Chapter 1013: Strongest Barrier

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Looking at Shangguan Qingyan so distressed and jittery, everyone gave her an odd look, with Murong Xue asking, "Sister Yan'er, what is it? Something wrong?"

"Uh, no no no, I just recalled something crucial that needs all of your dire attention. It all happened so fast that I suddenly cried out and startled you all. Don't look at me like that, ha-ha-ha..."

Shangguan Qingyan gave a strained laughter, her eyes shining.

Murong Lie said, "Oh, and here I thought you're familiar with Steward Qian."

"Brother Murong, that's a poor joke. Why would I know a northern lands merchant? Just when brother Ouyang mentioned his name I was reminded of a depressing matter. It's totally a coincidence, he-he-he..."

Shangguan Qingyan strained to cover it all up, while the rest merely ignored it, "Sister Yan'er, you're all grown up yet so easily stirred. You should worry about being married off."

"I'll never marry, and stay with sister Xue, hi-hi-hi..." Shangguan Qingyan raised an eyebrow while hugging Murong Xue's arm.

Rubbing her cute little head, Murong Xue smiled back. Murong Lie and Ouyang Changqing looked at the two girls being so close and just shrugged.

Murong Lie then smiled at Shangguan Qingyan, "Sister Yan'er, what's the dire issue that needs my help? You can just say it."

"Well..."

Looking hesitant, Shangguan Qingyan faltered as she beamed, "It's something that dad didn't want me to say, but recently he's been worried sick over it that I started worrying as well. Actually..."

Murong Lie turned serious, "Brother Shangguan? It must be grave indeed for not even Shangguan Clan Head to not solve it. Yan'er, tell me everything and maybe I can offer my help."

"Brother Murong, you must not say a word to dad that I was the one who told you. You know how obsessed he is with appearances..."

Shangguan Qingyan put on a pained look as she spoke the big secret.

Murong Lie and the others listened attentively, with Ouyang Changqing looking hopeful, "Of course, sister Yan'er, we won't ever mention you. I'm actually very curious to know this secret, especially about such a big clan, he-he-he..."

Shangguan Qingyan rolled her eyes, glaring at him and scrounged up her nose, before sighing, "To be quite frank, brother Ouyang, we might have recovered the Soaring Sword from the central area, but it's now ruined."

"What?!"

Murong Lie gasped, "The five divine swords of the lands that can peel steel, cleave heavens, crush the earth, the strongest things in the world, had one of them ended up ruined? Is there actually anyone who can do this?"

"Brother Murong, what I meant to say by that is not the sword itself that is broken, but the sword spirit is sealed and can't unleash the divine sword's power. It's nothing more than a glorified paperweight."

Shangguan Qingyan sighed, "Dad and the three venerables had been tireless in trying to unseal it for the better part of the year, with no results. The sealing was very strong, leaving nothing they could use. That's why I wanted to ask brother Murong if you could help dad."

Murong Lie turned grave and jerked as she called to him. He shouted, "Brother Shangguan is just too foolish. This matter isn't as simple as having only eastern lands concerned so he could just hide it from us. We all know how terrible Invincible Sword is. Without the Soaring Sword's help, how could we stop him? Thank you for sharing this with me, or I fear we'd be in the dark even as all three divine swords gathered to fight the old monster. Telling us at the last moment the Soaring Sword is broken would be seriously grave!"

"Changqing, you tell your father to see Shangguan Feixiong. Xue'er, we're going right now to him and understand the situation. That old man, how can he be so blind? By looking for majesty, he endangers the entire alliance!"

Murong Lie grew annoyed and cursed as he rushed for Shangguan clan's lodgings. Murong Xue was grave as she followed.

With Danqing Shen taking the western lands' divine sword, that only left three to fight off Invincible Sword. Now that three became two, stopping that monster was impossible.

He wasn't just strong by himself, but also wielded a divine weapon as well.

Ouyang Changqing started, then said, "Brother Murong, Sect Leader gave me a job to do..."

"Isn't it just a check-up on a suspicious person? That can wait. The sealed Soaring Sword takes precedence. Go tell your father!" Murong Lie shouted back as he flew away, with Murong Xue and Zhui'er catching up. Ouyang Changqing nodded quickly and went his own way too.

Only Shangguan Qingyan was left standing there all alone.

Giving sneak peeks around, Shangguan Qingyan darted away too, but in a completely different direction than the rest.

[Father, sorry, you're the only excuse I could think of. I have to warn that devil, that he's about to be found out...]

Zhuo Fan had left the highest floating island and after asking around, he flew to the lowest island to find his team.

In a lone house in a secluded place, the occasional sea breeze blew, invigorating and refreshing.

Having no mood to enjoy the view, Zhuo Fan went right inside the courtyard then used the brass knocker on the large door. A cautious voice responded, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Steward Qian."

Zhuo Fan glanced around for any signs of other people and spoke softly.

Creak~

Opened just a crack, a shifty face came into view, perking up at recognizing his boss, opened the door and welcomed him in.

Zhuo Fan rushed right in and once the door closed behind him, he looked around the room to find everything accounted for.

"Did anything happen?"

"Nothing to us, only you've been called out by Ling Yuntian for questioning. You didn't let anything slip, right?" Baili Yuyu stretched and smiled.

Zhuo Fan's face sank.

Bali Yuyu started and said, "You didn't! You, with your twisted and insidious mind, that had even the Patriarch flustered into sending me with you couldn't even deal with one measly Ling Yuntian? What's wrong with you?"

"It's easy to handle the old coot since we had no conflict, but Ling Yuntian is a cautious man, with the slightest mistake making him suspicious. What was I supposed to do?"

"Hey, who are you calling an old coot? Say that again!"

"Forget what I said." At Baili Yuyu's suddenly savage look, Zhuo Fan shrugged and frowned at the rest, "What about all of you? Have you found anything in the time you've been in the Sea Bright Sect?"

Pa!

One guard stepped forward with a bow, "Sir, we've been talking with their disciples on our way here and have a grasp of the surroundings. Sea Bright Sect is made up of three floating islands called Beyond Heaven Island, Mid Heaven Island, and Beneath Heaven Island, The highest is where the important figures of the sect reside. The three lands' experts are also staying there. It is the place where sir has came from just now."

Zhuo Fan nodded, having understood this.

"The Mid Heaven Island, one in between the other two is where the disciples live and some executives. The disciples of the three lands who came to help are also staying here."

The man continued, "As for the lowest island, that's where we are. Common guests are received and outer sect disciples train here."

Zhuo Fan's brow shook, his eyes shining, "That's it? Nothing else?"

"Of course there's more."

Bali Yuyu cut the man off with a shout, only this time she was dead serious, "Sea Bright Sect is like a huge prison. You can get in but it will be hard to get out, including me."

Zhuo Fan's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Why?"

Bali Yuyu was a prideful Sword King that even barged into Sun Sea Sect on a killing spree for blocking her path. She held no fear even when fighting Ardent Sun Sword God, knowing she could escape anytime.

Yet when faced with the Sea Bright Sect, she came out to say it was hard to leave it. This made Zhuo Fan tense and uneasy.

"Sir, the Sea Bright Sect is far scarier than we thought."

Bali Yuyu remained silent so the man cupped his hand and continued, "Frigid Rain Sword King is right. The Sea Bright Sect has the strongest barrier among all of the sects in the five lands. Not even a Sword King can break it. The minute our covers are blown, we will all be trapped!"