Chapter 7: The Sword Homage Assembly Begins

“Heh.” Chu Jingshan let out a cold snort, but he did not grow angry with Gu Feng.

Still, despite his repeated attempts to show goodwill, Chu Feng had not given him the slightest face. That undoubtedly infuriated Chu Jingshan.

A cold light flashed through Chu Jingshan’s eyes. “Xiao Shan, make sure you give my Seventh Brother a proper welcome on my behalf.”

“Yes.” Xiao Shan caught the meaning behind those words, and a sinister smile appeared on his face.

………

At noon, all the honored guests who had come to attend the Sword Homage Assembly had arrived.

Under Gu Yueyue’s guidance, Chu Feng and Su Yanran arrived at a vast arena.

The honored guests took their seats one after another around the arena, quietly awaiting the opening of the Sword Homage Assembly.

After arriving, Chu Feng and Su Yanran casually found a secluded corner and sat down.

No sooner had Chu Feng taken his seat than he felt a gaze fall upon him. He lifted his head and looked over, only to see Chu Jingshan smiling faintly at him.

Chu Jingshan seemed not to have expected Chu Feng to be so keenly perceptive. After offering a genial smile, he withdrew his gaze.

Time passed bit by bit. Once it was clear that all the honored guests had arrived, Gu Jianfeng, the Sect Master of the Gujian Sect, still did not appear. Instead, Xiao Shan stepped onto the arena with ten disciples of the Gujian Sect.

The moment Xiao Shan appeared, a chilling killing intent suddenly burst forth from Su Yanran beside Chu Feng. Her hand clenched ‘Spring Chant’ so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

“Yanran, calm down! You are no match for that man!” Gu Yueyue immediately tried to dissuade her, afraid Su Yanran would do something foolish.

Su Yanran bit her lip and said nothing, merely turning her eyes toward Chu Feng.

Chu Feng smiled faintly and gave Su Yanran a reassuring look. Only then did she suppress the killing intent in her heart.

On the arena, Xiao Shan first expressed his thanks to the honored guests for coming. After speaking a few meaningless polite words, he formally announced the start of the Sword Homage Assembly.

The ten disciples standing behind Xiao Shan all opened the sword cases in their arms at the same time. In an instant, ten dazzling sword gleams flashed forth, so sharp and brilliant that everyone instinctively narrowed their eyes.

The sword light vanished in a flash, revealing ten exquisitely crafted swords of varying lengths lying quietly inside the cases.

The quality of those ten swords was inferior to ‘Spring Chant’ in Su Yanran’s hand, but each one was still a rare and precious weapon that could only be encountered by chance.

The disciples of the Gujian Sect set the sword cases down on the arena, then stepped back off the platform.

When treasured swords appeared, the capable claimed them.

The Gujian Sect was only responsible for presenting the swords. As for who ultimately obtained them, that depended entirely on their own ability.

After a brief silence, a powerfully built man made the first move. The chair beneath him exploded with a loud crash as he leaped onto the arena and charged toward a crimson sword.

“Hahaha! Since none of you are making a move, then I, Shen, will not stand on ceremony!” the man roared with laughter.

The moment he moved, the others also sprang into action, surging toward the ten swords on the arena all at once.

“I’ve set my sights on this sword! All of you, get lost!” Shen Sheng’s eyes blazed with ferocity as he struck at the people around him with fists like forged iron.

Wave after wave of fierce fist wind swept out with tremendous force, causing everyone’s expressions to change as they no longer dared come any closer.

Seeing this, Shen Sheng sneered smugly. He then walked up to the sword case, his eyes burning with excitement as he stared at the crimson sword within, and reached out to seize it.

“Hahahaha! A fine sword! My trip to this Sword Homage Assembly was not in vain after all!”

The more Shen Sheng admired the sword in his hand, the more satisfied he became, his face bright with delight.

Once the others realized they were no match for Shen Sheng, they could only turn away and join the struggle for the other nine swords.

