The path to the old site of Lingyun Peak was buried in snow, with the thick snow almost reaching Bao Gu’s ankles. Fortunately, with her current cultivation at the fifth level of Qi Refining, she could use her energy to perform light body techniques to move forward. With a gentle leap, she covered more than ten feet, leaving no trace on the snow beneath her feet, moving through the forest like a wisp of light smoke.
Nanshan Yijian followed behind Bao Gu at a steady pace, matching her speed whether she sped up or slowed down, never falling half a step behind.
Using her light body technique, Bao Gu quickly crossed the small woods and arrived at the edge of the bamboo sea. After a brief pause, she ran towards the mountain. Delighted by her speed, she even stepped on the snow-covered bamboo tips, moving forward on the snow.
Nanshan Yijian still followed Bao Gu at an unhurried pace.
Yu Mi, who was trailing far behind Bao Gu and Nanshan Yijian, wondered: What was Bao Gu taking Nanshan Yijian to the old site of Lingyun Peak for?
Bao Gu stopped at the Sword Unloading Platform halfway up the mountain. Turning her head, she saw Nanshan Yijian looking at the giant rock carved with the words “Sword Unloading Platform,” which had been cut by a single sword strike.
Nanshan Yijian’s gaze moved from the monument to survey the surroundings before heading towards the mountain summit.
Nanshan Yijian didn’t walk fast, lost in thought, stopping from time to time, occasionally pausing to look at the ruins with a thoughtful expression.
Bao Gu knew that a fierce battle had taken place at the old site of Lingyun Peak thousands of years ago. Beneath the snow, there were still traces of the fight, many of which were sword marks.
As a swordsman, Nanshan Yijian should be able to discern something from these sword marks.
It took Nanshan Yijian and Bao Gu most of the day to reach the summit.
The flattened summit was covered in thick snow, and the ruins that had been there when Bao Gu drew her sword had turned into powder.
Bao Gu shouted loudly, “Ghost Grandpa, are you there?”
Nanshan Yijian, without turning his head, said, “No one is here.”
Bao Gu said, “When I came here before, there was a very powerful Ghost Grandpa and a very strange five-colored great sword.”
Nanshan Yijian said emotionlessly, “The sword is in your dantian.”
Bao Gu hummed in acknowledgment and said, “Senior Nanshan, I have brought you here. I don’t know if you remember the agreement we made before. If you can protect Xuantian Gate for a hundred years, after a hundred years, I will give you the Heavenly Spirit Fruit. If you don’t agree, then consider it my presumptuous disturbance.”
Nanshan Yijian looked up at the vast snowy ridges, sighed deeply after a long while.
Bao Gu looked at Nanshan Yijian sincerely and said, “I want your help, and I also want to help you. Although my cultivation is weak, everyone’s heart is the same. Put yourself in others’ shoes. If one day I die, I would never want my loved ones, or those who love me, to spend the rest of their lives in sorrow because of me, nor would I want my death to ruin the lives of those I love. Cherish yourself for the sake of the people who love you and whom you love!”
Nanshan Yijian suddenly laughed loudly, his laughter dry and harsh, with a trace of sadness, as if he had a belly full of grievances with nowhere to vent, and an endless melancholy. His laughter abruptly stopped, and he shouted towards the sky, “Alright, I will comprehend the sword here! Yun Xi, wait for me! You see, I will surpass the predecessor of this place!” With that, his figure flickered, drifting towards the deeper part of the summit where the Xuantian Sword used to stand.
Watching Nanshan Yijian disappear into the depths of the snow, Bao Gu shrugged her shoulders, then smiled happily and ran down the mountain road. Whether Nanshan Yijian agreed to help protect Xuantian Gate or not, as long as Nanshan Yijian was in Xuantian Gate, Taiyin Gate wouldn’t dare to attack.
When Bao Gu reached the foot of the mountain, she saw Yu Mi blocking her way with a smile that was not quite a smile. She ran up to Yu Mi and looked up at her standing on a flying sword, calling out, “Senior Sister!”
She said, “Senior Sister, could you please run an errand and tell our Sect Leader Grandmaster that Senior Nanshan wishes to comprehend the sword at the old site of Lingyun Peak and doesn’t want to be disturbed. Ask him to tell people from other sects not to casually wander around Lingyun Peak to avoid disturbing him.”
Yu Mi lifted Bao Gu onto the flying sword and said, “I say, aren’t you a bit too bold?” To actually lure Nanshan Yijian to the old site of Lingyun Peak to comprehend the sword, and you even succeeded! This is simply…
Bao Gu looked back at Yu Mi speechlessly and said, “Senior Sister, this has nothing to do with being bold.”
Yu Mi chuckled and thought, “If this isn’t being bold, then what is?” She flew with Bao Gu back to their small courtyard. She asked, “Are you so confident you could invite him here? Aren’t you afraid he’d go mad and kill you?”
Bao Gu said, “In Nanshan’s town, there were mortals who tried to freeze him to death by throwing him into the river in the dead of winter. He swam up, was thrown down again, and then swam to the other shore. This shows that although he is powerful and doesn’t blink an eye when killing Nascent Soul cultivators, he doesn’t kill mortals. I’m only at the fifth level of Qi Refining now, no different from mortals, so I won’t be in danger.”
