C11 Liu Qingshan the Heir of the Sword Sect

At the base of the mountain, a man clad in green was laboriously climbing upward, a broadsword strapped to his back that weighed a hefty hundred kilograms. He was a swordman by trade.

It was a well-known fact that swordmen the world over shared a common flaw — they were notoriously poor navigators. And he was no different.

As the sun's heat intensified, he made it halfway up the mountain before exhaustion overwhelmed him. The magnetic field of Starfall Peaks was peculiar, rendering him unable to fly with his sword.

It was then that a young man with a medicine basket strolled by, a Starfall Peaks disciple's token hanging from his waist. Liu Qingshan called out in a rush, "Little Junior Brother, please wait!"

Wu Pingfan turned around, puzzled, to find a frail man seated on the ground, a massive sword on his back, his face deathly pale, his voice barely a whisper.

This must be the "scam" his master had warned him about.

Without a second thought, Wu Pingfan turned to continue his descent, but found himself immobilized after just a couple of steps. Looking down, he saw Liu Qingshan clutching his leg, eyes filled with hope.

"Little Junior Brother, I've lost my way. Could you guide me to the top? I'll compensate you for your trouble," Liu Qingshan pleaded.

Wu Pingfan hesitated, but noting the other's earnest demeanor and judging him to be merely at the Spirit Absorption level, he figured he could handle any mischief. He gave a reluctant nod in agreement.

Had Liu Qingshan overheard the "merely Spirit Absorption" remark, he might have been so enraged as to spit blood.

Liu Qingshan clung to his sword. For a swordman, the sword was their essence, and despite its weight, it was a burden they bore. Hence, you'd seldom find a corpulent figure among swordmen — they were predominantly lean.

Observing his junior, who appeared devoid of any cultivation and carried a medicine basket, Liu Qingshan surmised he must be one of the disciples assigned to menial tasks within Starfall Peaks, his slight frame belying his age.

Liu Qingshan himself had mastered the art of guiding qi into the body by the age of twelve. The youth before him, seemingly in his mid-teens, had already missed the prime years for cultivation, suggesting a lackluster aptitude for the discipline.

After meeting the reclusive sage, he was certain to receive some guidance as a token of gratitude.

"Junior brother, is this step a bit too steep?" Liu Qingshan gasped as he reached the 950th step, his body wobbling before he collapsed to the ground.

He glanced back at his junior brother. For a cultivator to have exerted himself to the limit just to climb 900 steps was one thing, but what about someone without any cultivation?

Lifting his head, he saw the junior already standing at the 1,200th step, watching him, his face unflushed and breathing even.

Liu Qingshan's eyes widened in disbelief. Could it be that all the disciples of Starfall Peaks were capable of such a feat?

There had to be some magical artifact at play!

He was convinced of it.

Yet there he was, sprawled on the steps, unable to rise. Wu Pingfan approached, prodding Liu Qingshan's head. His breath was erratic, his frail body looking like it could topple over with just a breeze.

Seeing no response, Wu Pingfan grabbed him by the collar and started dragging him upwards.

The Master had taught that saving a life was more meritorious than constructing a seven-story pagoda.

This man possessed considerable spiritual power but was physically weak, a sign of an early demise. He must have come to Starfall Peaks seeking salvation. As a disciple of the Master, Wu Pingfan felt it was his duty to help.

Amidst Liu Qingshan's intermittent cries of pain from the pebbles underfoot, Wu Pingfan hauled him up the mountain.

It was rare for outsiders to ascend Starfall Peaks. Wu Pingfan usually found only fellow sect disciples, so rescuing an outsider caused quite a buzz among them.

Liu Qingshan noticed the Starfall Peaks disciples' warmth and admiration. They greeted him with respect, calling him "Master," which brought him immense pleasure.

He was quite content.

He made sure to pat Wu Pingfan on the back, saying, "When you reach my level of cultivation, you'll surely be treated with the same reverence when you venture out."

Wu Pingfan looked at him, puzzled.

Once Liu Qingshan had gone, the disciples murmured among themselves, "Who is that man? His smile is so sleazy. Let's hope he doesn't lead our beloved Master astray!"

"Young Master is so adorable; we must protect him from any harm!"

"Exactly, let's snatch his underwear in the dead of night!"

"Mm-hmm."

A peculiar voice mingled among the disciples.

Zhuo Xianqun personally welcomed the visitor. Noticing his attire, which screamed 'swordman,' she couldn't help but wrinkle her brow.

"So, you're Liu Qingshan, the 66th successor of the Sword Sect, known as the Floating Sword Saint?"

"It's the Floating Sword Saint," Liu Qingshan insisted.

Zhuo Xianqun exchanged a glance with Yao Jing. "Is there a difference?"

Yao Jing: "The difference is significant, though he's not one to boast."

"The Immortal Master speaks the truth."

"The Sword Sect and our sect have always coexisted peacefully. Have you come to declare war?"

Zhuo Xianqun's eyebrows arched as she casually crossed her legs.

Today, she donned a long robe, which concealed her slender, pale legs.

But a slight lift of her leg revealed that beneath the robe, there was nothing else—it was deceptively simple.

Liu Qingshan immediately felt the aura of a formidable opponent and lowered his head a bit more.

"My visit is primarily to pay respects to a distinguished member of your sect and to deliver a challenge."

Liu Qingshan produced the challenge letter from his pocket.

"Send for Little Six to spar with you. He's been restless lately and could use a good thrashing to tighten his skin."

Zhuo Xianqun's eyes lingered on Wu Pingfan. Her little junior brother, who had recently filled out a bit, was sitting leisurely in his chair, attentively facing forward, the picture of docility.

She felt an urge to tousle his hair.

"I seek to challenge a member of your sect named Wu Pingfan."

She longed to squeeze his little hands.

"I ask for your blessing, Immortal Master."

His little face was also quite endearing. Indeed, he was a credit to her as her junior brother.

Zhuo Xianqun was enveloped in a cloud of pink bubbles until Yao Jing cleared his throat emphatically.

She then responded dismissively, "Do as you please. Challenge whomever you wish."

As long as no one interrupted her time admiring her junior brother.

Wu Pingfan squirmed under the intense gaze of his senior sister.

Liu Qingshan, having received consent, excitedly turned his attention to Wu Pingfan.

"Thank you for guiding me into the mountain. After my confrontation with Senior Wu tomorrow, I'll come looking for you."

Wu Pingfan was momentarily taken aback. Wasn't he supposed to be looking for him?

It wasn't until Liu Qingshan transformed into a streak of light and soared away that Wu Pingfan slowly rose to his feet and made his way back to the side peak with his basket of herbs.

He had recently taken up gardening.

While cultivators typically abstain from eating to enhance their energy, Wu Pingfan was an exception; both he and Coal needed food.

Ingredients were quite rare on Starfall Peaks, with only spirit herbs growing abundantly and meat seldom seen.

A few days prior, his junior brother had brought him a bunch of chickens. Their feathers shone brightly, and they were plump, thriving on a diet of pills, which made them particularly easy to raise.

Wu Pingfan built a fence to contain the chickens and then casually tossed some "worthless" pills from his storage bag into the enclosure.

The chickens feasted joyously. Occasionally, some pills would drop to the ground, and Coal would try to eat them. Seeing this, Wu Pingfan added a generous amount of pills to his dog's food.