Boundless Sword Sect

Qin Ran stopped talking and flew ahead riding Chasing the Wind.

As they were flying, they suddenly rounded a small hillside. Qin Ran signaled Chasing the Wind to stop, and he walked up to the hilltop to measure positions and distances.

The others didn't know what Qin Ran was doing, but no one asked. Perhaps only Li Shiyin knew what her master was up to, but she stood coolly in mid-air with her arms crossed, standing on her sword, saying nothing.

After completing his measurements, Qin Ran moved about to various spots, dropping different formation materials. Then, he channeled his spiritual power to draw formation patterns, linking the materials together. In no time, he had laid down a complete formation.

After setting up the formation, he continued forward riding Chasing the Wind. When passing a large tree, he stopped again and dug holes down the trunk at intervals, stuffing them with pills of unknown effects. He used several dozen pills in total.

And so Qin Ran continued, setting up formations as he went, sometimes taking detours to place his arrangements. He laid down formations, pills, magical tools, and duplicates - some for protection, some for deception, some for killing power - all sorts of preparations.

When Qin Ran was setting up another formation by a river, Jiang Ran finally couldn't hold back anymore and asked, "Uncle Master, what exactly are you doing?"

As she spoke up, the others who had been wondering but hadn't asked also looked toward Qin Ran.

The sweet girlish voice reminded Qin Ran of five years ago when he took Li Shiyin to forge swords. Back then, his silly disciple had asked him the same way. He couldn't help but look at Li Shiyin with a smile in his eyes.

Li Shiyin understood his look and remembered how naive she had been back then, and she smiled too.

Qin Ran turned to Jiang Ran and explained to the sisters, "When I told you earlier that this negotiation would be life-threatening, I wasn't trying to scare you. The danger is real, but we can take steps to eliminate it. All these preparations I'm making are to minimize the risks as much as possible."

"But..." Jiang Ran hesitated, "isn't this a bit too much preparation?"

"Exactly!" Jiang Qin nodded, "If the Boundless Sword Sect doesn't make a move, all these preparations will be useless, and all these resources will be wasted."

Lu Junxing silently agreed with the sisters. Personally, he disdained making backup plans, though he understood the concept. But understanding aside, Qin Ran's constant preparations along the way seemed a bit excessive.

"What do you kids know? This is called insurance," Qin Ran explained. "As long as just one of these preparations proves useful, it won't be a waste. Besides, what's a little waste compared to your lives?"

"I can understand one or two preparations," Jiang Qin shook her head repeatedly, "but you're doing far too much."

"When something unexpected happens, you won't think the preparations are too many," Qin Ran insisted stubbornly. "I can't fully predict how things will unfold, so I have to prepare more."

As he continued making preparations, he explained everything to them, especially the teleportation formations and the most lethal arrangements. He wanted to make sure they knew how to use them in case something happened to him.

After many more preparations, they finally stopped when they were within ten miles of the Boundless Sword Sect.

...He still had a bit of face to maintain, just a bit, not too much. It was acceptable to let his own sect members know about his cautious nature - that would only be a small loss of face. But if the enemy camp knew how careful he was being, that would be truly embarrassing and could damage his reputation.

Besides, setting up formations right under someone's nose would be rather impolite.

He adjusted his appearance and attire to look properly like a sect representative before continuing toward the Boundless Sword Sect on his majestic Chasing the Wind.

Zhican Valley was a spirit land valley, the Dao Sword Sect had a spirit stone vein with four or five peaks, but the Boundless Sword Sect was purely a sword mountain - a single, precipitous mountain.

The Boundless Sword Sect was just one mountain.

From afar, that steep and treacherous mountain reaching into the azure clouds looked like a sword thrust from the earth toward the sky. Even from a great distance, one could feel its piercing sword energy.

After passing through endless lush forests and the small town at the foot of the mountain, they arrived before this straight rocky peak. One had to crane their neck to the limit to see its infinite summit.

"How do lower-level disciples who can't fly manage with such a mountain?" Jiang Ran noticed the issue. The mountain was too steep with no paths at all. Ordinary people could never climb it.

"They die on the sword mountain!" Jiang Qin said with a sneer. She was quite knowledgeable. "I read in books about a type of eagle that builds nests on steep cliffs. They raise their children there, and when the chicks are old enough, they push them out of the nest. That's how the little eagles learn to fly.

"What happens if the little eagles can't fly? They die from the fall."

Jiang Ran's expression turned solemn, feeling awe for these eagles and fear for this type of human sect.

"If Boundless Sword Sect disciples can't learn to ride swords, they can never come down from the mountain," Jiang Qin added.

Qin Ran looked at Jiang Qin approvingly and nodded, "This is why although the Boundless Sword Sect is the poorest, their overall strength subtly surpasses the Dao Sword Sect."

"Tch!" Li Shiyin looked up at the sharp, straight, steep peak before them and smiled meaningfully, "It's a good thing you didn't become a disciple of the Boundless Sword Sect back then, Master."

