Cheng Qian has no shortage of swords - Fuyao Sect has a very wealthy leader who has nothing but money, so it is no problem for him to throw away his swords after using them up. However, Cheng Qian has been on Qinglong Island, and his daily encounters are just Zhang Dasen and his ilk. He intends to hone his sword skills, and has not replaced his wooden sword yet.

The sword was not new, but this one was different, and Cheng Qian could tell it at a glance.

He knew without thinking too much that this was definitely not given by Yan Zhengming. Firstly, this ordinary and even a little old scabbard did not suit the taste of their head brother. Secondly, with the character of head brother Yan, he would never be so sneaky when doing good things. If Yan Zhengming had any good things he wanted to give to others, he would definitely show off to his fellow brothers in a big way, and then hold a hair-combing competition or something, making everyone go around in circles, and only give it to whoever serves the master and makes him happy.

Looking closely, the hilt and blade of the sword were engraved with intricate talismans that were incredibly complex, one ring inside another. Even with Cheng Qian's eyesight after reading a lot of books on Qinglong Island, he was unable to fully understand what the talismans were.

He raised his fingers, trying to touch the sword, but stopped before he touched it. When his fingers were less than half an inch away from the sword, Cheng Qian suddenly felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.

There was a chill with a smell of rust, lingering vaguely around the sword, as if the sword itself was alive.

Cheng Qian was puzzled at first, then he suddenly thought of a possibility and suddenly opened his eyes wide. There were secret symbols around the sword!

You know, the dark talisman is the essence of talismans, which can only be created by a great power that is rare in the world. The only person Cheng Qian has seen who can carve the dark talisman is his master, Bei Mingjun of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect.

And if you look into it in detail, even Bei Ming Jun's secret talisman is not pure, because the carrier is very special, it is his own soul. Rather than saying that it is a high-level talisman technique, it is more like the method of the devil's soul cultivation, which is not very mainstream.

There are many people in the world who understand spells and are good at refining weapons, but how many of them can add secret symbols around the body of a sword?

Cheng Qian could almost imagine that once this thing came out, it would be a famous sword that everyone wanted but could not get. However, he searched the sword carefully but did not find the sword inscription.

At this moment, Cheng Qian discovered that a corner of the paper was exposed under the tea tray on the table. One side of the paper was soaked by something. He took a little bit of it, put it under his nose and smelled it, and his heart became more and more confused - it was a pool of blood.

The blood-stained note read: "The Frost Blade has been returned to its original owner. Do not use it without permission. Remember this."

Whether it was the "Frost Blade" or the "Return of the Property to the Original Owner", Cheng Qian was puzzled. He carefully checked his room from inside to outside, and finally found a string of bloodstains in the corner near the window.

The person who left the sword must have left through the back window. Shuikeng had been playing in the front yard, so it was normal that he was not disturbed.

Cheng Qian hesitated for a while, considering whether he should tell Yan Zhengming about this, but he hesitated and reached out to push the door several times, but then retracted his hand - he felt that the person who left the sword might not have good intentions, and this matter did not seem to be a good thing.

Cheng Qian has always been a person who only reports good news and not bad news. After considering for a moment, he decided not to alarm other people. He opened the window, jumped out, and quietly chased in the direction of the bloodstain alone.

He gently rubbed his eyes with his fingers and poured his true energy into them. Suddenly, the mountains and rivers in front of him came alive, and the bloodstains hidden everywhere were clearly visible to Cheng Qian.

No one knew who the injured person was, but his injury didn't seem fatal and he was still very energetic. He ran half of Qinglong Island until Cheng Qian caught up with him near a reef on the beach, where he discovered that the bloodstain had stopped.

Cheng Qianxin thought: "Did he jump into the sea?"

He was looking down at the seashore when suddenly, for no apparent reason, he felt a sense of crisis.

It was not known whether this intuition was due to Qi training or the result of frequent fights, but Cheng Qian trusted it very much. He quickly restrained his breath and hid himself where his back was to others.

