Chapter 178 All Heroes Arrive

The sky brightened as the morning sun rose.

The previously silent Cangzhou Prefecture Jianghu erupted in excitement as countless martial artists rushed toward Yellow Dragon Mountain.

Today was the day of the duel between Blade Demon Yan Chu and the Old Marquis Sima Tao. Many martial artists had already staked out spots at the base of Yellow Dragon Mountain, braving the cold late autumn wind all night just to secure a good vantage point.

From a distance, one could see a dense, dark crowd of people making their way up Yellow Dragon Mountain.

“Chief Escort Lin, are you also going to watch the great battle between Great Hero Yan and the Old Marquis?”

“So it's Brother Wan!”

“Indeed! With so many people here, who isn't going to watch the battle?”

“The Old Marquis hasn't fought in decades. He is at the Late Stage of the Supreme Grandmaster Realm, the true number one expert of Cangzhou Prefecture. Great Hero Yan is also a renowned expert of the Ninth Realm. A battle between them is a rare event not seen in decades; no one wants to miss it!”

“True! I wonder who will win or lose this fight. I'm really looking forward to it!”

A moment later, many people had already reached the summit of Yellow Dragon Mountain.

The top was a vast plateau, several miles wide. Looking down from there, one could see the continuous mountain range in the distance, a magnificent view.

Martial artists stood or sat around the area. Those able to claim the front spots were all Grandmaster level experts.

There were even quite a few Great Grandmasters among them.

“Look! Isn't that Pavilion Master Jiang of Ningzhou's Iron Weapon Pavilion? He is at the Peak of the Great Grandmaster Realm, only a step away from being a Supreme Grandmaster!”

“There's also the Third Elder of the Cao Gang, Wei Yuan, who is also a Great Grandmaster!”

“Look, that's Great Master Zhi'an from Ciguang Temple, and Valley Master Wen from Hundred Flowers Valley. They are all famous Great Grandmasters in the Jianghu!”

“With so many Great Grandmasters, do you think any Supreme Grandmasters will come to watch?”

Just as the words were spoken, a whistling sound of breaking air echoed from the distance, followed by a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha!”

A figure in brocade robes leaped from a distant mountain Peak, crossing several miles in an instant to appear on the summit plateau.

He had a sturdy build and meticulously groomed hair. As soon as he appeared, he became the center of everyone's attention.

“Is that the Second Elder of the Fire Worship Sect, Yan Xuan? He came too?!”

Someone exclaimed, recognizing the middle-aged man in brocade at a glance.

The Fire Worship Sect was one of the top powers in the Jianghu, not inferior to the Hidden Sword Palace, and Yan Xuan was a Supreme Grandmaster.

“Greetings, Senior Yan!”

“Junior Ye Xiang of Pingzhou's Splendid Mountain Villa pays respects to Senior Yan!”

“amitabha...”

Immediately, many people stepped forward to greet Yan Xuan, bowing one after another.

Yan Xuan smiled slightly, raised his hand dismissively, and said:

“No need for formalities, everyone! I have only come to watch the battle. I will exchange pleasantries with you all later.”

The crowd felt a gentle, warm wind lifting them up, and they couldn't help but secretly admire his profound internal power.

Suddenly, Yan Xuan's brow twitched as he looked into the distance.

A Daoist priest in green robes appeared on the horizon, sitting on a giant gourd. He held a fly-whisk in his hand and carried a long sword on his back, looking like a transcendent Immortal.

“It's Daoist Priest Xuan Tong of Jinyang Temple!”

“This is a true Immortal figure!”

“Hahaha!”

Yan Xuan laughed loudly, his voice like thunder as he shouted:

“You old Daoist, you always love playing the mystic. Why don't you hurry up and come down?”

His voice turned into rolling, fiery red soundwaves that surged toward the sky, scattering the clouds.

“Immeasurable Heavenly Lord!”

Daoist Priest Xuan Tong on the gourd took no offense. He flicked the fly-whisk resting on his left arm, neutralizing the soundwaves into nothingness.