She paused, then added, “Senior Nanshan is a person of deep feelings. I used Su Yunxi to persuade him, and he would listen to some extent, that’s one; Su Yunxi’s death is his greatest sorrow and regret. If he had the Heavenly Spirit Fruit or similar divine fruits back then, maybe Su Yunxi could have broken through to the God Transformation Stage and extended her lifespan, so she wouldn’t have died. Although Su Yunxi is dead now and the Heavenly Spirit Fruit is no longer useful, at least he has found it for her, right? If he could get or see the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, it might somewhat fill the void and ease his pain in his heart, that’s two; In the inn, when he came downstairs after cleaning up and changing his clothes, he once said to me, ‘Do you want to compete with me? Hehe, you can’t!’ At that time, his mind was not clear, and he said this out of habit and subconscious, plus he has the reputation of Nanshan Lingjue, the unbeatable sword across Xuan Yue, which must have been earned through sword fights with others. From some of his words and actions, it can be seen that he is quite confident, proud, and competitive. I led him to the old site of Lingyun Peak to let him see the sword marks and traces left by the Xuantian Sword from the battles of our ancestors. With his cultivation and strength, he should be able to gauge the strength of our ancestors. With such a powerful predecessor before him, wouldn’t he want to surpass him? With his pride and confidence, would he willingly admit defeat to someone who has passed away? That’s three! Considering these three points, do you think I couldn’t invite him to Xuantian Gate?” After finishing, she didn’t hear Yu Mi’s response and turned to look at Yu Mi, only to find Yu Mi staring at her with a profound gaze that made her shiver.
She called out, “Senior Sister…”
Yu Mi said, “Looking at your silly and innocent face, I didn’t expect you to be so thoughtful and deep!”
Bao Gu: “…” She paused for a while before frowning in dissatisfaction, “What do you mean by thoughtful? Senior Sister, that doesn’t sound like a compliment!”
Yu Mi continued, “You’re young, but you’re scheming!”
Bao Gu was so angry that she clenched her fists and stomped her feet, shouting, “What do you mean by scheming? Do you think it’s easy for me to survive? I haven’t harmed or tricked anyone!” She didn’t know if it was because her strength had greatly increased, but with one stomp, the flying sword trembled.
Yu Mi hurriedly said, “Don’t stomp, don’t stomp. I’m injured, and my true energy is weak. If you stomp a few more times, be careful we both fall.”
Bao Gu exclaimed, “Ah,” and asked with concern, “Is the injury serious? Do you want to land and rest for a while?”
Yu Mi said, “I’ll recover after two days of recuperation. No need to rest, we’re almost there.” After finishing, she looked deeply at Bao Gu again, examining her from head to toe, her eyes filled with astonishment!
Bao Gu, feeling scrutinized by Yu Mi, really wanted to punch Yu Mi’s eyes into black eyes! But then she thought about her senior sister’s injury and decided to let it go.
Soon, Yu Mi brought Bao Gu back to the small courtyard.
Zi Yunshu stared at Bao Gu with wide eyes, examining her up and down, and sighed, “You’re really capable! Come here, let Little Martial Aunt give you a pinch.” As she spoke, she reached out her hand towards Bao Gu.
Bao Gu quickly dodged to avoid Zi Yunshu’s “claws” and said, “Little Martial Aunt, stop messing around. Senior Sister is injured. You should check on her first.” As she spoke, she darted into the house, saying, “Little Martial Aunt, if someone from another peak wants to see me, just say I’m in closed-door cultivation.”
Zi Yunshu chuckled and said, “With your little cultivation, what kind of closed-door cultivation are you doing?”
Bao Gu said, “Regardless, you have to find a reason to block them for me.”
Zi Yunshu’s eyes twinkled, asking, “Do you have something on you that you don’t want people from other peaks to ask about?”
Bao Gu glanced at Zi Yunshu and said, “Monkey wine! People from Qingfeng Pavilion can buy wine from me, but as fellow sect members, they can’t get a single good drink. Wouldn’t they have thoughts?”
Zi Yunshu tapped her forehead and drawled, “Little Martial Aunt is dumb. Smart Bao Gu, you quickly think of a way to block them for me.”
Bao Gu said, “First, check on Senior Sister’s injury for me. Then, please go invite the Mountain Protecting Granny. Also, help me prepare some blank invitation cards.”
After finishing, she went back into the house. After stepping inside, she thought for a moment, then turned back to Zi Yunshu and said, “Little Martial Aunt, when you have time, let me see the Sect Leader Grandmaster.”
Then she returned to the bedroom and took out some of the monkey wine from the oversized storage bag, putting a portion into her own storage bag.
Zi Yunshu checked Yu Mi’s injury, which was not serious, and then left Lingyun Peak to invite her father over. She thought to herself, “Who has the biggest influence in Xuantian Gate now? Bao Gu! Even when she wants to see the Sect Leader, it’s the Sect Leader who comes to see her, not the other way around!”
Now that Bao Gu possesses valuable treasures and is weak and vulnerable, there might still be spies from Taiyin Gate within Xuantian Gate. Especially today, when Taiyin Gate attacked the mountain, several mountain gate formations were damaged, and a group of Taiyin Gate disciples even directly invaded.
Who knows if the people from Taiyin Gate have all withdrawn or if some are lurking within Xuantian Gate, waiting for an opportunity to strike?
At this time, it’s safest for Bao Gu to stay hidden within the small courtyard’s formation and not go out!

