Listening Wind

A golden flash appeared, and the ancient bell tolled once more. The interval between this and the last time was barely a hundred days.

The Wendao Sword Sect erupted in clamor; the disciples were in an uproar.

The Pavilion Elders in the mountains were at a loss for words.

They thought to themselves: Twenty years, one generation—could the fortune of the Wendao Sword Sect truly be this formidable?

Was this a dream?

First, Xu Xian broke the ten-thousand-year sword stele. Then, an auspicious beast crossed the Longevity Bridge. After that, Yao Xiaoxiao entered the sixth stage in a single day.

And now, within a hundred days, two immortal swords had been pulled.

After the battle in the East Desolation, the Wendao Sword Sect was truly experiencing one blessing after another, making it hard to tell if this was a delusion or reality.

"This fortune is unparalleled."

"Our Wendao Sword Sect is truly about to take flight..."

"Senior Brother, do you see? Our sect finally has successors..."

In the noisy mountain gate and the bustling peaks, Xu Xian's divine sense still lingered within the Sword Mound, his thoughts equally profound.

He had opened a back door for Tu Kongkong, it was true, but he had not done the same for Xia Chu Yi.

His little niece had truly relied on herself to climb the Immortal Sword Pool step by step.

In fact, the little one hadn't even pulled a sword yet; she was attempting to scale the Divine Sword Pool.

An unexpected surprise.

It was clear that although Xia Chu Yi was slower to form her core than Tu Kongkong, her talent surpassed hers.

He couldn't help but wonder: Is the bloodline of my Xu family truly this powerful?

Actually, thinking carefully, it wasn't entirely a surprise that both little ones could pull immortal swords.

Tu Kongkong aside—since he had indeed lent a hand—Xia Chu Yi was a rare talent with a wind-attribute variant spirit root.

When she was young, she had eaten the flesh of the Snake Lord.

The flesh of an ancient exotic beast was something that even the direct descendants of the Three Sects might not ever taste.

This had invisibly laid a foundation for her.

After entering the sect, Xu Xian had fed both girls all the best treasures he had.

Their physical bodies were already far stronger than ordinary people.

Reaching the Immortal Sword Pool today was unexpected, yet it stood within the realm of reason.

The three senior brothers and sisters came out of seclusion again, and Ye Xianyu arrived late as well.

This time, even the three Guest Elders—Qiaofu, Yuren, and Ruan Hao—had come.

However, they did not approach the Sword Gate.

Instead, they gathered on a certain mountain peak, watching from a distance.

They discussed quietly, deeply moved.

"Three immortal swords in twenty years... Heh, it really is hard to believe."

"Heh... You're telling me!"

Ye Xianyu clicked her tongue and sighed softly. "The Wendao Sword Sect is truly beginning a new chapter under Little Eleven's hands. The Golden Generation can be considered complete now."

Lei Yunche analyzed in a deep voice, naming them one by one.

"The blood deer auspicious beast, Lu Yuan."

"The Taiyin Immortal Body, Yao Xiaoxiao."

"The half-human, half-demon, Tu Kongkong."

"The wind-attribute variant spirit root, Xia Chu Yi."

"And the sword seed, Xu Xian."

"With all five appearing in a single sect, it's more than just a Golden Generation. Give them time, and the entire Fanzhou will belong to them in the future."

Lin Fengmian stroked his beard and smiled. "I heard a Young Lord emerged in the Demon Abyss, claiming to surpass our Xu Xian. He's quite arrogant. I wonder... if the Demon Abyss knew our sect produced so many monsters in this generation, what would they think?"

Lei Yunche curled his lips and said dominantly, "The mere Demon Abyss can be extinguished with a flick of a finger. It's not worth mentioning!"

Yuren pulled down the brim of his hat and teased, "Hearing you say that, it seems this old bag of bones can be buried early. Haha!"

The Wendao Sword Sect's Golden Generation—what a beautiful title.

