Book 4 – The Path of Vengeance
Yang Ye was naturally waiting for An Nanjing. The path back to the southern territory would be extremely dangerous this time, so he would be even more confident if he had An Nanjing by his side.
An Nanjing walked over to Yang Ye, glanced at the others behind him, and then said, “I owe you three requests. So the first is to return to the southern territory with you?”
“It’s to escort me back to the southern territory!” Yang Ye corrected her. An Nanjing’s strength was absolutely beyond any doubt, and it was even to the extent that Yang Ye felt even a peak Spirit Realm expert might not be a match for An Nanjing. Because An Nanjing was truly extremely terrifying when she had Skysplit in her hand. Even if his current physical body had surpassed both Mo Ke and Luo Xue, and he even possessed the Sword Domain, but Yang Ye wasn’t fully confident in his ability to defeat An Nanjing!
An Nanjing glanced indifferently at Yang Ye and said, “Remember the agreement between us!”
“Of course!” Yang Ye nodded and spoke in a serious tone. If it weren’t for the matters he had to deal with in the southern territory, Yang Ye would desire to fight her to his heart’s content right now as well. Unfortunately, he had more important matters to attend to!
An Nanjing didn’t speak further, and she just stood silently at the side.
Meanwhile, a black figure suddenly appeared from within the dense forest, and it flashed swiftly towards Yang Ye. It was so swift that it practically covered a distance of 300m in a few breaths of time!
It was none other than Zhang Liu who’d gone to investigate the state of their enemies!
“Sword Master, there are a few hundred experts at a mountain range around 300km away from us. There are 32 Spirit Realm experts amongst them, and most of them are at the second or third rank of the Spirit Realm. The rest are King Realm profounders. All of them are wearing black clothes or robes. They seem to be members of the Ghost Sect!” said Zhang Liu.
“32 Spirit Realm experts!” Yang Ye laughed coldly and said, “The Ghost Sect really thinks highly of me! But I truly wonder, is there some sort of deep rooted enmity between us?”
Indeed, the Ghost Sect had acted against him in the past because he was from the Sword Sect, but he wasn’t anymore. So, logically speaking, the Ghost Sect shouldn’t continue acting against him!
“It might be because of Li Xianjun!” Meanwhile, Ye Yun suddenly said, “Sword Master, Li Xianjun was the grandson of an elder in the Ghost Sect who holds great authority in the sect. The one who paid a huge price to hire the League of Doom to kill you wasn’t the Ghost Sect, and it was him instead. So, I think that this group of people might not have come here under the orders of the Ghost Sect, and they are trusted subordinates of that elder!”
So that’s the reason!
Yang Ye came to an understanding, and then he laughed coldly and said, “It doesn’t matter if they’re from the Ghost Sect or another sect. Since they’d come, then they don’t have to return anymore! From this moment onward, all of you’ll split up and assassinate freely on your own. After it’s done, I’ll reward the one who killed the most with 10 top-grade energy stones and 20 top-grade talismans of all types!”
All the assassins were slightly stunned when they heard Yang Ye, and then Ye Yun and Zhang Liu had vanished on the spot and were shooting towards the distance. The others finally returned to their senses when they saw Zhang Liu and Ye Yun act, and then their figures flashed towards the distance as well.
After all, 10 top-grade energy stones and 20 pieces of various top-grade talismans was a reward that far surpassed the rewards given to the top 5 during the Ascension Rankings! So, how could they not be tempted by it?
Only Yang Ye and An Nanjing remained on the spot after all of them had left.
“Their strengths aren’t bad!” An Nanjing suddenly said, “However, I don’t think they can shake a sect. If you don’t have any other trump cards, then you’re purely courting death by returning to the southern territory now! Of course, it’s none of my business if you seek death, and I merely hope we can have a battle before that happens!”
Yang Ye didn’t answer her, and he gazed towards the distance instead. At the direction of his gaze was the southern territory, and it was also in the direction of the Flower Palace...
.......
The southern territory.
In a secret chamber within the Imperial Capital.
“Young Master Yang has started his journey back to the southern territory. There’s a group of mysterious assassins by his side. Those assassins are extremely formidable, and their movement techniques are extraordinarily shocking. Our members don’t dare approach them at all. So, we’re unable to determine their true identities. All of those assassins are very respectful to Young Master Yang, so they should be part of a force that he established in secret!” A woman spoke slowly to Qin Xiyue who sat behind the table.
After a short while, Qin Xiyue said, “Which powers of the southern territory sent experts to kill him on the way back?”
“The known powers are the Origin School, the Ghost Sect, and the Flower Sect!” said the woman in a low voice.
“What cultivations do those dispatched experts possesses!” asked Qin Xiyue.
“The Ghost Sect and Flower Sect merely dispatched Spirit Realm experts, whereas, the Origin School might have dispatched Exalt Realm experts!” answered the woman.
Qin Xiyue’s beautiful brows knit together. A short while later, she said, “Dispatch all the assassins to the Ancient Battlefield to receive him. Tell all of them that they must obey him unconditionally upon meeting him, and that includes you. Understand?”
The woman was stunned, and she spoke instinctively. “Why?”
Qin Xiyue turned to look at the woman, and it caused her to instantly break out in cold sweat. The woman hurriedly knelt on one knee and said, “A’Nu was mistaken to ask such a question!”
Qin Xiyue gazed at the woman called A’Nu for a short while before she withdrew her gaze, and then she said, “Because he’s the Pavilion Master of our Assassin’s Pavilion, understand?”
The woman was shocked in her heart and immediately said, “Understood!” She turned around and left upon speaking those words.
