The air was stirring as if a rock had been thrown upon the surface of a placid lake.
Jiang He looked up and found the center point of the stirring.
It was directly in the skies above his yard.
Elite auras were taking to the skies from the direction of Lingzhou City as well and streaking toward his direction rapidly. Frowning, Jiang He promptly put away his farm as a ‘pebble’.
Whoosh!
The first person to reach was a burly white-haired old man dressed in a Tang suit and canvas shoes. He offered Jiang He a fist-palm salute before looking up somberly at the skies.
An elder of the Ji clan?
Jiang He’s eyes twitched as he deduced the old man’s identity with his aura.
The old man’s aura was remarkably similar to Ji Dongxu’s, having clearly cultivated from the same discipline. His aura was also firm and strong, even a little superior to that of Yang Luchan, Wang Hou, and the others.
Soon, Dong Haichuan, Yang Luchan, and another Void-tier elite arrived as well, while Three Blades Lin, Pei Donglai, and the other divine-tier elites arrived just behind them.
Then, even the rank-nines, eights, and sevens reached them.
Jiang He studied the crowd, quietly gasping in astonishment…
The elites of the Hua Nation were truly many, and martial arts would definitely flourish once again after another few decades of development.
Even so, the Stargate was about to open and the Sky Demons would never give the Hua Nation time to develop.
Now, everyone was looking together in the skies somberly.
“Damn it!”
Three Blades Lin cursed. “What are the Sky Demons doing? Weren’t they supposed to come in another ten days? Why would they come ahead of schedule?”
Beside him, Pei Donglai had a dark look on his face.
The Sky Demon legion’s early arrival had instantly interrupted every military and Martial Arts Department (MAD) operation—right now, Lingzhou City had yet to be evacuated, not to mention that the military’s forces and their ammunitions had yet to be moved here.
He whipped out his satellite phone and headed off to a corner to contact military command, while another MAD elite contacted Minister Wang.
The other elites were all looking grave.
“Ah!”
The Ji clan’s elder suddenly breathed a long sigh. “The Stargate would form in either half a day or two days. When that happens, all of Earth would be reduced to ashes once again.”
“That is not certain.”
Jiang He said, looking at the horizon as well. “If we are able to keep them stuck in the Stargate, unable to get out, they naturally can’t cause any trouble on Earth.”
Everyone looked toward him then, while the Ji clan elder did a double take before smiling. “The Sky Demons are so powerful that even their weakest become powerful warriors after reaching adulthood. Their last invasion six hundred years ago saw the heroes of Hua Nation’s martial world all repelled even when they tried to ambush the Sky Demons at the mouth of the Stargate, and if the Wudang’s elder had not came out of confinement and repelled their legion as a one-man army, sealing the Stargate, Earth would long since have been conquered by the Sky Demons.”
It turned out that the Ji clan elder actually knows about many secrets. He continued, “Countless casualties were inflicted upon the martial world in that battle, with many legacies hence becoming lost. Coupled with the dormancy of Spirit Qi, the Old Martial Era hence ended, leaving the Five Holy Grounds surviving by a hair’s breadth, relying on their Secret Realm’s to maintain their legacies while each of them guarded a Stargate.”
Most of the people present were not even aware of such mysteries.
It was the first time Jiang He had heard about that, and with his interest piqued, he smiled. “Elder Ji, since everyone here is a martial artist, why don’t we all have some tea in my house since the Stargate hasn’t formed anyway? We’ll talk about our own journeys and how to fight the Sky Demon legion, how about that?”
The Ji clan elder nodded in agreement, smiling, “How could I refuse if it’s you inviting, Mister Jiang?”
Pei Donglai, Three Blades Lin, as well as the other military elites and MAD elites declined, however. Now that the Stargate was open, the Sky Demon legion was about to descend upon them and they had much to do.
Meanwhile, the Ji clan elder, Dong Haichuan, Yan Luchan, and Elder Lin all landed at Jiang He’s mansion, and Jiang He order Sora to cook and Boa Hancock to make tea.
After a few exchange, Elder Lin then started discussing about the Sky Demons.
The air turned somber once again, leaving Jiang He speechless…
What the heck?
The Sky Demon legion had yet to arrive and the battle had not even started but everyone is scowling reluctantly. Where is the courage needed when the demons really arrived?
I’m not acting like that even though the Sky Demons opened the Stargate right on top of my house, you know?
Soon, the aroma of rice wafted from the kitchen.
Everyone was surprised by the Dragontooth Rice. The Ji clan elder even asked to buy some, though Jiang He refused.
As his own house did not even have enough stock, how was he supposed to sell it?
After eating, the Ji clan elder, Dong Haichuan, and Yang Luchan all offered a fist-palm salute and left. They were all returning to Lingzhou City to help the military and other MAD personnel to support the temporary evacuation of civilians from the city.
“Oh.”
Jiang He breathed a long sigh, saying, “It is fortunate that this is temporary or I would have to move as well if the hundred thousands of civilians are really moving away.”
Elder Lin stayed.
He was closer to Jiang He, and could not help chuckling. “If you really are considering moving, you could move to Sichuan and be my neighbor. There’s an antiquated air in our city and the scenery is not bad.”
“Let’s save that for later.”
Jiang He smiled. “To tell the truth, I’ve been living here for so long that I have feelings for this place… I wouldn’t leave unless I’m really forced to.”
He then looked up at the horizon, feeling the spatial ripple that was growing in strength and said, “I did not mention it when Elder Ji and the others were present, afraid that they would assume that I was bragging…”
Pausing, Jiang He’s tone changed as his killing intent abruptly rushed into the air and he said sinisterly, “How dare the Sky Demons open the Stargate above my head? Do they really take me for someone easily bullied?”
Elder Lin actually took a few steps back from Jiang He’s killing intent.
And yet, in the very next instant, Jiang He’s aura was already withdrawn and he smiled, “Brother Lin, could I trouble you to be guard the house while I head upstairs to cultivate some secret techniques for use against the Sky Demon legion later?”
Elder Lin’s ancient face appeared blank.
The Stargate is already forming—isn’t it too late for you to cultivate now?
Even so, Jiang He was already striding upstairs, thinking to himself that he would cultivate the second and third style of the Twenty-Three Swords even as he climbed up.
Ooom!
As the single hum of a sword echoed out of Jiang He’s body, countless swords resonated to it within fifty kilometers.
By the time Jiang He reached the split landing, his body’s aura had abruptly expanded.
Boom!
A towering presence rushed into the air.
The Golden Pellet shattered as a True Child was born.
Jiang He had reached True Child with a single thought, completing his ascension by the time he reached the third floor…
He was now a full-fledged True Child Sword Sage.
Glancing at his system stats panel, Jiang He noticed that he had over five hundred thousand Farm Points left…
The second fold of the Nameless Sword Array—the Sword Array of Yin-Yang and Three Realms—cost two hundred thousand points to learn. On the other hand, the fourth fold, the Sword Array of Four Harmonies and Universality cost three hundred thousand, while the fifth fold, the Sword Array of Five Elements and Six Pulses cost five hundred thousand.
After some thought, Jiang He asked, “System, could I skip the second and third folds, and learn the fifth fold, the Sword Array of Five Elements and Six Pulses directly instead?”
Having gathered flying swords of all five elements and all of them being premium-grade soul weapons with one superior-grade to spare, Jiang He would dare to stand up against even Convergence-tier cultivators, left alone Yuan Spirits—if he could indeed lay out the Sword Array of Five Elements and Six Pulses!
