In front of the edifice of Warden City, the ceaseless gusts of cold wind abated, leaving an air of solemnity. "If memory serves me right, you must be the scion of the secondary household," Leo remarked, a wry smile playing on his lips as wrinkles etched across his weathered face. He continued with a raised voice, "However, it is regrettable that no matter how adeptly you hide, you cannot deceive the astute calculations of the scion. He foresaw long ago that upon receiving the invitation to Warden City, you would inevitably fall into the York family's net."
Leo's gaze upon Shuro resembled that of a cat eyeing a mouse, replete with malice, mockery, and an air of assured victory. "Yet, I am quite curious, who do you rely on to survive to this day? Blanche? Faithe? Or perhaps the York Old Lady?" Leo sneered.
"Humph, a jest! Does our young master need to rely on others?" Lee stepped forward, his laughter as cold as Leo's.
"Our young master?" Leo's expression conveyed disdain as if he had heard a particularly amusing joke. "A mere collateral scion, whose status doesn't even compare to that of the inner guards, dares to call himself a young master? I wonder what stroke of luck allowed him to escape unscathed and deceive a fool like you into serving him."
"Enough with the banter. Get it over with," the lead disciple of Solitary Moon Mountain impatiently interjected. He cast a cursory glance at Shuro before turning away, his disdain evident.
"Yes, yes," Leo nodded obsequiously, but as he raised his head, a sense of unease crept over him. "You're a Half-Step Wanderer!" Sensing Lee's aura, Leo was taken aback, incredulity filling his eyes. He couldn't fathom how a dignified Half-Step Wanderer would serve a seemingly useless collateral scion.
With suspicion gnawing at him, Leo scrutinized the individuals beside Shuro. To his astonishment, the elders by Shuro's side, seemingly ordinary at first glance, exuded an unfathomable aura, deep and profound like ancient mountains and abysses. The two leaders, in particular, merged their auras seamlessly with the surroundings, a natural fusion surpassing even the Foundation Fourth-Stage disciples of Solitary Moon Mountain in their youthful vigor.
"Wanderers!" Leo involuntarily stepped back, his eyes widening in disbelief. Nine Wanderers, each exuding an aura several times stronger than that of the York Old Lady of the York family. In other words, this was a force capable of overthrowing the Tera Dynasty! And yet, they were gathered around that collateral scion, seemingly intimate with him. What on earth was going on? Leo's heart harbored ominous premonitions.
"Why haven't you acted yet?" the disdainful voice of Solitary Moon Mountain's disciple snapped Leo back to reality.
"Indeed, you have backing now. No wonder you dare to challenge the Third Young Master," Leo sneered as he stepped forward. "Several Immortals have more important matters to attend to; we have no time to waste on you here. Resolve this matter yourself, sensibly. Just because you've brought reinforcements doesn't mean you're safe."
As he spoke, Leo walked a few steps, closing in on Shuro to within twenty paces. He had no intention of acting himself; firstly, those Wanderers were truly formidable, and secondly, committing murder in Warden City incurred a tax of ten thousand Yin coins. By invoking the disciples of Solitary Moon Mountain, his aim was to suppress the Wanderers. If they complied, well and good; if not, he would incite Solitary Moon Mountain's disciples to deal with them.
With these thoughts in mind, Leo discreetly observed the reactions of the Wanderers.
"Faithe in your hands?" Suddenly, a young voice rang out, catching Leo off guard. He licked his lips, a sly grin forming. "That beautiful young mistress? I had intended to keep her for myself, but she proved stubborn, preferring death over compliance. While I dislike harming such beauty, but..."
Leo didn't finish his sentence, for he saw flames erupting from the young man's eyes, accompanied by a palpable intent to kill. "You scoundrel! Die!" With a step, the young man transformed into a towering inferno, vanishing abruptly.
Leo's face stiffened, his heart pounding wildly. Before he could react, the temperature surged around him, as if transitioning from winter to summer in an instant. The air before him turned to ashes, a "gate" cracking open, and the fiery-eyed youth stepped forth.
Leo's expression was one of horror, his heart racing. Despite his arrogance, he was not foolish enough to ignore reality. This collateral scion, whom the Third Young Master had disregarded from start to finish, was now a force to be reckoned with.
"What's going on?"
"Stop!"
