Chapter 461: Why Stand So High?

Wudi City was not originally called Wudi City, but Lin'guan City; it was a vassal city of a Dongyue royal family, named after a line from a poem written by Saint Zhang when he traveled the East Sea thousands of years ago: "Eastward I reach the Jieshi, to gaze upon the vast sea."

Later, this royal family rebelled and was suppressed, and the royal committed suicide before sixty thousand armored soldiers; yet the Emperor of Dongyue was still unwilling to let it go.

It so happened that Wang Xianzhi returned from a great battle with Li Chungang, having slaughtered the Dongyue Imperial Guard and the elites of the Dongyue Sword Pool, and used his peerless martial power to force the Emperor of the Yue Kingdom to sign a treaty beneath the city walls; only then did Wudi City come to be.

And Wang Xianzhi, looking down upon the East Sea, grew more profound with age, making this Wudi City live up to its name, truly invincible under heaven.

On the official road leading to Wudi City, people came and went.

"Is Young Master Yu also here in Wudi City to witness the battle between Wang Xianzhi and Murong Tonghuang?" The speaker was a young swordswoman in wide-sleeved, ornate robes; her waist was slender, her buttocks firm and perky, and her swaying movements were full of charm.

"Of the people entering Wudi City today, how many are not here for this very reason?" Behind the young swordswoman followed a young gentleman, who cast a glance of slight hostility at the black-clad youth beside them.

"I fear Wudi City is overcrowded now; we might have to stay outside the city." The young swordswoman looked slightly worried: "Staying outside the city is nothing, but City Lord Wang has always fought others within the city; if we accidentally miss this battle, I fear I would regret it for a lifetime."

The young gentleman revealed a smug smile and said, "My friend sent word the day before yesterday that he had booked rooms, and there are two left vacant. I shall stay in one, and if Lady Li is willing, she might as well stay in the other."

"Then many thanks to Young Master Zhang." The young swordswoman did not refuse and bowed slightly.

Having walked the Edo for many years, the swordswoman naturally could see the intentions of this Young Master Zhang.

If he took her for an ordinary woman just entering the Edo, thinking a single guest room could dismiss her, that would be underestimating her too much.

The young gentleman smiled slightly and turned his gaze toward the black-clad youth, sighing: "I wonder if Brother Yu has booked a room? It is a pity I only have two left. If Brother Yu is willing, I can have someone prepare a tent or something similar for you."

The black-clad youth, who had not spoken until now, withdrew his gaze from Wudi City: "No need. This battle will unfold outside the city, and it will be decided today, so there is no need for such trouble."

"What nonsense are you spouting..." The young gentleman was just about to start mocking him to show off his own knowledge and learning.

But soon he could not speak, because the black-clad youth before him was undergoing a rapid change, an incredible change.

First was that face; originally delicate and handsome, it now seemed as if a veil had been torn away, revealing his true appearance. It was incredibly handsome, beyond the imagination of the mortal world; no words or ink could describe it.

At the same time, an aura of being independent from the world, transcending the mundane, drifted out, as if he were a Transcendent Immortal from the heavens.

"Right." The black-clad youth smiled slightly, letting the young swordswoman understand the meaning of the words "peerless elegance": "I came to the East Sea, but not to watch the battle; I came to keep an appointment."

"Brother Zhang, there is no need for the tent. Next time you peek at Lady Li, be more open and aboveboard. I shall go first; may we meet again if fate allows."

Yu Liancheng tapped his toes and, ignoring the astonished gazes of the crowd around him, drifted away.

"He, he, he is..." The young gentleman, having already guessed Yu Liancheng's identity, felt his legs go soft and sat directly on the ground, terrified out of his wits.

The young swordswoman gazed infatuatedly at that figure; this scene and this moment, she would never forget for the rest of her life.

But she soon came to her senses, executed her light-body technique, and ran toward Wudi City like a madwoman.

When martial artists entered Wudi City, most would turn their heads to admire the inner walls bristling with weapons; those were weapons left behind by experts who had challenged Wang Xianzhi.

Of course, not all were defeated by Wang Xianzhi; many were defeated by the pavilion slaves while ascending the towers, never even getting to see Wang Xianzhi once.

"Look, it's the City Lord."

"And the four great disciples."

"That scholar in green robes, could it be Cao Guanzi Cao Zhangqing?"

Just then, the martial artists watching the weapons on the inner wall suddenly discovered a few figures on the city wall.

It was indeed Wang Xianzhi and his four disciples.

Cao Guanzi and the princess of the fallen Western Chu.

Wang Laoguai stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze looking into the distance.

A figure in black drifted over.

His gait was leisurely, but with every step he took, it seemed to cover a distance of over ten zhang; it was incredibly fast.

"Murong Tonghuang has come to keep the appointment." A clear voice rang out; it was not deafening, yet it drowned out the noise and clamor of the entire city.

And Wudi City, after a brief deathly silence, instantly erupted into a clamor like a mountain landslide or a tsunami; whether they were city residents or heroes from abroad, they all surged out of the city in a swarm. Some impatient Edo figures with decent martial arts even scaled the eaves and walls, leaping over the city gates.

This spectacular scene of hundreds and thousands of people moving like rabbits and falcons was indeed rare. It was just that some gathered their Qi too quickly and lacked sufficient recovery, accidentally losing their balance and crashing into the people beside them, which counted as a small air disaster.

