xueqi's curiosity grew, and she cautiously reached out her hand, wanting to touch the seven-tailed centipede. However, as soon as she approached, the seven-tailed centipede alertly raised its tentacles and made a hissing sound.

Lu Xueqi was so frightened that she quickly retracted her hand. Chen Qiye smiled and placed the seven-tailed centipede in his palm, showing it to Lu Xueqi. "Look, it's just not familiar with you yet. It will be fine after a few more interactions. Come on, try again."

Encouraged by Chen Qiye, Lu Xueqi slowly extended her hand again. This time, the seven-tailed centipede hesitated for a moment before slowly crawling onto her fingers. Lu Xueqi felt a tingling sensation on her fingers, and couldn't help but laugh.

"It seems to really listen to you." Lu Xueqi said in surprise.

Chen Qiye nodded, and the seven-tailed centipede crawled back into his palm, curling up affectionately. Seeing this, he bit his finger again, and a drop of bright red blood slowly dripped onto the seven-tailed centipede.

In an instant, a layer of richer dark green light appeared around the seven-tailed centipede. The light was like a lively silk thread, entwined around its body and blending with Chen Qiye's blood.

Lu Xueqi watched the scene nervously and held her breath unconsciously.

The seven-tailed centipede's already vibrant colors became even more dazzling, its seven-pronged tail twitching gently, as if absorbing the power of Chen Qiye's blood. As the blood absorbed it, the centipede's body swelled slightly, and strange patterns began to appear on its previously smooth shell.

As those strange patterns emerged, the aura emanating from the seven-tailed centipede became stronger and more murderous.

Chen Qiye could feel his connection with the seven-tailed centipede growing stronger than ever, as if the poisonous creature had become a part of him. He could even sense the seven-tailed centipede's inner fluctuations, a complex blend of desire for power and loyalty to its master. After a moment, the green light gradually faded, and the seven-tailed centipede once again lay quietly in Chen Qiye's palm.

At this moment, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the courtyard. A Qingyun Sect disciple rushed into the courtyard in a panic. Upon seeing Chen Qiye and Lu Xueqi, he hurried forward to greet them and said, "Brother Chen, Sister Lu, the Sect Master invites you."

"Okay, we got it." As he said that, Chen Qiye put the seven-tailed centipede back into his sleeve, stood up with Lu Xueqi, and walked quickly towards the Yuqing Palace.

On the way, the two also met Zeng Shushu from Fenghui Peak. It was obvious that he was also summoned.

Zeng Shushu's face was filled with curiosity. He quickly stalked over to Chen Qiye, bumped his shoulder, and said with great joy, "Qiye, you really stole the show this time! Thirty-sixth-grade Three Flowers, created your own sword formation, and successfully transcended the tribulation. I admire you so much! Tell me, what did it feel like when you broke through?"

Chen Qiye smiled, his expression gentle: "You also saw that after the tribulation, I was half dead."

Zeng Shushu curled his lips, a hint of disapproval on his face: "That's because you're too strong. If it were someone else, they probably wouldn't even be able to withstand the first thunder of this thirty-sixth level heavenly tribulation."

The three of them chatted along the way and soon arrived at the Jade Purity Hall. Inside, Taoist Master Daoxuan sat at the main seat, his expression solemn. Below him stood the Six Veins' chief, and the atmosphere was particularly oppressive. Upon entering the hall, Chen Qiye and the other two saw Zhang Xiaofan standing in the hall, holding a firewood stick.

Taoist Master Daoxuan's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Chen Qiye. He nodded slightly, motioning him, Lu Xueqi, and Zeng Shushu to stand beside Zhang Xiaofan. These four of them also happened to be the top four disciples of the Qingyun Sect's "Seven Sects Martial Competition."

Taoist Master Daoxuan looked at Chen Qiye and the other three in the hall and said with a smile, "I asked you four to come here today because I have something to tell you. I want you to go down the mountain and gain some experience."

Except for Chen Qiye who knew something, the other three were slightly stunned and looked at Taoist Master Daoxuan together.

Taoist Master Daoxuan then recounted the story of the "Ancient Cave of Ten Thousand Bats" on Kongsang Mountain the other day, adding, "This matter is of great importance. The four of you are the elite of my sect, with exceptional talent, so I am sending you to investigate. However, the demonic cult's demons are treacherous and vicious, so you must be careful." Chen Qiye and the other three replied in unison, "Yes."

Taoist Master Daoxuan nodded and said, "In addition to our Qingyun Sect, Fenxiang Valley and Tianyin Temple have also sent outstanding disciples to investigate. You must not be disrespectful in front of others, but you must also not undermine the prestige of our Qingyun Sect. Also, Qiye, your senior brother Xiao Yicai went to Kongsang Mountain a few years ago to investigate this matter. If you find him, please consult with him on everything."

Chen Qiye bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Disciple understands and will definitely live up to Master's trust."

