The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

"All of this is just Uncle He's own fault."

In front of Lin Suixin, at a place where the eaves were a little lower, there was a girl who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a jade-colored robe. Her eyes, which were as sparkling as glass, showed a hint of sarcasm, and there was a hint of ridicule at the corners of her mouth. She said lightly:

"He wanted to cling to the powerful and get promoted with the help of Zheng Xiu, but he didn't want to be a lackey. He did so many bad things that he was despised by his former fellow disciples. How could such a good thing happen in the world? He was hesitant and his swordsmanship was not pure. No wonder he didn't even master a single supreme skill of Minshan Mountain."

"...In my opinion, he is not worthy of being a disciple of Minshan, nor is he worthy of being called a true swordsman. It would be better for Master to expel him from the sect as soon as possible."

She was able to make such sharp comments and criticisms about an elder of the sect, a grandmaster who had already entered the seventh realm, and even seemed to look down on his achievements. Although this girl was still young and her figure was not satisfactory, she was also a beautiful and elegant girl, so she naturally had the corresponding confidence and qualifications.

She is the one who everyone has always believed to be the strongest practitioner in the future of the Great Qin Dynasty from the early years of Yuanwu to the present, and the only direct disciple of Baili Suxue, Jing Liuli.

If nothing unexpected happens, she will definitely be the successor of the Minshan Sword Sect and the next generation leader of the Minshan Sword Sect.

Therefore, he had long been involved in many decision-making affairs within the sect. To a certain extent, he could even command several of his uncles, but this did not include Uncle Lin who came with him this time.

"Alas, that's not the way to say it..."

Lin Sui Xin shook his head slightly.

He naturally knew that Jing Liuli and he majored in the same "Great Freedom Sword", one of the supreme martial arts of Minshan. It emphasizes a free and unrestrained sword heart, and it hates those who are timid, hypocritical and artificial the most. It is understandable that he has a bad impression of He Shanjian.

However, at his age, experience, and level of cultivation, he has a different understanding of the "Great Freedom Sword".

If the ultimate goal is "freedom", but the process of achieving it is quite ups and downs, full of twists and turns, and one may not even be able to control oneself during the process, perhaps this can also be considered a kind of "freedom" of sorts?
"Freedom" in results and "freedom" in processes are, after all, different and cannot be generalized.

Life is short, just like plants and trees wither in autumn. It is difficult for everything to be perfect and go smoothly. Often, there is gain but loss. If you want to take care of both, you are more likely to end up with nothing. Even the original vision may not be maintained.

Lin Sui Xin's name "Sui Xin" actually comes from his extremely accurate grasp of everyone's mind, which is based on numerous trials and tribulations, countless experiences, and a keen eye for insight.

Otherwise, relying solely on one's status, position, and cultivation strength, it would be impossible for one to truly do whatever one wants, be unrestrained, and be able to navigate this complex world with ease.

“Nothing in the world can ever go as planned. Everyone walks on the long river of fate. After making the choice they think is right, they always have to bear the corresponding consequences, no matter whether it is bitter or sweet, good or bad.”

"Just like at this moment, Ye Celeng on the Bijianping, she is certainly using this sword meeting as an opportunity to show the world her determination and strength, while also looking for suitable allies, as well as... some information she wants to know."

"Even those powerful princes and nobles often have their own frustrations. They need to make choices and find a way out amidst the interweaving of various trends and forces."

"And all of these are also accompanied by risks and costs."

Lin Suixin was holding the bamboo slips in his hands, with a look of nostalgia on his face, and he said softly:

"Thinking back, Junior Brother He was also a determined and pure person devoted to the sword. Otherwise, you would not have passed the Minshan Sword Test and successfully entered the sect. Not to mention that you would not have stood out in just a few years, won the favor of your master, and been granted the sect's true teachings, and became one of the few elders in Minshan."

"It's a pity that times have changed. As he gradually gained a higher status and greater authority inside and outside the sect, he gained more things. The things he wanted to protect and care about became more and more. He could no longer return to his former fearless state..."

