Chapter 26: Descent Upon the Tianxia Association

Clear sky for ten thousand miles.

The hundred-zhang-tall Lingshan Buddha stands unmoving, its eyes lowered, gazing upon the rise and fall of all things; beneath its knees the river flows ceaselessly, waves surging, as if washing away all the heroes of this world.

Whoosh!

Divine light shoots forth from Lingyun Grotto!

After Jiang Xuan broke through to the Other Shore realm, his divine power became even deeper; flying from Lingyun Grotto to the Tianxia Association only needed half a day.

"Duan Lang, lead the way."

By the time the three reacted, they discovered they were atop the Lingshan Buddha's head, their bodies enveloped in divine light, and a wave of shock rose in their hearts.

Without any power to resist, without any warning, they appeared outside Lingyun Grotto.

"Unfathomable divine might, unfathomable divine might."

As Duan Lang pointed, divine radiance soared; the three only saw the surrounding scenery change like lightning, and even the Lingshan Buddha they had just stood upon was now merely ant-sized.

In the turn of a thought, the Lingshan Buddha became imperceptibly small, leaving only vast white clouds all around.

Wind-driven, lightning-fast, countless clouds brushed past their shoulders.

"So this is cloud riding and mist driving, the cloud riding and mist driving from storybooks!"

Even though the three had campaigned in the martial world and seen much, witnessing this scene still shocked them immensely, their eyes full of novelty and astonishment.

Void flight — the Master must be an immortal among gods.

……

Wind, Cloud, and Duan Lang have not appeared in the world for over a month.

Now the two great powers of the martial world, the Tianxia Association and Wushuang City, are at sword's drawn, with a mounting pressure as if a storm is about to break.

The Tianxia Association's Xiong Ba possesses outstanding talent and grand strategy; his three hall masters are all first-rate masters of the current generation. The Tianxia Association campaigns everywhere, swallowing Wushuang City, massacring Liancheng Village; other weak jianghu sects either surrender or are exterminated, no one dares rebel — they are the true overlord of all under heaven.

If one asks who in the world does not fear the Tianxia Association's fierce reputation at its peak, there is only Wushuang City. As a hereditary and irreplaceable establishment, Wushuang City's sect foundation and martial world background far surpass the Tianxia Association's, and Wushuang City has a peerless expert, the Sword Saint, whose strength perhaps surpasses even the Tianxia Association's Xiong Ba.

Now these two supreme powers are like fire and water; some keen martial world experts already sense the killing intent permeating the jianghu.

On this day, the Tianxia Association's Xiong Ba invited Wushuang City's lord Dugu Yifang to discuss an alliance, to divide the world between them.

Tianxia Association Martial Arts Field.

Two men clad in black-gold brocade robes, walking with dragon's gait and tiger's stride, conversed very happily.

"This old man heard that the Alliance Master Xiong's three disciples conquered half the realm for the Tianxia Association; seeing one today, he is indeed a dragon among men — but why is there only one?"

"Haha, Feng'er and Yun'er were assigned tasks by me and have not yet returned, City Lord Dugu, let us walk and talk."

Xiong Ba's surface showed no change, but in his heart he could not help but doubt; calculating the time, Feng'er, Yun'er, and Duan Lang should have returned long ago — could something unexpected have happened?

Just at this moment.

Boom!

From the heavens above suddenly came a thunderous, earth-shaking roar.

Xiong Ba, Wen Chou Chou, Qin Shuang, Dugu Yifang and his son were startled, looking toward the sky, their eyes revealing disbelief.

"Above the heavens, it seems there is someone……"

"It seems to be Junior Brother Feng, Junior Brother Yun……"

Countless people on the ground all looked toward the sky, seeing a brilliant divine radiance like a peerless immortal sword splitting the sky in two, the cloud layers and air currents parting and then slowly closing again……

A carefree, handsome youth clad in a green robe stood with hands behind his back, slowly stepping forward, divine radiance dazzling, like an exiled immortal from heaven.

Three other youths stood side by side behind him, expressions respectful.

Precisely Jiang Xuan, Wind, Cloud, and Duan Lang — the four of them.

"This person…… who is he?"

"Hall Master Feng, Hall Master Yun, and that Duan Lang."

In the Tianxia Association martial arts field, the minds of over ten thousand disciples buzzed blankly.

Hall Master Feng, Hall Master Yun, and that Duan Lang — how could they fly?

