Chapter 63: Truly Hidden Sect

　　Ye Ping was rather shocked.

　　He had heard of the Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet when he attended the Grand Immortal Ascension Meet.

　　However, at that time, he was not even qualified to join an immortal sect, let alone know anything about the Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet.

　　“Yes, the Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet.”

　　Su Changyu nodded as he answered Ye Ping.

　　“Senior Brother, can I participate?”

　　Ye Ping looked a little curious.

　　The Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet sounded very compelling.

　　He had only been cultivating for less than two months.

　　‘Yet, they already want me to attend such a grand meet?’

　　‘If I lose, wouldn’t it be very embarrassing?’

　　“Little Junior Brother, why do you fear a battle?”

　　“If you’re so scared of everything, why bother with immortal cultivation?”

　　Su Changyu asked sternly.

　　“Senior Brother, I’m not afraid. I just feel that I’ve only been cultivating for a short period of time and I’ve only just comprehended the Four Thunder Swordsmanship. I haven’t comprehended the Heavenly River sword momentum yet. I’m worried that I might disgrace the sect.”

　　Ye Ping wasn’t afraid as there was no harm in attending the conference either. He would basically stop when it was appropriate. However, Ye Ping was mainly afraid of disgracing the Qingyun Dao Sect.

　　‘That’s the troublesome part.’

　　‘Otherwise, even if I lose, there won’t be any burden.’

　　However, those words sounded extremely harsh to Su Changyu.

　　‘What do you mean you’ve just comprehended the Four Thunder Swordsmanship sword momentum?’

　　‘Are you humiliating the entire Qingzhou Sword Dao cultivators?’

　　As an insider who had participated in the Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet before, Su Changyu knew very well about it.

　　Indeed, there were geniuses, but the so-called geniuses were all lousy compared to Ye Ping.

　　Su Changyu remembered that the cultivator of the same batch as him, who came in first previously, had only barely comprehended the Summer Thunder sword momentum.

　　Ye Ping had already comprehended the Four Thunder sword momentum and if he went to the meet, he would just have to go through the motions.

　　However, Su Changyu understood that he could not spell some things out explicitly and instead, he had to let Ye Ping comprehend it himself. Otherwise, if he made mistakes, it would be worse off than not saying anything.

　　“Don’t worry, Little Junior Brother. I don’t expect you to come in first place in the Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet. I just want you to take this chance to train your Dao Heart.”

　　“You spend all day practicing the sword, but so what if you can comprehend lots of sword techniques from a single sword mark? You will never be able to grow unless you’ve put it into practice.”

　　“Ye Ping, remember, a real demon will not stand still and allow you to kill it at will or execute all your sword techniques at it.”

　　“Do you know?”

　　Su Changyu’s words were ringing in Ye Ping’s ear like a bell.

　　All of a sudden, Ye Ping completely understood everything.

　　“Ah, Eldest Senior Brother, I’m enlightened.”

　　Ye Ping said seriously.

　　He felt that Su Changyu’s words were very precious.

　　He had been sitting under the cliff and comprehending the Sword Dao, Dao of alchemy, and Dao of array formations all day.

　　However, if he didn’t put it into practice, his knowledge would forever only be limited to theory.

　　‘Yes, if the enemy is strong and I don’t have the courage to use my sword, why bother talking about immortal cultivation?’

　　Hesitation would lead to failure.

　　At the thought of this, Ye Ping could not help but take a deep breath and look at Su Changyu.

　　“Senior Brother, I’m willing to participate in the Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet, not for the ranking, but for the sake of having no regrets.”

　　Ye Ping had ardor and zeal coursing through his blood after hearing Su Changyu’s words.

　　Su Changyu secretly sighed with relief.

　　“Good, you’re finally acting like a Sword Dao cultivator.”

　　“However, there is still a month to go before the Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet. Considering the time needed for traveling, you don’t have much time left.”

　　“Considering that your cultivation level is still so low, I’ll have to give you some guidance. Are you willing to accept it?”

　　Su Changyu continued to speak as he looked at Ye Ping.

　　“Of course I am.”