Beside him, Lu Xueqi looked resolute and gently shook Chen Qiye's hand, silently conveying her support. Zeng Shushu rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with excitement, while Zhang Xiaofan gripped the fire stick tightly and nodded slightly.

"Please give instructions to your respective disciples." Taoist Master Daoxuan said to Zeng Shuchang, Tian Buyi and Shuiyue.

Zhang Xiaofan and Tian Buyi were the first to step aside. Meanwhile, outside Yuqing Hall, Lu Xueqi stood beside Master Shuiyue, who whispered instructions to her. Lu Xueqi listened carefully, nodding occasionally. Zeng Shushu was also called aside by Zeng Shuchang, leaving Chen Qiye standing there in a daze.

"Master, don't you have anything to say to me? This will make me look stupid." Chen Qiye looked at Taoist Master Daoxuan and said.

Taoist Master Daoxuan looked at Chen Qiye's somewhat helpless expression, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes. Then his expression straightened up, he walked forward and gently patted Chen Qiye's shoulder, saying, "Qiye, you are extremely talented, and you have experienced the baptism of this heavenly tribulation. I am naturally relieved. With your current cultivation level of the Upper Purity Realm, it is them that you should be careful of."

After explaining the matter, the other six sect leaders also left one after another. Before leaving, Cangsong reached out and patted Chen Qiye on the shoulder, whispering, "Qiye, my nephew, be careful on this trip. The demon sect monsters are cunning and treacherous, so don't take them lightly."

Chen Qiye nodded slightly, "Thank you, Uncle Cangsong."

After everyone left, Chen Qiye and the other three began to discuss and decided to go down the mountain to Heyang City first.

"Now that we have discussed it, let's leave as soon as possible. This is the top of the mountain. Except for the leaders of the seven sects, the other disciples cannot fly on swords. So let's go down to the sea of ​​clouds and fly to Heyang City on swords from there." Chen Qiye nodded and said.

The other three nodded in agreement, and the four of them arrived at the edge of the sea of ​​clouds, each summoning their own magical weapons. Chen Qiye's was naturally the Autumn Water Without a Trace, Lu Xueqi's was the Tianya Divine Sword, Zeng Shushu's was the Xuanyuan Immortal Sword, which had a faint purple aura, and Zhang Xiaofan's was the fire stick.

The four of them rode their swords, traversing clouds and mountains, arriving at Heyang City just as the sun was setting. To avoid conspicuous appearances, Chen Qiye and his companions had already changed out of their Qingyun Sect uniforms before entering the city. They then walked into the city, which didn't arouse any suspicion.

However, Lu Xueqi's stunning beauty caused quite a stir, attracting many passersby to stop and watch. Zhang Xiaofan and Zeng Shushu shuddered as they watched Chen Qiye, dressed in black. They were truly worried that Chen Qiye would accidentally massacre the entire Heyang City because of Lu Xueqi.

"Hiss, I remembered a very important question." Chen Qiye suddenly stopped and said.

Zeng Shushu came over curiously and asked, "Qiye, what's the important question? Don't scare me."

Chen Qiye frowned and asked seriously: "Did you bring any silver?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the smile on Zeng Shushu's face froze instantly. He subconsciously touched his Qiankun bag, looking a little embarrassed, "Uh... well, I went out in a hurry and didn't seem to bring much." As he said, he turned the Qiankun bag upside down, and only poured out a few scattered silver coins, which gleamed pitifully in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Zhang Xiaofan was also taken aback, scratched his head, and said honestly, "I don't usually need silver in Dazhu Peak. I was in a hurry to come out this time and didn't even think of bringing any."

Lu Xueqi frowned slightly. Although she didn't say anything, her expression showed that she also didn't have enough money. She glanced at Chen Qiye, her eyes filled with a hint of helplessness and ridicule, as if to say, "How nice of you to only think of this now."

Chen Qiye watched the three people's reactions, his lips twitching slightly as he groaned inwardly. He had assumed everyone was prepared; after all, money was essential when traveling. But in this situation, finding a good inn for a good night's rest, even having a decent dinner was a problem.

"What should we do?" Zeng Shushu stamped his feet anxiously, "We can't just sleep on the streets, right?" As he spoke, he looked at Chen Qiye eagerly, as if he could come up with some brilliant idea.

“Life is not easy when you are away from home. It’s hard for me, the champion of the Seven Clans Martial Arts Competition, to even perform to make a living.” Chen Qiye shook his head with a wry smile.

"Performing?" Zeng Shushu's eyes lit up. "Qiye, don't be ridiculous. With our skills, performing is a waste of our talents. But... it seems there is no other way."

"I, Chen Qiye, am proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting," Chen Qiye said confidently, his lips curled up slightly, a sly glint in his eyes, "Let's see how I can earn money with my talents today."

(End of this chapter)