At the foot of Xuanjian Sect's mountain, countless formidable auras plummeted from the sky. Cultivators gathered in small groups at the sect's mountain gate—nearly every notable force in the Western Border of the Northern Wasteland had shown up.
Ye Liuyun glanced over them, amused. Look at this—even Chu Batian of the Batian Dynasty and Dong Youdao, Sect Master of Donghua Sect, stood at the front of the crowd, putting on airs as if they ruled over everyone.
"Heh, and here I wondered who could muster such a grand show—it turns out it's Lord Chu and Brother Youdao."
Ye Liuyun's expression was calm, his eyes playful as he looked at the crowd below. He couldn't help but wonder: if they knew a young noble from the Holy State was in Xuanjian Sect, what kind of expressions would they wear right now?
"Hm?"
Chu Batian and Dong Youdao exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. Why was Ye Liuyun so calm? Had Xuanjian Sect's Supreme Elder not died after all? Or was Ye Liuyun just putting on a fake show?
No—that couldn't be! This time, major forces from the Northern Wasteland's border had all come, even bringing their sects' inherited treasures, determined to destroy Xuanjian Sect in one strike. Even if the Supreme Elder was still alive, he could never stand against Chu Batian and Dong Youdao working together. And Ye Liuyun alone—how could he possibly fight all of them?
Instead of hiding on the mountain, activating the sect's protective formation like a coward, Ye Liuyun had dared to show up alone. Had he lost his mind?
Of course he had! Otherwise, why would he alienate a peerless prodigy like Chu Yang for the sake of an outsider? What a sect valued most was its legacy—a prodigy with extraordinary talent was far more precious than any spiritual treasure or fortune!
"That old man must be bluffing! Lord Chu, go test his strength."
Dong Youdao sent a secret voice transmission to Chu Batian.
"Why don't you go?"
"Isn't Chu Yang your nephew? If you, his uncle, aren't eager to stand up for him, won't people laugh at you?"
Dong Youdao was crafty and calculating. When something seemed off, there was always a catch. He'd dealt with Ye Liuyun for years and knew his character well—though the Xuanjian Sect Master had unmatched sword intent, he was actually cautious and timid. He never did anything without certainty.
When Chu Batian heard Dong Youdao's words, his old face flushed red with embarrassment. He regretted it—if he'd known these old foxes would be so tricky, he'd never have bragged about being Chu Yang's uncle. If he backed down now, he'd lose all face!
"Hmph! Ye Liuyun, cut the act. You know why I'm here today."
Chu Batian took a step forward. Golden light burst from his body, blazing like the sun—so bright it stung the eyes. He practiced the "Imperial Dao," which was inherently overbearing. Now, showing off intentionally, he made many people draw in sharp breaths.
"Chu Batian's cultivation has improved again? This aura—he's almost at the Mid Soul Sea Realm, right?"
"Terrifying! In a few years, the Western Border might belong to the Chu family!"
"Not necessarily. Look at how confident Ye Liuyun is—maybe he's broken through too?"
"So what if he has? Can he fight all 800 of us alone?"
…
Murmurs spread at the foot of the mountain, but a smile appeared on Ye Liuyun's face. This old fool was still as impulsive as ever. Good—he'd just broken through and wanted to make an example of these troublemakers to establish his authority. Even at his strongest, Chu Batian hadn't yet reached the Mid Soul Sea Realm. But Ye Liuyun? He was now a true Mid Soul Sea Realm powerhouse—all thanks to the medicinal pill Young Master Ling Xiao had given him earlier!
"Why I'm here? What do you mean, Lord Chu? Did you gather all these people and bring your treasures just to give me gifts?"
A cold smirk tugged at Ye Liuyun's lips. These ants thought a few Low-Grade Divine Artifacts would let them provoke Xuanjian Sect? Young Master Ling Xiao could crush them with a flick of his finger!
"Gifts?"
Chu Batian's aura flared. He stared at Ye Liuyun in disbelief. Had this old man really lost his mind? Couldn't he see they'd come to destroy Xuanjian Sect?
"Ye Liuyun, you're on the brink of death and still playing tricks! Let me tell you the truth—I'm here to seek justice for my nephew Chu Yang!"
Though hot-tempered, Chu Batian still had some sense. He knew the other sect masters would scramble to claim Chu Yang later, so he wanted to show his goodwill first to gain the upper hand.
"Oh? So Chu Yang is your nephew? Then you'd better thank Young Master Ling Xiao later. If it weren't for his generosity, you'd be here to collect your nephew's corpse today!"
Ye Liuyun scoffed. Chu Batian was asking for death—he'd even made up a family relation to pick a fight. If he angered the Young Master, none of them would make it down the mountain alive.
"Ling Xiao? Who is Ling Xiao?"
Chu Batian wracked his brain but couldn't recall any young noble named Ling Xiao in the Northern Wasteland. He assumed Ye Liuyun was just messing with him.
"Ugh—this infuriates me! Ye Liuyun, enough talk! Let me see if your cultivation has improved after hiding in Xuanjian Sect all these years!"
As he spoke, Chu Batian took a step forward. The rocks beneath his feet shattered instantly. In the blink of an eye, he appeared above Ye Liuyun.
"Die!!"
Chu Batian threw a punch. All the golden light around him converged into his fist—like a furious dragon, it tore through the air.
"It's the Chu Dynasty's secret technique—Heavenly Tyrant Fist!"
"To think Lord Chu is still so violent at his age—he used a killing move right away!"
Many people stared in shock, their eyes filled with fear as they watched the golden figure. Heavenly Tyrant Fist was a Heavenly-grade Martial Art—the strongest technique in the Northern Wasteland. Not even Gui Sun, Sect Master of Kaoshan Sect (a sect famous for its strong defense), would dare to take Chu Batian's fist head-on.
But—
To everyone's surprise, Ye Liuyun still stood calmly in place. He didn't even try to dodge. Not a wisp of aura leaked from his body; he just watched the approaching golden figure with playful eyes.
"Hum."
Suddenly, a soft hum echoed through the world.
A wisp of cyan light bloomed above everyone's heads. In the span of a breath, a cyan giant sword—roughly a hundred zhang long—materialized out of thin air. It sliced through the void and slammed down at Chu Batian.
At that moment, the sky and earth shattered, and space trembled. Everyone felt a sense of death well up in their hearts. The sword's shadow flashed like a startled swan, completely annihilating Chu Batian's tiny figure and his fading golden light.
"Gulp."
The world suddenly fell silent. Dust billowed at the foot of Xuanjian Sect. A hundred-zhang-deep gash stretched from the mountain gate all the way to Dong Youdao and the others. But none of them moved—because an extremely terrifying divine sense was fixated on them.
"Who? Who is it?! When did such a powerful cultivator appear in the Northern Wasteland?!"