A single decree held the whole hall in check

Li Hao frowned slightly.

He remembered telling Xue'er that he didn't need her help to invite his Master down the mountain to support him.

It's meaningless.

After an eight-year absence, Sword Wudao once again stepped into this mansion.

As soon as he entered Mountains and Rivers Courtyard, he saw the young man lying on the Reclining Chair, basking in the sun, looking quite content.

I thought a young man like this should be constantly cultivating, but I never expected him to be so leisurely.

However, perhaps it's just a final relaxation due to the approaching major battle, which is understandable.

Behind Sword Wudao were four other figures, all his disciples—three men and one woman. The one with the highest cultivation level among them had already entered the Three Immortalities Realm.

The four of them also sized up Li Hao, their eyes revealing surprise and curiosity.

"Brother Hao."

Bian Ruxue jogged over, a smile on her face, and said, "I've asked Master and the others to come down the mountain."

He had disturbed the girl's peaceful dream, but faced with her kindness, Li Hao couldn't be too harsh. He could only get up, toss the Book of Poems aside, and watch the Sword Saint approach, finally letting out a sigh.

He was the one who took the Little Tail away, but it was he who let go and let the Little Tail go.

But it was Little Tail itself that truly parted ways with itself.

So, who can be blamed?

Li Hao blames no one, because he has already retracted those extra steps he took.

Therefore, after letting out a soft sigh, Li Hao put aside his many distracting thoughts, smiled, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Grandpa Sword Saint, how have you been?"

"Um?"

Sword Wudao slightly surprised and said, "You still remember me?"

"How could I forget the Sword Old Feng?" Li Hao said with a smile.

Sword Wudao raised an eyebrow slightly. He had thought that this Heavenly Talent talented young man would be either spirited and arrogant, or perhaps he was suffering from the drudgery of cultivation and had a solitary nature.

Unexpectedly, it was like a Qing Feng, devoid of joy or sorrow, exuding a carefree spirit Carefree State the mountains and fields.

"Marquis Xingwu has a fine son; the Li Family is about to rise to prominence for three generations."

Sword Wudao said calmly.

Li Hao smiled, and the pleasantries were over.

Sword Wudao's gaze fell on the girl dressed as a maid beside him, who was holding a Black Sword Case.

As he said many years ago, a sword fanatic can spot a sword at a glance among ten thousand weapons.

When he entered the Mountains and Rivers Courtyard, the first thing he saw was the Black Sword Case, and only then did he turn his attention to the boy.

Upon seeing the Sword Case, a slight glint appeared in his eyes. He said, "Is this Eternal Night?"

"Have you met Elder Jian?"

It bloomed briefly, but sadly faded into obscurity.

Sword Wudao's gaze remained calm as he said, "I am slightly unworthy of this name. Eternal Night shall forever shroud the heavens, so that no one in the All Under Heaven shall be unaware of it!"

"Is Elder Jian blaming my Ninth Uncle?" Li Hao asked calmly.

Sword Wudao indeed have this thought, although he felt he shouldn't say it aloud. However, his deep respect for swords made him extremely dissatisfied when he learned that this Famous Swords had been covered in dust and completely sealed away.

He had gone to the government office to demand it, willing to exchange it for other promises.

But the old woman kicked him out.

However, he was just saying it casually today. Many years have passed, and there's no point in bringing it up again, especially to a junior.

"My Ninth Uncle entered the world with his Side Sword, and in just three years, he transformed it from an unknown sword at its inception into an All Under Heaven- Famous Swords. How can he be ashamed?"

Li Hao said calmly, "Besides, if my Ninth Uncle were still alive, the world would naturally know about this sword. Of course, if the Sword Saint was willing to fight enemies and exorcise demons for my Ninth Uncle on the Beyond the Border, instead of just sitting in that Sword Hermitage, this sword would probably be the number one Famous Swords in the All Under Heaven now, wouldn't it?"

Upon hearing the sarcasm in Li Hao's words, Sword Wudao's expression changed slightly.

The four men behind him were also taken aback, their expressions immediately changing. The middle-aged man in the lead said in a deep voice:

"Young Master Li, please apologize to my Master!"

Li Hao merely glanced at the other person, chuckled softly, and remained silent.

This is Mountains and Rivers Courtyard, not Sword Hermitage.

Bian Ruxue was taken aback when she realized that her Master and Li Hao would have a quarrel so soon after meeting. She was stunned and couldn't help but feel nervous and anxious.

Sword Wudao stared at Li Hao, his eyes turning slightly cold, and said calmly:

"Li Jiulang is indeed Heavenly Talent talented. Now that he is passing on this sword to you, are you worthy of it?"

"This sword was forged by my Li Family using the Rare Iron collected from All Under Heaven. Whether it is worthy of our name or not is not for outsiders to judge," Li Hao said with a smile.

