A cultivator dressed in a black robe, with his face obscured by a hood, floated out. The aura emanating from his body surprisingly made even You Wuxie feel palpitations.
“Hall Master!” You Wuxie and the others hurriedly bowed in salute.
The Hall Master of the Evil Path Hall’s branch hall slowly raised his head. Under the hood, a pair of scarlet eyes were revealed. “Chen Ping… interesting. Pass on my order: all hall cultivators follow Manor Lord Qin on the expedition. Whoever takes Chen Ping’s head will be rewarded with a top-grade spiritual artifact!”
The altar instantly erupted with earth-shaking cheers. Countless black shadows surged from various parts of the valley, dense like a swarm of ants, spreading towards the direction of Sword Saint City.
The atmosphere in Sword Saint City grew increasingly heavy.
Since Qin Lie’s departure, the major forces in the city had all been observing in secret. Outside the Sword Sect’s residence, unidentified cultivators often lingered.
Chen Ping knew this was just the calm before the storm. Qin Lie’s revenge would come sooner or later, and it would be even more fierce.
“Mr. Chen, this is the latest intelligence.” Li Chunfeng’s figure quietly appeared in the courtyard, holding a jade slip in his hand.
Chen Ping took the jade slip. After probing it with his divine sense, his expression changed drastically. “The Sixth Hall of the Divine Hall? The branch hall of the Evil Path Hall? Qin Lie has actually invited these fiends!”
The jade slip clearly recorded that Qin Lie had united with the Sixth Hall of the Divine Hall from the Sixth Heaven, as well as the branch hall of the Evil Path Hall in the Black Wind Mountain Range. Even several hidden sects from the Fifth Heaven had been roped in. The total force exceeded a thousand, with no fewer than fifty cultivators at Earth Immortal Realm seventh grade or above.
“The Hall Master of the Sixth Hall of the Divine Hall had old grudges with me back then. This time, I’m afraid it’s not just aimed at you.” Li Chunfeng’s tone was grave. “What’s more troublesome is the Evil Path Hall. The evil arts they cultivate are bizarre and unpredictable, extremely difficult to deal with.”
Hu Mazi burst in noisily. “Chen Ping, outside they’re all saying that Qin Lie wants to bloodbath Sword Saint City. Should we run first?”
“Run? Run where?” Mo Chen walked out leaning on a crutch; his face was pale, yet his gaze was firm. “The Sword Sect has a thousand-year legacy. Even if we fight to the last person, we absolutely cannot retreat in the face of battle!”
Ling Xue gripped the long sword in her hand tightly and said softly. “I will advance and retreat with Senior Brother Chen.”
Chen Ping took a deep breath and handed the jade slip to everyone. “Now is not the time to retreat. City Lord Li, the defences of Sword Saint City…”
Li Chunfeng smiled bitterly. “To be honest, Mr. Chen, I disappeared for hundreds of years. The city’s affairs have long been controlled by the Zhang responsible. He has secretly cultivated many forces; now, I’m afraid he has already colluded with Qin Lie.”
“That old thing!” Hu Mazi angrily slapped the stone table. “I never liked him!”
“At this point, we can only rely on ourselves.” A flash of determination passed through Chen Ping’s eyes. “City Lord Li, can we invite the neutral forces of Sword Saint City to help?”
“It’s difficult.”
Li Chunfeng shook his head. “The reputations of the Sixth Hall of the Divine Hall and the Evil Path Hall are too resounding. No one is willing to offend them for us.”
Just as everyone was at a loss, a hearty laugh suddenly came from outside the courtyard. “Who says no one is willing?”
Everyone looked towards the sound and saw Nan Batian striding in with his arm around a charming woman. Behind him followed dozens of cultivators with powerful auras; the leader was surprisingly the building master of the Information Building!
“Nan Batian!” Chen Ping was both surprised and delighted. “How did you come?”
Nan Batian laughed loudly. “I heard that Divine Sword Manor wants to deal with Mr. Chen. How could I not come to help?”
“Mr. Chen, rest assured. All the forces of the Information Building in the Fifth Heaven are at your disposal.” Xiao Cui said.
A warm current surged in Chen Ping’s heart. Looking at the dozens of Earth Immortal Realm cultivators who had suddenly appeared in the courtyard, his originally heavy mood lightened considerably.
“With these words from you two, I can rest easy!”
Nan Batian patted Chen Ping’s shoulder. “That said, the people Qin Lie has brought this time are indeed tricky. The cultivators from the Sixth Hall of the Divine Hall are all extremely arrogant; the evil cultivators from the Evil Path Hall are even more difficult to handle. We need to discuss this properly.”
