Meanwhile, for the Lin clan of Jingdu City, being a martial clan and boasting the presence of elites the likes of Old Lin and Three Blades Lin, they were certainly one of the strongest clans in the martial world of the Hua Nation, and would naturally have the riches to oppose nations.
However, that was not actually the case.
Neither Old Lin nor Three Blades Lin cared about clan affairs and the location of Old Lin himself would always tend to be unknown. Likewise, Three Blades Lin was unemployed even now, and with the few members of the entire clan, Three Blades Lin’s nephew was managing the clan at present.
They had a small enterprise and though they were not impoverished, their fortunes were nothing to brag about.
Even the clan’s old residence—an imposing courtyard house—was one inherited from their ancestors.
And at the old residence right now, Lin Tianzheng was bearing a somber look, opposite of which say a black-robed middle-aged man, who was smiling faintly. “Though you and I have not met, we are indeed master and disciple. Every decision on that day was made by the sect leader and I can’t disregard his will.”
The middle-aged man was the True Habitant of Nine Dragons, a member of the Penglai Immortal Sect.
When Lin Tianzheng had entered the sect before, he was taken in as a nominal disciple by the True Habitant of Nine Dragons himself…and his status was nominal because he was a little old.
Still, being one of the top elites in the world right now, Lin Tianzheng himself had great destiny as the Taixu Sect Leader had put it, and the Penglai Sect was willing to accept him as a disciple even if he was a little older.
Be that as it may, Lin Tianzheng did not say anything in response toward the True Habitant of Nine Dragons’s explanation, just as he was not bothered to say anything.
He understood how heartless the immortal sects could be.
They kept insisting that they must not leave their mountain since the time has not come. However, how many days had it been since and now the True Habitant of Nine Dragons came to Jingdu City, true form and all?
And now, he was acting neither proud nor humble toward the True Habitant of Nine Dragons, saying, “True Habitant, I have cut all ties with the Penglai sect. You ought not speak of our relationship as master and disciple.”
“Very well.”
Without further ado, the True Habitant of Nine Dragons went straight to the point and said, “I’ve come to you to talk about Jiang He. The Penglai Immortal Sect is willing to offer Jiang He some immortal cultivation, and I know that commoners have a method of communicating over thousands of miles. Help me contact Jiang He and have him come see me.”
Lin Tianzheng did a double take.
Having Jiang He come to meet you?
You have really lost your mind…
That kid, running thousands of miles to meet you here at Jingdu City?
Lin Tianzheng declined, saying that Jiang He had been seriously wounded in the previous battle and his current recovery unknown.
Even so, the True Habitant of Nine Dragons smiled. “It’s fine, just contact him. Since the Penglai Sect is willing to help him cultivate as an immortal, this bit of injury is not out of the question.”
***
At Jiang He’s house in Lingzhou City, Dumbo and Trumbo had quietly stepped out of the farm and were looking up at the two people up in the skies while communicating in spirit, “Don’t you think those two are retards? If they are fighting to recruit Master, shouldn’t they be prostrating themselves?”
“Hey…”
“What would you know? Those are immortals who are all high and mighty. Isn’t it normal for them to look down on us commoners?”
“Hetui!” The Seven Bottle Gourd Brothers were all spitting over at another side.
Meanwhile, over Jiang He’s head…
The Taixu Sect Elder appeared unhappy with Jiang He’s tone, but he descended anyway.
On the other hand, Zhong Yue of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect laughed coldly and said, “How dare you speak to me with that attitude, Jiang He?”
“Could you really believe yourself to be unbeatable just by inheriting some immortal art through chance?”
“On this day, I have come under orders from our True Habitant to bestow you with immortal cultivation. It is a blessing you accumulate through several lifetimes, so don’t you be so tactless.”
Jiang He’s gaze darkened, although his phone started ringing just as he was about to attack.
Whipping out his phone to see that it was a call from Lin Tianzheng, he promptly laughed coldly. “Zhong Yue, was it? How dare you throw your weight around in my face—but it wouldn’t be too late to deal with you after I finished my call!”
“Hmmm?”
Zhong Yu’s gaze darkened as well and killing intent erupted all over his body.