On the city wall, the tall and burly Wang Xianzhi watched Yu Liancheng drawing closer, yet he was not in a hurry to make a move; instead, he became even more heroic, his aura stirring the wind and changing the clouds: "Murong Tonghuang, this old man has waited a long time for this battle. However, Wudi City must have its rules. If you want to keep the appointment, come up to the city wall to speak."

Wang Xianzhi was not someone anyone could challenge just because they wanted to, otherwise this World's Second would be exhausted to death; one had to break through the layers of pavilions first.

"That is only right."

Yu Liancheng chuckled, drawing closer and closer to the city wall.

This figure in black clearly did not intend to break through the towers.

But the rules could not be abandoned.

"Lou Huang of Wudi City requests your instruction."

Wang Xianzhi's fourth disciple, Lou Huang, leaped down, drawing his sword as if it were unsheathing; the ancient sword "Pusamuan" transformed into a streak of sword light, stabbing toward Yu Liancheng.

The momentum of this sword was extremely pure and rigid, pressing forward without hesitation, yet the technique was simple and unadorned, reaching the realm of returning to simplicity. Where the long sword passed, the air waves slapped to both sides like a tide.

Among the watching crowd, there was no lack of Sword Dao Grandmasters, and they all revealed grave expressions.

Facing the Pusamuan sword tip stabbing directly at him, Yu Liancheng took a deep breath and spat out a strand of Sword Qi. The Sword Qi materialized, tip against tip.

After a moment of stagnation, Lou Huang's figure was continuously pushed backward by the Sword Qi.

Finally, the remaining Sword Qi split the momentum of Pusamuan and pierced through Lou Huang's figure, leaving this fourth disciple half-kneeling on the ground, vomiting blood incessantly.

"Lin Ya of Wudi City requests your instruction."

The one responsible for blocking Yu Liancheng next was Wang Xianzhi's third disciple, Lin Ya. Lin Ya was tall, not losing to the men of the north, but she was a great beauty, extremely charming, and breathtaking.

At the same time, Lin Ya was also a top-tier fist technique Grandmaster in the world.

Her pair of seemingly delicate fists swung, yet it was as if she were wielding an Iron Hammer; the air whistled, whipping up a hurricane.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Yu Liancheng always had special treatment for beautiful women, allowing these small fists to slam into his chest.

For a time, the entire East Sea resounded with a sound like rolling thunder.

However, to one's frustration, let alone shaking Yu Liancheng's figure, not even a single thread of his clothing was damaged.

Clearly, while neutralizing the force of Lin Ya's punch, Yu Liancheng still had the presence of mind to protect his clothes.

The gap between the two was like that between the clouds and the mud.

Lin Ya's willow-leaf eyebrows stood on end, she stomped her foot fiercely, and her delicate body instantly soared into the air, as high as the clouds, before smashing down with another punch.

Boom!!

With Yu Liancheng at the center, the ground for several dozen zhang around was shattered, with cracks spreading in all directions, caving in to form a large pit.

"I saw it, it's white, you know."

Yu Liancheng smiled slightly, and as the beautiful Lin's pretty face flushed, he grabbed her slender arm and swung her around.

Boom!!

Another loud noise erupted, dust flew, and the ground sank further.

Looking at Lin Ya lying on the ground with a weakened aura, Yu Liancheng smiled slightly and said, "Fighting in a skirt is a fine tradition; don't abandon it."

The beautiful Lin, already heavily injured, felt her pretty face turn even redder, and gritting her silver teeth, she actually fainted.

"Gong Banque of Wudi City, please offer your guidance."

Next to appear was the Qi-refining Grandmaster Gong Banque; as the eldest of Wang Xianzhi's four disciples, Gong Banque was bald, bore nine scars on his head, and wore a Daoist robe instead of a monk's robe. People in the city claimed that this man possessed the Buddha Sword Vajra Body and was proficient in the profound arts of Qi-refining.

His wrist technique was also extraordinary.

This man released his aura, carrying the one hundred and eight weapons embedded in the city wall as he charged at Yu Liancheng.

Yu Liancheng's expression was solemn, his hands pressed together, and it was as if Sanskrit chants were ringing out between heaven and earth, with a golden Buddha over a hundred zhang tall appearing behind him, its expression ethereal.

As Yu Liancheng raised his hand, the Buddha made the same movement.

Boom!!

The giant palm pressed downward.

It pinned Gong Banque and all one hundred and eight weapons onto the ground.

"Yu Xinlang of Wudi City, please offer your guidance."

The last to appear was Wang Xianzhi's eldest disciple, Yu Xinlang.

This man rarely appeared in public, but the mere status of being Wang Xianzhi's eldest disciple was enough to let people know his skills were absolutely formidable.

It was a pity that just as this eldest disciple drew his sword, the impatient Yu Liancheng delivered a Heavenly Crippled Leg, kicking him all the way to the other side of Wudi City.

Finally, Yu Liancheng stood beneath the city wall, looking up at Wang Xianzhi on the ramparts.

Wang Xianzhi was also watching Yu Liancheng, his expression unchanged from beginning to end, yet in those eyes that were always as still as an ancient well, a raging battle intent seemed to ignite.

The two stared at each other, and an invisible aura immediately spread outward.

No matter how far away they were, all who witnessed this scene felt a heaviness in their hearts, as if pressed by a giant boulder.

The mountain rain is coming, and the wind fills the pavilion.

"I say, old Wang, why are you standing so high up?"

Yu Liancheng grinned.

His five fingers rotated, forming a fist.

He punched toward the city wall.

Rumble!!