The timing of this hiding was very good. Almost at the next moment, several masked men dropped from the sky and started searching around.

Cheng Qian glanced over and his pupils shrank, for no other reason than that these people flew down on flying swords.

He didn't know whether Yan Zhengming had mastered the art of flying a sword. Anyway, he himself was not able to do it yet. Moreover, not only was the other party's cultivation higher than his, but there were also more than a dozen of them.

There is no need to guess who these people are. When you see them walking around in the middle of the night with their faces covered, you know that they are definitely not doing anything honorable.

Before Cheng Qian had time to think carefully, the next moment, a masked man blew a long whistle, and a strange-looking large bird immediately fell from the sky. The bird was more than one meter tall, and its wings were even larger than the big wings of the puddle when spread out. It glided down as if carrying the sky on its back.

Cheng Qian had already started to sweat a little - he had a senior brother like Li Yun who was well-versed in many fields, and he had heard him talk about many strange stories. He knew that this bird was called "Living Bird" and could be used specifically to detect the breath of living people. Because it could fly, it was much more useful than a spirit dog.

The living bird was extremely perceptive and had probably seen Cheng Qian a long time ago. After receiving the order, the first thing it did was to shout in the direction where Cheng Qian was hiding.

No matter how good one's agility is, it can't outrun the sword-wielding technique. In a hurry, Cheng Qian quickly reached into his waist and took out a few small bottles. He sniffed them hastily, then picked one up and sprinkled it all over his body. Those things were made by Li Yun for them to play with. Cheng Qian couldn't really explain what they were used for, he just vaguely remembered that one of them could make one's body invisible.

"Let's try our luck," he thought, and then Cheng Qian felt as if he was frozen, his body so numb that he couldn't move at all.

He felt bitter in his heart, thinking that thanks to his second senior brother, he might die here.

The living bird and the masked man ran quickly towards Cheng Qian who was unable to move for a moment, but the next moment, they passed by him without paying any attention.

Could it be that he really did get the potion that could make his body invisible, but it had side effects that prevented him from moving?

After he was able to move his eyes a little with difficulty, Cheng Qian realized that he did not disappear, but just turned into a stone.

Although Li Yun's unknown fossil water saved his life, it also kept Cheng Qian stuck there for a whole night. The masked men came and went until almost dawn.

Before leaving, the leader looked around aimlessly. Cheng Qian saw his eyes clearly, and for a moment he felt that this person was a little familiar, at least those eyes seemed to be seen somewhere.

By the time Cheng Qian was able to move again, the sun was almost at its zenith.

He was wrapped in the sea breeze and dragged his stiff body back to his residence, just in time to meet Li Yun pushing the door out.

Li Yun looked haggard, obviously having been busy all night, but he was in good spirits. He had a veil on his face, and the room behind him looked as if there had just been a fire. A burst of smoke and fire gushed out through the wide-open door.

Li Yun weakly raised his head and said to Shui Puddle, who was riding on the wall and playing with insects, "Junior Sister, catch it."

After saying that, he took out a pill and threw it towards the puddle on the wall.

The puddle always reveals some inhuman bird spirits inadvertently - for example, she is much more sharp-eyed and sharp-eared than ordinary children, and is particularly good at catching things that pass by quickly. Hearing this, she did not stretch out her hand, but immediately stretched her neck calmly, opened her mouth and "woooo", and then held the pill in her mouth with incredible precision.

She licked the pill, tasted its sweetness, and ate it as if it were a candy bean.

Cheng Qian: “…”

Even though she knew that what Li Yun gave her was a elixir that could suppress evil spirits, she still felt a little weird when she saw this scene.

He was amazed at how well-trained the little junior sister was... except that she didn't look much like a human.

When Li Yun saw that she had finished eating, he seemed to be relieved and smiled at Cheng Qian, yawned, and went back to the house.