Then, the gourd shrank to the size of a palm, which he hung at his waist as he drifted gracefully down onto the summit plateau.

“Fellow Daoist Yan, have you been well since we last met?”

Both were Supreme Grandmasters. The casual display of their techniques was a feast for the eyes of the onlookers.

Yan Xuan snorted and said:

“I am doing very well!”

He glanced at the small gourd at Daoist Priest Xuan Tong's waist and said:

“Your Daoist methods are indeed quite marvelous. You certainly have a few tricks for fooling people.”

Daoist Priest Xuan Tong chuckled and said:

“This is merely a small treasure I obtained during my early years of further study at the Qingyang Palace. It is hardly worth calling a technique.”

“On the other hand, Fellow Daoist Yan, your Holy Fire Divine Art has become even more profound. I suspect you aren't far from the Middle Stage of the Mountain Shaking Realm, are you?”

“Hmph!”

Yan Xuan shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly looked into the distance.

“Someone else is coming!”

Daoist Priest Xuan Tong also looked into the distance and said in surprise:

“It's actually Mei Haichuan? He came too?”

“It's Senior Mei, the Qingzhou Vagabond. His self-created Seventy-Two Styles of Plum Blossom Scattered Hands was highly praised even by the ninth-ranked expert on the Earth Ranking, Great Hero Shi Wenjun.”

Seeing Supreme Grandmasters appearing one after another, the atmosphere among the onlookers grew even more fervent.

Even without the upcoming battle, being able to see several Supreme Grandmasters today made the trip worthwhile.

“Brother Yan, Daoist Priest Xuan Tong, what a pleasure to meet you!”

They were all long-renowned Supreme Grandmasters in the Jianghu and had met each other more or less before. They began to exchange greetings and pleasantries.

“I wonder if the two of you witnessed the battle at Yang River a few days ago?”

Yan Xuan and Daoist Priest Xuan Tong looked at each other and both shook their heads.

Daoist Priest Xuan Tong spoke:

“I only set out from my temple two days ago and only learned halfway through that the Blade Demon actually fought four opponents alone and emerged victorious.”

“Same for me!”

Yan Xuan said:

“I didn't intend to join the excitement today, but after hearing about Yan Chu's achievements, I felt like coming to watch.”

“Sima Tao is at the Late Stage of the Ninth Realm. I wonder who will win between these two?”

“Hard to say!”

Mei Haichuan pondered and said:

“However, I estimate that Yan Chu's situation might not be very good!”

“Oh? Why do you say that?”

Mei Haichuan waved his hand to release a barrier of True Essence before speaking:

“That Yan Chu has offended too many people!”

“I arrived a bit earlier than you two. Not long ago, in a small town in western Cangzhou, I saw a person in black. I saw this person once over ten years ago. Can you guess who it is?”

“Who?”

“Liu Zhe of the Seven Kill Sect!”

“Seven Kill Sect?”

At these words, both Yan Xuan and Daoist Priest Xuan Tong were startled.

At its Peak, the Seven Kill Sect's strength was startling, even above the Fire Worship Sect and not at all inferior to the current nine major righteous Sects.

If not for their ruthless actions and lack of public support, they wouldn't have been attacked by everyone, leading to their Sect's destruction.

However, although the Seven Kill Sect was destroyed, that 'Old Man Bu Sha' is still alive. It's heard that he took several of his most talented Disciples with him when he fled.

And that 'Lawless Blade' Liu Zhe was one of them.

Decades ago, he was already among the top ten on the heavenly pride ranking. After all these years, who knows what his cultivation level is now?

At this point, Mei Haichuan continued:

“I heard that a few days ago, a Disciple of the Seven Kill Sect named Song Cheng died at Yan Chu's hands.”

“The Seven Kill Sect only has these few remaining seeds. Would they not seek revenge?”

Yan Xuan rubbed his chin and said:

“I have also heard of this matter!”

