Jade Dynasty: I am the master of the Burning Sword, my swordsmanship is unparalleled.

Chapter 50 The Righteous Path, Clash

As soon as the group of vampire bats left, Lu Xueqi saw Zhang Xiaofan standing there staring blankly at the sky, so she rushed over and asked him with great concern.

"Junior Brother Zhang, are you alright?"

Zhang Xiaofan didn't speak, but simply shook his head slightly, then couldn't help but sigh softly.

Why do we drift apart? Why are we so rarely reunited? Why is our separation so long? Why can't we find peace?

All things in the world, not just humans, are sentient beings. Even some ferocious creatures may not be heartless, bloodthirsty monsters.

Just like those vampire bats, Zhang Xiaofan was able to make a connection with them by using some secret techniques and the power of the Netherworld.

These vampire bats are indeed related to the old man from back then, but they are not raised by the old man as recorded in the Qingyun Sect's records.

These vampire bats are descendants of ancient beasts that lived in the Kongsang Mountains for generations.

Nearly a thousand years ago, there were not as many vampire bats as there are today; they were just a small group.

The unscrupulous old man accidentally discovered this group of vampire bats and made a pact with them: as long as the vampire bats guarded Kongsang Mountain for him, he would find blood food to feed them.

Now, nearly a thousand years have passed. The ruthless old man has long since passed away, and this group of vampire bats has gone through countless generations, yet they still uphold this age-old promise, waiting for the return of an old man.

Even after Zhang Xiaofan told the vampire bats that the Black Heart Old Man was dead, they still chose to uphold the agreement that had been passed down since who knows when, after their grief.

The wicked old man was certainly not a good person, but in the hearts of these vampire bats, he was extraordinary. They did not have the same sense of good and evil as humans, but they might have their own sense of good and evil.

All living beings in the universe have their own path.

Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. Perhaps they are benevolent, perhaps they are not; who can say for sure?
"Junior Brother Zhang, are you alright?"

Upon hearing Zhang Xiaofan's murmurs, Lu Xueqi recalled his tragic past. Looking into his compassionate and sorrowful eyes, she couldn't help but think of that day under the heavenly lightning, when he displayed such an arrogant and unrestrained expression. She couldn't help but ask him with concern.

Zhang Xiaofan took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, gently shook his head, and said.

"I'm just feeling a bit sentimental. Let's go visit some fellow Daoists at Tianyin Temple and Fenxiang Valley."

As he spoke, Zhang Xiaofan walked towards Zeng Shushu and Qi Hao. Just now, after the vampire bats returned to their nest, Zeng Shushu and Qi Hao saw Lu Xueqi standing with Zhang Xiaofan, so they went to help the fellow Daoists from Tianyin Temple and Fenxiang Valley.

Lu Xueqi didn't speak, but turned her head to look in the direction the group of vampire bats had flown away, and murmured the four lines of poetry that Zhang Xiaofan had just recited. After calming herself down, she also walked over.

Upon seeing Zhang Xiaofan approach, Qi Hao, who had already met him before, quickly introduced him, speaking very politely.

"Junior Sister Lu, Junior Brother Zhang, let me introduce you. These two are Senior Brother Faxiang and Senior Brother Fashan from Tianyin Temple. Senior Brother Faxiang is hailed by the righteous path of cultivation as a genius rarely seen in a thousand years, and Senior Brother Fashan has also received the true teachings of the Great Brahma Prajna of Tianyin Temple. His Buddhist teachings are profound!"

Upon hearing this, the young monk, whose face was still quite fair, softly chanted a Buddhist prayer and spoke very politely.

"Amitabha, Senior Brother Qi, you flatter me. I am of dull talent, but my master, Venerable Puhong, has never abandoned me and has taught me the true Dharma. I hope that I can do some good deeds for the people of the world, but I am far from being able to compare with the senior brothers of Qingyun Sect, especially this Senior Brother Zhang. He is not only proficient in the Daoist arts, but also has a great sense of righteousness for the people. I am far behind him."

A complex look flashed in Zhang Xiaofan's eyes, then he sighed softly, a smile appeared on his face, and he greeted Faxiang and Fashan in a low voice.

After introducing the two people from Tianyin Temple, Qi Hao's enthusiasm faded somewhat. He wanted Zeng Shushu to speak for him, but seeing Zeng Shushu looking down as if studying the rocks, Qi Hao couldn't help but sigh inwardly before reluctantly introducing himself.