　　Ye Ping was definitely pleased to receive the personal guidance of Su Changyu.

　　Who wouldn’t be willing to be taught personally by a supreme Sword Immortal?

　　“Excellent!”

　　Su Changyu nodded and then made a mark on the ground with the Green Moon Sword.

　　A new sword mark appeared.

　　In the next moment, Su Changyu spoke again.

　　“Junior Brother, from this day onwards, you will take ten hours out of the 24 hours that you have everyday to comprehend this sword mark. I’ve added a supreme sword technique to this one.”

　　“Once you comprehend this sword mark, all sword techniques in the world would be inferior to yours. However, if you want to comprehend the sword technique, you will have to set aside another 10 hours for practicing.”

　　“You don’t have to practice the Four Thunder Sword Techniques or the Heavenly River Swordsmanship. You just have to practice the basic moves of stab, lift, slash, pull, slide, parry, touché.”

　　“I will be coming to see you from time to time. If there’s anything that you don’t understand, you can ask me directly, got it?”

　　Su Changyu said with a serious expression.

　　However, the reason why he would do this was not because he was intending to fool Ye Ping.

　　Rather, Su Changyu knew that if Ye Ping participated in the Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet, he would definitely be able to clinch first place. At the same time, Ye Ping would also find out some clues.

　　After all, if one’s opponents were far weaker, even a fool would sense that something was wrong.

　　Hence, Su Changyu prepared for it in advance by letting Ye Ping continue to comprehend the new sword move. However, Su Changyu knew that Ye Ping would definitely be unable to comprehend it and had already thought of a countermeasure.

　　When the time came, he would just say, “You’ve already comprehended it, you just haven’t noticed it.”

　　That would be a perfect solution.

　　If Ye Ping really comprehended it…

　　There would be no harm.

　　It would at most prove once again that he was not a good-for-nothing and there was no harm in that. Su Changyu had never denied that he was a good-for-nothing anyway.

　　Hence, regardless of whether Ye Ping could comprehend it or not, he would just say that he had already comprehended it.

　　Anyway, he was good at fooling Ye Ping.

　　Regardless of whether it was a real lie or not, the fact that Ye Ping could comprehend it meant that there was nothing wrong with his teaching. If Ye Ping failed, that would just mean that he had poor aptitude, and he would only have himself to blame.

　　‘Well, I’ve never blamed Daoist Tai Hua for my incompetence.’

　　Hence, after making preparations in advance, the sword technique that he had taught Ye Ping would come in handy for Ye Ping to clinch the first place in the Sword Dao Meet.

　　As for whether Ye Ping would be poached by other sects after coming in first place at the Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet…

　　Su Changyu and Daoist Tai Hua had also talked about it on their way here.

　　Daoist Tai Hua’s intentions were simple. As long as the Qingyun Dao Sect advanced to a third-rank sect, he would tell Ye Ping the truth.

　　It would be up to Ye Ping to decide whether to leave or stay.

　　As for the money from the sale of the paintings, Daoist Tai Hua would also try to repay them to Ye Ping by all means.

　　However, the Qingyun Dao Sect had indeed taught Ye Ping a lot of things. At the very least, the Four Thunder Swordsmanship Sect and the Heavenly River Swordsmanship were imparted to him by Su Changyu.

　　The non-poisonous pill refining too.

　　At the end of the day, the outcome mattered the most.

　　If Ye Ping could practice it, it meant that there was nothing wrong with what he taught.

　　He couldn’t blame the sect if he could comprehend and practice it.

　　Hence, after figuring that out, Su Changyu no longer felt burdened.

　　“I understand.”

　　Looking at the new sword mark on the ground, Ye Ping was filled with excitement and he wasn’t in the least bit reluctant.

　　“Okay, put the flying sword away. There are four array formations in this flying sword and one of them contains a sizing array formation. After you reach the first level of Qi Refinement and instill your Dharmic powers into it, you can adjust the size. I still have some important things to do. Comprehend it well and come to me if you need help.”

　　Su Changyu turned around to leave after saying those words.