In the chamber, Qin Xiyue stood up and remained silent there for a short while. Suddenly, she cracked a smile that was as beautiful as a hundred flowers blooming at one, and there was even a wisp of a charming smile on the corners of her mouth. She said, “Little Brother, it has been so long. I really do miss you! You have to return alive, otherwise, I’ll give you a green hat to wear... and make you unable to rest in your grave!”
.......
The Sword Sect, Sky Hall.
At this moment, all the higher-ups of the Sword Sect were gathered here, and that even included the elders who were in closed door cultivation.
Daoist Zui sat at the seat of the host while Su Muzhe sat by his side. At this moment, the hall was filled with a solemn arm while everyone had an extremely heavy expression on their faces.
Daoist Zui stood up and took two steps forward before he said, “Everyone, I presume you’re very clearly aware of the situation that the Sword Sect is in right now. In the last 1,000 years, the Ghost Sect, Origin School, and various other powers have been suppressing us both openly and in secret, and the sect can be said to have fallen into a hopeless situation. The only reason it still exists is because they are worried about Su Muzhe and I launching a final counterattack before our deaths. Now, my lifespan is almost up. Once I fall, the Origin School, Flower Palace, and Ghost Sect will definitely act against our Sword Sect, and even the Snow Palace and Brightmoon Sect might take advantage of the opportunity as well!”
Their expressions grew heavier when they heard this. Actually, they were clearly aware of the situation that the Sword Sect was in right now. But they didn’t have to worry about it at all because of Daoist Zui’s presence. After all, there would be someone to deal with it for them. Yet now, that person was about to be lost. So, the pressure from the other powers had descended onto them instead.
“The Heavenpath!” Meanwhile, Daoist Zui suddenly said, “It’s the only way. If I overcome it, then I and the entire Sword Sect will have a chance at survival. Otherwise, the day I perish will be the day the Sword Sect is obliterated!”
Meanwhile, an elder asked. “Martial Uncle, how confident are you in your ability to succeed?”
Daoist Zui shook his head and said, “I’m not confident at all. So, I hope that the Sword Sect will lend me a hand!”
“But what if you fail?” another elder spoke in a low voice.
“This is our only chance!” The Sword Sect’s Master, Su Muzhe, spoke in a heavy voice. “If we don’t give it a try, then the Ghost Sect, Origin School, and Flower Palace will definitely act against our Sword Sect once Martial Uncle perishes. At that time, how will our Sword Sect resist them?”
The others here fell silent upon hearing this. Without Daoist Zui’s presence, the Ghost Sect, Origin School, and Flower Palace would definitely have nothing to fear. At that time, the Sword Sect would be at their mercy!
In other words, Daoist Zui had to try and overcome the Heavenpath!
Daoist Zui didn’t continue trying to strive for their agreement. He was just notifying all of them about his decision. Because he would still do it even if the Sword Sect wasn’t helping him. He’d been cultivating for so long, so how could he be willing to return back to the earth just like that? Even though he wasn’t confident at all, he still wanted to try in the end!
Otherwise, how could he be willing to accept his fate?
The meeting came to an end, and the Sword Sect started the string of preparation that was needed.
.......
There were a few hundred black robed profounders hidden throughout a mountain range. This mountain range was a place that had to passed in order to return to the southern territory from the ancient battlefield. So, Yang Ye would definitely pass through this mountain range if he intended to return. Thus, they were prepared to wait for Yang Ye to jump into their trap and give his life to them!
The entire group here was made up of experts from the Ghost Sect. Moreover, they hadn’t concealed their identities and were wearing the Ghost Sect’s uniform!
“So many of us were actually dispatched just to kill an expert who just advanced into the Spirit Realm? Isn’t Elder Li thinking too highly of that fellow called Yang Ye?” A bald man who had a mole at the corner of his mouth spoke with displeasure while standing at an open space on the mountain range. He had a cultivation at the third rank of the Spirit Realm but had been ordered here to kill a profounder that had just advanced into the Spirit Realm. Moreover, he’d been dispatched here with many others. This made him feel that Elder Li was punishing him on purpose.
“Gui Yu, don’t underestimate that fellow, Yang Ye!” A black robed middle aged man by his side spoke in a low voice. “Even though he has only just advanced into the Spirit Realm, even we might not be a match for him! After all, he’s the 1st on the Ascension Rankings of the southern territory and has comprehended Sword Intent. Moreover, he’s called the Sword Emperor now. I presume his strength definitely exceeds his cultivation!”
“Sword Intent?” Gui Yu laughed with ridicule and said, “It’s merely 4th level Sword Intent. What’s there to be afraid of? Moreover, even if he’s a cultivator and has become the Sword Emperor, there’s no need to dispatch so many of us to kill him, right? There are 32 Spirit Realm experts here, you know? In the beginning, I thought we were going to kill an Exalt Realm expert, yet never had I imagined that we would be here to kill a Spirit Realm profounder!”
The middle aged man frowned yet didn’t speak further. Truthfully speaking, he was quite displeased as well. He felt that Elder Li was truly making a big deal out of nothing by dispatching such huge forces to kill a single Spirit Realm profounder. Elder Li is really abusing his power for his own personal interests!
Even though he was displeased, he didn’t dare speak of it. Because the force Elder Li commanded in the Ghost Sect was merely inferior to the Sect Master!
Yet now, the Sect Master was in closed door cultivation, so it could be said that Elder Li reigned supreme in the Ghost Sect right now.
“Ah!!!” Right at this moment, a shrill cry suddenly resounded from within the forest. After that, a second, a third, a fourth.... In next to no time, countless shrill and miserable cries had resounded from the forest....