Two days later, Peach Blossom Island.
Sandalwood incense curled through the pavilion, and the water clock dripped steadily.
Nearly thirty mighty figures of the martial world sat in grim silence, the atmosphere rigid as iron.
For two days straight, the True Inheritance Disciples of top powers such as Emei, Mount Hua, Kongtong, and Peach Blossom Island had all suffered defeat!
What they found hardest to swallow was-
Even after using secret arts that damaged their foundations, they had been defeated fair and square by foreign prodigies.
A white-haired elder wearing the robes of the Misty Rain Tower broke the silence, demanding angrily:
"Is the Central Plains Martial World's heritage inferior to that of the foreigners?"
The sect leaders remained silent. They knew the reason all too well.
Like the imperial court, the Central Plains Jianghu delighted in infighting.
None would acknowledge another's superiority, and the True Inheritance Disciples of the top powers all guarded against one another.
The martial world of the grasslands cultivated its disciples differently.
They gathered the strengths of every school and selected a few of the most outstanding young prodigies.
The two from the Western Regions and Japan were likewise versed in various martial arts and highly skilled in combat.
The white-haired elder's face turned livid as he raged:
"To let foreigners swagger about on Jiangnan soil, with so many eyes watching-I am ashamed beyond measure!"
"Zhang Wuya! Wufa! An Xuan'er! Give this battle everything you have!"
As his words fell, the three rose.
All were around twenty-five: a direct disciple of Wudang, a direct disciple of Shaolin, and a direct disciple of the mysterious Medicine King Valley-the three strongest young martial artists in the Central Plains.
Abbess Jiuli, the leader of Emei, said calmly:
"Do not forget that the Little Butcher is also here to