"Cough! Cough!"
A violent fit of coughing suddenly cut through the dust. Moments later, Chu Batian stumbled out embarrassingly and in dishevelment in retreat, landing beside Dong Youdao and the others. The once-majestic ruler of the Batian Dynasty was now a shadow of his former self—his hair hung in tangled messes, his lips were covered in blood, and even his golden battle armor, a divine artifact passed down through the Batian Dynasty for centuries, had shattered completely.
One sword—shattering a divine artifact? What kind of terrifying power was this?
As the dust finally settled, everyone caught sight of the elderly figure standing above Ye Liuyun. Clad in indigo robes with white hair, his face was gaunt and emaciated. Not a wisp of aura emanated from his body, yet his mere presence sent a sharp, piercing intent straight to everyone's hearts!
"What terrifying sword intent!!"
"It's… Xuanjian Sect's Supreme Elder—the Azure-Clothed Sword God, Wei Wuchen!!"
"Wei Wuchen!!"
The faces of many faction leaders paled instantly. This name carried lingering shadows for most of them. It was under this swordsmanship powerhouse that Xuanjian Sect had once reached its peak—and any sect that dared to belittle the Sword Sect had been wiped out by him alone, with just one sword.
But—
Hadn't he been in seclusion for ten years? And at his age, he should have long since reached the end of his lifespan. Yet judging by his current state, his vitality was clearly abundant—he even seemed to have made a breakthrough in swordsmanship. How was this possible?
"What brings you all here?"
Wei Wuchen stood suspended in the void, his cold gaze sweeping over the crowd below. Anyone who met his eyes was filled with intense fear. Had this old man really broken through?
It was common knowledge that cultivators pursued immortality, and realm divisions were naturally tied to lifespan. Though there were no longer any powerhouses at the Illusion-Breaking Realm in the Four Wastelands today, rumors claimed a few Xuanqing Realm demon lords still lived in seclusion among the demon clans. The human race had declined, and no Xuanqing Realm powerhouse had appeared in the world for a long time.
Could Wei Wuchen have miraculously taken that step? But for someone on the verge of death, all their cultivation should be focused on preserving their life. Maintaining one's realm was already a stroke of luck—how could he have the energy to break through? And if he had already entered the Xuanqing Realm, why had he only emerged from seclusion today? Or had he just broken through recently?
For some reason, many people suddenly thought of that mysterious Young Master Ling Xiao. It was said that this young noble had casually given a medicinal pill that allowed Xiao Ge, Xuanjian Sect's top prodigy, to break through to the Soul-Awakening Realm. Could it be…
"Oh no, we've really kicked a hornet's nest?"
Dong Youdao's expression tightened, then he suddenly broke into a warm smile and bowed deeply to Wei Wuchen. "I've long heard of Supreme Elder Wei Wuchen's unparalleled swordsmanship. Seeing you today, your reputation is well-deserved! I've come today to pay my respects to you—and incidentally, to visit that… Young Master Ling Xiao!"
"Pfft!!"
The blood energy that Chu Batian had just managed to calm suddenly surged again. He spat a mouthful of blood ten zhang away—just like Chu Yang had done earlier.
"Dong Youdao!! You!!"
"Heh, Lord Chu, weren't you going to seek justice for your nephew? Be my guest."
"This old dog!! I swear I'll kill you one day!!"
Chu Batian's face turned green with rage. He knew the most shameless faction leaders in the Northern Wasteland had shown up today—otherwise, no one would stoop to such a despicable act of betrayal. But he had underestimated just how shameless they could be! The fight hadn't even started, yet when he looked back, his allies had already surrendered!
"Oh, incidentally visit Young Master Ling Xiao?"
But Dong Youdao's flattery had missed the mark entirely. Both Wei Wuchen and Ye Liuyun owed their improved cultivation to Ling Xiao's medicinal pills. Yet Dong Youdao had ignored the root cause and showered Wei Wuchen with praise—wasn't that slapping Young Master Ling Xiao in the face?
Ye Liuyun sneered and shot Dong Youdao a meaningful glance. A chill ran down Dong Youdao's spine. Oh no—could that Young Master Ling Xiao really be more powerful than Wei Wuchen?
"What do you mean by 'incidentally'?"
A ripple suddenly rippled through the air above. Immediately after, a handsome figure in black robes appeared out of thin air. Divine and elegant, incomparably handsome—his fair, indifferent face held seventy percent arrogance and thirty percent disdain, as if the Northern Wasteland powerhouses before him were not even worth a fart.
Compared to him, the so-called prodigies of the Northern Wasteland were truly insignificant. No—those prodigies didn't even have the qualifications to be compared to this black-robed young man!
Behind him stood Ye Qingchan, her expression respectful. She no longer looked like the Xuanjian Sect's goddess; instead, she seemed like a maid attending to the young man, daring not to overstep in the slightest. Yet the two stood together in perfect harmony, like a celestial couple. Had the most beautiful woman in the Northern Wasteland finally found her match?
When Ling Xiao landed, a stunning sight unfolded. Wei Wuchen—the Azure-Clothed Sword God who had stood so loftily just moments ago—bowed respectfully to the extraordinary young man.
"Greetings, Young Master Ling Xiao."
"Greetings, Young Master Ling Xiao!!"
Following his lead, all the elders and disciples of Xuanjian Sect bowed in unison. This young man, with his elegant bearing and unrivaled charisma, commanded such a grand spectacle with just his appearance!
Dong Youdao and the others were already too shocked to speak. At the same time, they secretly wondered: what kind of identity did this Young Master Ling Xiao hold? To make a Xuanqing Realm Supreme Elder set aside his dignity and bow—could he be from… the Holy State?!
Cold sweat instantly dripped down Dong Youdao's forehead. His cultivation was only at the Early Soul Sea Realm, even lower than Ye Liuyun's. Wei Wuchen's appearance had already filled him with fear, but if this Young Master Ling Xiao was really from the Holy State, they hadn't just kicked a hornet's nest—they'd kicked a titanium-plated steel wall!
"Hmph, just a mere boy—why should we fear him? Dong Youdao, join forces with me to hold Wei Wuchen back! We might still have a chance to win this fight!"
Pitiful Chu Batian still hadn't seen the situation clearly. Or perhaps the "Imperial Dao" he practiced forbade him from being as humble and cautious as Dong Youdao and the others—for that would deal a devastating blow to his Dao heart. Emperors charge forward without hesitation; they slay gods if gods stand in their way, and demons if demons block their path.
In the Holy State, the emperors of ancient imperial dynasties were indeed incomparably domineering—but that was because they had the strength to back it up. As for Chu Batian…
Ling Xiao looked at Dong Youdao with a faint smile, a dark glint flickering in his eyes. He repeated his earlier question, "You still haven't told me—what do you mean by 'incidentally'?"
"Thud!"
As the saying goes, the older one gets, the more afraid of death they become. Especially for someone like Dong Youdao, a sect master who enjoyed wealth and glory—why would he risk offending Young Master Ling Xiao? Wasn't that asking for death?
So without hesitation, he knelt down right there, under the shocked gazes of all the powerhouses from the various forces at the foot of the mountain!