Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 72 - 71 Senior Brother and Senior Sister

Chapter 72: Chapter 71 Senior Brother and Senior Sister

Time flies, and a month passes in the blink of an eye.

During this month, the disciples of Li Mountain gradually descended the mountain, and before they left, many resources were made available from Li Mountain.

Now, only a group of old folks remain at Li Mountain.

Although Li Mountain was preserved after the last battle, they are aware that it wasn’t because the Li Mountain Sword Master truly returned to life; it was because Li Fan acquired the Divine Sword. If the court learns the truth and mobilizes a larger army to attack, Li Mountain might not withstand it.

It was for this reason that Li Mountain dispersed its disciples.

Of course, there has been no movement from the court this month, probably out of fear as well.

That one sword strike killed Wang Daoxuan, the top Sword Cultivator of the Lingxiao Pavilion.

Such deterrence is enough to intimidate the court, and the other forces, who were leveraging the court, would not dare go against Li Mountain without the court’s action.

Li Mountain was not destroyed, leaving many forces uneasy and anxious.

However, Li Mountain is not in a hurry to seek revenge.

Currently, the most important task for Li Mountain is to protect Li Fan, to support his growth.

Everything else can be postponed.

If the court launches another attack on Li Mountain, the elders of Li Mountain won’t fight to the death anymore.

At the Sword Peak, Li Fan meditates quietly.

In his mind’s eye, changes occur within the Sword Seed; patterns have surprisingly appeared on it, with threads of light in various colors.

There are colors of scorching flames, violent thunder, extremely sharp gold, representing vitality in green, and so on... His Sword Seed has started to integrate other attributes’ powers.

Additionally, Li Fan senses that his cultivation has reached a bottleneck, at the peak of the Refining Realm.

The next stage is the Soul Emergence Realm.

A month ago, he had just advanced to the late Refining Realm. Such a cultivation speed has made Li Fan progressively more aware of himself.

Li Fan stopped cultivating.

Over the past month, he has stayed in Sword Valley and Sword Peak, and all of Li Mountain’s cultivation resources have been open to him. He has also inherited a lot of the Li Mountain predecessors’ Sword Dao, and if he chooses, all their Sword Dao can be passed down to him.

However, Li Fan doesn’t think it’s necessary; bite off more than one can chew, and the Heavenly Nine Declines he inherits from the grandmaster is already the pinnacle of Sword Dao, combined with other seniors’ legacies, it’s enough for him.

As for cultivation techniques, he possesses the Observing the Nine Heavens Profound Sword Scripture, an incredibly mystical technique, and he has only just begun to tap into it.

Furthermore, he selected a few spell techniques to complement his swordsmanship.

Two figures approach from afar.

"Master, Senior Brother," Li Fan called out upon seeing them, then glanced around, asking, "Where’s Senior Sister?"

These days, Senior Sister has spent the most time here.

"Your Senior Sister has returned," the Old Blind Man said.

"Returned where?" Li Fan seemed to realize something, a sense of loss rising in his heart.

"The Da Li Imperial City," the Old Blind Man replied. "She has some matters to attend to, and in the Imperial Palace, she can watch over some people."

Now, Li Fan is no longer the Li Fan of old, and doesn’t need Ye Qinghuang’s constant supervision; Li Mountain will protect him. Therefore, Ye Qinghuang returned to the Imperial Palace, where she can guard him in another way.

"Is Senior Sister the Princess of Da Li?" The question had lingered in Li Fan’s mind but was never asked; hearing of her departure brought a sense of loss.

"Yes," the Old Blind Man nodded. "See for yourself."

With that, light shone from the Old Blind Man’s forehead, projecting into Li Fan’s brow. Li Fan closed his eyes, and a series of memories poured into his mind.

He saw scene after scene.

In a certain Royal Garden, a young girl practiced swordsmanship, at the tender age of fifteen, yet possessing a face of breathtaking beauty.

"Father, how is it?" The girl, with an innocent and carefree demeanor, called out to her father. Li Fan saw a middle-aged man, dressed in simple azure robes, handsome and dignified, with a commanding presence, but his eyes were full of doting affection when looking at the girl.

"Wonderful; Qinghuang’s sword dance is rarely seen. Father had a feast for the eyes today," the man laughed heartily.

"Then you’ve agreed to let me apprentice the State Preceptor and learn swordsmanship from him," the girl said with a smile, looking at the man beside her father, who was none other than the Old Blind Man, though his eyes were not yet blind at the time, and he lacked the aged appearance he held now; instead, he was full of vigor.

Back then, he was the Da Li National Master.

Scenes flashed by, and Li Fan watched intently. The girl, a Princess of the Da Li Royal Family, received endless love and affection. The Emperor of Da Li doted on her immensely, indulging her every whim.

Everyone in the Imperial Palace looked at her with affection and envy; the Princess of Da Li was also considered the most beautiful woman in Da Li in their hearts, how could one not be fond of her?

But all this came to an end one day.

In one scene, thunder cracked the sky over the majestic Imperial City, torrential rain poured down, and the girl stood in the rain, asking the Old Blind Man, "Master, where is Father?"

"His Majesty did not return!"

A voice resonated in the girl’s ear, like the heavens collapsing.

The memory stopped there, sending waves through Li Fan’s mind, as a scene of the girl fainting on the ground, surrounded by corpses of demons, appeared in his mind; it was the first time he met Senior Sister.

