Chapter 123: What, am I impressive again?

I must say, this "Immortal Execution Sword Formation" is truly a load of nonsense! Ye Qiu just threw it together at random, and it actually worked? Could it be that when your cultivation reaches a sufficiently high realm, even a fart is equivalent to a nuclear explosion?

Ugh... that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but looking at the current spectacle, it really does have that vibe.

"Qingcheng, did you see that clearly?"

Ye Qiu had no idea how many people were gathered outside. After setting up the formation, he turned back and feigned a solemn expression. In his mind, he was thinking: *You don't know a damn thing. I don't even know the principles behind this; I just threw this formation together randomly. If you can actually figure it out, you’d have to be cheating...*

Although Ye Qiu didn't understand the underlying principles, it didn't stop him from acting profound. After all, he had successfully deployed the formation; if Qingcheng couldn't understand it, that was just his poor aptitude. What did that have to do with him? If it weren't for the fact that Qingcheng looked so much like his younger brother, he wouldn't bother teaching him at all.

Qingcheng felt deeply ashamed upon hearing this. How could he possibly understand? This felt like being bullied.

"Shopkeeper, I feel like... the amount of information is just too overwhelming. My brain can't keep up. Could we... take it one step at a time? Maybe start by learning the basic formations?"

Qingcheng asked tentatively. Ye Qiu was having none of it. Basic formations? Are you kidding me? I barely understand them myself—if you can't grasp this, then forget it.

"Ahem, sigh... your aptitude is truly poor! If you can't even understand this, you're basically a lost cause," Ye Qiu said, feigning disappointment. His gaze suggested he had lost all hope.

Qingcheng immediately panicked and said, "Shopkeeper, don't say that! My aptitude is actually quite good. If you don't believe me, show me another move! Really, everyone says I'm incredibly sharp, so my aptitude couldn't possibly be bad. Please, show me another move..."

Show him another move?

Ye Qiu’s mouth curled into a faint smile. *Very good... this kid is quite easy to manipulate. Since that's the case, I won't be polite. Time to show off once more.*

"It is clear that you have no aptitude for swordsmanship; you lack the state of mind that Jian Chen possesses. To force it would be futile. Very well! Since your swordsmanship is lacking, I shall teach you blade techniques instead. I hope you study diligently and do not waste your time..."

After saying this, Ye Qiu was amused by his own words. *Blade technique? What are you thinking? I've never even held a blade before, and I'm going to teach you blade technique? You're dreaming...*

The only reason he said this was to trick Qingcheng into becoming free labor. Look at this—this wasteland was full of weeds and shrubs; it was the perfect excuse to trick him into practicing his "blade technique" by cutting down dead trees and branches.

Two birds with one stone... Good heavens, even the legendary miser Zhou Papi would be moved to tears! To save money, you really have no sense of morality, do you?

"Take this! From today on, this Blood-Drinking Blade is your weapon! This blade is the most tyrannical divine weapon in the world, forged from nine-heaven divine iron. The blade is inherently bloodthirsty and incomparably overbearing; ordinary people cannot control it at all. I see you have some potential, so perhaps you can try! If you truly cannot control it, then so be it..."

Ye Qiu continued to bluff, leaving Qingcheng so disoriented he didn't know which way was north.

"The Blood-Drinking Blade? Heavens, it sounds so domineering. It must be a peerless divine weapon. I never expected the shopkeeper to be so generous, handing over a super immortal artifact of this caliber right away..."

In that moment, Qingcheng was completely overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude toward Ye Qiu, unaware that he had already fallen for Ye Qiu’s trap.

*What Blood-Drinking Blade?* I don't know what you're talking about. When have I ever created such a super immortal artifact? Isn't this just a regular firewood chopper? Cao He usually uses it to chop wood. How could it be as terrifying as Ye Qiu described?