She was quietly mocking his fear of heights.

Qin Ran gave Li Shiyin a sidelong glance and said, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything."

"Dad..." At this moment, the clever Chasing the Wind concernedly twisted the knife, "This mountain is so high. When we get up there, will you be scared? Maybe we shouldn't go up?"

Qin Ran promptly gave him a smack on the head.

Given the strength of Qin Ran's group, the Boundless Sword Sect naturally detected their arrival at the mountain's foot. They didn't wait long before more than ten sword lights swooped down from the mountain with whooshing sounds. As the sword lights landed before them and their radiance faded, the cultivators within were revealed.

Qin Ran jumped down from Chasing the Wind, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "I am Qin Ran, Head Elder of Dan Peak of the Dao Sword Sect, here to pay respects to the Sect Leader of the Boundless Sword Sect."

The cultivator at the front wore a sword crown and had a face like warm jade, appearing about fifty years old with a mustache and short beard on his chin. Compared to the other Boundless Sword Sect members who always displayed their sharp edges, he seemed much gentler.

He stepped forward to return the greeting, first laughing "Ha ha ha" to show goodwill, then spoke: "So it is Head Elder Qin in person. I am Xu Jinwen, External Affairs Elder of the Boundless Sword Sect. Welcome to our sword sect."

Qin Ran joined in with a few "Ha ha ha" laughs, stepped forward, and bowed again, "Elder Xu, my respects."

"Head Elder Qin, my respects," Xu Jinwen warmly returned the bow before asking, "What brings Head Elder Qin to our Boundless Sword Sect?" Although these two were acting extremely warm, as if they were old friends who hadn't met in years, they had never actually met before this moment.

Qin Ran was fine since he had gathered intelligence about the Boundless Sword Sect beforehand and roughly knew about Xu Jinwen. But to Xu Jinwen, Qin Ran's name was far less famous than Lu Junxing behind him, or even his disciple-wife Li Shiyin.

Hearing Xu Jinwen's polite inquiry, Qin Ran smiled and said, "The matter is of great importance and must be discussed with the Sect Leader in person."

"Oh?" Xu Jinwen's expression grew serious as he said in a deep voice, "So serious that it requires the Sect Leader's personal attention!"

After brief contemplation, he summoned his flying sword and gestured for Qin Ran's group to follow, "Then please, Head Elder, let us discuss this up on the mountain."

"No trouble at all, no trouble," Qin Ran smiled kindly. Although he wanted to annihilate their entire sect, not a hint of it showed on his face as he replied, "The matter is significant and can't be explained quickly. We should discuss it inside the sect."

For them, being inside the Boundless Sword Sect would actually be much safer than being outside it.

As he spoke, he turned back to mount Chasing the Wind.

Xu Jinwen looked at Chasing the Wind and barely recognized it as a Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger.

He pondered silently: for someone to have a Profound Underworld Spirit Tiger as a mount, this Qin Ran must be quite remarkable - why hadn't he heard of him before?

"Please," he thought as he stepped onto his flying sword to lead the way. The Boundless Sword Sect disciples who had come with him also mounted their swords and flew ahead to guide them.

Qin Ran rode Chasing the Wind, leading the group from Dao Sword Sect as they followed Xu Jinwen up the mountain.

The Boundless Sword Sect naturally had its own mountain-protecting formation, and the formation reflected the sect's nature - it was a sword formation with formidable killing power.

Unlike the Dao Sword Sect and Zhican Valley, whose protective formations were comprehensive systems incorporating killing power, illusions, and entrapment arrays, the Boundless Sword Sect's was different.

Of course, perhaps the Boundless Sword Sect had no choice in the matter, as no one in the sect was proficient in formation techniques...

After flying for a short while, the group passed through the Boundless Sword Sect's protective formation and landed in the sect's main square. Under Xu Jinwen's guidance, they arrived at the sect's reception hall.

"Senior Qin, please wait here while I go report to the Sect Master," Xu Jinwen said before leaving, after arranging for disciples to attend to Qin Ran's group.

The attending disciples quickly brought fruits, snacks, and tea. Qin Ran sat down to drink tea, gesturing for others to be seated as well.

Li Shiyin quietly waited while feeding snacks to Chasing the Wind, who had shrunk to the size of a dog.

After quite a while, just as Jiang Qin was growing impatient, Xu Jinwen returned.

However, he came back alone - the Boundless Sword Sect Master hadn't come with him.

Smiling, he said, "The Sect Master has gone out on business."

He then led Qin Ran's group to the guest quarters of the Boundless Sword Sect and arranged suitable accommodations for them.

On the second day, Qin Ran still hadn't met the Boundless Sword Sect Master. Xu Jinwen came to offer explanations and comfort, saying the Sect Master hadn't returned yet.

On the third day, the Boundless Sword Sect Master was still absent.

On the fourth day, Xu Jinwen was very busy.

After that, they couldn't even catch a glimpse of Xu Jinwen anymore.

It was as if the Boundless Sword Sect had forgotten about them entirely.