Chapter 714: Distinguished gathering at Celestial Mountain Sword Sec (1/2)
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After crossing the bamboo suspension bridge between the first two peaks, they had now formally entered Celestial Mountain. No more would there be “rules for entering the sect” blocking their way. With Long Feiye bringing her along, anyone who wanted to cause difficulties to Han Yunxi would find themselves at a loss.
Tongues wagged in the wake of their kiss, but Long Feiye simply brought Han Yunxi along to continue their journey. They were different in many ways, but both of them had identical attitudes when it came to gossipers: ignore them utterly!
Many people would call this self-confidence, but it actually required an incomparably steadfast heart. Only by being strong within could one maintain one’s calm in the face of uproar and commotion to act as one pleased. Self-abasing types acknowledged themselves from the comments of others and changed themselves constantly to match their views. In the end, they only lost themselves.
After crossing over the second mountain, Han Yunxi was greeted with a new scene. There were multiple buildings scattered on the waist of the second and third peaks, consisting of halls and residences. They laid in picturesque disorder on the slopes and were dotted with white-robed disciples currently practicing their swordplay. Their figures were clean and their motions nimble, moving as floating clouds and flowing water. It gave one a sense of dignified vitality. As Han Yunxi watched them from a distance, she felt as if the entire mountain had been suffused in a sedate calm.
Here was the Celestial Mountain Sword Sect of her imagination. Those clamorous mouths and unkind jealousy from back then had no place on this peak. This was a land removed from the secular world, a clean plane above the dust and dirt of the mortal realms, even if its inhabitants were still engrossed in worldly affairs.
She couldn’t blame them. The world’s strongest martial arts laid in Celestial Mountain Sword Sect. Those who came to learn its arts from its masters were attracted on account of its reputation and harbored their own motives to learn. Wherefore could peace be found in this pure land?
Han Yunxi was quite clear that this shangri-la was simply the most unstable location in Cloud Realm Continent’s martial arts circles!
The distance between the second and third peaks wasn’t spanned by a bamboo bridge, but there was a giant stone sword that stood like a pillar to the Heavens stuck fast within the mountain. It was a grand and arresting sight that demanded respect. Han Yunxi looked at it in awe and was about to ask when Long Feiye dove into explanations.
“That used to be part of the mountain, but craftsmen carved it into the shape of a sword. It took three years to complete the work.”
He picked her up and pushed off against the mountain to soar into the skies, then pushed off against the giant sword to fly the distance between the second and third mountains. There were no bridges between the third and fourth peaks either, only another giant stone sword. Once again, Long Feiye pushed off the structure to reach the fourth peak. Han Yunxi couldn’t help but sigh.
“Long Feiye, without you leading the way, I’d never get on this mountain, much less get off!”
“Mm,” Long Feiye agreed.
Seizing the chance, Han Yunxi added, “So you’ll need to come back with me.”
Long Feiye didn’t reply, but Han Yunxi pressed on. “Answer me.”
“I already agreed last time. Don’t you trust me?” Long Feiye challenged back.
“Lie to me once and I’ll treat it as a hundred times!” Han Yunxi warned as she narrowed her eyes. She had said the exact same thing once upon a time.
“Mm,” Long Feiye agreed easily, almost as if he’d forgotten how he’d already hoodwinked this woman in the past.
Throughout their trip, Han Yunxi spotted multiple buildings and residence halls, as well as disciples training their swordsmanship–both males and females. She had always assumed that only the fifth mountain, Celestial Mountain itself, contained a couple of buildings at the peak, but never expected there to be so many disciples. No wonder Long Feiye could pick out so many outstanding junior brothers amongst them to make up his shadow guards.
Looks like Celestial Mountain is a huge sect!
Even standing midway up the fourth peak left Han Yunxi unable to see the top of the fifth. They circled around the back of this one until they found the suspension bridge stretching between the two mountains. She couldn’t see anything else beyond that, because fog had risen up to obscure half of Celestial Mountain in mist. Compared to the bamboo bridge from before, this bridge was wider and more stable. Long Feiye took Han Yunxi across while expounding to her on the various factions within the sect.