Legend of the Great Sage

disappointed.
He already knew how to go about it.
All he needed was time to slowly feel his way around.

Most importantly, his stature and appearance had finally recovered completely!

Although he still needed around another year or two before he truly completed the phoenix’s nirvāṇa and balanced the various powers in his body, there was no need for him to be in too much of a rush.

He believed that once his phoenix’s nirvāṇa was complete and he merged water and fire together again, his strength would reach an unprecedented peak.
There would not be many existences remaining among the nine provinces that could still threaten him.

The next morning, Li Qingshan stood on the boundary of the Mist province and gazed towards the north.

“Green province, I, Li Qingshan, am back!”

……

Hua Chengzan was currently cultivating on the mountain.
Suddenly, he sensed something and made his way out the hall.
A small sword circled about outside the formation with no way in.

“What’s this? A letter by flying sword!”

Hua Chengzan furrowed his brows.
With a wave of his hand, the tiny sword flew over with a swish.
He caught it with ease, and the tiny sword shone, crisscrossing with patterns.
It was condensed with sword qi, which seemed like it had been thoroughly tempered.
A line of tiny words were engraved on there.

“I’ve long heard about your name.
You possess extraordinary talent, which fills me with admiration.
I hope I can meet you and befriend you through the sword, where we can face the outstanding talents of the world together.
Yours truly, Yin Xiaochou of the Sword Collection palace!”

At the end were a time and a location.
It was rather polite, and every single word hid sword intent, making a full display of his powers.

This was a letter of challenge!

“So he’s still ended up coming!” Hua Chengzan sighed.

Outside the Qing Xiao dwelling, there was also a tiny sword nailed into the rock face!

Suddenly, the dwelling that had fallen silent for all this time opened loudly.
Li Qingshan strode out and yelled, “I’ve emerged!”

Birds took off in fright, circling over the mountains.

Li Qingshan laughed aloud.
Suddenly, he saw the tiny sword in the rock and reached over.
The tiny sword flew into his hand, and he read the message on there.

“What’s the Sword Collection palace sending people over here again for? What the hell is this shitty name? Yin Xiaochou? I wonder how Fu Qingjin is doing.
He does sound a little more annoying.
Fucking hell, he even changed my Moon Court lake to Clear Court lake!”

Li Qingshan stowed the sword letter into his sumeru ring and flew towards the prefectural city of Clear River.

Hua Chenglu was currently handling the paperwork diligently in the Hawkwolf Guard.
Suddenly, a pair of feet appeared before her, and she leapt up in fright inside, making her jump to her feet.
When she saw the owner of the feet, she could not help but blurt out.

“Big brother Li! You’ve emerged!”

“I’ve troubled you for the past few years.
I really don’t live up to my duty as a commander! It’s been a few years, but the little girl has become even prettier!” Li Qingshan grinned.

“I stopped being a little girl a long time ago!” Hua Chenglu said.

“Then big girl.
Come, tell me what happened during the past few years!”

As a result, Hua Chenglu told him about what happened over the past few years.
Li Qingshan had heard most of it from Hua Chengzan already.
After so much time, roughly nothing had changed.
The pace of the cultivation community was much slower than the mortal world.
It lacked a lot of change.
Rarely did they ever hear of someone dying in an accident, or someone marrying and having children.
Most of it was just each other’s cultivation progress.

“What’s this about?”

Li Qingshan placed the tiny sword on the desk and asked the question he wanted to ask the most.

“You’ve received it too!” Hua Chenglu took out the exact same tiny sword.
As it turned out, all of the Foundation Establishment cultivators who had earned a reputation for themselves in the Clear River prefecture had received a sword letter like this, inviting them to the greatest lake in the Clear River prefecture, Clear Court lake, for a gathering of outstanding geniuses in seven days’ time.

Li Qingshan rubbed his chin and said in thought, “That’s quite interesting.
If you look at the time, there are still two days.
I don’t seem to have missed it.
It sure happens to coincide with my plans!”