“If it's truly as you say and the people from the Seven Kill Sect have also come, then today's events will be quite a sight!”

“There's more than just that!”

Mei Haichuan shook his head.

“Given the Seven Kill Sect's style, they always fight to the death. Even after being destroyed for many years, that hasn't changed!”

“If Yan Chu doesn't die, they will surely haunt him like ghosts, never letting go.”

Daoist Priest Xuan Tong and Yan Xuan nodded thoughtfully.

The other man was right; the Seven Kill Sect's actions were indeed harsh and arrogant.

Otherwise, they were once considered one of the major righteous Sects with strong foundations. How else would they have provoked several major Sects into a joint siege?

“This old Daoist remembers that when the Seven Kill Sect was destroyed, Old Man Bu Sha only took away four Disciples, right?”

“Correct!”

Yan Xuan nodded solemnly.

“Liu Zhe only ranked third among the four Disciples. There are rumors that he has already cultivated the Seven Kill Blade Technique to the fourth Realm, the Formless Realm.”

“As they say, the formless blade is the most lethal!”

“Before this person acts, his aura is completely hidden, yet he can kill invisibly.”

“Then... it seems that Yan Chu's battle with the Old Marquis today will likely face many unexpected variables!”

Daoist Priest Xuan Tong slowly shook his head.

“Hehe!”

Mei Haichuan's gaze was deep as he chuckled:

“You all know the Blade Demon's style of doing things.”

“Since his debut, how many major powers has he offended?”

“For powers like the Hidden Sword Palace, an ordinary person would be trembling with fear every day if they offended even one, and would try every possible way to resolve the enmity. Yet he offended so many at once!”

“By acting this way, even if he survives today's tribulation, he will eventually fall somewhere else sooner or later.”

“An official status with the imperial court is no protective talisman!”

Hearing this, Yan Xuan and Daoist Priest Xuan Tong looked at each other but did not respond.

Neither of the combatants had anything to do with them.

Naturally, there was no talk of liking or disliking them.

So, the two of them held no bias and had come purely to watch the battle.

But listening to Mei Haichuan's words, he seemed to have some issues with Yan Chu.

Could it be that Yan Chu had offended him somewhere?

At this moment, Yan Xuan suddenly remembered something he had heard years ago.

It seemed that the Mei Haichuan before him had a deep relationship with the First Uprising Gang.

When Mei Haichuan was young, for some unknown reason, he had offended Qingzhou's Divine Sword Villa and was placed under a Jianghu kill order by the Young Villa Master. In the end, it was Huangfu Song, the Leader of the First Uprising Gang, who intervened to mediate, causing the Divine Sword Villa to cancel the hunt.

After that, Mei Haichuan followed Huangfu Song's lead in everything.

With this connection, it was no wonder he felt ill will toward Yan Chu.

After all, the First Uprising Gang Protector Ji Guiying died at Yan Chu's hands. The First Uprising Gang must surely wish to kill Yan Chu as soon as possible.

Furthermore, there was a secret rumor about Mei Haichuan that Yan Xuan wasn't sure was true.

It was said that Mei Haichuan originally had a wife who was as beautiful as a flower, and the couple was very affectionate.

After the kill order incident, his wife disappeared for no reason.

Meanwhile, the Divine Sword Villa's Young Villa Master gained a beautiful concubine in his inner chambers...

Later, the relationship between Mei Haichuan and the Divine Sword Villa's Young Villa Master became quite good.

It was said that they became friends after the fight and resolved their enmity with a smile, which became a celebrated tale in the Jianghu...

Thinking of this, Yan Xuan couldn't help but peek at the man.

“Brother Yan, is there something wrong with my face?”

“Oh! No!”

Yan Xuan hurriedly waved his hand and said:

“I was just thinking about what Brother Mei said. It seems Yan Chu will have a hard time escaping his fate today!”

Yan Xuan feigned a deep, solemn tone.

Mei Haichuan smiled slightly, his gaze inconspicuously sweeping over the distant martial artists, meeting the eyes of one of them.