They all knew that this so-called Golden Generation was centered around one person. All of them were more or less connected to Xu Xian.

One was saved by Xu Xian.

One was conquered by Xu Xian.

One was let in by Xu Xian.

One was Xu Xian's niece.

They shared an unspeakable bond with him, as if ordained by fate or destiny.

Because Xu Xian was born, they appeared one after another.

Thinking this way, Xu Xian might truly be the Child of Fortune mentioned in legends.

Ye Xianyu suddenly mentioned, "In that case, my disciple Li Qingshan deserves the primary credit. Should we record a stroke for him in the Immortal Pavilion Register?"

Without Li Qingshan, there would be no Xu Xian. Without Xu Xian, how would the Wendao Sword Sect have its current fortune?

Everyone knew the inside story and laughed heartily, agreeing.

"Record it. We must record it."

"The proudest thing Little Qingshan did in his life was picking up a Little Junior Martial Uncle for himself, haha."

"No, no, no—it should be two. He picked up Xia Chu Yi as well."

Ruan Hao furrowed his brows. "I heard that my disciple was tied up and brought back by Li Qingshan. I wonder if that's true?"

Everyone looked at Ye Xianyu with intriguing expressions.

They had heard such rumors as well.

They really wanted to know.

Especially Xu Xian's abnormal behavior during the Three Inquiries of Nature and his subsequent performance—it really did look like he had been forced into cultivation.

Ye Xianyu felt a bit guilty. When Li Qingshan was drunk, he had indeed poured his heart out.

He said he shouldn't have kidnapped Xu Xian and wondered what sin he had committed.

Even if Xu Xian didn't admit it in public, and neither did Li Qingshan...

She gave an ambiguous response. "Uh... that's not important. As long as the result is good."

"Right. Using the wrong method to pursue the right result isn't necessarily a mistake. A gentleman is judged by his actions, not his intentions."

Jiang Wanyin said with a beaming smile, "Exactly. How old was Xu Xian back then? What did he know? Qingshan only did it for his own good."

"Senior Sister is right."

"Miss Jiang is right."

...

Xia Chu Yi challenged the Divine Sword Pool. She climbed for ten days, while Xu Xian and Li Qingshan waited at the Sword Gate for ten days.

The initial excitement gradually faded, and the crowds dispersed.

It was a wait all the same, but these few days passed a bit faster.

At least the dust had settled; Xia Chu Yi pulling an immortal sword was already a foregone conclusion.

Challenging the Divine Sword Pool was only human.

Having such courage was not a bad thing for Xia Chu Yi.

Xu Xian was still a little frustrated, feeling that his niece had been led astray by Li Qingshan's stubbornness.

When they went in, he had told both Chu Yi and Kongkong.

Just get an immortal sword.

Don't bother climbing the Divine Sword Pool. First, they wouldn't make it. Second, even if they did, it would be for nothing. Even he would have to struggle with all his might to take a sword from there.

Tu Kongkong was very obedient.

Xia Chu Yi had promised readily, but clearly, she had her own ideas.

Unfortunately, she still failed.

She jumped down to the Immortal Sword Pool. In hindsight, she realized she should have listened to her uncle, but she didn't leave herself any regrets. The climb wasn't in vain.

She picked through the immortal swords in the pool, stopping and starting.

Finally, her gaze landed on one immortal sword. After standing still for several breaths, she reached out and gripped it.

When she pulled that sword, Xu Xian was visibly startled. A glimmer crossed his eyes as he looked up at the sky, murmuring.

"Is it a coincidence?"

"Or is it fate..."

Yes.

Xia Chu Yi had pulled Listening Wind. It was the sword that once belonged to Senior Brother Yun Zheng.

Five years later, Listening Wind reappeared.

The same spirit root, the same immortal sword.

Outside the Sword Gate, Xu Xian opened his eyes and looked back at Burial Sword Peak with a faint smile.

He spoke to the wind, "Senior Brother, if you can see this, you must be very happy."