“What? Palm Sword Cliff? I didn’t hear wrongly, right?”
“Wow, even the Palm Sword Cliff followers came! When did the Zheng Family become so influential?”
“This is awesome! So awesome!”
“Old Zheng must’ve caught the Palm Sword Cliff’s attention. They’re gonna be rich!”
The Palm Sword Cliff followers caused an uproar with their arrival. All the guests were shocked and stood up involuntarily, looking respectfully toward the directions of the main door.
There were three people. They were all wearing Palm Sword Cliff uniforms and carrying ]longswords on their backs. They swaggered in proudly. Though their spiritual cultivation was only in the realm of Quasi-Saint, all the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals present did not dare to cause any offense to them, so they all painted smiles on their faces. After all, their master was someone they all hoped to become one day.
The arrival of the Palm Sword Cliff followers naturally heightened the atmosphere to the highest level. They were ushered to sit at the super VIP table. The rest of the guests stood up anxiously and made a beeline to make their greetings. All, except one person, who firmly stayed in his seat—observing, drinking, and eating—not making a move.
That person was none other than Jiang Liu.
The previous encounter with the other followers of Palm Sword Cliff had left a bad taste in Jiang Liu’s mouth but even if they were on good terms, he would not ingratiate himself to them. He had the backing of Li Nianfan, of course, who was so much more powerful than the Palm Sword Cliff could ever be,
‘I’m the expert’s personal woodcutter,’ he reminded himself.
The three Palm Cliff Sword’s followers were used to being admired by others. They sat unself-conciously on the super VIP seats.
“This is weird. Big Elder said the signal came from somewhere near here and yet, we’ve been searching for the whole day with nothing to show for.”
“Let’s take our time. I’m sure we’ll find that person soon enough.”
“We should take a rest since we’re already here. Who knows, we might find a clue here.”
They were discussing amongst themselves in low and arrogant voices.
“But check out that guy! How dare he not greet us after knowing we’re from Palm Sword Cliff!”
“These kinds of people won’t be alive for long. Judging by his aura, he’s a sword cultivator, too.”
“Huh? There’s something off about his sword.”
The rest of the guests’ attention was focused on the Palm Sword Cliff. They were trying to figure out what was the relationship between them and the Zheng family.
“Who’s that guy? He’s either stupid or brave for not getting up to greet the Palm Sword Cliff men.”
“That’s how it is when one is young. He doesn’t even know he has offended them. I’m worried for his future.”
“Look! The Palm Sword Cliff followers are walking over to him. He’s going to be in big trouble!”
Everyone held their breath, waiting for what would happen next.
The leader amongst the three was a round-faced monk with a hooked nose. With a smile on his face and with golden light in his eyes, he asked, “Brother, your sword looks awesome. Can I take a closer look at it?”
Jiang Liu took one small sip of the alcohol and gently said, “Leave!”
With just one word, the atmosphere instantly dropped below freezing point, as if the air itself had become solidified. Those who were observing the interaction thought that Jiang Liu must be crazy to behave in such a manner.
The round-faced monk sneered and there was lightning in his eyes. “Brother, this sword looks like one of Palm Sword Cliff’s belongings. Why don’t you hand it over so we can confirm it? I suggest you do what I say before the Eighth Sword Intern comes here as he’s not as easy-going as we are.”
“What? The Eighth Sword Intern’s coming, too?”
“That monk’s so fierce, No wonder he doesn’t give two hoots about the Palm Sword Cliff followers. A fight might even break out among them!”
“Did he really steal the sword from them? He’s dead for sure!”
Everyone was shocked at what they had heard and instantly became filled with fear.
Recently, Palm Sword Cliff had become very popular and the ten Great Sword Interns had become celebrities of sorts in the Area of the Gods. The fact that five of the sword interns had joined forces together to take out a high-level member from the Heavenly Realm who was way beyond their ranks was enough to go down in history as the most shocking battle of all time.
There was an insurmountable gulf between Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal realm and Heavenly Realm. The Origins of Life of the Heavenly Realm theoretically could not be obliterated by a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal. However, the ten Great Sword Interns had set a precedent, which was a miracle.
Although it was a joint effort, there was no doubt that any single one of them was definitely on par with the strongest Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal. An ordinary Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal would not be able to hold a candle to them at all.
So, it was natural for them to become shocked when they found out the Eighth Sword Intern was coming as well.
