Chapter 164: On What Basis?

Chapter 164: What Gives You the Right

“Frost Sword, Frost Sword… I was the one who discovered the ice crystal first, yet you refined it into Frost Sword.” The Nascent Soul who called him senior brother elegantly brushed the frost off his robe, then raised his sword to look at Shang Yunduo and the Frost Sword protecting him.

That relaxed, unhurried poise really did remind you of Pei Jie. Shang Yunduo remained vigilant while inwardly complaining: if this man really was Pei Jie’s junior brother, did their sect have requirements for demeanor too?

But this man was different from the occasional aloofness Pei Jie displayed. Pei Jie truly didn’t see things—he automatically filtered out anything he didn’t care about. This man, on the other hand, seemed deliberately to make others see, and insisted on appearing as if he saw nothing at all—that “looking down on everything” attitude.

Was he caring or not? Or was he actually caring way too much?

“It’s always been like this. I’m the one who made the pills, but you always got first pick. Clearly we explored the secret realm together, but the artifacts always had to be offered to you first.”

Shang Yunduo: “???”

He looked at the man suspiciously. Was he really talking about Pei Jie?

“Everything in the sect was yours. And you—always so entitled. Take what you want, discard what you don’t. Even the position of senior disciple—you could just abandon it whenever you felt like it. Everything that was rightfully ours, you acted like you were generously handing out scraps. What gives you the right? Pei Jie—”

His sword aimed at the bow. Star Breaker blocked his sharp strike. Pei Jie, who had arrived, raised his cultivation to the peak of Foundation Establishment.

“Heh—”

The sword’s momentum didn’t diminish. The two exchanged blows at lightning speed. Shang Yunduo wanted to help, but couldn’t keep up with the impossibly fast moves.

“What gives you the right to have everything you like? Why are you the only precious jade, while we have to follow the rules? Why are you the only one who changed his name?! And now you’re even stealing my disciple! You erased the mark on him, didn’t you? Weren’t you the one who didn’t like taking disciples? Why are you stealing mine?! Say something, Pei Jie!”

Shang Yunduo was completely floored. What name? What disciple? What mark?

Him?

He was this madman’s disciple?!

What?!

Could it be that the original “Shang Yunduo” was actually Pei Jie’s junior brother’s disciple?!

Did Pei Jie know? When did Pei Jie find out?

The moves were fierce, but Pei Jie’s tone was utterly calm: “If you don’t like the name, can’t you just change it yourself?”

“Of course I will! Why should you get to abandon the ‘Jie’ character while I’m stuck with ‘Shou’? I’ll change it to ‘Hunt’! Hunt, as in hunting you all—you’re all my prey!!”

Shang Yunduo, still reeling: “…”

Pei Jie even had time to send him a telepathic message: “Keep sailing.”

Shang Yunduo hurriedly asked: “Senior, is he really your junior brother?”

Since he was a junior brother, can’t they just talk? Why are they trying to kill each other?

He got this weird feeling like, “Hell yeah, finally a character straight out of a novel shows up!” What was up with that?

Pei Jie: “Yes.”

Shang Yunduo: “Are you two on bad terms? Is there a grudge? He’s like a walking novel character, and his head’s clearly not screwed on right. Let’s get the hell out of here!”

Pei Jie: “We can’t outrun him. Make for the spirit-forbidden zone first. Watch out—he might try to ambush us.”

Shang Yunduo: “Okay!!”

“Say something, Pei Jie! You deaf? You blind? Do you still think you’re that glorious, revered Divine Lord Yuheng? How can you still act all high and mighty after sinking this low?”

His sword strikes suddenly sharpened, killing intent flooding the entire ship, smashing everything—supplies, decorations—to pieces, forcing Pei Jie to switch to defense.

Shang Yunduo couldn’t help but roar: “Is this guy freaking crazy?!”

Just as he was about to step in to help Pei Jie, Pei Shou suddenly turned and lunged for the Frost Sword!

Shang Yunduo was startled. His Seven Kills Hellfire arrows and the ice dragon conjured by the Frost Sword fought back simultaneously, the roaring ice dragon chasing Pei Shou with breath after breath.

Pei Shou retreated, the spot he had just stood on now covered in ice.

Shang Yunduo also quickly stepped back with the Frost Sword, putting distance between them.

Seeing the ambush fail, Pei Shou’s gaze shifted from the Frost Sword and the ice dragon to Pei Jie, and he laughed again. “Senior brother, you’ve been on guard against me the whole time. You finally see me.”

Shang Yunduo: “…”

Get some help! For real!!

Pei Shou: “Just hand over the Frost Sword. You can’t form a core anyway. I’ll get revenge for you. Tell me who to kill, I’ll kill ’em. Let’s wipe out the Taiyuan Sect together!”

Pei Jie: “Cut the crap. If you want it, come get it.”

Pei Shou: “Hmph, just a lousy Foundation Establishment.”