Cheng Qian suddenly had an idea and called him, "Wait, Second Senior Brother, I want to ask you something."

Li Yun: “What?”

Cheng Qian: "Do you know the 'Frost Blade' sword?"

Li Yun paused and asked curiously, "Frost Blade? Why are you asking about it?"

"I came across a legend by chance," Cheng Qian said perfunctorily without any sincerity, "So you know it?"

Li Yun frowned, "I've heard a little bit about this sword. It's said that this sword originally had no inscription. Because the blade is extremely cold, blood will turn into frost when it sees it, and it won't turn red or hot when it falls into the Samadhi True Fire. That's why some people named it the 'Frost Blade'. I heard that besides this, it has another nickname, called the 'Unhappy Death Sword'."

...What a nice name.

Li Yun continued, "Back then, this Frost Blade Sword came into being because it killed three great demons in a row. The sword wielder became famous overnight, and the sword was touted as a magic sword for exorcising demons. However, within three to five years, that senior fell into the hands of a great demon along with the sword. Since then, countless souls have died under the Frost Blade of this sword. When that great demon cultivator aspired to be the leader of the North Sea, this sword was regarded as the world's number one magic sword. Thirty years later, the Ten Thousand Demons Sect of that generation was betrayed by his disciples and died under this sword. The Frost Blade fell into the hands of that demon cultivator's disciples again. Ten years later, the ten major sects surrounded and suppressed the demon path, slaughtering more than a hundred demon cultivators of all sizes. The sword then fell into the hands of a righteous great man, and after a circle, it became a sharp weapon for defending the righteous path again. Everyone thought that the dust had settled, but guess what happened?"

Cheng Qian was stunned and asked, "What?"

Li Yun smiled and said, "One hundred and thirty-four years later, the great man was so grief-stricken by the accidental death of his Taoist companion that he cut his own neck with the Frost Blade Sword. Since then, the whereabouts of the peerless sword has been unknown. From whom did you hear this ominous thing?"

Cheng Qian did not answer, but returned to his room with a lot on his mind.

However, despite its ominous nature, this frost blade is still to the sword wielder like a peerless beauty to a pervert, a rare treasure to a money-grubber, or a unique ancient scroll to a nerd. Its charm is almost irresistible.

Cheng Qian picked it up and put it down again and again, and finally used all his willpower to lock this famous sword of unknown origin into the cabinet. When locking it, he truly felt what it meant to have "a heartbroken pain" and wished he could rescue it the next moment and keep it by his side forever.

However, there were many strange things about this matter. Cheng Qian couldn't figure out who would sneak into his house and leave behind such a peerless sword. He had acted rashly by chasing him out the day before. Before everything was clear, Cheng Qian didn't plan to make any hasty decisions.

Because of the competition, the entire Qinglong Island was in an uproar. Even Zhang Dasen and his men had no time to cause trouble for Cheng Qian. Half a month later, a huge list was carved on a large stone on the hillside of the Lecture Hall, and the order of the first round of competition had been decided.

There were so many people on the island that day. The powerful people who were usually elusive were all standing in two rows, wearing the same clothes.

It is said that clothes make the man, and with all the white clothes fluttering in the water, even Tang Wanqiu looked more human - the guardians on the left and right of the lecture hall stood on each side, with a river of Chu and Han separating them in the middle, and no one paid any attention to each other.

Perhaps it was because the clothes were too white that Tang Wanqiu looked pale. Cheng Qian glanced at her and felt that she seemed even more unhappy than usual.

He looked again and saw that Zhou Hanzheng didn't seem very happy either. He had a mask-like smile on his face, but the Sansi fan in his hand was not opened. He kept tapping his palm and his eyes wandered from time to time.

Cheng Qian's heart suddenly moved, and he suddenly remembered the masked man's eyes that seemed familiar to him. It turned out that they looked like Zhou Hanzheng!

