Chapter Four, the weather is fine today

Thinking of this, Bai Qiuran still maintained a smile on his face, but his right hand quietly grasped the hilt of the sword at his waist, and his thumb gently pushed out a section of the blade.

Are you also getting involved? If we manage to get the money, won't I take you to the establishments in the city to settle things? Hmm?

The newcomer is a young man approximately fifteen or sixteen years old, with fair skin and a handsome face. He has a head of black hair styled in a gentleman's topknot, secured with a pristine white handkerchief. He is dressed in a long white robe embroidered with flowing cloud patterns, and holds a three-foot-long sword in his hand, appearing to be a noble scion from a prominent family venturing into the martial world.

Within the ancient state, there are ten nations, and the country located beneath Qingming Mountain is Shangxuan Nation, one of the ten nations. The alchemical materials that Bai Qiuran is looking for this time should all be found within the territory of Shangxuan Nation

The brothers haven't had a chance to vent for several days, and this young man is quite handsome, just right...

Matters such as these are generally disregarded by the Qingming Sword Sect. After all, as a sect dedicated to the pursuit of immortality, the Qingming Sword Sect is focused on seeking the Dao and transcending, rather than on the mundane world's power struggles. The internal chaos of the Guzhou Kingdom and the changes in its rulers are of no concern to the Qingming Sword Sect, and it is best that they remain unconcerned.

Originally, the ancient state nearby and several surrounding regions were under the protection of the Qingming Sword Sect, and there were no reckless cultivation sects that would dare to invade the territory of the Qingming Sword Sect.

Go to hell!

A shadow flew in from behind, kicking away the nearest bandit, and then landed on the ground

The sound of rustling arose, as trees of varying thickness leaned in the same direction, breaking along the sword marks into two halves, and then fell down.

Upon reaching this realm, they are able to extract the true energy within their bodies, projecting it outward to attack their opponents, or forming a layer of defense on the surface of their bodies, with strength comparable to dozens of times that of a peak stage in body refinement.

What of the official road?

Upon hearing the conversation of these bandits, the young gentleman, who was just starting out, became furious, his face turning red. Although Bai Qiuran continued to smile, there was an added hint of danger in her expression.

At that moment when the young noble was momentarily distracted, a streak of white rainbow suddenly swept across, and within a semicircular area spanning several dozen meters from the mountain path to the forest, a sword mark appeared on all the trees, aligned on the same horizontal line

Every time Bai Qiuran descends the mountain, he feels that his mood lightens considerably

Three thousand years of time have long since stripped Bai Qiuran of the hurriedness that once characterized his descents from the mountain, driven solely by the need to gather materials and complete tasks. This time, he not only regarded his descent as a journey to collect materials but also as a leisurely excursion.

Is it a robbery?

May I ask ... ...

However, he does not intend to kill them all, while Bai Qiuran plans to eliminate them completely

Although Qi Refinement marks the formal entry into the path of cultivation and the realm of books, it does not imply that there are no practitioners in the Qi Refinement stage in the mortal world. Among those prominent families, royal families, or major martial arts sects, there are indeed a few individuals who can advance to the realm of Qi Refinement.

Bai Qiuran thought to himself

However, if one encounters robbers or thieves on the road, it is a different matter. The power struggles among the authorities in the Upper Xuan realm are their own affairs, but these bandits left here will harm every innocent person passing along this road. When faced with such individuals, the disciples of Qingming have always been resolute in eradicating evil.

Blood splattered, and a headless corpse lay on the charging path. Upon seeing this golden sword aura, the expressions of these few bandits changed dramatically

The local monsters and demons are generally dealt with by the disciples of the Qingming Sword Sect who descend the mountain to travel, so the chaos in the Ten Kingdoms of Guzhou usually arises from only two reasons

Run fast

The bandit leader kicked him.

True Qi? It is the mastery of martial arts!

At this moment, the young scholar, with a righteous expression, held his sword horizontally in front of him and admonished the bandits: "In broad daylight, under the clear sky, you dare to block the official road and rob people. You truly disregard the laws of the Shangxuan Kingdom!"

Although he has long transcended the mortal realm, he always felt a lingering attachment to the Qingming Sword Sect. Now that he has left the sect and distanced himself from the mountain gate, Bai Qiuran can finally be the simple Bai Qiuran, rather than the esteemed elder of the Qingming Sword Sect.

