Chapter 111: I Regret Not Being Able to Fully Satisfy the Azure Cloud Sword Immortal

Upon hearing those words, the male cultivator opposite immediately understood the implication.

“Senior sister, did some scoundrel lover abandon you after causing trouble? Don’t worry, tell me, and I’ll gather a group to teach him a lesson for you!”

Li Yao, feeling her emotions had nowhere to vent, snapped back sharply, “Shut up! Who do you think you are? How can you compare to my junior brother Cao?”

“No matter how many of them there are, none can match my junior brother Cao!”

Li Yao pointed to the veil hanging in midair, where the soaring sword intent that had been blazing fiercely earlier had now dimmed, and said, “Can you withstand my junior brother’s sword intent?”

The male cultivator from Zhongzhou, who had been somewhat offended by Li Yao’s retort and inwardly thought cultivating women were truly unreasonable, was taken aback by her next words and stammered, “Uh... Senior sister, you must be joking!”

“Qingyun Sword Immortal is your junior brother!”

A few days ago, news had spread like wildfire about a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator who could shatter the light barrier and wield sword intent that pierced the sky. Those matched against him suffered grievous injuries, often forced to retreat to recuperate with no chance of further combat.

Most importantly, it was said that even the severely wounded disciples retained faint traces of sword intent within their bodies. Though it hampered their recovery, this residual sword intent helped refine and purify their internal energy and spirit. Some with innate talent even gleaned a fragment of sword momentum from it, setting them on the path of sword cultivation.

Undoubtedly, if not for the venue of the Qingyun Sect’s assembly, most would have been cut down by this Qingyun Sword Immortal’s blade.

Afterward, some recovering disciples admitted, “It’s not the Qingyun Sword Immortal’s fault; we were just too weak to withstand even one sword!”

“I’m sorry we couldn’t satisfy the Qingyun Sword Immortal’s appetite for battle!”

Because most retreated due to severe injury, no one had seen the Qingyun Sword Immortal’s true appearance; they only referred to him by that title.

When paired in matches, everyone both hoped to be matched with him and feared it at the same time, as encountering him meant a chance to become a sword cultivator—but also the risk of severe injury and losing eligibility for the Qingyun assembly.

There was no helping it. Even with formations protecting their lives like a famed blade of destiny, sword intent was not something just anyone could comprehend.

Hearing Li Yao’s words, the cultivator opposite couldn’t help but marvel at how charismatic this Qingyun Sword Immortal must be, to have such a beautiful senior sister so heartbroken over him.

Indeed, Li Yao had long suspected that Cao Xuan was that Qingyun Sword Immortal.

Others might not have thought much of it, but at the Talisman Peak, where talismans were crafted with meticulous care and every stroke demanded complete concentration, it was clear.

When Cao Xuan first inscribed a heart-shaped talisman on her navel, Li Yao noticed it had functions of refining, purifying, and aiding cultivation.

Of course, the talisman also contained a bit of Cao Xuan’s personal affection, but so what? Li Yao was utterly devoted to Cao Xuan; what harm could a talisman do?

So when the blazing sword intent first appeared during a match, Li Yao, along with Xing Mengfan and Ye Caixuan, admired it together. She even heard Xing Mengfan, a martial fanatic, murmur, “How wonderful it would be to marry such a sword immortal!”

To cultivators at the Exorcism Peak, a sword cultivator with unparalleled combat strength was nothing less than a legendary figure.

Li Yao echoed, “My junior brother Cao is no less!”

This made Ye Caixuan giggle, while Xing Mengfan remained serious and said, “Though Brother Cao is formidable, he’s only skilled in cultivation; he can’t compare to a true sword immortal!”

Li Yao wanted to argue then and there, but Ye Caixuan stepped in to smooth things over.

Still, Li Yao was dissatisfied and hoped to have Cao Xuan sense the sword intent himself—perhaps he too could become a sword immortal.

But she found it strange: whenever Cao Xuan was present, the sword intent never appeared.

When Cao Xuan was matched, the sword intent would manifest!

At first, it happened once or twice, but after several times, Li Yao even spent an entire afternoon with Cao Xuan in training, yet the sword intent never emerged.

She grew suspicious. When she heard Cao Xuan had advanced into the top hundred ranks, her heart tightened.

For the next few days, she prayed for the sword intent to appear.

Alas, it seemed to vanish once Cao Xuan had advanced.

It all felt like too much coincidence. Though she tried to convince herself it was normal for the sword immortal to advance swiftly and that Cao Xuan merely happened to advance around the same time, Li Yao was already eighty percent certain Cao Xuan was connected to the Qingyun Sword Immortal.

Too many times, Cao Xuan’s matches coincided with the sudden appearance of the soaring sword intent, followed by his triumphant return.

The timing was too precise. Li Yao only had to wait, and the sword intent would reveal itself.

Once, twice, Cao Xuan’s victories synchronized with this sword intent—could it really be mere chance?

She confided her suspicions to Ye Caixuan and Xing Mengfan, but neither believed her.

Ye Caixuan laughed and said, “You say Brother Cao is skilled in cultivation, alchemy, and talisman crafting, and also a sword immortal? Such a prodigy could never appear in our Yunzhou Qingyun Sect.”

Though they doubted, Li Yao remained steadfast in her belief.

Thus, Li Yao’s sadness wasn’t just that Cao Xuan stayed in Zhongzhou.

More so, she feared he might, like her little senior uncle Xian Xiangqiu, be chosen by one of the six great sacred lands.

She had heard whispers around that the Qingyun Sword Immortal had caught the eye of the six great sacred lands.

“Junior brother, still so charming. Once inside a sacred land, with those dazzling saint maidens beckoning, won’t Brother Cao obediently approach to worship their jade feet?”

At the thought, Li Yao’s sorrow deepened.

Why was she so careless in cultivation? Why was she still in the late Foundation Establishment stage rather than at its peak?

In recent days, she secretly inquired and learned that the Xuanhua Dao Sect required thirty Golden Cores for admission—the closest opportunity for her.

She had no noticeable talents, and talisman crafting probably wouldn’t count.

Though she could still hope to reach the Foundation Establishment peak by thirty years old, breaking through the Golden Core stage was beyond her confidence.

Her swirling thoughts finally erupted as she produced a pile of talismans, causing the Zhongzhou cultivator opposite to tremble with unease.

“Tha-that... Senior sister, please... speak calmly!”

“Y-you put those talismans down first!”

“Boom—”

…

Xing Mengfan had finally recovered. Pushing Cao Xuan aside, she prepared to pick up her token and continue matching—she wanted to enter the top hundred ranks.

Partly to secure a spot in the Qingyun assembly for her master, and partly for herself—to battle stronger opponents.

Of course, she also had a small curiosity: to catch a glimpse of the legendary sword immortal of this world.

Suddenly recalling Li Yao’s words, she quietly asked, “Brother Cao, are you a sword immortal?”

Cao Xuan momentarily froze, then instinctively replied, “What did you say?”