,/.

The black-robed man was selecting candidates, buying them off to kill Su Fan.

After the incidents with Tang Duan, Zhou Feng, and Bai Shaokong, he had begun to act more cautiously.

Whenever he chose someone, he would investigate them thoroughly, ensuring they would not take the money and fail to do the job, nor go back on their word.

Whenever he thought of Bai Shaokong, the black-robed man's liver ached with rage.

Such a large box had actually contained a single fingernail, used to fool him.

This was going too far!

"Three candidates have been tentatively chosen. Investigate further to see whether they are truly reliable."

"This time, should we buy off all three at once?"

"Wouldn't that be giving that piece of trash too much credit?"

After nearly a month of selection and investigation, the black-robed man had found three Sword God Mountain disciples.

Yet for the sake of caution, he continued investigating how trustworthy those three Sword God Mountain disciples were.

At the same time, he pondered whether to buy off all three in one go.

Whenever he thought about the many treasures he had paid out just to kill Su Fan, his teeth itched with hatred.

A piece of trash was actually this hard to kill?

Just as he decided to buy off three Sword God Mountain disciples to kill Su Fan, news arrived.

The Sword Demon had brought his disciple to challenge Sword God Mountain!

The Sword Demon of the Devil Palace!

A renowned powerhouse of the present age, even hailed as the Number One Sword Under Heaven!

Sword God Mountain claimed to be the orthodox lineage of swordsmanship under heaven and had always stood at the peak of the Sword Dao. No matter the era, the Number One Sword Under Heaven had always come from Sword God Mountain!

Except for one!

This Number One Sword Under Heaven, the Sword Demon, had not come from Sword God Mountain!

And now, he had brought his disciple to challenge Sword God Mountain.

This was a challenge to Sword God Mountain's throne as the orthodox lineage of swordsmanship.

Moreover, the Sword Demon was the Sword Maniac's senior brother!

Clearly, the Devil Palace's retaliation had arrived.

"What a perfect opportunity!"

The black-robed man rejoiced inwardly.

He immediately sent word to hire a famous assassin from the cultivation world, intending for the assassin to seize the chance while the Sword Demon challenged Sword God Mountain, infiltrate Cliff of Reflection, and kill Su Fan!

Rather than buying off Sword God Mountain disciples, hiring an assassin was more reliable!

News of the Devil Palace's Sword Demon bringing his disciple to challenge Sword God Mountain spread across the land.

Countless powerhouses and great factions were watching the outcome of this battle.

If Sword God Mountain lost, its reputation as the orthodox lineage of swordsmanship under heaven would plummet.

Its prestige as the holy land of sword cultivators under heaven would vanish completely!

Many powerful sword cultivators also set off for Sword God Mountain to watch the battle.

Though the Sword Demon had yet to arrive, his momentum had already been built up.

Forcing Sword God Mountain to accept the challenge!

Inside Sword God Mountain's main hall, Chen Cang and the elders had gathered, their expressions grave.

"The Sword Demon is coming aggressively. Sword Master, how should we respond?"

The Great Elder asked with a worried expression.

Chen Cang frowned. "Do everything possible to delay for a while."

"It can't be delayed any longer!"

The Great Elder sighed.

The news had already spread throughout the land. The Sword Demon's journey was grand and imposing; delaying the battle would be a sign of weakness.

"Where is Bai Shaokong?"

Chen Cang asked.

"He isn't at Sword God Mountain. It seems he went to Tianwu King Prefecture."

The Second Elder replied.

"Among Sword God Mountain's disciples, only Bai Shaokong can fight the Sword Demon's disciple. Send word for him to return."

Chen Cang spoke in a deep voice.

"Yes."

The Second Elder nodded.

"Also, when the Sword Demon arrives, send a few outstanding disciples to spar with his disciple. We'll wait until Bai Shaokong returns."

Chen Cang sneered. "Sword God Mountain's prodigies are absent, yet they chose this time to challenge us. That reveals their guilty conscience. Even if Sword God Mountain loses, our reputation will not be utterly destroyed."

"If he is willing to wait, then let him wait!"

The Great Elder and the others nodded.

At this point, this was their only option.

Among Sword God Mountain's disciples, only Bai Shaokong was a true Sword God Mountain sword cultivator, not merely a hollow shell.