Outside the Tianxia Association, countless martial world people looked at the closing clouds; the divine radiance tearing through the sky just now was no illusion.

Even separated by ten thousand meters, these martial world people were still pressed by the terrifying existence above the heavens until their spirits nearly collapsed.

"Flying in the void — who is this person? Why are Feng'er, Yun'er, and Duan Lang following behind him?"

Xiong Ba, seeing the four descending from the heavens above, was filled with incredulity.

Because void flight represents……

The Martial World Myth realm.

On the Shen Zhou land, tens of millions of people, openly there is only one Nameless who has reached the Martial World Myth realm.

Even he, even that Wushuang City's old Sword Saint with little lifespan left, has not reached this realm.

"It is a youth, ethereal as an immortal."

This scene was not only seen by the Tianxia Association disciples.

But all experts hidden within the Tianxia Association's jurisdiction, wanting to know the details of the meeting between the lords of the two great powers of Shen Zhou, were drawn by the flowing light above the heavens to raise their heads, and saw this exiled immortal slowly stepping forward.

Everyone found it inconceivable.

……

Jiang Xuan stood with hands behind his back in the sky several dozen zhang above the Tianxia Association, wild winds blowing, hair dancing.

He came to exorcise demons.

"Haha, not only has some high person graced us with their presence, the Tianxia Association is honored."

Xiong Ba's resonant voice came from below.

"One encounter with Wind and Cloud and they transform into dragons; truly possessing outstanding talent and the ambition to swallow mountains and rivers."

Jiang Xuan originally did not know Xiong Ba's appearance; now he descends upon the Tianxia Association.

He knew.

The man before him brimmed with heroic spirit soaring to the heavens, like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, unstoppable in momentum; his every move tugged at the great trend of all under heaven.

His gaze lowered, fixing on the Tianxia Association; beside Xiong Ba stood another who possessed the makings of a chaotic-era hero — by the current timeline, it should be Dugu Yifang, Lord of Wushuang City.

What a coincidence!

"Jiang Xuan, here for Alliance Master Xiong."

Jiang Xuan laughed with a drawn-out chuckle.

"Xiong Ba, I demand you repay the blood debt of my entire Huo Family Manor in blood!"

"Master, this is the last time I call you Master — the feud of killing my father cannot go unavenged!"

"Xiong Ba, you have insulted me repeatedly; today, your position as Lord of the Tianxia Association will likely become fleeting clouds."

Xiong Ba at this moment looked toward Jiang Xuan, his face puzzled:

"Old man has never met Your Excellency; may I ask where I have offended you?"

"Never. Alliance Master Xiong and I bore no grudge in the past, no enmity of late."

Jiang Xuan's tone was flat, not the least bit like someone come to demand accountability.

"If so, why does Your Excellency speak these words?"

Hearing this, Xiong Ba grew even more puzzled inside, unable to fathom the other's purpose.

"Though there is no grudge, a karmic debt must be settled; coincidentally, this karmic debt involves Alliance Master Xiong."

"Jiang Xuan's trip is to eliminate demons!"

Jiang Xuan seemed to sigh with emotion; the aura on him grew ever more disdainful of all.

He waved his sleeve, and Wind, Cloud, and Duan Lang were shifted a hundred zhang away.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

His steps were light, yet in Xiong Ba's eyes they carried the momentum of overturning mountains and seas.

Xiong Ba's face turned ugly; this man could not be opposed save by a martial arts myth — his inner heart waged war between heaven and man.

To speak truth, he was absolutely no match for the person before him, but to have him surrender without a fight was absolutely impossible; moreover, judging by this person's bearing, he seemed to have a fixed intent to kill him.

Dugu Ming and his son, Wen Chou Chou, and the others at the side were likewise shocked into silence by this terrifying momentum, not daring to make a sound.

As Xiong Ba's eldest disciple, Qin Shuang was strenuously resisting this pressure, wanting to speak out in rebuke, yet pressed so hard he could not open his mouth; merely resisting the pressure had already exhausted all his internal force.

"Hahaha..."

Xiong Ba at this moment laughed long to the sky, domineeringly:

"Old man has roamed all under heaven for decades; even in the most difficult times, I have never met defeat — if you want old man's head, then come."

"Since it is so."

Jiang Xuan was not surprised either, tone leisurely:

"Alliance Master Xiong, please."

(Chapter End)