"Form the formation!" With a sharp command, nearly three hundred Liuying Sword Sect disciples shifted and pivoted in coordinated movements, their feet tracing the patterns of the Mystic Square. In the blink of an eye, they assembled into a heaven-shaking sword formation, their auras linked end to end, layer upon layer of sword intent stacking atop one another.
What stood before the City Lord's Mansion did not seem like three hundred martial artists at all, but rather a single world-shaking sword. The bone-piercing sword intent was so potent that every martial artist in all of Liuying City could feel it clearly.
Yang Kai gazed at the sword formation ahead with contempt and sneered, "Sect Master Li, is this how your esteemed sect treats its guests?"
If the other party said yes, he wouldn't mind killing every last one of these three hundred.
The sword formation was impressive, but it couldn't stop him.
From within the City Lord's Mansion came a warm and steady voice: "Let them in."
Yang Kai had already fought his way to the front gate, and Li Qingyun had no way to avoid him now. Yet to everyone's surprise, Li Qingyun showed no intention of making things difficult for Yang Kai. Instead, he ordered his numerous disciples to step aside.
"Sect Master!"
The Dao Source Stage Third Level disciple who commanded the sword formation turned to look at the City Lord's Mansion with a face full of disbelief, as though certain he had misheard.
This formation, drawing upon the combined power of three hundred disciples, was potent enough to skin even an Emperor Realm expert who dared enter. These people had committed murder right at the city gate, and the enmity with the Liuying Sword Sect was irreconcilable—how could they simply be let through?
"Let them in!"
Li Qingyun's voice came once more, this time carrying a note of authority.
The disciple commanding the formation gritted his teeth after a moment of conflicting expressions and bellowed, "Clear the path!"
Whoosh...
The crowd parted to both sides on their own, and the terrifying sword intent diminished sharply. Once the formation's participants moved, the formation could no longer be maintained.
"A wise choice," Yang Kai muttered, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. He secretly found this Li Qingyun rather interesting.
Under the venomous stares of countless hostile eyes, Yang Kai led Ye Jinghan and Du Xian in through the gates with long, unhurried strides. Unlike Yang Kai's calm composure, both Ye Jinghan and Du Xian were tense inside, swallowing repeatedly and keeping their Origin Power surging but restrained, afraid the Liuying Sword Sect would renege and launch a sudden ambush.
But they walked all the way into the City Lord's Mansion without incident. The two glanced at each other and couldn't help but let out a breath of relief.
Inside the great hall of the City Lord's Mansion, a figure sat cross-legged. The figure was upright as a sword, carrying the bearing of a grandmaster. Before him lay a three-foot blade of jade-green steel. For some unknown reason, it kept emitting a humming ring, and as Yang Kai drew nearer, the sound grew more urgent, more rapid, as if sounding some kind of alarm.
Yang Kai couldn't help but take a few extra glances at the sword.
Li Qingyun still had his eyes closed. He reached out and gently stroked the blade, and the three-foot sword fell silent at once. He spoke: "The Yuxu Sword is the treasure-guarding artifact of our Liuying Sword Sect. By tradition, only the Sect Master may carry it. It has the ability to issue warnings—the stronger the enemy, the more urgent its alarm. Relying on it, I have avoided many dangers. Unfortunately, this time there may be no avoiding it."
"Sect Master Li!" Yang Kai cupped his fists and gave a slight nod.
Standing behind Yang Kai, Ye Jinghan and Du Xian had eyes blazing red with fury, glaring at Li Qingyun through clenched teeth, looking as though they wanted nothing more than to kill him on the spot.
"Who exactly are you?" Li Qingyun raised his eyes to look at Yang Kai.
"A nameless nobody. Even if I told you, Sect Master Li wouldn't know the name," Yang Kai replied evenly.
Li Qingyun said, "A reputation is earned through one's deeds. After today, your name will surely spread far and wide."
Yang Kai smiled. "Fleeting reputation, floating fame—it's all dust. Life is but a dream. The martial path is eternal!"
Li Qingyun's eyelids narrowed sharply, and a piercing gleam erupted from his eyes as he stared at Yang Kai. He felt as though every word struck like a pearl of wisdom, each syllable hammering upon his heart like a heavy mallet. Somewhere in the depths of his consciousness, he seemed to grasp something—as though clouds were parting to reveal the bright moon. But when he tried to think it through carefully, he found nothing, and his brows furrowed.
With a soft sigh, he said, "Indeed, each generation produces its own heroes, and the new replaces the old."
His face held a look of dejection, as though he had suffered some blow. After a pause, he continued: "So you've come to stand up for the Thousand Leaves Sect? If that's the case, then make your move. Though I know I am no match for you, I am not one to simply sit and await death."
Yang Kai turned to look at Ye Jinghan and Du Xian and asked, "Do you want me to kill him? Just nod, and I'll take his life."
Du Xian and Ye Jinghan gritted their teeth, the redness in their eyes deepening further as their killing intent solidified into something almost tangible.
This was the man who, one year ago, had led a massive force of Liuying Sword Sect disciples into the Thousand Leaves Sect, slaughtering without mercy. Countless brothers and sisters had perished under his blade. For the entire past year, the two of them had thought of nothing but killing this man and avenging their fallen kin. And now the enemy stood right before them—they believed Yang Kai could follow through and end his life, yet somehow, neither of them could bring themselves to nod.
As though sharing the same unspoken thought, Ye Jinghan closed her eyes and whispered, "Senior Brother!"
Du Xian drew a deep breath. "The仇 of an annihilated sect must be avenged with our own hands!"
Yang Kai smiled at them. "Then you'd better train hard. He is an Emperor Realm expert, after all."
Du Xian said through clenched teeth, "We are younger than him."
Youth was the greatest asset of all.
Li Qingyun gave a slight nod, his gaze complex as he regarded the two of them. "I shall be awaiting your arrival at any time."
Du Xian pointed at him and declared, "Rest easy. The Liuying Sword Sect will one day fall at my, Du Xian's, hands. And your head will be mine."