Shen Wen'an saw this, his expression slightly cold, as Supreme Profound Sword Qi slowly emerged at his fingertips!

...

Qiyun Valley Sect Leader's Hall.

Pei Zhao was arguing with the senior members of Qiyun Valley.

"Fellow senior brothers, fellow elders, back in the day when Qiyun Valley was at its peak, not just in Qishan, but even in the entire Cultivation Realm of Danzhou, we had quite the reputation."

"Now we've fallen to such a state, isn't it because the former sect leaders shut themselves away from others?"

"Although Wen'an doesn't follow the path of Qiyun Valley, he is ultimately my disciple, a disciple of Qiyun Valley."

"If Qiyun Valley faces difficulty one day, a sword cultivator should have the power to turn the tide!"

"Furthermore, his good relationship with Lingshan Sword Immortal is also a fortune for Qiyun Valley..."

"Fortune?" Just as Pei Zhao said this, an old woman with a dark face sneered and spoke: "Master Pei implies that we should be grateful to climb the ladder of that junior from the Cyan Ruo Sword House?"

Pei Zhao frowned slightly, wanting to say something more.

But the old woman with a dark face didn't give him a chance to speak and continued sarcastically: "According to Master Pei, the Sect Leader should take this opportunity and bring us old folks to the Cyan Ruo Sword House and, relying on your disciple's connections, beg them to accept Qiyun Valley as a subsidiary sect."

"Wouldn't that be better?"

As soon as she said this, some people's faces in the hall instantly turned unsightly.

"Senior Sister Yao, there's no need to twist my words like this."

"I..."

Before Pei Zhao could finish, a disciple of Qiyun Valley burst in, his face covered in blood!

"Something's wrong!"

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, fellow elders, something terrible has happened!"

This disciple, clutching his lost left arm, shouted mournfully: "Shen Wen'an from the Hidden Cloud Courtyard has defected!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall immediately stood up, their gazes sweeping over the disciple, before all focusing on Pei Zhao!

Pei Zhao's complexion changed dramatically.

"What did you say?"

He grabbed the disciple's shoulder and asked loudly.

The disciple winced in pain, trembling as he said: "Master Pei, Shen Wen'an killed Senior Brother Liu and injured us, the disciples guarding the Mountain Gate, before defecting down the mountain!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhao staggered, his face full of disbelief.

"Impossible... absolutely impossible!"

Just before he came, he had spoken with Shen Wen'an.

How could something like this happen in just a short time?

"A wolf pup that bites the hand that feeds it!"

"I ask the Sect Leader to order that people immediately go down the mountain and kill that beast!"

The old woman with the dark face erupted, speaking through gritted teeth.

Because the slain Liu Hong belonged to her Cliff Mountain Courtyard.

Others in the hall were also filled with righteous anger, their faces full of murderous intent.

A sect disciple's defection, if this news spread, would severely damage Qiyun Valley's reputation, making it a laughing stock in the Cultivation Realm.

Only by killing Shen Wen'an immediately and preventing the news from leaking out could the loss be minimized.

"Hold on!"

Pei Zhao regained his composure, bowing to everyone present.

"That traitor is my disciple, since this happened, I should personally handle it and clean the sect's door, but I ask my fellow senior brothers and elders to give me some time to investigate the truth."

After saying this, he turned to the disciple who had lost his left arm and said in a deep voice: "Tell me what happened in detail."

He knew Shen Wen'an, a person not good with words could not deceive him.

Nor would he kill his fellow disciples and defect for no reason.

That disciple's eyes dodged slightly, stuttering: "A quarter of an hour ago, Senior Brother Liu and I were guarding the Mountain Gate with a command token, when Shen Wen'an wanted to go out, we just routinely questioned him."

"Who knew he... he would attack us without a word!"

"Senior Brother Liu was caught off guard and was killed by him directly, and while we were stunned, we also suffered under his hands!"

"After injuring several of us, Shen Wen'an fled down the mountain."

Pei Zhao fixed his gaze on him, slowly exuding the aura of a Fetal Breathing Realm expert.

"Are you telling the truth?"

The disciple felt a twinge in his heart, clearly panicking a little.

"Pei Zhao!"

Just as he was about to succumb to the pressure in his heart, the old woman with the dark face suddenly shouted.

"Your Hidden Cloud Courtyard failed in discipline, raising a traitor. Are you going to take it out on my disciples from the Cliff Mountain Courtyard?"

With her shouting, the disciple immediately felt more assured.

"Master Pei, discern wisely. I swear by the heavens there's not an ounce of falsehood in my words!"