Solitary Moon Mountain's disciples sensed the danger and rushed towards Shuro. But Shuro paid them no heed, his gaze fixed on Leo. Ever since their private conversation in the backyard, Shuro had felt a faint warmth in his heart. Over the years, he realized that in the York family, he wasn't entirely alone; he had an aunt who silently looked after him from the shadows. Since that day, Shuro, who had lost his parents at a young age, had regarded Faithe as his true family.
Gazing down at Leo, Shuro's eyes burned with rage, yet beneath the surface, a chilling coldness pervaded. "How is Faithe? Repeat what you said."
"Dare devil!" Solitary Moon Mountain's disciples sensed the impending danger and hastened towards Shuro.
As the disciples of Solitary Moon Mountain drew closer, Leo breathed a sigh of relief. He executed his plan silently while offering a perfunctory reply, "Faithe... deserves to die!"
Channeling over thirty thousand catties of force into his palm, Leo unleashed his Water Law Escape Technique, his right palm transforming into watery shadows as he viciously struck at Shuro. His plan was simple: first, force Shuro back; then, when Solitary Moon Mountain's disciples arrived, the crisis would be averted, and Shuro could be eliminated.
Although this palm strike appeared ordinary, it was the culmination of his lifelong cultivation, containing the subtleties of water law, relentless and overwhelming. Even against the Wanderers, Leo was confident this move would ensure his safety.
"Where is she?" Shuro asked expressionlessly. He seemed to overlook the intricacies of Leo's strike, not employing his water and fire techniques, and instead, delivered a straightforward punch.
Both being Half-Step Wanderers, their strength was evenly matched. As their fists collided, waves of Qi surged, the confrontation reaching a stalemate.
Seeing this, Leo breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could delay this moment, when Solitary Moon Mountain's disciples arrived, the crisis would be resolved, and Shuro could be dispatched.
Fists clashed.
With a dull thud, Leo's Water Law shattered, his palm breaking along with it, his arm contorting at an unnatural angle.
A harrowing cry echoed in front of the York family mansion in Warden City. The gray-cloaked city guards, curious passersby, glanced upward briefly before continuing about their business.
Leo, his young face contorted in agony, sweat streaming down his brow, bore a pallor of despair. Little did he know that Shuro, who had mastered the Nine Deaths to Reborn Technique, possessed not only an extraordinary inner energy but also the ability to manipulate the vast reserves of qi and blood hidden within the human body, often unleashing it explosively in critical moments to alter the course of battle.
"Where are they?" Shuro demanded, lifting Leo's trembling form and fixing him with a piercing gaze.
Leo, racked with pain, his eyes brimming with terror, clung to a last glimmer of hope. With a sidelong glance, he sought out disciples of the John family at Solitary Moon Mountain. But upon seeing the scattered individuals standing before them, his hope withered into ashes of despair.
"Despite possessing cultivation at the Small Ethereal Realm, he rivals the strength of a half-step scattered individual. It's truly baffling. If he were born three hundred years earlier, the martial world of the Southern Sky would have had little significance to us," mused Sun Zhongyuan, his fingers tracing the curves of his round face as he spoke softly.
"This individual defies conventional assessment. His current strength could place him among the upper echelons of half-step scattered individuals. Only those top-tier figures like Marco could confidently defeat him," conveyed the Martial Residence with a telepathic message. "However, it's not uncommon for cultivators to achieve victories beyond their realm stability before formally entering the realm of immortality. We've heard of a few such prodigies."
"This generation indeed boasts remarkable young talents. Thus, I am genuinely intrigued to witness the performance of the young masters from Shuro family upon their entry into the realm of immortality," remarked Sun Zhongyuan.
"It seems the two of us old-timers may not have the chance," replied the Martial Residence.
"Are you all not concerned that your actions may offend the York family? We could exempt your respective countries from the allocation of immortal seeds from now on," the Solitary Moon Mountain disciple leading the group interjected angrily, his tone icy.
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"Haha," laughed Sun Zhongyuan heartily, clutching his belly. "A mere ninth-grade sect like Solitary Moon Mountain holds little sway in our Great Zhou Dynasty."
The disciples of Solitary Moon Mountain looked awkward. In the Southern Sky Domain, smaller nations were often controlled by major sects, but the Great Zhou and Great Xia Dynasties stood aloof from such influences, on equal footing with the Seven Great Sects, and perhaps even slightly superior. Sects like Solitary Moon Mountain, despite being of the ninth grade, adopted a fawning attitude towards the Great Zhou and Great Xia Dynasties.
