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The Legend of the Immortals Prequel: Wilderness Journey
Ten Thousand Swords in One stepped into the courtyard, and for some reason, the gentle breeze that had been blowing suddenly stopped, leaving the courtyard eerily silent. Even Big Yellow, who was busy devouring food at the other end of the yard, suddenly shivered, its fur standing on end, and it let out a silent whimper as it retreated in fear, hiding in a patch of grass and trembling.
The clear sky was bathed in gentle sunlight, but the courtyard seemed to freeze in that moment. As the White-Clad Man moved, everything became solemn and quiet.
Tian Buyi stood stiffly in place, his mind blank at that moment. He gritted his teeth and instinctively braced himself, preparing to face the impending storm, yet he felt no desire or impulse to fight back.
At that moment, a figure suddenly spread her arms wide and blocked Tian Buyi's path; it was Su Ru. Her face was equally pale, tears still glistening in her eyes, but her gaze was exceptionally resolute. She shouted at Ten Thousand Swords in One, "Brother Wan, it’s not his fault. This is all my mistake; if you want to kill someone, kill me!"
Both Ten Thousand Swords in One and Tian Buyi trembled simultaneously and looked at Su Ru. The girl gritted her teeth, her body slightly shaking, yet there was not a trace of regret on her face.
Ten Thousand Swords in One stared at Su Ru, and after a long while, he hoarsely said, "Why? What is it about me that is lacking compared to Tian Shidi?"
Tian Buyi gritted his teeth and lowered his head, speechless. Su Ru slowly shook her head; tears slipped down her cheeks once more as she softly replied:
"That's not true. Brother Wan, you are talented and extraordinary; no one can compare to you."
"Then why..."
"But I just like him."
Ten Thousand Swords in One was taken aback. He stared blankly at Su Ru, and after a long pause, he looked up with a bitter smile, feeling utterly speechless under the vast sky.
Su Ru looked at him and said, "Brother Wan, this is all my fault; do not blame him. Until today, he had no idea you liked me. He admires you greatly and has often expressed how much you mean to him. Even if you asked him to risk his life for you, he would never utter a word of complaint."
"It’s me, I ruined your brotherhood. I... I am a bad woman, just kill me!" she cried.
Ten Thousand Swords in One shook his head, exhaling deeply, and then his expression gradually calmed down, although deep within his eyes, there remained a hint of profound and unfathomable pain.
He walked over to Tian Buyi and Su Ru.
A cool breeze suddenly rose, sweeping through the courtyard, lifting his snow-white robes, creating an air of desolation and solemnity.
The corner of Tian Buyi's mouth trembled slightly as he reached out to pull Su Ru behind him, but Su Ru immediately broke free from his grasp, firmly standing in front of Tian Buyi. Her frail body seemed to possess infinite strength and unwavering determination; even in sorrow or facing death, no one could disturb her heart.
To harm him, they must first kill me!
This scene was like a blade of wind and frost, reminding one of the blood-soaked vicissitudes of time without any visible bloodstains. Ten Thousand Swords in One sighed deeply, coming to a halt, then softly said to Su Ru: "Step aside; I have a few words for Tian Shidi."
Su Ru's lips trembled a few times, as if still filled with fear and trepidation. But at that moment, a broad and gentle hand reached out from behind her. Tian Buyi said softly: "Don't worry; if Wan Shixiong truly wants to kill me, no one here can stop him."
Su Ru turned her head, staring blankly at Tian Buyi, then watched as he stepped in front of Ten Thousand Swords in One. His face remained pale; he was silent and quietly gazed at Ten Thousand Swords in One, then lowered his head and called out: "Wan Shixiong."
Ten Thousand Swords in One reached out his hand. Beside him, Su Ru's body trembled slightly; she bit her lip tightly, her eyes fixed on that palm.
After a moment, Ten Thousand Swords in One placed his hand on Tian Buyi's shoulder. Tian Buyi remained motionless but slowly raised his head to look at Ten Thousand Swords in One.
It was a familiar face—handsome and elegant, generous and bold—with an innate sense of freedom and unruliness that instinctively commanded respect. This man had led the four of them through countless battles, delving into the wilderness where dangers were commonplace, laughing in the face of wind, frost, rain, and snow as they traversed the desolate Demon Mountain.
How many times have they shared life and death, how many times have they fought desperately, with blood and sword light, and the sound of joyous laughter, as if it had never ceased?
Even the hand resting on his shoulder seemed to still carry a familiar scent.
Tian Buyi gritted his teeth and suddenly turned his head away. His chest began to rise and fall violently, he started to choke on his words, tears glimmered in the corners of his eyes but he forced himself to hold them back. He hoarsely whispered, "Wan Shixiong, I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
Ten Thousand Swords in One shook his head, looking at him calmly, then said, "Tian Shidi, you have nothing to be sorry for." After a pause, he glanced at Su Ru standing beside him and continued, "Sister Su is a good woman, kind-hearted and graceful. You promise me one thing: for the rest of your life, you must treat her well."
Tian Buyi bit down hard on his teeth and wiped his face with his hand, saying, "I will."
