Chapter 122: Breaking Through the Mountain

Chapter 122: Breaking Through the Mountain

The black-clad figure was naturally the same one who had ambushed Ji Feiyang in the forest over ten days ago.

And the one being pursued, and once again rescued, was none other than Ji Feiyang.

Su Mo felt quite moved; these people truly went to great lengths and with unwavering determination to kill someone or evade a pursuit.

Just as he was thinking this, Feng Baichuan said coldly,

"Take him back to the Heavenly Blade Sect with us."

"Yes."

A few junior disciples responded, but still took out medicine from their sleeves to apply to Ji Feiyang's wounds.

However, Ji Feiyang suddenly sprang up, his feet touching the tree trunk lightly, and was about to leave.

"Stay!"

With a hum, a blade of light sliced through the air. If Ji Feiyang continued forward, he would inevitably be struck by the blade's aura. He immediately had to twist his body mid-air.

It is said that power comes from the ground. In mid-air, without the earth to rely on, it is extremely difficult to change direction.

But the Flying Stream Three Thousand Blades that Ji Feiyang had learned was precisely a blade technique for maneuvering in mid-air.

With a sudden turn, a blade of light erupted, spinning into a wheel, and there was a rustling sound...

Layer upon layer of blades, densely packed, continuously appeared in mid-air, cascading down. Though not exactly three thousand blades, there were at least dozens of flashes of light.

The layers of blade light relentlessly split towards Feng Baichuan.

Yang Xiaoyun, watching from the side, let out a light 'hmm.'

Before Su Mo could ask, Feng Baichuan's blade already met the dozens of descending sharp edges.

In an instant, the sound of metal clashing echoed incessantly.

In the void, sparks flew.

At this moment, Su Mo finally looked at Yang Xiaoyun, "What's wrong?"

Yang Xiaoyun replied with a strange expression, "Ji Feiyang's blade technique is actually quite remarkable. Ji Wanli of the Heavenly Gate Flying Knives has a significant reputation, but his son seems to have the potential to be the second best in Sunset City after Su Mo..."

"Don't talk nonsense, I've never met this Ji Feiyang."

"That makes sense."

Yang Xiaoyun smiled, "I hadn't considered this before..."

"Considered what?"

"You were a bit wild in your youth, indulging in the pleasures of the flower world. If Ji Feiyang were truly like you, you two should have met long ago, why wait until now?

"This shows that your indulgence in the flower world was real, but Ji Feiyang's was fake.

"He must have been deliberately concealing his skills, secretly honing his martial arts. Otherwise, how could he have such astonishing abilities?"

Su Mo nodded slightly, "However, compared to Sister Xiaoyun, his skills are still far inferior..."

Yang Xiaoyun huffed, saying nothing more, but the slight upward curve of her lips showed that she found Su Mo's words very pleasing.

While they chatted, the two people in front of them had already decided the outcome of their battle.

Feng Baichuan, the current senior disciple of the Heavenly Blade Sect, had far superior martial arts compared to his peers. Although Ji Feiyang had practiced the Flying Stream Three Thousand Blades to a decent level, he initially gained the upper hand with a decisive move but then ran out of steam.

Initially, he failed to overpower Feng Baichuan, gradually falling into a disadvantageous position.

Moreover, he was already injured, so after exchanging over twenty moves, Feng Baichuan suddenly unleashed a blade aura, pinning Ji Feiyang down.

His single blade began to warp, signaling his defeat.

If Feng Baichuan hadn't shown mercy, he could have split Ji Feiyang in half on the spot.

However, Feng Baichuan only disarmed him, then stepped forward and pressed several points on his body, immobilizing him.

Though Ji Feiyang was under control, he still roared angrily,

"Filthy dogs of the Heavenly Blade Sect, if you have the guts, kill me!"

Feng Baichuan's face remained cold, "The blade technique you used seems to be the Flying Stream Three Thousand Blades of the Tianmen Escort Agency in Sunset City. What relation are you to Ji Wanli, the head of the Tianmen Escort Agency?"

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun exchanged glances, momentarily speechless.

After all that, Feng Baichuan had fought without knowing who he was facing.

"Hahahaha, filthy dogs, why pretend? I am Ji Feiyang, and Ji Wanli is my father! Do whatever you want with me!"

After speaking, he lifted his chin, displaying a defiant attitude of readiness to die.

Feng Baichuan fell silent for a moment, then said indifferently, "So you are the son of Chief Ji. We have an uncle leading some disciples to the Fallen Phoenix Alliance to look for you. I didn't expect you to be here. But, since Young Chief Ji has come to the Heavenly Blade Sect, why sneak around and spy on Grandmaster Tong's residence at night?"

