Gu Chen stepped out from beside the two women and looked up at Li Canjian in the sky, saying calmly.
"My Gu Dao Heavenly Sect has no intention of being enemies with the Bai family, but we cannot stand by and watch our disciples get hurt, or be forcibly taken away. Otherwise, wouldn't I, as the Sect Master, become a laughingstock?"
"So, if possible, let's sit down and talk about this matter properly."
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Li Canjian let out a sneer, pointed his sword downwards, and said sternly.
"Sit down and talk? Do you, this half-dead Heavenly Sect, even deserve that? It seems that our Bai family hasn't appeared for many years, and even cats and dogs dare to provoke us."
This arrogant stance angered the disciples of the Heavenly Sect on the training grounds. Although they didn't quite understand what was happening, no one would be happy to have someone barge in and insult them.
Even Gu Chen, who had always been calm, frowned and said, "Venerable Li, watch your words. Do you really think my Gu Dao Heavenly Sect is easy to bully?"
"Aren't you? One at the sixth level of the Venerable realm, and one at the second level. What if I, this Venerable, bully you?"
Li Canjian sneered, "Today, I will definitely take Miss Bai away. No one in your Gu Dao Heavenly Sect can stop me!"
His cultivation was already a notch higher than Gu Chen's, and he had an absolute advantage in swordsmanship. If they really fought, the opponent would have no chance of winning.
Gu Chen knew this too, but his attitude was resolute. He narrowed his eyes and said.
"Whether we can stop you or not, won't we know if we try?"
"Very well, then today I will give your Gu Dao Heavenly Sect a bloody lesson!"
A killing intent flashed in Li Canjian's eyes. He had never taken the Gu Dao Heavenly Sect seriously and was even happy to have a fight to vent his frustration.
His black sword was wrapped in sharp sword energy, and as his profound energy erupted, layers of black mist rose around him, dyeing the already gloomy sky as dark as ink.
A terrifying pressure descended overwhelmingly. Gu Chen's expression turned serious, and a fierce battle was about to break out.
Bai Xiaoxiao, standing by, was stunned and couldn't help but say, "Sect Master, you..."
Before she could finish, Gu Chen said without looking back, his voice deep.
"You two, retreat first. Xueyan, protect your junior sister."
"Understood!"
Lin Xueyan nodded, then pulled Bai Xiaoxiao and ran towards the outside of the training ground.
At this moment, the Grand Elder approached, glanced at Bai Xiaoxiao as she left, and couldn't help but frown at Gu Chen and ask.
"Sect Master, are we really going to fight? Is it too rash to offend the Bai family for a disciple?"
Gu Chen said calmly, "So what? I am the master of a sect. Even if I die here, I will never allow anyone to act presumptuously within the sect, let alone forcibly take away a disciple."
"Moreover, if we truly endure this insult, what will the disciples in the sect think? What will other sects think? I don't want to be known as a coward!"
Upon hearing this, the Grand Elder fell silent for a moment, then sighed.
"Fine, the Bai family has indeed gone too far this time. If you want to fight, then let's fight."
Li Canjian pointed his sword at the sect in the sky and said coldly, "Are you done with your nonsense? I'm about to draw my sword!"
As his voice fell, his figure suddenly charged out, moving as fast as lightning, leaving afterimages in his place. Gu Chen's expression changed slightly, and he immediately met the attack with his sword.
The two, moving at extreme speed, collided in mid-air. The aftermath of this single blow caused buildings within a radius of several hundred meters to tremble violently and develop cracks.
The disciples who had not yet dispersed on the training ground were only spared due to the Grand Elder's protection, otherwise, the aftermath of this blow would have been enough to kill them all.
Even so, they were still filled with dread. Most of them had never witnessed a battle between Venerable realm cultivators before, and they never expected it to be so terrifying.
"Everyone, evacuate the training ground!"
The Grand Elder shouted while covering the disciples as they left the training ground.
With his cultivation at the second level of the Venerable realm, he couldn't intervene in the battle above, so he could only provide support to prevent too many casualties.
And at a height of a hundred meters, the battle between Gu Chen and Li Canjian intensified. Both were fighting with all their might, every move aimed at killing the other.
They were like two meteors, one blue and one black, streaking across the dim sky, colliding with each other to create streaks of light. Each collision stirred up aftermath as powerful as a level ten hurricane.