"Brother Hao."

Bian Ruxue couldn't help but cry out.

Li Hao glanced at her, and seeing her caught in the middle, looking conflicted, his smile faded slightly.

Many years ago, in this courtyard, in what seems to be this very spot.

The little girl stood by his side without hesitation, speaking up for him at every turn.

When she heard they were taking her away, the little girl cried and said she didn't love swords anymore and would never practice swordsmanship again...

Those days are gone forever.

Just like the autumn Falling Leaves that fill this courtyard, once they fall, they can never return to the trees.

Even if the Spring Breeze blows again next year, new buds will sprout...

At this moment, several figures hurriedly arrived from the inner courtyard. It was Li Tiangang, with Yu Xuan and Li Fu following behind him.

"Sword Saint Senior!"

Upon seeing Sword Wudao, Li Tiangang called out from afar, then stepped forward and slightly bowed.

"I didn't expect you to come and support my son. I am very grateful."

Sword Wudao was a powerful figure from his father's generation. When he was a child, he even visited his father to Sparring.

However, although his father's overall combat strength Sword Wudao, he was not a specialist in Sword Dao, and therefore suffered many narrow defeats in Sword Dao.

"No need for your support."

Sword Wudao said calmly, "I'm only here for Xue'er's sake, to join in the fun and have a drink. I wonder if the Divine General Residence welcomes me."

"That's certainly welcome."

Li Tiangang was slightly surprised, feeling that there was a hint of sarcasm in the Sword Saint's words. He glanced at Li Hao beside him and immediately understood that it must be Li Hao's carefree nature that had led to his poor hospitality.

He immediately smiled and said, "Elder Sword, please come with me to the inner courtyard. Xue'er is a child with Heavenly Talent. It is a blessing for her to be able to study under the Sword Saint."

Seeing the Marshal had commanded troops for many years, being so polite, Sword Wudao smiled and followed him into the courtyard, ignoring Li Hao beside him. After all, the difference in their seniority was too great, and there was no point in arguing with a junior.

The disciples behind Sword Wudao also realized that arguing with Li Hao was pointless.

It would be a real shame to come here to do someone a favor and end up arguing and things getting ugly.

However, he felt a growing displeasure and dislike towards this famous young man from Qing Prefecture.

After they all left, Bian Ruxue stood beside Li Hao, her face hesitant, and asked, "Brother Hao, are you angry?"

Li Hao sat back down in his chair and smiled, "No, there's nothing to be angry about."

Bian Ruxue said, "My Master is extremely serious about swords, and sometimes his words can be a bit harsh. Brother Hao, please don't take it to heart."

Li Hao smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm not angry."

Bian Ruxue glanced at him, and seeing that he really didn't seem angry, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I saw that Li Qianfeng had the support of Bodhisattva of Boundless Mountain, which is why he invited my Master."

"Thank you for your trouble."

Li Hao understood her good intentions and smiled, "Go keep your Master. He's unfamiliar with the area, I'll just soak up some more sun."

"All right."

Bian Ruxue nodded upon hearing this.

After Bian Ruxue left, Li Hao opened the Book of Poems again, covered his face with it, and continued to bask in the sun.

Beside her, Ren Qianqian held the Sword Case and frequently looked towards the inner courtyard.

Her heart had been in her throat just now; the Sword Saint's aura was too strong, and she felt a chill run down her spine.

This is none other than the All Under Heaven- renowned Sword Saint!

But the young man in front of her was calm and composed, showing no fear whatsoever. She was afraid that he would get angry and teach Li Hao a lesson.

However, Ren Qianqian's thoughts were overthinking things. In the Divine General Residence, regardless of whether Li Hao made a mistake, even if Sword Wudao a fiery temper, he would not take action. Otherwise, it would not only be Li Hao who would be offended, but the entire face of the Divine General Residence's Mansion.

Meanwhile, compared to the quiet atmosphere in Mountains and Rivers Courtyard, Water Bloom Courtyard was extremely noisy and bustling.

The hall was packed with guests; the inner courtyard was already full, and even the Outer Institute was teeming with people.

The courtyard was filled with maids and servants, bustling about serving the guests.

At the Tan Palace Academy.

Many disciples in the White Hall wanted to go down the mountain to the Divine General Residence to join the fun, support Li Hao, and see how the Li Family True Dragon would choose.

But all of these were stopped by Song Yufeng's decree.

Sun Hongdian was giving the lecture, was extremely knowledgeable about human relationships and explained the reasons for the ban to his disciples in a slow and deliberate manner.

There are two reasons.

Firstly, given Li Hao's Heavenly Talent, taking down the True Dragon is a certainty; he doesn't need anyone else's support.