"Hmph! Are you trying to trick me into talking? Don't underestimate me, Ji!"

Ji Feiyang gave a cold laugh and closed his mouth.

Feng Baichuan's expression remained cold, his eyes showing no change, but after a brief silence, he said, "Since we've met, please accompany us to the Heavenly Blade Sect, Young Chief Ji. We also have matters we wish to discuss with you."

"Hahahaha!"

Ji Feiyang, upon hearing this, threw back his head and laughed maniacally: "Seeking my help? Good, good Heavenly Blade Sect, do you think Ji will be afraid of you? Come on, if Ji so much as frowns, I won’t be considered a hero!"

"…"

Feng Baichuan thought for a moment: "Alright."

Then he turned to Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun, looking at them: "Have the two of you rested enough?"

"Yes, we can set off anytime."

Su Mo smiled and nodded.

Only then did Ji Feiyang notice Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun, and he was momentarily stunned: "Chief Escort Su, Young Chief Escort Yang, why is it you two? Could it be that you have been deceived by these villains of the Heavenly Blade Sect? The Heavenly Blade Sect is no place of virtue; the two of you should leave as soon as possible."

At these words, everyone couldn't help but look at Ji Feiyang.

Feng Baichuan said coldly: "Young Chief Escort Ji, what do you mean by that?"

"Hmph, you know what you have done! Chief Escort Su, don’t believe a word these people from the Heavenly Blade Sect say; everything they say and do could very well be false."

Ji Feiyang, perhaps remembering the favor Su Mo had done him by giving him a healing pill, now seemed anxious to get Su Mo to leave quickly.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun exchanged a glance, sensing that there must be something unspoken between the Heavenly Blade Sect and Ji Feiyang.

They were in the thick of it, but Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun saw things more clearly from the outside.

Ji Feiyang's hatred was genuine, yet the Heavenly Blade Sect showed no intention of harming him.

After a moment's contemplation, Su Mo suddenly looked at Feng Baichuan: "Brother Feng, there’s something I don’t understand. Could Brother Feng enlighten me?"

"Sure."

Feng Baichuan spoke calmly, his demeanor exuding an air of detachment and elegance.

Of course, Su Mo had come to understand this person somewhat and didn’t pay much attention to it, only asking: "Why did your sect send someone to Sunset City to look for Young Chief Escort Ji?"

"…"

Feng Baichuan fell silent for a moment before saying: "To be honest, our Grandmaster Tong has gone missing. Before he disappeared, someone delivered a consignment to the Heavenly Blade Sect, specifically requesting that Grandmaster Tong take it. After accepting this consignment, Grandmaster Tong seemed to change, becoming restless… and irritable…"

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun were both taken aback.

Due to the unique cultivation methods of the Heavenly Blade Sect, everyone within the sect was cold and distant.

Just like Feng Baichuan and his fellow disciples now.

It was said that the deeper one cultivated in this martial art, the more detached one became from human emotions, as if turning oneself into a blade.

The true essence of this art was derived from the Daoist concept of unity with heaven and earth, but it had been adapted to mean unity of man and blade.

However, apart from the founder of the sect, no one had ever achieved this realm.

But without a doubt, the deeper one cultivated in their martial arts, the more detached one became from emotions.

As a senior figure in the Heavenly Blade Sect, Grandmaster Tong Yun’s martial arts had reached a state of perfection, and his emotions had been completely smoothed out.

How could he suddenly become restless and irritable?

"After that, Grandmaster Tong went missing… This naturally alarmed the entire Heavenly Blade Sect, and we sent people to search, but found nothing.

"After careful consideration, our seniors concluded that the problem still lay with that consignment.

"As for the person who delivered that consignment… it was none other than the Chief Escort of the Tianmen Escort Agency, Ji Wanli."

Feng Baichuan's eyes, devoid of emotion, swept over Ji Feiyang.

Ji Feiyang glared angrily: "What kind of look is that?"

Feng Baichuan's lips moved, but he didn’t respond, continuing instead: "Therefore, the elders of the sect hesitated about whether to go to the Heavenly Blade Sect to find Ji Wanli and get to the bottom of things… However, we also knew that the escort business has its own rules. In particular, this consignment by Chief Escort Ji was actually a covert one.

"Only he and Grandmaster Tong knew what was being escorted.

"If we were to investigate, it would mean breaking Chief Escort Ji’s rules, which is why the elders of the sect were hesitant."

