The Immortal Emperor Reborn: Accompanying My Child on the Extraordinary Journey

Chapter 53: The Mysterious Force's Peering

After returning from the ruins, Yun Che and Qing Lian did not immediately return to their respective sects. Instead, they chose a secluded mountain forest to practice in seclusion, consolidating their gains. A gentle breeze rustled through the forest, adding a touch of natural rhythm to the quiet time of cultivation.

“Yun Che, we have gained a lot from this trip to the ruins, but we must also be vigilant against the prying eyes of those mysterious forces.” Qing Lian sat cross-legged on a huge rock, closing his eyes and concentrating, but he did not forget to remind Yun Che who was standing beside him.

Yun Che held a longsword gleaming with a cold light. The tip of the sword lightly touched the ground, and the blade trembled slightly, as if resonating with the surrounding wind. "I understand, Qinglian. Strength is the ultimate truth. We must improve our cultivation as quickly as possible to meet the challenges that may come."

The two smiled at each other, both with the same determination in their hearts. They knew that in this world where the strong are respected, only by constantly improving their own strength can they protect themselves and those around them from harm.

Just as they were immersed in their cultivation, an undercurrent was stirring outside the forest. Several figures moved rapidly through the night, seemingly heading towards the forest.

"Sir, according to the intelligence, Yun Che and Qing Lian have indeed entered this mountain forest, but they don't seem to have any intention of leaving immediately." A man dressed in black with a stern face reported in a low voice to the old man in the lead.

The old man wore a robe intricately embroidered with patterns, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, seemingly able to see into people's hearts. "Hmph, these two little guys are quite clever. They knew their trip to the ruins would attract the attention of various factions, so they chose to practice in seclusion here, hoping to quickly improve their strength."

"Then what should we do? Should we just take action?" another man in black asked anxiously.

The old man waved his hand, a sly glint in his eyes. "No, taking direct action will only alert the enemy. What we need to do is quietly approach them and look for an opportunity to win them over. If they refuse, it won't be too late to take action later."

After saying that, the old man flashed and took the lead to rush into the depths of the forest. The other men in black followed closely behind him and disappeared into the night.

Inside the forest, Yun Che and Qing Lian were immersed in a crucial moment of their cultivation. Suddenly, an inexplicable sense of crisis surged in their hearts, causing them to open their eyes at the same time.

“Someone is coming.” Yun Che said in a low voice, the long sword in his hand had been quietly unsheathed, the tip of the sword pointed straight ahead.

Qinglian also stood up and waved his hands lightly. The air around them seemed to solidify, forming an invisible barrier. "We must proceed with caution."

Before he finished speaking, several figures appeared in front of them like ghosts. They were the old man and his men from before.

“Haha, Yun Che, Qing Lian, it really is you.” The old man laughed loudly, seemingly not surprised by their reaction.

Yun Che looked at the old man coldly, the longsword in his hand trembling slightly, ready to deal with any possible attack. "Who are you? Why are you visiting so late at night?"

The old man smiled slightly and introduced himself, "I am an elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect. I have traveled extensively and have heard of the names of the two young talents. I have come to make their acquaintance."

“Heavenly Sword Sect?” Yun Che’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that the Heavenly Sword Sect was a powerful sect, but the old man before him was clearly not a pushover.

Qinglian was more cautious. She carefully observed the old man and his men, trying to discern their true intentions from their auras. "Elder, your late-night visit isn't just about getting to know me, is it?"

The old man's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "Miss Qinglian is indeed extremely intelligent. Indeed, I do have another purpose for this trip."

As he spoke, the old man pulled a token from his bosom. The token was engraved with complex runes and emitted a faint glow. "This is the VIP token of the Heavenly Sword Sect. The holder of this token can enjoy all of the sect's resources. I would like to give this token to you two, in the hope that you will join my Heavenly Sword Sect."

Yun Che and Qing Lian exchanged a glance, each seeing the rejection in the other's eyes. They knew that once they joined a sect, they would be subject to many restrictions, which was inconsistent with their pursuit of freedom.

“Thank you for your kindness, Elder, but we are both used to being free and unfettered and do not wish to join any sect.” Yun Che politely declined.

The old man's face darkened, clearly dissatisfied with Yun Che's answer. "Yun Che, you must think clearly about what it means to reject the Heavenly Sword Sect."

Yun Che snorted coldly, the tip of his sword slightly raised, his tone firm. "No matter what it means, we will not change our decision."

Seeing that there was no hope of winning them over, the old man's face darkened. "Hmph, since you are so ungrateful, don't blame me for being rude."

Before he finished speaking, the old man suddenly jumped up, holding a long sword that flashed with cold light, and went straight for Yun Che's vital point.

Yun Che had been prepared. With a single swing of his longsword, it collided with the old man's, emitting a crisp metallic clang. The two men's figures intertwined, their swords flashing like lightning, and a fierce exchange of blows ensued in an instant.

Seeing this, Qinglian was not willing to be outdone. He waved his hands and the air around him seemed to be ignited, turning into streams of blazing flames that pounced towards the old man's men.

Although those men in black were quite powerful, they seemed a little flustered under Qinglian's fire attack and used their body skills to dodge.