Secondly, the Tan Palace Academy has no need to invite trouble for the sake of adding to its existing success.

A disciple immediately cried out, "But Zhou Zheng is gone!"

Sun Hongdian rebuked him irritably, "He went with his father. His father is a former subordinate of Marquis Xingwu. Is your father one?"

The disciple immediately fell silent; clearly, his father wasn't the one.

At the edge of Cold Pond and a sheer cliff.

Two figures stood there, gazing into the distance below the mountain, faintly sensing the prosperity and the powerful Aura gathered there.

"That kid drew so many pictures for you, aren't you going to go see them?"

Song Yufeng stood with his hands behind his back, smiling as he looked at Song Qiumo beside him.

Song Qiumo glanced at him. "If I go, aren't you afraid of bringing Sandalwood Palace in with me?"

"Of course I'm not afraid."

Song Yufeng smiled and said, "The Li Family isn't unreasonable. Besides, that child is sure to defeat the True Dragon. What's there to fear in supporting him?"

Song Qiumo scoffed, "If you weren't afraid, why would you come to see me?"

"That little guy hasn't been up the mountain for days. I've seen you standing here waiting every day, I was afraid you'd be bored," Song Yufeng said with a smile.

Song Qiumo rolled her eyes. "I'm waiting for him to bring the shortbread."

"I didn't say what you were waiting for."

Song Yufeng smiled and said, "Besides, you can go down the mountain to buy it yourself."

Song Qiumo said irritably, "I promised your ancestor that I would guard this place."

Why trap yourself for life for a promise?

Song Yufeng sighed and said, "Besides, you have been protecting us for nearly a thousand years. My Song Family is deeply grateful."

Song Qiumo remained silent.

After a moment, he said, "Speaking of which, he's also a teacher at your Sandalwood Palace. Why don't you go?"

Song Yufeng laughed, put his hands behind his back, and said:

"I can only offer help when it's in need, not add to someone's already good fortune."

In addition to Sword Saint and others, more people arrived at Mountains and Rivers Courtyard one after another.

Most of them were people Li Tiangang had been visiting all over the place recently, and they all came to the courtyard to support Li Hao.

The inner courtyard was filled with guests. Li Tiangang sat in the main hall, chatting and laughing with everyone. From time to time, loud laughter from some middle-aged men could be heard.

The remaining young people, few in number, were all in the inner courtyard, secretly watching the young master sunbathing in the front yard, their eyes filled with curiosity, but they dared not approach.

The name "Fifteen Li Realm at Fourteen Years Old" is so prestigious that it inspires awe.

"Master Li."

A figure appeared beside Li Hao. Li Hao opened the Book of Poems and saw a familiar face.

When Zhou Zheng was alone with Li Hao, he looked slightly nervous, especially when he thought of the hundred poems he had read in the Brothel that day. He felt both respect and admiration for this peer.

"Why are you here?"

Li Hao was slightly surprised. He glanced behind the other person and, seeing that there were no other students, breathed a sigh of relief.

Given Sandalwood Palace's status and position, there's no need for him to get involved. After all, Sandalwood Palace has students all over the All Under Heaven, and getting too closely tied to the Divine General Residence might not be a good thing.

Some relationships are best kept at a distance, as this makes them last longer and less prone to Destruction.

"I came with my father," Zhou Zheng said respectfully.

Li Hao suddenly understood, nodded, and told him to sit down and not to be shy.

The two casually discussed poetry, and many people who saw Zhou Zheng talking to Li Hao were surprised, secretly remembering the young man's appearance to avoid offending him in the future.

When noon arrived...

Li Tiangang, accompanied by a large group of guests, had Yu Xuan call Li Hao to his side. The father and son walked ahead, leading the Sword Saint and the other guests to Chen Hefang's courtyard.

The place was already packed with people, extremely crowded.

Liu Yuerong and the others had arrived earlier, and the guests who came to support Li Qianfeng had also taken their seats.

According to their status and position, most of the seats were occupied in both the inner and Outer Institute.

As Li Tiangang and the others arrived, the noise subsided slightly, and everyone turned to look at them.

When they saw Sword Wudao beside Li Tiangang, many people's expressions changed slightly, and they let out low gasps of surprise.

Many people were surprised that Li Tiangang was able to invite this Sword Saint to support his son.

This was, after all, a top expert of the Four Establishments Realm, and it was said that he was indifferent to fame and fortune and spent most of his time sitting in his Sword Hermitage. Yet, he was still invited down the mountain.

However, some people were not surprised to learn that Li Hao's fiancée was a disciple of the Sword Saint.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, under the arrangement of the Steward beside the old lady, they were seated according to their official rank, status in the martial arts world, and strength and cultivation. This was an extremely meticulous and massive task, and they had to try their best to ensure that no mistakes were made.

