After returning to Azure Dragon Sword Hall, Tianming stood waiting at the entrance while Qingyu sat restlessly in the inner hall, looking uneasy.
"Big Brother, master will be fine. He’s powerful and an elder, and holds a status equivalent to that man," comforted Feiling.
"I’m sure it’s nothing, but he was probably threatened. Yuwen Taiji must be wondering why he’s sheltering me," replied Tianming.
"Actually, I’m puzzled as well. Judging from the current situation in the sect, going against the Yuwen Clan requires a lot of courage," Feiling remarked.
When Ye Shaoqing had first accepted him as his disciple, Tianming hadn’t contemplated as much.
"Master is fearless." A man of such backbone was admirable indeed.
A moment later, they noticed a man in white from a distance; it was Ye Shaoqing. His face was ashen, body covered in blood, and lips pale. All signs pointed to a fight with Yuwen Taiji.
"Master!"
Aware that he was the reason Ye Shaoqing had fought Yuwen Taiji, Tianming felt his heart tremble.
"Don't overthink this. I couldn’t stand the sight of him so I thought I might as well see how strong he is now." A smile rose to his pale lips.
"And the result?"
"He’s good, but I’m not bad either," said Ye Shaoqing.
Tianming wasn’t an idiot. He could tell that Ye Shaoqing was in a sorry state.
With his sharp eyes, the blood on Ye Shaoqing's right finger was no secret. His little finger was broken, severed at the base. For a sword-wielding man, losing his last finger meant recovery was impossible. Although it was only one finger, his future battles would be affected.
This wasn’t just any injury; it was a punishment for defeat!
"Your finger...."
"It's alright, I can still use the sword with four fingers, perhaps even better than before. Don't worry, he didn't benefit either. I’ve upheld the Azure Dragon Sword Mountain’s reputation," Ye Shaoqing laughed.
Tianming nodded, well aware that Ye Shaoqing had suffered a defeat. The severed finger was a warning.
In truth, he respected and liked his master. He had originally been unhappy with Yuwen Taiji for oppressing both his godfather and master, on top of his arrogant son, Yuwen Shengcheng.
"Yuwen Taiji!"
Neither Ye Shaoqing nor Tianming would forget this enmity!
As his gaze focused in the direction of Grand-Orient’s first battlefield, his eyes flashed with a vicious glint.
"Tianming, don’t overthink this. Act as planned—fight your battles and look forward to the Prime Tower. As for the rest, you have my support.” Ye Shaoqing patted him on the shoulder, his eyes burning with passion.
"I understand." Tianming nodded. For now, the future remained to be seen.
"Go, cultivate. Your current strength won’t save you in the Prime Tower. Show me how much you can grow over the next forty-five days,” said Ye Shaoqing.
This time, Tianming said nothing. He wanted to show Ye Shaoqing that his broken finger wasn’t for naught.
…..
Outside the Azure Dragon Sword Hall, it was raining cats and dogs. Ye Shaoqing sat in the highest tower, circulating his ki as he tried to force out the black and white ki. As the poisonous, snake-like ki exited his body, his complexion turned ruddy once more.
Unfortunately, without his little finger, there was something lacking as he waved his sword in his right hand.
His brow wrinkled deeply.
"Yuwen Taiji."
How could the humiliation of losing his little finger mean as little as he feigned before Tianming?
He embedded his sword into a stone pillar, leaving half of the hall shaking.
Right then—
Out of the window appeared a figure suspended in mid air, as if descending from the dark clouds in the sky. Ye Shaoqing looked up; from his point of view, bloody hair more than ten meters long stretched from the figure. With a roar of thunder, a bloody aura enveloped Azure Dragon Sword Hall.
"You’re crazy! We’re just one step away. Don’t ruin everything for this!" urged Ye Shaoqing.
"He broke your finger. How can I bear it!" the bloody-haired man growled.
"You’ve endured it for fourteen years, can't you endure just a little longer?" Ye Shaoqing persuaded.
"I'm just so furious. Thank you, Brother." The bloody-haired man gritted his teeth.
"Forget courtesy. Go back to your kennel and stay out of the way," chided Ye Shaoqing.
"Just give me a little more time. When the time comes, I’ll avenge both new and old enmity!"
"Fine, I’d like to see how powerful you can be. I tested his strength today. Even at my current realm, he’s a tough opponent. If Yuwen Shendu obtains the Grand-Orient Sword, he’ll only grow stronger," said Ye Shaoqing.
"The Grand-Orient Sword?" asked the bloody-haired man, his voice laced with fear. Still, he declared, "It belongs to the Li Saint Clan. Even if he successfully obtains it, killing him is nothing!"
"Oh come on, stop bragging. If the Grand-Orient Sword was that easy to deal with, it wouldn’t be coveted by the Yuwen family. I’m counting on you. Don't you dare let me down."
"Just wait and see!" The dark clouds began dissipating and the bloody hair outside the window furled.
"By the way, that son of yours isn’t bad. He’s dissolved Qingyu’s marriage agreement so you can take that last step with a peace of mind. I like his temper." At the thought of Tianming, Ye Shaoqing couldn't resist a smile.
"He’s a miracle. His future is beyond your imagination!" Azure Dragon Sword Hall echoed with the bloody-haired man's voice.
"Bragging again?" Ye Shaoqing chuckled.
"I’m certainly not. If you don't believe me, teach him your Heaven-Defying Sword Intent and tell me if his talent amounts to that of a pentabane."
With that, the bloody-haired man finally disappeared and the sky suddenly cleared up.
"Shameless man! Isn’t he trying to trick me into teaching Tianming the Heaven-Defying Sword Intent?" To be honest, he was tempted and just as eager to test Tianming’s limits!
He was well aware that Tianming alternated between the Li Mausoleum and Azure Dragon Sword Mountain, basically cultivating in the former at night and the latter during the day.
"From tomorrow onward, I’ll teach him the Heaven-Defying Sword Intent. Since this kid likes challenging destiny, I’d like to see just how strong his spirit of defying heaven is. Right now, I’m betting on Yuwen Shendu’s failure to obtain the sword...."
Otherwise, they were headed for turbulent times.