Army Garrison Mountain.
This was a mountain peak in Flying Cloud Commandery. It was only three hundred feet tall, but the areas around it were barren and underdeveloped.
Due to the low yield, there were hardly any residents, and the secluded land was bleak.
However, a bamboo house was built on a small lake at the foot of the mountain.
The bamboo house was located at the center of a lake and had a wooden bridge joining it with the shore. The mountain and the lake in the background comprised an interesting scene.
Ding!
The clash of swords rang out like thunder. Two swordsmen were apparently engaged in battle.
The atmosphere of their battle was even more impressive than the battle between Gu Qixing and Elder Jiang Li, the Petal Rinsing Divine Sword.
If any martial artists witnessed the scene, they would be shocked.
It was surprising that such peerless swordsmen dwelt on the bleak Army Garrison Mountain!
One of these swordsmen was an elder, and the other was a youth. The elder swordsman wore a feather coat, and his long white eyebrows dangled from his face, while the youth was only sixteen or seventeen years old.
Dang!
The two swords clashed, and the youth quickly took a few steps back.
When he was about to move forward again, the tip of a sword touched his throat.
He swallowed his saliva and begged for mercy, “I lost, Master!”
“Hmm. You withstood 365 moves from me this time. Your swordsmanship has improved. Not bad, not bad…” The elder stroked his beard, looking happy. “Lei, you’re a born swordsman, and your mind is pure like a child’s. The Sword Dao of the Pugilistic World will honor you as their leader in the future.”
He was extremely satisfied with this disciple.
The youth was not only gifted in the Sword Dao but also diligent and persistent in his practice. He had a promising future.
He had already achieved a cultivation of first-grade Martial Dao grandmaster!
This was shocking even in the holy grounds of the Pugilistic World.
“Lei, my Sword Dao focuses on fast progress and breakthroughs via enlightenment… Do you understand why I’ve kept you in the mountain for more than ten years? That was to maintain the purity of your mind before you go through the training of society… You may be able to enter the Heavenly Phenomenon realm at that time!” Swordsman Bai Mei disclosed his entire plan.
“I will never forget my gratitude for all your instruction!” The youth, Lei, knelt down immediately. “I like life on the mountain and don’t want to leave!”
“That’s only because the time has not yet come…” Swordsman Bai Mei gazed at his disciple, but his gaze carried some profound meaning.
“Hehe… What a shame! Stone Oaf, you were defeated by Master again!”
After Bai Mei went into the house, the girl who watched their battle immediately approached the youth. She had two dark braids and healthy wheat-colored skin. Her bright eyes were like crescent moons when she smiled.
The name of this youth was Shi Lei, while the girl was his junior sister, Fu Hongmian. They were close friends who had grown up together, and it was common for them to joke about each other.
“It’s normal that I’m weaker than Master…”
Having heard the girl’s comment that did not convey any ill intent, Shi Lei smiled honestly, without the aura of a first-grade grandmaster.
“Since you talked about it… Stone Oaf, why won’t you go down the mountain?” asked Fu Hongmian as she winked.
“There’s nothing particularly good about life down the mountain! Moreover… I’ll miss this place and Master… You know that he’ll probably starve to death without us cooking for him!”
The honest youth scratched his head and grinned.
“Hmph… Are you looking down on me?”
Fu Hongmian could not help pouting.
She looked mediocre and was not gentle like most girls. But for some unknown reason, Shi Lei liked watching her smiles and her movements when she washed clothes or practiced martial arts.
Of course, he liked this place as well. He liked the mountain and the lake, as well as the old dog that always stole food from the kitchen.
As long as I can live with Master and Junior Sister, I’ll be happy even if I stay here for a lifetime.
Shi Lei imagined his future happily.
However, the tranquility was shattered the next moment.
A deep and charming voice rang out. “Sword Grandmaster, your old acquaintance is here to pay a visit. I hope to meet you in person!”
The youth and the girl saw the image of a handsome middle-aged man with white-haired temples in their seas of consciousness.
“Who are you?”
Shi Lei lifted his head and became alert as he gazed at a figure that suddenly appeared in the house at the lake center.
“Twenty years ago, the Sword Grandmaster—the leader of swordsmen—was honored as first in the Pugilistic World’s Sword Dao. But surprisingly, he chose to recuse himself at the peak of his life. Who would’ve expected that the Grandmaster was enjoying teaching his disciples here?”
The middle-aged man looked the same as the figure in Shi Lei’s sea of consciousness. His purple eyes glanced at the youth, and he nodded. “He’s a gifted swordsman and has an innocent heart. His cultivation has reached first-grade grandmaster at such a young age. You’ve indeed found an excellent disciple to pass down your skills to!”
He clearly knew the power of the Sword Grandmaster’s Sword Dao, where the swordsman made progress via enlightenment. A sudden breakthrough in realm was expected once the swordsman went through enlightenment.
With the potential of this youth, he would most likely advance to Heavenly Phenomenon after another enlightenment!
