29: Chapter 29 Li Hanyi, here to ask for a sword!

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of everyone who had heard of the prestige of Heaven Beyond Heaven changed.

The Demonic Cult!

Although they had long ceased to interfere in the affairs of the Northern Li Dynasty, the prestige of Heaven Beyond Heaven remained resounding, and their past conduct still made many wary of them.

"By the way, do you all remember what Li Hanyi said during her sword challenge?"

"Right, she said this martial arts hall used despicable methods like drugging. Could it be that Jinyang Martial Arts Hall is colluding with the Demonic Cult, planning to strike at the talents of our Central Plains?"

Someone speculated casually.

"That shouldn't be the case."

"Setting the Central Plains aside for a moment, just look at how many geniuses our Northern Li has produced over the years; which one of them doesn't have a powerful faction behind them? No matter how strong Heaven Beyond Heaven is, they wouldn't dare to openly provoke public wrath."

"Perhaps it's related to that grand competition at the Ascending Heaven Pavilion!"

This guess was actually close to the truth, but unfortunately, few were willing to believe it.

"According to that logic, if Li Hanyi really left a message like that, she'll likely continue her actions."

"Could it be that there are others secretly joining forces with Heaven Beyond Heaven?"

Thinking of this, someone immediately leaped out of the tavern and headed straight for the Snow Moon City Law Enforcement Team.

Others raced toward the direction of the Ascending Heaven Pavilion.

Even more people followed the route Li Hanyi took when she left.

The Demonic Cult's actions have always been ruthless and overbearing, completely incompatible with the Righteous Path of the Central Plains; everyone had the right to execute them.

On one hand, everyone wanted to see if they could help;

On the other hand, they also wanted to witness Li Hanyi's stunning and peerless swordsmanship once more.

At this time, people in other parts of the city were also shocked by that sudden burst of Sword Intent, yet they didn't know exactly what had happened.

But some people could no longer sit still,

Especially those who had once secretly assisted Li Hanyi.

Ever since she began challenging Jinyang Martial Arts Hall, these people had been ill at ease.

They had a fair understanding of Song Jinyang's strength;

They hoped he could stand at the front and resolve the crisis.

Unfortunately, reality did not go as they wished.

The person sent out to gather information ran back panting heavily.

"Hall Master, things are bad! Song Jinyang of the Jinyang Martial Arts Hall was slain by a single strike from that girl challenging with the sword!"

Having seen the sword light soaring into the sky earlier, they already had an ominous premonition in their hearts.

Now hearing these words, they immediately prepared to evacuate temporarily.

But before they could move,

A cold, clear voice rang out from outside the door.

That voice, laced with True Qi, spread throughout the entire martial arts hall.

"Li Hanyi, here to challenge the sword!"

It's over!

Everything was too late!

In a short period, she had successively broken through three of the largest martial arts halls in the city, as well as a medium-sized power within Snow Moon City.

The feat of Li Hanyi single-handedly challenging three major martial arts halls also spread rapidly throughout the city.

Only then did people realize that the soaring Sword Intent from before had actually come from the hands of this young girl named Li Hanyi.

Strong curiosity couldn't help but arise in their hearts.

And those who had personally seen her taking on challenges by Su Rui's side began to recount the events vividly.

She had defeated countless experts, and even Fairy Luoxia of Snow Moon City had been defeated by her sword, eventually leading her to join an obscure martial arts hall.

Some even said she had mastered a Ten Thousand Sword Qi Technique that descended from the heavens.

When someone mentioned that move, some people immediately recalled last night in a corner of Snow Moon City,

Those bright blue sword shadows that filled the sky.

Connecting it to what happened today, many clever people had roughly guessed the cause and effect.

These martial arts halls had joined forces last night to plot for someone else's ultimate technique, only to be wiped out by the other party's counterattack, and today she came to their doors for revenge.

Though there were some deviations,

As the sword scars left by Li Hanyi spread, everyone finally saw the truth of the matter.

...

Inside the Gushan Sect's stronghold in Snow Moon City.

"What do we do now?" Several people sat in a circle, their faces heavy.

"This Li Hanyi is too strong!" A middle-aged man who looked full of righteousness spoke, though his eyes betrayed a sinister streak.

"I heard Song Jinyang had pushed his Golden Crow Art to its limit, and even that golden saber of his had been refined to the Peak."

"What can we do? How about we retreat first!" An old man with white hair and beard showed fear on his face.

The situation was now tense, and Li Hanyi was still continuing her actions.

"Judging by her pace, I'm afraid the people involved last night have already given us all up!"

One person couldn't sit still and stood up to pace back and forth.

"Has there been any word from the Holy Cult?"

If they wanted to retreat, where could they even go?

Something had gone wrong before the mission was completed, and now they had attracted the attention of Snow Moon City.

If the Holy Cult of Heaven Beyond Heaven also abandoned them, then they were truly at a dead end this time.

"Not yet, the envoy said earlier that the Holy Cult would send a Sword Immortal!"

Hearing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With a Sword Immortal overseeing things, they had some confidence.

Everyone sighed and groaned; they wanted to flee but didn't dare, and they wanted to fight but feared they couldn't win.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in the room.

Everyone immediately became alert, but after seeing who it was, they all showed joy on their faces.

"Greetings, Lord Envoy!"

"My Lord, how should we deal with Li Hanyi this time?"

Seeing the envoy, everyone stood up to ask.

The face of the man called the envoy was extremely unsightly at this moment.

