"Wah ah..."

From a distance, in the bushes, Gu Qingqing poked out half her head, her dark, beady eyes observing the battlefield on Flowing Cloud Cliff.

"Senior Brother Song... he’s so scary."

She scratched her little face somewhat guiltily: "What if he gets angry and beats me?"

After Senior Brother Song was teleported away from Qingjiang Flatland, facing pursuit from several groups of people, the three of them split up and fled in different directions.

Gu Qingqing had chosen a remote direction, to the southwest.

She hadn’t expected to see Senior Brother Song again so soon.

And coincidentally, she had stumbled upon this ambush targeting him.

In just a blink of an eye, those three people had already peacefully departed.

She subconsciously wanted to go forward and greet Senior Brother Song, but upon reflection, it seemed she had played a part in sending him away.

She regretted it now, deeply regretted it.

"It’s better to escape before Senior Brother Song discovers me..."

Gu Qingqing made up her mind, but then realized that Senior Brother Song was no longer on Flowing Cloud Cliff.

"Eh? Where is he?"

She looked around, unable to find Senior Brother Song: "He left so quickly."

"Never mind, never mind, escaping is the best plan."

She slowly retreated into the bushes, ready to turn and leave.

A pair of warm hands gently patted her shoulder.

"Junior Sister Qingqing, long time no see."

"Mama mia!"

Gu Qingqing jumped on the spot like a startled rabbit.

Hearing the familiar voice, she fumbled to turn around, but her lower back got caught on a branch in the bushes.

"Uh... hehe, Senior Brother, Senior Brother Song."

She stammered as she backed away, only to find a rock behind her.

"What a, what a coincidence, why are you here? We... truly have a fated connection."

Senior Brother Song looked down at her, a faint smile on his face.

But no matter how Gu Qingqing looked at him, he seemed to be there to deal with her.

He raised an eyebrow and gently reached for the girl’s hair bun, leisurely brushing away the grass clippings stuck to it.

"It is indeed a coincidence."

But Senior Brother Song’s voice sounded somewhat gloomy.

"I was previously thrown into a desolate wilderness by a certain Junior Sister using a teleportation talisman. It wasn’t easy to rush back, and then I unexpectedly met you here..."

"It was Senior Brother Li’s idea!"

Gu Qingqing suddenly straightened her back, her small eyes darting around: "He said he wanted you to focus on dealing with powerful enemies, and he also said he wanted you to experience the harshness of the world!"

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Senior Brother Song’s expression several times.

Her fingers nervously fidgeted with the ribbon of her ruqun: "I didn’t agree at first..."

Senior Brother Song said nothing, but his hand quickly reached down.

She cried out "Aiya!" in fright and covered her eyes.

But.

The imagined slap didn’t fall. She secretly peeked through her fingers, meeting Senior Brother Song’s half-smile.

He suddenly pinched Gu Qingqing’s little face.

"Where is that bastard Fat Li now?"

"Senior Brother Li fled north at the time. He should be... in the maple forest now?"

Gu Qingqing blurted out, then realized something and felt a bit guilty: "I... I didn’t say anything."

Senior Brother Song straightened up and flicked Gu Qingqing’s smooth forehead.

"Lead the way!"

He lowered his hand, and Xiao He, from his sleeve, wrapped around the girl’s waist, eyeing the spiritual pattern jade token on her waist covetously.

"..."

The girl gritted her teeth and stomped her foot.

Gu Qingqing, oh Gu Qingqing, a wise person knows when to adapt!

"The central area must be very chaotic now. If we encounter too many people, there will be unnecessary consumption~"

"Senior Brother Song, I know a shortcut!"

"This way, please!"

Gu Qingqing’s attitude shifted very smoothly.

Senior Brother Song nodded.

And so, the girl led the way, and he leisurely followed behind.

"Senior Brother, can I discuss something with you?"

"Speak."

"When we meet Senior Brother Li, can I hide? I’m afraid he’ll scold me."

"Alright."

"Hehe, Senior Brother, you’re so kind."

...Outside the Blessed Realm, on Wipe Sword Peak.

The situation of the Sword-Wiping Tournament was displayed before the eyes of the attending Disciples and Elders.

Qin Xijun looked at Senior Brother Song, who was still at the edge of the Sword Wipe area, somewhat speechless, muttering: "This brat, he’s not in a hurry at all."

She only had two Qi Refinement Disciples, one was Lu Ziye, and the other was Senior Brother Song.

Lu Ziye had said he was preparing for Foundation Establishment a few days ago, so he didn’t participate in this Sword Wipe.

Therefore, among them, she only cared about Xiao Song’s situation.

Although she had resigned from her Elder position, as a veteran Foundation Establishment Realm expert, the Sect’s affairs naturally prepared an Elder’s seat for her.

Worried, she heard the discussions of other Elders.

"Soon, the Restriction will start moving again. Li Yi will probably make his move."

Everyone here now were ordinary Elders.

Elder Luo Xiaming had left after announcing the opening.

There were no Peak Master-level Elders here, so their casual chats were not restrained; on the contrary, they were very relaxed.

"This Sword Wipe, I think it’s just a formality."

"Li Yi should be guaranteed the A-rank seat."

In the dueling stage of the Sect Sword Wipe, the top twelve would ultimately be determined.

Disciples discussed the most about the candidates for these twelve people, and the possibility of who would be first.

But in the Elders’ discussions, in fact, besides the top three, the rest were all the same.

"Yes, in all these years, besides that boy Xu Ziqing, he is the second Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator to exceptionally join Demon Subduing Peak."

"Yuwen Yao of Lianyou Peak is also very strong. Among them, probably only she can contend with Li Yi."

Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning Senior Brother Kong You’s name.

Senior Brother Kong You was indeed exceptionally talented, but in terms of overall strength, compared to the truly outstanding Li Yi and Yuwen Yao, he was still slightly inferior.

As for Senior Brother Song, besides Qin Xijun and Xu Ziqing, who had several interactions with him before, probably no other Elder paid attention to him.

The current list of the top twenty-two was also seen by everyone.

[First Place: Li Yi, eighty-nine Dao.]

[Second Place: Yuwen Yao, sixty-seven Dao.]

[Third Place: Senior Brother Kong You, forty-two Dao.]

...

[Twelfth Place: Lin Qing, thirty-one Dao.]

...

[Seventeenth Place: Song Yan, twenty-six Dao.]

...

[Nineteenth Place: Shao Sichao, twenty-two Dao]

...

[Twenty-second Place: Li Qingfeng, fourteen Dao.]

[Current number of people remaining within the Restriction: one hundred and twenty-eight]

Almost all of these one hundred and twenty-eight people wanted to contend for these top twenty-two spots.

Cultivators who could advance to the next dueling stage would receive generous rewards from the Sect, even if they withdrew later.

This was also the fundamental reason attracting a crowd of Cultivators to eagerly compete.

These one hundred and twenty-eight people generally had some fighting capabilities and might have already won in previous battles.

Everyone now clearly understood that the subsequent Sword Wipe process would become faster and faster.

The bloody nature of the conflicts would also greatly increase.