Above Yunze Market, a figure stood in the air.
It was an old man, wearing the Elder’s robe of the Tianlan Sect. His hair and beard were white, his face gaunt. He stood with his hands behind his back atop a cloud.
Behind him stood seven or eight Enforcement Hall cultivators, each with hands clasped and heads bowed, not daring to take a deep breath. Li Xiuyuan was among them.
“Steward Li.”
The old man’s voice was not loud, but it carried authority without anger.
“My two disciples died inexplicably in your Yunze Market. I traveled a thousand li to get here, not to drink tea. I need an explanation.”
Li Xiuyuan felt his molars were about to shatter. It was true he was at Late Core Formation, a notable person in the Yunze Market Enforcement Hall, but the man before him was a Nascent Soul Elder of the Tianlan Sect, a full major realm higher in cultivation.
Nascent Soul against Core Formation was not a gap in strength; it was a gap between life and death.
“Elder Fu Yuan,”
Li Xiuyuan said, clasping his hands with difficulty.
“Your disciples, Li Hanyuan and Zhou Ruoshui, appear to have had a conflict with a disciple of a Nascent Soul Great Power. According to eyewitness accounts from cultivators on the scene, Li Hanyuan first severely injured the other’s disciple…”
He lowered his voice unconsciously here.
“Then he was immediately killed on the spot with a Sword Talisman from the opponent.”
Fu Yuan’s gaze stabbed into Li Xiuyuan’s face like two knives. Li Xiuyuan felt his skin burning.
He quickly added.
“The rights and wrongs of this matter are still under investigation by the Enforcement Hall—”
“And the opponent?”
“Still investigating…”
“Investigating?”
Fu Yuan’s Spiritual Pressure suddenly intensified. An invisible giant palm seemed to press down in the air. Li Xiuyuan’s knees bent slightly, and the flying sword beneath his feet trembled.
The several Foundation Establishment stage Enforcement Hall disciples behind him turned pale. One with the lowest cultivation was already swaying, only kept from falling off the cloud by a companion’s support.
“This Yunze Market is only a hundred li in radius. Your Enforcement Hall has been here for hundreds of years. Is there anything you can’t investigate?”
Fu Yuan’s voice was cold and merciless.
“Or does Steward Li think I’m easy to fool?”
“Please calm your anger, Senior! The opponent’s methods were superb. After one sword strike, they vanished without a trace. We preliminarily deduce that the one who acted is at least a Nascent Soul level Sword Cultivator. We truly have the will but lack the power.”
Fu Yuan was silent for a moment. A flicker of wariness passed through his eyes, but it was quickly overwhelmed by deeper anger. Nascent Soul, so what? His Tianlan Sect might not be a top sect, but it was no lamb to be slaughtered.
His chief personal disciple had been killed in the street. If this just ended with nothing, how could he, Fu Yuan, ever hold his head up in the Cangwu Realm?
His right hand slightly raised, and a ball of Spiritual Power began to gather in his palm, intending to make an example of someone.
“Brother Fu Yuan.”
A gentle voice came from below. Fu Yuan’s Spiritual Power paused slightly. He looked down and saw Elder Sun stepping on a wisp of cyan cloud, rising unhurriedly from the center of the market.
Fu Yuan narrowed his eyes and discreetly withdrew the Spiritual Power in his palm.
“Elder Sun, long time no see. I trust you’ve been well.”
Elder Sun stopped a few zhang in front of him and clasped his hands slightly.
“Brother Fu Yuan, you have come a long way. You should be a honored guest of Yunze Market, but this time… the matter of your disciple is truly regrettable. If you trust this old man, why not follow me to the scene to take a look? Perhaps we can find some clues.”
Fu Yuan stared at Elder Sun for a few breaths, then snorted coldly, which was taken as tacit consent. Elder Sun waved his hand at the few Enforcement Hall disciples behind him, signaling them not to follow. He himself turned and flew toward a corner of the market. Fu Yuan followed closely.
The two landed in that narrow alley. The alley had been sealed off by the Enforcement Hall for a day and a night. The spirit lamps on both sides had not been relit. In the dim light, the sword mark on the cyan stone ground was still clearly visible.
Fu Yuan stood before that sword mark, his expression frozen.
His Spiritual Sense lightly touched the Sword Intent lingering in the mark, and he felt his consciousness stabbed harshly by something.
Fu Yuan’s pupils contracted slightly. His Adam’s apple rolled unconsciously.
“This Sword Intent… who struck it?”
Elder Sun stood beside him, his gaze also fixed on the sword mark, his eyes deep. He did not answer immediately, because he also did not know the answer.
Fu Yuan stared at the sword mark for a long time, then finally withdrew his gaze.
He turned around. The Killing Intent on his face had mostly subsided, but his voice remained cold.
“Elder Sun, this matter happened in Yunze Market. The Enforcement Hall must give me an explanation. No matter what cultivation the opponent has, my Tianlan Sect’s disciple cannot die in vain.”
Elder Sun nodded slightly.
“Naturally. The Enforcement Hall has listed this case as the top priority. No matter the origin of the opponent, we will get to the bottom of it.”
Fu Yuan snorted coldly and said no more. His figure flickered and disappeared at the end of the alley.
Elder Sun stood alone in place, looking at the sword mark, silent for a long time.
He and Fu Yuan were both mid Nascent Soul stage, having cultivated in the Cangwu Realm for hundreds of years, witnessing countless battles between experts and life-and-death fights.
But such a sword strike, he had never seen. To condense Sword Intent to this degree… this was not a Nascent Soul level technique.
Neither of them wanted to say those two words, but both knew it clearly: Divine Transformation.
In the entire Cangwu Realm, there were only a few publicly known Divine Transformation cultivators. The whereabouts of each one affected the nerves of all factions.
When did another one appear? When had such a great being been hidden in this unremarkable alley of Yunze Market?
Elder Sun looked up at the darkening sky and sighed softly.
The heavens, it seemed, were about to change.
***
After sending off Ruan Se, Lai Li’an turned and returned to Su Wan’er’s bedside.
He moved a short stool over, sat down in front of the couch, and looked down at the girl’s peaceful sleeping face.
Her breathing was much steadier than before, and a trace of color had returned to her face. She simply looked like she was asleep.
Lai Li’an reached out to touch her forehead, but withdrew his hand halfway.
He looked out the window at the deepening dusk and suddenly felt a bit ridiculous.
When he first crossed over, he only wanted to cultivate immortality, to become stronger, to survive well in this world where the strong preyed on the weak.
In his eyes, Su Wan’er had initially been nothing more than experience points.
But without knowing when it started, this silly girl who constantly mentally supplemented everything seemed to be more than just a tool.
Lai Li’an laughed self-deprecatingly. He withdrew his gaze and stopped thinking.
The most important thing now was only one: obtaining the Qingxuan Root. And the only way to obtain it was to let Ruan Se win the Alchemy Grand Assembly.
He stood up, straightened his collar, turned, and left the room.