There Are Still Good People in the World

Jinduan Gorge. Boundless void. On this day, news suddenly began to spread in all directions. At a gathering spot for rogue cultivators, someone shouted, "Have you heard? Several of the major factions in Jinduan Gorge—Mount Liufang, Hupo Cave, Panshi Cliff, and the like—are going to build a Void City in the central region! They're welcoming all rogue cultivators to come and trade or interact!" The moment these words left his mouth, someone chuckled. "So generous? They wouldn't happen to be scheming to recruit and subjugate us, would they?" "Hahaha! Even if they are, so what? Every one of those major factions has sixteen-Dao experts. If we could actually join them, it might not compare to a forbidden land, but not just anyone can enter a forbidden land anyway! What's wrong with joining these factions?" "True enough!" "Is the news reliable?" "Confirmed!" someone called out. "Several of the major factions sent people out to broadcast the message everywhere. Multiple factions are joining hands, guaranteeing that at least two sixteen-Dao or stronger experts will oversee the city at all times. They won't allow devouring locusts to attack, and private fights within the city are strictly forbidden—only life-and-death sparring on the arena stages is permitted!" "Going through all this trouble... what kind of demands or intentions do they have?" Someone still voiced skepticism. Would rogue cultivators ever be this benevolent? If it were a forbidden land, there would be no need to worry. "I heard these factions have been fighting tooth and nail, each wanting to become the hegemon of Jinduan Gorge. Right now, they're pulling people to their side!" Someone chuckled heartily. "I heard every faction is aggressively recruiting experts with eight Daos or more. Too bad... their standards are too high! Seriously, to them, folks like us with only two or three Daos aren't even worth a second glance!" This time, although the forbidden grounds had only called for experts with eight Daos or more to attend the Forbidden Land Conference, an affair of such magnitude was well worth hearing about firsthand from the periphery, even if one couldn't participate. In the deathly silent world behind the gate, an opportunity this bustling had been virtually nonexistent for countless years. More and more people were hurrying over to the area. Hearing the well-informed cultivator deliver this news, a newcomer asked out of curiosity, "What major factions are there in Jinduan Gorge? How strong are they exactly?" "No need to mention the four great forbidden grounds!" the well-informed expert chuckled. "Aside from the four great forbidden grounds, the entire Jinduan Gorge used to have many territories. But lately, there has been nonstop warfare; quite a few territories have vanished, and some have been swallowed whole..." "As of now, Mount Liufang rules the northeastern region of Jinduan Gorge, led by Hei Mu. He's said to be an eighteen-Dao expert who subdued the two sixteen-Dao masters of Mount Xuelong and Blade Valley, dominating the northeastern domain! "In the southeastern domain, Hupo Cave holds sway. Previously, two tiger-clan experts were cave masters there, but a few days ago, they were supposedly routed by two newly advanced sixteen-Dao experts. No one knows if those two tigers died or fled, but the survivors of Hupo Cave surrendered to the two newcomers! "In the southwestern region, Tiancan Domain and Panshi Cliff dominate, each having one sixteen-Dao expert... "As for the area near Mount Tianqiong in the southeast, it's far too dangerous. Not only is the Human Sovereign from the myriad realms causing a commotion over there, but King Wen and his associates are also frequently roaming the area... so there are no major factions established on that side! "From the looks of it, these are the strongest factions right now, with Mount Liufang being the most formidable of them all..." "Hei Mu of Mount Liufang? Never heard of him!" Someone looked bewildered. The others knew a bit, more or less. Just who was Hei Mu? "This Hei Mu is said to be a ruthless fellow. I heard that Mount Liufang previously had six experts—Gui, Mu, Yu, and the others, whom I'm sure most of you have heard of. Supposedly, this man killed them all, assumed their identities, and established Mount Liufang... Later, he gained the backing of a forbidden land—or so it's said—secured a firm footing, and took down the other major factions in the northeastern domain... Today, this Hei Mu can be considered quite a figure in Jinduan Gorge!" "So between the four factions, there are only six or seven sixteen-Dao experts? That doesn't seem like very many!" "It's more than that—nearly ten by now. The whereabouts of a few are unclear... There used to be more, but over these past days, several seem to have been killed..." "Then the fighting around here has been pretty brutal!" "Those are all big shots. Look at us—drifting everywhere, with hardly anyone giving a damn about us..." The crowd chattered on, exchanging theories. Currently, there were numerous rogue cultivators in Jinduan Gorge. With several major powers in Jinduan Gorge banding together to establish a Void City to recruit rogue cultivators, quite