Jiang Liu did not even look at them when he said indifferently, “Since you aren’t qualified to talk to me, let’s talk about it when the Eighth Sword Intern comes. Leave me alone for now!”
Suddenly, an old man rushed in from outside with a mixed expression as he was both excited and worried at the same time. He was the banquet’s host, the patriarch of the Zheng Family—Zheng Yunhe.
He became excited at the news of the Palm Sword Cliff followers’ arrival but became worried when he heard a fight was about to break out.
“Greetings, followers of Palm Sword Cliff, and greetings, to this brother as well. I’m Zheng Yunhe,” said Zheng Yunhe while bowing deeply at the same time. He then hurriedly said to Jiang Liu, “Brother, they’re from the Palm Sword Cliff and they’re capable of killing a high-level member of the Heavenly Realm. Why don’t you do what they say and show them your sword? I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding.”
“Not another word from you or else. Don’t blame me for striking first!” said Jiang Liu.
“I’m certain the sword you’re holding belongs to the Palm Sword Cliff! This is your last chance to hand it over, kneel, and beg for mercy. I might spare you!” said the arrogant round-faced follower coldly.
Jiang Liu silently raised his hand and made a gentle pushing motion.
Boom!
A vertical palm print appeared in the thin air, rushed toward the three followers, and sent them flying out of the Zheng Family’s main door. The three followers fell to the ground with blood gushing out of their mouths. They felt as if their bones had crumbled apart, making it difficult for them to even stand up. They looked towards the main door, eyes full of vehemence and coldness, not daring to go in again.
Inside the Zheng Family’s house, everyone gasped with horror and their hearts skipped a few beats.
“Who is this guy? How could he do such a thing to the Palm Sword Cliff? Is he not afraid to die?”
Zheng Yunhe nervously wiped away the sweat beading on his forehead. He dared not cause any offense to the Palm Sword Cliff followers but he could do nothing about Jiang Liu. He could only pray that he would not be dragged into the whole thing.
The seconds ticked by. No one, except for Jiang Liu, had any appetite left.
Suddenly, a figure in the distance flashed by before anyone could take a good look. By the time they had adjusted their eyes, the figure had already appeared in front of them on his flying sword.
The person was wearing a dark green robe and his facial features were sharp—especially his eyes, making it daunting to look him in the eye. He exuded a terrifying and powerful aura that formed an invisible barrier around him.
“Greetings to the Eighth Sword Intern!” said the three followers at the same time.
“Who did this to you?” asked the Eighth Sword Intern when he saw their injuries.
“A sword cultivator with a death wish! We suspect he has the thing we’ve been looking for,” answered the round-faced follower vehemently.
The Eighth Sword Intern strode forward with the wind on his back. “To the person who dared hurt the Palm Cliff Sword’s followers, come out and be prepared to die!” he shouted coldly toward the Zheng Family’s house.
His voice was like thunder imbued with the sharpness of a sword. It could pierce through one’s eardrums and strike fear in anyone’s heart.
“He’s here. The Eighth Sword Intern’s really here!” said somebody in a shaky voice.
“The sharpness in his voice alone is so powerful! Should he go berserk, I have no doubt he’ll be able to take out all the people here who aren’t Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals in one go.
“The sword interns’ reputation precedes them. I’m pretty sure they’d reach the Heavenly Realm in no time!”
All the guests were in awe and stood up to get a better look.
Zheng Yunhe turned towards Jiang Liu, who was still eating as if nothing happened at all, and said, “Brother, the Palm Sword Cliff’s followers are waiting for you outside.”
“Let them wait. I want to finish my meal first,” replied Jiang Liu serenely.
Zheng Yunhe scrunched up his face and gulped before walking out of his house to pass on the message to the Eighth Sword Intern. The latter replied calmly, “Fine by me. It’s only fair that he should have his last meal before dying.”
Then, he closed his eyes and an indescribable aura started to surround him. From the outside, it looked as if there was a division of space between them and him. The illusion created a trance-like effect for everyone.
The atmosphere became tenser than before as if countless swords were floating around the air, waiting for the moment to attack.
“Our gaze seemed to be cut out by his surroundings!” said someone in surprise after staring at the Eighth Sword Intern.
“He’s gathering force!” explained an elder who had seen the same thing happening before.
The foundation of being a sword cultivator boiled down to one word-force! Meaning to say, the sword is only as powerful as the wielder.