Lord White-Haired Immortal had clearly promised to take action, yet Song Jinyang was still killed.

Things had obviously gone wrong.

It wasn't just Jinyang Martial Arts Hall;

Three other factions had also been breached by Li Hanyi and her single sword.

And now she was heading here.

His mission was to stop Li Hanyi here.

The original plan was to seize control of Snow Moon City's power, but now it seemed impossible.

In that case—throw Snow Moon City into chaos!

Li Hanyi was the first target; the daughter of Sikong Changfeng by her side, as well as the others, could not be let off either.

He naturally knew that Li Hanyi might have an extremely powerful expert behind her.

But the White-Haired Immortal was a Sword Immortal who had stepped into the Great Carefree Realm.

This envoy of Heaven Beyond Heaven guessed that they might have underestimated the strength of the person behind Li Hanyi, leading to the White-Haired Immortal being tied down.

"My Lord?"

"I remember the Gushan Sect has a peculiar poison that can be spread by the wind; it's highly lethal, and anyone who inhales it dies instantly, right?"

The Sect Head of the Gushan Sect nearby immediately bowed his head.

"Replying to My Lord, that is indeed the case!"

Their Sect had been able to survive until now not because of martial arts, but because of this secret.

But precisely because of this, they were ostracized throughout the Northern Li Jianghu.

After coming to Snow Moon City, the situation improved slightly, but only to a limited extent.

It was only because Heaven Beyond Heaven had made a promise that they agreed to participate in this operation.

But why did the envoy suddenly mention this poison?

Refining this poison was extremely difficult, and every single material required was exceedingly precious.

But its power was also enough to be shocking.

Once used, it wasn't impossible for tens of thousands of people to lose their lives.

"Li Hanyi is on her way, and I'm afraid you won't be able to defeat her, so you can only use poison!"

A trace of ruthlessness appeared in the envoy's gaze.

"My Lord, there are hundreds of thousands of commoners in the city!"

The Gushan Sect Leader's face changed drastically upon hearing this.

He knew the power of this poison too well; once it spread and traveled with the wind, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Snow Moon City might become a dead city.

Of course, this was just his speculation.

But even if only a few thousand or ten thousand people died, he couldn't bear that responsibility.

Forget Heaven Beyond Heaven, even the Northern Li Dynasty wouldn't be able to protect him.

There were countless Disciples of major factions in this city.

Once these people died and those factions united, he would surely become the scapegoat.

"Do you have any other choice now? The city gates are already heavily guarded by Snow Moon City's troops; you can no longer escape!"

As soon as the envoy said this, everyone's mood became even heavier.

"As long as Snow Moon City falls into chaos, your mission will be considered complete."

"As for those Disciples of major factions, even if they seek accountability, they will go to Snow Moon City; will they come for you?"

Seeing that the Gushan Sect Leader still looked hesitant, the envoy continued.

"Moreover, as long as Snow Moon City is in great chaos, you can leave amidst the turmoil; I will arrange for people to take you to Heaven Beyond Heaven!"

"This... very well!"

Everyone's faces were unsightly, and they were reluctant.

They cooperated with the Demonic Cult not to go to Heaven Beyond Heaven,

But because they hoped Heaven Beyond Heaven could gain a foothold in Northern Li and bring them enough benefits.

But now that the situation had reached this point, they could only bite the bullet and go ahead.

While everyone was still hesitating, the panicked voice of a Disciple came from outside.

"Sect Head, Li Hanyi is attacking our gates!"

Everyone's expressions changed drastically; when they looked back at the envoy, he was already gone, leaving only a voice echoing in the room:

"How you do it is for you to decide!"

...

In Snow Moon City, the Gushan Sect's base was tucked away in a corner, occupying a small area and in an inconspicuous location.

At this moment, Li Hanyi was already standing before the door.

Not far behind her were Sikong Qianluo, Mu Liangyue, and the others.

Further back, the crowd was bustling and densely packed.

She had successively challenged four major Sects in the city, yet Snow Moon City remained stationary, without even a hint of trying to stop her.

The meaning behind this was self-evident.

Even the daughter of Sikong Changfeng was involved.

A crowd of Jianghu people followed closely behind, all wanting to see just how far this Li Hanyi could go.

On a rooftop not far away, Shi Feixuan stood quietly, a flash of regret in her eyes.

Ever since leaving Jinyang Martial Arts Hall, she had been quietly following behind Li Hanyi and the others.

Unfortunately, in the next few battles, Li Hanyi hadn't even truly drawn her sword before easily winning.

Now she had entered the Zizai Realm and mastered Sword Intent.

Among her peers, it was already hard to find an opponent.

The Cheng Ying Sword had not even left its scabbard.

This left Shi Feixuan, who was intent on discerning the truth, feeling a bit disappointed.

On the other side, Wanwan's eyes were shining as she watched.

Li Hanyi's way of doing things was very much to her liking.

Perhaps they could even become confidantes in the future.

Once this matter was over, Wanwan planned to go up and strike up a conversation.

Just then, the gates of the Gushan Sect swung open with a bang, and dozens of people filed out.

Every one of them held a saber or sword, yet their expressions betrayed a hint of nervousness.

At the front of the crowd, seven Zizai Realm experts were lined up.

"Something's not right!"

One person, upon seeing this formation, immediately sensed something unusual and blurted it out.

Someone nearby immediately followed up with a question.

That person hurriedly explained the identities of these few people—

They were all Sect Heads and Elders of several major Sects in the city.