a few individuals were intrigued! Not only normal rogue cultivators, but also void beasts roaming the expanse and fiends who murdered in secret to seize Great Daos found their interest piqued. Some overlord-tier experts even set their sights on the formidable figures of Jinduan Gorge. In this world, there was never a shortage of experts who murdered in the shadows to plunder Dao power. Nor was there any shortage of ancient, powerful void beasts wandering through the emptiness, liable to swallow up any territory they encountered. At this moment, Jinduan Gorge was in complete turmoil! Every day, rogue cultivators vanished. Nobody cared, and nobody paid attention. Even so, everyone remained intensely vigilant. Rogue cultivators with even a passing acquaintance banded together in groups. Traveling in small numbers was out of the question for fear of being slaughtered; under normal circumstances, dozens would travel as one unit. Now, hearing that the factions of Jinduan Gorge had joined forces to forge a Void City, many were tempted. Why not go take a look? It wasn't built by a single faction, but jointly established by several. Surely there wouldn't be any danger... *** In the central zone between the four great forbidden grounds. Originally, this place held only a few minor territories, but they had long since vanished. In the pitch-black void, a colossal city floated aloft. Pavilions, terraces, towers, flowers, grass, and trees—things seldom seen elsewhere—were all present here. Above the city, two enormous characters gleamed with radiance, spelling out its name: Light! The two characters shone brilliantly. The City of Light reflected across heaven and earth, dispelling the darkness and banishing danger. A single glance brought a sense of calm and clarity; this was truly a city of light. The apocalyptic gloom had dragged on for far too long; rogue cultivators naturally yearned for the light. Otherwise, they wouldn't yearn with all their hearts to leave the Heavenly Gate and return to the myriad realms. Above that massive city, a sun and a moon hung suspended in the sky. They rotated in turns! The alternation of sun and moon gave people the genuine sensation of day and night revolving through the cosmos! This magnificent City of Light had been constructed in a single day. Now it stood firm amid the void! At that moment, many experts were gathered within the City of Light, hailing from various sides. They regarded each other with hostility, but each occupied their own quadrant without breaking into conflict. The four major factions each held one sector. In the sector belonging to Mount Liufang, the Blade Master's mouth hung slightly open as he stared up at the sky. Suddenly, he murmured, "I feel a bit scared!" Beside him, Lady Xuelong transmitted her voice: "Shut up! I'm scared too! Don't say it, don't even think it! In this place... why bring that up? It gives me the creeps!" How could it not give them the creeps? This City of Light... was terrifying! That alternation of sun and moon... dammit all, those were someone's eyes! This City of Light was an entire world! In the myriad realms, Su Yu hadn't managed to lure enough experts with the Tea Tree. Today, right here... he had pulled off a monumental feat: transforming his physical body into a world, taking the form of a gigantic city—the present City of Light! Frightening? Anyone who knew the truth was terrified. What kind of City of Light was this? It was the greatest den of monsters imaginable! Furthermore, the city contained numerous houses and courtyards, prepared specifically for incoming experts! In reality... those were apertures! Every single building rested atop an aperture, a trap designed to devour people whole without spitting out the bones! Once you moved in... heh... prepare to die! If you didn't surrender and merge your Dao, you were finished! That was the truly horrifying part! Originally, insiders like Lady Xuelong had thought they would build an ordinary city, recruit rogue cultivators, and then resort to assassinations, deception, or coercion. Su Yu, on the other hand... No, none of that was needed! He directly manifested as the world itself! Within his world, who could possibly escape? Moreover, it was completely silent and undetectable! Transforming himself into a world was seamless. Unless an expert at the level of a forbidden land master swept through with their senses, even a first-rank cultivator would find it exceedingly difficult to detect any flaw. And such a city was actually called the City of Light! That was what made it all the more chilling! What was more, vast numbers of Mount Liufang's experts were currently dispersed across the outside, loudly preaching how wonderful this place was and urging everyone to come quickly. Watching Su Yu's grand scheme unfold set Lady Xuelong and the others' teeth on edge. This was true ruthlessness! Not only did he have people deliver themselves to his doorstep, but he also had them willingly walk into his world, straight into his apertures! Who wouldn't be terrified? It was literally walking into the tiger's maw! It even spared him the effort of traveling to hunt them down! As the two of them were conversing via voice transmission, Su