Chapter 53: The Demon Flute of the Eastern Sea

Having his own words thrown back at him, Duan Qingming narrowed his eyes slightly. "It seems you intend to cling to me the entire journey."

"Most likely." Gu Pinglin had fully regained his composure. He walked over and stood beside Duan Qingming, gazing at the sea together.

Duan Qingming didn't seem to mind. "With your focus entirely on me, you're left passively reacting to my moves. That's hardly advantageous. Are you certain you can keep watch over me at all times? Or do you truly believe Qi Wan'er can restrain me? Perhaps I've already made arrangements. Perhaps I'm deliberately drawing your attention, using myself to ensnare you. Maybe the one truly falling into the trap is you."

Gu Pinglin's heart skipped a beat, but he sneered. "Perhaps if you compiled your scheming eloquence into a manual, it would surpass even your swordsmanship—certain to be passed down for generations."

Duan Qingming laughed. "You flatter me."

"Your words are indeed unsettling," Gu Pinglin tilted his head slightly, speaking leisurely, "but you've misjudged one thing. Who said I can only react passively?"

"Oh?" Duan Qingming seemed surprised. "You have other plans?"

Gu Pinglin tapped the railing lightly. "Rather than probing me, why not guess for yourself?"

"Fair enough." Duan Qingming withdrew his gaze, sighing as he looked toward the horizon. "As you said, whether it's swordsmanship or games, they're merely trivial amusements in the face of boredom. The cycle of heaven's path—death signifies rebirth, life is but a road to death. This Dao seems rather unremarkable."

In their past life, Duan Qingming had plunged the cultivation world into chaos simply out of boredom. Gu Pinglin had never imagined he harbored such thoughts. Startled, he couldn't help but wonder if Duan Qingming had truly ascended in the end. After a long pause, he frowned. "The weak can never comprehend the vistas of the heights. The strong walk their own path—how can they be compared? To tread the Dao yet lack reverence for it is a grave taboo."

Duan Qingming looked amused. "Is that concern I hear?"

Gu Pinglin replied, "Only because you've yet to taste defeat."

"Oh? Then I suppose I should look forward to you defeating me soon." Duan Qingming studied him for a long moment before suddenly saying, "The Dao is treacherous. Those who fail also fall into the cycle of reincarnation, inevitably losing all memories of their past lives. Do you think there are exceptions?"

Gu Pinglin showed no surprise. "You've been probing our past-life relationship for so long. Have you reached any conclusions?"

"I initially thought we were rivals," Duan Qingming paused, then smiled. "But you're always so concerned about me. It's made me doubt that."

Concerned? Gu Pinglin pressed his lips together.

"Not family, nor friends." Duan Qingming seemed lost in thought. After a while, he suddenly leaned in, closing the distance between them.

Gu Pinglin was momentarily baffled but stood his ground, refusing to retreat. Only when warm breath brushed his face did he react with shock, stepping aside as sharp sword intent erupted from his body. "You—"

The sword intent dissipated before it could reach its target. Duan Qingming remained where he was, hands behind his back, smiling. "Ah, no need for such excitement. I merely wanted to see if we might have shared a relationship like the Cold Hero Twin Swords in our past life."

This man truly acted without restraint, utterly indifferent to societal norms. Gu Pinglin had never expected such a conjecture. His face darkened instantly. "If that were the case, do you think you'd still be standing here alive?"

"If it were, that would be most amusing." Duan Qingming laughed heartily and strode away from the prow.

Did he think he could shake off surveillance so easily? Gu Pinglin followed him around the corner, only to find Yao Feng standing alone by the railing. Facing the sea, he seemed engrossed in the view—but his stiff posture and white-knuckled grip on the railing betrayed his deliberate pretense of obliviousness.

Duan Qingming, you bastard!

Gu Pinglin greeted Yao Feng with an unreadable expression before walking past him.

Yao Feng exhaled softly, equal parts awkward and puzzled as he watched the two disappear. Having only recently emerged from the mountains, he wasn't familiar with societal norms regarding closeness between fellow disciples. Still, his instincts told him something was off.

Just then, Qi Wan'er strode over. "Have you seen them?"

Yao Feng pressed his lips together, staring at the rippling waves.

Unable to recall his name, Qi Wan'er cut straight to the point. "Where's Duan Six?"

Yao Feng replied tersely, "Gone."

Qi Wan'er pressed, "Where to?"

Yao Feng said, "Don't know."

Having stormed off earlier after Duan Qingming's taunts, Qi Wan'er had belatedly remembered his original intent to keep an eye on him. Now, he couldn't find hide nor hair of the man. Impatient, he asked, "What about his... junior brother?" He genuinely couldn't recall Gu Pinglin's name.

Yao Feng's expression turned微妙. After a long silence, he said, "Also gone."

"Where to?"

"Don't know."