Even so, his aura relaxed and he withdrew his killing intent after he saw Jiang He answer the phone, coolly seething, “Fine, I’ll wait.”
After all, how proudful was Zhong Yue, being the chief disciple of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect?
Moreover, he was born in nobility, with his mother being a full-fledged Yuan Spirit and his father a Convergence-tier immortal. It was only natural that he would not take the initiative to attack Jiang He, a commoner who had gained connection to immortals through chance.
On the other hand, Jiang He was discreetly shaking his head while answering his phone… though these disciples of secluded immortal sects had considerable ability and were a class above himself being Yuan Spirit-intermediates, they were both flowers in greenhouses.
He had already issued his killing intent to Jiang He, yet still gave him time to answer a call?
Was he an idiot?
“I mustn’t be careless. What if he merely appears to be an idiot but is secretly one of the shady types and would backstab me while I’m on the phone?”
Hence…
Ooom!
Jiang He’s Sky Daemon Armor materialized while he was on the phone.
Then, feeling that it did not offer enough assurance, he promptly invoked the Nine Dragons God Fire Shroud as well…
Only then did he chuckle into the phone. “Hello, Elder Lin. Why would you suddenly call me?”
Over on the other end of the call, Lin Tianzheng asked, “Have you recovered, Jiang He?”
Back when Jiang He had released the Twenty-Three Swords twice, his face had paled and he yawned endlessly, leaving everyone to assumed that he had been injured. It was indeed the truth as well, since a wounding of spirit was a serious injury to most people, causing fainting or losing one’s wits in less serious cases, and a crumbled will in serious cases.
Jiang He then smiled. “It’s no big deal. I’ve merely depleted my spirit a little, but I’ve already recovered after going home and sleeping for three days.”
After that, Long Mountain Lin told him about what just happened.
Jiang He’s expression darkened in response and he laughed icily, saying “The Penglai Immortal Sect? The True Habitant of Nine Dragons? That cheek of him… demanding that I go see him? Who does he think he is?”
“How dare you!”
Beside Lin Tianzheng, the True Habitant of Nine Dragons was left furious and was just about to start yelling…
Even so, Jiang He had already hung up.
“Such insolence!”
As the True Habitant of Nine Dragons stormed out of Lin Tianzheng’s residence with a resounding boom, took to the air and disappeared into the night, Long Mountain Lin promptly called Jiang He again, saying, “Be careful, Jiang He. That True Habitant of Nine Dragons was overflowing with killing intent and should be coming to you. However, the distance between Lingzhou City and your house is not that close, and it would take him time to reach you.”
Jiang He could not help laughing.
He was the one who should be angry here.
Sliding Zhong Yue a glance, he then asked “Elder Lin, what’s the cultivation of that True Habitant of Nine Dragons?”
“Very powerful, probably a full-fledged Yuan Spirit.”
“A full-fledged Yuan Spirit actually has the guts for such nonsense in my face?”
Jiang He laughed coolly as killing intent suddenly materialized over his body and he said somberly, “These immortal sects were nowhere to be seen when the Sky Demon legion invaded, but now that they see I’m quite strong, all of them are coming out to offer me immortal cultivation?”
“What sort of dog’s butt immortal cultivation are they even offering? Do they really think daddy would want it?”
Lastly, he throw Elder Mo of the Taixu Sect and Zhong Yue of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect another glance before saying flatly into the phone, “Every last one of these fellows want me to join their sect, and yet they’re all putting on airs, holding contempt against everyone else as if they were above it all. Don’t they know that Bodo is just a full-fledged Yuan Spirit too?!”
Ka-boom!
Jiang He’s aura abruptly erupted out of his body. Holding his phone with one hand and pointing with the other, both the Scarlet Flame Sword and the Autumn Water Sword shot out with a metal ring. Scarlet light and watery radiance hence interweaved, forming the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array as it shot towards Zhong Yue, who was still folding his arms before his chest.
“What?”
“Is that… the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array?”
Zhong Yue’s face dropped at that. All he saw was the two intertwining sword lights enlarge upon his pupils as if they were dragons. Even though he was sensing impending death in that very instant, he was caught spacing out and actually forgot to evade.
In fact, he was too close to Jiang He for him to escape.
