Naked Sword Art

Chapter 467: Dearest Qiuyan

As Xiao Fang and the others left his guildhouse, Instructor Yu followed from quite a bit distance away.

’Could he really be the boy Elder Brother was talking about?’ she thought.

Although it was brief, she knew what she felt—it was the presence of a Divine realm cultivator.

Yu Qiuyan stood quietly in the shade of a red-plumed phoenix tree, her delicate fingers tightening around the folded letter in her hand as she watched Xiao Fang exit the Black Paradise Sect’s guildhouse.

The early afternoon sun caught the edges of his black hair as he stepped out of his guildhouse and walked through the forest, his movements unhurried yet carrying an air that made the air itself seem to part for him. Even at a distance, he stood out — not just because he was the only man in the Phoenix Class, but because of that calm, heavy stillness that seemed to cling to him.

Her brother’s words burned in her mind as if inked in fire.

Dearest Qiuyan

I intercepted an interesting report here in the Royal Court. A mysterious young man—likely either in the Profound or Divine Realm—appeared in Jade Peak City. He was said to wield powerful illusionary techniques, and somehow not only escaped, but even severely wounded a Heavenly Realm practitioner.

If such a person exists within the Black Paradise Sect, find him. His aid could benefit you greatly in the upcoming Spirit Fruit Trials.

—Your brother, Yu Qianlong

Qiuyan slowly exhaled. It wasn’t possible for her brother to be mistaken, yet it was hard to believe anyone in the Divine Realm could escape—let alone injure—a Heavenly Realm disciple from the Royal Court.

Still... if her brother said it happened, then it must have been true.

And if that mysterious man had been in Jade Peak...

She bit her lower lip. She knew Xiao Fang had been there at the same time.

At first, she had dismissed the idea outright. Someone bold and dangerous enough to humiliate a Heavenly Realm cultivator couldn’t possibly come from the Black Paradise Sect—a place struggling to even maintain its status as a first-rate sect, where men were rarer than phoenix feathers. Such a man would be making waves in the great sects by now, not quietly blending in here.

But... there was no other man in the Phoenix Class besides Xiao Fang.

And he did not blend in. Not anymore.

Even from where she stood, the memory of his presence made her heart beat harder. Earlier, when his blindfold had been removed, she had felt it from afar—a ripple, as if the air had grown heavier, like something vast and sacred had awakened for a brief, shuddering moment.

She tightened her grip on the letter.

"If it really was you..." she whispered to herself, eyes narrowing, "...then why hide here?"

Qiuyan’s gaze followed him as he walked alongside Xun Wei, Xiao Hei, and Li Xiang. They were heading somewhere important, judging by how even Xiao Hei and Li Xiang were dressed as if attending a Li Family banquet.

Her brows furrowed, and the letter crumpled slightly in her hand.

.

.

.

High above the drifting sea of clouds, a translucent inscription array in the shape of a pavilion floated silently in the sky. Its jade tiles shimmered faintly with runic light, casting soft ripples across the mist that concealed it from the world below.

Three figures sat cross-legged upon its gleaming floor, their white-and-gold robes embroidered with the sigil of the Heavenly Fate Sect — the most powerful sect in the Royal Court.

"Ugh... how much longer are we going to rot up here?" the first of them muttered, flopping backward with an exasperated sigh. He had sharp hazel eyes and a loose golden sash tied carelessly at his waist, giving him a restless air. "We’ve been stuck on this damned pavilion for months, waiting for some ghost no one’s even seen. Do any of you actually believe he exists?"

He jabbed a thumb toward the sect below. "A Mortal from the Black Paradise Sect... wounding a Heavenly Realm cultivator from the Royal Court? That’s ridiculous. Heavenly Realm disciples don’t get wounded by mortals."

The second figure, a soft-spoken man with silver hair bound into a low knot, opened his eyes. His tone was calm, almost cold. "In this world, anything is possible. Besides, the report came from Investigator Han himself. His word is not to be taken lightly."

The third, who had been silently gazing out over the endless clouds, spoke even more quietly. "And my divination of fate could not reveal when we would find this man." His voice was barely more than a whisper. "That alone means he is not ordinary."

The talkative one sat up, snorting. "Not ordinary, huh? More like imaginary.

The moment we find him, I’ll give him a proper beating for making us waste half a season up here. No one hides from me this long."

"Don’t be so impulsive," the silver-haired disciple said sharply. "If Investigator Han couldn’t capture him, then we certainly wouldn’t stand a chance."

"Maybe you two can’t, but you’re forgetting I recently ascended to the Heavenly realm myself," the talkative disciple rubbed his nose wittingly.

"That may be so, but even with your abilities, do you believe you could wound and escape from Investigator Han."

"Tch," the first one scoffed, his fingers idly spinning the spatial ring around his finger out of habit.

The Heavenly Fate Sect practiced the Heavenly Fate Method—an art so peerless that no other sect in the country could rival it. Even a lone Heavenly Fate disciple could hold their ground against five Divine Swordsmen and five Chaos Sect disciples of the same realm combined. Among these elite, Investigator Han stood apart, cultivating a unique variation of the method that made him physically overwhelming. His speed, strength, and durability were so formidable that it would take at least two or three Heavenly Fate disciples of the same realm to bring him down. So how could a mere mortal have escaped him—especially one from this insignificant Black Paradise Sect?

As arrogant as he was, he knew Investigator Han’s abilities weren’t to be taken lightly—and that was precisely why he couldn’t believe anyone from any Mortal realm could have escaped his grasp.

Frustration furrowed his brow as he toyed with the spatial ring in silence, before finally pulling a scroll from it and unfurling it across his lap.

A sharp, ink-brushed likeness of Xiao Fang stared back at him from the parchment, accompanied by brief descriptions: Black hair, likely blindfolded, mortal realm unknown...

He studied the sketch for a long moment before lowering it, his gaze drifting toward the distant Northern gate of the Black Paradise Sect below. Disciples in flowing robes moved through the great archway, none of them bearing even a hint of resemblance to the boy on the scroll.

Then his gaze drifted down to the south—movement.

His eyes widened.

Before either of the others could react, he sprang from the pavilion, robes snapping like banners in the high wind as he plunged toward the clouds below.

The silver-haired disciple shot to his feet.

"What—?" the quieter one blurted, whipping his head toward the silver-haired disciple still standing frozen beside him.

But then he saw it too. Emerging from the Black Paradise sect below, walking with quiet composure alongside several women in ceremonial attire.

Black hair. Unhurried step. The air itself seemed to part for him.

It was him.

"Inform Instructor Han," the silver-haired disciple ordered, eyes gleaming. "He’s here!"