Securing the Interior

In the eyes of many, all they needed was one final push to eliminate the World Society's remaining Xiantian Realm experts. After that, destroying the World Society and taking over all its forces would be only natural. Giving up the offensive now would be far too wasteful.

"Young Villa Master, the World Society is leaderless right now. This is the perfect chance to wipe them out. With the strength of our Sword Worship Villa, we would be fully capable of dominating the northwestern martial world after eliminating the World Society. By then, Sword Worship Villa would hold two-thirds of the realm. Once we absorbed the World Society's forces, we would have a firm foothold in the north. Even destroying Unparalleled City afterward would not be difficult! I do not understand why the Young Villa Master would make such a decision at this time!"

Lichou Sword Elder of the Four Sword Elders spoke with a stiff expression.

The moment his words fell, Changli Sword Elder beside him could not help secretly tugging at his old companion's sleeve, warning him not to misspeak.

But Lichou Sword Elder was stubborn by nature. Once he had made up his mind about something, not even eight oxen could drag him back. He paid no heed to Changli Sword Elder's warning.

Li Chenfeng glanced at him.

Over the years, Li Chenfeng had come to understand the Four Sword Elders of the villa inside and out.

All four were veterans who had served the villa for decades, and their loyalty to Sword Worship Villa was beyond question. But the previous Villa Master had been killed by the Sword Demon in his early years, while the two eligible heirs had been too young. For all these years, the four of them had wholeheartedly assisted Madam Ao in managing the villa, barely keeping it stable.

However, the four of them held differing views regarding the villa's successor.

Of Sword Worship Villa's two young masters, the eldest, Ao Feng, was nominally the first heir. Yet because he was only the old Villa Master's adopted son, many were unwilling to see an "outsider" take the position, despite his nominal right of inheritance, when compared to Ao Tian, who possessed the true direct bloodline.

Naturally, Lichou Sword Elder and over seventy percent of the guest retainers led those people.

However, Li Chenfeng had the support of Madam Ao, Changli Sword Elder, the commander of the villa guards, and others. Moreover, because of Li Chenfeng's outstanding performance in recent years, even the Swordsmith Lineage, which had remained within the Sword Pool all this time, had shown its support for him. That was why Li Chenfeng's faction held an absolute advantage.

"Destroy the World Society? With what? With you?" Li Chenfeng's voice turned somewhat cold.

Previously, he would still have considered the opinions of these Sword Elders, because Sword Worship Villa had needed them to hold it together.

But now, the Sword Demon had been eliminated, his own strength had reached the Late Xiantian Realm, and seventy percent of Sword Worship Villa's power was in his hands. Under such circumstances, he would no longer allow a group of stubborn old men to affect his decisions.

"You...!" Lichou Sword Elder immediately flew into a rage upon hearing those words. He had originally intended to lash out, but when he saw Li Chenfeng's icy gaze, every word was caught in his throat.

In an instant, he came to his senses. Li Chenfeng was no longer that Young Villa Master whose position had lacked both legitimacy and justification. He was now the nominal and actual ruler of Sword Worship Villa...

Even Ao Tian, the legitimate son of the Villa Master whom they had originally supported, was no longer on their side. If he continued to oppose Li Chenfeng's ascension, it would no longer be for the villa's sake, but merely internal strife.

Even Lichou Sword Elder did not wish to see such a situation.

This was a place he had protected his entire life. He would never permit himself to do anything that harmed the villa's interests.

With that thought, Lichou Sword Elder suddenly saw the light.

Under the anxious gaze of his old companion Changli Sword Elder, Lichou Sword Elder rose to his feet and gave Li Chenfeng, seated at the head, a slight bow. "This old man spoke out of turn. I ask the Villa Master to forgive me."

His words caught everyone present by surprise.

Although Li Chenfeng had already become the actual Villa Master of Sword Worship Villa, no succession ceremony had been held. Thus, the opposition led by Lichou Sword Elder had continued to address him as "Young Villa Master."

The difference of a single word carried worlds of meaning!

Now that Lichou Sword Elder had addressed Li Chenfeng as Villa Master, it meant that he had acknowledged Li Chenfeng's status. From this point on, Sword Worship Villa would truly be completely under Li Chenfeng's control!

Li Chenfeng looked at Lichou Sword Elder, initially somewhat surprised, but he understood in the next instant.

"Sword Elder, you are overstating it. Everything everyone does is for the villa's benefit; there is no talk of guilt or forgiveness.

"However, this is not yet the time to destroy the World Society.

"Xiong Ba has not appeared since that battle, but I know very well that he has merely been recuperating in secret.

"Besides Xiong Ba, the World Society also has those hidden assassins of the Twelve Fiends of Heavenly Pool. If we truly fight them head-on, both sides can only suffer. By then, Sword Worship Villa may not even be able to hold on to its current forces!"

This was the most chaotic period in The Storm Riders World. The World Society and Unparalleled City were battling for the north, and only Sword Worship Villa was currently qualified to stand alongside those two major powers in the martial world.

If Sword Worship Villa and the World Society fought until both sides were ruined now, would they not be handing the entire martial world to Unparalleled City on a silver platter?

"The Twelve Fiends of Heavenly Pool? Since when did such a force exist in the martial world?" Changli Sword Elder asked in confusion.

In the memories of martial artists, the so-called Twelve Fiends of Heavenly Pool had merely been the Heavenly Pool Assassin Group, which once had over a hundred members. They had ultimately been annihilated by the Sword Saint, while the remaining twelve had hidden in the World Society and dared not show themselves. Thus, many old hands of the martial world believed that they had long since become a band of wandering ghosts somewhere unknown.

When Li Chenfeng had sent Sword Slave and others to fight the World Society, he had secretly warned him to be careful should he encounter assassins with strange and sinister methods.

Although these people had once been hunted by the Sword Saint and fled like homeless dogs, they were genuine top-tier Xiantian Realm experts of the martial world. Their strength could not be underestimated!

After hearing Li Chenfeng's explanation, everyone from Sword Worship Villa present sucked in a breath of cold air.

"So they are the remnants of those Heavenly Pool Assassins!"

Seeing the alarm on everyone's faces, Li Chenfeng secretly shook his head and said, "Since the Twelve Fiends of Heavenly Pool have appeared, Xiong Ba's injuries must be almost healed as well. It seems I must make another trip to the World Society and have a proper talk with him."

The World Society had yet to build up its full momentum. For one, Xiong Ba's Three-Part Return-to-Origin Qi had not yet reached perfection, and Wind and Cloud had not yet matured. Therefore, Li Chenfeng was certain that Xiong Ba likewise did not wish to fight Sword Worship Villa to the death at this time.

"No! Since Xiong Ba has recovered from his injuries, you must not take such a risk, Villa Master!"

Unexpectedly, the first to object this time was Lichou Sword Elder. It seemed that after coming to terms with things, he had truly begun treating Li Chenfeng as Sword Worship Villa's Villa Master.

As the Villa Master of Sword Worship Villa and the ruler of its vast power, Li Chenfeng could no longer casually place himself in danger. This was not merely a matter concerning one person, but the interests of the entire villa. Naturally, Lichou Sword Elder had to object.

"It is fine! Xiong Ba may be strong, but it is not certain that I cannot defeat him." Li Chenfeng spoke with great confidence.

Although he had cultivated Meridian-Severing Sword Qi for only three years and could not compare to an old monster like the Sword Demon, who had painstakingly tempered his Sword Qi for decades, one must not forget that Li Chenfeng cultivated not only a true qi Cultivation Method, but also a Dou Qi Cultivation Method!