"It's nothing more than that after He Shanjian showed his talent for cultivation, Zheng Xiu's people took the opportunity to recruit the He family and promised him huge benefits. Over the years, they have been using the He family to contain him. He gradually got used to and even enjoyed the convenience brought by power, so he became more and more addicted to it and couldn't extricate himself."

Jing Liuli took over the conversation with an indifferent look, seemingly unconcerned about Master Lin's sentiments. She stood with her hands down, but she had an indescribable bearing, as if everything in the world was under her scrutiny:

"Relatives and friends, sect teachers, there is no difference between the two. The key lies in the choice and whether you can make the most correct judgment."

"Obviously, Uncle He's failure was only because he misjudged the benefits of serving the imperial court and underestimated the potential risks involved. As a result, he is now caught in a dilemma and imprisoned, becoming a pawn in the hands of others without even realizing it. It's really sad and lamentable."

Upon hearing this, Lin Sui Xin couldn't help but nod slightly, with a look of approval on his face.

Jing Liuli can see the essence of a problem at a glance and is not deceived by appearances. His vision and judgment are indeed far superior to those of his peers, and are even comparable to many older people who have been immersed in the spiritual world for many years.

"Liuli, you are right. Just like the former 'World Sword Master' Wang Jingmeng, didn't he also trust Zheng Xiu and Yuan Wu wrongly, and ended up dying? The Bashan Sword Field was also destroyed overnight, and countless disciples were slaughtered, with blood flowing like a river."

"Being overly obsessed with 'external things', or even the desire for pleasure and power, has never been a major flaw. Only the most fundamental talent for cultivation, as well as an outstanding mind and foresight, are the key factors that determine how far a swordsman can go."

He sighed lightly and added solemnly: "It's not just your Uncle He. The vast majority of people in this world still have something to seek and something to hold on to. There are very few people who can truly be strong without desire and stand firm against a thousand-foot wall. Even me and the Sect Master are no exception..."

"However, it is precisely because of these desires and obsessions that each of us is a unique individual with flesh and blood, and it drives us to keep moving forward on the path of cultivation, climb to the top, and pursue that relative detachment and freedom."

"Otherwise, if everyone has no desires, I'm afraid the path of cultivation will completely wither away."

"Liuli has learned the lesson. It turns out that the true meaning of the 'Great Freedom Sword' is not just about pursuing inner freedom and unfetteredness, but also about facing and accepting reality, practicing in the world, and leaving the world while practicing. Only then can you create the meaning of 'Great Freedom' that is truly unique to you."

Jing Liuli's bright eyes also began to flicker with an uncertain light, as if she was re-examining and thinking about something. Then, she bowed and said sincerely, "Thank you for your guidance, Master. Liuli will keep it in mind and live up to your expectations."

Lin Sui Xin laughed and waved his hand, saying, "You and I are from the same sect, so why should we be so polite? Moreover, it is very rare for you to comprehend this level by yourself."

"Given time, you will surely be able to cultivate the 'Great Freedom Sword' to a higher level, accomplish a stunning feat, and bring glory to our Minshan Mountain."

After saying this, he did not continue to delve into this topic. His sight passed through the numerous roofs and gardens and refocused on the two people who were fighting swords in Nie Garden in the distance. As if talking to himself, he said leisurely:
“All heroes in the world come from our generation, but the road to becoming a hero is full of hardships and loneliness.”

“Speaking of which, Ye Celeng is indeed a rare genius. Although he experienced many setbacks in his youth, he has a strong character and a strong sword will. Given time, he may become a great sword master.”

"It's a pity that she seems to have been dragged into the muddy waters of the Qin Dynasty. I'm afraid her future will be full of twists and turns."

"One sword, one world, one test to see the truth. Both sides are trapped in the game, whether they can jump out depends on their own ability... Uncle Master, who do you think is better between the two of them?" Knowing that the distance was too far and he could not see the changes in the situation on the field clearly, Jing Liuli simply asked directly:
"The Seven Apertures and Seven Souls Floating Light Sword and the Three Lights Sword Body, as the pre-chapter combination of the 'Unbreakable Sword Scripture', are not so easy to fight against or break. The Sky-High Nine Swords and the Sky-Light Ice-Gathering Style are also moves that have been honed and refined to near perfection. The outcome of this duel is really hard to predict."

