World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 430: Hes Here

"Daoist Master Fei Yu is heading to Mount Hua with Xi Lian at high speed! He's estimated to arrive in fifteen minutes!"

"Captain, the venue is about to erupt into conflict! The Mount Hua faction insists on not changing the number of seats on the main stage!"

"We've detected that Xi Lian's primal qi fluctuations have stabilized. Daoist Master Fei Yu was likely healing her injuries earlier. Captain, what should we do?"

"There's an intense primal qi fluctuation at the summit of Mount Hua; the fifteen ancient cultivators have appeared and entered the airspace above the venue!"

On the main screen of the command hall, hundreds of cultivators from twenty-eight different Daoist heritages formed two distinct factions. They faced each other near the stage of the main venue, engaging in a standoff over the fifteen seats of honor. The surrounding stands, filled with tens of thousands of cultivators, were in uproar, throwing the entire area into chaos.

Qin Yishen's earlier scheme had truly struck the weakest point of the Daoist heritages: their reputation in the cultivation world. They believed that allowing the fifteen ancient cultivators to sit on the main stage would be equivalent to acknowledging their superior standing. Hence, they were naturally against it.

Qin Yishen's arrangement seemed casual, yet it openly exposed the tension between the two factions. Despite having no time to prepare, the Daoist heritages under the Shu Sword Sect, Wudang Mountains, and Longhu Mountains' leadership had to stand immediately in opposition.

***

A few minutes before the opening ceremony, the fifteen ancient cultivators appeared and descended toward the venue. Although Qin Yishen did not join them as scheduled, official staff on site reported that he had just been officially promoted and was occupied, expected to arrive later.

The ancient cultivators did not care.

Standing on white clouds, they descended like immortals in new Daoist robes. They looked solemn and dignified, almost radiant.

Their fifteen auras suppressed everything and everyone, silencing the venue. Half the Daoist masters near the stage looked grim, the other half relieved.

Xiaomiao and Liu Yunzhi, dressed in Special Warfare Unit uniforms, pretended to stroll casually in a corner of the venue while watching the ancient cultivators. They now had earpieces that were connected to the Special Investigation Unit.

Xiaomiao coughed lightly and pressed Liu Yunzhi's arm, who took a quiet breath and tried not to look in that direction. They waited for the right moment to act.

***

Special Investigation Unit headquarters.

The command hall fell silent. Though they were thousands of li away, staff from the Special Investigation Unit and Special Affairs Unit could still feel the oppressive aura from the ancient cultivators in the screens.

Just then, a report came from the corner of the command center, instantly lifting everyone's spirits.

"We've got a clear feed of Daoist Master Bu Yan now! He is with the Hidden Earth Sect's sect master, fifteen li south of Mount Hua. They are about to enter the venue!"

Chi Ling, who had been silent, finally breathed out softly. She immediately ordered, "Switch to a close-up view and capture their conversation clearly. Ensure they enter the venue smoothly! Do not worry about Fei Yu for now. Just tell Mou Yue to find a way to warn him not to act rashly!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The people nearby responded in unison.

The entire department, from headquarters to the Mount Hua frontline command center, rapidly coordinated with each other.

Everyone was on edge. In the face of fifteen ancient cultivators with seemingly overwhelming power, they were like dancers holding torches in a gunpowder warehouse; one misstep could mean complete annihilation.

In the venue, the sect master of Mount Hua—a gray-haired Daoist elder—took two steps forward. He bowed first to the Celestial Master and Qing Long, then turned and bowed to the ancient cultivators on the clouds. He exclaimed, "Esteemed forefathers, we offer you our respects!"

"Offer our respects? What for?" the Celestial Master interrupted.

The Mount Hua sect master frowned. "As cultivators, we should honor those of great virtue and standing. Why shouldn't we show them respect?"

Qing Long smiled. "Does Mount Hua believe that the virtue of modern cultivators cannot compare to that of the ancient cultivators?"

An elder from Mount Mao stepped out and calmly countered, "That's such a biased stance, Daoist Master Qing Long. When did we ever say that modern cultivators are inferior to the ancient cultivators? Cultivators follow the Dao, seeking to become immortals and enlightened beings.

"These forefathers survived countless perils to stand here with us today, yet they still chose to act with virtue and subdue the fiendish devil troubling the world. From my perspective, these seats rightfully belong to them."