Yu's voice suddenly rang in their ears: "Go, to the southeast! A void beast is actually slaughtering rogue cultivators! Wipe it out for me, and make it loud! Infuriating!" Su Yu's voice brimmed with fury! Looking for death, are you? Slaughtering people right here—aren't you scaring away my prospective rogue cultivators? Damn bastard! "Calamity Lord, do we kill it or capture it?" "Kill it! Grind it to dust!" Su Yu's tone was thick with killing intent. Truly hateful! He had expended immense energy to forge and promote the City of Light, yet these petty gnats dared to snatch food from under his nose? Had they lost their minds? A mere second-rank void beast—who did it think it was dealing with? The Blade Master didn't waste another breath; he could vividly feel Su Yu's wrath! This place was Su Yu's personal preserve. Every rogue cultivator had already been marked by Su Yu! To commit slaughter in this vicinity right now was nothing short of suicidal! The next instant, the two figures vanished. A heartbeat later, a streak of blade light illuminated the heavens. A gargantuan beast was sliced clean in two! In the following breath, the power of glacial frost swept through the surroundings, completely encasing the beast's corpse in ice! Even its Great Dao was frozen until it shattered! The Blade Master's cold shout resounded in every direction: "What insolence! This is the City of Light, jointly forged by the major factions of Jinduan Gorge as a sanctuary for rogue cultivators to rest! Within a radius of three diyuan, anyone who dares assassinate or devour others again will be shown no mercy!" Lady Xuelong's voice was equally bone-chilling: "A bunch of reckless fools! If this happens again near the City of Light, execution is guaranteed! If you have disputes, enter the city and settle them on the arena stages in a duel of life and death! Dare to act wild again, and don't blame Jinduan Gorge for using superior numbers to wipe you out completely!" Two first-rank experts erupting in anger, personally stepping forward to slay a second-rank void beast, instantly stirred up a commotion in the distance. It felt... genuinely impressive! They were actually enforcing a ban on fighting in the vicinity! This was somewhat similar to a forbidden land—and even forbidden lands didn't always bother to intervene, so long as you didn't trespass on their grounds! *** At this moment, within the void. A long-haired man with sword-like brows stood with his hands behind his back, looking in that direction with slight surprise. He chuckled and said, "Fascinating. Are these rogue cultivators genuinely intent on forging a city of light?" Saying that, he turned to the elderly man beside him. "Kong'er, is that Hei Mu you mentioned last time the leader of Mount Liufang?" "Yes, Father!" The person beside him was none other than Jian Kong from Mount Tianqiong, and the father he addressed was naturally the Head of the Hall of Weapons of Mount Tianqiong, the Sword Sovereign—a supreme expert. At this moment, the Sword Sovereign nodded slightly. "Not bad at all; he has established quite a presence! Founding this City of Light now will allow them to draw in outside rogue cultivators... However, a tall tree catches the wind. Establishing roots here might not be a good thing! Setting aside powerful outsiders, the other three forbidden grounds may not wish to see them expand so swiftly!" A force like Mount Liufang with three first-rank cultivators was nothing significant. Yet if it grew stronger, showing signs of uniting with others until they boasted over a dozen first-ranks... even the forbidden grounds would move to suppress them. Being too strong was no good thing; it invited trouble. He smiled faintly, then suddenly furrowed his brows and glanced into the distance, raising an eyebrow. Far away, an expert surging with death qi strode through the void. "Mingtu?" The Sword Sovereign was somewhat surprised. Emperor Mingtu of Dead Spirit Hell had actually come! In the distance, Emperor Mingtu, surrounded by roiling death qi, looked over as well. He smiled warmly, looking fair and clean; were it not for the potent death qi, one wouldn't be able to tell he cultivated the Dead Spirit Dao at all. He looked at the Sword Sovereign and nodded slightly. "Greetings, Sword Sovereign!" The Sword Sovereign looked across the distance. "What brings your Dead Spirit Hell here?" "Just coming to take a look. Who would have thought that after all these years, Jinduan Gorge would become the core region of the world behind the gate?" He chuckled. There was another matter: Qu, a first-rank expert under his command, hadn't returned for quite some time. Rumor had it that the fellow had run off on his own to take control of Hupo Cave, which was rather strange! What was Qu up to? He had been ordered to make contact with various factions, not to personally play the part of a rogue cultivator lord. Coupled with the massive stir created by the City of Light, Emperor Mingtu wanted to see it for himself, as this concerned Jinduan Gorge after all. Right now, he also caught sight of the glowing City of Light and witnessed the Blade Master and Lady Xuelong slaying the beast. He smiled, his tone not gloomy at all, but rather grandiose: "This City of Light is quite interesting... Banishing bloodthirsty void beasts in a place like this—aren't they worried about inviting trouble?" The Sword Sovereign remarked indifferently, "The four factions of the City of Light have joined hands, possessing formidable strength. Ordinary overlords would struggle to defeat them, so what trouble could there be?" Emperor Mingtu said no more, smiling as he stepped forward through the void. "Fellow Daoist, shall we go together?" "No need!" "Then I shall take my leave first!" Emperor Mingtu stepped forward, black light spilling beneath his feet. He vanished instantly, reappearing tens of millions of li away. Before long, he hovered above the City of Light. People were in the city, but none of them could see him. Inside the city, someone's expression suddenly changed drastically. Qu! An expert! No, it was... the Emperor! Emperor Mingtu! Qu went limp all over, seized by terror. The Eastern Emperor of the Four Directional Emperors, the strongest among the four, had actually come here! Within the city, it wasn't just Qu; several first-rank experts vaguely sensed it as well, their faces draining of color! A supreme expert! At that exact instant, a faint sliver of will rippled through their minds: "What are you afraid of? Hold your ground, every one of you! Do not reveal a single flaw! Qu, speak according to what I taught you—what does it matter? If this fellow tries to pick a fight... kill him!" That was Su Yu's voice! At this moment, Su Yu's voice was grand and chilling, even more intimidating than Emperor Mingtu's. Instantly, everyone felt much more at ease. Indeed. The Calamity Lord might not necessarily fear the other party. The Calamity Lord had opened a world. Moreover, a whole month had passed since the last gathering at Mount Liufang. Over this month, Mount Liufang had swiftly swept across the surrounding regions, conquering countless territories. They had subdued five first-rank experts and thirty-six second-rank experts. Presently, Mount Liufang possessed exactly ten first-rank and fifty-four second-rank cultivators—a truly colossal force. Not only that, but Qu and Shang had both regained their eighteen-Dao combat strength. Others had made progress as well. Several second-rank experts were now on the verge of the first rank, capable of breaking through at any moment. The Blade Master and Lady Xuelong had also reached the power of seventeen Daos. In the past, this would have been unimaginable. Beyond sixteen Daos, they had never dared dream of advancing further, yet now, in just over a month, their strength had risen by a full Dao. As for Su Yu, none of them knew what realm he had reached by now. However, for Qu to recover eighteen-Dao strength meant that Su Yu must have advanced by at least one Dao. At the very least, he was at twenty-seven Daos... and likely even higher! Having subdued five first-ranks, dozens of second-ranks, and over a hundred third- and fourth-rank cultivators—far more than last time—and having killed several first-ranks whose Daos he devoured even if they didn't merge, his gains were immense. In private, several experts surmised that Hei Mu had reached at least twenty-eight Daos of power! *** At this moment, a wisp of Su Yu's will surfaced. He didn't look at the void, nor did he look toward Emperor Mingtu. Yet he silently sensed him. Formidable! This was the strongest emperor of Dead Spirit Hell, the mightiest of the Four Directional Emperors. Su Yu estimated that he was no weaker than himself, and Su Yu truly had reached twenty-eight Daos of power. Only after taking nearly the entirety of Jinduan Gorge had he reached twenty-eight Daos. That was why Su Yu had set his sights on those outsiders. He needed to keep merging Daos, to keep making himself stronger! He had to reach at least thirty Daos of power! At this moment, Su Yu cursed inwardly. What in the world was Mingtu doing here? Not only that, but he also sensed a potent sword intent! Perhaps even stronger than Mingtu—the Sword Sovereign! Twenty-nine Daos, or thirty? It wouldn't exceed thirty Daos! Once someone truly reached thirty Daos, some would go off to establish their own forbidden lands! The Sword Sovereign was likely the strongest beneath the Master of Mount Tianqiong himself! Both of them had actually come to the City of Light, which left Su Yu utterly speechless. If only just one had come! If only one came, perhaps he could kill him or integrate him into his world. In that case, even just killing the intruder would grant Su Yu at least one Dao of strength, and merging him... perhaps even more! Experts above twenty-eight Daos were rare across the entire world. Now, two had arrived at once. At this level, Su Yu didn't even care about Jian Kong's twenty-two Daos of power anymore. Did these people have nothing better to do? Why did they have to come to my territory? Su Yu cursed inwardly. Making a move would be difficult; once a fight broke out, the commotion would be immense, likely alerting all four great forbidden grounds. Moreover, there was no guarantee he could capture or kill them with absolute certainty, which would only expose him prematurely! As for enticing them to surrender, forget it! It might be possible with