On the way back to the Half-Day Leisure Inn, Shu Ni and Ning Shisi still could not shake the scenes of that battle from their minds. Their estimation of Jiang Wang had risen another level.
Shu Ni no longer dwelled on the matter of Jiang Wang being a Monster.
Even Xie Wuxing of the Sword Pavilion had not pointed it out, which already proved Jiang Wang could not possibly be a Monster.
But to fight a true disciple of the Sword God to such an extent, Shu Ni began wondering again just who Jiang Wang really was.
Saying he had figured out cultivation on his own was nonsense no matter how she thought about it.
Clearly, Jiang Wang had an immense backing behind him.
Jiang Wang returned to the marquis manor and went straight to his room.
Sprawled on the couch, waves of weakness washed over him, yet his mind grew ever clearer.
He called for the Night Roaming God in his heart.
With the Divine Kingdom concealed, he could not sense it.
After that battle, Jiang Wang felt that the Divine Kingdom's power must have undergone another elevation.
As if answering his wishes, the Night Roaming God said, "The Divine Kingdom has indeed been nourished, and a tiny fraction of my power has returned. But because the Divine Kingdom's power was depleted too severely, even if danger arises again soon, it cannot be used. It should recover quickly, however."
Jiang Wang was thoroughly satisfied, and before long, he fell into a deep sleep.
Before the woodshed, having watched Jiang Wang return to the manor, the Green-robed Cultivator, Xiaoyu, and the others each returned to their rooms. The Old Butler looked at Du Yanruo and Su Lingyi, kneeling side by side on the ground, and said with a smile, "Young Master may be tired. You two should patiently spend the night in the woodshed. Do not think of running away. I will be watching this place at all times."
Su Lingyi lay back down in the pile of firewood. Watching the woodshed door close, he had so many curses that he did not know where to begin.
Du Yanruo had not expected that she had come to save someone, only to find herself unable to return.
"What was up with that Sword Pavilion disciple? Is there any chance he will come save us?"
Su Lingyi still clung to some hope.
Du Yanruo shook her head. "Xie Wuxing definitely lost. We do not even know whether he is dead or alive. How could he possibly come save us?"
She thought she truly had overestimated Xie Wuxing. Like Cai Tanggu and Tan Lao Liu, he was nothing but trash.
Why had she lost her mind for a moment, using Xie Wuxing to draw the manor's attention and rashly coming to save someone?
She regretted it so deeply her intestines had turned green.
No matter how Du Yanruo berated Xie Wuxing in her heart, Xie Wuxing, who had searched everywhere without finding her, was already frantic with worry as he headed once more toward the marquis manor.
He suspected Jiang Wang had taken Du Yanruo captive.
If the delicate Miss Du had fallen into the hands of that tyrant Jiang Wang, the consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.
At the ruins of Qixia Street.
Several figures appeared.
They were all seekers who had only just arrived in Hun City.
The commotion caused by Jiang Wang and Xie Wuxing's battle had been enormous. Looking at the miserable sight before them, they could already imagine how fierce that battle had been.
"They should have been two cultivators at the peak of the Cave Nether Realm," one of them guessed. "But they were certainly no ordinary people. They likely ranked among the foremost Cave Nether cultivators in the entire Sui Kingdom, perhaps even standing at the threshold of breaking through. With such experts in Hun City, we must keep a low profile."
Aside from the small sects completely suppressed by the Qingxuan Bureau of the imperial court, some major sects that were merely kept in check generally had no desire to send an immortal to the Divine Capital as an Attendant if they found one. Instead, they would invite the immortal into their own sect.
Thus, every seeker had their own agenda. They could be allies or enemies.
Kutan's largest sect was the Sword Pavilion. Next came the Qingxuan Bureau, deployed by the imperial court within Kutan, and the powerful Fish Abyss Academy.
As for those middling sects caught between the two, neither high nor low, it was exceedingly rare for them to produce a great cultivator above the Cave Nether Realm. Thus, they most desperately dreamed of using an immortal to ascend to heaven in a single step.
"What worries me more is that those major sects may send cultivators of the Snowbath Realm. We can only take advantage of those great figures being too occupied to attend to everything and find traces of the immortal quickly. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to watch the show from the sidelines."
The others deeply agreed.
In sects like theirs, the highest cultivation was only at the peak of the Cave Nether Realm. Those with deeper foundations might be able to produce more than a dozen Cave Nether peak cultivators.
But if they faced a great figure of the Snowbath Realm, the entire sect would turn to ashes and smoke with the flick of a finger.
"Great demons run rampant across Kutan's regions and even other lands of the Sui Kingdom. Every major sect is exhausting itself to subdue demons and eliminate evil, yet you lot dream of ascending to heaven with the help of an immortal. The Qingxuan Bureau claims to govern all cultivators in Sui; I say the name does not match the reality, allowing fish that slipped through the net like you to leap about everywhere."
A young man in a goose-yellow long robe suddenly appeared. Looking at the cultivators, he said coldly, "For a hundred years, seeking immortals has been the most important matter in the Sui Kingdom. It concerns not only how to eradicate Monsters, but also how to resist Xitan."
"It is said that Xitan has immortals. If our Divine Capital did not also have an immortal, the Sui Kingdom would have been destroyed by Xitan long ago. Think about it: for a tiny sect like yours, an immortal would have to be addled in the head to let you serve as Attendants."
The cultivators had initially been somewhat flustered, but after sensing the newcomer's aura for a moment, one of them gave a soft laugh. "What does a mere martial artist know? And where did you get the nerve to shout here? With a casual stroke of my sword, I can take your life."
The man in the goose-yellow long robe mocked, "I am indeed a martial artist, but you want to kill me? Hmph, you are thinking far too highly of yourselves."