　　On the other hand, Ye Ping focused fully on comprehending the sword mark.

　　However, at this moment, Su Changyu’s voice sounded again.

　　In Qingzhou region.

　　A young man stood under the waterfall.

　　The young man was practicing his sword in the middle of the waterfall, and the terrifying water pressure didn’t seem to affect him much.

　　As he waved the sword continuously, terrifying explosive sounds sounded.

　　The entire waterfall actually flowed backwards while the terrifying sword momentum rolled up the things within hundreds of meters around him. The ancient trees shook and startled countless birds and beasts.

　　At this moment, an elderly man in a black cloak slowly appeared and looked at that man calmly.

　　“Greetings, Master.”

　　The young man jumped directly from under the waterfall and came in front of the old man.

　　“Minghao, you managed to comprehend the Four Thunder Sword Technique in just five years, so you are indeed a Sword Dao talent.”

　　Looking at the young man in front of him, the old man praised him sincerely from the bottom of his heart.

　　“It’s all thanks to your teachings, Master. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to comprehend the Four Thunder Sword Technique in five years.”

　　The young man sounded extremely respectful.

　　“Yes, but you should not be complacent. You may be considered the best in Qingzhou in terms of your current attainments in the Sword Dao, but you should remember that your goal should not be restricted to the tiny Qingzhou but the Ten Nations Academy. You can only be considered a real cultivator when you enter the Ten Nations Academy.”

　　“I have recently received news that the Ten Nations Academy is going to open again, but to enter the Ten Nations Academy, you must first join the Jin Nation Academy. Coming in first place is the best way to join the Jin Nation academy. You must work hard and not be complacent.”

　　The old man said slowly, trying to tell the young man not to be complacent.

　　The latter nodded and couldn’t help but say, “Master, there’s something that I’ve always been confused about, I hope you can answer my question.”

　　“I know what you want to ask. You want to ask why I’m telling you to cultivate the Four Thunder Sword Technique even though we have our own sword technique, right?”

　　The old man said, as if he had already guessed what the young man wanted to ask.

　　“Yes.”

　　The latter didn’t deny it and nodded.

　　“Minghao, listen carefully, our clan was once extremely glorious and the best in the Sword Dao in the ten nations. The Sword Immortal Tai Xu had even once learned from our sect, but since we were too strong, the king of the Xia Dynasty eventually used various means to disband our sect and turn it into seven branches.”

　　“Later on, we were suppressed by the Great Xia Dynasty and were the last branch to survive. For the sake of survival, we started going into hiding in Qingzhou, in hopes of reviving our glory one day. However, in order to do that, you have to obtain the Great Sun Demon Subduing Sword Technique.”

　　“The Great Sun Demon Subduing Sword has long disappeared from the world, but as long as you enter the Ten Nations Academy and find a copy of the Demon Subduing Scripture, which contains the location where the ancestral master is buried. We will be able to restore our glory when the Great Sun Demon Subduing Sword sees the light of day again.”

　　“However, in order to obtain the Great Sun Demon Subduing Sword, you have to use the Four Thunder Swords Technique to clinch a spot among the top three so that no one will suspect your identity. If you use a sword technique of the Great Sun Sword Sect, others will sense something fishy and the Great Xia Dynasty will not let us off. Do you understand?”

　　The old man said worriedly.

　　“I understand, but it’s just the Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet. I’m not being complacent, but I can easily come in first place.”

　　The young man declared after understanding the instructions.

　　The old man shook his head.

　　“If you are facing only the cultivators in Qingzhou, you can indeed clinch the first place easily, but we’re not the only hidden sect in Qingzhou. There are two more and if nothing goes wrong, they will also send their disciples to participate in this Qingzhou Sword Dao Meet.”

　　“Minghao, I don’t want you to take the first place, being in the top three is enough. Go practice. The meet is taking place in a month, don’t be too complacent and lose to a new Sword Dao cultivator then.”

　　The latter then nodded and continued to start practicing his sword.

　　However, in the next moment, the old man’s figure moved, and he disappeared right on the spot.