When the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array reached Zhong Yue’s body, there was crisp cracking sound… and a jade charm hanging over his hip shattered.
Ooom.
A radiant shroud appeared, protecting him.
The Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array struck the radiant shroud then, and though the shroud was not broken, the tremendous power sent Zhong Yue flying despite being behind the shroud. With a string of banging crashes, he only came to a stop several kilometers away after wrecking untold numbers of houses, walls, and gardens.
He opened his mouth and puked a mouthful of blood into the ground with a squawking sound.
“Eh?”
Jiang He frowned, while Lin Tianzheng was left astonished over on the other end of the call from all the commotion and exclaimed, “Could the True Habitant of Nine Dragons have arrived already?”
“Nope.”
Jiang He chuckled as he continued the conversation, flatly saying, “I could cut down a full-fledged Yuan Spirit champion like Bodo back when I was a full-fledged True Child. Now that I have condensed my Yuan Spirit, I don’t mind killing a mere full-fledged Yuan Spirit like the True Habitant of Nine Dragons if he dares to strut around in my face.”
“Alright, Elder Lin. I still have guests over here, so I’m hanging up.”
With that, Jiang He hung up.
Taking out a chair from his System Backpack with a wave of his hand, he plonked himself on it before making a grabbing gesture to drag the unconscious Zhong Yue toward himself from across several kilometers away. Then, glancing at Elder Mo, he asked with a smile, “Elder Mo of the Taixu Sect, was it?”
“You wanted to speak with me?”
Noting the baffled look on Elder Mo’s face as he stared at Zhong Yue beneath his feet, Jiang He then explained, “Please don’t mind, Elder Mo. This fellow had released his killing intent in my face, and yet, I didn’t kill him straightaway. From that, you could tell that I’m an agreeable person…”
Elder Mo’s heart was pounding wildly.
I… would be stupid to believe you!
That strike just now was clearly intended to kill Zhong Yue, eldest disciple of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect’s chieftain. Zhong Yue had only survived because he had the protective jade charm that his Convergence-tier father gave him!
Had this brat lost his mind?
A mere commoner, daring to attack a True Heir of an immortal sect?
One must know that in ancient times, the ignorant commoners had kowtowed even to the disciples of immortal sects as if they were gods. And yet here was one, so bent on killing Zhong Yue?
Even so, Elder Mo was left astonished by Jiang He’s combat ability and his heart was left palpitating when Jiang He unleashed his sword strike. Would he have been able to stop that strike even if all the moves at his disposal were unleashed all at once?
“And even if I could stop it, what about the second strike?”
With that, Elder Mo’s previous high-and-mighty attitude disappeared entirely, replaced by… respect.
“Jiang He, fellow sage,” he smiled. “I had eyes but did not see. I hope you can be understanding.”
Recruiting him as a disciple?
My foot!
He is already a Yuan Spirit!
Furthermore, his combat ability was actually stronger than a full-fledged Yuan Spirit such as himself. He would have been a character commanding great authority even amongst the many secluded immortal sects, able to assumed the rank of ‘Elder’.
Would such a person be a mere disciple at one’s sect?
Even when he apologized, the corner of Elder Mo’s eye discreetly studied the unconscious Zhong Yue…
Just a moment ago, Zhong Yue seemed to have yelled something…
Was it the ‘Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array’?
‘The Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array is a household secret of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, but didn’t Jiang He just wield it?’ Elder Mo was puzzled.
Unbeknownst to him, Jiang He was feeling a little disappointed even as he stood opposite Elder Mo.
Sigh…
A miscalculation. Such a miscalculation!
Why were the people from the immortal sects such weaklings?
This left him with no reason to attack… if he had known this would happen, he should have just gone for it—beating them up first and directly kidnapping up them, demanding for their immortal sect’s mystic treasures and soul items as a trade.
“Such a mistake absolutely cannot be repeated in the future. The True Habitant of Nine Dragons must not be allowed to speak after he arrives and everything can wait until after he is subjugated…”
“No!”
“Waiting for others to come knocking on our door is not my style…”
Suddenly Jiang He rose to his feet and told Elder Mo, “Please wait a while for me, Elder Mo. I suddenly remember that I have something urgent to deal with. I’ll be right back!”
