"Hahaha, it is fine. Come on up," Li Guanqi's hearty laughter rang out.
Jiuxiao naturally understood Li Guanqi's intentions and harbored no resistance toward Chen Xiaotian.
Lowering its head slightly, the dragon's eyes softened considerably.
Chen Xiaotian's palms were slick with nervous sweat. Gritting his teeth to summon his courage, he leaped onto Jiuxiao's head.
The moment his feet touched Jiuxiao, the excitement within Chen Xiaotian swelled beyond measure!
Accompanied by a resonant dragon roar that echoed across the heavens, Jiuxiao's colossal form transformed into thunder and soared straight into the highest skies!
As the giant dragon roamed away, the oppressive aura hanging over Moon Shadow City slowly dissipated.
Bursts of cheers suddenly erupted throughout the city.
Not only because the Zhou and Wu clans had been wiped out, but also because they had witnessed the legendary Yanluo Sword Venerable!
Treading upon a true dragon, descending from the clouds, obliterating two cancerous clans with the flick of a finger.
Every gesture of his carried the demeanor of a peerless expert.
Such terrifying might filled them with yearning and shook their souls to the core.
The giant dragon weaved through the clouds as bright golden sunlight spilled across heaven and earth.
Everywhere Jiuxiao passed, all great demons knelt on the ground, trembling in fear.
Chen Xiaotian gazed around with wide-eyed wonder.
Looking down at the purple dragon scales beneath his feet—each larger than his head—his eyes brimmed with profound emotion.
Even now, he could hardly believe he was standing on the head of the most powerful beast under heaven.
Treading upon a true dragon...
Li Guanqi looked gently at Chen Xiaotian as the youth took in his surroundings.
Perhaps out of sheer nervousness, Chen Xiaotian dared not move atop Jiuxiao's head, terrified of stepping on the wrong place.
The dragon horns were right before him, yet he dared not touch them lightly—not merely out of restraint, but also from the helplessness of someone who had long been weak.
Yet the smile on his face bloomed as bright as a flower.
Watching this, Li Guanqi fell into a daze.
Back when he had first entered the Great Xia Sword Sect, Second Elder Xu Zhengjie of Tianlei Peak had carried him on a flying sword.
He had felt the exact same way Chen Xiaotian did now.
Those were sights he had never beheld before, experiences he had never known.
Chen Xiaotian right now was just like Li Guanqi back then, and yet somewhat different.
What both encounters shared, however, was that in each case, the senior had instilled in the junior the conviction to become strong.
Li Guanqi did not speak, only sitting down quietly before uttering in a soft voice:
"You may walk around and look as much as you like."
Having received permission, Chen Xiaotian slowly turned around and walked from the dragon's head all the way to its tail.
The surrounding clouds rushed backward at staggering speed.
Everywhere Jiuxiao passed, the power of thunder within space became remarkably active.
Standing at the dragon's tail, Chen Xiaotian looked back. The youth in white sat cross-legged atop the dragon's head, drinking wine.
He smiled. Glancing at the slumbering golden cicada, he broke into a grin.
The greatest fortune of his life had been meeting Li Guanqi that day.
Li Guanqi had also become the goal he would strive to catch up to and the faith he would hold for the rest of his life.
He wanted to become someone like Li Guanqi!
Clenching his fists, he firmly believed that one day he would stand at the peak of that high mountain.
Chen Xiaotian walked back to the dragon's head. Li Guanqi smiled and said, "Sit down and have some wine."
"Regarding that elder, you did well."
Chen Xiaotian said nothing. Having suffered injustice himself, he resisted injustice when he saw it.
Though he belonged to Guanyun Pavilion, he was deeply influenced by the atmosphere of the Great Xia Sword Sect and the sect creed.
Chen Xiaotian lowered his head and murmured softly,
"I... just want to have the courage to draw my sword and kill when faced with injustice."
Li Guanqi nodded. Looking at the youth's face, which had already shed its childish innocence, he felt a momentary daze.
