Firmament Sword

Li Wenxi took a small step forward. She discreetly blocked the oppressive aura emanating from Fang Jing, neutralizing it without a sound. Her expression then turned cold as she looked at him and said, ”That marriage contract was absurd from the start. The person who proposed it to you, Sect Leader Fang, had no right whatsoever to make decisions for Phoenix. I thought you would have understood that.”

A scornful smile touched the corners of Fang Jing’s mouth. ”That is an internal matter of your sect. I wouldn’t know about that,” he said. ”All I know is that your disciple and my son are a perfect match. Very well. Since you say the previous agreement doesn’t count, you, Sect Leader Li, are here in person now. Surely you can make a decision, can’t you?”

”Sect Leader Fang... are you trying to force my hand?” Li Wenxi raised an eyebrow. Looking at the overbearing Fang Jing, she smiled instead of showing anger. ”Is Sect Leader Fang planning to act like a common bandit king and forcibly take a wife for his son?”

”Alas, what can I do?” Fang Jing said, giving Li Wenxi a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. ”Ever since my humble son saw Miss Phoenix, he hasn’t been able to eat or drink. He has no heart for cultivation. He’s on the verge of collapse. As his father, I can’t just stand by and watch him suffer from lovesickness, can I? So... I hope Sect Leader Li can understand... a father’s feelings.”

Over on the side, Ark’s gaze was fixed on Phoenix, his infatuation plain to see. However, he didn’t look at all like he was ”unable to eat or drink” or ”on the verge of collapse” as his father claimed. In fact, with his rosy complexion, he looked perfectly healthy.

At that moment, Qiushuiduan, who had been keeping a low profile and had barely spoken a word from within the Merak ranks, slowly stepped forward. He stood in front of Li Wenxi, facing Fang Jing.

Fang Jing’s brow furrowed slightly. Before he could say anything, he felt an incomparably sharp Sword Intent erupt from the white-haired man opposite him!

It was silent, yet it burst forth in an instant!

This Sword Intent was aimed directly at Fang Jing!

The others felt nothing, but Fang Jing felt as if he had been locked onto by an invisible aura. This aura was cold and powerful, and he felt that if he made a single reckless move, he would be instantly torn to shreds by countless streams of Sword Intent!

The full might of Fang Jing’s Sword King aura erupted from him as he tried to resist the terrifying, invisible Sword Intent from the white-haired man.

But to his horror, he found that even after unleashing the full might of a Tier Three Sword King, the man opposite him... remained utterly expressionless. That sharp Sword Intent was still locked onto him.

”What is the meaning of this?” Fang Jing demanded, shocked and enraged.

This was a huge departure from what he knew about the Merak Sect. His intelligence had stated that in the Merak Sect, only Li Wenxi had, by some fortuitous encounter, recovered from her cultivation deviation and successfully broken through to the Transformation Realm.

As someone who had entered the Transformation Realm long ago, Fang Jing hadn’t paid Li Wenxi any mind.

’She’s just a rookie who recently entered the Sword King realm. Nothing to make a fuss about.’ This had been Fang Jing’s previous line of thought.

That was why he had dared to pressure Li Wenxi so brazenly, planning to publicly humiliate her before the Sect Assembly! Then, she would obediently marry her disciple to his son.

But Fang Jing had never imagined that the Merak Sect’s group would contain a second Transformation Realm master.

Moreover, this Transformation Realm master was different from the others. The Sword Intent emanating from him... it was just too sharp!

With his white hair and white robes, he stood there like a sharpened sword himself!

His presence soared to the heavens!

’How is this possible... How could the Merak Sect have such a powerful expert?’ Fang Jing was both shocked and furious.

”Don’t make trouble for yourself.” Qiushuiduan’s eyes were filled with a sharp Sword Intent as he stared coldly at Fang Jing.

”And who are you?” Fang Jing’s face was ashen as he questioned Qiushuiduan.

”Just an Elder of the Merak Sect,” Qiushuiduan replied, his voice calm.

”You’re lying! How could the Merak Sect possibly have an Elder of your realm?” Fang Jing roared.

”Do I need to report to you, Sect Leader Fang, about what kind of people my Merak Sect has? Don’t you think you’re overstepping your bounds, Sect Leader Fang?” Li Wenxi’s voice was ice-cold and filled with rage.

This was supposedly a chance encounter, but she didn’t believe it was a coincidence. It seemed the Grand Elder and her faction were still not giving up. They wanted to use Tianquan’s power to strike at her.

Li Wenxi thought to herself, ’I was too merciful before. I should have been like Xu Luo—cut the weeds and pull up the roots, leaving no hidden dangers behind!’

Grand Elder Leng Yu Lian was probably unaware that her actions had thoroughly enraged this once kind and gentle Sect Leader.

After speaking, Fang Jing also realized his slip of the tongue. Questioned by Li Wenxi, he was left somewhat speechless.

Just then, an old man slowly emerged from the Tianquan ranks. He looked to be in his eighties or nineties, his face a crisscrossing ravine of wrinkles. His old eyes were cloudy, and his back was hunched, as if he might collapse at any moment.

”Ahem... squabbling like this will only hurt feelings. Everyone... give this old man some face. Stop arguing, all right?”