"If the 'Divine Confusion Talisman' is not taken into account, Ye Celeng's chance of winning is naturally higher."

Lin Sui Xin replied calmly: "I have used my divine sense to observe her several times. Her swordsmanship and true essence cultivation are impeccable. Even compared to those people in the Bashan Sword Field at the beginning, she is not much inferior to them at the same level."

"Even when she was drawing and retracting her sword, changing her moves, she inexplicably revealed a feeling of being in someone else's shoes. Even if it was me who was using 'Tian Yi Zhen Shui' and 'Li Shui Shen Jue', no matter how many times I tried, I would not be able to do better... It's really amazing."

"I have only seen this kind of mysterious state in all these years, in Wang Jingmeng, who had already mastered the sword spirit after fighting against the Han, Zhao, and Wei dynasties."

"A power that is close to a god or a demon, and does not belong to the human world, actually appears in a master who is only at the lower level of the seventh realm. It is full of inharmoniousness, and I always feel that something is not right..."

“However, I have never seen with my own eyes the effect of the talisman that Yuan Wu created after entering the Eighth Realm of Qitian, so it is still difficult to make a hasty judgment on the outcome of this battle.”

He stroked his long beard lightly, looking into the distance with a dim gaze: "If your master fails to succeed in this retreat, the honor of being the first of the eight realms in Minshan will probably depend on you, Liuli."

……

During their conversation, the situation on the sword-fighting field had undergone new changes.

He Shanjian used all his strength to activate the Three Yuan Sword Body and the Seven Apertures and Seven Souls Floating Light Sword, and stepped on circles of dark blue flame flywheels, vaguely revealing some of the mystery of the "Invincible Sword Sutra". He moved back and forth on the field, his figure erratic, sometimes in the east, sometimes in the west.

Every charge and flash was accompanied by an extremely cold sword light. Sometimes a few snow-white sword beams burst out from the mouth, nose, ears, eyes, and little fingers of both hands. When Minshan Jianxue, Xizhou Donghan, and the boundless wind and rain, and the clouds and the clouds collided and entangled with each other, he was secretly groaning in his heart.

On weekdays, although He Shanjian had joined the high-ranking officials of the court and joined Yan Xiang's team together with the He family, he basically did not need to leave the mountain gate. He just secretly passed on some important information within the sect and tried to favor the children of the powerful and wealthy in the sect. He did some easy and pleasant work.

In fact, because the leader of this generation of Minshan Sword Sect and some people from Bashan Sword Field swore to never have anything to do with each other, the Minshan Sword Sect no longer contributed in the final war between the Qin Dynasty and the Han, Zhao, and Wei Dynasties, and kept its gates closed for many years. He Shanjian didn't even kill a few enemies.

Therefore, when he was assigned to this high-risk task that required him to take the "crime" of seriously injuring the head of a company, He Shanjian was undoubtedly extremely reluctant and felt that he was very unlucky.

But it was hard to disobey the king's order, so he had to bite the bullet and go ahead. After secretly reminding the other party several times, hoping that they would be alert and prepared, and not make things too ugly and cause casualties, he finally activated the "Divine Confusion Talisman". However, this talisman seemed to be completely made for Ye Celeng, and the divine will contained in it was too extraordinary and simple, so even He Shanjian himself didn't even feel what effect this talisman had and how it worked accurately on the other party.

After using a wisp of true energy as a fuse to activate the talisman pasted on the inside of his sleeve, He Shanjian, who had no idea what would happen next, had to continue to maintain high-speed movement and crazy attacks, using his most proficient secret sword techniques to delay the battle, appearing to be trying his best and waiting for it to take effect.

It is speculated that this thing may only serve to weaken the opponent. If he wants to win and knock "Ye Celeng" off the platform, he will probably need to seize the opportunity himself. He Shanjian's mind is also racing. He knows that if he continues to "let go", he will not be able to hide it from Emperor Yuanwu on the opposite sword viewing platform.

Then, two equally swift figures kept crossing each other in mid-air, one was like a rock falling from a mountain, the other like a rushing stream, each of them burst out with the most powerful and sharp sword light and sword energy, confronting each other fiercely.

