C13 The Goodfornothing Senior Brother Went to Chop Firewood

A green leaf drifted gracefully onto the broadsword. As soon as it touched the blade, it was instantly reduced to countless tiny fragments.

This was the Soaring Cloud Sword Technique.

Wu Pingfan clapped his hands in approval. "Not bad."

"The sword technique is a bit too fierce. If it were a bit more fluid, it would be even more effective."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingshan chuckled and gave Wu Pingfan a pat on the shoulder.

"You think this broadsword is easy to wield? It weighs a ton. If the technique weren't so sharp and swift, my wrist would be ruined!"

"That's because your technique isn't..."

"Master, a Stage Five brown bear has stormed the mountain gate. The Immortal Master is still in seclusion, and Second Brother has been knocked away by a swipe. Please, you must come quickly!" At that moment, Green Pepper arrived, urgency clear in her voice.

A Stage Five brown bear was on par with a late-stage Spirit Absorption Realm master, a formidable opponent indeed. The bear had gone mad, circling the Starfall Peaks and occasionally letting out intimidating roars.

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingshan stepped forward, "Don't worry, miss. I'm on my way!"

With that, he prepared to take flight on his sword.

"Soar!" he called out.

Silence followed.

"Soar, come to me!" Liu Qingshan tried again.

Divine swords were known to be temperamental, and he prided himself on having a particularly good temper as their master.

"Soar! Soar! Come quickly!"

As Liu Qingshan's voice grew hoarse, Green Pepper whispered, "Are you calling for that sword?"

"That sword has been taken by the Master."

Liu Qingshan stood there, stunned.

The... Master?

He had always assumed the Master was summoning him, not realizing it was meant for his younger junior brother.

Suddenly feeling a bit foolish, Liu Qingshan squeezed onto the sword with Green Pepper, and they descended the mountain together.

They arrived just in time to see a mountain cleaved in two by a fierce sword aura. Liu Qingshan's spiritual energy formed a shield around him, sparing him from the brunt of the formidable sword force.

Could there be a master cultivating here?

The sword energy had clearly surpassed the Spirit Absorption Realm, reaching a higher level of mastery.

Liu Qingshan could now see clearly that at the mountain gate, someone was wielding a broadsword with both hands, unleashing a complete set of the Cloud Soaring Sword Technique against a fifth-tier brown bear.

The sword technique radiated with the force of a rainbow, surpassing his own in power and fluidity of movement.

He had once witnessed the Chief Elder of the Sword Sect perform the Cloud Soaring Sword Technique, and now Wu Pingfan seemed to have transformed into the Elder himself.

He was utterly mesmerized.

The brown bear, clutching its head, scampered away, covered in dust.

Wu Pingfan had intended only to frighten the bear, but he had not controlled his strength well, leaving his mark on the surrounding mountains.

The sword in his hand buzzed excitedly, darting around him and affectionately seeking to nuzzle Wu Pingfan, who then picked it up.

"Little Junior Brother, how did you manage to execute the Cloud Soaring Sword Technique without any cultivation?" Liu Qingshan asked eagerly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

He gripped Wu Pingfan's hand with excitement.

"Could you be the long-lost Seventy-Thousandth Disciple of the Sword Sect?"

Wu Pingfan shook his head and passed his broadsword over.

"Your sword."

The broadsword seemed reluctant to leave, but ultimately it returned to its rightful owner.

...

"So you mean to say that after watching my sword technique just once, you've mastered it?" Liu Qingshan asked, slightly dumbfounded.

It had taken him ten years to reach his current proficiency with the Cloud Soaring Sword Technique. Could it be that the man before him was a reclusive expert?

Liu Qingshan hadn't forgotten how Wu Pingfan had effortlessly scared off the fifth-tier brown bear.

Wu Pingfan casually explained, "It was merely a feint; I had no intention of harming it."

Ah, it was a bluff to fool the bear.

With that revelation, Liu Qingshan's mind cleared. He wrapped an arm around Wu Pingfan's, brotherly affection in his gesture.

"Little Junior Brother, it's truly a shame you're not with the Sword Sect. With your swordsmanship, my master would surely rest in peace with a smile!"

A master suddenly sneezed—a sure sign that his wayward disciple was bad-mouthing him again!

Liu Qingshan's plea took on this form:

"Little Junior Brother, are you truly not returning to the Sword Sect? I'll let you have the broadsword to play with."

"It can even warm your bed and serve as a decoration while you train your body. Just join the Sword Sect, and everyone gets their own broadsword!"

Liu Qingshan was eager in his sales pitch, but Wu Pingfan remained unimpressed.

"I don't pursue the Dao, nor do I practice the sword," he declined gently.

"The Master says the sword's aura is too violent, too filled with the energy of slaughter. It's not suited for me."

"But I can show you how to wield the broadsword with ease."

At those words, Liu Qingshan clung to him, his eyes brimming with longing, barely stopping himself from bowing down then and there.

"Can you really teach me...?"

"I can," he affirmed, his youthful face resolute.

The following day, Wu Pingfan shouldered several trees and set them down before Liu Qingshan, whose legs shook at the sight.

He had watched Wu Pingfan carry the heavy load to him, then stroll by as if it were nothing.

"Just chop the tree into identical segments, and that's it."

Chop books?

Confusion clouded Liu Qingshan's mind; this task seemed quite unlike the sword techniques he had learned.

Wu Pingfan thoughtfully left behind an axe for him.

The disciples from Starfall Peaks were curious to see what kind of sparks might fly between the Sword Sect's First Disciple and their Master. What they witnessed was the man rolling up his sleeves, splitting logs with an axe, while the Master tended to the hens—a scene of tranquil, pastoral bliss.

It was an awe-inspiring sight.

True to form, the Master had even the Sword Sect's heir performing tasks!

Liu Qingshan was a name that carried weight, but after a few attempts at chopping wood, Wu Pingfan's expression soured.

"Little Junior Brother, don't you think I've done a fine job with the firewood?" he asked, standing tall with pride.

Wu Pingfan picked up a log and commented coolly, "It's quite poor."

"Even Coal chops better than you."

After finishing his statement, the big block dog let out two barks and cast a disdainful glance at Liu Qingshan.

"Chopping wood in such a hasty manner won't do; the pieces need to be uniform in size. Here's how it should be done."

He casually selected a log and with a swift motion of his hand, he split the wood in half. The halves were not only perfectly even, but the firewood was impeccably sized.

Chopping wood with bare hands?

Liu Qingshan began to question himself. Had he been blind since leaving the sect, or was it common for those without spiritual powers to chop wood with their bare hands?

"You need to apply consistent force when chopping."

Noticing Liu Qingshan's distraction, Wu Pingfan approached and gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

"Keep at it, Senior Brother Liu."

The one addressed as "Senior Brother Liu" felt a surge of pride. He looked at Wu Pingfan with a newfound fondness.

Being the youngest successor of the Sword Sect, he was the junior to over 6,000 senior brothers—a fact that was both sorrowful and touching.

Now, he was finally savoring the experience of being a senior brother himself.

Liu Qingshan was so elated with the simple joy of chopping wood that he felt he could burst with happiness.