Ten Thousand Swords in One nodded, then looked deeply at Su Ru before turning around and walking away.
In the mortal realm, dressed in white like snow, he walked with a straight posture and a carefree demeanor, as if this journey was merely a casual encounter or an unintentional visit. It felt as if this was just a brief stop in life to witness the most beautiful spring scenery and behold the enchanting red flowers.
There were still farther roads ahead, so he quickly strode forward.
The spring sunlight fell upon him, adding a few golden rays to his white attire, resembling an immortal who cast aside worldly matters.
Yet no one could see the loneliness and desolation in his gaze.
In the blink of an eye, several days passed swiftly, leading up to the Azure Cloud Sect's Seven Veins Martial Arts Conference.
On that morning, Dao Xuan arranged to meet Ten Thousand Swords in One and once again headed to Qiu Wangyu at the back mountain of Tongfeng, respectfully requesting Master Chengzi to come out of seclusion and prepare to preside over the grand ceremony the next day.
As they walked along the mountain path, surrounded by ancient trees and lush greenery, Dao Xuan suddenly felt something was off. He turned to Ten Thousand Swords in One and said, "Junior Brother, why have you been so silent lately? Is something bothering you?"
Ten Thousand Swords in One shook his head, forced a smile at Dao Xuan, and replied, "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Senior Brother."
Dao Xuan nodded and didn't press further. Soon, they arrived at the hall of Qiu Wangyu.
Standing outside the hall, they both bowed and then spoke aloud, "Master, disciples Dao Xuan and Ten Thousand Swords in One request an audience."
After a moment, a low and hoarse voice came from within the dim hall, asking, "What is it?"
Dao Xuan was taken aback; he felt that this voice seemed slightly different from previous times. However, Ten Thousand Swords in One did not notice this. After all, it was indeed Chengzi's voice. So he stepped forward and said, "Master, tomorrow is the day of the Seven Veins Martial Arts Conference. My junior brother and I have come specifically to invite you to Yuqing Palace to preside over the ceremony."
Chengzi was silent for a moment before slowly responding, "I have not been feeling well recently and should not travel or be exposed to light. I will not go. Everything will be handled by you two."
Both Dao Xuan and Ten Thousand Swords in One were taken aback. Dao Xuan's expression changed slightly as he hurriedly said, "Master, please forgive me for speaking frankly. Since the Azure Cloud Mountain Righteous and Demonic War, you have been in seclusion for quite some time without seeing anyone from outside. There has been much discussion about this within the sect. After all, you are the leader of Azure Cloud Sect and its cornerstone. If you do not appear, it will be difficult for Azure Cloud Sect to stabilize. I sincerely urge you to consider the foundation of Azure Cloud Sect and attend tomorrow."
Chengzi snorted coldly and said, "I will not go; I simply will not go!"
Dao Xuan was astonished and then desperately pleaded again, but Chengzi remained unyielding. Even though Dao Xuan's arguments were reasonable, he ignored them completely. In the end, he even shouted impatiently, "Get out!"
Dao Xuan knelt on the ground, his face ashen, while Ten Thousand Swords in One looked on in shock, as if he had just realized that his master had completely transformed into someone he no longer recognized.
When Chengzi reprimanded Dao Xuan, Ten Thousand Swords in One could no longer hold back and spoke up, "Master, how can you insult Senior Brother like this? Don't you know that for these past days, Senior Brother has shouldered the entire burden of the Azure Cloud Sect, working day and night with great effort and dedication, allowing us to break free from our decline and regain vitality? Master, you, you just..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden sharp shout echoed from Qiu Wangyu in the hall, sounding like a furious beast's roar, filled with dangerous killing intent. The darkness surged like a tide as a chilling voice came through, saying, "If that's the case, do you two intend to seize this position of Sect Leader from me?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into an instant silence, the wind ceased and leaves fell, all imbued with a sense of deadly seriousness.
Dao Xuan and Ten Thousand Swords in One turned pale, momentarily speechless.
After a moment, Dao Xuan was the first to react. He grabbed Ten Thousand Swords in One and knelt on the ground, then desperately knocked his head against the floor several times while sorrowfully saying, "Master, Master, we absolutely have no such intention. Both of us brothers have been nurtured by your teachings in our cultivation; your kindness is as great as a mountain. Without you, how could we be where we are today?"
Inside the hall, cold laughter echoed repeatedly but there was no further response.
Dao Xuan knelt on the ground and crawled forward a few steps until he reached the threshold of the hall. Supporting himself against it with tears in his eyes, he shouted into the hall, "Master, everything is up to you. I only ask that you... take care of yourself. Please take care of yourself for the sake of our Azure Cloud Sect."
His cry carried a hint of desperation that moved people. Ten Thousand Swords in One watched Dao Xuan's actions with a twinge of reluctance and had to turn away.
However, at that very moment he turned his head, a fierce gust of wind suddenly erupted from within the hall, cold and menacing, striking Dao Xuan like a heavy hammer.
Dao Xuan let out a miserable scream as he was sent flying backward and crashed heavily onto the ground several steps away with a loud thud!
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