"Junior Brother Zhang, Junior Sister Lu, and these two are senior disciples of Fenxiang Valley, Senior Brother Li Xun and Senior Sister Yan Hong."

It's no wonder Qi Hao was unwilling to acknowledge the two. Even when he was introducing them, both of them wore arrogant expressions. Especially Li Xun, who, despite being rescued by disciples of the Qingyun Sect, looked at Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu with an air of superiority.

However, Li Xun's gaze faltered for a moment when it fell upon Lu Xueqi, who was as aloof and ethereal as a fairy.

Lu Xueqi was already quite dissatisfied with Li Xun's arrogant expression.

Don't you see, her junior brother Zhang, who once wielded a sword that could shake the heavens, was always humble and polite, never arrogant. Yet this person before her, who was made so disheveled by a group of vampire bats, was only saved by junior brother Zhang's intervention, and yet he still acts so disrespectful.

After giving a soft hum, Lu Xueqi didn't even bother to greet him. She moved gracefully and stood directly behind Zhang Xiaofan, avoiding Li Xun's gaze.

Yan Hong, on the other hand, seemed to know that they were able to get out of the crisis thanks to the people in front of them, so she greeted them quite politely.

"Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Sister Lu."

As she spoke, Yan Hong's gaze suddenly fell on the hilt of the Tianya Sword in Lu Xueqi's hand, and her eyes narrowed slightly.

After raising her head, Yan Hong was stunned when she saw Zhang Xiaofan with his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. It was not only because of Zhang Xiaofan's youth and his cold and aloof temperament, but also because the dark black sword hilt behind his head looked somewhat familiar to Yan Hong.

"This is Zhang Xiaofan, the champion of this year's Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament of my Qingyun Sect. This is Lu Xueqi, the esteemed disciple of Master Shuiyue. Her Taoist skills are no less than mine."

Qi Hao solemnly introduced Zhang Xiaofan to Faxiang and the others. When Faxiang heard Zhang Xiaofan's name, he was stunned for a moment. He looked Zhang Xiaofan up and down, and his surprise grew. He couldn't help but praise him.

"Senior Brother Zhang is truly a prodigy. I never imagined he could surpass Senior Brother Qi. It seems that soon, the Qingyun Sect will produce another master with unparalleled talent like your sect's Ancestor Qingye!"

Not only Faxiang, but also Fashan, who was tall and burly with a somewhat fierce look on his face, and Yan Hong were all taken aback.

The Qingyun Sect's Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament is held once every sixty years. Zhang Xiaofan looks so young, probably no more than twenty years old, yet he was able to defeat many disciples who participated in the previous tournament, which shows that his talent must be extremely high.

Li Xun, on the other hand, was quite disdainful upon hearing this. Born into the Incense Valley, he had been highly regarded by his elders since childhood. Except for a few people, he was far superior to his peers. Naturally, he was arrogant and developed a haughty personality that looked down on everyone.

Having just arrived in the Central Plains, seeing Zhang Xiaofan win the championship at such a young age, how could he think that the other party's cultivation was so profound? He simply thought that the Qingyun Sect was unworthy of its reputation and couldn't help but sneer.

"I never imagined that the Qingyun Sect would have someone as skilled in beast-taming techniques as Senior Brother Zhang. It seems your sect truly has many talented individuals!"

Li Xun's words, seemingly praising the Qingyun Sect, were actually a sarcastic remark.

A renowned cultivation sect doesn't boast about the cultivation level of its members, but only talks about its strange and unusual techniques, which happen to be able to control those vampire bats. Isn't this just saying that the Qingyun Sect has no one to rely on?
Upon hearing this, Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu's expressions changed, and Lu Xueqi even pulled Tianya out an inch with a 'clang'.

However, Zhang Xiaofan simply raised his hand, and Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu both stopped, while Lu Xueqi angrily put the Tianya Sword back.

Seeing that even the youngest Zhang Xiaofan possessed such prestige and a Dharma image, Yan Hong was quite surprised.

After stopping Lu Xueqi and the other two, Zhang Xiaofan turned his gaze to Li Xun. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a hint of arrogance flashed across his cold face as he spoke softly.

"Oh? Senior Brother Li Xun, do you perhaps wish to have a contest with me? How about this: I will not use any magic weapons. If I cannot defeat Senior Brother Li Xun within three moves, then my Qingyun Sect will admit that our Daoist arts are inferior to those of Fenxiang Valley, and vice versa!"

"What does Senior Brother Li Xun think?"

The seemingly casual tone of voice contained an astonishing arrogance.

(End of this chapter)