Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Third Senior Brother of Mount Shu

"Hey, fellow cultivator, why are you getting up to leave? Do you perhaps disagree with what I just said?" Tian Feng immediately blocked Zhang Xiao's path when he saw him rise to depart.

Zhang Xiao cast a cold glance at Tian Feng and sneered, "What, are you planning to force me to stay?"

Tian Feng's face darkened. Seeing that Zhang Xiao was merely at the early Core Formation stage, he was astonished that Zhang Xiao dared show him such disrespect.

With a grim expression, Tian Feng said, "Humph, so you look down on me, do you? Then let me witness your strength and see if it matches your arrogance!"

With that, Tian Feng summoned a silver flying sword, which shot toward Zhang Xiao in a flash. Who says only the disciples of the Nine Shura Palace and the Five Venoms Sect are ruthless? The Mount Shu Sword Sect is no less so. With Tian Feng's late Core Formation cultivation, his sword strike was swift and lethal, leaving no room for ordinary people to dodge. Had it struck that disciple from the Nine Shura Palace earlier, he might well have been gravely wounded by this sudden attack.

But alas, Tian Feng was facing Zhang Xiao. As the sword flashed before him, Zhang Xiao neither dodged nor summoned any defensive artifact. Instead, he reached out to grab the flying sword with his bare hand. Seeing this, Tian Feng inwardly mocked Zhang Xiao for his foolishness—how could he block a flying sword barehanded? Many others present thought the same, but none spoke up. Some looked on with schadenfreude, while others, though inclined to warn Zhang Xiao, dared not for fear of incurring Tian Feng's wrath.

All of this did not escape Zhang Xiao's notice, who could not help but sigh at the coldness of the human heart. What happened next, however, shocked everyone present. Scales abruptly sprouted across Zhang Xiao's palm as he firmly gripped Tian Feng's sword. No matter how Tian Feng manipulated it, the sword would not budge from Zhang Xiao's grasp.

"Out of my sight!" With a resounding slap, Zhang Xiao drove the sword into the ground at his feet. His cold shout reverberated with a layered resonance that bore down on Tian Feng. Since his clone was about to break through the sixth layer of the Prajna Zen Sutra, Zhang Xiao had attained considerable mastery over sonic arts. This shout, laced with multiple tonal changes, was impossible to guard against.

Tian Feng's expression changed; before he could summon his defensive artifact, Zhang Xiao's shout sent him flying to the side. Zhang Xiao had held back—had he not, it would not have ended so simply. Even so, Tian Feng felt his blood roil violently, leaving him speechless as he lay on the ground. The other Mount Shu disciples immediately drew their swords, locking onto Zhang Xiao.

"What now? If one from the Mount Shu Sword Sect cannot prevail, do you intend to gang up on me?" Zhang Xiao's gaze swept over them as his aura erupted suddenly. The disciples were startled; they had not expected Zhang Xiao to be a late Core Formation expert.

Tian Feng, seeing this, hurriedly suppressed his churning blood and shouted to his companions, "Stop!"

At his command, the other disciples dared not provoke Zhang Xiao further. Forcing a smile, Tian Feng said, "I see now that your strength far surpasses mine. I, Tian Feng, was blind. Please, go ahead."

A cold light flashed in Zhang Xiao's eyes. He had no regard for Tian Feng's strength, but he couldn't help but respect Tian Feng's ability to yield and endure. The most dangerous people are often the shameless ones; the greater their patience, the more trouble they bring in the future. Zhang Xiao understood this well. In other circumstances, he would not hesitate to cripple or even kill Tian Feng, but with so many witnesses, it would not be wise to act rashly. So, with a frosty expression, Zhang Xiao strode away.

"Senior brother, are you just going to let him leave?" one of the Mount Shu disciples whispered as he helped Tian Feng up.

"Hmph, leave? It won't be so easy for him. Once Third Senior Brother arrives, he'll regret ever crossing us," Tian Feng replied, a look of hatred flashing in his eyes. The other disciples, hearing this, exchanged cruel smiles, as if Zhang Xiao were already in their grasp.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiao found an inn, sat cross-legged in his room, and produced a book made of a peculiar material, which he began to study intently.