“Elder Xiao, many thanks for the gifted sword.” Shen Sheng turned toward Xiao Shan below the arena and cupped his hands.

“Brother Shen, there is no need to be so courteous.” Xiao Shan smiled breezily and instructed a disciple at his side to prepare a scabbard for Shen Sheng.

“Your Highness, this Shen Sheng is the Sect Master of the Ganghong Fist Sect. He is a veteran Second-Rank martial artist,” Xiao Shan bent low and quietly introduced him to Chu Jingshan.

“Mm.” Chu Jingshan gave a simple acknowledgment, showing little reaction.

A second-rate sect like that was not important enough for him to personally win over. Leaving it to Xiao Shan was sufficient.

In truth, this Sword Homage Assembly was little more than a formality.

Xiao Shan had already secretly arranged the ownership of the ten swords in advance.

The people who would obtain those ten swords were all friends Xiao Shan had cultivated in private.

As for what they needed to do in order to receive the swords, it was equally simple: they merely had to agree to one condition from Xiao Shan—namely, that they would join Chu Jingshan’s camp in the future...

On the arena, after Shen Sheng had successfully obtained the sword, he noticed Xiao Shan’s respectful attitude toward Chu Jingshan and immediately guessed his identity.

His expression turned solemn, and he respectfully bowed toward him.

In the corner, Gu Yueyue took in the entire scene, her face turning livid.

From Xiao Shan’s outright servile manner, Gu Yueyue instantly understood the hidden scheme behind all this without needing to guess further.

“Yueyue, Xiao Shan is already acting this brazenly. Why hasn’t your grandfather come out to do anything about it?”

“If Xiao Shan keeps this up, then sooner or later your Gujian Sect will be tied to Imperial Prince Kun’s ship,” Su Yanran said with a serious expression.

“I know that, but...” Gu Yueyue glanced at Chu Feng, looking as though she wanted to say something but stopped herself.

“Do not worry. The real show is only just beginning,” Chu Feng suddenly said at that moment.

Su Yanran and Gu Yueyue were both startled and looked at Chu Feng in confusion.

But Chu Feng merely watched the arena with an amused expression, his eyes fixed on a single figure.

On the arena, after Shen Sheng had gotten the sword he wanted, he was just about to step down when a young man in black suddenly appeared from nowhere and blocked his path.

The young man’s face was cold and stern. On his back was a thick, jet-black broad sword, making him look unusually strange.

“I want that sword.”

Li Xiao stared at Shen Sheng and spoke coldly.

The moment those words fell, Shen Sheng’s face darkened, and a savage light burst from his eyes.

“Brat, do you even know what you are saying?”

“With your Fourth-Rank strength, you think you can take a sword from my hands?” Shen Sheng spat disdainfully.

Li Xiao raised his head. His cold eyes seemed capable of piercing straight through a person’s heart, making Shen Sheng feel intensely uncomfortable.

Li Xiao said nothing. He merely extended a hand and silently drew the broad sword from his back.

Sunlight fell upon it, and the sword’s blade was black as ink. When the sunlight struck it, it seemed as though even the light itself were swallowed by the blade, making it all the more unfathomable.

Seeing a mere Fourth-Rank boy provoke him so openly, Shen Sheng finally grew enraged.

A trace of killing intent spread from Shen Sheng’s body. He drew the crimson sword in his hand and slashed straight at Li Xiao’s head.

Though Shen Sheng was not a swordsman, his late-stage Second-Rank strength was unquestionably real.

With a single swing, the blade carried the full force of Shen Sheng’s monstrous strength. The crimson sword left behind a bewitching trail of blood-red light in the air, while the sword hummed with a shrill cry.

Li Xiao seemed to have been frightened stiff, remaining rooted to the spot without moving at all.

A cruel smile curled across Shen Sheng’s lips, as though he could already see Li Xiao being cut down by his sword.