Chapter 327: Sword Forest Hidden Danger

Hearing this, Xu Yining quickly hushed her. "Shh! You can't just say things like that." She then added, "Shadow Guard One and I are just ordinary friends." She sighed softly in her heart.

She had also wondered if Shadow Guard One was interested in her. Otherwise, why would he always rescue her and help her so much? Last night, he even specifically helped her cultivate, significantly improving her strength. However, after spending time together, she had a somewhat disappointing yet also relieving realization: Shadow Guard One had never shown any romantic interest in her.

"Is that so?" Nie Yunxi sighed. "Such an excellent man, in my opinion, even the chief disciples of various sects are no match for him. To be fated to meet him in this life is already a great blessing. If you miss this chance, it will be a lifelong regret."

Xu Yining pondered. She couldn't deny that the Shadow Guard One before her was exactly the kind of exceptional man she had always wanted to marry. Yet, when such an ideal person actually appeared before her, her heart was far less stirred than she had imagined. Instead, Jiang Fan's image lingered persistently in her mind.

"Ah, thank you for your advice, Senior Sister," Xu Yining sighed silently, her feelings growing even more complicated.

Just then, a series of female screams rang out. Looking closely, three tall horses galloped quickly towards them. The leading man was tall and handsome, riding a magnificent horse, his eyes bright and strong. As he passed, female disciples from various sects whispered shyly. Some of the bolder ones even screamed on the spot. The admiration in their eyes was undisguised.

Nie Yunxi's eyes lit up, admiration evident in them. "This trip to Sword Forest was truly worthwhile. To think we'd even get to see Lu Shiyi, the chief disciple of the True Thunder Sect. He is known as one of the 'Twin Stars of the Nine Sects' along with Fu Chaojun, the chief disciple of the Heavenly Sound Sect, a true prodigy." Her tone was tinged with a hint of flirtation.

Jiang Fan listened, speechless for a moment. Was Ouyang Jun of the Thousand Refinements Sect not worthy? So, if you're not handsome enough, you don't qualify as a 'Twin Star,' huh? He was a bit puzzled. What was Lu Shiyi doing at the Sword Forest? The Sword Forest only benefited Foundation Establishment disciples, and he was already at the Core Formation stage. It was pointless for him to be here; he should have left the opportunity for his junior Foundation Establishment disciples.

"Elder Ling, why isn't Jin Yunlie here?" Jiang Fan's eyes flickered. Among the three tall horses, there were only three disciples. Jin Yunlie was nowhere to be seen.

Elder Ling said, gloating, "Him? His luck wasn't so good. After the attack by Cold Bone that day, he and his disciples split up and ran. As a result, three disciples returned, but he has yet to be seen. It's likely he met with misfortune."

Jiang Fan's eyes flickered. He had witnessed Cold Bone's ferocity. The possibility of Jin Yunlie being in danger was indeed high. "What a pity then. With the beast tide approaching, it would have been good if he could have killed a few more demon beasts before leaving," Jiang Fan quipped.

Elder Ling suppressed a smile. "You're really mean. But even if he comes back alive, his fate won't be much better. He had stolen Xu Qingyang's top-grade artifact longsword. And he still expected a good outcome? Did he think Xu Qingyang's sword techniques, number one among the Nine Sects, were just for weeding? It was just a shame that one of the only two top-grade longswords in the Nine Sects had also gone missing with him."

At this moment, Lu Shiyi had already reached the mountain gate. Under the admiring gazes of many female disciples, he puffed out his chest, clearly enjoying the attention. Suddenly, he caught sight of a familiar figure. It was Xu Yining. Unlike the others, Xu Yining turned her body, deliberately trying to avoid him.

"Junior Sister Xu!" Lu Shiyi couldn't help but call out, dismounted quickly, and hurried to her side.

Nie Yunxi was stunned, exclaiming, "Junior Sister Xu, you... you know Senior Brother Lu?"

Xu Yining looked helpless. She had tried her best to avoid him, but he still approached. Left with no choice, she bowed. "Senior Brother Lu."

Seeing Xu Yining again, Lu Shiyi was delighted. "I'm completely relieved to see that you're safe. The path from the Joyful Union Sect to here is extremely perilous. Even my master went missing because of it. You were not far behind us, so your ability to arrive safely is truly a matter of luck."

Luck? Was it being chased by the Copper-Scaled Black Centipede? Or was it Cold Bone's eventual appearance? Remembering the terrifying sight when Cold Bone appeared, she shivered and rubbed her arms. Instinctively, she moved closer to Jiang Fan. Only then did she feel safe.

This action naturally drew Lu Shiyi's attention to Jiang Fan. His brows furrowed instantly, and he said with displeasure, "You're everywhere!"

Jiang Fan pouted. "That's what *I* should be saying. This is an event for Foundation Establishment disciples. What are you doing here?"

Seeing Xu Yining clinging closely to Jiang Fan, Lu Shiyi felt a surge of anger. If it weren't for the elders of the Azure Cloud Sect and Ling Jinghu present, he would have definitely acted to force Jiang Fan away. With a very displeased expression, he scoffed, "Do you think I'm like you, only here to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm? I'm here by invitation from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect to eliminate hidden dangers in the Sword Forest!" He spoke with a hint of pride.

After saying the last half-sentence, he noticed the slight horror in the eyes of the surrounding disciples and realized he had let slip something. But it was too late to retract his words. So, he simply stated, "Junior Sister Xu, the Sword Forest is not entirely peaceful. Why don't you stay by my side? I can guarantee your safety. Others might not be able to protect you."

Without thinking further, Xu Yining decisively shook her head and refused. "Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Brother Lu. Having Shadow Guard One protect me is enough." The chief disciple was indeed powerful. But when facing Cold Bone, he could only rely on luck to escape. Shadow Guard One was different; he had directly killed the opponent. Who was safer to be with? Did that even need to be said?

Lu Shiyi frowned again. He genuinely couldn't see what was so good about this unknown fellow to make Xu Yining trust him so much. Even if his identity were revealed, at best he would just be an elite disciple of some sect, right? How could he compare to even a single finger of Lu Shiyi? Xu Yining was still too young and hadn't truly encountered danger. She didn't understand the significance of a true powerhouse.

"Alright, if you change your mind later, come find me." With so many people around, Lu Shiyi found it difficult to pressure Xu Yining into anything. However, when danger struck in the Sword Forest, it wouldn't be as easy for Xu Yining to ask for his help then. She shouldn't expect his protection without offering something in return.

As Lu Shiyi left, the disciples and elders of various sects erupted in commotion. Ling Jinghu said in a deep voice, "Hidden dangers in the Sword Forest? Why didn't the Ten Thousand Swords Sect mention this?"

Feng Guchan also looked furious. "We sent our elite disciples, the pillars of our sects for the next generation! If there are any losses, can the Ten Thousand Swords Sect bear the responsibility?"

Jiang Fan pondered for a long time, then calmly said, "There's no need to worry too much. The Ten Thousand Swords Sect is more concerned about incidents than our outer sects are. If this hidden danger were uncontrollable, they wouldn't have opened the Sword Forest." The so-called hidden danger probably wasn't too significant. At least, disciples should be able to escape without issue.

What Jiang Fan was concerned about was: Why would they invite Lu Shiyi from afar to clear the hidden danger? The Ten Thousand Swords Sect had countless masters; couldn't they handle it themselves? After a moment of thought, his eyes flickered slightly. Could it be that this hidden danger required the True Thunder Sect's lightning power to suppress? Thinking of this, he exhaled softly. His heart was at ease. Because lightning power... he had it too!