Chapter 82: Xu Yan's Excitement, Cliff of the Sword Saint Xie Lingfeng

Chapter 82: Xu Yan's Excitement, Cliff of the Sword Saint Xie Lingfeng

Emperor Qi and Guo Rongshan looked up at the sound, and four figures descended from the sky.

One was a young man with a sword at his waist, holding the First Prince as he descended. The other was a middle-aged man with a sword hanging at his waist, holding the First Prince's attendant eunuch.

Emperor Qi was overjoyed and stood up abruptly.

The expert he had been longing for had finally arrived.

"Paying respects to the esteemed master!"

Emperor Qi's posture was humble, and he was so excited that he almost had tears in his eyes.

As for Guo Rongshan, his heart sank. The expert had flown here, yet his grandson Xu Yan still couldn't fly with qi.

However, his grandson's master must be an extraordinary master. He hurriedly stood up and followed suit.

Xie Lingfeng's eyes were piercing, and he cut straight to the point without any pleasantries. "Where is the perpetrator of this chaos?"

Emperor Qi was taken aback. Perpetrator of chaos?

Xu Yan?!

Guo Rongshan's heart skipped a beat. This master didn't sound friendly. Could he have a grudge against Xu Yan or Xu Yan's master?

His heart began to pound with anxiety.

"Guo Rongshan, where is your grandson?"

Emperor Qi straightened his back and addressed Guo Rongshan directly without the pretense of brotherhood.

Guo Rongshan thought for a moment. His grandson Xu Yan was in Donghe County, cultivating with his master. Perhaps his grandson's master could deal with these two martial artists.

"He's in Donghe County!"

He didn't hide the fact and straightened his back, giving Emperor Qi a sidelong glance.

Emperor Qi's heart skipped a beat. The outcome of the contest was yet to be determined. What if these two masters before them failed to win in the end?

He quickly put on a smile and said, "Brother Guo, I dare not hide anything from these esteemed masters."

When Xie Lingfeng heard that Blood Heartless was in Donghe County, he immediately asked, "Which direction is Donghe County?"

The First Prince straightened up and said, "Esteemed masters, there's no need for you to go there personally. We can send a message and have him come to the capital to pay his respects to you."

He pointed at Guo Rongshan and ordered, "Guo, send a message to your grandson immediately and have him come to the capital quickly to meet the esteemed masters."

Guo Rongshan narrowed his eyes at the First Prince. This kid needed a lesson.

The First Prince felt uneasy under his gaze but quickly regained his courage, thinking that he now had the support of the masters. He glared back defiantly.

Xie Lingfeng was taken aback, looking at Guo Rongshan with confusion.

"Your grandson?"

"Has Blood Heartless been masquerading as your grandson?" Xie Lingfeng asked, blinking in surprise.

"Yes, I don't know why these esteemed masters are looking for my grandson," Guo Rongshan replied with a nod.

Xie Lingfeng blinked again, feeling that something was amiss. He turned to Hu Shan and transmitted his voice, "How old is Blood Heartless? Could he be from the borderlands?"

Hu Shan was also puzzled. "Blood Heartless shouldn't be younger than me. As for coming from the borderlands to the inner realm, that's absolutely impossible. There's a stretch of dangerous mountains near the inner realm where fierce beasts roam. Without at least a fourth or fifth-rank cultivation, one would never make it through!"

"Then what's going on?" Xie Lingfeng asked.

He had never imagined that a martial artist from the borderlands would appear.

Hu Shan pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps Blood Heartless has changed his style. On the surface, he appears to be this person's grandson, but in reality, he controls this person from the shadows, helping him manipulate the Qi imperial court. He secretly devours others' essence blood to avoid causing greater chaos.

"Is he doing this to evade our pursuit?"

"If it were anyone else, upon hearing that no blood sacrifice had occurred in the borderlands, they would stop investigating and return to the inner realm." Hu Shan analyzed.

