Dao Master of Emotion! Ultimate Art! Mountain Weeps Earth Laments Red Dust Thread Slash!

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On July fourteenth, the two men and one horse finally arrived at the foot of Sword Forging Manor in the afternoon.

"So this is Sword Forging Manor?"

Zhang Chu reined in his horse and gazed into the distance. Mountains rose and fell ahead, their slopes dark red, while white smoke occasionally billowed from the summit. It was actually an active volcano!

Sword Forging Manor had been built against this volcanic range. Layer upon layer of buildings stretched from the foot of the mountain all the way up its middle slopes, magnificent and imposing.

Before they had even drawn close,

a wave of heat rushed over them.

"Sword Forging Manor truly lives up to its reputation!" Ma Wuji could not help but sigh at the sight before him.

Sword Forging Manor was bustling at the moment, with carriages and horses flowing like a river, voices boiling like a cauldron. Everywhere one looked, it was a scene of lively excitement.

Along the way, they saw many people of the Jianghu, some on horseback and some on foot, moving in groups of three or five toward the manor.

There was still one day until the Sword Appraisal Convention.

Yet heroes from every side had already begun arriving one after another.

There were young heirs from great clans dressed in brocade and splendid robes, ragged wandering heroes, monks and Daoists, men and women.

Their weapons were even more varied—sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, and forks, everything one could imagine.

With so many people, even if Sword Forging Manor sent men to receive each one individually, they likely would not have enough hands to spare.

The moment Zhang Chu and his companion reached the edge of the square,

they drew attention.

"That is... Little True Martial Zhang Chu!" Someone with sharp eyes recognized him.

"It really is him! The one who defeated the Twin Dragons with one palm and killed the Little Blade King by force?"

"He looks so young. He cannot even be twenty, can he?"

Discussion erupted all around them. Countless gazes focused on Zhang Chu—some reverent, some curious, some wary, and some hostile.

Just then,

a group of people hurried out from within the manor.

At their head was a slightly plump middle-aged man in a brocade robe. Fair and beardless, he wore the look of a man born to wealth and honor.

"I am Tian Sihai, external affairs steward of Sword Forging Manor. By order of the Manor Lord, I have come especially to welcome Daoist Priest Zhang."

The middle-aged man smiled broadly and cupped his fists in salute.

Zhang Chu dismounted and returned the salute. "Steward Tian is too courteous. Zhang came uninvited and has troubled your manor."

"Not at all, not at all! It is Sword Forging Manor's honor that Daoist Priest Zhang has come. The Manor Lord gave orders long ago that once Daoist Priest Zhang arrived, he was to be invited into the inner hall at once to meet him."

The moment those words fell, the surrounding crowd burst into commotion again.

Deng Wuzong, the Manor Lord of Sword Forging Manor, was an unparalleled expert ranked fortieth on the Earth Ranking, and his sword-forging skills stood supreme beneath the heavens.

To receive a personal audience with him—what an honor was that?

Yet Zhang Chu's expression remained unchanged. He merely nodded. "Then I shall trouble Steward Tian to lead the way."

Tian Sihai cupped his fists and personally led the way. Zhang Chu and Ma Wuji followed behind him, entering Sword Forging Manor beneath the complicated gazes of the Jianghu crowd.

Once inside, the sight was even more astonishing.

Before them lay an enormous square. At its center stood a colossal bronze cauldron, three zhang tall.

Blazing flames roared within it, as though they would never be extinguished.

Most eye-catching of all was the black great hall behind the square—the Divine Sword Hall.

The hall stood five stories high, with soaring eaves and ornate brackets, majestic beyond compare. A gilded plaque hung before it, bearing the two bold characters "Divine Sword." The strokes were vigorous, and Sword Qi seemed to press outward from them.

"What grandeur..." Ma Wuji could not help murmuring in admiration.

Tian Sihai smiled. "Sword Forging Manor has stood for three hundred years. Every generation of Manor Lords poured out their heart and blood to achieve its present scale. Please follow me, both of you. The inner hall is behind us."

They went around the Sword God Hall and arrived at a quiet courtyard. It was planted thick with verdant bamboo, tranquil and elegant.

Several people were already seated inside.

The moment Zhang Chu stepped into the hall, one of them rose to his feet. "Daoist Priest, you truly kept your word!"

The speaker was none other than Li Gang, inspector of the Sky Patrol Guard!

Ever since parting with Zhang Chu in Linjiang that day, he had ridden at full speed to Sword Forging Manor.

"Lord Li, I trust you have been well." Zhang Chu cupped his fists.

"Hahaha, I am as I am. But over these past few days, people have said Daoist Priest Zhang's name so often that their ears are nearly callused."

Li Gang was not merely being polite.

Over the past few days, Zhang Chu had first destroyed Jinguang Temple, then defeated the Twin Dragon Society, and finally even made Young Blade King Yuan Haotian perish beneath his palm. It was truly shocking enough to shake heaven and earth.

"Enough of these pleasantries. Come, please step inside. The Manor Lord is receiving visitors at the moment and will arrive shortly. Let me first introduce you to a few heroes of the Martial World."

As he spoke, Li Gang took Zhang Chu by the hand and led him toward the others in the hall.

