“Stop arguing, all of you!”
“Hear me out!
“Violence solves nothing. Allow me to be the mediator here, and suggest for everyone to sit down and have a calm discussion?”
Jiang He stepped out in the critical moment, standing between the Nether River Patriarch and the elites of the Hollow Jade Temple. He was worried that everyone would really start fighting if he did not, and Swift Star could be destroyed if a tiny iota of their powers was misaimed.
Silence immediately ensued.
The elites from the Hollow Jade Temple were staring at Jiang He, taken aback.
Even the Nether River Patriarch was staring blankly.
You are going to the mediator?
Do you have no idea how all of this started?
Boom!
The Nether River Patriarch extended his hand and grabbed toward Jiang He. A giant blood-hued hand hence materialized out of thin air and almost instantly encircled Jiang He.
“Nether River!”
At the True Habitant of Yu Ding’s raging bellow, the other elites of the Hollow Jade Temple moved—even so, Jiang He was between them and the Nether River Patriarch. He had moved there out of the blue and the Nether River Patriarch attacked too suddenly, so they were too late to help.
Kaboom!
Various dazzling Dao techniques interweaved and collided in the air, and the horizon was torn through like a piece of cloth. The air was as fragile as paper under attack of elites of such level, and the softest of blows could easily cause the dimensions to collapse.
“You dare stop me?”
The Nether River Patriarch roared in rage.
“How dare you kill Jiang He?!”
The True Habitant of Yu Ding was furious as well.
Meanwhile, Jiang He had reappeared over five thousand kilometers away.
He looked back toward the Nether River Patriarch with rage in his eyes.
He was trying to kill him!
Whoosh!
Teleporting again to return to where he was, his eyes were aflame as he glared tightly at the Nether River Patriarch and roared in rage, “Nether River, you old thug! You’re killing me just because I got your Yuan Killer Sword?”
“…”
The True Habitant of Yu Ding and the other elites of the Hollow Jade Temple reacted slightly to it.
The Yuan Killer Sword?
What was going on?
Beside them, Yu Quan Zi explained with acoustics, “I’m not sure about the full course of events either, just that Jiang He had obtained the Yuan Killer Sword by chance. At the same time, Nether River Patriarch revived by coincidence recently and sent his Sura elites all over to find clues about the Yuan Killer Sword—though they did find Jiang He, Jiang He did not return the sword and instead wrote him a letter…”
“What?”
The red-nosed Daoist appeared curious. “Do you know the content of the letter?”
“Martial Uncle Taiyi!”
Yu Quanzi smiled bitterly. “I had not met Jiang He for long when he sensed the Nether River Patriarch hunting him, and he only gave me a brief idea of the grudge between him and the Nether River Patriarch without going into detail.”
On the other hand, the Nether River Patriarch was shaking with rage despite his Daoist upbringing. His teeth clenched, he was just about to speak when Jiang He added, “Moreover… I wrote you a letter of explanation.”
It would have been fine if he had not mentioned the letter, but now that he did, the Nether River Patriarch became even more furious and appeared in a flash in front of Jiang He.
As for Jiang He…
Whoosh!
He appeared five thousand kilometers away again.
There was a wise smile on his face as he sneered. “I knew you would do that!”
“Impossible!”
The Nether River Patriarch’s gaze darkened as he murmured in confusion, “I have sealed the very air nearby. How did you manage to warp?”
A sea of blood hence churned around him, crashing toward Jiang He, who disappeared in a flash once more and reappeared in outer space. Staring at the Nether River Patriarch as he gave chase, he took a deep breath and said, “Nether River Patriarch, I can’t beat you, just as you can’t kill me. Why don’t we both sit down and talk this out calmly?”
The Nether River Patriarch would not hear a word of it, and unleashed world-breaking godly techniques.
Nonetheless, the True Habitant of Yu Ding and the True Habitant of Tai Yi were prepared for it, and all of them moved at once to stop the Nether River Patriarch, leaving him frustrated beyond words.
“Are you lot really getting in my way?”
“Nether River Patriarch, Jiang He is an important guest of the Hollow Jade Temple. Please turn back!”
The True Habitant of Yu Ding repeated with a good-natured look.
“I will kill anyone who gets in my way today!”
The True Habitant of Nether River Patriarch’s aura arose, and a fight was about to break out once more and Jiang He promptly said, “Everyone, stop. Nether River Patriarch, you only want the Yuan Killer Sword, yes? I could just give it to you, why come to blows?”
“Hmmm?”
The Nether River Patriarch laughed coldly as he turned to Jiang He and barked, “Give it to me!”
“However, I have a condition.”
Jiang He said, “While I’ve learned since kindergarten that returning lost items to their owner is good morals, I am now a full-fledged Grand Luo, so I amount to nothing in the celestial battlefield where elites exist everywhere. However, the Yuan Killer Sword strengthens me to some extent when it is in my grasp…”
“So, I promise you that I would return it to you once I reach Demi-Saint. I would never renege on that promise, and I could even swear it.”