"What kind of person can't even give a straight answer?" Qi Wan'er flicked his sleeve and left in a huff.

Yao Feng didn't take offense, silently resuming his sea-gazing.

Nearby, in a secluded passageway, Xin Ji turned away, muttering to himself, "Past-life relationship... What does that mean?"

Among everyone aboard, his cultivation was the highest. He'd concealed his presence and eavesdropped on the entire exchange without detection.

After pondering for a long time without enlightenment, he gave up and stroked his beard with a sly chuckle. "As I thought—those two aren't as harmonious as they appear. Hmph."

With that, he strolled off, hands clasped behind his back.

The group sailed the Eastern Sea for several days without encountering danger. This was a well-traveled route through patrolled waters, devoid of dire beasts—only the occasional low-to-mid-level demonic creature. Ordinary storms and waves posed no threat to cultivators, and the fishback ship handled them with ease.

Following the charted course, they gradually approached Chess Piece Reef.

The reef comprised thousands of small, similarly sized circular islands covered in black or white stones—hence the name. The area was riddled with treacherous currents, making navigation perilous. Its defensible terrain had long made it a battleground for maritime sects.

One day, as Gu Pinglin meditated in his cabin, a sudden zither note reverberated through the air, disrupting the surrounding qi flow. His eyes snapped open. "Hm?"

The ship lurched violently, its bow lifting high before crashing back down with a thunderous impact. The entire vessel shuddered.

Gu Pinglin rose immediately. "What's happening?"

Across from him, Duan Qingming remained reclined, eyes closed, a book resting face-down on his chest at the halfway mark.

Gan Li hurried in. "Uncle Gu, there seems to be a fight ahead. Young Master Thirteen has already gone to investigate."

"Stay aboard. I'll check it out." Gu Pinglin took two steps before turning back. "A spectacle like this—surely you're interested?"

Duan Qingming predictably replied, "Zither and sword—both familiar faces. Nothing novel."

Gu Pinglin said, "Their opponent is novel enough."

"Ah." Duan Qingming sat up. "So you want me to accompany you for easier surveillance. Was the enticing phrasing necessary?"

"As long as it achieves the goal." Gu Pinglin was unapologetic. "Let's go."

The scene matched Gu Pinglin's expectations. Ahead lay a gray-black expanse where spiritual energy was in turmoil. The sea surface tilted wildly, currents churning chaotically. The zither's notes grew increasingly frenzied, brimming with undisguised killing intent. Above, countless sword shadows flickered amidst dense sword qi, encircling a massive pearl-like silhouette.

The pearl rotated rapidly, emitting eerie blue radiance that contended evenly with the sword qi. Such power could only belong to Core Formation cultivators.

By the time Gu Pinglin and Duan Qingming arrived, Qi Wan'er, Yao Feng, and Jiang Ruoxu were already present. In the distance, dozens of disciples in Penglai Island attire observed the battle. Faced with genuine Core Formation combat, none dared intervene.

"Using the zither to guide the sword—a dual cultivation of zither and blade. The Guangling Sect's swordplay is certainly unconventional." Qi Wan'er watched intently, though his eyes held little admiration.

The "familiar faces" Duan Qingming mentioned were none other than the Cold Hero Twin Swords. Feng Ying sat cross-legged atop the waves, head bowed as he plucked the zither, towering swells rising around him. Han Yan soared through the air, cradling his zither in one arm while his right hand strummed metallic notes, occasionally forming sword seals. Two treasured swords wove intricate patterns of blade shadows, trapping their opponent.

Gu Pinglin observed the pearl in the sky. "The Sea-Probing Dragon Pearl."

As a scion of the Qi Clan, Qi Wan'er recognized the artifact's name. "That's Six Harmonies Duke?"

The foremost of Penglai's Three Dukes, Guo Feng, cut an imposing figure—tall and broad-shouldered, with thick brows, a bristling beard, and piercing tiger-like eyes. His sharply downturned lips gave him a perpetually stern expression. Now, he stood unwavering in midair, gripping the pearl with one hand, his embroidered robes billowing behind him. Despite the twin swords' assault, he showed no signs of faltering.

The stalemate persisted, neither side willing to yield.

The zither's melody ceased abruptly as Feng Ying spiraled upward, merging zither and sword into one. Han Yan retreated to his side, both raising their hands simultaneously to form identical sword seals—a combined technique about to be unleashed.

Guo Feng showed no fear. With a cold snort, he channeled more energy into the Sea-Probing Dragon Pearl, its phantom form expanding further. A water spout erupted from the sea, forming the spectacle of a dragon drawing water. Vast quantities of seawater were sucked into the pearl, causing the surrounding sea level to drop momentarily.

Gu Pinglin's expression shifted. "Fall back, now!"

