...
Zuo Mingqiu held the Xin Ri sword in his hand, the sun blazing high above him. Behind him, countless swordsmen from various factions pursued relentlessly, like a surging tide of beasts.
As Zuo Mingqiu was about to fall into a cave, a lord of the teleportation array, realizing what was about to happen, could no longer restrain himself. He unleashed his full power and charged directly in front of Zuo Mingqiu, staring at him and asking with a smile:
"I am the sect leader of the Cang Shan Wu Yin Sect. May I ask your esteemed name, young friend, and where you intend to go?"
Zuo Mingqiu looked at the man before him, his movements not ceasing for a moment. He directly raised the Xin Ri sword in his hand.
The sword body flowed with the scorching sun, accompanied by the ascension of dark golden Dao Source and extraordinary energy. It connected with the great sun suspended overhead. Then, Zuo Mingqiu swung his sword down, and that hottest star in the world plummeted.
"BOOM!!!!"
Terrifying sword energy pierced through heaven and earth. The great sun exploded before the domain of the Wu Yin Sect leader. The unimaginable heat melted his Great Dao into air, and the Xin Ri sword fire blazed wildly everywhere. Everyone present felt as if they were in his purgatory, deeply shaken by the scene.
Zuo Mingqiu seized the opportunity and shot out from the tear in the domain, crashing to the ground like a meteor.
"Here."
He handed the Xin Ri sword to Qi Long. It wasn't that he feared the sword wouldn't be returned, but rather that the previous strike had consumed too much of his power, draining nearly half his extraordinary energy. He felt he couldn't bear it.
Qi Long took the Xin Ri, feeling the searing heat on the sword's body, which made his hand glow crimson. He couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha, excellent!"
"I truly did not misjudge you two!"
Xu Mu retreated to the cave entrance with Zuo Mingqiu, his face grave as he watched Qi Long's retreating back.
The latter held the sword in one hand, gazing at the swordsmen and cultivators surrounding them from all directions, showing no fear.
"Qi Long, what do you intend to do!"
Among the accompanying crowd was an elder from the Jian Ge. Upon seeing Zuo Mingqiu hand the acquired Xin Ri sword to Qi Long, he exclaimed in shock.
The other cultivators present also looked at Qi Long with astonishment. Although they didn't recognize this middle-aged man, they knew he was the steward in charge of managing the teleportation array for the Jian Ge, meaning he was one of their own.
"No wonder you were protecting them!" An Jin angrily rushed out from the crowd, pointing at Qi Long and shouting, "So it was for this sword!"
"As an elder of the Jian Ge, you must know some untold secrets, which is why that kid could obtain the Xin Ri sword so easily. How dare you!"
At these words, everyone present was immediately shaken. So this was the truth? They had thought Zuo Mingqiu was an unparalleled genius, but unexpectedly, he had stolen the Xin Ri through such means?
Qi Long scoffed upon hearing this and said:
"An Jin, because these two young friends publicly killed your five guards, and you were powerless against them, you felt dissatisfied and are now spreading rumors?"
"These two can even defeat Miss Mei San of Plum Blossom Valley, and since Miss Mei San can obtain the immortal sword, why can't he?"
An Jin was immediately speechless at this.
The other cultivators were also surprised, and their gazes towards Zuo Mingqiu turned to curiosity again.
"So these are the two geniuses who simultaneously offended the Seventh Prince and Plum Blossom Valley, and they are still alive!"
"More than alive, haven't you heard? These two live in the disciples' courtyard of the Jian Ge. The people from Snow Wolf幽谷 offended them and were almost annihilated!"
"What is the origin of these two? Even an alliance between the Seventh Prince and Plum Blossom Valley can't do anything to them. Could they be from the Land of Lies?"
"Land of Lies!"
At the mention of these four words, all the cultivators present fell silent, and a trace of fear appeared in their eyes as they looked at Zuo Mingqiu and Xu Mu.