"Do you all know that this individual has a vile character, disregarding propriety and even committing adultery with his brother's wife, an unforgivable offense!" the leading disciple began to smear Shuro's reputation when he realized he couldn't gain an upper hand based on status.
"Disregarding propriety and committing adultery with his brother's wife?" the Martial Residence scratched his nose, cocking his head, and looked at Sun Zhongyuan. "Round-face, what do you make of this? Love and passion between individuals are perfectly natural. How could such actions be equated with unforgivable offenses?"
Sun Zhongyuan, teased by the nickname, flushed with embarrassment, glaring fiercely at the Martial Residence, while the other scattered individuals erupted into laughter.
These scattered individuals had all lived for at least two or three centuries. They saw through what needed to be seen through long ago. Notions of propriety and moral teachings were mere trifles to them. If they couldn't see through it, they wouldn't have risen to the pinnacle of secular society.
Though several disciples of Solitary Moon Mountain were at the Fourth Tier of Foundation Establishment, Sun Zhongyuan's side had a full nine scattered individuals. There was no point in continuing the confrontation.
"Attend to your own affairs," the leading disciple snorted coldly, then turned away with a stiff expression. The other four followed suit, ignoring Leo's desperate cries for help.
"Now you can tell me," Shuro stated, his gaze locked onto Leo's fear-stricken face.
Leo's heart sank, his voice trembling. "Please don't kill me! I'll talk, I'll talk! Faithe isn't dead yet, she's in Warden City... she... she was sold to the Wind Rise Pavilion by the Third Young Master."
"Wind Rise Pavilion?" Shuro frowned.
"In that case, it's a bit troublesome," Sun Zhongyuan stepped closer, his face showing concern, and explained in a low voice, "Wind Rise Pavilion is the trading hall of Warden City, and one of the transactions there is the sale of martial servants."
Even Sun Zhongyuan and the Martial Resident, having experienced the vicissitudes of life, showed traces of anger when talking about the trade of martial servants in Wind Rise Pavilion.
"Selling martial artists as servants to the immortal sects! The scum of the martial world! It's what I detest most in my life!" The Martial Resident glared fiercely at Leo, his overbearing Dispersed Master aura surging out, frightening Leo into begging for mercy.
"The most critical question now is, how long has it been since she was sold to Wind Rise Pavilion until today," Sun Zhongyuan stopped the Martial Resident and asked Leo, "Be honest."
Leo swallowed nervously, trying to please, "Ju-ju-just ten days."
Ten days... Shuro's heart sank.
He had carefully observed the martial servants around Apollo. Each one seemed like a walking corpse, with the cultivation of the Grand Space Spirit realm, but they had lost the aura of martial artists, not even comparable to the Small Elixir realm. Shuro really couldn't imagine the situation where a beautiful and spirited Faithe fell into the hands of disciples of the immortal sects and was forced to become a servant.
"Mr. Sun, you're taking advantage of your seniority by calling me a little brother," just as Shuro was about to explode, Sun Zhongyuan's cheerful voice sounded in his ear, "If it's really only been ten days, things aren't so bad yet."
"What do you mean?" Shuro asked.
"If my guess is correct, that Faithe is a beautiful woman," Sun Zhongyuan said.
"Yes."
"And her cultivation strength is not low."
"Grand Space Spirit realm."
Sun Zhongyuan and the Martial Resident exchanged a glance, nodded, and said, "Martial servants have always been popular among disciples of the immortal sects, ranging from the Small Elixir realm to the Grand Space Spirit realm. A common martial servant of the Grand Space Spirit realm would probably cost five hundred Yin coins, while the outstanding ones in the Grand Space Spirit realm would be worth a thousand Yin coins, often being fought over. Compared to male martial servants, female martial servants are rarer in number, making female martial servants of the same level more valuable. And a beautiful female martial servant in the Grand Space Spirit realm is simply a rare find."
"What! A thousand Yin coins for a martial servant in the Grand Space Spirit realm! Damn it! That Apollo only offered a thousand Yin coins to buy me! I almost got cheated!" Lee cursed furiously, only to be silenced by a glare from Shuro.
"Mr. Sun, please continue," Shuro said.