"Speaking of it, the Devil Palace's swordsmanship inheritance..."

The Great Elder said, his expression rather unpleasant.

Chen Cang snorted coldly. "That witch was capable. Sword God Mountain's disciples can only blame themselves for failing to measure up!"

The Devil Palace's swordsmanship inheritance came from Sword God Mountain!

It could be said that they came from the same lineage.

After the discussion ended, Chen Cang left.

He arrived at Ling Rushuang's place of seclusion.

Chen Cang sighed. The Sword Demon had come at the wrong time.

He could only try his best to delay until Ling Rushuang emerged from seclusion.

Ling Rushuang was Sword God Mountain's hope!

At such a young age, she had reached the Emperor Sword Realm. Which sword cultivator under heaven could compare?

Sword God Mountain faced the crisis of falling from its throne as the orthodox lineage of swordsmanship under heaven, yet Su Fan knew nothing of it.

He was continuously tempering his forbidden arts.

His strength had improved considerably once more.

"I'm not far from breaking through to the Emperor Sword Realm!"

Su Fan was overjoyed.

Nearly a month had passed since he broke through to the Void Sword Realm.

The Emperor Sword Realm was at hand!

That day, a voice rang out.

"The Sword Demon of the Devil Palace has brought his disciple to visit the orthodox lineage of swordsmanship under heaven, to exchange pointers and spar!"

Su Fan was slightly surprised.

The Sword Demon?

He had heard a little about him, but knew little else.

It seemed the visitors had come with ill intent.

"If Sword God Mountain loses, its reputation will probably suffer greatly."

Su Fan shook his head and paid the matter no mind.

Even if Sword God Mountain lost this time and suffered great damage to its reputation, once he left the mountain, he could restore it.

"If Sword God Mountain loses this time, sword cultivators will surely come knocking in the future, using the orthodox lineage of swordsmanship under heaven as a stepping stone to make their names."

Su Fan sighed.

The incomparably powerful Sword God Mountain, the holy land in sword cultivators' hearts, was now truly tottering on the brink.

Once it lost its standing in the hearts of sword cultivators throughout the land, Sword God Mountain would exist in name only.

At this moment, outside Sword God Mountain's main hall.

Sword Master Chen Cang stood with his hands behind his back, while Sword God Mountain's disciples gathered around him.

A middle-aged man and a youth climbed the mountain.

The Sword Demon and his disciple!

Behind the two of them, more than a dozen swordsmanship powerhouses followed from afar.

At this moment, all of Sword God Mountain's attention was focused on the Sword Testing Platform outside the main hall.

No one saw a figure silently weaving through the trees, avoiding the Sword Testing Platform from afar as he slipped toward Sword God Mountain's rear mountain.

Cliff of Reflection actually had no guards.

As long as one crossed Sword God Mountain, heading to Cliff of Reflection would not be discovered.

Under normal circumstances, no one could cross Sword God Mountain and secretly enter Cliff of Reflection.

But today, the Sword Demon had come up the mountain to issue his challenge.

Sword God Mountain's attention was entirely gathered on the Sword Testing Platform, leaving the defenses elsewhere sparse.

That was precisely why he had an opening to exploit.

Leng Zhuī was an assassin, skilled at concealment and infiltration.

He possessed cultivation at the peak of the Spirit Realm.

The black-robed man had paid no small price to hire him to kill Su Fan.

Leng Zhuī cautiously passed through a remote area of Sword God Mountain and arrived before Cliff of Reflection.

"I have to kill that guy quickly, lest I get exposed."

Once exposed, death would be inevitable!

"This trip isn't a loss. Killing a piece of trash will be as easy as turning my hand over. The only danger lies in crossing Sword God Mountain."

Leng Zhuī rejoiced inwardly.

Though this mission was dangerous as well, the target's strength was far too poor.

Killing him would take no effort at all.

Now that he had successfully arrived before Cliff of Reflection, more than half the mission was already complete.

All that remained was returning safely.

Sword God Mountain was currently dealing with the Sword Demon's challenge. The defenses here were weak, and no one was paying attention.

There was a ninety percent chance that he could return safely!

He stepped onto the iron chain and arrived atop Cliff of Reflection.

At a glance, he saw the only great tree on Cliff of Reflection.

And a cave not far behind the tree.