The Land of Lies was one of the eight forbidden lands on the continent, situated on the border of their Great Zhou. Legend had it that people from the Land of Lies were rare geniuses or lunatics. Even a mute could become a silver-tongued charmer there. The Great Xia Dynasty had once sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to conquer this land, but overnight, all the soldiers defected, the reason for which remains unknown.
The Land of Lies, being both a nation and a forbidden land, was rarely understood. However, mysterious cultivators from the Land of Lies were often seen in the martial world, and without exception, they were all powerful, their talent described only as monstrous.
And now, with Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu of unknown origin and mysterious identities, could it be that they both hailed from the Land of Lies?
"Impossible!" An Jin's face darkened as he shook his head, then he mockingly stared at Qi Long and said, "I investigated after I returned. These two come from the Hundred Races."
"Qi Long, you wanted to protect them, didn't you? I admit I'm not your match, but today is different!"
"Valley Master Mei, it was the two in the cave who injured Miss Mei San and Miss Mei Si. Moreover, if Miss Mei San hadn't intervened in time, Miss Mei Si would have been killed by him!"
The vast crowd parted to the sides, and a woman riding a noble spirit beast slowly emerged. She passed An Jin and, looking down from above, stared at Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu.
The woman was tall and slender, wearing a close-fitting, light purple qipao that perfectly accentuated her voluptuous figure. Her features were exquisite, almost ethereal.
"It's you two?"
She looked at Zuo Mingqiu and Xu Mu and asked.
Zuo Mingqiu looked at the woman and nodded silently.
"This is bad!" Xu Mu's face became grave, his heart sinking to the bottom. Since the woman before them was the Valley Master of Plum Blossom Valley, her cultivation level would be at least that of a Domain Lord. If she wanted to kill him and Zuo Mingqiu, even Qi Long might not be able to stop her.
Moreover, what reason would Qi Long have to help them? He had his own matters to attend to today; it would be good if they didn't implicate each other!
Xu Mu gritted his teeth and said to Qi Long:
"Senior, I'm afraid we can't help you with your matters today. Thank you for your care these past few days. Please help us activate the grand array later."
Xu Mu said with a wry smile, "Facing a Domain Lord, there's nothing else we can do but run."
Qi Long looked up at the noble woman in the qipao, his eyes narrowing slightly. He smiled and said:
"I can tell you now."
"The true purpose of me wanting this Xin Ri sword was to kill someone."
"Kill someone?" Xu Mu said with a pale face, "I had already guessed some of it. Senior, you must be preparing to fight a very formidable opponent, which is why you need the strongest immortal sword."
"Yes, she is very strong." Qi Long tightened his grip on the Xin Ri sword, dragging the array disk with his right hand, and forcefully activated the grand array.
"Rumble!"
Tens of thousands of runes flickered, and a terrifying killing array suddenly rose, isolating most of the people present, and enveloping only a select few.
For instance, Xu Mu, Zuo Mingqiu, and himself.
And, of course, the Valley Master of Plum Blossom Valley.
Qi Long, holding the Xin Ri, tore off the mask from his face, revealing a disfigured countenance burned by flames. He then smiled slightly at the woman in mid-air.
The female Valley Master of Plum Blossom Valley saw this, and a flash of shock appeared in her eyes. She pointed at Qi Long and shouted:
"You are from that army of the Xia Dynasty!"
"Impossible! At the Battle of Di Qiu back then, didn't I trap and kill all of you? How are you still alive!"
"If I were dead, who would come to claim your life!"
Qi Long stared at the woman with deep hatred, gripping the Xin Ri sword with all his might. He condensed the sun, and his aura surged to its peak before exploding.
"Rumble!"
Terrifying waves of extraordinary energy swept through the area. Qi Long held his sword and charged into the sky, slashing at the woman's face.
"Mei Chuan, today is your death anniversary!"
...