"Shuro, you're being too polite. I'm taking advantage of my age, so just call me an elder brother," Sun Zhongyuan chuckled and then changed his tone, "If you encounter valuable martial servants, Wind Rise Pavilion usually doesn't directly sell them, but auctions them. Two days from now is the opening of the Stele Sea, and most of the immortal sects in the Southern Sky will send their disciples. Therefore, the martial servant auction will probably take place in the next few days. However, this is not the mortal world; there are countless experts among the immortal sects. Brother, you must not act recklessly."
"Would ten thousand Yin coins be enough?" Shuro asked.
"This..." Sun Zhongyuan pondered, not answering.
Shuro's heart sank again.
An ordinary martial servant in the Grand Space Spirit realm would also cost a thousand Yin coins. It could be imagined that someone like Faithe, also in the Grand Space Spirit realm, would command at least ten times that price.
Shuro was burning with impatience, thoughts of violence flashing through his mind, but he quickly dismissed them. Warden City was unfathomable; the strong in the city were probably Dispersed Masters who could exterminate him with a flick of their fingers. If he went to snatch people, it would be equivalent to seeking death.
"I still have a thousand Yin coins here. Though small, every little bit helps," a Dispersed Master chuckled as he pulled out his purse.
"Let me check... ashamed to say, I only have eight hundred left."
"All my money is here, hahaha, two thousand, more than you all!" Shuro looked at the familiar yet generous Dispersed Masters, feeling grateful.
"Well, with my money and Yuan's, we have a total of twenty thousand. Plus Shuro's ten thousand, that should be enough," the Martial Resident handed the money to Shuro, his bronze face and unfamiliar pupils making his smile somewhat intimidating. At this moment, in Shuro's eyes, he looked kindly, as amiable as could be.
Taking the money pouch, Shuro said quietly, "Great kindness should not be forgotten. If there's a chance in the future, I will repay."
"Repay? Shuro, you're underestimating us," Sun Fangyuan shook his head and chuckled, "Although we yearn for that elusive path of immortality, we also know that Marco could tread on that path with your help because he's young. We may desire it, but we're old enough to see reality clearly."
The Martial Resident echoed, "We help you only because you are the Third Young Master Shuro, challenging the verdict of the immortal sects and venting the grievances of us martial artists. That's all."
At these words, Leo, who lay on the ground like mud, trembled violently, looking at Shuro in disbelief, and groaned, "The Third Young Master... Shuro. You are the Third Young Master? The Third Young Master who slipped through a hundred traps... This time, you've run into a brick wall."
"Even now, you're still thinking about our Third Young Master. You're quite loyal... compared to Lee and me," Lee constantly praised himself, among a group of Dispersed Masters in their two or three hundred years, he was the standard junior, and he didn't feel embarrassed to call himself 'Lee.'
"Master, how should we deal with this person?" pointing at Leo, Lee asked.
Seeing the murderous intent in Shuro's eyes, the Martial Resident furrowed his brow and then relaxed, saying lightly, "Under normal circumstances, this person deserves to die. However, this is Warden City; it costs ten thousand tax coins to kill someone. Why waste money on him? It's better to rent him to the Dueling Hall and earn a commission of a hundred Yin coins."
"That's fine," Shuro nodded.
Warden City was enormous.
When they had climbed up the stairs to the city tower earlier, Shuro had seen the city sprawled out like a sea of clouds, seemingly endless. It wasn't until now, as he strolled through the city, that Shuro truly felt the vastness of Warden City.
A Dispersed Master escorted Leo to the Dueling Hall, while Lee and Lewis went with him. The remaining eight Dispersed Masters accompanied Shuro to the Wind Rise Pavilion. Along the way, they each displayed their martial skills, with Shuro's Water Escape Art only falling slightly behind by half a body length, causing Sun Zhongyuan and the Martial Resident to marvel. Even so, the nine of them took a full half hour to travel from the South City Gate to the large drill ground located in the center of Warden City.
Contrary to Shuro's expectations, the drill ground, paved with simple green bricks, had no grand halls or exquisite palaces. Instead, there were three small temples with red walls and black tiles, standing in the center, east, and west of the drill ground.
Soon, Shuro noticed that there were more people coming and going on the drill ground than at the foot of the South City Tower. The crowd poured into the three small temples, and although they seemed no larger than palm-sized temples, they could accommodate everyone.