Xie Lingfeng found this reasoning convincing. Blood Heartless had suffered a huge loss in the inner realm, and it was likely that he had just fled to the borderlands and was being pursued by inner realm martial artists. To hide his identity, he was even willing to play the role of a grandson.

Xie Lingfeng narrowed his eyes and said to Guo Rongshan, "Send a message to your grandson and tell him to come to the capital. Tell him he can't hide."

"Yes!" Guo Rongshan nodded without hesitation.

This matter was no longer something he could control or resolve. He would inform his grandson through a message, and if the situation was truly unfavorable, he would let his grandson escape!

"Your Majesty, I bid you farewell!" Guo Rongshan bid farewell to Emperor Qi.

"Take care, my dear subject!" Emperor Qi replied happily.

As soon as Guo Rongshan left, Emperor Qi ordered a grand feast to be prepared to entertain Xie Lingfeng and his companion.

However, Xie Lingfeng declined, only requesting a quiet place to stay.

Emperor Qi readily agreed.

He personally escorted Xie Lingfeng and his companion to a secluded residence within the palace. After returning to his study, his entire demeanor changed, and the imperial might of the emperor returned at that moment.

"Send a secret order to keep a close watch on the movements of the Qi King's mansion and prepare to take control of the Divine Might Army," Emperor Qi commanded.

"Father, let's just raid Guo Rongshan's house directly!" the First Prince suggested.

"Fool!" Emperor Qi glared at his eldest son. "The outcome is not yet decided. Why the rush? What if it ends in a draw? What if we lose? You need to be more level-headed and not act impetuously!"

"Yes, yes, Father is right!" The First Prince acknowledged his mistake.

However, he was very dissatisfied with his father and began plotting to curry favor with the masters, hoping they would support him as the emperor of Qi.

In his opinion, his father was old and senile, and it was time for him to be dethroned.

...

In Yunshan County, Li Xuan had been perfecting his cultivation technique beyond the innate realm.

It could seamlessly connect with the innate realm, and the power of this realm was still incredibly strong, surpassing the grand masters of the inner realm's martial arts world.

On this day, a message arrived from the capital and reached Donghe County.

A martial artist has arrived in the capital! Xu Yan is requested to go to the capital to meet him!

The messenger seems unfriendly! The two visitors descended from the sky, indicating that they are inner realm masters.

"Master, I'll go to the capital to meet the inner realm martial artist!" Xu Yan said excitedly.

"An inner realm master, are you confident?" Li Xuan asked, pondering for a moment.

Xu Yan had already reached perfection in the Qi and Blood Realm, and his sword heart was clear, having enlightened the way of the sword.

His strength had improved by leaps and bounds.

However, if the two opponents joined forces, Xu Yan might not be able to handle them.

Moreover, there were varying degrees of strength even among masters.

"Master, rest assured. I have comprehended the sword path, and my Dragon Subduing Palm has also broken through to the second level. I am not afraid of inner realm masters. Even if they join forces, I will not be intimidated!" Xu Yan said confidently.

"If you're confident, then go ahead," Li Xuan nodded.

"Do you want me to accompany you?" Li Xuan asked again after a moment's thought.

"Master, you can stay here in Yunshan County and continue teaching my senior brothers. I can handle this alone. They are here because of Blood Heartless, and since they haven't caused any trouble for my grandfather's family, they might not have ill intentions.

"This is a good opportunity to hone my sword skills, and perhaps I can even comprehend the sword intent through this," Xu Yan thought for a moment and shook his head.

"If you're confident, then go ahead," Li Xuan agreed.

"Yes, Master!" Xu Yan left in high spirits, eager to embark on his journey.

"Inner realm masters, two of them, and they're here to pursue Blood Heartless? From Guo Rongshan's message, they seem to have ill intentions, yet they haven't caused any trouble for the Guo family.

"Moreover, they haven't displayed any arrogance or haughtiness.