The Eighth Sword Intern was gathering and compressing the fury and murderous intent in his heart, continuously nurturing it so that once it was unleashed, no one would be able to withstand his attack.
The more force he gathered, the more powerful his attack would be.
The guests were worried for Jiang Liu, who was taking his own sweet time to finish his meal as if death was not waiting outside for him.
After a long while, Jiang Liu finally walked out of the house and made eye contact with the Eighth Sword Intern. Although his aura was not as sharp as the Eighth Sword Intern’s, his calmness belied just how powerful he truly was.
The Eighth Sword Servant recognized the longsword in Jiang Liu’s hand at a glance and felt the immeasurable sword Wisdom contained in it. He raised his brows and said, “Sure enough, it’s the little thief who took the Palm Sword Cliff’s treasure. Die!”
“Come and get it if you can,” said Jiang Liu with a smile. “The expert did say I should sharpen my knife. You should be honored to be the first person I use this sword against!”
Jiang Liu was happy to bump into the Palm Sword Cliff’s followers here as it would save him a lot of time. He could jump straight into eliminating them.
All the guests’ eyes widened in horror. They knew Jiang Liu was crazy but not this crazy! Who gave him the courage to treat the Palm Sword Cliff’s followers as sword sharpeners? Who exactly was he?
The Eighth Sword Intern smiled and said arrogantly, “I’ll be your first and your last for you’ll be a dead man at the end of this fight!”
Both of them were sword cultivators and both of their auras were sharp.
A silence fell over them.
They stood facing each other, both their forces gaining momentum. A powerful air current surged up as the sword aura was overflowing, forming an invisible arena.
At one point, the Eighth Sword Intern narrowed his eyes and pointed his finger towards Jiang Liu. The longsword behind him flew in response to the command, bringing up a burst of strong sword light. It was like lightning piercing the night sky, dazzling the guests. Suddenly, it rushed toward Jiang Liu.
The sword had not even reached him and yet, the force itself had already cut through the clouds in the sky and the lake behind Jiang Liu. The sight of the splitting sky and the crash of the waves was truly a majestic sight!
Jiang Liu, too, raised his hand. The longsword flew up similarly and rushed toward the longsword coming at him.
Clang!
The force changed direction, spreading to the four corners of the earth.
The Eighth Sword Intern’s longsword was pushed to the side! However, the Eighth Sword Intern jumped into the air, caught the long sword, and sent out another attack!
This attack split the space and brought out all kinds of elemental visions—wind, fire, thunder, and lightning. The Power of Law was mighty, like the power of the world, with the ability to swallow everything!
Jiang Liu’s sword was back in his hand. His body was steady as he took a step forward and sent out another attack. His attack was like a trail of light falling into the air.
When the two swords collided, the endless sword aura enveloped the two of them, creating a barrier in the form of a ball. The ground cracked beneath their feet, continuously sending out tremors.
“Both of them are so strong!”
“I knew the Eighth Sword Intern was strong but I never expected the other guy to be this strong as well! No wonder he wasn’t scared before!”
“No wonder sword cultivators are known for their destructive power! This is too overpowering. Even a shred of sword aura is enough to pierce through everything!”
“This is a battle between sword cultivators. Who exactly is that guy? I can’t believe he can actually keep up with the Eighth Sword Intern!”
“Did you notice how simple his attacks are? It’s as if…he’s chopping wood!”
Everyone could not take their eyes off the battle. Their eyes were wide with astonishment as they looked at Jiang Liu.
Suddenly, a monstrous Sword Intent burst from the Eighth Sword Intern. It did not dissipate but encircled his body until it became a tornado with the Eighth Sword Intern at its center. The tornado was made up of terrifying Sword Qi, imbued with the ultimate destructive power that could annihilate anything and everything.
“Splitting Sky Crumbling Earth!” shouted the Eighth Sword Intern. His eyes were red with murderous intent. The space around him was cut into pieces as he swung his sword with both hands.
The tornado enveloped his longsword and he rushed toward Jiang Liu.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh, came the sound of a windstorm.
Even the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals amongst the crowd who had their protective barriers up could feel the cuts of the wind on their faces. They ignored the pain and focused all their attention on Jiang Liu.
Jiang Liu did not change his stance. His two hands were still on his longsword’s hilt which was giving off a soft glow. Suddenly, he thrust his longsword forward, aiming straight for the Eighth Sword Intern’s tornado-fied sword!
