Chapter 420: Didn't Expect That, Did You? It's Empty

The lake water at the center of Mengong Lake was parted, revealing a massive hole that led straight down to the Square Body at the bottom of the lake. Several boats sped toward the lakeshore, and even the Seven-Tier Cultivators originally stationed here began to evacuate.

Several figures stood suspended in the air, waiting silently.

The only ones who dared to ascend from the ground now were a few Eight-Tier Cultivators from Xixiao—

A Ming Sect elder, the Third, Sixth, and Seventh disciples of the Sword Master who were already in Xixiao, and the Sword Sect First Disciple, Second Disciple, and Fifth Disciple who had specifically rushed to Xixiao after finishing their missions not long ago. Aside from the Fourth Disciple, who had chosen to go to the Western Continent and was still on the way back on his sword, the Eighth Disciple, who was still in jail for getting carried away while acting heroically and killing someone, and the Junior Sister, who was ordered not to come because her cultivation was too low, everyone else was here.

"Who hit my Third Senior Sister?"

"Who hit my Third Senior Sister?"

"..." The Third Senior Sister fell silent for a moment, then turned her head and whispered a rebuke, "You bunch of idiots, victory and defeat are common in military affairs, can you stop bringing it up?"

"We're asking you!! Who was it a while back that beat my Third Senior Sister until she was bedridden for half a month? If you have the guts, step out!"

"Yeah! Who beat our Third Senior Sister so badly she couldn't even take care of her own bowel movements? If you have the guts, step out and have a one-on-one with me... with my First Senior Brother!"

"Damn it! I'll slaughter you lot!"

"Third Senior Sister, what are you doing?"

"Third Senior Sister, calm down! There are outsiders here!"

The sole Ming Sect elder stood expressionless, suspended in the air, staring straight ahead.

There were only five people on the opposite side, also suspended in the air, watching them quietly, neither showing expression nor replying.

A rumbling sound came from afar, like rolling thunder.

Dayi's most advanced Hunter Aircraft were flying dozens of kilometers away in great numbers; some had taken off from the Yi Jun Jidi in Xixiao, some from Aircraft Carriers, and some had just been deployed from a Sky Carrier, all of them equipped with Zhan Lue Wu Qi.

It was a pity that this was Mengong Lake.

Mengong Lake was over three hundred kilometers in circumference, with four county towns along its shores, numerous villages and towns, and a population of herders too large to count; it was impossible for the Hunter Aircraft to open fire here.

Before long, a figure slowly appeared.

The newcomer was tall and sturdy, with the appearance of a middle-aged man, but his hair was already somewhat mottled, and a close look revealed signs of age. Yet the moment he appeared, breaking free from the Dark Silence, his Spirit Power, belonging to a Top Ninth-tier, shone like the sun on the detectors. This unique Spirit Power signature had long been recorded in the databases of various national militaries, and for a moment, countless fighter jets and warships were sounding frantic alarms.

"Whoosh!"

A Sword Light split the heavens and earth, arriving in the blink of an eye to reveal a figure draped in loose robes, with crane-white hair and a youthful face—it was none other than the contemporary Sword Master of the Sword Sect.

When these two figures stood here looking at each other from afar, they naturally became the protagonists of this world; whether it was detectors, satellites, or even the long-range camera equipment installed on the ground, all were uniformly aimed at them.

The Sword Master stood with his hands behind his back, aiming his gaze at Cao Ci, his voice deep and weathered as he spoke first: "Brother Cao, long time no see."

"It has been over a hundred years."

"Has it been that long?"

"Brother Mei's time has always passed a bit faster."

"Shall we reminisce?"

"That would be fine."

The two figures walked through the air, disappearing into the clouds, and their voices could no longer be heard.

"Did you not expect me to come?"

"If it were just me, I truly would not have expected it."

"You injured my beloved Third Disciple a while back, so naturally, I had to come and settle the score with you."

"It was merely a spar between juniors."

"Are you implying that I am incapable of teaching my disciples?"

"Sigh..." Cao Ci sighed and shook his head. "I was just about to say that after not seeing you for so many years, Brother Mei, you have become weathered, but I see you are still the same."

"Life is too short for me to change my way of living."

"Very well."

"Aren't you the same as always?"