*Heh heh, is this kid really this naive? He believes all that? Not bad, not bad. It seems I've found someone to handle this wasteland. In a few days, I'll trick him into plowing the land, telling him it's for 'basic training'...*

Ye Qiu had already devised a meticulous plan. He wasn't afraid that Qingcheng wouldn't bite. There was no reason to turn down free labor; otherwise, he wouldn't be willing to let him eat and drink at the tavern for free.

"Alright! Watch closely. I will only swing this blade once. Whether you can grasp even a fraction of its essence depends entirely on you..."

After Ye Qiu spoke, the Blood-Drinking Blade in his hand suddenly emitted a terrifying aura of blood. Ye Qiu was momentarily stunned, but he didn't pay it any mind.

In an instant, he gripped the blade with both hands and slashed forward with great force. The earth trembled; between the heaven and earth, it was as if the sky had been split open, emitting a thunderous roar.

"Huh? Damn, since when am I this badass?"

Ye Qiu was startled himself, standing rooted to the spot with a look of utter disbelief. He had never used a blade in his life, so why did the strike he just unleashed contain such infinite blade intent? It was filled with killing intent and was incomparably domineering. This single strike was entirely comparable to the sword techniques Jian Chen had displayed during his battle that shook the heavens—and this was just Ye Qiu swinging it casually.

Isn't this... a bit too terrifying?

Qingcheng was completely dumbfounded, staring in shock at the canyon that Ye Qiu had carved into the earth. He clutched his head in disbelief and muttered, "My goodness, what kind of divine technique is this? A single strike has such power! If I master this, wouldn't I be even more terrifying than Senior Brother Jian Chen?"

In an instant, not only was Qingcheng stunned, but all the onlookers outside were left speechless.

"This strike can be called the pinnacle of the mortal world. Even the natural barriers of the Chaotic Heavens would likely be split open by such a blade..."

"I cannot believe it. The supreme immortal techniques we have cultivated for years are so pathetic in front of the senior. This is the true ultimate killing move..."

The blade left a canyon in the earth, within which lingered a blade intent that had not yet dissipated. It was infused with the infinite, righteous aura residing within Ye Qiu's body, and it was impossible to disperse. Even after a hundred years, it might still remain...

The crowd looked at the canyon on the ground, their eyes turning red as if they had discovered a priceless treasure. They surged into the canyon frantically, hoping to comprehend the mysteries of that strike.

"Huh? What’s going on..."

Inside the sword formation, Ye Qiu could clearly sense the changes outside. He looked in surprise at the crowd acting crazily in the canyon outside his formation.

"Damn, is it really necessary? It's just a canyon. Why are they acting like they've seen a beauty? Everyone is going so crazy."

"Am I awesome again?"

Well, it seemed his casual actions had shocked everyone once more. This wasn't the first time, and Ye Qiu had long since grown accustomed to it.

Maintaining a light and breezy appearance, as if he were completely indifferent to everything before him, Ye Qiu looked solemnly at Qingcheng and said slowly, "Did you see it clearly?"

"I saw it clearly!"

This time, Qingcheng wasn't as bewildered as before; he spoke with great conviction.

Ye Qiu didn't care; as long as he had successfully acted profound, nothing else mattered. He said indifferently, "Good that you saw it clearly! This move is called 'Blade Draw.' Its subtlety lies in mastering the divine blade in your hand to achieve a state where man and blade are one. That is the most important part... Your drawing speed must be fast; the explosion happens in an instant, just like I did just now. As long as you can achieve this, it proves you have mastered the technique. Alright! From today on, you will draw and sheathe the blade one hundred thousand times every day without interruption. In the process, perhaps you will have some realizations. Consider the weeds and shrubs on this wasteland as your sparring partners for practicing the Blade Draw. Once you have cleared them all, I will teach you the rest..."

After finishing, Ye Qiu almost burst out laughing, but he held it back just in time so as not to reveal his true intentions. *Good heavens, to trick you into doing my chores, I even had to demonstrate it myself. How exhausting.*