Jiang He spoke earnestly, even adding, “I have killed countless ever since I started cultivating and never compromised, and I only agree to return the Yuan Killer Sword because it originally belongs to you.”
In Jiang He’s mind, however…
As long as his career in the celestial battlefield booms and he could gather enough immortal pellets, he could farm tons of Farm Points. It would not take him long to reach Demi-Saint, and given the uniqueness of his System, he would become a full-fledged Demi-Saint immediately. With both his cultivation Farm Level improving, he just had to make himself an impressive cultivation technique and a set of mystic treasures tailored to himself, and not even the Yuan Killer Sword would mean a thing to him.
Even so…
Would the Nether River Patriarch understand his methods?
There was a giant gap between Grand Luo to Demi-Saint, and it would take years or decades to gain enlightenment. Of course, there was a chance that you would not ascend even after millions of years.
However, with five elites from the Hollow Jade Temple interfering, and Jiang He’s own unusual warping technique…
Smiling sinisterly, he turned to leave.
His voice rang beside Jiang He’s ears, “You’ve got guys, runt… I shall reclaim my own possession, you don’t have to give it to me!”
“The Twelve Hollow Jade Temple Immortals… Hah!” Those words rang at the same time in the ears of the Hollow Jade Temple elites.
In the next instant, the dimensions quaked and the sea of blood covering the skies promptly faded, turning into a streak of blood light.
The True Habitant of Tai Yi, the True Habitant of Yu Ding and the others only breathed a sigh of relief after the Nether River Patriarch left, and Wang Hou himself did so as well. He had been on his toes all along, and now came to Jiang He, whispering, “Jiang He…”
Understanding Wang Hou’s intent, Jiang He waved to cut him off and said, “You don’t have to say it, Minister Wang. I have my plans.”
He turned towards the Hollow Jade Temple elites, who were looking at them as well.
“You must be Brother Jiang He and Brother Wang Hou whom Tu Xing Sun, my martial nephew, spoke of before?” The True Habitant of Yu Ding asked then.
“Your reputation precedes you, Brother Jiang He, and you certainly prove extraordinary now that we get to meet you…”
They then had some small talk, with the True Habitant of Tai Yi laughing heartily, “You are a bold one, Jiang He… you would not give face even if it was the Nether River Patriarch! You are the first Grand Luo who has gone that far.”
After that, they returned to Sky City above Swift Star.
Jiang He more or less became acquainted with the five Hollow Jade Temple temples after some introduction.
They were indeed the Twelve Hollow Jade Temple Immortals. Aside from the True Habitant of Tai Yi, the True Habitant of Tai Yi and Ju Liu Sun, the yellow-robed Daoist riding an immortal crane was the True Habitant of Yellow Dragon.
The other man who rode a qilin and held a folding fan was the True Lord of Morality and Pure Nothingness ranked bottom of the Twelve Hollow Jade Temple Immortals. He was also the master of Huang Tianhua, noted for his fame in the Investiture of the Gods and the eldest son of Flying Tiger Huang.
Their reaction surprised both Jiang He and Wang Hou.
Those people were all elites who had gained famed untold eons ago… but they did not put on airs despite being the personal disciples of Saints.
After some small talk, the True Habitant of Yu Ding mentioned the Nether River Patriarch.
He said, “Brother Jiang He, Nether River is extremely cruel. Back when he first betrayed the Three Realms, he led the Suras on a massacre of some lesser races. However, he eventually offended a Saint of the Western Sect and was forced to slumber after a massive battle, while his Yuan Killer Sword was gone without a trace. Now that he has awakened and learned that you have it, he would not let this go.”
“It’s fine.”
Jiang He waved him off with a smile. “I will resolve this matter myself. It is also why I’ve come to the celestial battlefield anyway!”
Inwardly, he felt moved.
Back on Earth, he had killed countless beings to protect himself and to live in peace. He did not expect that he had to keep killing at the celestial battlefield—take the Nether River Patriarch for example—Jiang He had agreed to return the Yuan Killer Sword, and here he was still pushing him…
As such… this could only be solved by violence.
“The Nether River Patriarch is overwhelmingly powerful and an elite of the Demonic Sect. Once he sets his eyes on me…”
Jiang He could not help shuddering at the thought… if it was a direct confrontation, he was confident in escaping with teleport, but it would be dangerous if the Nether River Patriarch ambushed him!
“That is why I must improve my ability as quick as possible!”
“Time to earn Farm Points. This can’t wait…”
With that thought, Jiang He took out a rank-seven Body Honing Pellet and said, “Brothers, aside from two little objectives, I actually came to the celestial battlefield with an offer to make with the Chan Sect!”
“How many of these Body Honing Pellets does the Chan Sect have?”
Right then, Jiang He was showing an easygoing generosity, even coolly saying, “I’ll have as many as I can get… and I’ll pay you handsomely for it!”