"They don't seem like bloodthirsty people. Xu Yan should be fine. Moreover, with Xu Yan's current strength, he won't lose to a master," Li Xuan pondered.

"I hope my precious disciple won't encounter any accidents. Let's see how he fares."

After Meng Chong returned, Li Xuan gave him some instructions before taking off into the sky, heading towards the capital of Qi.

* * *

In the capital of Qi, at the Guo residence...

"Father, did those two experts come because of Xu Yan?" Guo Yunkai asked with a worried expression.

"There's nothing we can do about this. It's up to Xu Yan now," Guo Rongshan said helplessly.

Ever since the experts had arrived in the capital, the officials had been excitedly vying with each other to show their loyalty to the Qi Emperor. All they wanted was an audience with the experts.

The Qi Prince's mansion instantly became deserted as the officials avoided it like the plague, fearing any association with it.

The Qi Emperor had no time to pay attention to his officials. Morning, noon, and night, he attended to the experts, offering them all sorts of precious elixirs and rare jewels.

Although the experts refused his gifts, he didn't take anything back.

After all, one was obliged to reciprocate when receiving favors. As the emperor, he had shown utmost respect and offered a trove of treasures. Surely, the experts would have to show some favor in return?

The Qi Emperor was delighted with himself and was just waiting for an opportunity to ask about martial arts and request the experts to take him on as a disciple.

The Crown Prince was also busy attending to the experts daily, hoping to be accepted as their disciple and learn the powerful martial arts.

"Where is he? Is he hiding?" Xie Lingfeng asked impatiently.

"Rest assured, esteemed experts, he has already set off for the capital," the Crown Prince flattered.

On that day, a figure flew towards the palace.

"Old Qi Emperor, I, Xu Yan, have arrived. Where are those so-called experts?"

Xu Yan had arrived!

Just like the last time, he flew over arrogantly, his aura oppressing everything around him.

"What is this?"

Xie Lingfeng and Hu Shan's faces changed as they disappeared from their original spots and soared into the sky, appearing in front of Xu Yan in the blink of an eye.

Xu Yan's eyes narrowed as he sensed that these two were indeed martial artists.

His gaze fell on Xie Lingfeng, and his intuition told him that this man was the strongest among them. Xie Lingfeng's entire being exuded a sharp and overpowering aura, and a sword hung at his waist.

He was a sword cultivator! Xu Yan's eyes lit up as he stood on the palace roof, rubbing his palms together eagerly. He was itching for a match with an Inner Realm sword cultivator.

This Inner Realm martial artist was quite young, probably only eleven or twelve years older than himself, yet his strength surpassed that of Blood Heartless!

"So, you're the ones looking for me?" Xu Yan asked excitedly.

Xie Lingfeng frowned, feeling that something was off about the young man before him.

He seemed like a martial artist, but his aura was somewhat different, with exceptionally vigorous qi and blood.

Xie Lingfeng took a deep breath and asked in a deep voice, "You're not Blood Heartless. Where is he?"

So, they were indeed looking for Blood Heartless.

"Blood Heartless is dead!" Xu Yan replied bluntly.

"Dead?" Xie Lingfeng was taken aback. How could a master die in the borderlands? "Who killed him?"

He didn't believe that the young man before him could have killed Blood Heartless.

"My master!"

"Who is your master?"

"That's none of your business. Since you're here for me, let's fight. I want to see the strength of an Inner Realm master!" Xu Yan's qi and blood surged, and his voice thundered.

Xie Lingfeng's heart pounded. He asked in a low voice, "Who are you? Are you from the Inner Realm?"

Xu Yan stood proudly and declared, "What do you mean by 'from the Inner Realm'? I, Xu Yan, am from Donghe County in Qi, a resident of the borderlands!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Xie Lingfeng exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's impossible for a martial artist to appear in the borderlands!"

