Ye Qiu finished reading the message when his phone immediately rang.
It was Diaochan calling.
He pressed the answer button, and Diaochan’s gentle voice came through: “I just got word that Dragon Six from the Forbidden City has left the capital.”
“Do we know his purpose?” Ye Qiu asked.
Diaochan replied, “Dragon Six bought a plane ticket to Dali.”
Ye Qiu’s eyes narrowed.
As expected, Dragon Six couldn’t sit still, leaving the capital to come to Dali to kill him.
“Alright, I understand,” Ye Qiu said, about to hang up when Diaochan’s voice came again.
“I’ve shared such important news with you—don’t you think you should thank me?”
Her tone carried a playful hint of coquetry.
“What kind of thanks do you want?” Ye Qiu asked with a smile.
“How about treating me to dinner next time you’re in the capital?” Diaochan suggested.
“I already owe you several meals. How about I send you a virtual kiss to show my gratitude instead?” Ye Qiu teased, making a “mwah” sound into the phone.
Suddenly, there was silence on the other end.
Had Diaochan gotten upset?
Ye Qiu hurriedly said, “Diaochan, I was just joking. Don’t be mad. Next time I’m in the capital, I’ll treat you to dinner.”
Diaochan replied, “I don’t care if you were joking—I’m taking it seriously.”
Ye Qiu was stunned. What did she mean?
I make a joke, and you’re trying to pin me down?
No way, I’m not that kind of guy!
“The Nine Thousand Years said that even before Dragon Six went into seclusion, his skills were extraordinary. Now that he’s emerged, his abilities must have reached a terrifying level. You need to be extra careful.”
Diaochan’s voice was filled with deep concern.
“Don’t worry about me. When he gets here, I’ll take him down,” Ye Qiu said, a surge of intense killing intent radiating from him.
This burst of intent snapped Master Du’e out of his shock.
“Benefactor Ye, what’s wrong?” Master Du’e asked urgently.
“Nothing,” Ye Qiu replied curtly, then said to Diaochan, “I have something to attend to, so I’ll stop here. Goodbye.”
Diaochan urged again, “Be extremely careful and stay safe!”
He hung up the phone.
Noticing Master Du’e’s puzzled gaze, Ye Qiu explained, “I just got news that Dragon Six from the Forbidden City has left seclusion and is heading straight for Dali.”
Master Du’e’s expression shifted slightly. “It seems Dragon Six is coming for revenge. Benefactor Ye, you’re in trouble.”
Ye Qiu said, “It’s not just me in trouble—Master, you might be as well.”
Master Du’e fell silent.
Back in the capital, he had offended the Forbidden City for Ye Qiu’s sake. If Dragon Six was seeking vengeance, he might get caught in the crossfire.
Years ago, Master Kongjian and Dragon One from the Forbidden City had agreed that the Forbidden City and Tianlong Temple would not interfere with each other. But now, with Dragon Six emerging from seclusion, who knew how terrifying his skills had become?
“Dragon Six’s intentions are hostile. I must inform my master before deciding our next steps.”
“Benefactor Ye, come with me to see my master!”
With that, Master Du’e entered the cave.
Ye Qiu followed closely behind.
The first trial—finding and opening the mountain gate—tested eyesight and strength.
Master Kongjian had carved a cave into the cliff, sealed with a stone nearly a metre thick, making the peak appear seamless and flawless.
Without his Heavenly Eye, Ye Qiu would have struggled to find it quickly and might have spent years searching, like Master Du’e.
Even if the gate was found, an ordinary person would struggle to open it.
Ye Qiu’s earlier punch, using only half his strength, had shattered the gate.
This explained why it took Master Du’e ten years to open it after finding it—his strength back then was insufficient, meaning his cultivation was lacking.
The first trial seemed simple but held deeper meaning.
“The Six Meridians Divine Sword relies on qi to wield the sword, requiring immense internal energy as its foundation. Master Kongjian likely set this trial to test cultivation.”
“Those with insufficient cultivation are unworthy of viewing the sword manual.”
The cave wasn’t deep, only about a hundred metres.
Emerging from it with Master Du’e, Ye Qiu faced another peak.
This one was less than a thousand metres high, shaped like a blade.
Ye Qiu gasped at the sight.
The peak was studded with countless stone blades, at least tens of thousands, densely packed.
Master Du’e introduced it: “This mountain is called Blade Mountain.”
“My master spent six years personally crafting thirty-six thousand stone blades and placing them here.”
“Benefactor Ye, you must climb this mountain without external aid to pass the second trial.”
Ye Qiu couldn’t help but inwardly scoff.
Spending six years grinding these stones—what a waste of time!
Master Du’e added, “I, too, have climbed Blade Mountain.”
“How long did it take you, Master?” Ye Qiu asked.
“Twenty years!” Master Du’e said, a trace of pride in his expression.
As if climbing Blade Mountain in twenty years was a great honour.
Ye Qiu’s mouth twitched. Twenty years to climb Blade Mountain, Master Du’e, you’re quite idle yourself!
“Will you climb with me, Master?” Ye Qiu asked.
“Of course,” Master Du’e nodded with a smile. “This old monk is familiar with Blade Mountain. Accompanying you ensures I can assist if anything goes wrong.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Ye Qiu expressed his gratitude and prepared to climb when Master Du’e moved first.
With a light leap, Master Du’e landed on a stone blade, then stepped forward steadily.
Ye Qiu noticed that Master Du’e’s body was taut, his kasaya billowing, clearly channeling internal energy.
Suddenly, Ye Qiu recalled a Buddhist technique.
“Master, are you using the Indestructible Vajra Technique?” Ye Qiu asked.
“Indeed,” Master Du’e confirmed. “Every Buddhist disciple practices this technique, but throughout history, only the strongest have mastered its deepest levels.”
“It took this old monk only twenty years to perfect this technique.”
“That’s why I was able to climb Blade Mountain.”
Standing atop a stone blade, Master Du’e looked down at Ye Qiu and said, “Benefactor Ye, if you’re willing to join Tianlong Temple, this old monk can teach you this technique.”
Ye Qiu gave a wry smile. “Master, please don’t make it hard for me. As you’ve seen, I’m accompanied by a loved one and entangled in worldly affairs. Even if I entered the Buddhist path, I couldn’t achieve purity of mind.”
Master Du’e chuckled, “Then you must be careful, Benefactor Ye. Though these blades are made of stone, they’re exceptionally sharp. A single misstep could injure you.”
“Really? Let me try.”
With that, Ye Qiu leapt, landing on a stone blade.