Ji Feiyang stomped his feet in frustration: "Ridiculous, ridiculous, utterly absurd! The people of the Heavenly Blade Sect are cold and heartless, treating themselves as blades and viewing all living beings as pigs and dogs. When have they ever considered others' thoughts and feelings?"

Feng Baichuan glanced coldly at Ji Feiyang: "Young Chief Escort Ji is mistaken. We treat ourselves as blades, but we never view all living beings as pigs and dogs."

Ji Feiyang was about to speak again, but Su Mo waved his hand: "What happened next?"

"Next…"

Feng Baichuan continued: "We received news that the Chief Escort of the Tianmen Escort Agency, Ji Wanli, died mysteriously at home, and it seemed to be related to that consignment… Only then did the elders of the sect make a decision. If it was indeed related to this matter, then the initial consignment was aimed at the Heavenly Blade Sect. It was already wrong for Chief Escort Ji to be involved, and we couldn’t let anything happen to Young Chief Escort Ji. Therefore, we sent people to Sunset City to find Young Chief Escort Ji.

"This was not only to pay our respects to Young Chief Escort Ji but also to ask how much he knew about this matter, hoping to find some clues and locate Grandmaster Tong.

"But we didn’t expect that Young Chief Escort Ji had already come to the Heavenly Blade Sect, secretly investigating Grandmaster Tong’s residence at night, and fled far away after being detected by our disciples.

"It was also our oversight that we failed to recognize Young Chief Escort Ji’s identity."

With these words, Feng Baichuan remained cold and stern, as if ready to draw his sword at any moment.

Su Mo raised an eyebrow and looked at Ji Feiyang: "Young Chief Escort, what do you think of what Brother Feng said?"

"Nonsense!"

Ji Feiyang seemed so angry that he could hardly breathe, glaring fiercely at Feng Baichuan and the other disciples of the Heavenly Blade Sect: "My father… my father was killed by you, the villains of the Heavenly Blade Sect!"

"Why do you say that?"

Feng Baichuan looked at Ji Feiyang with cold, stern eyes.

"My father... although it was claimed he was killed by palm force, in truth, he died under the blade of your Heavenly Blade Sect's ultimate technique, the [Seven Emotions Undying Blade]!"

"Seven Emotions Undying Blade... which emotion?"

"Shock!"

Ji Feiyang said angrily: "No thought, no sorrow; no fear, no shock. My late father fell to one strike of the Seven Emotions Undying Blade—the Unshaken Spirit!"

The "Seven Emotions Undying Blade," in fact, has nothing to do with 'undying.' It is actually about 'unthinking.'

Without thought or measure, the blade strikes without regret.

It contains seven key principles: joy, anger, worry, thought, sorrow, fear, and shock, corresponding to seven styles of blade techniques, each evoking different emotions, profound and intricate, striking directly at the heart.

It is indeed an untransmitted secret technique of the Heavenly Blade Sect.

The reason for changing 'unthinking' to 'undying' is mainly because the name 'Seven Emotions Unthinking Blade' sounds somewhat lackluster and unambitious.

This contrasts sharply with the sharpness and bold advancement of the blade technique.

Thus, changing 'unthinking' to 'undying' indeed transformed its meaning, sweeping away any sense of decline.

"Unshaken Spirit? Truly the Unshaken Spirit?"

Feng Baichuan's voice carried a question, but his face remained cold, as if nothing in the world could move him.

"Could there be anyone in heaven or earth who could impersonate such a blade technique as the Unshaken Spirit?"

Ji Feiyang erupted in anger.

Feng Baichuan, however, fell silent.

Ji Feiyang sneered, "Why pretend now? Sending people to Sunset City to look for me was probably part of your Heavenly Blade Sect's desperate plan. I secretly went to investigate the Heavenly Blade Sect, and somehow you found out and sent people to ambush me..."

"You mean the black-clothed man was from the Heavenly Blade Sect?"

Ji Feiyang raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly!"

Ji Feiyang enunciated each word: "The martial arts he used were precisely the ultimate techniques of your Heavenly Blade Sect!!"

Feng Baichuan, having listened to this point, finally let out a breath and said to Su Mo, "Chief Escort Su, let's go quickly. The Heavenly Blade Sect may be facing trouble. After you take your friend away, try to stay out of it."

"...Alright."

Su Mo nodded lightly; he had no intention of getting involved in this mess.

And the Heavenly Blade Sect, standing tall in the martial world for hundreds of years, certainly didn't need his help as an outsider.

This trip was merely to pick up Liu Mo, and he would treat other matters as mere entertainment.

But the claims of these two people couldn't help but make him speculate.

