A Gathering at Sword Peak, Where Talents Converged

Sword Peak in Yanling Commandery is a famous scenic spot. As the name suggests, this mountain is named after its shape, which resembles a Sky-Piercing Giant Sword that stands between Heaven and Earth. The sword's edge is about Thousand Zhang long, and the surrounding cliffs are as steep as if cut by a knife. It is believed that even the most skilled climbers would not be able to climb it on foot. There is only one way to reach the top of the sword: to fly!

Sword Peak is the venue for the Dragon Phoenix Ranking of Yanling Commandery. However, according to the rules, a month before the Dragon Phoenix Ranking begins, members of the previous Dragon Phoenix Ranking and Cultivator are still eligible to participate need to send Flying Sword Message to invite rising stars who have gained fame in the past ten years to gather for a few days, discuss swordsmanship over wine. This can be regarded as a mutual probing before the Dragon Phoenix Ranking begins.

The once-a-decade Dragon Phoenix Ranking is usually a quiet and deserted place, rarely visited by anyone. But today, streaks of light and color streak across the sky and land on the summit of the sword. This is because today is the day when the talents of Yanling Commandery gather, a month before the Dragon Phoenix Ranking begins.

The view from the summit of Sword Peak was quite nice. A hundred tables and chairs were set up on the mountaintop, laden with Fruits and Sweets. The atmosphere was indeed like a gathering, except that each of the Cultivator attending had their own purpose.

There were dozens of tables and chairs. The five at the front, needless to say, belonged to the Cultivator who were qualified to participate in the previous Dragon Phoenix Ranking: Sarira Skeleton Yin Wugu; Blood Rakshasa Lin Haiyan Siqi, the ninth-ranked White Bone Asura Gu Siqi; Blood Palm Butcher Qian Xiong; and Meteor Blade Huo Siling.

"Fellow Daoists of Yanling Commandery, I am Yin Wugu. As per the rules, I have been appointed as the host of this gathering. I have sent out thirty-six Flying Sword Message. Those invited are all young heroes who have risen to prominence in Yanling Commandery over the past decade. Of course, I am not well-informed, and many fellow Daoists have not received Flying Sword Message but have come uninvited. I, Yin Baigu, will drink this cup first and hope for your forgiveness."

With over a hundred tables and chairs already mostly occupied, and only a few people arriving later, Yin Baigu raised his wine cup and began to speak. Following his words, the other Cultivator from the previous Dragon Phoenix Ranking also raised their wine cups and drank a cup of apology wine.

Yanling Commandery is a vast territory with a population of over 100 million, making it practically a country in itself. Furthermore, various Sect and cultivation families secretly nurture their own young geniuses. Therefore, there are naturally many Cultivators have remained hidden for the past ten years. Yin Wugu and his group's actions effectively quelled the resentment in the hearts of these hidden geniuses.

At the summit of Sword Peak, familiar Cultivator greeted each other and sat together in twos and threes, occasionally chatting about interesting events that had recently occurred in Yanling Commandery. The atmosphere was quite harmonious, and at first glance, it truly resembled a friendly gathering.

With a flap of his Phoenix Feather Wings, Zhuge Xiang's figure streaked across the sky, flying towards the sword's edge like a shooting star. Among Flying Magic Artifact, the speed of the Phoenix Feather Wings was among the best. Although it consumed a lot of Qi Energy, with Zhuge Xiang's current cultivation at the Return to Simplicity Realm Sixth Layer, his abundant Qi Energy and terrifying energy recovery speed were enough to support Zhuge Xiang for a long time.

After Zhuge Xiang landed, the heroes on the sword peak only glanced at him and then ignored him. With his cultivation at the Return to Simplicity Realm Sixth Layer, he was only at the lower-middle level on this Sword Peak. In their eyes, Zhuge Xiang was obviously someone who had come on his own without being invited by the Flying Sword Message.

Over the past decade, those who have risen to fame in Yanling Commandery have all been like dazzling stars. Although Zhuge Xiang's name is well-known, in the eyes of Yanling Commandery, he has only become famous in the last few months, and there are really not many people who know him. Tian Lingshan, who was not far away, saw Zhuge Xiang and a ruthless look flashed in her eyes. The two had clashed on the Ancient Qin Battlefield, so there was no way they could have any friendship.

After glancing around, Zhuge Xiang found that there were still quite a few empty seats. He didn't care about that and casually found an empty seat to sit down. He reached out and touched the wine on the table, smelled it, and a smile appeared on his face. This Sword Peak Gathering is quite generous. Just by smelling this wine, you can tell that it is even more fragrant and mellow than the Flower Full Building Flower Before Moon.

"Haha, I didn't expect you to be a fellow wine lover too, young man. Would you like to try my homemade Blood Heart Wine?" Zhuge Xiang's smile upon seeing the wine made the man sitting next to him laugh, and he patted Zhuge Xiang's shoulder affectionately.

The man appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a pair of Peach Blossom and a slightly drunken demeanor. However, no ordinary person could be qualified to sit atop this Sword Peak. From the intense aura of bloodlust emanating from this man, Zhuge Xiang knew that the person before him was a ruthless and cunning killer.

The situation between Zhuge Xiang and the drunk man caused quite a stir among the people nearby. Zhuge Xiang was sitting here because there were many empty tables, and he wanted some peace and quiet. But the real reason was that the Cultivator on Sword Peak all knew the identity of the drunk man, which was why they didn't sit next to him.

Blood Heart Sword Pei Yingxiao, is a very famous Cultivator in Yanling Commandery. Of course, he is also a ruthless person. His swordsmanship is unpredictable and unpredictable, and he has few rivals. He loves wine, but he prefers to dig out the hearts of strong people and soak them in wine.