“The Demon Sect? Sky Fiend Dao Lord?” Sword Grandmaster Bai Mei walked out from the bamboo house with a grave expression. “The Sky Fiend Dao is the leader of the Six Dao Demon Sect! You’re Sky Fiend Dao Master, an enemy of our Orthodox Dao. How dare you come here?”
“Haven’t you realized why I’m here?” Sky Fiend Dao Master laughed. “I heard that you were indulged in gathering Divine Armaments, and you gave up all your fortune and worked as a slave for ten years just in exchange for a famous sword. Among all swordsmen in the world, you have the most abundant collection! I’ve come to ask for a sword today!”
“Cough cough…” Sword Grandmaster Bai Mei coughed, opening his empty palms. “I’m sorry that I can’t satisfy your demand. After I decided to live in seclusion, I threw away most of those famous swords. Even the Divine Armament I carried with me, the Five Elements Cloud Qi Sword, has been given away!”
The Five Elements Cloud Qi Sword was the sixth Divine Armament!
And the Sword Grandmaster gave it up like he was dealing with worn-out boots. What kind of realm was he in?
“Your realm puts me to shame… It’s laughable that I’ve spent all my time searching for external aids!”
Sky Fiend Dao Master sighed and slowly lifted his right hand.
He had five sharp, black finger-cots on his right hand, each connected to a black wristband by a chain.
Slight friction was sufficient to ignite sparks.
“The Sky Fiend Claw? Wasn’t this Demonic Armament lost a long time ago?”
Sword Grandmaster Bai Mei was shocked. He then saw Sky Fiend Dao Master walking toward him steadily. “You gave up your swords, while I spent three years suppressing the demonic nature of this claw and another three years mastering it!”
Realms could never determine the outcome of a battle between martial artists.
Although Elder Bai Mei’s swordsmanship had entered an unimaginable realm after he discarded his swords, he still felt inexplicably shocked by Sky Fiend Dao Master.
“Please!”
“Please!”
Both of them cupped their hands and immediately clashed.
Rumble!
The air trembled. Shi Lei protected his junior sister as they hastily retreated.
The ability displayed by Bai Mei was totally different from what he had revealed in the earlier practice.
Damn the old guy. He didn’t fight with all his strength in the first place!
Shi Lei was shocked by Elder Bai Mei’s real ability. “Who is Sky Fiend Dao Master?”
Lei! A voice rang out secretly in his ears. Watch this battle, and then… bring your junior sister down the mountain!
“Master?” Shi Lei’s eyes turned red, an ominous feeling filling his mind.
“Sword Grandmaster, admit defeat! You’re no match for me!” Sky Fiend Dao Master could still advise his opponent to give up while resolving the opponent’s moves. Evidently, he was not using his full strength.
“Haha… Swordsmen fight to the death!”
The Sword Grandmaster looked solemn, streaks of Sword Qi surrounding him.
Bloop! Bloop!
Bubbles emerged from the lake, and all sorts of swords immediately flew out.
“This lake… is called the Discarded Swords Lake. It contains most of the swords I collected.” The voice of the Sword Grandmaster was distinct and determined. “All swords pay homage to the leader!”
Zap zap!
Thousands of flying swords moved like they were alive, transforming into a sword dragon and charging at Sky Fiend Dao Master.
The Sword Grandmaster stood straight, surrounded by Sword Qi. “If I can kill this demon, I’ll be doing a good deed!”
Ding! Ding! Dang! Dang!
Unfortunately, when the flying swords reached Sky Fiend Dao Master, they only generated metallic sounds.
In the deafening noise, armor covering the entire body of Sky Fiend Dao Master was revealed.
The flying swords left behind nothing more than white marks and sparks on the armor.
“The Evil God Armor? You’re controlling two Demonic Armaments on your own!”
The sword dragon disintegrated, but Sword Grandmaster Bai Mei’s voice showed no sign of resignation. “Lei! Run!”
Rumble!!
He shouted and pushed backward with his palm.
“Ah!”
Shi Lei and Xiaodie were immediately engulfed by a sword stream and flew out of the battlefield.
Poof!
Sky Fiend Dao Master’s claw pressed heavily on the Sword Grandmaster’s body and tore it up.
Blood splattered. The elder crashed into the house, his mouth and nose bleeding.
“Ah! The Golden Needle Acupoint Piercing—the Three Deadly Techniques!”
The Sword Grandmaster was red-eyed. He whipped out a few golden needles and punctured his own body.
Rumble
Numerous air bubbles rolled beneath his skin like small rats. As soon as he regained mobility, he charged at Sky Fiend Dao Master.
My disciple… This is all I can do for you!
This was his thought when he was beheaded.
…
“Master…”
Meanwhile, the youth, Shi Lei, gazed at the foot of the mountain and burst into tears.
All sorts of famous armaments were scattered around him, most of which were rusted, but there were some exceptions.
“Senior Brother… What happened?” Fu Hongmian felt bewildered.
“Nothing… We need to go to the Pugilistic World!”
Choked with sobs, Shi Lei quickly moved forward and tried to pick out a powerful armament to protect themselves with.
Suddenly, a mysterious sword attracted his attention. He grabbed the sword handle without hesitation.
The dark green sword was extremely cumbersome, and it was surprisingly made of stone!