"We are now in the fourth Immortal Dao Conference," Yuan Pu Zhenren said calmly. "Mount Hua should handle it the same way the first three Immortal Dao Conferences were handled. The fifteen ancient cultivators are of higher seniority; it's not fitting for them to mingle with us juniors in this minor gathering. How about we set aside a special area for them?"

The expression of Mount Hua's sect master darkened. "According to Yuan Pu Zhenren, do you mean to—hmm?"

He stopped mid-sentence, as did all the cultivators and the ancient cultivators above. They all turned toward the south of the venue, where several silhouettes were flying in fast.

Mount Hua's sect master hesitated slightly as the two in the lead suddenly accelerated and landed straight on the edge of the main stage.

Two of the ancient cultivators frowned and prepared to act, but the forefather of Mount Mao raised a hand to stop them. They all looked amused, clearly waiting for the opposing side of the cultivation world to reveal their forces before suppressing them completely.

The landing caused a little dust to rise. The newcomers stood side by side before the over ten Daoist heritages that rejected the ancient cultivators.

Qing Yanzi stood on the left, his expression calm and his eyes full of spirit. His Daoist robe was slightly dusty, and his long hair loose. With a spirit jade at his waist and a longsword in hand, he exuded a carefree and unrestrained aura.

Now a mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, he was ranked fifth on the Heavenly Rankings. With the top three of the Heavenly Rankings already present, he theoretically shouldn't have been able to shift the balance much, especially since the ancient cultivators were all at least at the Rebirth Realm.

Nevertheless, Qing Yanzi's appearance at this critical moment inexplicably lifted the morale of the Wudang Mountains, the Shu Sword Sect, and the Longhu Mountains. It had been too long since he had appeared publicly as the official representative of the cultivation world.

Standing to his right was a man with a round figure and a kindly, well-off look that made him seem like a friendly uncle from next door. The moment he removed his cloak, the cultivators from the sects backed by ancient cultivators were struck with shock.

Shen Sui'an smiled widely. "Everyone, you still have time to choose sides. Once the battle starts, it'll be too late."

Shen Sui'an and Qing Yanzi appeared on every projection screen in and around the venue. The massive crowd grew noisy.

In the air, the fifteen ancient cultivators' smiles faded. Some stared at Shen Sui'an, while others whispered to each other through voice transmission.

"Didn't the Hidden Earth Sect close its gates?"

"Why is its sect master here?"

"The tide has just completely turned against us. What kind of reversal is this?"

Amid the uproar, the situation in the venue shifted again.

Led by their sect masters, half of the Daoist heritages that had stood with Mount Hua—about seven or eight—decisively withdrew to the side stands. The eight ancient cultivators aligned with them now looked extremely displeased, including Mount Mao's forefather.

In the corner, Liu Yunzhi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled faintly. "The Hidden Earth Sect actually fooled Qin Yishen."

Xiaomiao hummed coldly, her expression icy. "Chief Chi Ling has a truly ruthless heart. It's a miracle Big Sister and I survived."

"Mm?" Liu Yunzhi froze for a moment. Realizing why Xiaomiao was angry, his smile gradually faded.

Before the Daoist heritages without ancient cultivators could act, Mount Hua's sect master called out, "Please, honored forefathers, take your seats!"

"Hold it!" Qing Yanzi exclaimed thunderously. His gaze locked sharply on the old Daoists in the air.

Even though the cultivation pressure he exuded could not compare to theirs, his presence was by no means weaker.

"On what grounds do they deserve those seats?" Qing Yanzi questioned coldly, his words echoing across the entire venue. "Virtue? They are ancient criminals, guilty of trespassing into the Small Nether Realm and slaughtering the forebears of the Hidden Earth Sect!"

The Mount Hua sect master shouted back, "If not for the forefathers subduing the fox fiend that turned into a devil, half of the Hua Republic's cultivation world would have already perished! Such merit is the very definition of virtue!"

Before Qing Yanzi could respond, loudspeakers attached to the drones around the venue blared in unison.

"Lies! They're all lies!"

Two figures burst out from the corner. Xiaomiao pulled off her helmet, her short hair swaying lightly. All the screens in the venue focused on her.

"I am Wang Xiaomiao, younger sister of Sword Cultivator Fei Yu! The same girl these ancient cultivators falsely accused of being possessed by a fiend's soul! Since my brother was traveling with Fairy Bu Yu for cultivation, I was home alone with Big Sister Xi Lian." She then pointed to two of the ancient cultivators. "A few nights ago, those two ambushed us and forced her to turn into a devil!"