Before his words faded, both sides unleashed their ultimate techniques! The dragon pearl spun rapidly, firing countless razor-sharp water spikes that blanketed the sky, hurtling toward the twin swords! Though Gu Pinglin's group stood far back, the suddenness of the attack and the vast range of a Core Formation expert's techniques left them vulnerable.

Gu Pinglin and Duan Qingming reacted fastest. Yao Feng, Qi Wan'er, and Jiang Ruoxu were slower to notice, and by the time the attack manifested, it was too late to evade entirely. Fortunately, Guo Feng's primary targets were the twin swords—the peripheral water spikes carried diminished force, though they remained formidable.

This posed a dilemma for Qi Wan'er. Decades ago, Qi Zhen's defeat at Penglai had left the Qi Clan unable to hold their heads high before the island sect. If he revealed his family's swordplay now, recognition would invite humiliation.

Yet with lethal spikes approaching, inaction wasn't an option.

Gritting his teeth, Qi Wan'er was about to draw his sword when a piercing sound cut through the air behind him. A sword beam arced down from above, its heavy qi sweeping across the sea surface and stirring up massive waves.

Yao Feng had made his move.

Close to the fifth level of Qi Transformation. Gu Pinglin assessed silently before marveling. The Yao Family Beyond Mountains lives up to its reputation.

If the three great sword styles were to be summarized:

The Shadow-Severing Sword Art embodied "intricacy"—ethereal, dazzling, endlessly mutable, impossible to pin down.

Qi Wan'er's swordsmanship could be called "nobility"—each move carried a fierce yet graceful dignity, exuding innate superiority.

But the Yao Family's sword art distilled into a single word: "plain."

Diametrically opposed to the Shadow-Severing Sword Art, the Yao style epitomized the orthodox sword path revered by the cultivation world—unadorned, magnanimous, and profound. Its techniques were deceptively simple, returning to fundamentals, dissolving killing intent through formless mastery.

Yao Feng bowed his head slightly, one hand forming a seal at his brow as he rotated slowly midair. His personal aura vanished entirely, leaving only the vast, heavy sword qi.

His black sword slashed three times. By the time the water spikes penetrated the successive wave barriers, their momentum had weakened considerably, posing little threat when they reached the trio.

"What kind of sword qi is this?" Qi Wan'er's expression shifted. He'd never imagined this unremarkable-looking cultivator possessed such formidable swordsmanship.

Yao Feng withdrew his technique and rejoined Gu Pinglin's group.

The twin swords, having combined their techniques to counter the dragon pearl's power, were equally surprised. Feng Ying recognized Gu Pinglin first, his face lighting up before hesitation set in—clearly reluctant to implicate them.

Gu Pinglin cupped his hands toward the pair from afar. "What brings you two here?"

Guo Feng ceased his assault, scrutinizing the newcomers.

His greeting visibly moved Han and Feng. Just as Feng Ying was about to respond, Guo Feng boomed, "The Uncommon World Sword Qi—do we have a Yao Family friend here?"

Yao Feng stepped forward and clasped his hands. "Yao Feng of the Yao Family Beyond Mountains."

"The Yao Family Beyond Mountains?" Qi Wan'er, who'd been studying Yao Feng intently, was stunned.

Many sects avoided antagonizing the Yao Family, and even ordinary sects hesitated to make enemies lightly. The twin swords, having been expelled from Guangling Sect, lacked backing—hence Guo Feng's unreserved aggression. Though Guo Feng had reached the sixth level of Core Formation, the twin swords' combined strength kept him from gaining an advantage. Now, unwilling to provoke the Yao Family, he nodded.

"Since it's a Yao scion, Penglai won't make things difficult. As for those other small fry..." Guo Feng glanced dismissively at the rest. "Out of respect for our young Yao friend, you may pass. But if you meddle with those two cut-sleeves, don't blame this old man!"

Being called "small fry" infuriated Qi Wan'er, but his circumstances prevented retaliation. His teeth ground audibly.

Han Yan sneered at Gu Pinglin. "Go on ahead. We'll deal with this old turtle." His words were meant to spare the lower-realm cultivators further danger.

Seeing their acquaintance, Yao Feng hesitated before attempting mediation. "Duke Six Harmonies..."

"Has the Yao Family's creed changed?" Guo Feng smirked.

Yao Feng was silenced.

The Yao Family abstained from external conflicts. If Penglai blocked their passage, the Yao Clan had grounds for grievance. But siding with outsiders against Penglai? The family would never intervene.

Amidst the standoff, a flute's melody suddenly pierced the air from afar.

The notes were soft yet piercing, coalescing into a razor-thin strand that pierced the ears. Those with weaker cultivation felt their qi churn uncontrollably.

A silver skiff raced across the water from the horizon. Two youths stood at its prow, robes fluttering in the wind. The foremost was tall and slender, clad in wide black robes, a dark golden dragon crown binding his hair.

He played a violet flute.