Roughly piecing together the sequence of events:

Someone provoked the Tianmen Escort Agency's Ji Wanli into taking on a covert escort job.

What the escort was remains a mystery.

Apart from Ji Wanli, perhaps only the missing Tong Yun knew the details.

After delivering the escort, Ji Wanli returned home and was killed to silence him.

Tong Yun, after receiving the escort, became extremely agitated and eventually disappeared.

Later, someone broke into the Ten Thousand Peaks Pool at the Heavenly Blade Sect at night and stole the Hanging Moon Blade.

To find clues, the Heavenly Blade Sect sealed off Wufangji and the surrounding area.

Ji Feiyang clearly knew some of the inside story, which is why he sought out the Heavenly Blade Sect to uncover the truth about his father's death.

However, he was repeatedly ambushed on the road by a black-clothed man.

The black-clothed man used the martial arts of the Heavenly Blade Sect.

Su Mo pondered, thinking either Tong Yun was involved, or there was a mole within the Heavenly Blade Sect.

But what their purpose was... he wasn't sure.

While he was lost in thought, Feng Baichuan nodded lightly and said no more, instructing his junior brothers to take Ji Feiyang along as they all set off toward the Heavenly Blade Sect again.

Though the place seemed not far from the Heavenly Blade Sect, the saying "a mountain may seem close but the journey is long" proved true, and it took them over an hour to reach the foot of Tianmen Mountain.

Winding up the mountain path, Tianmen Mountain loomed before them, truly like a gate to the heavens.

Just as they reached halfway up the mountain, several disciples of the Heavenly Blade Sect suddenly emerged from the side, blocking their path.

But upon recognizing Feng Baichuan, they immediately clasped their hands and bowed, "Big Brother."

"What's going on here?"

Feng Baichuan's expression was cold. "Friends have come up the mountain, and you don't welcome them properly. Why are you being so rude?"

"Senior Brother, there's a formidable challenger ascending the mountain ahead. Master and the Elders have instructed us to be on high alert."

He said this, casting a cautious glance at Su Mo, clearly mistaking him and his companions for the intruders.

Feng Baichuan was taken aback: "Someone is challenging the mountain? Where are they now?"

"At the Unsharpened Hall!"

After saying this, Feng Baichuan apologized to Su Mo: "Head Courier Su, please ascend the mountain at your leisure. There's an emergency within the sect, I must go ahead."

The others followed Ji Feiyang behind him.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun exchanged a look of speechlessness.

When nothing happens at the Heavenly Blade Sect, it's peaceful; but once something does, one thing follows another.

They greeted the few Heavenly Blade Sect disciples and then continued their journey up the mountain.

Climbing the steps, they passed through the main gate of the Heavenly Blade Sect and, in no time, entered this vast sect that dominated the northern part of the Eastern Wasteland.

Before them lay a vast training ground, and further ahead stood a magnificent building.

A plaque hung above it, inscribed with three large characters: Unsharpened Hall!

Though called the Unsharpened Hall, these three characters indeed seemed unassuming, yet upon closer inspection, one could see that they were not without sharpness, but rather, the sharpness was hidden, not outwardly apparent.

"Intriguing, it should be called the Concealed Sharpness Hall rather than the Unsharpened Hall!"

Su Mo marveled, and from just these three characters, he could imagine the level of swordsmanship the person who wrote them had attained in the past.

Looking further ahead, he saw people engaged in combat inside the hall.

One of them was Feng Baichuan, who had entered the Unsharpened Hall before them.

Facing him was a robust man.

This man appeared ordinary, with neither his face nor his figure standing out, and even seemed somewhat honest and simple.

Yet, such a person, when displaying his martial arts, moved with agility and grace, revealing a sharp edge.

A chilling aura emanated from him, sharp and intense.

"This is the one who invaded the Heavenly Blade Sect?"

Su Mo glanced at him, his eyebrows slightly raised: "His martial arts style is indeed quite unusual, not typical of the southwestern region."

Yang Xiaoyun nodded: "Every move is ruthless and vicious, using every possible means. One could say... he has no sense of decorum at all."

As Su Mo's gaze swept across, he suddenly smiled: "Look over there..."

He gestured for Yang Xiaoyun to look, and they saw that most of the Heavenly Blade Sect disciples on the side of the Unsharpened Hall were cold and stern.

Or perhaps even colder and more stern were the elders of the Heavenly Blade Sect.

Among them, only two stood out: one was Ji Feiyang, who looked at everyone with disdain, as if everyone was an enemy.

The other was Liu Mo, silent and composed, his face grave.