What had the former Princess of Da Li, his Senior Sister, gone through?

Li Fan opened his eyes, looking at the Old Blind Man, and asked, "The current Emperor of Da Li is..."

"Your Senior Sister’s uncle," the Old Blind Man replied.

Li Fan’s emotions wavered; it seems Li Mountain and the Da Li Royal Family had once shared a period of amicability.

When Senior Sister’s father was around, he was willing to invite the Old Blind Man to serve as the Da Li National Master, indicating no ill will toward Li Mountain.

"Could he be a threat to Senior Sister?" Li Fan asked, worried.

"No, the Empress Dowager Da Li is still around, who is also the mother of the current Emperor, and she adores your Senior Sister," the Old Blind Man reassured him.

Li Fan felt slightly relieved, yet somewhat pained.

The trials his Senior Sister endured must have been more challenging than his own experiences.

"Xiao Fan, do you remember when your Senior Sister brought you back to Li Mountain?" the Old Blind Man asked.

"Yes," Li Fan nodded, never forgetting how Senior Sister took him from the village and brought him to Li Mountain.

"Back then, your Senior Sister’s heart was dead, focused solely on slaying demons, nearly losing her life outside, until she met you. Since then, you have become her life’s support; do you understand?"

"I understand," Li Fan nodded, his eyes slightly red. It was for this reason that whoever targeted him would face unyielding retaliation from his Senior Sister.

"Xiao Fan, remember to treat your Senior Sister well," the Old Blind Man sighed, "and take good care of yourself. If you are lost, your Senior Sister might also lose her will to live."

"Understood." Li Fan nodded earnestly, "Old Blind Man, as you get older, you become more long-winded."

Being good to Senior Sister needs no reminder, right?

"How did Senior Sister’s father die?" Li Fan asked.

The Old Blind Man shook his head, "Wait until you’re involved at that level, then investigate the truth."

It was too early for Li Fan now.

"Alright," Li Fan agreed, feeling somewhat melancholic, as his Senior Sister had left without a word.

Perhaps because Li Mountain is now protecting him, Senior Sister felt comfortable leaving.

In over a decade, Senior Sister was never far from him.

"Your Senior Sister asked me to pass a message to you, Xiao Fan, it’s time to grow up and explore the world," the Old Blind Man said. Li Fan could almost hear his Senior Sister’s tone, looking into the distance as if seeing her face.

Indeed, it’s time to explore the world.

"Junior Brother," at this moment, Wen Ruyu spoke.

"Senior Brother," Li Fan replied with a smile.

Wen Ruyu turned and walked forward. Li Fan knew his Senior Brother had something to say to him, so he followed.

The Old Blind Man didn’t follow, instead sitting quietly on a wooden chair outside a small hut.

He knew what Wen Ruyu wanted to say.

It was time to resolve his inner conflict.

Wen Ruyu and Li Fan reached the cliff’s edge, gazing at the mountain peaks in the distance. As the wind blew, Li Fan softly said, "Senior Brother, sorry."

Wen Ruyu looked at Li Fan and asked, "Because of the sword?"

"Yes," Li Fan nodded.

"I haven’t cared for a long time," Wen Ruyu said. "Junior Brother, do you remember when I took you to the wild to hunt demons, and you almost lost your life to them?"

"Yes," Li Fan nodded with a smile. "I remember. For that, you hunted those demons for months, exterminating the entire demon family."

"I did it intentionally," Wen Ruyu admitted.

Li Fan looked at Wen Ruyu.

"I purposefully left you there, almost causing your death," Wen Ruyu confessed. "Back then, I knew about the Li Mountain Sword Dao inheritance, hoping to apprentice under the master, believing that person would be me."

"Didn’t I survive?" Li Fan said with an honest smile.

Wen Ruyu looked at him, seeing only purity in the youth’s gaze and innocence in his smile.

In that moment, Wen Ruyu realized that the Junior Brother always knew.

Yes, how could Junior Brother not know? How could he lose him?

Yet even so, when he was unexpectedly injured, Junior Brother found him and stayed by his side, taking care of him.

In reality, he was never as good as Junior Brother.

The master’s choice was never wrong.

"Junior Brother," Wen Ruyu gazed into the distance, earnestly saying, "I will be your sword."

With that, he stepped forward, like a sharp sword shooting into the distance.

"Senior Brother," Li Fan shouted at Wen Ruyu’s retreating figure, "you are my senior, my brother."

Wen Ruyu did not look back.

Li Fan watched the distant figure fade; he knew his Senior Brother’s guilt. Since that event, his Senior Brother had silently protected him, burdened with remorse.

He could understand, especially now, more than ever.

The Old Blind Man lay on the chair, listening to the brothers’ conversation, tilting his head back as sunlight bathed his wrinkled face, a faint smile appearing on his aged visage.

Wen Ruyu’s father, the previous Sword Leader of Li Mountain, was also one of the inheritors.

In his youth, Wen Ruyu was full of vigor, unable to accept that an unfamiliar boy, who had just joined the mountain, claimed the inheritor’s place.

The Old Blind Man didn’t pass the legacy to him, and it weighed on his conscience.

Thankfully, all of his disciples turned out excellent.

The greatest pride of his life was teaching a few outstanding disciples, who all surpassed him.

"How wonderful!"

The Old Blind Man murmured to himself, recalling his youthful days, the spirited young man he once was.

What a pity.

Flowers may bloom again, but one can never regain one’s youth!