"Senior Brother, be careful on your journey."

"Xiu Qiyu, take good care of Junior Sister. If she comes back and I find that she is missing even a single hair, don't blame me for coming to the Heavenly Sword Sect to kill her."

A silver sword appeared at Zishu's feet. Behind him were a group of people protecting him, and a master at the peak of the Mahayana stage was hidden in the shadows.

They must already know about the commotion that Senior Brother has caused at the Heavenly Sword Sect these past few days. In case of any accidents on the way, Ye Xiruo instructed the guards who accompanied her to the Heavenly Sword Sect to escort Senior Brother back to the Righteousness Pavilion before returning.

"Little Leaf, let's go back."

Zishu's figure gradually disappeared into the air.

On the mountaintop not far away, the two elders sighed deeply. It was a pity that such a genius could not stay in their Heavenly Sword Sect.

"He left."

"He has a sword in his heart, and our Heavenly Sword Sect should have been the best choice for him."

"Then you should understand that he won't sign contracts with anyone."

"Because it's simply unnecessary." A score of 12, a genius alchemist at the age of 20, with incredibly profound cultivation—such a genius would be sought after by any sect.

"I care more about Master Ye than Zishu." After all, Zishu is a disciple of the Haoqi Pavilion, so even if they care about him, it's useless.

Unlike Ye Danshi, who is about to sign a contract with Xiu Qiyu, Ye Danshi can be considered half a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

"This is already a great achievement for our Heavenly Sword Sect."

"It seems you also value Ye Xiruo."

"After all, pills can be faked, but the healing talent she displayed was enough to move many people."

They had witnessed Zishu's injuries firsthand. Even with the timely help of a high-level alchemist, it would normally take half a month for him to recover properly.

However, Zishu's injuries stabilized within three days and he was fully healed in seven days. Such a healing method was simply unprecedented.

"No matter what, we must maintain a good relationship with Master Ye."

"That's natural. I will give the order to ensure they are not disrespectful to Master Ye."

"That would be perfect."

"Little Yezi, you've gone to Tianjian Peak!" Xiu Qiyu said suddenly before leaving after escorting Ye Xiruo back to her residence.

"Yes, you know I'm very curious, so I took a look. Actually, there's nothing special about it."

"Really? You're lying."

"No."

"Don't forget our previous agreement. Your spiritual power and true essence are less than a third of what they used to be. How long do you intend to keep this from me?"

“Then I’ll tell you, and you can’t be angry. Well, I did go to Tianjian Peak for a stroll, and so far I only saw my senior brother and third senior sister. Master Zhang Hua has been in seclusion for thirty years, and I don’t know when he will come out. I haven’t met the other four disciples, but they should all be top-notch geniuses.”

"You fought against them."

"I fought with my senior brother, but I couldn't beat him."

"Are you injured?" Xiu Qiyu's heart clenched. Swords have no eyes. He knew what Xiao Yezi's swordsmanship was all about. How could he possibly use it against an enemy?

"I can now last twenty moves against him. In just a few days, I've made tremendous progress. I'm almost moved by my own efforts."

"How dare you confront an unfathomable swordsman head-on?" You truly have no sense of the immensity of heaven and earth.

"Don't be angry. I can sense that he has no intention of killing me. Besides, if it really comes down to a fight, I might not necessarily lose." Even those with profound skills may not survive to the end.

"If you want to practice swordsmanship, I can accompany you, along with Ye Liusha. When you return to the Heavenly Sword Sect, your senior brother will also accompany you to practice swordsmanship, so there is no need to take any risks."

“I understand. We were just exchanging ideas and sparring. My mental strength has improved a lot in the past two days, and my control over the Azure Lotus Heaven has become much more flexible. I believe that my Fire Control Technique will break through again soon.”

"I will go to Tianjian Peak myself."

"There are six of them. What if they gang up on you?"

"Even if you're included, it's still a group fight, there's no difference."

"I was just kidding. They're all dignified heroes, upright and honorable, they wouldn't do something like a gang fight."

"Go back and get some rest."

The next day, Xiu Qiyu stood on the dilapidated and desolate stone steps. The steps were covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves. Apart from the sounds of insects, fish, birds and beasts, there was no sound or trace of human habitation around the stone steps.

According to Xiao Yezi, she had been on the stone steps for the past few days and had not actually entered Tianjian Peak.

Xiu Qiyu stepped on the fallen leaves, walking upwards step by step, without seeing anyone or encountering any obstacles. She continued walking up all the bluestone steps until she reached Tianjian Peak.

Tianjian Peak was different from what I had imagined. In the past, when sword practitioners lived there, all the flowers and plants would be cut down by the sharp sword energy, leaving nothing but barren land. However, Tianjian Peak was different; it was more like the residence of an alchemist.

The grass is lush and green, and the flowers are in full bloom. Not far away, there is a small waterfall with a deep pool at its bottom. A melodious zither tune comes from the pool.

Xiu Qiyu slowly walked towards the deep pool along the narrow path, noticing many familiar flowers and plants along the way. Perhaps, there really is a pill refiner living on this Heavenly Sword Peak?

Upon getting closer, Xiu Qiyu finally saw the two people on the edge of the deep pool.

A man dressed in white, with a handsome face and extraordinary temperament, was like a fairy in a painting. He had a charm that made it impossible to look away. On his lap was a guqin that was completely black. The head of the guqin was shaped like a phoenix, and the tail of the guqin was delicately carved with phoenix feathers. There was nothing particularly special about it.

However, this is Heavenly Sword Peak, where mortal objects would certainly not exist.

Behind the white-clad musician playing the zither, there was a woman in a pale yellow gauze dress, half-reclining on a tree, holding a white jade gourd in her hand, her lovely face now flushed.

Neither of these two people had been mentioned by Xiao Yezi before, so judging from their appearance, they should be disciples of Tianjian Peak.

"Young man, would you like to have a drink with me?"

Just as Xiu Qiyu was struggling with how to start the conversation, the woman in the tree suddenly spoke.

I don't drink alcohol.

Why?

The melodious sound of the zither flowed gently through this tranquil space. The white-clad figure shone brightly, and the hands that played the zither never paused for a moment.

Xiu Qiyu remained silent.

"Since we're here, we should have a drink before we leave."

The pale yellow gauze dress billowed in mid-air, and in the blink of an eye, a person appeared before Xiu Qiyu's eyes—a beautiful woman.