Li Kuangtu and Li Kuanghua's eyes gleamed with anticipation. Li Kuangtu extended his hand. "Eldest Great-uncle," he asked, "don't... don't you have any instrus for us juniors?"
Seeing Li Kuangtu subtly curling his four fingers, Li Yaozu frowned. "Who taught you to beg for things?" he questioned.
Hearing this...
Li Kuangtu and Li Kuanghua exged gheir expressions turning awkward. No one had taught them, but they had iaught this to their junior, Li gsheng.
Li Yaozu didn't pay much attention to this. He silently tossed all the swords into his sword case behind him, not giving them anything, and started walking towards the Azure Cloud Pavilion with his four juniors. "Our family is poor," he said. "You've all reached the Fake Core Formation stage. You should know t things back to the family, not beg for them."
"Wheurn to the family," he tinued, "I'll hand these over to your Freat-grandaunt for safekeeping. You earn them back through your own efforts."
The four youngsters watched Li Yaozu's retreating figure, their faces darkening. They couldn't uand how the Eldest Great-uncle could make being stingy sound shteous.
On the back of Eldest Great-uncle's head, who just moments ago seemed like an immortal desded from heaven, were written twe characters —
"Exploit others."
However, the ers of their mouths still curved upwards slightly. They had heard it.
"After returning to the family"!
Their eyes were filled with anticipation. They were finally going home!
...
In front of the Azure artial Pavilion, heavy snow was falling, already burying Li Dalong's knees, yet he remained unmoved.
The Li family's repeated acts of aggression had long since caused the Azure Cloud Pavilion to lose face. Today, they still didn't dare e out to fight, and the disciples of the Azure Cloud Pavilion were utterly demoralized.
Over the years, the Pavilion, whice boasted thirty thousand disciples, had dwio just over two thousand.
They had already ged Pavilion Masters three times.
Today, the Azure Cloud Pavilion had inteo take advantage of the Jun Prince's Mansion's martial arts petition at the foot of the mountain to remind the world of their existence.
They had even prepared a grarance, with thousands of Azure Cloud cultivators s on their swords, filling the sky. The Pavilion Master would then summon his Dharma Body with his hands csped behind his back, showg the Azure Cloud Pavilion's enduring strength.
But...
They couldn't eve out.
"Rep to the Pavilion Master and elders," a disciple announced, "at the Azure artial Pavilion, all the geniuses have beeed by the Li family desdants. Li Kuangren of the Li family has been taken away with the young princess of the Jun Prince's Mansion!"
A disciple of the Azure Cloud Pavilion delivered this report, causing the many elders and the current Pavilion Master, Elder Tianqing, to turn pale.
The Li family hadn't even attacked the Azure artial Pavilion itself. The only person killed by the Li family there was Xiao Huang.
But with just this, their once lofty Azure Cloud Pavilion was now like ohat had been pletely destroyed, existing in name only.
"Why is your Li family so aggressive towards our Azure Cloud Pavilion?!"
Elder Tianqing was furious. "The people from the major sects have already left the Azure Cloud Pavilion," he said. "Do you truly io destroy the Azure Cloud Pavilion, which has made great tributions to the entire Azure Clion?"
"Time and time again! Xiao Huang is dead, and my Azure Cloud Pavilion has paid the price for our as. What kind of justice is this?!"
"Just give my Azure Cloud Pavilion a ce to start anew..."
Elder Tianqing, nearing the end of his lifespan, seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He had never yielded to anyone in his entire life. He looked up at the sky and sighed deeply, two tears sliding down his cheeks. "Li family," he pleaded, "spare my Azure Cloud Pavilion. From this day forward, we no longer desire to be the symbol of the Azure Clion, nor do we crave power. All past transgressions have been sed. Just let my Azure Cloud Pavilion live in seclusion."
His words were filled with sorrow. The falling snow seemed to be blowing away all the glory of the Azure Cloud Pavilion, leaving it like a withered tree.
Li Dalong's expression finally softened, a flicker of pity fshing in his bright eyes.
In truth, what Elder Tianqing said wasn't wrong. Xiao Huang was dead, and the Azure Cloud Pavilion had paid the price for their plicity.
Those who remained in the Azure Cloud Pavilion now were mostly those who had beeral before, not members of any major fa.
Suddenly, he boomed with ughter, "Hahaha, Elder Tianqing, you speak shteously. Do you dare open your sect-proteg formation a me, Li Dalong, in for a discussion?"
"Those with righteous hearts have nothing to fear. Why are you keeping me, Li Dalong, out? Why did you expel my Li Tianyi?!"
"Opees!"
Elder Tianqing gritted his teeth. He seemed to have made a decision.
Hearing this, the elders and disciples of the Azure Cloud Pavilion ged their expressions.
"Sect Master, we 't do that!"
"There might be Li family members lying in ambush outside. If we opees, they'll e p in!"
"Yes, Sect Master, I've heard that the Li family used this tactic to destroy another fa before."
"None of the Li family are trustworthy. If they e in, it won't be for anything good!"
"...."
Despite their protests, Elder Tianqing remaiubborn. He roared at his disciples, "Opees! After so many years of c like turtles, what's left of our Azure Cloud Pavilion's spirit? Haven't we been ridiculed enough? Are you going to let your inner demons haunt you for the rest of your lives?"
Everyone fell silent.
Soon after, the gates of the Azure Cloud Pavilion opened. Li Dalong, his eyes narrowed slightly, walked into the Pavilion. Elder Tianqing waited for him at the entrance. A temosphere filled the entire Azure Cloud Pavilion.
To their relief, Li Dalong, carrying his coffin, didn't attack. He simply stepped onto the thick yer of snow and walked, step by step, into the Azure Cloud Pavilion, stopping beside Elder Tianqing.
He didn't even look at Elder Tianqing, his face turo the side as he spoke in a low voice.
"You made the right choice," he said. "Now, I want to know everything about the former Pavilion Master, Yu Xian."
Hearing this, Elder Tianqing's body trembled slightly, his pupils diting. He seemed to suddenly uand something.
"Who... who is that?!"
Cries of surprise came from the disciples on the walls of the Azure Cloud Pavilion.
They saw Li Yaozu, who had arrived with the four Li family youngsters, stepping through the snow. He stood where Li Dalong had just been standing. Li Yaozu smiled as he watched his father ehe Azure Cloud Pavilion. Li Kuanghua and Li Kuangtu had vigint expressions, while the two young monks tinued ting Buddhist sutras in some unknown Sanskrit dialect.
Betweewo groups, anure approached. He bowed to Li Yaozu and said, "Lord Sword King, you traveled thousands of miles across the world and finally found me in Starfall Region. We had an agreement, remember? After today, please don't e looking for me again."
Li Yaozu nodded slightly.
Only Elder Tianqing's expression ged drastically. "It's you?" he excimed.
The one who had fled shortly after taking over as Pavilion Master—
The head of the Gu family, Gu gsheng!
Gu gsheng shrugged helplessly at Elder Tianqing. "Let's go, Elder Tianqing," he said. "Tell Brother Dalong everything about Yu Xian."
"Oh, and make sure the formation is activated. Don't let a of the Azure Cloud Pavilion."
"Don't worry about what's happening outside. I've experiehe Sword King's skills firsthand. Unless a Soul cultivator appears, no number of Golden Core cultivators do anything."
"Uood."
Elder Tianqing led Gu gsheng into the Azure Cloud Pavilion. He had a vague feeling that a spiracy was brewing in the Azure Clion.
And it... was all ected to the Azure Cloud Pavilion!
---
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