Han Tiange spat those words through clenched teeth, then led the people of Ziyang Palace away, vanishing before everyone's eyes.
Only when the cloud boat of Ziyang Palace disappeared into the sky did the spectating onlookers finally realize one thing.
*In this confrontation... the Great Xia Sword Sect won!*
Everyone fell silent.
When the conflict first erupted, no one could have imagined such an outcome.
Even that blind swordsman exploding into violence and slaughtering his foes had already surpassed everyone's expectations.
Had it been any other sect in their place, they would have swallowed their anger and endured!
At most, the upper echelons of both sects would have met to demand a bit of compensation.
They might even have succumbed to pressure and handed over their own disciple!!
After all, no one would kick up such a massive fuss over a little girl in the Qi Refinement realm.
Yet that Great Xia Sword Sect disciple had slaughtered a full eight disciples of Ziyang Palace in succession.
His terrifying swordsmanship was practically an overwhelming force among peers of the same realm.
Even Zhao Beichen, heralded as Ziyang Palace's peerless prodigy, had been forced to break through his realm to confront him.
And from the looks of it, even breaking through hadn't brought victory—at least in the eyes of the crowd, Zhao Beichen had lost.
As for what followed—the appearance of Lu Kangnian, Sect Master of the Great Xia Sword Sect, and the entire sect resolutely drawing their swords—it made the blood of every onlooker boil with excitement!!
One had to understand that Lu Kangnian wasn't merely making empty boasts; after drawing his sword, he took a step forward and summoned heavenly tribulation.
To undergo tribulation right in the middle of the battlefield between both sects' disciples—though the process was fraught with peril, no one could deny that Lu Kangnian's strength was terrifying.
The dreadful heavenly tribulation of the Soul Formation Realm, which required years or even decades of preparation for others, was something he simply crossed just like that.
In the end, he had even shattered the thunder with his sword!
And the Great Xia Sword Sect's hidden strength had also been thoroughly revealed in part.
This sect, which had stood in the Northern Region for who knew how long, had finally bared its fangs.
An elder at the peak of the middle Soul Formation Realm: Blazing Fire Mad Sword, Ling Daoyan!
From that day forward, the Great Xia Sword Sect—which had once possessed only a Sect Master in the Nascent Soul realm—transformed overnight into a colossal power boasting two Soul Formation experts!
Yet the most crucial aspect of this entire affair was that everyone had witnessed the moral backbone of a sect!
And a sect's unprecedented unity!
With perhaps just a single order passed down by a sect elder, the sect had mobilized its full might, bringing every disciple Foundation Establishment and above to the field!
The Great Xia Sword Sect had clashed head-on with Ziyang Palace, breaking into bloodshed and driving back Ziyang Palace with the might of two Soul Formation cultivators!
In the blink of an eye, the news spread across the entire Great Xia Domain!
The observing elders of various sects also led their disciples away one after another; they needed to rush the news back to their own sects.
Perhaps the balance of power among the sects in the Northern Region was about to undergo a seismic shift!
Furthermore, the sect integrity demonstrated from top to bottom by the Great Xia Sword Sect gave these elders in high leadership much to ponder.
They began to put themselves in their shoes: if their own sect had gone up against Ziyang Palace, what would they have done?
Yet after pondering for less than three breaths, they shook their heads with helpless expressions.
Perhaps... if it were them, the final outcome would have been handing over their disciple to Ziyang Palace to avoid conflict!
Different people held different views on the matter.
Some felt the Great Xia Sword Sect had fought to the death to protect its disciple, unbowed before a powerhouse sect.
Others felt Lu Kangnian was foolish: with such thin foundations, making an enemy of an immense power like Ziyang Palace was practically courting death.
Yet no matter what they thought, Lu Kangnian had already made his choice.
Lu Kangnian frowned and said in a heavy voice, "Tianshui Peak elder, tend to the severely wounded disciples immediately!
"Collect the remains of fallen disciples and place them in the ancestral tombs! Give them a lavish burial tomorrow!
"Elders of each peak, take headcounts!"
Order after order was handed down, and disciples moved in a flurry of haste.
Relying on the tracking of identity jade slips, they began searching for traces of their sect members.
Li Guanqi was among them, carrying severely wounded and unconscious disciples back and forth trip after trip.
Ling Daoyan glanced up at the void and spoke softly.
"The Northern Heavenly King will probably look for you."
Lu Kangnian, origin energy pressure swirling around him, focused his gaze and gave an imperceptible nod.
The origin energy within him was still somewhat turbulent, but right now there was simply no time for him to rest and recover.
Sure enough, Ge Qing's figure appeared before the two of them.
The old man's eyes carried a hint of admiration. Bowing respectfully, he said softly, "Sect Master Lu, the Northern Heavenly King invites you to speak within his treasure palace."
*Hum!*
Light swirled across the sky, and suddenly a splendid palace hundreds of zhang in size manifested!
Mist and clouds billowed around the palace—and that was no ordinary fog.
That was water vapor condensed from heaven-and-earth spiritual energy so dense it was nearly tangible!
Amidst swirling light, the plaque beneath the palace rafters bore three striking characters: *Northern King Palace!*
*Rumble!*
Two massive gates, five zhang tall, slowly swung open, and Long Qu's voice drifted out from within.
"Sect Master Lu, please enter the treasure palace for a chat."
Hearing this, Lu Kangnian looked up at the treasure palace, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes!
He had thought this Northern Heavenly King would seek out a discreet place to talk.
He never expected that Northern Heavenly King Long Qu would openly summon his portable treasure palace and publicly invite him in for a conversation right in front of everyone!
This gesture was practically telling Ziyang Palace not to go too far—he placed high value on the Great Xia Sword Sect!
Lu Kangnian straightened his robes, sheathed his sword, turned to Ling Daoyan, and said softly, "Supreme Elder, I leave matters here in your hands.
"Once the battlefield is cleared, arrange for the disciples to board the cloud boats and return to the sect."
Ling Daoyan smiled and nodded, unhooking the wine gourd at his waist with a chuckle. "Don't worry, go on ahead. Don't keep the Northern Heavenly King waiting.
"This old man got to stretch his bones today anyway, so don't worry about troubling me."
The man nodded slightly, then adopted a solemn expression and walked toward the treasure palace.
Beneath the palace plaque, Lu Kangnian stirred his origin energy, cleansing away every speck of mundane dust from his person.
Standing before the doors, he bowed deeply and said, "Lu Kangnian, Sect Master of the Great Xia Sword Sect, pays respects to the Northern Heavenly King!"
Long Qu's mellow voice sounded: "No need to be so formal. Come in."
Inside the grand hall, Long Qu was bowing his head, brewing tea. Around the teapot swirled a faint cyan mist, obviously no ordinary brew.
The heavy doors slowly closed. After Lu Kangnian seated himself cautiously, Long Qu finally spoke.
The man offered a cup of spirit tea and said softly, "Taste it. Top-grade Spirit Nurturing Tea."
Hearing that, Lu Kangnian's pupils contracted slightly!
He murmured inwardly, *Tier-five spirit tea!*
Carefully taking the tea bowl, he looked at the clear, pale green spirit tea within, raised it slightly, and took a gentle sip.
Chapter 165