Kongsang Mountain.
It lay several thousand miles north of Heyang City.
It had been Blood Refining Hall territory for eight hundred years.
The area within a hundred miles was uninhabited. The Vampire Bats raised by Blood Refining Hall were extremely aggressive, and within a hundred miles, one could hardly find any people—sometimes, not even other living creatures...
"Whoosh!"
Several streaks of Sword Light descended from the sky.
Ye Changfeng, Lu Xueqi, and the others glanced at the lifeless Kongsang Mountain.
Zeng Shushu asked:
"Senior Brother Ye, what should we do next? I don't see any disciples from Burning Incense Valley or Tianyin Temple around here..."
At that,
Qi Hao also turned to look at him.
Ever since Ye Changfeng had revealed his identity,
they had all come to regard him as their leader. Whatever the matter, they would ask for his opinion.
Clearly,
they had already come to rely on Ye Changfeng.
Ye Changfeng pondered briefly and said, "Let's look for the entrance to the Ten Thousand Bat Grotto first."
"Okay."
The others nodded slightly.
Together, they began searching Kongsang Mountain.
Before long,
night fell.
Knowing that Blood Refining Hall raised a great many Vampire Bats,
Ye Changfeng had warned Lu Xueqi and the others in advance to keep their Magic Treasures concealed, lest the light draw the bats' attention...
That was why
they hadn't encountered any trouble along the way.
But...
the people from Tianyin Temple and Burning Incense Valley weren't so lucky.
Ye Changfeng and the others heard the sounds of fighting from far away.
When they drew closer,
they saw—
The four people from Tianyin Temple and Burning Incense Valley were surrounded by Vampire Bats. A thick, foul stench of blood hung in the forest.
At the sight,
Ye Changfeng, Lu Xueqi, and the others couldn't help frowning.
"Junior Brother Ye."
Qi Hao considered it for a moment.
He didn't immediately rush over to help. Instead, he turned to Ye Changfeng and asked, "Should we lend them a hand?"
At that,
Ye Changfeng raised an eyebrow.
He said nothing, only reaching for the Bamboo Sword at his waist.
Then,
he raised his sword and swung.
"Boom!"
In an instant, a terrifying Sword Intent tore through the sky.
Brilliant Sword Light suddenly illuminated the entire forest. Invisible Sword Qi instantly slew countless Vampire Bats, and thick blood fell like rain, drenching the people from Burning Incense Valley until they looked like drowned rats...
"Amitabha!"
Faxiang of Tianyin Temple had noticed Ye Changfeng's group from a distance.
He hurried out of the pile of corpses with the two people from Burning Incense Valley. Their bodies were spattered with bat blood as they clasped their hands toward Ye Changfeng in gratitude:
"May I ask if you are senior brothers from Qingyun Sect?"
At that,
Ye Changfeng glanced at him.
To be honest, he didn't have much fondness for either Tianyin Temple or Burning Incense Valley.
The former aside,
at least it was a righteous sect.
The latter was scarcely different from the Demonic Path.
The current Burning Incense Valley Master, Yun Yilan, had released the Beast God, who had been sealed for ten thousand years, in a bid to rule the world.
He was hardly any different from Ghost King Wanrenwang.
Both were ambitious.
And both deserved to die.
Ye Changfeng gave Qi Hao a look.
Then he simply led Lu Xueqi to one side.
As it happened, Lu Xueqi wasn't fond of socializing either.
Qi Hao understood.
He stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "I'm Qi Hao of Qingyun Sect. It's a pleasure to meet you..."
"Amitabha!"
"This humble monk is Faxiang of Tianyin Temple. This is my junior brother, Fashan, and these two are distinguished disciples of Burning Incense Valley."
Faxiang introduced them one by one.
Then,
he bowed slightly to Ye Changfeng. "Thank you for coming to our aid, senior brother."
However,
the moment he finished speaking, Faxiang froze.
By the moonlight, he could make out Lu Xueqi's features and recognized her at a glance.
Holy crap!
Isn't she the future Sect Leader's Wife of Qingyun Sect, the one revealed by the Heavenly Curtain?
The Number One Female Sword Immortal Under Heaven!
Then...
Faxiang looked at Ye Changfeng, standing hand in hand with Lu Xueqi. He noticed the green robe he wore.
Unfortunately,
Ye Changfeng had a straw hat pulled low, obscuring most of his face.
"Hm?"
Li Xun and Yan Hong of Burning Incense Valley also noticed something amiss.
Yan Hong looked surprised.