the Sword Sovereign, but impossible with Mingtu. Su Yu suspected Mingtu had already integrated into the Lord of Dead Spirits' world, commanding one of its mighty Dead Spirit Daos. If so, the Lord of Dead Spirits was far stronger than Su Yu. There was no way Mingtu would defect to Su Yu! As he was pondering, a figure descended from the sky. People were all around, yet no one could see him. Emperor Mingtu landed, his feet treading upon the city's paved road with a strange sensation. He raised his head to glance at the sky, looking toward that sun and moon, suddenly feeling as though the sun and moon were looking back at him. He abruptly drifted upward again, floating near the sun and moon. After inspecting them closely, he furrowed his brows slightly; it was merely condensed from basic light magic, not any kind of artifact. Why had it felt like the thing was watching him? He looked around. The moment he stepped into this City of Light, he had felt something bizarre about it, yet he couldn't pinpoint where the strangeness lay. "Fascinating!" Chuckling softly, he dismissed the thought. It was just a city; he couldn't be bothered to care too much. Sensing Qu's aura, he vanished on the spot and reappeared directly before Qu. By now, Qu had barely managed to regain his composure. Seeing a figure appear before him, he hastily dropped to one knee. "Qu greets the Emperor!" Emperor Mingtu nodded slightly and looked at Qu, frowning. "Why are you here? I told you to subdue Mount Liufang and bring the various factions of the northeastern domain into line. Instead, you ran off to Hupo Cave! The two cave masters of Hupo Cave are dead? Did you kill them?" Qu hurriedly replied, "It wasn't me... Wait, no, Dihu was killed by Hei Mu of Mount Liufang, and Tianhu was ambushed by the Blade Master and the others! Seeing that Hupo Cave was on the brink of destruction, I had no choice but to step forward, so as not to let Mount Liufang become the sole dominant power!" "Oh?" Mingtu looked at him, his brow furrowed. "Do you have a grudge against Mount Liufang?" "No!" Qu explained. "Emperor, it's not a personal grudge. Hei Mu of Mount Liufang is simply too arrogant! I went to him previously to urge him to submit to Dead Spirit Hell. As a result, that bastard... that bastard not only refused to give any face, but he also humiliated me! He even claimed Dead Spirit Hell was nothing and had no right to order him around..." Emperor Mingtu's brow furrowed slightly. "Are you trying to sow discord? A mere rogue cultivator dared speak like that?" Qu looked somewhat sheepish, but gritted his teeth and pressed on: "In any case, he is extremely overbearing! Not just toward me, but toward Shang from Luohun Valley as well—he humiliated her too! Neither Shang nor I could swallow that insult, so we both joined Hupo Cave... specifically to counter that fellow and deny him the chance to unify Jinduan Gorge!" Mingtu raised an eyebrow. "Where is he? How dare he provoke Dead Spirit Hell!" Qu hesitated, showing a look of indignation mixed with fear that Mingtu might cause trouble, before finally gritting his teeth: "Emperor, he... he belongs to Mount Tianqiong! That's why the forbidden lands hold no deterrence over him. I had no choice but to personally take action to counter him..." "Eh?" Mingtu froze, then suddenly glanced into the distance. So that was it! No wonder the Sword Sovereign had come here! It turned out Mount Liufang was a faction nurtured by Mount Tianqiong! No wonder this Hei Mu hadn't given Dead Spirit Hell any face. At this moment, Mingtu felt enlightened, though he still frowned. "Nonsense! An expert from a forbidden land running off to play the part of a regional lord—this violates all propriety!" Qu said unwillingly, "Emperor, I know, but the humiliation he dealt me... Besides, the forbidden grounds wouldn't want him to rule unopposed, would they? If he actually succeeds, it won't be good for anyone. Emperor, keeping him in check is a sound move!" "You should have requested instructions from me first!" Mingtu said indifferently. "How dare you act recklessly on your own?" Qu wore an aggrieved expression, bowing his head. "I just... I couldn't stand his tone with me! Emperor, I am an expert of a forbidden land after all, a follower of the Lord of Dead Spirits himself! How could I allow someone from Mount Tianqiong to step all over me?" Mingtu was at a loss for words. Fair enough. Qu was an eighteen-Dao expert, and the people of Dead Spirit Hell were hardly pushovers. Having suffered such humiliation, it was only natural that he couldn't swallow it. He simply hadn't expected this Hei Mu to hail from Mount Tianqiong! Qu hurriedly added, "Emperor, please let me stay here. I'm afraid I can't match him on my own... Either that, or Emperor could simply swat him dead with a single palm! But if the Emperor has reservations about Mount Tianqiong... and doesn't wish to bully the weak... could... could the Emperor perhaps dispatch two more sixteen-Dao or stronger experts to lend me a hand?" Mingtu couldn't help but laugh. "You refuse to return and disobey orders, yet you actually want this seat to send two more experts to assist you?" What are you dreaming of! "My Lord, I am not defying orders..." Qu