An intruder had entered the valley. Standing at the valley’s entrance, Liu Baijian frowned, his gaze fixed ahead, his expression slightly darkening.

He wasn’t worried that the intruder posed a threat to him. Liu Yanzhen had set up an array at the valley’s entrance, making it difficult for ordinary people to break through. Clearly, the intruder was now trapped within the array. Liu Baijian simply found it strange—why would anyone come at a time like this? This valley was the secluded retreat of Liu Yanzhen. Only a handful of his fellow cultivators knew of its existence. These individuals were all powerful figures of immense cultivation within the cultivation world. Liu Baijian had met them all, even addressed them as elders, and received their tokens of respect.

If it were them, they wouldn’t be trapped by the formation. So whoever came must be another cultivator. But who besides these elders could possibly know about Liu Yanzhen’s secluded retreat? It couldn’t be someone who stumbled upon it by accident. And especially at a time like this—Liu Yanzhen had just ascended, and someone had broken in immediately afterward. No matter how Liu Baijian thought about it, something felt off.

He stood there deep in thought for a long while before finally deciding to leverage the array’s advantage and go investigate. If it were a villain, he’d simply stab them to death. But if it was a good person, he’d help them escape the trap and then toss them out of the valley.

Liu Baijian had originally planned to seal the valley after leaving, but he hadn’t expected anyone to break in.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Inside the Formation

A tall, handsome youth clad in a jet-black sword robe stood there. His fair, striking face bore a stern expression—eyebrows furrowed, thin lips pressed tightly together. Clutching a crimson longsword, he stood guard, alert to his surroundings as if facing a formidable enemy.

He suddenly launched an attack, thrusting his sword forward with a fierce strike, followed by a flurry of assaults. His expression grew increasingly grim, his sword strikes more and more ruthless, as if locked in a fierce battle.

Yet to Liu Baijian, observing him from the shadows in the distance, the young man merely held his sword as if facing a formidable foe, wildly slashing at thin air.

Liu Baijian knew the youth was trapped within an illusory array—one set by his grandfather. Considering Liu Yanzhen was a Mahayana cultivator, it was no wonder ordinary practitioners couldn’t escape this illusion. Though the youth appeared young, he had already reached the mid-Golden Core stage, a testament to his extraordinary talent. Due to his profession, Liu Baijian, despite his lower cultivation level, possessed exceptional discernment. He instantly saw through the youth’s cultivation and background.

He coldly observed the youth’s sword attacks for a moment. The strikes were fierce and swift, the blade razor-sharp, and the handling of the long sword fluid and effortless—a clear sign of having reached the realm of Sword Heart Enlightenment. Immediately, he made his judgment: this was a top-tier swordsman of the cultivation world.

Liu Baijian’s gaze then shifted to the sword in the youth’s hand. It was a crimson-hued blade, its hilt wrapped in ebony-black patterns. The sword guard, carved with intricate, openwork swirls in a reddish-gold hue, was inlaid with a jade-white stone. Liu Baijian recognized it instantly as a Wind Spirit Crystal.

Spirit crystals were highly concentrated, compressed essences of spiritual energy, refined from entire spirit veins or even multiple veins, making them exceedingly valuable. The Wind Spirit Crystal, being a wind-attribute spirit crystal, when embedded in the guard, could accelerate the sword’s speed and enhance the potency of wind-attribute sword techniques.

To afford a Wind Spirit Crystal, this young sword cultivator must come from a wealthy background. Liu Baijian formed a rough guess about the youth’s origins. His gaze drifted downward to the blade itself—long and slender, crimson in hue. The edge gleamed with a chilling sharpness, its intricate patterns clearly visible. As it turned, flashes of crimson light danced across its surface.

Its sword light, sword aura, and sword resonance were all of the highest quality!

A rare immortal sword indeed, well-suited to the youth.