But before he could think about it, there was a sudden commotion in the crowd, followed by deafening cheers. Cheng Qian was confused at first, but then he saw that all the powerful people on the stage had stood up, and someone shouted, "Island Master! The Island Master is here in person!"

Among them, only Yan Zhengming had seen the Lord of Qinglong Island. For a moment, even Cheng Qian couldn't help but feel curious. He tiptoed and looked over there with the crowd. He saw a team of inner disciples passing through the crowd with arrogance. Each of them looked like a fairy boy. They filed into the crowd, came to the center of the arena, and lined up quietly on both sides.

When the team reached the end, the true face of the Qinglong Island Lord was revealed.

The island owner was a tall man. Judging by the standards of ordinary men, he was no more than thirty years old. He had a handsome face and was wearing a sky-blue robe. His long hair was scattered behind him without a crown. In his hand he held a green dragon staff, which was a little taller than his entire body.

The island owner seldom raised his head when he walked, and his steps were not big. He had an indescribable air of a weak scholar. He walked all the way to the middle of the big stage. He raised his head slightly, and slowly scanned the whole place, pausing for a moment on Yan Zhengming.

This island master who was ranked among the four saints was not majestic at all. Instead, his brows were filled with an indescribable sadness, like a scholar who was so poor that he had run out of food. He glanced at a few people from the Fuyao Sect and then retracted his gaze. He nodded lightly to the left and right protectors of the lecture hall and took the main seat.

Over the years, the owner of Qinglong Island seemed to be non-existent and had not shown up for years. Everyone below was immediately excited, but Yan Zhengming frowned secretly: "Strange."

Is this the only strange thing?

Cheng Qian glanced at him and heard Yan Zhengming whisper in an almost inaudible voice: "Hasn't the island master been in seclusion all the time, not even showing up at the opening of the Immortal Market? What is he doing here at a mere competition between casual cultivators and disciples?"

No one answered him - the nosy Han Yuan had disappeared somewhere.

Qinglong Island was bustling with activity, and people were a little panic-stricken. Han Yuan certainly couldn't miss it, so he ran over early and looked at the list again and again. To be honest, this kid deserved a beating. Asking him to memorize some books would be enough to kill him, but he could remember these useless things after seeing them. Although he looked at them, he also had to listen to the comments of all the gossipers from beginning to end.

According to those gossipers, Zhang Dasen is actually respected among the casual cultivators. Han Yuan was very dissatisfied and thought to himself, "My junior brother just doesn't like to show up in public. He has shattered Zhang Dahei into slag in private, and he himself is too embarrassed to say anything. These people are blind to the truth.

Suddenly, someone else said, "Zhang Dasen? Sigh... I have to say something unpleasant, he is really nothing."

Han Yuan suddenly felt that he had met a soulmate, and he stretched his neck to see who was speaking.

Everyone hurriedly asked, "What's the matter?" The well-informed person had whetted everyone's appetite and said calmly, "Look, aren't there ten competition arenas? Ten winners will be chosen for each competition. Only then will the winners from us, the casual practitioners of the Sutra Lecture Hall, be eligible to enter the real Qinglong Island Competition and compete with the inner hall disciples of Qinglong Island."

Han Yuan was stunned.

The man continued, "Think about it again, everyone. We have been on this island for more than five years. Apart from a few errand boys, have you ever seen the inner sect disciples?"

Everyone shook their heads. Han Yuan squeezed to the front like a loach and shouted, "Brother, don't keep us in suspense!"

The man uttered "Hey" and shook his head, "The resources and qualifications of the inner disciples are not comparable to those of us. Moreover, I heard that some disciples with good qualifications have been in seclusion in the mountains for ten or eight years, working hard every day and studying hard. That fellow Daoist Zhang Dasen is at best the best among us. When he meets the real one... hehe."

Having said this, he acted mysterious, shook his head and waved his hands, and said nothing more.

Han Yuan rolled his eyes, turned around and ran away.