pleaded earnestly. "My Lord, it's because Hei Mu's side has a full three sixteen-Dao or stronger experts, while I only have two. Shang isn't adept at combat, and she belongs to Luohun Valley; lately, she's been clamoring to leave... My Lord, once she departs, I will be left standing alone, and Hupo Cave will collapse! Soon after, Tiancan Domain and Panshi Cliff won't be able to contest him either, and once they're subdued, the entire Jinduan Gorge will truly fall under his sole dominion!" Mingtu pondered for a moment, sending out his senses, and asked, "Where is he?" "I don't know!" Qu shook his head. "I haven't seen him recently. I'm not sure if he has made another breakthrough! That fellow is formidable; who knows if Mount Tianqiong granted him more benefits..." Even as he spoke, a figure materialized in the distance. Mingtu looked over and nodded slightly. The Sword Sovereign! Those two had arrived as well. They were here to find Hei Mu, weren't they? Mount Liufang... who would have thought it belonged to Mount Tianqiong? Even Mingtu was surprised. In the distance, the Sword Sovereign also nodded slightly, casting a glance around. He found the place slightly odd, but said nothing, quickly flying toward the area occupied by Mount Liufang alongside his son. Seeing this, Mingtu became even more certain that Hei Mu truly belonged to Mount Tianqiong. Moreover, his standing couldn't be low. The Sword Sovereign had actually come in person to see Hei Mu. Mingtu raised an eyebrow slightly, looked back at Qu, and murmured softly, "Never mind. I originally intended to vent your anger for you—the people of Dead Spirit Hell cannot be humiliated lightly. But since the Sword Sovereign of Mount Tianqiong is here, punishing Hei Mu now could prompt the Sword Sovereign to intervene, sparking a war with Mount Tianqiong. That would be unfavorable to our Master!" After weighing the options, he chose to let it go. There was no need! The Lord of Dead Spirits was not having an easy time, whereas the Master of Mount Tianqiong currently had his eyes fixed entirely on the Human Sovereign. Generally, he didn't care about these minor affairs, but picking a fight without cause was unwise—the Master of Mount Tianqiong was not one to be provoked. Even the Lord of Dead Spirits had stated that unless his two worlds were unified, he might not be able to defeat that man in his current state, only matching him at best. To provoke Mount Tianqiong over an eighteen-Dao cultivator was not wise! Still, Dead Spirit Hell's dignity could not be compromised! He glanced in that direction, then turned back to Qu and said indifferently, "Enough. You fool, your handling of matters has spawned quite a few troublesome branches! Yet what you said makes sense; we cannot allow Mount Liufang to dominate Jinduan Gorge... Very well, once I return, I will arrange for Hei Long to assist you!" Qu's expression changed. "Emperor, truly?" "Naturally!" Qu was overjoyed. "Brother Hei Long possessed the power of twenty-two Daos previously, and he might be even stronger now! I never expected the Emperor to send him to help me... Thank you, Emperor! Qu shall gladly die for the Emperor!" Emperor Mingtu nodded slightly without further comment. He had seen the Sword Sovereign arrive with his son, Jian Kong, and suspected that he might leave Jian Kong behind—another twenty-two-Dao expert. In that case... though Dead Spirit Hell was founded later, it did not lack experts. Sending one over was perfectly acceptable! Sending someone weak would be useless. Hei Long had twenty-two Daos of power, which was just right—at the very least, he could keep Jian Kong in check! *** At the same exact time. Mount Liufang's quarters within the city were exceptionally luxurious. Just as the Sword Sovereign manifested, a figure tore through the air. Seeing the two of them, Jin Feng's expression changed drastically, and he hastily dropped to one knee. "May I ask... are you esteemed seniors from Mount Tianqiong?" The Sword Sovereign paused slightly, then smiled. "You are...?" "Subordinate Jin Feng, one of the commanders of Mount Liufang!" Jin Feng hurriedly said. "Lord Hei Mu mentioned several times that he is a guest elder of Mount Tianqiong. Seeing your boundless, razor-sharp sword qi, may I ask... are you Senior Jian Kong of Mount Tianqiong's Hall of Weapons?" Beside him, Jian Kong couldn't help but chuckle. "I am Jian Kong. I didn't expect Brother Hei Mu to mention me. And this is my father..." Thump! Jin Feng stumbled, trembling with sheer terror. "It's... Lord Sword Sovereign?" Jian Kong smiled. "Indeed! You are Jin Feng? Could you be... the one from Mount Xuelong previously?" "Yes... I was fortunate enough to break through..." Jin Feng looked at the two of them, his gaze filled with awe and dread, especially toward the Sword Sovereign. He hurriedly added, "Elder Sister Xuelong and the Blade Master will return shortly... Lord Hei Mu... he... he is not here at the moment. He said he wanted to seize this opportunity to find a place to achieve a breakthrough... Esteemed Lords, this... shall I find a way to contact Lord Hei Mu...?" Jian Kong said in surprise, "A breakthrough?" Saying that, he looked at his father and sent a voice transmission: "Last time, Hei Mu still had sixteen Great Daos left to break through. He might have made some gains recently and found a secluded spot to break through in secret. Our visit seems rather ill-timed!" "No matter!" The Sword Sovereign didn't mind. He hadn't come specifically to see Hei Mu in the first place; on one hand, he was passing by and dropped in to look around. On the other hand, he needed to make a trip to Mount Eternal. This was an order from the Mountain Master. He was to visit Mount Eternal and make arrangements, because while the Mountain Master would attend the conference three months from now, he refused to leave the Human Sovereign's Heavenly Gate. Thus, he had sent the Sword Sovereign to negotiate with the Master of Mount Eternal, asking whether Mount Eternal could be relocated near Mount Tianqiong on that day. That way, the Master of Mount Tianqiong could attend without neglecting his surveillance over the Human Sovereign! The Sword Sovereign could only carry out the Mountain Master's decision. Yet the difficulty was immense! Mount Eternal might not be willing to draw so close to Mount Tianqiong! Of course, the Mountain Master was stubborn. If he weren't, he wouldn't have kept his gaze locked onto the Human Sovereign all this time! The Master of Mount Eternal would also have to weigh things carefully. If he refused to relocate nearby, would the Master of Mount Tianqiong fly into a rage? If he truly snapped, among the four great forbidden grounds, perhaps only the Lord of Dead Spirits could contest him! With these thoughts in mind, the Sword Sovereign felt no disappointment at missing Hei Mu. It was only because his son had said this man possessed the potential of an expert, perhaps even reaching over twenty-five Daos, that he had stopped by to see for himself. Looking at it now, Hei Mu had managed Mount Liufang quite well. He had also witnessed Lady Xuelong and the Blade Master striking earlier, both possessing seventeen-Dao strength. Unexpectedly, a sixteen-Dao Jin Feng was hidden in the shadows as well. Counting Hei Mu himself, they had a full four experts at sixteen Daos or above! Remarkable indeed! For rogue cultivators to gather four first-rank experts was already beyond imagination. At this moment, the Sword Sovereign chuckled. "If he is absent, so be it. I must make a trip to Mount Eternal, so Kong'er shall remain here! I will not wait. When you see Hei Mu, tell him to keep a low profile. Still, there is no need to worry excessively; since he is willing to join Mount Tianqiong, Mount Tianqiong doesn't mind stepping forward regarding minor matters..." "Thank you, My Lord!" Jin Feng hastily kowtowed in gratitude, wildly overjoyed. Then he hurriedly added, "My Lord, I... I have an audacious request..." The Sword Sovereign smiled. "You have also stepped into sixteen Daos; there is no need to be so humble. Speak, what is it?" "My Lord, it's like this: to unify the northeastern domain, Lord Hei Mu previously had some clashes with Dead Spirit Hell and Luohun Valley... Both factions originally wanted to recruit my Lord, but he refused!" Jin Feng spoke rapidly: "Lord Hei Mu said that Dead Spirit Hell cannot be trifled with, and Luohun Valley is overly ambitious... Therefore, using his identity as a guest elder of Mount Tianqiong, he rejected both emissaries that day... Yet those two refused to let it rest, continually causing trouble for us!" Jin Feng said resentfully, "When we were about to conquer Hupo Cave, they suddenly struck from behind, ambushing us, and even took in Hupo Cave themselves! They have been opposing us at every turn, and lately they've even claimed they will recruit experts from the forbidden grounds to deal with us... Lord Sword Sovereign, how... how could we ever compete against a forbidden land!" The Sword Sovereign's brow furrowed slightly! So that was why! No wonder Mingtu had come in person. Yet for a mere squabble among outer rogue cultivators, he, an Eastern Emperor, had actually arrived in person. Truly... utterly shameless! The Sword Sovereign understood Jin Feng's intent! In fact, the Sword Sovereign had to admit their luck was excellent. Otherwise, had he remained unaware and departed, Mingtu might very well have slaughtered them all. With this thought, the Sword Sovereign nodded slightly and smiled. "A trivial matter! Why should a forbidden ground meddle in the disputes of rogue cultivators? As for Dead Spirit Hell, with their mixed bag of disciples cultivating the Dead Spirit Dao, they simply have no shame!" With that, he turned toward the distance. A burst of sword qi erupted as his voice rang out calmly: "Mount Liufang was founded by a guest elder of Mount Tianqiong! Junior disputes should be confined to juniors! At your level and mine, there is no need to intervene!" *** In the distance. Mingtu's brow furrowed slightly. This Sword Sovereign was truly shameless! He actually dared to intimidate me! For a mere eighteen-Dao cultivator, a supreme expert like him had not only come in person, but even tried to deter me! Had I not shown up, would this fellow have personally slain Qu? Very likely! No wonder! Emperor Mingtu raised an eyebrow and replied indifferently, "Naturally! The disputes of juniors should