"Absurd nonsense!" an ancient cultivator roared.

A sword's cry reverberated within the Shu Sword Sect's crowd. An ancient sword then unsheathed itself and flew before Xiaomiao, hovering silently in front of her.

Xiaomiao's eyes blazed as she fearlessly strode toward the stage. Liu Yunzhi followed right behind her.

Upon seeing their sect's disciple, the gaze of Mount Mao's forefather sharpened. With a trace of cold light flickering in his eyes, he bellowed, "Enough! I have lived for over a thousand years; I will not let my juniors slander me!

"Your glib tongues mean nothing. After all, you will always find excuses to heap blame upon me and brand us old bones with shame! If you truly wish to deface us, then we shall follow the cultivation world's rules! Who among you will fight me?"

His Tribulation Realm aura spread across the entire venue. Though he was only at the mid-stage of the Tribulation Realm and had yet to face heavenly tribulation, he was already two major realms stronger than the highest-ranking cultivators on the Heavenly Rankings.

An ancient cultivator at the mid-stage Rebirth Realm then descended slowly from the clouds, leisurely hovering above the stage. "I am He Linzi, the weakest among my peers. Allow me to teach you ignorant juniors a lesson."

The Daoist masters exchanged glances. The Celestial Master was just about to volunteer when Qing Yanzi stepped forward instead.

"I, Qing Yanzi, inheritor of Lu the Progenitor's teachings, accept your challenge."

"Good! Good! Good!" He Linzi seemed deeply insulted. He had not expected anyone to actually accept his challenge.

Qing Yanzi showed no fear despite the massive gap in cultivation. He rose into the air as countless cultivators inside and outside the venue loudly cheered his name.

Standing on his dagger, he ascended slowly and faced He Linzi.

Below, the Daoist heritages withdrew. Xiaomiao and Liu Yunzhi stopped as well. Several Daoist masters and elders positioned themselves protectively before them.

As the space cleared, Qing Yanzi's footwork technique and enchanted power surged, his aura like a sturdy ship braving a raging sea. However, storms of fury gathered before him. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Fearlessly facing such immense power was already remarkable.

Standing proud, He Linzi calmly said, "Do not worry. I will hold back; your life will not be in danger. Still, I will teach you ignorant juniors to respect your elders."

With a wave of his sleeve, waves of enchanted power began to gather.

Shiiing!

Qing Yanzi slowly drew his treasured sword, exhaled softly, and leaned forward. His pure yang enchanted power was at the brink of eruption.

He Linzi's lips curved into a faint, mocking smile. He stood motionless, neither defending nor attacking. His stance made it clear that he would let Qing Yanzi make the first few moves and even attack however he wished.

Qing Yanzi snorted coldly, and enchanted power surged under his feet. Putting everything he had into one step, he moved forward through the air.

All of Qing Yanzi's enchanted power and all the momentum from his footwork technique gathered into his treasured sword. The Ziwei Heavenly Sword Art might not have been his most refined technique, but it was still extraordinarily powerful. He was just about to unleash the art's strongest technique when a sharp whistle suddenly cut through the air behind him.

Whoosh!

Faster than the whistle, pale-white light flashed past half a zhang beside Qing Yanzi. He couldn't even tell what it was; all he saw was a faint white gleam and the glowing arc it left behind slicing through the air.

At the end of the light, He Linzi's expression instantly shifted from calm to panic. Rebirth Realm cultivators had terrifying control over their own expressions, yet at that moment, not even he could hide his fear.

The white light had come too fast. The instant Qing Yanzi lunged forward, it burst from outside the venue and appeared on the stage. The sword intent within it locked completely onto He Linzi, immediately making him feel that his life was in danger.

Instinctively, he twisted his head to the left and raised his right hand. The back of his hand pressed against his cheek as enchanted power surged violently from his palm.

Pch!

Blood burst from his palm as the white light stopped, revealing a sword scabbard inside. The tip of the scabbard pierced through his enchanted power barrier and drove straight into the center of his right palm.

A thunderous blast then erupted as white light burst from the scabbard. He Linzi screamed as he was blown backward. He spun several times through the air before crashing onto the stage, smashing several chairs beneath him.

With its power spent, the scabbard fell slowly and landed upright before the stage, standing quietly in the open space.