Public Challenge

On the back mountain of Blood Saber Peak, outside the forbidden area.

This place was shrouded in bloody mist year-round. Ordinary disciples, let alone approaching, would have their minds shaken just by glancing at it from afar.

Xue Yugang, clad in purple robes, approached with a grim expression. The two guards stationed at the entrance to the forbidden area immediately knelt on one knee.

"Young Master."

"I want to see Father," Xue Yugang's voice was devoid of any emotion.

"The Old Ancestor has decreed that during his seclusion, no one..." the guard began, but was cut off.

"Get lost!" Xue Yugang kicked the guard in the chest. The latter flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the mountain wall. He spat up blood and lost consciousness.

The other guard trembled, not daring to block him any further.

Just as Xue Yugang was about to step into the forbidden area, a figure emerged from the mist like a phantom, blocking his path.

A young man, dressed in black tight-fitting clothes and even taller and more imposing, slowly stepped out of the bloody mist.

The man's face bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Xue Yugang, but his demeanor was entirely different. His eyes were as deep as an abyss, and he carried himself like a sheathed peerless demonic blade – steady, yet more dangerous.

"Big Brother?"

Seeing the person who appeared, Xue Yugang was startled at first, then asked in confusion, "You... weren't you in seclusion within the forbidden area? Why are you out?"

The person who appeared was the Blood Saber Ancestor's eldest son, Xue Yutang, who had been in seclusion for nearly half a year!

Xue Yutang did not answer his question, merely stating a fact with a calm tone: "Father is in a life-and-death seclusion, attempting to break through to a higher realm. No one is to disturb him."

"Life-and-death seclusion?" Xue Yugang's heart pounded. This meant his father had placed himself in the most perilous situation. Success would lead to boundless skies, while failure meant eternal damnation. At such a time, any external disturbance was indeed unacceptable.

He looked at his elder brother again and suddenly felt something, a look of pleasant surprise appearing on his face. "Your aura... Xiantian Mid-stage! Big Brother, you've broken through?"

Xue Yutang's aura was contained, but the sliver that occasionally leaked out was several times stronger than before! That feeling made Xue Yugang, who was also at the Xiantian Early-stage, feel a trace of pressure.

"Just by luck," Xue Yutang replied nonchalantly. "Speak. What happened? Unless the sky is falling, you should know not to come here casually."

The smile on Xue Yugang's face immediately vanished. He recounted, at top speed, how Lu Shaoyou had killed Xiong Tai on Giant Whale Gang's territory, and how he had uprooted Black Tiger Hall and Thunderclap Hall.

After listening, a trace of anger finally appeared on Xue Yutang's usually calm face.

"So, just because of a brat who just joined, my Blood Saber Sect lost two halls and hundreds of elites? Are Xiong Tai and Lei Xiaotian pigs!"

Xue Yutang's voice suddenly turned cold, like icicles in the dead of winter. "And you! How did I instruct you before I went into seclusion? Is this how you manage affairs, you responsible party!"

"Big Brother! That person is a Xiantian expert! Extremely powerful, and it's inconvenient for me to leave..."

Xue Yugang felt wronged!

"A Xiantian expert?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Yutang's expression flickered, and he muttered, "When did Qingzhou get another Xiantian expert?"

As he spoke, his expression changed. "Could it be another one sent by the court? Have you investigated clearly?"

Xue Yugang: "It shouldn't be. We've secretly killed everyone sent by the court over the years. They wouldn't be so foolish as to send more people."

"According to investigations, this person came from Yun Yuan County in Yunzhou. It's said he wiped out a nest of bandits there and came to Qingzhou seeking revenge on Li Mo."

"A Xiantian expert seeking revenge on a Houtian martial artist?"

Xue Yutang found it somewhat absurd after hearing this.

When did a mere Houtian martial artist become worthy of being an enemy to a Xiantian powerhouse?

"Big Brother, this person should be a disciple of a major sect in Yunzhou. I heard that Black Wind Village annihilated a village, which incurred his wrath."

"Major sect?"

"Hmph, in Qingzhou, my Blood Saber Sect is paramount. Let alone a mere sect, even the court coming here would be useless," Xue Yutang said with disdain.

"Just for a mere Li Mo, my Blood Saber Sect has suffered heavy losses. I want to see what's so special about him," Xue Yutang sneered, exuding a chilling killing intent.

Xue Yugang's expression changed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Big Brother, I've already ordered all halls to withdraw, and... that Li Mo has taken the Blood Fiend Pill and joined the Blood Shadow Guard."

Upon hearing the words "Blood Shadow Guard," the fury in Xue Yutang's eyes slightly subsided.

He was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Since he has joined the Blood Shadow Guard, his matters are beyond our purview. However, for such a pawn, letting my Blood Saber Sect become the laughingstock of all Qingzhou is too great a price to pay."

Xue Yugang lowered his head, not daring to respond.

Xue Yutang paced back and forth on the spot, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"However..."

"Withdraw the defenses? And wait for him to kill his way to our doorstep before we trap the dog in the house?" he sneered. "Do we still care about the reputation of my Blood Saber Sect?"

Xue Yugang: "This..."

Xue Yutang said coldly, "Father is currently in life-and-death seclusion, and cannot afford the slightest mishap. You should know that if Lu Shaoyou affects the Divine Sect Plan, we would deserve death a thousand times over."

Upon hearing the word "Divine Sect," Xue Yugang's body trembled, and his face changed drastically.

He suddenly realized that if that Lu Shaoyou were to attack Blood Saber Peak and disrupt their decades-long plan, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

After a long while, Xue Yugang wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, "Then what does Big Brother mean?"

"Doesn't he like to uproot our halls one by one?" Xue Yutang's lips curved into a cruel arc. "Then we'll give him an opportunity."

He abruptly turned, his gaze locking onto Xue Yutang, terrifyingly sharp light erupting in his eyes.

"Pass down my order! In the name of Xue Yutang, the eldest young master of the Blood Saber Sect, set up a martial arts arena outside Blazing Fire City at Soul Severing Cliff and publicly challenge Lu Shaoyou!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Yugang trembled all over. "A public challenge? Eldest brother, this..."

This was tantamount to exposing the Blood Saber Sect's predicament completely to the world!

Xue Yutang, as if seeing through his thoughts, raised his voice slightly, his tone carrying an undeniable dominance.

"That's not all!"

"Furthermore, send out invitations to all martial artists in Qingzhou, widely inviting them to Blazing Fire City to witness the battle! Increase the bounty to fifty thousand taels of silver! I want everyone to know that the Blood Saber Sect intends to kill someone!"

Xue Yugang was so shocked by his elder brother's audacious plan that he was speechless.

"Eldest brother, this..."

"It's decided," Xue Yutang's voice conveyed absolute certainty.

"I want everyone to see what the consequences are for being an enemy of the Blood Saber Sect!"

"This is the way the Blood Saber Sect should conduct itself!"