Chapter Four: The Arrival of a Formidable Foe

This Dragonbone Zither already belongs to the highest ranks of treasured artifacts. On the planet Luoshui, in the absence of Dao-level weapons, it reigns supreme!

Yue Luohua’s expression was grave. It was not that he was unwilling to continue the fight—he was famed as the Misty Sword, but his sword technique allowed for only one strike.

Even Wuyun was left awkward and speechless. He had been the one who insisted on learning this sword technique…

The Lord of the Absolute Sound Fortress acted unrestrained, as none of the outer or inner sect elders were able to stand against him for even a moment. Under the gaze of all, everyone pinned their hopes on the newly appointed sect leader. His face darkened, and with a furious roar, he waved his hand, summoning a boundless sea of sword shadows that filled the sky and blocked out the sun, yet none of them carried the piercing edge of true sword intent!

“Damn it!” Wuyun, Yue Luohua, the other seven peak lords, the disciplinary elders, and the protectors all exclaimed in unison.

This was exactly the sort of event that would sow chaos among the ranks in the heat of battle, leading to defeat.

The new sect master, Qian Jianji, had lost his life-bound treasured weapon!

How could it be gone? He had buried his thousand swords in a spiritual mine to nurture them, but when the Divine Thunder of the Nine Heavens swept through, they were all destroyed!

Yet, the myriad sword shadows in the sky still managed to hold back the music from Absolute Sound Fortress, the two forces swirling in the heavens—one strong, one weak.

“Qian Jianji, have you gone mad with the desire to become sect master? With your life-bound treasure destroyed, what strength remains in you?” Jin Sandao, the Grand Protector of the Golden Blade Sect, laughed boisterously, his words deepening the panic within the Sword Mountain Sect.

In terms of cultivation, the invaders were all powerful cultivators at the True Soul stage, on par with the peak lords of Sword Mountain Sect. Yet the sect itself was left hollow—lacking heritage, foundation, and contingency. How could they possibly stand against such foes?

After several exchanges, Qian Jianji spat blood and retreated, supported by his disciples. With a heavy sigh, he said, “It is the will of Heaven. We must preserve our strength and await the day when Sect Master Shengba brings us justice!”

“Think you can leave with your dignity intact?”

Suddenly, another voice rang out. A rift tore open in the void, and a burly, strangely dressed man stepped forth.

It was Wanyan Denglie, son of the former chief of the Seven Stars Gang, whose clan had been wiped out by Shengba!

He had crossed worlds via the teleportation array—first, to scout as a vanguard; second, to seek vengeance if the opportunity arose.

Unable to kill Shengba himself, destroying the sect Shengba had built with his own hands would still bring satisfaction.

Qian Jianji’s face darkened further. For these enemies to arrive so quickly, they must have divined that something was amiss in the Luoshui world and prepared in advance. Yet all who came were old foes.

Yue Luohua, visibly shaken, could scarcely imagine a Demigod-level cultivator appearing in such a humble place as Luoshui, and the same disbelief was written on the faces of the other seven peak lords.

“I have never slaughtered the innocent. Cause and effect must be answered. Anyone above inner sect disciple of Shengba’s sect may keep their lives. The rest, leave at once!” Wanyan Denglie’s calm voice echoed.

He then recounted the annihilation of his clan by Shengba: “All for the gem that was our clan’s treasured artifact, he struck down every resistor—including my father, siblings, fellow disciples…”

As his tale ended, several voices drifted down from the sky.

“In that case, we have no reason to interfere with the Sword Mountain Sect. We too had grievances with Shengba. Now that he’s dead, let it be settled.” Dozens of hidden Demigod-level experts departed, though three or four remained, their figures faint but discernible in the clouds.

Not only did these hidden experts depart, but many outer sect disciples of Sword Mountain Sect fled as well. Some inner sect disciples tried to escape among them, but were instantly bound in place by enchanted tools and imprisoned on the spot.

“You have three hundred and forty inner sect disciples left. As for those who have left, I’ll consider them mementos and settle accounts later,” Wanyan Denglie said.

His voice was neither loud nor soft, but the hatred within was bone-deep.

The Lord of Demon Peak and Lord of Achievement Peak exchanged a glance, then suddenly scattered, fleeing by blood escape. This secret art could let them escape for thousands of miles in an instant!

But mocking laughter echoed from above. The hidden figures in the clouds gave chase, and minutes later, the blood-drenched remains of the Demon Peak Lord Guji and Achievement Peak Lord Chuluo were tossed back to their original positions.

The disparity in strength was simply too great. Demigod-level cultivators were not something True Soul-level could hope to resist.

If anyone was to blame, it was the Sword Mountain Sect’s shallow foundation and short history—and Shengba’s overwhelming might.

“Enough talk. Show me the ultimate skills you’ve learned and die with some dignity!” Wanyan Denglie commanded. The twenty-three inner sect disciples who had tried to escape with the outer disciples suddenly began wailing in agony within the binding circles. There, intense cold froze them, then searing flames burned, then a thousand needles pierced their bodies, then fierce auras ravaged them… Layer upon layer of torment unfolded, unending.

The amplified screams echoed around, even more piercing to the ear.

A deathly silence fell over Sword Mountain Sect. Who could have imagined that, with Shengba merely missing, such powerful enemies would descend?

“The guardian beast! The guardian beast!”

A desperate voice suddenly rang out. Wuyun looked over, cursing—who was the fool calling for him? It turned out to be Tonglu, who had recently teased him about his senior brother’s embarrassments.

This newly initiated inner sect disciple had pinned all hope on Wuyun.

Wuyun was speechless. If only he had a little more time, he could have taken care of everything, but in this common demon body, apart from slightly unusual bones and blood, there was nothing remarkable.

Now, every eye was fixed on Wuyun—Yue Luohua, Qian Jianji, Wanyan Denglie included.

No matter what else was lost, the bearing must not be lost. Even in utter defeat, one’s words must remain dignified—defeat with honor!

“Wanyan Denglie of the Seven Stars Gang?” Wuyun probed. Wanyan Denglie nodded with a smile and asked, “If not for the flesh and bones still there, I would think you a mere puppet. Who are you to Shengba?”

“That brat Shengba?” Wuyun’s words stunned the outsiders.

To call Shengba a brat! And for all the sect’s upper echelons to take it as a matter of course—he must be Shengba’s elder!

But on Luoshui, since when did Shengba have an elder?

Wanyan Denglie frowned. From the hidden clouds above, dozens of beams of light shot down, illuminating Wuyun in an attempt to see through him.

But before the lights could reach him, they were scattered by residual electromagnetic currents from the thunder that lingered underground.

“Could this be Shengba’s hidden contingency?” Wanyan Denglie muttered.

Wuyun only sneered. “Why did Shengba make enemies everywhere? Surely it wasn’t just the Seven Stars Gang?” Indeed, in his search for materials, Shengba scoured all of Luoshui, and even ventured to other planets within the Qianluo Domain in his quest.

“When Shengba established this sect, it was so that, after he left, it would be destroyed and none could trace his past. Why would he do this? Because he is still alive!”

“Impossible! The outer-world divine thunder—Luoshui itself could barely withstand it. How could he survive?”

From the clouds above, four figures finally emerged—they were the four Grand Ministers, Zhang, Wang, Zhao, and Li, of the Seven Qi Dynasty on Lokexing.

All were Demigod-level cultivators, having crossed their minor tribulations. Once they survived the greater tribulation, they would ascend to the so-called Immortal Realm.