Liu Baijian made his judgment, gaining some understanding of the youth’s intentions and purpose. His gaze fell upon the crimson blade, noticing the cracks running inch by inch along its length. The cracks were shallow, yet they glowed with an ominous black light, as if the blade might snap at any moment.

This sword had suffered considerable damage.

Realizing the youth was no villain, Liu Baijian’s expression eased, his brows relaxing. He stood watching for a while longer as the youth struggled desperately within the illusion, helplessly witnessing the sword cultivator’s robes torn and his body covered in wounds, looking utterly wretched. Only then did Liu Baijian curl his lips, intervening to redirect the array’s energy, halting its assault on the youth.

“My home isn’t some place you can just barge into whenever you please? If I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll think I’m a sickly cat to be bullied.” Liu Baijian knew well that one couldn’t be too kind; when firmness was needed, it had to be shown. That was precisely why he intervened to save the youth only after he’d suffered enough. Otherwise, the youth might think he was small and weak, an easy target to pick on. Liu Baijian had to prevent that possibility.

The young man, trapped within the formation and struggling desperately against the illusory world, frowned sharply when the attacks abruptly ceased. His handsome features grew even more wary, his body tensing further as his vigilant gaze scanned the surroundings. “Hmph.”

Seeing his expression, Liu Baijian snorted coldly. “Is this how you treat the one who saved your life?”

“Truly, no good deed goes unpunished. I should never have saved you,” Liu Baijian said in a chilling tone, his words dripping with scorn.

Liu Baijian—a shameless youth who hadn’t actually saved anyone’s life yet dared to claim the role of savior.

Hearing this, the young man frowned and lifted his head, his gaze shifting forward.

There, as the white mist cleared, a youth appeared, his face twisted in mockery as if the young man were utterly ungrateful.

Seeing the mocking look on the youth’s face, the young man’s expression faltered. If he weren’t the one involved, he might truly believe this was some utterly wicked, ungrateful villain repaying kindness with betrayal.

The young man glanced at Liu Baijian, who had just appeared ahead. Seeing he was merely a youth, he sheathed his sword.

Liu Baijian watched his action and immediately sneered, his voice dripping with scorn. “Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’? Lowering your guard and sheathing your sword so easily—aren’t you afraid I might harm you?”

Those who look down on the old, weak women and children die the fastest, okay!

The youth responded without lifting an eyelid, his tone flat: “Aren’t you the one who saved my life?”

“…” Liu Baijian.

He’d been outmaneuvered!

Liu Baijian stubbornly insisted, “True, you’re right—I am your savior. But!”

He shifted his tone, arguing with righteous indignation, “Who knows if this isn’t some villain pretending to be a savior to lower your guard and set you up for a trap! So even towards a sudden, unfamiliar savior, you must remain vigilant!”

The youth lifted his gaze to meet his eyes and countered, “Are you?”

“…Of course not.”

Liu Baijian glanced at the youth ahead. Though his sword-robes were torn, his face bloodied and battered, his aura remained powerful. Every inch of him screamed four words: noble and coldly elegant.

Even pushed to this extreme, he remained so aloof and imposing. Liu Baijian couldn’t help but admire it—sword cultivators sure knew how to put on airs.

“Speak. What do you want, barging into someone’s home uninvited?” Liu Baijian asked bluntly.

Hearing this, the youth finally lifted his gaze to meet his. His previously aloof expression turned solemn, and his tone softened slightly. “This junior is Gu Minglang. I heard that the Zhenjun Yanhuo resides in seclusion here.”

“Then you should also know that my grandfather ascended to the Upper Realm months ago,” Liu Baijian cut him off bluntly.

His gaze fixed on Gu Minglang, he said, “Whatever your purpose, you’ve arrived too late.”

“…”

Hearing this, Gu Minglang’s expression darkened. He pressed his lips together before continuing, “But I’ve heard that the Zhenjun Yanhuo has a successor residing here.”

At this, Liu Baijian’s expression shifted to one of surprise. He looked at Gu Minglang with a peculiar gaze and asked, “Who did you say you were looking for?”