The first was a youth in his early twenties. His features were handsome, Sword Qi lingered between his brows, and he wore fitted silver clothes. His whole person was like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath.

Li Gang introduced him. "This is the Flowing Cloud Swordsman, Bai Feiyu, a young hero ranked seventh on the Human Ranking!"

Zhang Chu looked at him.

Yuan Haotian had previously said he wanted to use Zhang Chu's head to challenge this man. Zhang Chu had not expected to meet the real person so soon.

Compared to Yuan Haotian, Bai Feiyu had less overbearing dominance about him, but several more measures of sharpness!

And his strength truly was not bad.

Bai Feiyu also looked Zhang Chu up and down a few times, then cupped his fists. "Brother Zhang's great name has long thundered in my ears. It is a pleasure to meet you today."

"Brother Bai is too courteous." Zhang Chu returned the salute.

The second was a white-haired old man in a gray robe. His arms were as thick as thighs, and his bearing was fierce and powerful.

Li Gang introduced him. "This is the enforcement elder of Fist Martial Mountain from the East Sea, the Dragon Diagram Fist Saint."

Long Tu's gaze was like lightning as it rested on Zhang Chu for a moment. "The Yellow Court Mystical Skill indeed lives up to its reputation."

"You praise me too highly, Senior." Zhang Chu returned the salute with cupped fists.

The third was a beautiful middle-aged woman in purple robes, carrying herself with graceful dignity. Li Gang said, "This is the current Sect Master of the Hundred Roses Sword Sect, the Hundred Flowers Sword, Sun Jingyi."

Before Li Gang could finish the introduction, Hundred Flowers Sword Sun Jingyi smiled and said, "There is no need for Lord Li to introduce him. I have heard my daughter speak of this Daoist Priest Zhang countless times. To have the fortune to meet you today, I must also thank Daoist Priest Zhang for saving my daughter's life some time ago."

That was right. She was the mother of Sun Youwei, whom Zhang Chu had met at the Boat Gang, and the Sect Master of the Hundred Roses Sword Sect.

"So it is Senior Sun. You are too courteous. Eliminating demons and defending the Dao are Zhang's duties. What is there to thank me for?"

Sun Jingyi dipped slightly in a curtsy. "Daoist Priest Zhang truly possesses extraordinary bearing. No wonder my daughter talks about you all day long."

Zhang Chu was so taken aback that he did not dare respond.

What did she mean, talked about him all day long?

The fourth was a burly man wearing a tiger-skin cloak. His face was covered in thick curly beard, and he radiated a wild, savage air.

Li Gang smiled. "This is Lei Potian, Sect Master Lei of the Furious Blade Sect in the Southern Border."

Lei Potian laughed heartily, his voice like a great bell. "Kid, I heard you killed that little bastard Yuan Haotian. I respect that! I've wanted to deal with those trash from the Northern Blade Sect for a long time!"

Zhang Chu greeted them one by one, unable to stop himself from pondering.

Just how many people was the Demonic Cult planning to send?

They had actually gathered so many experts at Sword Forging Manor.

After the introductions were finished, a rare troubled expression appeared on Li Gang's face. "Daoist Priest Zhang, your arrival is most timely. To be honest, I fear something may go wrong with this sword-protection journey."

"Something may go wrong?" Zhang Chu's brow furrowed slightly.

"Now that experts from every road have gathered at Sword Forging Manor, and the Manor Lord himself is a True Gang Grandmaster ranked fortieth on the Earth Ranking, could the Demonic Cult really be planning to mobilize in full force?"

Li Gang shook his head. "They need not mobilize in full force. Sometimes, one person is enough."

As he spoke, he had someone carefully bring an object out from the rear hall and place it on the table.

It was a metal token the size of a palm.

The metal itself was dark gray, but its surface was covered in dense marks. They were not grooves left by saber or sword strikes, but cuts as fine as hairs.

Those marks crisscrossed one another. Every line was exceedingly minute, as though they could slice apart one's very gaze at any moment.

Zhang Chu's pupils suddenly contracted.

With his current eyesight,

he could naturally see how terrifying those marks were.

Not only were the marks sharp, they also contained a strange Qi Energy. Even after many days, one could still sense threads of coldness from them.

"This is..." Zhang Chu had just reached out to pick up the token for a closer look when Li Gang stopped him.

"Be careful, Daoist Priest! The residual traces on it will wound anyone who touches them. Even this old man does not dare touch it lightly."

Zhang Chu did not dwell on that, merely asking, "Where did this come from?"

Li Gang sighed and slowly said, "At midnight last night, the manor's alarm bells suddenly rang. By the time we arrived, this token had already been deeply embedded in the plaque before the Divine Sword Hall!"

He paused, then pointed at the metal token. "Daoist Priest Zhang may not know this. The token itself represents nothing, but the marks upon it—this strange Qi Energy—there is only one martial art beneath the heavens capable of creating them!"

Zhang Chu lifted his gaze. "What martial art?"

Li Gang fell silent for a moment, then slowly uttered several words. "The ultimate art of the Dao Master of Emotion, one of the Demonic Cult's Eight Dao Masters—Mountain Weeps Earth Laments Red Dust Thread Slash!"