The next time we meet, submit or die

"Brother Shangguan, there's no need for such courtesy. I came to visit the Sword Sect at your invitation." Zhou Qiong smiled faintly at Shangguan Yun, who was bowing to him.

"Sect Master Zhou, your presence is an honor for our Sword Sect. Please!" Shangguan Yun gestured invitingly as he spoke.

Zhou Qiong stood on no ceremony and strode up the white jade steps toward the mountaintop. The Sword Sect's many higher-ups followed behind him, wearing ingratiating smiles as they introduced the sect's various sights.

Watching the group gradually disappear onto the mountaintop, the Sword Sect disciples instantly erupted into chatter.

"Is that the legendary Demon Sect Master? What an imposing presence!"

"Exactly! Didn't you see the sect master and eldest senior brother following him with ingratiating smiles?"

"If only I could have cultivation that powerful someday."

"What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and cultivate..."

In the Sword Sect's main hall atop the mountain, Zhou Qiong sat boldly in the seat of honor, while the other Sword Sect higher-ups sat below.

"Brother Shangguan, your Sword Sect truly has fine scenery. I like it very much!"

Seated below, Shangguan Yun shuddered in fright at those words. Likes it very much? What does that mean? Does he want the Sword Sect to submit to the Demon Sect like the Flower Clan?

"It's quite decent, quite decent." Shangguan Yun had no idea how to answer and could only offer a few simple words in agreement.

"Enough. I'm not one to keep people guessing. Presumably, you already know what happened in Black King City. What plans does your Sword Sect have?" Zhou Qiong took a light sip of tea and asked with a smile.

The Sword Sect higher-ups immediately grew solemn. They knew the real business had begun. The conversation that followed would decide their sect's future fate.

Before Shangguan Yun could speak, one of the Sword Sect elders spoke first. "Sect Master Zhou, our Sword Sect will certainly stay out of all Demon Sect affairs from now on. We hope you won't make things difficult for our Sword Sect either!"

The moment those words fell, the other higher-ups inwardly cried, This is bad! Sure enough, an overbearing, bloody saber intent instantly permeated the entire hall. The elder who had spoken seemed to have his mind shattered by it, coughing up blood as even his gaze began to lose focus.

"Sect Master Zhou, Elder Yan Qing merely spoke rashly just now. His words don't represent our Sword Sect's position. Please forgive him!" Shangguan Yun immediately bowed against the saber intent and called out.

"Hahaha!" Zhou Qiong smiled and nodded, and the saber intent in the hall slowly dissipated. "Don't take offense, Brother Shangguan. I merely saw that you were all experts in the sword and felt an itch in my hands."

None of the Sword Sect higher-ups dared argue. They could only echo his words, though inwardly they had long since begun cursing him. An itch in his hands? He's simply so overbearing that he won't tolerate anyone contradicting him. And he even makes excuses. How utterly shameless.

Elder Yan Qing, who had finally recovered, rolled his eyes. An itch in your hands, and you nearly kill me? All I did was offer an opinion. Was that really necessary?

Shangguan Yun exchanged a glance with the former sect master, as though they had made some momentous decision. He rose and cupped his hands toward Zhou Qiong, saying solemnly, "Our Sword Sect is willing to move out of the Black King City region and never set foot here again. We hope Sect Master Zhou will agree!"

"Oh? Move away? This is your ancestral land. Do you truly intend to leave?" As he spoke, the overbearing saber intent that had just dissipated rose once more within the hall.

Elder Yan Qing, who had only just recovered, did not even get a chance to roll his eyes before fainting again. Only one thought remained in his mind: Why am I always the one getting hurt?

Shangguan Yun could feel that this time, the saber intent targeted only him. Violent, overbearing saber intent surged toward him wave after wave, making him feel as though he were on a battlefield of ancient demon gods. His eyes slowly began to redden, and the sword intent around him trembled incessantly, as though on the verge of collapse. The pressure grew greater and greater, until his legs gradually began to shake, as if he would fall to his knees before Zhou Qiong in the next instant.

Suddenly, the saber intent in the hall vanished again. Shangguan Yun slowly regained his clarity and stared at Zhou Qiong in terror. What had seemed like a long time had actually lasted only an instant. Yet in that single instant, the other man's saber intent had nearly made him kneel in worship before Zhou Qiong, and had even driven him to thoughts of suicide.

At that moment, an icy voice reached Shangguan Yun's ears. "Shangguan Yun, you are the first person in the Upper Realm I've thought worth a second glance. I'll give you this chance. In three days, the Sword Sect must move beyond Black King City's borders. The next time we meet, submit or die. There is no third choice."

With that, Zhou Qiong's figure slowly vanished from the Sword Sect's main hall. All the Sword Sect higher-ups let out a deep breath. In that brief span of time, they had felt as though they had passed through life and death.

Shangguan Yun, however, seemed to still be turning Zhou Qiong's words over in his mind. They echoed repeatedly through his thoughts. Next time. There will be a next meeting.

"Yun'er, what are you thinking about? I intend to move our Sword Sect to nearby Heavenly Sea City. There happens to be a faction there on good terms with us," the former sect master said softly to Shangguan Yun.

As though something had occurred to him, Shangguan Yun said loudly, "No! We can't go to Heavenly Sea City. It's too close. We need to go farther away. We're going to Yang City!"

The other elders looked as though they had heard something inconceivable. "Yang City? Why go to Yang City? That's far too distant. Besides, our Sword Sect has no friendly factions there."

"Yes, Heavenly Sea City would be perfectly fine. It's close, so moving would be easier. Yang City is simply too far away for so many disciples!"

In the end, however, because of Shangguan Yun's insistence, the Sword Sect still decided to move to Yang City. Shangguan Yun was the Sword Sect's pillar and its strongest member. Though he rarely spoke up, once he did, even the sect master had to give his words serious consideration.

Shangguan Yun offered no explanation, but a suspicion had taken root in his heart. He believed that Zhou Qiong clearly would not be satisfied with Black King City alone and wanted to expand his sphere of influence much farther. If the Sword Sect moved to Heavenly Sea City, they would very likely meet again before long. When that happened, the Sword Sect would have no other choice.

What he did not know was that his guess was entirely correct. Zhou Qiong naturally would not be satisfied with a mere little Black King City. His goal was not even limited to this Land of Chaos.

Regardless of how the Sword Sect discussed its relocation, earth-shaking changes were taking place at the Demon Sect's headquarters. Above Heavenly Demon Peak, Zhou Qiong held a lump of soil in his hand and tossed it onto the peak's ground.

This was precisely the breathing soil Zhou Qiong had won through the system's lottery. It could alter a mountain's terrain.

At once, the entire Heavenly Demon Peak seemed to have swallowed a tonic, rapidly growing taller and larger. In a short time, it surpassed the surrounding peaks, only slowly stabilizing half an hour later.

By then, Heavenly Demon Peak was already twice the height of the surrounding peaks. It could be seen clearly even from Black King City.

Moreover, the entire mountain seemed like a living creature, constantly absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Qi. Some of that Spiritual Qi increased the Spiritual Qi within the mountain, while the rest was absorbed by the mountain itself, allowing it to continue expanding little by little.