Xu Yan scoffed and asked, "Then what about me? Am I not a martial artist?"

"This..." Xie Lingfeng was stunned.

Indeed, the young man before him was a martial artist from the borderlands. Hu Shan was also shocked. He tried to sense the heavenly mandate but felt nothing.

This indicated that the heavenly mandate was still absent in the borderlands!

"Stop beating around the bush, let's fight!" Xu Yan said impatiently, pointing at Xie Lingfeng.

"Alright!" Xie Lingfeng took a deep breath and nodded.

"Let's go outside the city," Xu Yan suggested as he moved, flying out of the city.

Xie Lingfeng and Hu Shan exchanged glances, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. They soared into the sky and followed Xu Yan out of the city.

The capital of Qi was in an uproar.

People rushed out of the city, hoping to watch the battle between the powerful martial artists, but they were too late and couldn't find them.

Outside the capital of Qi, about ten miles away...

Xie Lingfeng flew through the air, his sword in hand, his aura sharp and oppressive. His entire being seemed like a sharp sword, and his qi locked onto Xu Yan.

Xu Yan's qi and blood boiled, and he felt exhilarated.

"I am Xie Lingfeng from Sword Saint Cliff," Xie Lingfeng introduced himself with a bow.

"Xu Yan from Donghe County," Xu Yan returned the courtesy.

Feeling Xie Lingfeng's sharp sword-like aura, Xu Yan became even more excited. He had just stepped into the path of the sword and had a clear sword heart, but he hadn't yet comprehended sword intent.

Perhaps this was an opportunity! He could battle an Inner Realm sword cultivator and see who was stronger!

"Brother Xu!" Xie Lingfeng bowed and asked curiously, "May I ask what stage you've reached?"

He couldn't quite gauge Xu Yan's level.

Xu Yan wasn't a master, but he didn't seem to be at the first-rank either.

First-rank cultivators didn't have such overwhelming auras.

What surprised Xie Lingfeng even more was the crimson dragon coiled around Xu Yan's body, exuding a formidable might. He had never seen such a technique in the Inner Realm.

"I've just entered the martial path and achieved perfection in the Qi and Blood Realm," Xu Yan replied frankly.

"Qi and Blood Realm?" Xie Lingfeng was puzzled.

What kind of realm was this? He had never heard of it.

He turned to look at Hu Shan, who was watching the battle from a distance, and saw the same confusion on his face.

Moreover, Xu Yan had only just entered the martial path?

"Brother Xu, what is this Qi and Blood Realm? Entering the martial path is the ninth-rank..." Xie Lingfeng asked, confused.

Xu Yan interrupted impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense. We can chat after the fight!"

"Alright!" Xie Lingfeng's eyes turned sharp, and he pointed his sword forward. Sword qi gathered at the tip, and he said, "Brother Xu, please make your move."

"Then I won't hold back!" Xu Yan raised his hand and struck out with a palm.

Boom!

The Dragon Subduing Palm transformed into a giant dragon, roaring towards Xie Lingfeng with overwhelming might.

Xie Lingfeng's sword flashed, and sword qi pierced the dragon's head, splitting the dragon-shaped palm strike into two.

Xu Yan's eyes narrowed. Xie Lingfeng was stronger than Blood Heartless, and by a large margin.

Xu Yan took a deep breath, and his Dragon Subduing Palm unleashed its full power, with eighteen giant dragons combining their might in the attack.

Boom!

Xie Lingfeng was startled by this palm technique. He swung his sword, and sword qi layered around his body, blocking the attack. Then, he moved in the air, and his sword flashed like lightning, striking towards Xu Yan's throat.

Xu Yan's eyes narrowed as he saw the weakness in Xie Lingfeng's strike, but the speed was too fast, and he couldn't attack the weak point in time. He quickly shifted his position and dodged the attack.

Xie Lingfeng was shocked once again by Xu Yan's body technique, which allowed him to shift positions instantly.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end