Both the middle-aged man in blue robes coming from the sky and the strange and dark power surging up from the ground were clearly coming for Ding Ning. But at this time, none of them showed any killing intent towards Ding Ning.

The direct killing intent came from the ground. As the ground rose, the killing intent was directed at the middle-aged man in blue robes about to land on the ground.

This middle-aged man was not weak, and immediately sensed this, giving off killing intent as well.

The two killing intents crossed in the air like they were tangible. Ding Ning and the others seemed to be outside the situation, and having nothing to do with this.

Boom!

The bulging ground in front of Ding Ning and the others finally cracked open with gusts of cold and dark wind. The ground within dozens of feet spun up in whirls like fallen leaves in the water. From the cracks in the soil, there were different gravestones being revealed and rising. More and more gravestones appeared, like they were endless, and about to form an enormous mountain made from gravestones.

Before this, Tantai Guanjian did not know the identities of the two sides, and had just been on his guard without interfering. But the moment he saw the rising gravestones, his mind moved, and he instantly understood what these gravestones represented.

The middle-aged man in blue robes had revealed a silver long sword in his hand. The seal scripts on the silver blade were like a moon palace, and the energies flowing in the scripts were like white clouds.

When he saw these gravestones, his face turned paler than the white clouds. His respectful expression towards Ding Ning and the others turned to terror. A cry came from between his lips. The silver light between his boroughs suddenly expanded, like a silver ice was going to open.

Six silver sword lights flashed from around his body at the same time, like a peacock spreading his tail, spreading into thousands of pieces of swords shaped like silver feathers. These silver pieces make terrifying sounds as they tore apart the air, forming an enormous flow of light that dropped to the ground. At the same time, the middle-aged man in blue robes seemed to go against the laws of the world, his body turning and bouncing up into the air at astounding speed.

He was going to flee.

Originally, he wanted to pretend to be on Ding Ning’s side, but this person under the ground wanted to kill him. He could not identify the person under the ground, and he could not convince Ding Ning and the others to trust him again.

The ends of the gravestones were shrouded in black smoke as they rose. These gravestones floated above Ding Ning and the others. Then the thousands of silver sword pieces collided with these gravestones.

Explosions that made teeth ache sounded. These gravestones wavered as they floated in the air. Countless silver sparks exploded on the surface like millions of stars were forming and dying.

The middle-aged man in blue robes twisted in the air, creating many shadows. He found that he could not return by the path he came after leaving behind this trap of a thousand mountains that was able to trap a realm eight. But what caused him to relax slightly was that the attack he used his lifebond energy for managed to stop the attack from underground. Then, even if he was lost among these thousand mountains, at least, he would not be immediately killed.

But he had overlooked a point.

The person under the ground could not do anything to him right now, but there was someone unlike all other swordsmen in the world above the ground.

Tantai Guanjian looked up. He stretched out his sword.

This was just like an attack pose, like he had not yet done a thing. But the fleeing middle-aged man in the sky screamed in terror.

Coldness crept from his chest and back, and at the same time, blood sprayed out. The sword disappeared from Tantai Guanjian’s hand. It was so fast, people were not able to see what color his lifebond sword was.

“You killed him,” Zhangsun Qianxue looked at the middle-aged man in blue robes who was falling down and said to Tantai Guanjian.

This seemed to be a waste of words. That middle-aged man’s heart was destroyed. Even if he did not immediately die, after he fell from such a great height, he would likely shatter into pieces when he hit the ground.

But Tantai Guanjian understood her meaning. Before, when he had attacked the grandmasters, he just pierced their energy seas, removing their ability to fight, but kept them alive.

“Peacock Tail. He is from the Dugu Marquessate Establishment.” Tantai Guanjian glanced at her and explained. “But he disguised himself as someone from the Flowing Cloud Sect. The sect master Chen Guanghe and Lin Zhujiu were old friends, and he died in battle at Changling.”

Not killing was the pity of an expert towards someone weaker. Killing was because this person’s conduct was too despicable. If this unnamed man in blue robes had come as an enemy to assassinate Ding Ning, Tantai Guanjian may have spared his life. But the other wanted to gain trust and then seek a chance to kill Ding Ning. This was something he would not tolerate.

Zhangsun Qianxue nodded. “The Peacock Feather is something only the most important people of the Dugu Marquessate Establishment qualify to cultivate. So the Dugu Marquessate Establishment has chosen to become our enemy?”

Ding Ning did not answer.

These marquessate establishments had mostly made their choices three years before Yuanwu’s ascension. After more than a decade, naturally they would not change their choices much. This was predictable. But he could not help but think of Dugu Bai from the Min Mountain Sword Trials. He did not know what that young person would choose when he learned Ding Ning’s true identity.

The gravestones floating above his head silently disappeared, and the streams of black energy shrank back into the ground.

His gaze followed the black energy to a youth who just appeared and seemed to be made from black energy.

This youth was not tall. Even more importantly, he did not give off any living energy. People could not feel any energy from him. He was like a cold corpse, but no corpse could give off such a strong presence.

“You are Yan Ying’s student,” Ding Ning said, looking at this youth.

The youth bowed his head slightly as though embarrassed but still nodded, saying, “Yes.”

But this youth seemed a bit tired. He did not speak, and sat down next to Ding Ning, hugging his knees, and burying his head deep.

Ding Ning and Zhangsun Qianxue exchanged a look. Then he could not help but ask curiously, “You do not want to ask me who I am?”

The youth softly answered, “In any case, you are the person who Yuanwu wants to kill at any price. I do not kill who you are, just as long as there is a chance in the future to kill Yuanwu.”

Everyone could hear the emotions in this thin youth’s words.

He had a beloved master. But his master died. Killed by Yuanwu during the Deer Mountain Conference.

He wanted Yuanwu dead. It was this simple.