CHAPTER 508: CHAPTER 505: INVITATION

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Her speech was fluent and engaging, making everyone feel as if they were there.

Seeing the audience’s skepticism, she couldn’t help but laugh and say, "Sect Master, grandpa, you don’t believe the Princely Heir is this powerful, do you?"

They all shook their heads.

Qu Qianbi and Liu Ruixiang were both Great Grandmasters and knew the limits of a Great Grandmaster.

Spiritual power can distort the senses; when the visualization appears, it can intimidate Grandmasters, Innates, and Postnatals, making them stiff and terrified, helplessly waiting for death.

But that’s all there is to it.

Spiritual power doesn’t actually kill; to kill, one still needs to use spiritual power.

Chu Zhiyuan’s capability was already beyond the means of a Great Grandmaster.

Yet Chu Zhiyuan had just entered the Great Grandmaster realm; no matter how talented, he shouldn’t surpass a Great Grandmaster.

There must be something amiss here.

If it weren’t Qu Ying speaking, if Qu Ying hadn’t witnessed it personally, they wouldn’t even half-believe it, not at all.

"Grandpa, Sect Master, I saw it with my own eyes. Those demon people died all at once." Qu Ying shook her head and said, "Can a Great Grandmaster really reach this level?"

"No." Qu Qianbi said: "Maybe you were seeing things."

"Grandpa—!" Qu Ying pouted, "Really should let you see it for yourselves."

"Haha, we must indeed witness it." Qu Qianbi laughed.

Qu Ying, feeling indignant at his demeanor, shot him a glance, then unfastened the long sword with the green scabbard and presented it with both hands to Lu Donghu: "Sect Master, this is the Heavenly Blade."

"The Princely Heir truly trusts people." Lu Donghu smirked with a hint of sarcasm.

These two swords were forcibly borrowed from him, which made him angry, but there was nothing he could do under the eaves.

Because of these two swords, they avoided the punishment for hiding the Secret Land.

Otherwise, the Court would definitely hold the Flying Sky Sect accountable, and all the disciples of the Martial Department would suffer as well.

Although it was said that Flying Sky Sect’s disciples didn’t want to enter the Military Suppression Department, they would never completely withdraw from it.

The Four Great Sects might turn into three, and even the Flying Flower Sword Sect might replace the position of the Four Great Sects.

Qu Ying, seeing his expression, asked suspiciously, "Sect Master, is there something wrong with this Heavenly Blade?"

"He wouldn’t return a fake sword."

Lu Donghu carelessly drew the sword from its scabbard, and his face immediately changed.

Qu Ying quickly asked, "Is it really fake?"

Lu Donghu solemnly stared at the blade, and after resheathing it, closed his eyes for a moment, then unsheathed it again.

The blade, bright and flawless, glinted slightly, reflecting his astonished face.

He handed the long sword to Qu Qianbi: "Uncle Qu, take a look."

Qu Qianbi took the long sword, concentrated slightly, and his face also turned solemn.

He slowly handed the sword to Liu Ruixiang: "Junior Brother Liu, you take a look too."

Liu Ruixiang, with his dry and thin hands, took the long sword, lightly stroked its spine with his bony fingers, then gently vibrated it, causing the blade to hum and shine coldly: "It truly is a fine sword!"

His face immediately changed, looking shocked at Qu Qianbi, then at Lu Donghu.

Lu Donghu said: "Is it the Sword Soul?"

Liu Ruixiang said in a deep voice: "He actually cultivated the Sword Soul!"

The Sword Soul is the ultimate realm of sword technique pursued by all Flying Sky Sect disciples.

It has now gradually become a lost art.

No one for generations has succeeded in cultivating it.

The two Ancestor Master’s Blades enshrined in the Heavenly Blade Pavilion possess the Sword Soul.

They are the most important treasures for cultivating the Sword Soul, fundamental to comprehending the Sword Soul.

They are extremely familiar with the Sword Soul of these two swords, so they immediately noticed the anomaly.

The soul within the sword has changed, no longer domineering but as light as a bright moon.

Yet it’s even more dangerous.

The new Sword Soul couldn’t be Qu Ying’s, so there was only one possibility: the Fourth Prince, Chu Zhiyuan.

They never thought there would be such an outcome.

"Did he really cultivate the Sword Soul?" Qu Qianbi asked in a deep voice.

Liu Ruixiang snorted: "The Sword Soul is there, it can’t be wrong! ... Xiaoying, have you seen the Princely Heir perform sword techniques?"

Qu Ying said: "It’s said that the Princely Heir’s flying knife is unparalleled, but unfortunately I didn’t get to see it."

"Tell it again, not from the start, just how he acted."

"Okay, I was just about to..."

Qu Ying once again recounted, once more giving everyone the sensation of being present.