Under the overcast sky, the anomalies caused by the battle between the two Venerables made the Gu Dao Heavenly Sect seem to be tossed about in a storm. Everyone within the Heavenly Sect looked up in terror, still unsure of what was happening.
Outside the training ground, Bai Xiaoxiao watched all of this with a conflicted expression.
This battle between Venerable realm cultivators lasted for several tens of minutes, and the outcome was not satisfactory.
Li Canjian was, after all, the foremost sword cultivator of the Bai family. Not only did he suppress Gu Chen in terms of cultivation, but he also possessed high-level sword intent and a low-grade Earth-tier profound skill of the Bai family, which put him at an advantage in terms of skills. Thus, there was no suspense in the battle, and Gu Chen was suppressed throughout.
At this moment, he was found a flaw by Li Canjian, and a sword energy imbued with the ultimate intent of the sword grazed his body, causing his face to turn pale and spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Truly disappointing. I thought you were quite formidable, but you're so trash. No wonder the Gu Dao Heavenly Sect has been struggling to survive. You still want to oppose our Bai family with this? It's simply laughable!"
Li Canjian's eyes were filled with contempt. In his opinion, there was no suspense in this battle.
Opposite him, Gu Chen was covered in sword wounds but still showed no intention of giving up. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shouted coldly.
"Stop your mother-fucking nonsense, the outcome hasn't been decided yet!"
However, if the fight continued, it wouldn't be about winning or losing anymore, but about his life being in danger.
But as soon as he spoke, a young girl's voice rang out.
"Sect Master, there's no need..."
The world fell silent for an instant, and everyone turned their gaze to one spot.
Bai Xiaoxiao looked up at the sky and slowly said, "I'll go back with him. Sect Master, you won't fight anymore."
After saying this, she bowed deeply to Gu Chen as a form of thanks.
Bai Xiaoxiao's words stunned both Gu Chen and Li Canjian.
Lin Xueyan frowned, "Junior Sister, you..."
"I don't want to see anyone get hurt because of me anymore."
Bai Xiaoxiao looked around, at the disciples injured by the aftermath, and looked up at the two above with determination.
"Let it end here. I will return to the Bai family."
With that said, Lin Xueyan also fell silent.
In the sky, Li Canjian snorted, "It would have been better if you had said so earlier. You've wasted my time."
He glanced at Gu Chen, who sighed and said nothing more.
Now that Bai Xiaoxiao herself had spoken, he had no reason to continue fighting.
"You're wise. This time, I'll be generous and spare your Gu Dao Heavenly Sect."
Li Canjian looked down at Bai Xiaoxiao and said sternly, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and come back with me?"
Hearing this, Bai Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, and finally looked at Lin Xueyan beside her and bowed.
"Senior Sister, thank you for taking care of me during this time. And Master, please apologize to him for me when he comes out of seclusion, and for causing him so much trouble..."
The reason for her departure was largely for her master, as Li Canjian was too powerful, and she did not wish to see her master injured by him.
After leaving her final words, she then leaped to Li Canjian's side and left with him.
Looking at the Gu Dao Heavenly Sect gradually receding below, Bai Xiaoxiao felt a deep reluctance, especially towards her master. For some reason, she really wanted to see her one last time.
But she also knew that she might never have another chance. Before long, they had disappeared into the distant horizon.
The Gu Dao Heavenly Sect, however, fell into a state of silence for two full days. No one dared to mention what had happened before within the sect.
After this incident, the Gu Dao Heavenly Sect seemed like a truly declining elder, with more a sense of oppression and a dying aura, no longer showing any hope.
Until...
The morning of the third day.
Originally, everyone in the sect was busy rebuilding some of the buildings in the Gu Dao Heavenly Sect that had been destroyed by the aftermath.
Suddenly, a muffled roar that shook heaven and earth erupted from Qingyun Peak. As everyone looked up, a pillar of azure light shot up from the ground, breaking through the sky and reaching the highest heavens.
An extremely cold aura instantly enveloped the Gu Dao Heavenly Sect. Despite it being the height of summer in September, the temperature plummeted, and heavy snow began to fall from the sky.
Everyone stared at the sky in astonishment, and then heard an excited voice from Qingyun Peak.
"Finally! Finally, it's successful!"
Inside the cave dwelling, even Ye Yun, with his steady composure, could not suppress his excitement. The magnitude of this improvement was simply too great!