Looking at Chen Xiaotian, he asked teasingly,
"Have I... gotten a bit old?"
Chen Xiaotian froze for a moment, thinking he had misheard.
"Haha, just talking nonsense."
Only then did Chen Xiaotian realize he had not misheard; Li Guanqi was genuinely asking if he had grown old.
Chen Xiaotian said very earnestly,
"Big Brother Li hasn't aged at all. You're still just like before."
Li Guanqi smiled without a word.
Although his appearance remained that of a young man of twenty-two or twenty-three, he was already nearly forty.
Seeing Chen Xiaotian again stirred a flood of emotions within him.
More than anything, it was a poignant sigh at the ruthless passage of time.
How full of youthful vigor had he been when he first met Chen Xiaotian?
At such a young age, he had already reached the late Soul Formation Realm, a half-step into Void Refinement.
When he first met He Yuning of the Taixuan Sword Sect, they had been like young wandering gallants freely roaming the jianghu, kindred spirits crossing paths on the road.
Back then, he could drink and chat with He Yuning without a care in the world.
He could suppress his fluttering excitement to seek out Yanliu Red Pavilion for that so-called tempering the heart in the mortal realm.
Yet now...
No matter how breathtaking the woman, no matter how exquisite the tavern's ambiance...
He no longer felt any of the longing or excitement of his youth.
All he pondered now was how to care for all living beings, how to shoulder the outcome of the war across the entire Third Domain.
His state of mind had undergone an earth-shaking transformation.
The years were ruthless; time flew by.
Perhaps sensing that Li Guanqi's mood had dipped slightly, Jiuxiao slowed its pace a bit.
Chen Xiaotian also sat cross-legged beside him, quietly stabilizing his newly achieved realm.
His internal injuries were not light, but fortunately, after a breakthrough, recovering was not as difficult.
Li Guanqi did not have Chen Xiaotian leave. Since it was on the way anyway, he might as well take him along to the Ice Lion Sect.
As for the mission assigned to Chen Xiaotian by Guanyun Pavilion, Li Guanqi had given instructions regarding it.
In the future... he still considered having Chen Xiaotian join the Great Xia Sword Sect and leave Guanyun Pavilion's assassination division.
Watching Chen Xiaotian enter a state of cultivation, Li Guanqi felt glad.
He was glad that after stepping into the cultivation world for so many years, Chen Xiaotian had still managed to preserve his original heart.
In truth, he had noticed Chen Xiaotian the moment he entered the city.
However, because Chen Xiaotian had remained concealed in the shadows, Li Guanqi guessed he was carrying out a mission, so he had refrained from disturbing him.
It was only when the conflict broke out that he saw Chen Xiaotian once again.
Those words... had dispelled many of Li Guanqi's misgivings.
He was still that same boy who had once pleaded to save his mother.
Taking out a jade pendant, Li Guanqi said softly,
"Brother Ji, after I return this time, let's have Chen Xiaotian join the Great Xia Sword Sect."
Soon, Ji Yuchuan's voice came from the jade slip.
A hearty voice replied, "No problem. But why on earth did you kid head off to the Ethereal Immortal Domain? Are you coming back?"
Hearing the voice of an old friend made Li Guanqi feel deeply relaxed inside.
"Yeah, I'm heading back. Wait for me to come drink with you."
"Hahaha, good! I'll be waiting. It just so happens there are some things I want to discuss with you."
Li Guanqi's brow furrowed slightly; an ill premonition rose in his heart.
If it were good news, Ji Yuchuan would not have phrased it like that.
He knew Ji Yuchuan all too well. Something troublesome must have occurred within Guanyun Pavilion.
"Is it Yu Hua?"
Li Guanqi pondered for a moment and said quietly, "All right, understood. Wait until I'm back."
Putting away the jade pendant, Li Guanqi checked the distance on the map and reached out to pat Jiuxiao.
Jiuxiao understood implicitly. With a swing of its tail, it instantly shattered space, plunging into the void and speeding toward the Ice Lion Sect.
Chapter 1387