Pei Jie: “Hmph, just a lousy Foundation Establishment? Then why don’t you come at me with your real body?”

The Frost Sword flew back to Pei Jie’s hand. Pei Jie swept Shang Yunduo into the cabin with his sleeve. All the cabin’s formations lit up, including a formation Shang Yunduo had never seen before. Pei Jie’s spiritual energy surged wildly, forcefully pushing his cultivation right to the edge of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core.

“Senior!”

Neither of them on the deck spared him a glance. Sword energy howled, spiritual energy formed into dragons. Their identical sword moves blasted everything else on the ship to pieces.

In moments, nothing was left but the cabin—even the railings around the deck were gone, leaving only a bare deck.

If they kept this up, the ship would be wrecked in no time.

Forcing aside all his questions, Shang Yunduo quickly stuffed the cabin chests full of spirit stones and slapped flight talismans on the cabin. Faster, faster—he had to make it to the spirit-forbidden zone before Pei Jie ran dry.

The ice dragon roared. The Frost Sword in Pei Jie’s hand turned translucent. An invisible sword formation swept silently across the deck. Pei Shou dodged left and right, but even at the Nascent Soul stage, he couldn’t fully block the Frost Sword’s deadly strikes. He was forced back to the bow, wiping blood off his face.

His eyes gleamed with greed as he stared at Pei Jie. “The Frost Sword… sigh.”

Pei Jie sheathed his sword: “Just a measly split soul—you think you deserve my sword?”

“Heh…” Pei Shou also put away his sword, shaking his head with a sigh. “What’s wrong with a split soul? Every single split soul I have is at the Nascent Soul stage. And you?”

He looked Pei Jie up and down, clicking his tongue. “Oh my, let me see. Senior brother, what cultivation are you now? Foundation Establishment? Or Qi Refining? So impressive! Even with that crazy technique of yours, you got the balls to step back into Golden Core? Hahahaha!”

Pei Shou laughed loudly. “I’m so envious of your die-and-come-back technique! Longevity? Master was living in a dream. That technique of yours is the real immortality! Hahaha, oh…”

He patted his chest, suppressing his laughter. “Senior brother, you never remembered how you trained before Nascent Soul, did you? Remember how many pills I personally made that you gobbled up? You don’t, do you? You never gave a damn! Now, how does it feel to have your cultivation constantly drop, from Nascent Soul all the way down to Qi Refining, never able to form a core or an infant again? How does it feel to go from being universally revered across two realms to being unknown, kicked around by anyone? Is it fun? Can you no longer live the life where you get whatever you want? Does it hurt? Ever had to steal and claw for a single spirit herb, getting beaten black and blue? I really wish Master and the senior disciple could see you now. Their brightest star—other than the founder who established the sect and ascended—the brightest star. Is he still worthy of the title Divine Lord Yuheng?! Hahaha! Say it! Say it again!”

He changed his tone, mimicking the insult he’d never forget: “‘Cultivation isn’t that hard. If it’s hard, it’s ’cause you’re not trying hard enough. You’re too stupid.’ Say it again, big bro! I miss hearing that. I wanna hear it again. Come on, say it.”

Suddenly, his smile dropped. He stared at Pei Jie and demanded, “Where’s your shame? Where’s your pride? All these years, can’t advance, can’t get revenge, living like a beaten dog—why don’t you just off yourself?”

He laughed again: "Ah, I forgot, your clone is trapped. As long as the clone doesn't die, even if you die, you can be resurrected."

Shang Yunduo, still in disarray: "???"

"Hehehe, senior brother, what an incredible technique! No wonder Master wanted it so badly. The old man was right—you are the only true genius among us. The rest of us are just your nourishment. But senior brother, now which one is the real body, you or that demon body? Perhaps you don't even know yet. He originally planned to seize your body during your Divine Transformation stage, but who knew you'd figure out a way to turn your demon body into a clone equal to your true self? He wanted it so much—with a powerful demon body to withstand the tribulation lightning and an extra life, the hope of Ascension grew a bit more..."

Shang Yunduo was overwhelmed by the flood of information. He stared blankly at Pei Jie and Pei Shou, unable to speak. Despite a belly full of questions, he had no idea where to start.

What 'couldn't form a Core'? What 'clone that never dies'? What exactly was the demon body?

Could Pei Jie also have demon blood like him?

He finally understood why Pei Jie recognized the jade pendant as something to suppress a constitution, and why he had initially wanted to kill him but later spared him.

Because they were similar?

Aside from a few exchanges, had Pei Jie thought of himself back then?

Pei Shou asked eagerly, "Senior brother, how exactly do you do it? Is that technique only for you? Can't he practice it?"

Looking at the sword pointed at him, Shang Yunduo subconsciously stepped back half a step and frowned.

"Boy, you've been with your senior uncle for so long—have you learned anything?"

Shang Yunduo said instinctively, "Learn what?"

