Today's Defeat, Qin Ran

Amid internal strife and external threats, coupled with the breach of the Guardian Mountain Formation, the Boundless Sword Sect could not hold out for long.

The great battle lasted five days in total.

As for the subsequent smaller-scale mop-up operations, their exact duration and number of engagements could no longer be counted.

The trio from Dan Peak returned after the battle, covered in wounds.

Alongside them came the wounded of Dao Sword Sect, both major and minor.

The injured naturally fell under Dan Peak's care, though now they no longer needed to be sent to the forbidden area at the peak—just halfway up the mountain would suffice.

Dan Peak was no longer what it once was. In the previous sect-defending battle, there were only three alchemists at most. Long Qiqi had been busy from start to finish, her serpent tail thinning from exhaustion. Now, however, there were over a dozen alchemists and dozens more who had yet to fully master the craft. There was no longer any worry about a shortage of healers.

In fact, they were all extremely inexperienced novices. Seeing so many wounded, their eyes practically glowed green.

These weren’t just injured—they were experience points, test subjects, treasures!

Leaving aside the "harmonious" scene of treatment halfway up Dan Peak, let’s focus on the subtle atmosphere in the forbidden area at the peak.

Under the ancient locust tree, a scorching summer breeze blew.

Qin Ran sat on a wooden chair, legs crossed, leisurely sipping tea from a cup.

Before him, arranged from right to left and tall to short, stood Li Shiyin, Chasing the Wind, and Li An.

All three bore wounds of varying severity, their clothes stained with blood, their pain barely tolerable.

Yet in this situation, they had no choice but to endure.

Qin Ran sipped his tea, peering over the rim of the cup to steal a glance at his wife.

Li Shiyin’s delicate, beautiful face was marked by exhaustion and suffering, but her almond-shaped eyes sparkled with excitement and fervor.

He knew all too well that being a gentle, virtuous housewife had never been Li Shiyin’s nature.

For the Li family, the battlefield had always been their true calling.

He set down his teacup and asked lightly, "Did you have fun?"

"Hehe, hehe!" The voice unmistakably belonged to Chasing the Wind, who grinned obsequiously at Qin Ran. "It was alright, Dad. Pretty fun."

Qin Ran shot him a glance but said nothing, his gaze fixed on Li Shiyin instead.

"Over the past few years, I’ve gained many new insights into leading Golden Core Cultivators in battle. Thanks to my command, their combat effectiveness increased by at least thirty percent, while casualties were halved."

Li Shiyin met Qin Ran’s eyes unflinchingly, her bright eyes gleaming. "Chasing the Wind and I also contributed greatly in the siege against Jian Wuming. Most of our injuries came from that battle.

"These two battles were exhilarating, fought with utter abandon, and the rewards were plentiful.

"If you’re asking whether it was fun, my answer is: extremely fun."

Husband and wife—one seated, one standing—locked eyes.

The air seemed to thrum with faint traces of killing intent, making Li An uneasy. He quietly tugged at Chasing the Wind’s fur.

Chasing the Wind dared not move, only soothing him with a flick of his tail.

After a long silence, Qin Ran averted his gaze and nodded. "Mm."

This round, Li Shiyin had won.

But Qin Ran had once taught her: "With triumph at hand, pursue the foe relentlessly; do not rest on hollow fame." Against an enemy, one must strike without mercy.

So she pressed further: "Husband, we’ve returned victorious, grievously wounded. Why is there no celebratory feast, no rewards for merit, no physicians to tend to us? Instead, we stand here being punished for no reason?!"

...Master, you taught me too well.

"Wow!"

Beside her, Chasing the Wind and Li An gaped. Chasing the Wind raised a massive paw, Li An a tiny fist—both giving her a thumbs-up.

Daring to speak to Dan Peak’s true overlord like this!

Incredible!!

Salute to the hero!!!

Qin Ran looked up again at Li Shiyin, only to see her extending a hand like an empress dowager, chin raised, nostrils flared, her entire demeanor haughty as she silently demanded he assist her.

Huh?!!

Qin Ran’s eyes widened briefly before his expression smoothed over.

A gentle smile surfaced as he stood, took her hand, and steadied her, murmuring, "You’ve worked hard, my wife! Your prowess is unmatched! Does it hurt? Where are you injured?"