Amidst the forest, swordlight and firelight intertwined, creating a breathtaking scene. Yun Che and Qing Lian coordinated their attacks in perfect harmony, one attacking, the other defending, neutralizing the old man's attacks one by one.

Seeing this, the old man couldn't help but be secretly surprised. He hadn't expected the two young men to be so powerful, especially Yun Che, whose swordsmanship was so sharp and his sword intent so majestic that he had to take him seriously.

"Hmph, I underestimated you." The old man snorted coldly and swung his sword. A dazzling light suddenly burst out from the sword, as if to swallow up everything around it.

Yun Che felt the might of the old man's sword and was slightly startled. However, he did not retreat. Instead, he faced the challenge head-on. With a swing of his longsword, it collided with the old man's longsword once again.

This time, the two men's strength seemed to have reached its peak. The sword light was like a dragon, soaring into the sky. The surrounding trees were broken by the impact of the sword light, and sand and rocks flew everywhere, leaving a mess.

Seeing this, Qinglian quickly formed seals with her hands and muttered something. As her incantation rang out, the surrounding flames suddenly condensed into a giant firebird, which pounced towards the old man.

The old man didn't dare to be careless and quickly swung his sword to block. However, the firebird was so powerful that even with his full strength, he was knocked back several steps, his face pale.

"You are indeed very strong, but today, you will definitely die." The old man roared angrily and swung his sword. A dazzling light burst out from the sword again. This time, his sword intent seemed to resonate with the heaven and earth, forming an irresistible force.

Yun Che and Qing Lian felt this power, and their hearts sank. They knew that this attack was no small matter, and they had to give their all to resist it.

The two exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with determination. They simultaneously swung their swords, their blades gleaming like dragons, colliding with the old man's sword intent, creating a deafening roar.

In the forest, sword light and sword intent intertwined, forming a shocking scene. Although Yun Che and Qing Lian were powerful, they also seemed to be struggling under the old man's full-strength attack.

However, they did not give up, but fought more bravely. Yun Che's swordsmanship was sharp, and each strike was aimed directly at the vital points; Qing Lian's flame attack was in full swing, as if it wanted to burn everything to ashes.

Seeing this, the old man couldn't help but admire them in his heart. He didn't expect these two young people to be so tenacious and not give up even in desperate situations.

However, despite his admiration, the old man showed no mercy. He swung his sword once more, and the sword intent surged like a tidal wave, attempting to completely submerge Yun Che and Qing Lian.

At this moment, suddenly a clear sword sound was heard, and a dazzling sword light shot out from the depths of the forest, colliding with the old man's sword intent, making a deafening roar.

The old man's body was shaken, and his face changed drastically. He didn't expect that someone would come to his aid at this time.

Yun Che and Qing Lian also took the opportunity to break free from the old man's attack and looked in the direction of the sword light. They saw a woman in white slowly walking out of the forest, holding a long sword in her hand. The sword was gleaming with a faint light, as if resonating with the heavens and the earth.

"Who are you?" the old man asked, looking at the woman in white warily.

The woman in white smiled slightly and didn't directly answer the old man's question. Instead, she looked at Yun Che and Qing Lian. "I'm Bing Ling. I heard there was a fight going on here, so I came to help."

Yun Che and Qing Lian felt a warm feeling in their hearts, and were extremely grateful to Bing Ling for helping them. They knew that in this world where the strong were respected, it was not easy to find someone willing to help.

“Thank you, Miss Bingling, for your help.” Yun Che bowed in thanks.

Bing Ling nodded slightly, her gaze returning to the old man. "Why did you, the people of the Heavenly Sword Sect, attack these two young men?"

The old man snorted coldly and did not directly answer Bing Ling's question. Instead, he asked, "What sect are you from? Why are you meddling in other people's business?"

Bing Ling smiled slightly, and with a gentle wave of the longsword in his hand, a dazzling light burst out from the blade again. "I have no sect or school, but I cannot stand the bullying of the weak."

The old man's face darkened even more when he heard this. "Hmph, since you are so ungrateful, don't blame me for being rude."

After saying that, the old man swung his sword again, and the sword intent surged like a tide, going straight for Bing Ling's vital points.

Bing Ling's figure was as lithe as a dancing butterfly, moving effortlessly through the swordlight. Her swordsmanship seemed gentle, yet it held immense power. Every swing of her sword could neutralize the old man's attacks.

The old man was secretly surprised when he saw this. He had never expected that this seemingly weak woman could have such a strong power.

However, despite his surprise, the old man did not give up. He swung his sword again, and the sword intent surged even more violently, as if to swallow up the entire forest.

Bing Ling felt the might of the old man's sword and was slightly startled. But she didn't retreat; instead, she faced the challenge head-on. Her swordsmanship became even more fierce, and every swing of her sword seemed to rip through space, colliding with the old man's sword intent with a deafening roar.

Amidst the forest, sword light and sword intent intertwined, creating a breathtaking scene. Yun Che and Qing Lian stood aside, watching the fierce battle between Bing Ling and the old man, each secretly admiring the other.

They knew that Bing Ling's strength was not inferior to theirs, and might even be stronger. Her swordsmanship was eye-opening for them, as if they had seen another possibility in the way of the sword.

After a fierce battle, the old man was finally defeated. He looked at Bing Ling with his eyes flashing with resentment and anger.