After listening, everyone fell silent.

The hall was silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Complex emotions surged on their faces; for a moment, they lost the interest to speak.

Qu Ying, seeing them like this, knew they were shocked. The Sword Soul, after all, was a legendary existence, a realm they pursued all their lives.

Yet it was mastered by the Fourth Prince; they might be wondering if their years were lived in vain.

So she broke the silence: "Sect Master, grandpa, what were you discussing earlier, so gravely?"

"Child, what are you prying into!"

"I can’t listen?"

"There’s no harm in Xiaoying knowing; it’s about the Secret Land." Lu Donghu smiled.

He then recounted that a strange beast had appeared in the Secret Land, silently and invisibly killing, even Great Grandmasters couldn’t resist it.

They were discussing what to do, whether to ask the Court’s Great Grandmasters for help.

"Then ask the Princely Heir!" Qu Ying said without hesitation, "Asking the Princely Heir would be best."

Everyone stared at her.

Qu Ying said: "The Princely Heir’s perception far exceeds others; what other Great Grandmasters can’t sense, he may be able to."

"The Princely Heir..." Lu Donghu hesitated.

Qu Qianbi shook his head: "I heard that the Fourth Prince is extremely cautious and wouldn’t do such a thing."

The implication being that he’s timid and scared to die.

"Someone of his status would never take such risks lightly."

"That’s because you haven’t offered enough." Qu Ying said: "If you offer enough, the Princely Heir won’t hesitate to help... If he were truly timid, would he dare to kill the Evil Sect’s demon people like that?"

She, too, had heard the rumors within the sect, saying that although the Fourth Prince was talented, he was as timid as a mouse, overly cautious, and excessively cherishing life.

She didn’t agree at all.

The Evil Sect would definitely retaliate, and it would be a cruel one.

The evil people of the sect would do anything, even dare to assassinate in Yujing.

If the Fourth Prince was really timid, he would never slaughter the Evil Sect’s demon people.

All martial arts sects in the world shout for the evil sect’s demons to be executed by everyone, yet most avoid them as much as possible.

Pretending not to know, pretending not to see; they’d never engage the Evil Sect if they could avoid it.

Only the Princely Heir truly practiced what everyone else preached.

Lu Donghu said: "But we’ve offended the Princely Heir."

Qu Ying blinked her bright eyes, looking puzzled.

"The Princely Heir originally wanted to borrow the swords, but we refused. Later, the Emperor put pressure, and we had to lend them... He certainly doesn’t think kindly of our Flying Sky Sect."

Qu Ying lightly furrowed her brows.

The Princely Heir was already a Great Grandmaster; if he was unwilling, not even the Court could force him.

"Xiaoying, make another trip and tell the Princely Heir that if he can find out what this demon beast is, he can see the real Heavenly Blade... Xiaoying, do you think this can move the Princely Heir?"

Though they called these two swords the Heavenly Blade, they were not the real Heavenly Blade.

"The Heavenly Blade..." Qu Ying gently shook her head, "It might not work."

"What more does he need?"

"What is the best Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure we obtained from the Secret Land?"

"A strange fruit that can enhance spiritual power."

"Give one to the Princely Heir."

"...Alright!" Lu Donghu gritted his teeth and solemnly said, "Then retrieve a strange fruit for him."

He stood up and left.

A moment later, he returned with a small Cold Jade Box and handed it to Qu Ying: "Xiaoying, you have to make another trip to Yujing."

"Sect Master, I can’t guarantee success."

"We have to try."

"Alright." Qu Ying took the small Cold Jade Box, cupped her hands, and bowed.

Qu Qianbi opened his mouth but then closed it again.

Qu Ying was indeed the best choice; the Princely Heir, it seemed, didn’t dislike her.

Throughout the entirety of the Flying Sky Sect, only she was the most suitable—beautiful, sweet-talking—if she couldn’t persuade the Princely Heir, no one else could.

——

The next day at noon, Chu Zhiyuan saw Qu Ying in the main hall of the Prince Qing Mansion.

After hearing what Qu Ying said, he paced with his hands behind his back, deep in thought without speaking.

Qu Ying hurriedly said: "Your Highness, this Secret Land also belongs to the Court, not entirely our Flying Sky Sect’s."

"Since it’s the Court’s, there’s no need for me to take this risk." Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "This spirit fruit can be obtained from the Court."

"Your Highness, the spirit fruit is just our small token of sincerity, the key is the Heavenly Blade!" Qu Ying said, "This is something the Court doesn’t have; only this single one exists in the world!"

"The Heavenly Blade..." Chu Zhiyuan smiled, shaking his head, "Actually, these two swords are sufficient."

"They are not the real Heavenly Blade!" Qu Ying said, "There’s a vast difference!"

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