The black-faced old woman cast a cold glance at Pei Zhao, then turned to the Sect Leader of Qiyun Valley, clasping her hands: "Sect Leader Senior Brother, that little beast killed the people of Cliff Mountain Courtyard. If Junior Brother Pei is concerned about the bond between master and disciple and hesitates to act, then hand him over to our Cliff Mountain Courtyard."

"No need!" Pei Zhao pondered for a moment, raising his head to clasp his hands: "It's not necessary for Senior Sister to worry about matters concerning the Hidden Cloud Courtyard."

"I will personally investigate this matter. If that traitor has truly done such a thing, I will personally bring his head back to honor Junior Liu."

"However… if things are not as they seem and this is a matter of framing our fellow disciples and deception of elders, I will not tolerate that either!"

Having finished speaking, he clasped his hands to everyone in the hall and then left.

Within the Hidden Cloud Courtyard.

The news of Shen Wen'an's "betrayal" had already spread, and many disciples in the courtyard were now as anxious as ants on a hot pot.

"I suspected that boy had a rebellious spirit all along!"

"It's a pity that Master treated him so well, and now this has happened. How can our Hidden Cloud Courtyard stand in the valley in the future?"

"If this matter spreads, Master's lifelong reputation will be ruined in an instant."

"Alas! One rat's dropping spoils the whole pot of porridge..."

Many disciples were sighing and discussing.

Suddenly, a shout rang out.

"All of you, shut up!"

With a dark look on his face, Pei Zhao walked in from outside the courtyard, glanced at the disciples, and said coldly: "That is your Junior Brother!"

"Others may not trust him, but do you all not trust him either!?"

After being reprimanded, all the disciples bowed their heads in silence.

"Big Boss, you stay behind to guard the house."

"Starting today, unless there are other matters, Hidden Cloud Courtyard disciples are forbidden from stepping out of the courtyard!"

"I will go to find your little Junior Brother."

After saying this, Pei Zhao leapt into the air and disappeared from the courtyard.

The vast earth, verdant and lush with trees.

Shen Wen'an wandered through them, heading towards the boundary between Danzhou and Yangnao Land.

In the distance, a gigantic ancient bronze ship approached, controlling the sky overhead. It gradually slowed and eventually landed not far away.

"Are you a fellow cultivator from Qiyun Valley?"

From the ancient bronze ship on Luoxia Mountain, Wei Qiuling shouted with clasped hands.

Shen Wen'an hesitated for a moment, nodding slightly.

Seeing this, Wei Qiuling jumped down from the ancient bronze ship, as gracefully as a butterfly.

Behind her, Yu Jin, with some baby fat, also jumped down, holding half a roast chicken in her hand.

"I felt you looked familiar back on the Purple Mist Treasure Ship. How should I address you, Fellow Daoist?"

"Shen Wen'an." Facing Wei Qiuling's inquiry, Shen Wen'an responded lightly.

Upon hearing this name, Yu Jin behind Wei Qiuling immediately widened her eyes.

"Is he really the kid who unsheathed his sword before Lingshan Sword Immortal?"

Wei Qiuling turned to glare at her: "Junior Sister, mind your manners!"

Having scolded her, she turned back to clasp her hands: "So it truly is Junior Brother Shen. When I first entered Yangnao Land years ago, I had a brief encounter with Junior Brother Shen, yet in the span of a few years, I failed to recognize you at first."

Shen Wen'an said nothing.

Wei Qiuling seemed to understand his nature well and continued with a light smile: "By the direction in which you're heading, it seems you're planning to go to Yangnao Land?"

Shen Wen'an nodded his agreement.

Seeing this, Wei Qiuling felt a surge of happiness in her heart.

"Junior Brother Shen hasn't mastered a flying magical artifact. The journey to Yangnao Land is a long one."

"My Junior Sister and I intend to go there too; if Junior Brother Shen doesn't mind, how about traveling together?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an glanced at the Purple Mist Treasure Ship behind the two and nodded slightly.

He was well aware that traveling from Danzhou to Yunzhong County required crossing an endless snowy plain and traversing over half of Yu Country.

Right now, he was only at Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, capable of briefly controlling the sky for merely a hundred meters.

Having a flying magical artifact would indeed save a lot of time.

"Thank you."

Shen Wen'an clasped his hands in thanks and followed Wei Qiuling and Yu Jin onto the Purple Mist Treasure Ship.

The Purple Mist Treasure Ship slowly rose into the air, then sliced through a radiant stream of light, flying toward Yangnao Land.

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