For a moment, there were continuous hissing sounds and loud explosions. The two sides fought quickly and exchanged dozens of blows in a blink of an eye. The spectators around were dazzled and couldn't tell the specific situation at all.

Only the ever-expanding ripples of vital energy indicated the intensity of the battle.

If someone sensed it more deeply, they would find that occasionally a faint sword light would suddenly appear on the route where He Shanjian was speeding.

The color of each sword light is different, gorgeous and colorful, like the neon lights in the sky, and every time it is swung, several thin threads of light will extend from the blade and naturally disappear into the void.

These light threads appear crystal clear, but in fact they emit charming brilliance under the sunlight, as if they were made of the purest gems of various colors that have been carefully polished and strung together, sparkling and dazzling.

As He Shanjian's figure kept changing positions, more and more sword lights were swung out. These magnificent and dreamy colorful light threads gradually intertwined in the void to form a dense net, covering Zhao Qing from all directions.

They seemed to have life, slowly wriggling and contracting, trying to completely tie up and lock up the "prey" in the center of the net.

"It is said that it is one of the unique skills of Minshan Mountain that was derived from the 'Continuation of the Heavenly God Technique', the 'Seven-Latitude Star Sword Formation'?"

Recognizing the opponent's swordsmanship again, Zhao Qing raised his eyebrows slightly, but he was not in a hurry to break free from the restraints of these colorful light threads. Instead, he seemed to want to carefully observe their structure and changes. He just used his fingers as swords and drew mysterious tracks around him.

Every time her fingertips lightly stroked, a large amount of water mist would surge up and condense into thumb-sized crystal water droplets, which would spin around and follow the path of her fingers, precisely embedding themselves into the gaps in the "colorful net" woven by light threads.

These water droplets were like special chess pieces. Zhao Qing placed them one by one on the "chessboard" in a way similar to the "hand talk" of Go, and soon formed a mysterious battle formation.

As more and more "water drop chess pieces" fell, the "Seven-Layer Star Sword Formation" set up by He Shanjian also changed. Those colorful light nets that were originally slowly shrinking suddenly trembled together and stopped the binding action.

Not only that, they seemed to be pulled by some mysterious force and began to slowly spread out along the trajectory of Zhao Qing's fingertips and the direction of the water droplets' movement.

Soon, it re-woven into a larger and more complex "new network", which actually trapped He Shanjian himself.

Why would the sword formation that I set up turn around and attack me?

Why can Ye Celeng's true essence affect the changes in his secret techniques?

This makes absolutely no sense!
"This...what's going on?! Could it be that the target of the 'Divine Confusion Talisman' is not Ye Celeng at all, but me?"

"Yes! Ye Sishou was originally a capable general of His Majesty Yuanwu. Not long ago, she returned from overseas and killed Zhao Zhan in one battle, dispelling the 'rumor' that she was exiled because she was untrustworthy..."

"Haha, I was wondering, how could there be a talisman whose effect the person who casts it doesn't even know? It turns out that I was the target of the 'divine will' in the talisman. This is really... a good trick of catching the turtle in the jar! If you want to silence me, why go through so much trouble?"

"What a vicious scheme, what a despicable method!"

For a moment, such an absurd thought flashed through He Shanjian's mind. Then, supported by seemingly conclusive evidence, he could not help but believe it without a doubt. He felt that this should be the truth of the setup, and his heart was filled with sadness and fear.

What bullshit "love for talent" and "Qin is in need of people now" are all lies!
Most likely, he was being used as a pawn by Yuan Wu and Zheng Xiu. They wanted to use Ye Celeng to get rid of him and deal with the "outdated" tool. At the same time, they also wanted to take this opportunity to test the true strength and loyalty of this Chief Secretary, which could be said to be killing two birds with one stone.

At this moment, He Shanjian felt extremely regretful. If he had known this would happen, he should not have coveted those little bits of power and status, leading him to fall into the trap carefully woven by others and become a stepping stone and victim for the other party to "establish authority" and "show off muscles".

But it’s too late to think about these things now.

Being imprisoned and confined by his own "Seven-Layered Star Sword Formation", He Shanjian did not dare to be negligent. He quickly mobilized his true energy and wanted to take these light threads and light nets back into his body.