"I have never changed."

"I heard that in order to become a god, you beat Meng Jingming's younger brother into a serious injury and also left Meng Jingming's great-grandson in a coma for over half a year." After the Sword Master finished speaking, he couldn't help but show a mocking expression on his lips and clicked his tongue twice. "Tsk tsk, shameless."

"That matter was my fault."

"You know that? I thought you had lost all sense of shame."

"..."

"What are you here to stir up this time?"

"Looking for some things; I will leave once I have them, taking nothing else. I will return them after use, and even if I fail, my disciples will return them to Dayi on my behalf."

"Tell me, does becoming a god have such a great attraction? Once you become a god, don't you have to go to a place where not even a bird lays eggs, a place where there isn't even a bird's feather? I heard that place doesn't even have a drop of air or water, and you spend a thousand years in solitude—it's worse than being in jail. Is it worth it?"

"It is."

"What is the necessity? You could live well, eat the food you love, do the things you enjoy, and live freely for a few hundred years—isn't that better than sitting in jail for a thousand years?"

"I am different from you."

"You have gone astray."

"I have always been walking on the same path."

"..."

The Sword Master was momentarily at a loss for how to refute this.

In one respect, he was right.

A master of the Traditional Sword Cultivator's Sword Dao, with Sword Heart Clarity, is firm but not stubborn, pure but not devoid of everything; in this world, there is ultimately something they love.

Cao Ci was different.

Among them, this person was the oldest and also the strangest—without father or mother, without wife or children, without ties or attachments. He had never even felt affection for anyone, and he was indifferent to fine food, fine wine, beautiful scenery, the spring breeze and autumn moon, and all beautiful things.

In his heart, there was only his Dao.

He only had one desire: to become stronger.

Beyond this, there was no other pursuit.

"Tsk, tsk..."

The Sword Master shook his head: "For the past two years, I've been following the young disciples in the sect, watching novels and TV dramas. Interestingly, I've actually found quite a few people in them whose personalities are very similar to yours—single-mindedly wanting to become stronger, without knowing why they want to become stronger or what they'll do once they are. But they had better luck than you; they weren't beaten into villains, didn't do the rotten things you did, and even became the protagonists. Though, there are also those like you who stop at nothing; they appear more in novels, but they can't be shown on TV."

"Brother Mei..."

"What?"

"Let's reminisce another time when there is an opportunity. Once I find what I need, I will leave immediately." Cao Ci's expression and tone were both indifferent. "If I become a god, I will naturally protect the world just like other deities. If I fail, everything, including the Heavenly Human Mirror, will be returned to Dayi."

"I believe you, but will others? Take a look at the rotten things you've done yourself—each one worse than the last. How are you worthy of anyone's trust?"

"Is it not possible?"

"It is not. Let's chat for a while longer."

"That is enough."

"That's enough already?" The Sword Master's mouth twitched. "After being separated for so long, I thought you would miss me at least a little."

"The ones I think of most are you and Brother Meng."

"Full of lies."

"There is no need."

"It's more like you find me the most annoying."

"Annoying when young, annoying when together; now that we are older and have been separated for so long, you are the one I think of most." Cao Ci glanced at the distance from the corner of his eye. Several county towns by the lakeside were evacuating residents in a hurry, even causing traffic congestion. He said nothing and let them go, just as he had done in Duqin. He had never thought of using them as bargaining chips to threaten Dayi. He only asked, "What must you have for you to give the item to me?"

"Look at that, not two sentences in and you're dragging it back to that again. You're even more eager to fight than I am!"

"If we are to fight, we can go to the sea." Cao Ci said, "You and I, even if we haven't met for a hundred years, have no need for these schemes."

"Straightforward! If you beat me, I'll let you take it!"

"You know." Cao Ci turned his head to look at the Sword Master, his expression calm. "This is not difficult."

"Still as arrogant as ever..." The Sword Master had traversed the world for hundreds of years; he had been weaker than others, but he had never admitted it. "Are you your true self or a clone right now?"

"What difference does it make?"

"That is true."

For Cao Ci, the strength of his true self and his clones was almost identical.

"It seems it's a clone. You certainly wouldn't dare let your true self come here! What about the other clones? Inside the Storage Artifact? How many did you bring?"