be left to them to resolve! Fellow Daoist Sword Sovereign, with our standing, there is no need for us to interfere in such matters!" The Sword Sovereign's cold voice drifted back: "That would be for the best!" It was merely a small matter, yet Mingtu had the gall to intervene. Had I not happened to pass by, would you truly have stepped in to kill them? Shameless scoundrel! The Sword Sovereign felt deep disdain, yet couldn't put it too bluntly, lest they tear apart all decorum! Similarly, Emperor Mingtu cursed inwardly. Utterly brazen! Has Mount Tianqiong stooped to this level? Too lazy to pay any more mind to the Sword Sovereign, he turned to Qu, frowning slightly. "The other side is not easy to provoke. I sensed another sixteen-Dao expert..." "Yes!" Qu hurriedly said. "That's Jin Feng; he broke through as well! Their side has a full four experts! We only have two, which is why we've fallen into a disadvantage..." Mingtu glanced at Shang in the distance, seeing her acting evasive, and smiled. "As for your side, on my way back, if I pass by Luohun Valley, I will mention your situation to see if they will send reinforcements! Originally, this was merely a war between rogue cultivators, and we paid it no mind. Who would have thought... Mount Tianqiong would be so shameless! Even the Sword Sovereign personally got involved. Had I not come... the two of you would have been in grave danger today!" Both Qu and Shang's expressions shifted drastically! Mingtu smiled. "No matter. With me here, he wouldn't dare act recklessly! However..." He glanced over his shoulder and snorted. "Shameless indeed. I guessed he would leave Jian Kong behind, and he truly did! Even if Hei Long comes, he can only keep Jian Kong in check... Very well, I shall personally visit Luohun Valley! Although Dead Spirit Hell is reviled by the various forbidden grounds, Mount Tianqiong is hardly any better—they are even more domineering than us!" Since that was the case, don't blame me for personally intervening and sending reinforcements! Shameless! The more he thought about it, the more exasperated he became. He had never seen anyone as shameless as the Sword Sovereign! A being of at least twenty-eight Daos of power, running over to meddle in a squabble between eighteen-Dao cultivators! Seeing the Sword Sovereign fly off into the distance while leaving Jian Kong behind, Mingtu sneered and stepped into the void, departing as well. Originally, he had only felt that Qu was behaving strangely and refusing to return, so he had come to inspect. Now that he knew the whole story, there was nothing more to address. Still, Mount Tianqiong's actions left him wondering whether something was amiss. Setting that aside for now, stopping Mount Liufang from dominating this place was the right course. Qu had actually done quite well; otherwise, Jinduan Gorge truly would have fallen into Mount Tianqiong's grasp! The next instant, Emperor Mingtu vanished, his voice echoing in Qu and Shang's ears: "Halting Mount Liufang's progress toward unifying Jinduan Gorge was well done. But since the Sword Sovereign has intervened personally, do not provoke conflicts lightly in the near future... When the need arises, you may raise the banner of our forbidden land to recruit experts!" "Thank you, Emperor!" Qu was instantly ecstatic. Raising the banner of a forbidden land to recruit experts... Heavens, it was unimaginable! Originally, people didn't have much faith in these loose factions. Yet if they could fly the banner of a forbidden land, rogue cultivators would harbor no doubts whatsoever. Because unless someone had gone utterly mad, absolutely no one would dare commit evil in the vicinity of a forbidden land under its name! At this moment, Qu could hardly believe his ears! Not only had Mingtu spared him from capture, but he had also left him here, promised more reinforcements, and even authorized him to use the forbidden land's name... Heavens, this world had gone completely mad! Qu was completely dazed! What had just happened? Everything they said had been strictly according to Su Yu's instructions. Naturally, they hadn't heard the private exchange between the Sword Sovereign and Mingtu. They had no idea that sometimes, with just a little guidance, misunderstandings were remarkably easy to foster! *** Meanwhile. In the sky, the sun and moon seemed to bend into crescent smiles, blooming with delight. "What a coincidence!" Su Yu's mood suddenly became exceptionally splendid! How had the two of them managed to show up together? Utterly delightful! He had guessed they wouldn't converse much, but he hadn't expected them not to converse at all—merely exchanging a single warning before parting ways. "Hahaha, and outside reinforcements are coming... at least first-rank!" Su Yu was overjoyed! He had struck it rich! Right now, his absolute favorites were first-rank cultivators! Still, should he integrate Jian Kong into his world or not? At this moment, Su Yu hadn't made up his mind yet, but his mood was incomparably bright. Furthermore, he could now aggressively recruit experts under the banner of a forbidden land—that was even better! *The Sword Sovereign, Mingtu... what good people!* Su Yu chanted in his heart. Truly wonderful!