Pei Shou: "Didn't you learn anything? Didn't your senior uncle teach you something out of pity for your similar plight? Sword of No Fixed Form, Freedom Sutra, Heavenly Stellar Technique of Myriad Phenomena... None of them? Senior brother, after all these years, you're still so aloof. I sent such an adorable disciple to you for so long, and you haven't been pleased at all?"

Shang Yunduo's pupils dilated. What did this mean? What was this man implying?!

He quickly shouted, "I'm not!"

He was not some spy sent to Pei Jie to steal the technique!

Pei Jie: "Ignore him. He's saying that on purpose."

Pei Shou smiled, "Ah, so I was mistaken. My foolish disciple is indeed winning your favor, senior brother... Or have you really changed your ways? Or is it that birds of a feather flock together, and you see your younger self in him?"

Shang Yunduo gritted his teeth so hard they creaked, itching to rush out and bite him.

Pei Shou seemed to want to provoke him into doing just that, laughing leisurely, "Heh, he can't compare to you. He can only make do with alchemy."

Pei Jie: "So you took his Golden Core?"

Shang Yunduo, teeth clenched, jerked his head around again.

What? Golden Core? His?

Pei Shou: "I'm wronged!"

Pei Jie: "Where is his Golden Core?"

Pei Shou: "Give me the Frost Sword and I'll tell you—"

A sharp sword aura shot forward. Pei Shou laughed, twisted to dodge, and leaped onto the cabin roof. "Hmph, senior brother, why don't you tell me what your relationship is? Tell me, and I'll tell you who he is and where his Golden Core is. Deal?"

Pei Jie ignored him completely. His spiritual power surged, directly breaking through to Core Formation.

The transparent runes on the Frost Sword glowed. The ice dragon roared, coiling around the entire cabin. In an instant, the whole ship froze into a massive block of ice. Thirty-six Giant Swords stabbed into the rooftop like a cage, trapping Pei Shou solidly.

"Golden Core! Hahahaha! So what if you break through to Golden Core? Can you even unleash thirty percent of the Frost Sword's power?" Pei Shou also transformed his sword aura into a dragon—a pitch-black copy bit the ice dragon's neck. He slashed fiercely at the frozen swords trapping him. "Struggling in vain! How long can you trap me with your current strength? How many of my strikes can you take?"

In an instant, the sixth giant sword dissolved into spiritual energy. Pei Jie lowered his gaze. Shang Yunduo in the cabin nodded at him.

Pei Jie lifted his head and smirked. He had finally forced the man up.

"What?!" Pei Shou in the Sword Formation changed expression. "A seal?!"

He sneered. The dark dragon charged toward the Sealing Array already spread across the cabin roof. "Do you think a tiny sealing stone can trap me?"

But Pei Jie and Shang Yunduo's goal wasn't to trap him. Pei Jie leaped to the back of the ship, injected his spiritual power, and shoved the vessel with all his strength. The ship, already as fast as a Golden Core cultivator, shot forward like lightning. In a flash, they reached the cave where they had been staying. As Pei Shou was about to break free from the seal, half of the ship had already plunged into the Spirit-Forbidden Zone. The remaining giant swords on the roof turned into specks of starlight, and with the falling ship, it crashed into the mountain valley.

Boom—

Shang Yunduo leaped up from below, broke through the cabin roof, and punched at Pei Shou. Freed from the seal but drained of spiritual power, Pei Shou was knocked back like a sandbag and smashed into the mountain.

The feeling was off!

Shang Yunduo turned sharply. This wasn't the body of a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.

At the boundary between the spiritual zone and the Spirit-Forbidden Zone, a wandering soul flew rapidly to the side with spiritual energy.

Ghost Cultivator?!

Pei Shou, now a spirit body, roared, "You little bastard!"

The Frost Sword struck again. Pei Shou wielded the sword with his spiritual form, clashing once more with Pei Jie.

One was overexerted, the other turned into a spirit body. Neither could manifest a sword dragon. They fought sword technique to sword technique in midair.

"Hahaha! You're running out of spiritual power, senior brother!"

Pei Jie dodged and shouted, "Fire!"

Shang Yunduo, who had been ready but unable to intervene, leaped out of the Spirit-Forbidden Zone. A hundred arrows flew, some real, some fake, speeding toward Pei Shou.

Pei Shou was furious: "Pei Jie!!!"

He threw out a protective artifact and turned to flee.

Pei Jie: "Startle Kill."

Shang Yunduo immediately drew his qin. Pouring all the spiritual energy and every trace of Illusion Art in his body into the instrument, the Startle Kill Tune's sound waves swept toward the fleeing Pei Shou like a tsunami.

With what they had, sound was the only thing that could match a Nascent Soul Split Soul's speed.

The moment Pei Shou's soul paused, Pei Jie quickly set up a formation. The second sealing stone, augmented with spirit stones, finally trapped him.

Author's Note:

Pei Shou: Good disciple, have you met your senior uncle?

Shang Yunduo: Bah, who's your disciple? So much drama!