Cao Ci silently waved his hand.

Two more identical people appeared in the air.

"Three..."

The Sword Master raised an eyebrow and said to the other two: "Tell me, don't you feel stifled? You are all clones; why is it that he gets to talk and make decisions outside, while you have to be locked in a Storage Artifact suffering? If I were you, I couldn't endure it."

"Brother Mei, let it rest." Cao Ci's tone was indifferent, yet tinged with a little helplessness. "We are one."

"Fine, fine... just these three?"

"Enough."

"Good! You lead the way!"

"Good!"

The three figures flashed, instantly accelerating to the speed of sound, exploding with a loud 'crack!' in the air before vanishing from there.

The Sword Master rode his Sword and followed closely behind.

Then came the 'boom—' of the Hunter Aircraft.

Only the previous two groups remained in the air, still facing each other from afar.

The Sword Sect First Disciple stepped out holding his Sword. At nearly two hundred years old, he was a lively young man from the inside out. He raised an eyebrow at the front: "Since we're idle, why don't we have a fight here too? The loser calls the winner 'daddy'."

The other side still watched them quietly.

Another figure appeared.

Tall and sturdy, with the appearance of a middle-aged man, his hair mottled and showing early signs of aging. The Top Ninth-tier Spirit Power made one's heart palpitate.

"Holy shit!"

"This dog..."

The words were not dared to be finished and were swallowed back.

The few looked at each other, swallowing their saliva, but dared not act rashly. They could only watch helplessly as Cao Ci walked into the Square Body.

On the Support Aircraft, a group of experts were filled with worry.

"It's that person from Duqin again, right?"

"What is he here to do again?"

"I hope he is still the same as last time—take what he wants and leave, and don't touch anything else."

"It would be best to kill him on the spot!"

"Sigh! One twist after another!"

Chen Shu rested his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the clouds.

Cao Ci had the Heavenly Human Mirror, and Yiguo had the Secret Sect big shots. Both sides had already engaged in a round of behind-the-scenes maneuvering upon arriving here. However, from his own perspective, the Secret Sect big shot had already conceded this round on the surface; Cao Ci would likely get the chance to enter the Square Body.

But in the shadows...

The Mijing was already empty.

Chen Shu imagined Cao Ci's expression.

It must be very interesting, right?

……

That same evening, the news came out quickly, but it did not contain much content. Chen Shu inquired about the news from various sources within the base—

He did not expect that the Sword Master had actually come to Xixiao.

He did not expect that four Cao Ci would come at once.

It was said that the Sword Master fought three Cao Ci alone on the sea and forbade the Yiguo military from participating. The final result was not decided, and as for the process, in any case, Chen Shu did not hear words like "the Sword Master had the upper hand" or "the Sword Master was suppressing Cao Ci in the fight."

The remaining Cao Ci entered the Square Body. At that time, the civilians around Mengong Lake had not been fully evacuated, so even though the military discovered him, they did not open fire.

In the end, it was heard that Cao Ci emptied the entire Mijing.

A group of historians felt their hearts bleeding and pounded the walls in grief.

"Cao Ci is awesome."

Chen Shu could not help but exclaim.

Logically speaking, the Sword Master's combat power was already very awesome, at least capable of entering the top five in the world, and top three was not a big problem, yet fighting three-quarters of Cao Ci, he actually did not occupy a clear upper hand, and it was unknown exactly how many Cao Ci there were in total.

Just today, four appeared.

Previously, one was killed in Duqin, and it was unknown if it had recovered, nor was it known if there were others hiding in other places.

One could only say that he was worthy of being the strongest of that era.

Almost at the same time, Chen Shu and the others received orders: the matter in Xixiao was settled, the group of Cao Ci's disciples had disappeared without a trace in the afternoon, and everyone was to return to the country immediately.

Chen Shu roughly understood—

This was to have him bring the items back, so as to avoid the Heavenly Human Mirror being too awesome, or him being negligent for a moment, causing an incident.

Once back in the country, naturally there would be nothing to fear.

No matter how awesome Cao Ci was, he would not dare to come to Yujing to snatch things.

Thinking about it carefully, he had been abroad for a long time.

Chen Shu missed Qingqing, he also missed Xiaoxiao and Taozi, and he also missed Chen Banxia.