After all, most of those present valued "fame" highly.

Sword Wudao and his disciples naturally entered the inner courtyard.

As they arrived, the chatter among Liu Yuerong's guests subsided considerably, and they cast wary glances their way.

The four disciples beside Sword Wudao had a hint of amusement and arrogance in their eyes as they glanced at the Young Master of the Li Family not far away.

Thinking of the other party's previous rude remarks, he sneered inwardly.

Look, look! This is the blessing my Master has bestowed upon you!

"Sword Saint, it's been a long time."

Several figures walked towards us, with the Bodhisattva of Boundless Mountain standing in the middle.

The Bodhisattva had a fair complexion, appeared to be middle-aged, wore a clean Kasaya, and had hair as black as ink. He spoke with a smile.

Sword Wudao's gaze narrowed slightly. The Bodhisattva of Boundless Mountain was an extremely formidable being.

"I didn't expect to run into you here, Sword Wudao."

Beside the Bodhisattva was another middle-aged man, dressed in fine clothes, with a disdainful gaze.

Sword Wudao said calmly, "The battle between swords and sabers is not yet over. We can try again when we have the chance."

The opponent was a Northern Lands Blade Saint. I had Sparring with him many years ago, but to no avail.

"Nice to meet you. I've long admired your reputation, Sword Saint. Haha..." another old man laughed.

He was short in stature, wore a green robe, and had a beard that reached down to his abdomen.

Sword Wudao asked calmly, "Doesn't your Demon Suppression Division go to suppress demons?"

"It's just a drink, no need to delay," the old man said with a smile.

The guests at the other tables held their breath slightly.

These are top-tier figures, rarely seen on ordinary days, Four Establishments Realm. There are four of them here all at once.

The disciples behind Sword Wudao also changed their expressions slightly. They thought that with their Master backing Li Hao up, they would at least be evenly matched, but they did not expect that the other party would actually bring three people.

After the brief collision, the group returned to their seats.

Sword Wudao's expression was cold as he glanced at Li Tiangang and said, "If you can only invite one of me, I'm afraid I won't be able to control this place."

Li Tiangang smiled wryly, having anticipated this, and said, "Another senior is on his way."

Who is it?

"The Heaven Sword Mountain Master."

Sword Wudao's eyes flickered slightly, and he said, "So it's that guy. It's been a long time."

Li Tiangang sighed inwardly. It was a pity that even if that person came, he would still be slightly inferior. However, fortunately, the gap wouldn't be that big.

He glanced at his son Li Hao, and seeing the other's indifferent expression, he felt helpless. The Sword Saint was invited by Xue'er, and the Lord of Heaven Sword Mountain was invited by himself. His son, although highly skilled, had no connections or social skills.

Just as Li Tiangang sighed inwardly, a voice suddenly entered the inner courtyard:

Report: The Arhats of Arhat Boundless Mountain have come to pay their respects!

Then a middle-aged man in Kasaya was seen smiling as he walked into the inner courtyard. When he saw the Bodhisattva sitting as an honored guest, he immediately nodded and uttered a Buddhist chant.

He then glanced at Li Tiangang's group, and seemed slightly surprised to see only a few tables of guests from the inner courtyard. He then stood in the center and said:

"Your disciple has come as ordered; where is the Qiankun Vajra?"

Li Qianfeng was slightly surprised, then stood up and stepped forward. "Li Qianfeng is here, greetings to the Arhat."

"The Boundless Buddha me to present a string of Buddhist Prayer Beads to Qiankun Vajra," the Arhat said with a smile.

He knew Li Qianfeng, of course, and was only speaking so loudly to bolster his own prestige.

Sure enough, upon hearing the Arhat's words, all the guests in the courtyard were stunned, staring at him in shock.

The Buddha Master, who sits high on Boundless Mountain, actually takes sides against the other side?

Both Sword Wudao and Li Tiangang's expressions changed slightly, becoming somewhat gloomy.

With the Buddha Master's intervention, even if the Lord of Heaven Sword Mountain came, it would be of no use.

"If I had known this would happen, Xue'er wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble."

Sword Wudao shook his head, his expression having returned to calm. He regretted not having come down the mountain earlier.

Upon hearing this, Li Tiangang's body trembled slightly, and he sighed. He knew he couldn't compete, but fortunately, connections weren't the deciding factor.

"Thank you, Master."

In front of everyone, Li Qianfeng accepted the Buddhist Prayer Beads from the Arhat's hand and thanked him respectfully.

Arhat smiled slightly, about to say something, when suddenly another voice came from behind:

"Report!!"

"Yu Emperor's Edict, summoning the sons of the Li Family, Li Hao, receive the decree!!"

In an instant, the entire courtyard fell silent, utterly still.