The old man’s voice was extremely weak, as if it had taken a great deal of effort just to speak.

But both Qiushuiduan and Li Wenxi felt a jolt. They looked up, staring at the old man in disbelief.

The others noticed nothing unusual, but both Qiushuiduan and Li Wenxi broke out in a cold sweat.

This was because what the others heard was the feeble voice of an old man with one foot in the grave. But what the two of them heard was like the tolling of a great bell—a colossal sound that nearly shattered their eardrums!

Looking again, the old man still appeared frail and trembling. The two exchanged a glance, and Li Wenxi nodded. ”Since Senior has spoken, let’s leave it at that.”

With that, she gave the old man a deep look before turning and returning to her group.

Qiushuiduan, however, stared warily at the old man for a long moment before slowly backing away, never taking his eyes off him.

The old man seemed to pay this no mind, saying weakly, ”Then this old one... thanks... you both.”

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A thunderous roar once again echoed in the ears of Li Wenxi and Qiushuiduan.

”Thanks... you both... Thanks... you both...”

The sound echoed for a long time, making their heads spin before it gradually faded away.

Although the others in the Merak Sect group didn’t sense anything was wrong, they could tell from the reactions of their Sect Leader and Qiushuiduan that the old man who looked to have one foot in the grave was not what he seemed. United by a common foe, they all glared angrily at the old man in the Tianquan ranks.

The old man from the Tianquan group, however, seemed completely oblivious to their indignation. He slowly turned and walked, step by step, back into his group.

A look of delight appeared on Fang Jing’s face. He hadn’t expected the Old Ancestor to actually step in. He opened his mouth to say something more, but the old man’s voice sounded in his ear.

”Haven’t you made enough of a fool of yourself? If you interfere with my business, I’ll tear you to pieces!”

Although this voice wasn’t thunderous like it had been for Li Wenxi and Qiushuiduan, it was by no means weak!

Fang Jing shuddered slightly. A pained smile appeared on his face as he lowered his head and ordered his group to move out immediately.

Just like that, the two groups traveled together, yet a clear line was drawn between them. People on both sides watched each other’s every move with caution.

Xu Luo had taken in the entire scene. The moment the old man appeared and opened his mouth to speak, the recently awakened and still-faint Jade Balance Star Soul flickered.

Immediately after, a familiar feeling welled up from deep within Xu Luo.

’A sound attack!’

It was as if he understood instinctively, but Xu Luo knew it was the Jade Balance Star Soul reminding him: the old man opposite them had just used a sound-based attack technique!

Looking again at the somewhat pale faces of Li Wenxi and Qiushuiduan, Xu Luo became even more certain of his suspicion.

He couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at the hunched-over old man who looked like he could collapse at any moment. A flicker of interest in the old man sparked within him.

’Fang Jing seems to hold him in high esteem,’ Xu Luo mused. ’Perhaps his seniority in the Tianquan Sect is extremely high. With such seniority, why would he even be out here? Could there be something at this Sect Assembly that has drawn him out?’

Just then, a faint voice suddenly reached him from the adjacent group: ”Xu Luo!”

Xu Luo was slightly taken aback. He glanced around and saw that everyone else’s expression was normal. He then realized someone was using a voice transmission technique to speak to him. Immediately after, he felt an icy, murderous gaze land on him.

”Xu Luo! You worldly mutt... you’re a lucky one. You actually managed to escape alive last time. Let’s see where you run this time!” Ark transmitted, making no effort to hide the killing intent in his eyes.

”You little pup, I’m not even afraid of your dad, let alone you. I’ll give you the same words back: this time, *I’ll* see where *you* run!” Xu Luo retorted with a cold smile, not showing any weakness.

Having never been subjected to such insults in his entire life, Ark’s face turned livid with rage. He glared viciously at Xu Luo and transmitted, ”You just wait and see!”

Xu Luo looked at Ark, his eyes suddenly darting. A cold smirk played on his lips. As he sent his voice transmission, he also activated the Jade Balance Demon Sound he had just learned.

”Then let’s wait and see!”

RUMBLE!

A clap of thunder seemed to explode deep inside Ark’s ears!

”Wait and see... wait and see... wait and see!”

His eardrums nearly ruptured. He let out a scream of excruciating pain as blood began to trickle from his ears, making for a terrifying sight.

His face instantly turned white as a sheet!

”Ark, what’s wrong with you?” Fang Jing cried out in alarm. He was instantly by Ark’s side, his eyes shooting a bone-chilling glare toward the Merak Sect’s group.

Xu Luo, meanwhile, had turned his head away at the first moment, a calm expression on his face, looking as if nothing had happened.

The old man in the Tianquan group also looked toward the Merak party. A sharp glint of light flashed in his cloudy old eyes as he scanned them one by one, but he found nothing out of the ordinary. A trace of surprise flickered across his wrinkled, ravine-like face.

’Besides me... there’s someone else skilled in sound attacks?’

”Ark, are you all right?” Fang Jing asked, watching his son clutch his ears in agony, blood flowing endlessly between his fingers. His handsome face was twisted in pain.

”I... I can’t hear out of my ears! I... I can’t hear anything!” Ark cried out, his voice a panicked, agonized shout.