...

Inside the World Society, the main hall was packed with people.

Today was the day of the battle between Yan Chu and Sima Tao. Everyone's face was filled with excitement that was hard to hide, but even more so with apprehension.

Today's battle was not just between Yan Chu and Sima Tao; it concerned the future of everyone there.

If he won, the World Society would henceforth be the sole dominant power in Cangzhou Prefecture.

Everyone present would gain immense benefits—whether in Jianghu prestige, cultivation resources, or power, all would far exceed what they had now.

If he lost, then everyone would be left without a place to bury their dead.

After all, the current World Society relied entirely on Yan Chu's support. Aside from him, there was no second Supreme Grandmaster.

If Yan Chu lost, they would have no choice but to seek a way out and flee to other provinces.

Yan Chu, dressed in black robes, stood on the plaza in front of the main hall.

Han Yunlu wore a bright red dress, her eyes shimmering with emotion, radiating a dazzling beauty.

Since following Yan Chu, her appearance had become increasingly gorgeous, more charming and soul-stirring. She seemed to have grown several years younger.

This was, of course, not just because of Yan Chu's daily 'nourishment.'

It was also because her cultivation had surged; she was now in the Sixth Realm with opened acupoints. Furthermore, to please and attract Yan Chu, she put more care and detail into her daily skincare and dressing than ever before.

At this moment, even though the Fierce Tiger King in front of the hall carried the stunningly beautiful 'peach blossoms on a human face' from the beauties ranking list on its back, quite a few gazes were still drawn to Han Yunlu.

As if for good luck, all of Yan Chu's women were dressed in bright red today, each with her own charm and beauty.

“Do you really not need us to go? It would be good to bolster your momentum!”

Han Yunlu's voice was soft and sweet, her red lips sexy.

Yan Chu felt himself getting a little 'inflated' again.

Last night, the beautiful woman before him had used all her skills, showing off her 'eloquence' before him.

Seeing her like this now made him feel a bit 'heated' again.

Indeed, undressed has its benefits, and dressed has its charms.

She really is a seductive vixen!

When he returned, he would definitely make her unable to get out of bed for seven days.

“No need!”

Yan Chu's gaze swept over the crowd in front of the hall, diverting his attention, and he waved his hand, saying:

“I will only take Zuirong, Song Xingwu, and Wang Ping. I want Zuirong to see with her own eyes how her enemy dies.”

“You all just wait for the news here with peace of mind!”

“Alright then!”

Han Yunlu pursed her lips and smiled, her charming eyes looking at Shen Zuirong as she said:

“Sister Zuirong has a deep-seated hatred for the Sima Family. Today, she finally has the chance for revenge!”

“This sister congratulates you in advance!”

Shen Zuirong sat on the broad back of the Fierce Tiger King. Her appearance and temperament were unparalleled in the world; every faint smile and every movement was filled with startling beauty.

Her exquisite face was free of makeup, and her long black hair was casually held up by a single wooden hairpin. Her slender, white neck was long, yet she was even more eye-catching than the meticulously dressed Han Yunlu.

Even Han Yunlu couldn't help but secretly sigh,

“As expected of an exquisite beauty on the beauties ranking list. This kind of beauty is hard to find a second of in the entire world.”

Although there were rankings for the beauties on the list, there was no difference in the level of their beauty.

Each one possessed the kind of beauty that could cause the downfall of nations.

Shen Zuirong gave a shallow smile, elegant and dignified.

“Thank you, Sister!”

The atmosphere between the two seemed harmonious, yet it held a certain subtlety.

“Alright, alright!”

Yan Chu didn't give them a chance to say another word and quickly said:

“Let's go, let's go!”

“Just wait for the news!”

Shen Zuirong glanced at him with a playful smile, while Han Yunlu curled her lips.

“We wish the Vice Leader a triumphant return!! Kill the powerful enemy!!!”

The Fierce Tiger King leaped out, and the voices of the crowd behind them echoed throughout the entire World Society.