His claim to fame was that he single-handedly killed thirteen experts at the Return to Simplicity Realm Peak, making him famous throughout Yanling Commandery. He even killed the 30th ranked Cultivator on the previous Dragon Phoenix Ranking within ten moves.

Zhuge Xiang heard all the discussions around him and gained some understanding of Blood Heart Sword Pei Yingxiao. He had killed Cultivator from the previous Dragon Phoenix Ranking within ten moves. Such strength was truly not to be underestimated. Zhuge Xiang remembered that he had also gone to great lengths to kill Thousand Shadow Sword Wu Xuefei, Dragon Phoenix Ranking.

"Haha, I wouldn't say I'm a heavy drinker, but with such fine wine before me, wouldn't it be a waste not to drink?" Zhuge Xiang laughed heartily upon hearing Pei Yingxiao's invitation, and without hesitation, he took the wine offered by the other party and took a full sip.

The wine entered his stomach, carrying a strong, bloody smell, but it didn't make him feel nauseous. Instead, it had a unique, mellow flavor. He let out a long sigh and exclaimed with Zhuge Xiang laugh, "Good wine!"

"Haha, young man, you certainly know your stuff!" Seeing Zhuge Xiang's reaction, Pei Yingxiao's face broke into a broad smile. Finally, someone understood and appreciated what had always been feared by others. How could Pei Yingxiao not be happy?

The situation here attracted the attention of many people. Pei Yingxiao's strength was no weaker than the five members of the previous Dragon and Phoenix Dragon Phoenix Ranking and Dragon Phoenix Ranking Cultivator within ten moves. Seeing that Zhuge Xiang, a guy at the Return to Simplicity Realm Sixth Layer, could actually chat and laugh with Pei Yingxiao, perhaps out of jealousy, or perhaps for some other reason, someone couldn't help but speak up.

"Hey kid over there, do you know that the person sitting next to you is Blood Heart Sword Pei Yingxiao? The wine he's giving you is made by soaking human hearts in water."

Pei Yingxiao seemed not to hear these words, and continued drinking, waiting for Zhuge Xiang's reaction.

However, Zhuge Xiang showed no panic. He merely glanced at the speaker, Limit Expert at the Return to Simplicity Realm Peak, who appeared to be around thirty years old. "So what? As long as it's good wine, why refuse? Pei Yingxiao? To be honest, I've never heard of how many geniuses Yanling Commandery has. In my opinion, this Brother Pei is just a friend I can drink with."

Zhuge Xiang's words were truly blunt, causing many Cultivators on Sword Peak to change their expressions.

Zhuge Xiang was telling the truth. He had never paid any attention to the so-called famous geniuses of Yanling Commandery. If it weren't for the discussions around him, Zhuge Xiang himself wouldn't have known about Pei Yingxiao. But to outsiders, not having heard of any geniuses from Yanling Commandery was an arrogant statement that showed they regarded all geniuses as nothing.

"Haha, what a friend who can drink..." No one dared to taste Pei Yingxiao's wine, and others kept their distance from him. But today, Zhuge Xiang's words made Pei Yingxiao very happy.

As he spoke, Pei Yingxiao's gaze fell on the person who had spoken, his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty killing intent that seemed almost tangible. "Since these young men consider me a friend, then those who sow discord among our friends must not be allowed to live."

Pei Yingxiao was a dangerous element on Sword Peak. Those who knew him understood that he was a madman who disregarded all rules. How could they not know that the bloodthirsty killing intent emanating from him meant he was about to make a move? Yin Wugu hurriedly said, "Brother Pei, wait!"

As the saying goes, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. Even though Yin Wugu had reached the Deity Transformation stage, Pei Yingxiao was still very fast. A blood-red shadow flashed by, and Pei Yingxiao had already returned to his seat. Amidst the screams, the Cultivator who had just spoken had a fist-sized hole in his chest.

"Such a filthy heart doesn't even deserve to be used to make my medicinal wine..." With his palm dripping with blood, Pei Yingxiao mercilessly threw the still-beating heart on the ground.

On Sword Peak, there are no ordinary people. Even those who dare to come without receiving an invitation from Yin Wugu via Flying Sword Message are all self-proclaimed geniuses. However, Pei Yingxiao made a move and killed them instantly without even drawing his sword. The strength he displayed, as well as his ruthlessness in killing people at will, made most of the people on Sword Peak feel a chill in their hearts.

"Brother Pei, you've gone a bit too far." Regardless of the circumstances, he was the one who hosted this gathering. Pei Yingxiao's casual killing made Yin Wugu feel somewhat ashamed. His face darkened, and his Yin Wugu Deity Transformation stage cultivation surged from his body, causing the Heaven and Earth Vital Energy to fluctuate violently and press down on Pei Yingxiao. In Pei Yingxiao, he seemed to be at odds with Heaven and Earth.

"Hehehe, Sarira Skeleton Yin Wugu, your heart is perfect for me to soak in wine..." However, even with the power of Heaven and Earth and earth pressing down on him, Pei Yingxiao showed no sign of yielding. Instead, he stared at Yin Wugu's heart with greedy eyes, like Venomous Snake eyeing its prey.

A moment of silence fell upon Sword Peak. Blood Heart Sword Pei Yingxiao and Sarira Skeleton Yin Wugu were both top experts on this Dragon Phoenix Ranking. Their actions served as a good opportunity for others to test their strength.

"A gathering at Sword Peak? Any fighting going on? Forgive my Zhang Kuang in showing up uninvited for such a gathering..." Suddenly, an extremely Zhang Kuang voice rang out, its sharp Spear Intent causing most of the Spear present to clang and emit joyful sounds. (To be continued...)