Chen Chao’s trip to the Sword Sect had indeed been a spur-of-the-moment decision. He had not informed anyone, not even the Sword Sect itself.

But now that Chen Chao had appeared at the gates of the Sword Sect, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master could not help but think more deeply about it.

This figure, now acknowledged as the strongest existence among the human race, looked at Chen Chao and frowned slightly. “Has something happened again to my Sword Sect's disciples in the Northern Frontier? Lord Warden Commander, have you come to hold us accountable?”

Chen Chao was taken aback at first, then gave a bitter smile and shook his head. “Sect Master, why say that? In the battle at the Northern Frontier, wasn’t it still the Sword Sect’s sword immortal senior who ultimately took the head of Liu Xiang, the commander of the demon army?”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master narrowed his eyes slightly. Though he had not dealt much with Chen Chao, he knew that the young man before him was not easy to handle. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “With the injuries you carry, what trouble did Lord Warden Commander encounter?”

In his view, given Chen Chao’s cultivation realm, it was already difficult for anyone in this world to defeat him one-on-one. If such a person existed, they were likely some reclusive great cultivator.

Very likely someone who had already stepped beyond the end of Nepenthe, this was something the Sword Sect’s Sect Master found particularly interesting.

Chen Chao said helplessly, “I went to the Myriad Heaven Palace once and fought with those old... immortals on the mountain. It was fine.”

Chen Chao downplayed the matter, brushing it aside in a single sentence.

Since it was not a major matter, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master did not wish to press further, and instead returned to his original question. “In that case, what brings Lord Warden Commander to my Sword Sect now?”

Chen Chao took a deep breath. This time, he did not hide anything, and said directly, “I want to ask Sect Master to suppress your realm and fight me.”

Upon hearing this, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master’s first reaction was to narrow his eyes. Someone of his stature naturally understood Chen Chao’s intent immediately, and he sneered, “Lord Warden Commander wants to get something for free again?”

Previously, when Yu Xiyi fought him with his realm suppressed, he had agreed because Yu Xiyi was a disciple of the Sword Sect. That battle allowed Yu Xiyi to glimpse the realm of a great sword immortal, which was beneficial to the Sword Sect.

But now that Chen Chao wanted the same, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master was not inclined to indulge him.

To rely on a battle with him to glimpse the scenery of the Fuyun Realm, one could only say Chen Chao’s calculations were quite good.

Chen Chao said, “That day, when Sect Master challenged His Majesty with the sword in the Divine Capital, you received His Majesty’s guidance, and only then broke through and saw the scenery of Fuyun...”

Before he could finish, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master shook his head and interrupted him. “That was a matter between His Majesty and me. Besides, I have already helped you once, do not use that again to make demands.”

Chen Chao shook his head. “Sect Master is mistaken.”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master narrowed his eyes, sword intent gathering without release. He said nothing, but it was clear that the Sword Sect's Sect Master's mood was not good.

“Does Sect Master think that after reaching Fuyun, one can simply stop there? Is the sword dao unable to rise any further from this point? If that is the case, then I will take my leave.”

Chen Chao spoke calmly, but in his eyes there was a firmness that needed no further explanation.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master stared at Chen Chao. Although he still did not speak, some sword intent could no longer be restrained, surging out from within his body. He was now the only sword cultivator in the Fuyun Realm in this world. Once this sword intent spilled out, even if it was unintentional, it was as though a great sword immortal at the end of Nepenthe had drawn a sword here.

If an ordinary Nepenthe cultivator were standing opposite him at this moment, they would likely find it difficult to withstand, but Chen Chao merely looked at the Sword Sect’s Sect Master calmly.

“Sect Master’s sword dao is naturally unmatched in this world, but since the sword dao has not yet reached its highest point, it should not stop advancing. Suppressing your realm to fight me should bring some benefit, this is a mutually beneficial exchange.”

Chen Chao spoke calmly. He wanted to persuade the Sword Sect’s Sect Master to fight him. Even if he could not step into the Fuyun Realm through this, he still wanted to glimpse the bearing of that realm.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master said indifferently, “I have already seen through the scenery of Nepenthe, it is all matters left behind. Why should I turn back to look at it again?”

He was also extremely confident. Since he had already crossed that realm, then the things within that realm should no longer bring him any benefit. Even if Chen Chao before him was one of the rare few within that realm, it was the same.

Chen Chao smiled. “If it were others, Sect Master naturally would not need to look back. But how am I an ordinary person?”

As he spoke, a wisp of white mist overflowed from Chen Chao’s palm. After that wisp of white mist appeared, a peculiar light suddenly burst forth in the Sword Sect’s Sect Master’s eyes.

Having reached this realm, his vision was naturally not something ordinary people could compare to.

“I dare say that all those at the end of Nepenthe in this world are different from me.”

Chen Chao was full of confidence. The foundation of his cultivation came from a previous era’s cultivation method. With just this aspect alone, he was different from all other cultivators of this era. Moreover, he had not completely followed the path of that previous era; he was truly opening up a new path. A Chen Chao like this, though his realm was not the highest in the world, was absolutely one of a kind.