She stared at Ye Changfeng for several moments.
As for Li Xun...
The first time he saw Lu Xueqi, he could hardly tear his eyes away.
"Whoosh!"
Just then,
a faint Sword Intent suddenly appeared.
It brushed over everyone like a gentle breeze, seeming almost to serve as a warning...
Li Xun's heart trembled.
He quickly came back to his senses, then took a closer look at Ye Changfeng and immediately realized who he was.
Was he the Green Robe Sect Leader revealed by the Heavenly Curtain?!
At that moment,
Faxiang and Yan Hong alike
recalled the Heavenly Curtain's assessment of the Green Robe Sect Leader—
Leader of the Righteous Path!
Sword Wielder of the Zhu Xian Sword!
Number One Sword Immortal Under Heaven!
"Boom!"
A faint pressure radiated from Ye Changfeng. He glanced at everyone present and said calmly,
"Let's go."
As soon as the words left his mouth,
he walked off side by side with Lu Xueqi.
That was all it took.
With just one brief encounter,
Faxiang and the others had all been cowed.
"Senior Brother Qi Hao..."
Faxiang's lips moved slightly.
He turned to Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu, wanting to ask about Ye Changfeng's identity.
Was he...
really the Green Robe Sect Leader revealed by the Heavenly Curtain?!
"Haha."
Zeng Shushu laughed and said,
"Please forgive us, Senior Brother Faxiang. My senior brother's identity is rather special, so we can't disclose it."
"That's right."
Qi Hao nodded.
They had both promised Ye Changfeng to keep his identity secret.
So
they naturally wouldn't reveal a thing.
At that,
Faxiang and the others considered it thoughtfully.
Although Qi Hao and the others hadn't revealed Ye Changfeng's true identity, what they'd just said had already made the most important information clear...
He was the Green Robe Sect Leader!
For a moment,
Faxiang felt a deep respect for him.
Even Li Xun and Yan Hong found themselves having thoughts of their own.
The people from Tianyin Temple and Burning Incense Valley quickly tidied themselves up.
Then,
with expressions that varied from person to person, they followed after the others.
None of them spoke along the way. Their gazes stayed fixed on the green-robed figure ahead.
Not long after,
they finally found a bottomless cave halfway up Kongsang Mountain.
Looking inside,
they saw countless Vampire Bats gathered in the depths.
This was undoubtedly the Ten Thousand Bat Grotto leading to Blood Refining Hall.
"Amitabha."
Faxiang quietly recited the Buddha's name:
"Although the Vampire Bats raised by Blood Refining Hall aren't very strong, their numbers are endless. How should we enter...?"
After speaking,
he looked toward Ye Changfeng.
Everyone around him turned their eyes to Ye Changfeng as well.
Under their gaze,
Ye Changfeng raised his eyes slightly.
He calmly regarded the Ten Thousand Bat Grotto before him, then slowly took the Tianya Divine Sword from Lu Xueqi's hand.
He had no choice.
Although the Bamboo Sword on him was a Magic Treasure too,
its power was still too weak.
He needed to find some precious materials soon and forge a Natal Flying Sword.
"Whoosh!"
Beneath the gazes of countless onlookers.
The Tianya Divine Sword suddenly leaped from its sheath.
A brilliant blue Sword Light shot into the sky.
Faxiang and the others all looked over in confusion.
He...
What was he going to do?!
Under the crowd's bewildered gaze.
Ye Changfeng gently raised the Tianya Divine Sword.
Then—
Boom!
A terrifying Sword Light suddenly came crashing down. Endless Sword Qi formed a streak of rainbow light, while dazzling Sword Intent illuminated the entire Ten Thousand Bat Grotto.
With this single strike!
He swept away every bat!
Whoosh!
The dazzling Sword Light cut through the air, cleaving nearly half of the Ten Thousand Bat Grotto. The Vampire Bats kept inside were instantly annihilated by the blow, and even the grotto itself was nearly sheared flat...
At this sight.
Everyone present was stunned.
A powerful gale swept out from the Ten Thousand Bat Grotto.
It sent their robes billowing.
Their hair became disheveled.
Even Lu Xueqi couldn't help widening her eyes.
After all, this was her first time seeing Ye Changfeng unleash his full strength.
With just one sword strike...
He had leveled nearly half of the Ten Thousand Bat Grotto?!
Faxiang and the others were utterly dumbfounded.
In unison, they recalled the Heavenly Curtain's appraisal—
The Number One Sword Immortal Under Heaven!
Who else could it be?!
Before you continue