After carefully probing the newcomer's aura again, they let out long breaths. "Your boasts really did sound frightening. You had us thinking you were a Grandmaster."
"A martial artist must enter the Fourth Realm before he can barely contend with cultivators. Only a Grandmaster is qualified to stand above Cave Nether cultivators. Even if you are a Fourth Realm Martial Artist, do you truly think you can defeat so many of us?"
The man in the goose-yellow long robe smiled. "I truly cannot defeat all of you, but who said I came alone?"
The moment his words fell.
A figure tore through the air and arrived.
It was an old man who appeared to be around seventy.
The man in the goose-yellow long robe bowed in greeting. "Venerable."
The unconcerned expressions on the cultivators' faces abruptly changed.
In Kutan, there was only one person who could be called "Venerable."
It was not a form of honorific address, but an office.
The Qingxuan Bureau governed all cultivators in Sui, so naturally there was also an institution governing all martial artists in Sui.
Though cultivators and martial artists could not truly be mentioned in the same breath, the Martial God Temple, which governed all martial artists in Sui, held a status within the imperial court equal to that of the Qingxuan Bureau.
Just as the Qingxuan Bureau and Fish Abyss Academy both had establishments in Kutan, the Martial God Temple was naturally no exception.
And the highest authority in Kutan's Martial God Temple was the Venerable.
Everyone knew that the Venerables of the Martial God Temple were all Grandmaster-level experts.
When Cave Nether peak cultivators faced a Grandmaster, unless they possessed some inconceivable means, death was practically certain.
A Grandmaster represented the pinnacle of martial arts, a state that could be called shedding one's mortal frame and exchanging one's bones. The strength of their bodies was something Cave Nether cultivators' Flying Swords could not shake.
Moreover, Grandmasters could briefly walk through the air, and the wind from their fists could strike a hundred zhang away. Before a Grandmaster, it was difficult for Cave Nether cultivators to display any advantage.
"V-Venerable Luo."
The cultivators lowered their stances and bowed respectfully.
Ordinary cultivators feared the Qingxuan Bureau, while martial artists regarded the Martial God Temple as sacred ground.
Though it was difficult to make martial artists equal to cultivators, the Martial God Temple's existence gave martial artists the chance to look down upon cultivators.
Even if they could only look down upon ordinary cultivators, even if obtaining that qualification was not so easy.
These cultivators had never imagined that Venerable Luo of the Martial God Temple would personally come to Hun City.
The search for immortals was mostly carried out by cultivators. Martial artists could only help, but that depended on who they were.
Venerable Luo said blandly, "Put away your petty schemes and search for immortals properly. If I discover that you found traces of an immortal and concealed them, then all of you may remain in Hun City forever."
The cultivators hurriedly claimed they would never dare, cold sweat pouring from each of them.
Venerable Luo said in a deep voice, "Get lost."
The cultivators fled in disarray.
The man in the goose-yellow long robe said, "But they were right about one thing. Two Cave Nether peak cultivators fought here. Judging from the circumstances, they may even have touched the threshold of the Snowbath Realm."
Venerable Luo said, "That one from the Sword Pavilion has already descended the mountain and may have reached Hun City. But I have not heard of true disciples from other major sects coming to Kutan. Sword Pavilion disciples may love battle, but they would not make such a huge commotion at a time like this. Find Xie Wuxing, and you will learn who fought him."
The man in the goose-yellow long robe smiled bitterly. "Venerable, it is already so late, and we have only just arrived in Hun City. How about finding a place to settle down first?"
Venerable Luo said blandly, "Very well. It will not be too late to pay a visit to that person in Hun City tomorrow."
Other than the phenomenon of Immortals Descend in Hun City, the only person who interested him was that one man.
He was looking forward to meeting him.
Within Xunyang Marquis Manor.
The Old Butler looked at Xie Wuxing, who had barged straight in, and said calmly, "Does Your Excellency have further instruction?"
Xie Wuxing said in a deep voice, "Where is Jiang Wang? Tell him to come out!"
The Old Butler said, "My young master has already gone to sleep. Whatever it is can be discussed tomorrow."
Xie Wuxing drew his sword and pointed it at the Old Butler. "Tell Jiang Wang to release Miss Du!"
The Old Butler was briefly startled, then smiled. "A true disciple of the Sword God, yet you act like a green youngster. Do you know who Miss Du is? And why do you believe she is in the marquis manor?"
Xie Wuxing frowned. "Other than Jiang Wang, no one would take Miss Du captive. Whether she is in the manor or not, I will know once I search."
As he spoke, he moved to pass the Old Butler directly.
The Old Butler did not stop him. Becoming enemies with the Sword Pavilion was not a good thing after all. He watched Xie Wuxing head toward the rear courtyard, then turned and went to Jiang Wang's courtyard.
The Green-robed Cultivator and White-robed Cultivator also lived there.
Having sensed Xie Wuxing's aura, they had just stepped outside.
"Uncle Tong, that fellow came again?"
The Old Butler nodded and looked toward Jiang Wang's room, which was pitch-black. He said, "Xie Wuxing was deceived by Du Yanruo's lies. Unless necessary, do not make an enemy of him. The young master should be tired after battling him. Guard him well. There is no need to concern yourselves with matters outside."
After saying that, he left again.
The Green-robed Cultivator and White-robed Cultivator looked at each other.
They thought that if Xie Wuxing went mad, how could Uncle Tong's old arms and legs withstand him?
Besides, in their eyes, Mr. Jiang's battle with Xie Wuxing had been nothing more than a game. How could he be tired?
After all, Mr. Jiang was an immortal.
Before you continue