He did not believe the Sword Sect’s Sect Master would remain unmoved by this.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master’s reaction just now had already shown that his interest in Chen Chao was definitely not low.

“I have indeed heard many things about you. The origin of your cultivation should come from that ancient ruin discovered by the Sublime Bright Sect.”

Ever since he had dealt with Chen Chao once, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master had already begun to understand everything about him. Even if not for himself, it was for the Sword Sect. After all, he might not remain forever, and Chen Chao had already proven that, barring accidents, he would be the one whose words carried the most weight in this world over the next hundred years.

The next era might very well belong to Chen Chao.

“That ruin is called the Rongshan Sect. It is a sect ruin from a previous era. Its cultivation methods are naturally different from those of today. Someone once told me that in that era, martial artists were not incapable of cultivating techniques.”

Everything Chen Chao revealed at this moment was meant to stir the Sword Sect’s Sect Master’s interest.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master remained silent.

“Sect Master should also know that in the desolate north, there was once a woman sword immortal who made a move and fought the Demon Emperor.”

Chen Chao looked at the Sword Sect’s Sect Master.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master’s interest grew even stronger. He might not care as much about other things, but for a sword immortal who had likewise stepped beyond the end of Nepenthe, he was naturally far more interested.

Moreover, that woman sword immortal was clearly not a sword cultivator of this era. If he could fight her, perhaps he could use that opportunity to see the differences between the sword dao of the previous era and that of the present.

“You can let me fight her?”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master put forward his condition. In his view, as long as he could fight that woman sword immortal, then feeding Chen Chao his sword at this moment would not amount to much.

Chen Chao shook his head. “Whether a battle can happen is not up to me. But if Sect Master is willing to suppress your realm and fight me, then someday in the future, perhaps I can arrange for Sect Master to meet her.”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master shook his head and said, “What you’re offering lacks sincerity.”

Chen Chao smiled. “What Sect Master has to pay is not much, while what you gain is at least not little.”

Negotiating a deal was always like this - use the least to gain the most.

But in this matter, it was more a case of each taking what they needed.

Coming to fight the Sword Sect’s Sect Master, what Chen Chao wanted was not little. First, to see whether he could break through by means of this battle. If not, then to at least use this fight to see just how terrifying a Fuyun Realm cultivator truly was.

“You want to face the Demon Emperor?”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master suddenly spoke, his voice carrying no discernible emotion.

Chen Chao said helplessly, “Does Sect Master want to go in my place?”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master sighed with feeling. “It’s not easy for you, such a matter falling onto the shoulders of a young man not even thirty.”

Chen Chao smiled. “Who asked my surname to be Chen?”

Back at Sword Qi Mountain, when Chen Chao was being made things difficult for, the Great Liang Emperor far away in the Divine Capital had once said a sentence.

Who asked this world to be surnamed Chen?

Later, when Chen Chao arrived in Xinliu Prefecture and dealt with those itinerant cultivators in the northern lands, he had said something similar.

Being surnamed Chen, in many situations, meant enjoying countless glories. But those glories always came with a price, and could not be accepted with a clear conscience.

When the time came that people surnamed Chen needed to stand forward, they had to stand forward.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master thought for a moment, then said calmly, “I don't ever hold back with my sword.”

Chen Chao smiled. “Then let it be a life-and-death battle. Presumably I won’t die so easily beneath Sect Master’s sword.”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master asked, “If I suppress my realm to fight, will it truly benefit you?”

Chen Chao thought for a moment, then gave an answer that nearly made the Sword Sect’s Sect Master fly into a rage. “Presumably Sect Master won’t be able to resist using methods above Nepenthe.”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master suppressed his anger and said calmly, “Then I will see what means the one destined to be number one of this younger generation truly has.”

As the Sword Sect’s Sect Master spoke these words, a vast and surging sword intent rose from the ground without warning, piercing straight through the clouds.

In just an instant, Chen Chao seemed to have fallen into a sword formation.

All around him seemed to be endless sword qi, and ever-flowing sword intent.

His expression grew serious. No matter what, the man before him was the strongest in the sword dao under heaven, the publicly acknowledged strongest of the human race. Any underestimation would bring no good outcome.

And he could not take him lightly just because the Sword Sect’s Sect Master had once lost to Yu Xiyi at the same realm.

It had to be known that long before the Great Liang Emperor rose to prominence, among the most famous figures in the foreign lands, this Sword Sect’s Sect Master had already been one of them.

Chen Chao pressed down on the saber hilt of Cloud Mud at his waist, took a deep breath, and the qi within his body began to boil like a prairie fire. In an instant, it surged through his limbs and countless acupoints.

With a light tap of his toe, Chen Chao transformed into a streak of light, crashing into the firmament, plunging into the densest place among that boundless sword intent.

This was destined to be a battle few would know of, yet one that would surely shake the heavens.

In a certain sense, it could even be called a clash between the new and the old.

The strongest powerhouse of the younger generation, against the strongest surviving powerhouse of that era.