One Punch

Xu Wuyi did not look at the guards.

His gaze passed across the plaza, through the domed entrance of the Demon Blade Dojo, and settled on a figure sitting cross-legged deep inside.

The figure wore a dark red robe, his hair spilling over his shoulders. His face was gaunt, with high cheekbones and deeply sunken eyes.

A pitch-black saber lay across his knees. Its blade had no sheen, but an exceedingly faint layer of dark red light flowed slowly along its edge.

Duan Nian.

The foremost saber grandmaster of the current generation in the Demon Blade Star Realm, at the peak of the Divine Intent realm, and no weaker than the Feather Emperor.

The one who threw his life away when madness took him.

Xu Wuyi walked toward the entrance of the Demon Blade Dojo.

His pace was unhurried, much like when he strolled along the walking path in Linjiang.

But with every step he took, the guards retreated a step.

Not because they wanted to retreat. Their bodies were moving on their own.

The sensation of being watched by an ancient, savage beast overwhelmed their reason with instinct. Their bodies reacted before the commands of their minds could reach them.

"All of you, stand down."

A low voice came from deep inside the Demon Blade Dojo. It was not loud, but every word seemed carved into metal with a blade, carrying a metallic tremor.

As though granted a reprieve, the guards sheathed their sabers in unison and withdrew, clearing a path between the two sides of the plaza.

Xu Wuyi passed through that corridor and entered the Demon Blade Dojo.

The dojo was far more spacious inside than it appeared from outside. The dome rose too high to see its top, the walls were black stone, and dark red