But we have been caught by the communication and the books

This is the true appearance of the Qi Refining Stage; being able to unleash a breath of true Qi like Bai Qiuran that can split mountains and crack the seas is already a different kind of monster.

Stop it!

Bai Qiuran said with a smile, "Everyone, if I remember correctly, this is the official road of the Upper Xuan Kingdom"

Rule of Law

As she looked at the bandits around her, laughing heartily, Bai Qiuran silently thought to herself

Descending from Qingming Mountain, Bai Qiuran circumvented the town of Suspended Sword and proceeded towards the area truly controlled by the royal family of the Upper Xuan Kingdom. Although he could not ride the wind and fly with a sword, Bai Qiuran, relying on a unique vital energy within him, was still able to achieve effects similar to those of flying with qi through his extraordinary lightness technique. However, he did not prefer it that way.

However, not long after setting off, Bai Qiuran was blocked on the road by a group of unfriendly-looking older brothers

That is, seeing that the young master possesses extraordinary demeanor, a few of my brothers wish to borrow some money for expenses, seeking help in a time of need

The leader of the bandits shouted as he ran towards the nearby forest without looking back

Several burly men surrounded him, and the leader brandished a large knife with a copper ring, greedily licking his lips

Boss, please show some mercy with your big knife later

Several bandits cried out in despair as they discarded their weapons and fled into the nearby woods. Meanwhile, the young gentleman stood his ground, his face cold as he watched them, seemingly unwilling to take further action. He resembled a cat or dog in a book, merely intimidating other creatures that dared to intrude upon his territory, aiming only to scare off these bandits without any intention of pursuing them to the end.

The bandits blocking the road laughed heartily and said: "Now that the Emperor Xuan is gravely ill, the soldiers stationed on this official road have long been reassigned. If you do not give the brothers money, even if the Heavenly King himself were to come today, you can forget about being rescued!"

Shameless bandits

The bandits exchanged glances, and then the leader of the group laughed heartily, saying: "To hell with the law, brothers are all struggling to survive, who still cares about that useless code? In this day and age, filling our bellies and enjoying ourselves is what truly matters! Brothers, let’s go together; this is just another fat sheep!"

But at that moment, a soft admonition suddenly sounded from behind this group of people

A powerful and somewhat imposing aura emanated from him, as the young gentleman's sword blade shimmered with a faint golden light. He then waved at the bandits, and a streak of golden sword energy shot forth, severing the head of the bandit who had just proposed the suggestion.

The bandit leader pondered for a moment, seemingly understanding the reasoning. He then softened his expression and looked at Bai Qiuran, saying: "Well then, let's take a closer look. This white-haired ghost seems quite decent as well. We can capture him and take him back later."

The bandit said with a sense of grievance: "There are no soldiers on the official road, but it is different in the city; we will be killed if we go in."

Oh, so it is a fellow practitioner in the Qi Refinement stage

This morning the weather is fine, carrying wine and singing songs along the river.

A bandit licked his tongue

Is the situation in the Upper Xuan Kingdom already this severe?

The bandits scattered in fear, each on guard against Bai Qiuran and the newcomer, while Bai Qiuran turned to look at the person who had arrived

The three feet of autumn water reflected a cold light, and upon seeing Bai Qiuran's movements, the bandits became aware of his intention to resist, thus raising their weapons in response

And those bandits were also cleaved in two by this sword, severed at the waist.

What is the matter

However, the young master over there seemed even more agitated than he was. Upon seeing that the bandits were about to make a move, he immediately drew his long sword, taking the initiative.

After three thousand years of self-cultivation, although he has a good temper, it does not mean that he will not get angry when faced with certain situations

Facing this group of robust men, whose strength was approximately at the mid-stage of body refinement, with the strongest among them at the late stage of body refinement, he gently smiled and asked, "Gentlemen, may I inquire what brings you to stop me?"

Thus, he did not hasten his journey by relying on his cultivation, but instead went to the nearest town to the Hanging Sword Town at the foot of Qingming Mountain, where he used his travel funds to procure a horse, and then leisurely proceeded along the official road of the Upper Xuan Kingdom.

The mutual wars among the Ten Kingdoms, or the turmoil caused by internal power struggles.

Cultivators do not engage in the struggles of mundane powers; this was the teaching of the Qingming Daoist to Bai Qiuran and others, which he has passed down through the years

He remembers descending the mountain several hundred years ago, when the Upper Xuan Kingdom was still a land of song and dance, a realm where the common people lived in peace and happiness