The moment his hand touched her, Li Shiyin slumped weakly into his arms, her eyes closing as she drifted into sleep.

Her earlier defiance had been nothing but sheer willpower.

He cradled her tenderly, stroking her hair, gazing at her face with deep affection as he whispered, "You are my spear, I am your shield. Li Shiyin is a peerless sword cultivator destined to conquer the world. I, Qin Ran, am merely your alchemist."

"Dad, what about me? Me?" Chasing the Wind panted, grinning ingratiatingly.

Qin Ran glanced at him. "You’re just a mangy mutt."

"Huh?"

"Heal yourself." Qin Ran tossed him a handful of pills, then swept Li Shiyin into his arms and flew back to their quarters. He would personally tend to her wounds.

"Dad, won’t you heal me?" Chasing the Wind whined, his face crumpling. "Am I not your most adorable baby anymore?"

Qin Ran ignored him entirely.

Truthfully, Chasing the Wind’s thick hide meant his injuries weren’t severe, and Li An had been well-protected, escaping mostly unscathed.

Only Li Shiyin, due to her pivotal role and high visibility, had endured relentless assaults, leaving her badly hurt.

That night, Li Shiyin slept peacefully in their room while Chasing the Wind lounged bored on a cat tree, idly teasing Li An with his tail.

Qin Ran walked to the stele by Sword Washing Lake, reading the inscription and recalling Li Shiyin’s smug expression when she carved it—how she’d boasted that future generations would study her words to comprehend peerless sword techniques.

Unconsciously, his lips curved upward. "She’s the most gifted sword cultivator. The Land of Immortal Legacy cannot contain her. Her stage lies in vaster realms."

Nearby, Gu Yueming studied the stele but found nothing remarkable in the writing. Still, he acknowledged Li Shiyin’s extraordinary talent—though he disagreed with the word "most."

"You plan to let her venture beyond the Land of Immortal Legacy to train?" he ventured.

"Not just her. All of us. We’ll go together." Qin Ran smiled. "She only knows how to fight, silly thing. Without me to protect her, she wouldn’t get far."

Gu Yueming exhaled, chuckling. "When will you leave? I’ll see you off."

"We’ll go when the mood strikes."

"Will you return?"

"Perhaps. If we don’t die, we’ll come back someday."

Gu Yueming’s spirits lifted as he surveyed Dan Peak’s layout. "Truthfully, I think your stage lies beyond as well. The Land of Immortal Legacy is too small—you’ve outgrown it."

"Me?" Qin Ran shook his head. "I’d rather seclude myself on Dan Peak, refining pills, untroubled by worldly affairs. If not for Shiyin, you’d never have known me."

Had Li Shiyin not become Dan Peak’s disciple, Qin Ran might have remained in hiding there indefinitely. Meanwhile, Dao Sword Sect would have been worn down over centuries by Zhican Valley’s pharmaceutical schemes, weakened to the point of collapse before finally facing invasion.

When the army arrived at the city gates, countless cultivators pointed their swords at the Dao Sword Sect. The once-declining sect now teetered on the brink of annihilation, its destruction imminent.

At this critical moment, from the neglected Dan Peak of the Dao Sword Sect, a little-known junior uncle stepped forward. He single-handedly turned the tide, standing alone against the onslaught...

Or perhaps he had already slipped away unnoticed.

"Is that you at the Boundless Sword Sect?" Gu Yueming asked again.

"You know I have the art of doppelgangers. That was one of my avatars," Qin Ran replied. "After we leave, it will guard Dan Peak in my stead."

"Mm." Gu Yueming nodded.

After a long silence, he suddenly asked, "Just how many avatars do you have?"

Qin Ran glanced at him with a faint smile but gave no answer.

"Is it possible... that even you are just an avatar?" Gu Yueming pressed further. "Or even... a Nascent Soul avatar?"

"Sect Leader, you overestimate me," Qin Ran replied.

"No..."

Gu Yueming thought of Zhican Valley, of the Boundless Sword Sect, of how Qin Ran—a mere Golden Core Cultivator—had effortlessly toppled such colossal powers. He recalled how Qin Ran had once asked him if he wanted the Dao Sword Sect to become the foremost sect in the Land of Immortal Legacy. He had said yes—and so it had come to pass.

With a sigh, he murmured, "You are terrifying."