"That's the Wind Rise Pavilion," Sun Zhongyuan pointed to the small temple in the west, "It looks as small as a temple, but in fact, it's much larger than you imagine. What you see is just a door."
Shuro nodded slightly.
Knowing that Shuro was anxious, Sun Zhongyuan didn't say much more and led Shuro to squeeze into the Wind Rise Pavilion. Soon, the nine of them were swept into the massive crowd.
There were few martial artists in the crowd; many were disciples of the immortal sects. From their attire and the aura they exuded, they were easy to identify. Among them were disciples of the Cultivation Realm, as well as some immortal experts whose aura far surpassed that of the Cultivation Realm, as deep as a high mountain and as vast as a great abyss.
"There is another type of people, dressed in gray robes, with a sinister aura, traveling together in haste," Shuro silently speculated, "These people might be the original inhabitants of the Shadow River Wilderness City."
As for the remaining type, Shuro found them somewhat inscrutable. They were rare, solitary figures, clad in strange attire, emitting peculiar auras, some profound and mysterious, others shallower than even the Minor Foundation Realm. Yet even when the immortal sects passed by them, they showed no disdain.
"They are practitioners of the Esoteric Path," the Martial Resident remarked on the side, his gaze never leaving Shuro.
"The Esoteric Path?" Shuro inquired.
"These individuals are rare, but they constitute a force not to be underestimated in the Southern Immortal Realm," the Martial Resident explained lightly. "They do not rely on cultivation techniques; they naturally possess esoteric powers, and some can even mimic the methods of the immortal sects. They dwell atop high mountains or deep in rivers and seas. Most of them have peculiar temperaments and unpredictable behavior, making them anomalies in the Southern Immortal Realm, hence the term 'practitioners of the Esoteric Path.'"
Sun Zhongyuan chimed in at some point, "Speaking of which, there are roughly four types of individuals in the Southern Immortal Realm. The immortals, the wilderness dwellers, the anomalies, and us warriors. The immortals, needless to say, are the rulers of the Southern Domain Cultivation Realm. The wilderness dwellers have resided in the Shadow River Wilderness City for generations and rarely leave. They are highly cohesive. The anomalies are solitary figures, born with extraordinary abilities, difficult to fathom, and once their secrets are uncovered, it often leads to deadly consequences."
Pausing for a moment, Sun Zhongyuan smiled bitterly, "The last type, represented by us Dispersed Masters, are the warriors. In the eyes of ordinary people, we are held in high regard. But little do they know that in the world of the immortal sects, what we call Dispersed Masters are only equivalent to the Fourth Stage of the Foundation Realm, mere foot soldiers who have yet to truly step into the realm of immortality, residing at the bottom of the hierarchy."
Shuro listened silently as they squeezed towards the "small temple."
Not long after, the nine of them arrived at the front of the temple.
Despite Shuro's single-minded concern for his aunt, as soon as he stepped into the temple and saw the scene inside, he couldn't help but be stunned.
Shuro had a rich imagination, but even he hadn't expected such a marvelous place in Warden City.
Before him stretched a vast precipice.
Below the cliff, there were heavy yet surging waves of crimson, and in the center of the waves, there was a large island with towering pillars reaching the sky. At the top of one of the pillars, where Shuro looked up, there was faintly a bronze ancient palace standing.
Inside and outside the temple were two completely different worlds. As Sun Zhongyuan had said, the small temple, which seemed no larger than a palm, was just a door.
However, what truly astonished Shuro was not here.
Looking around, countless people were like dandelion seeds being blown, drifting towards the ancient palace atop the pillar. This scene was spectacular and indescribable.
"Let's go, old friend Shuro, let's go to the Wind Rise Pavilion," Sun Zhongyuan smiled and leaped from the edge of the precipice. "The wind is rising."
"The wind is rising," the Martial Resident stepped out.
"The wind is rising."
"The wind is rising."
Watching the Dispersed Masters flying towards the ancient palace, Shuro took a step and jumped, murmuring, "The wind is rising."
As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle breeze rose from the waves at the bottom of the cliff, as if responding to some kind of summons, lifting Shuro and carrying him straight towards the bronze ancient palace.
In his mind, the diagram of the Wind Escape Art surfaced, and Shuro's footwork gradually became ethereal.