However, no matter how hard he tried, those colorful threads of light seemed to be completely out of control and did not move at all.

Not only that, as the tracks drawn by Zhao Qing's fingertips became more and more numerous and denser, these light threads and light nets continued to differentiate and multiply, wrapping around his vital points from all directions, like colorful snakes with life, choosing their prey to devour.

"No! I can't just sit there and wait for death. No matter what, I must find a way to break free of this strange bondage and escape! Senior Brother Baili has always been protective of his people. He will definitely be able to protect me!"

"Nine Styles of Heavenly Light and Ice, the first style, Frosty Sky Dawn Horn! Break it for me!"

He Shanjian, who was feeling cold all over and looking like a madman, tried his best to resist the stranglehold of the sword formation outside. He suddenly gathered all the remaining true energy in his body at the tip of the sword and made the most powerful and intense sword move in his life since the beginning of the sword fight.

In order to save his life at the critical moment and avoid being set up to be killed, He Shanjian's sword would naturally not only use the peak power of the sixth realm allowed by the rules of the sword meeting, but broke through the restrictions and reached the level of moving mountains in the seventh realm.

According to the relevant rules of the competition, this is actually equivalent to admitting defeat.

Thousands of blue and white ice swords appeared between heaven and earth. Countless terrifying white streamlines entangled with each other, and then crushed them into flying catkins, which gathered on the "Mountain Snow Soul" sword that was drawing an ethereal curve, outlining a scene of moon frost and moonlight.

It was like the first ray of cold dawn in the winter morning, with a fierce and unstoppable force, slashing towards the direction facing away from the Sword Viewing Platform. Wherever it passed, frost and snow filled the sky, and even the air seemed to solidify into crystal ice crystals, reflecting dazzling light.

With a sound of "crack", the pieces of light threads and light nets were frozen on the spot by the surging extreme cold force, shattered into colorful spots of light, dissipated in the air, and torn open to reveal a huge gap.

He Shanjian also seized this opportunity, and rushed out like lightning. He immediately rushed straight into the sky and fled rapidly in the direction of Minshan Mountain. Soon he was more than ten miles away, leaving behind only an increasingly dimmer blue light, gradually moving away in the sky.

Because no one had expected that a sword fight could lead to such a bizarre scene, so for a moment, even though there were at least a dozen masters on the field, no one could react in time to stop it.

Many spectators were talking about this, thinking that the other party had probably lost face after the defeat, so they had no face to stay in Nie Garden to watch the battle. They really lost both the battle and their dignity, had no martial ethics, and had lost etiquette, and were really unworthy of the reputation of the Elder of Minshan.

"How come He Shanjian is so useless? Just now I saw him fighting so vigorously, with the demeanor of a master, but I didn't expect him to run away in the blink of an eye. It's really embarrassing."

"After all, he is an elder of the Minshan Sword Sect, but he was so cowardly and panic-stricken that he ran away in public. Isn't this a disgrace to his own sect? It's so irresponsible."

"Yes, although his opponent is Ye Celeng, losing is not too shameful, but this behavior is really a bit ugly."

"Maybe he has something urgent to do. Don't jump to conclusions."

"What could be more important than this sword fight? This is a competition that His Majesty the Emperor is personally watching. If he runs away openly and ignores the rules of the venue, isn't that disrespectful to His Majesty?"

"Maybe someone in his family died, and he was in a hurry to go back for the funeral. Hahahaha!"

"Hush, keep your voice down. Don't forget that he has the Minshan Sword Sect behind him. We can't afford to offend him."

Watching from afar as the chess pieces he had arranged "defected" in the middle of the battle, like a kite whose string had been cut and could never be retrieved, Emperor Yuanwu on the sword viewing platform frowned, as if he wanted to stand up, but stopped, obviously not feeling very calm.

Listening to all kinds of idle chatter that ordinary people could not understand at all, but could be discerned in the Qi Tian realm, he felt that every word seemed to be mocking his own mistakes and incompetence. His face was slightly gloomy, and he could not help but sigh softly and whispered to himself:

"What a great move! Borrowing the sword's power, the Secret Sword of the Sky!"

……

(End of this chapter)