"Young Master, are you just going to let that Tian Feng go? The old master always said, 'If you strike a tiger, strike it dead; if you cut weeds, root them out,'" said Ziyan, materializing from the Xuantian Token to stand before him.

Zhang Xiao understood this truth perfectly well, but the situation had not permitted action. If he had acted, it would have provoked public outrage—not that he feared it, but the consequences would be troublesome, possibly drawing the attention of the nine great sects. For now, it was best to keep a low profile. After explaining this to Ziyan, Zhang Xiao focused once more on the comprehensive tome of spatial magic in his hands.

Needless to say, this book had been seized from Karoxus. As a level-ten spatial mage, Karoxus's mastery of the art was extraordinary. This book contained his cultivation notes and insights. Zhang Xiao had often perused it during his travels, growing ever more impressed by the depth of Western magic. It was not an idle thought—many Western magical theories touched on the very laws of heaven and earth. The methods and principles described in this book were all new and enlightening to Zhang Xiao. Though he did not practice magic, the underlying principles were of immense benefit.

With a swift gesture, Zhang Xiao drew his finger through the air, creating a hair-thin rift in space, which closed in an instant. His brow furrowed—opening even such a tiny fissure had consumed nearly a tenth of his spiritual energy. It seemed that tearing rifts in space as Karoxus did was still a distant dream. Even so, Zhang Xiao was satisfied; at least he had found a way to return from the Xuantian Grotto.

"Young Master, come look—it's beautiful!" Ziyan called.

Zhang Xiao had not realized how late it had grown. The night sky was dark, yet the moon hung enormous and bright—at least ten times larger than before the great change. Its light poured down in a concentrated beam onto a distant mountain peak, forming a silver pillar that seemed to support the very heavens. Such a sight would make anyone suspect that some precious treasure on that mountaintop was drawing in all the moonlight. Zhang Xiao swept his divine sense over the area and found that many powerful cultivators were already hurrying toward the peak.

He would be lying if he claimed not to be tempted or curious. Still, Zhang Xiao was in no rush. According to the innkeeper, this phenomenon had persisted for some time. If the treasure were so easily claimed, it would have been taken long ago. After a moment’s contemplation, Zhang Xiao devised a plan. He summoned his bronze-armored corpse, recalled Ziyan into the token, and then merged his form with the corpse using the Corpse Armor Technique.

"Alas, though the bronze-armored corpse is of less use to me now, I can't deny it's been a great help. I recall slaying a ghost king and sealing its infant spirit at Ise Shrine in Japan. I should find time to seek out a leyline and see if I can upgrade the corpse to silver armor."

Controlling the bronze-armored corpse, Zhang Xiao leaped out the window and vanished into the earth.

Beasts emerged from the forest, each at least at the peak of Foundation Establishment, with some as strong as late Core Formation. Not only were they numerous, but their power surpassed that of human cultivators at the same level. The crowd fought back with magical treasures and spells, yet the sheer number of beasts left them struggling to hold their ground.

Suddenly, a three-foot-long azure sword streaked through the sky, sweeping out a blade of light ten fathoms wide. Every beast within that range was struck down or grievously wounded. The crowd’s spirits soared—they knew a master had arrived.

As the tide turned, several of the mightier beasts attacked, but an azure light flashed. A young man in a scholar’s robe, wielding an ancient bronze sword, stood before the monsters. His wide sleeves fluttered in the breeze, capturing the admiration of many young women present—he was simply too dashing.

Zhang Xiao would have immediately recognized this man as Fang Ding, the one who had recently contended with him for the exotic flame at the Longxing Auction House. Fang Ding’s bronze sword danced gracefully, sending out arcs of sword light that blocked the beasts with late Core Formation strength. Meanwhile, from another direction, a flurry of flying swords shot from the forest, dispatching more monsters.

The newcomers wore black robes embroidered with silver swords on the sleeves—the disciples of Mount Shu, led by Tian Feng. Many present rejoiced and hurried to join Tian Feng's group.

With the human forces growing stronger, the leading beasts howled in frustration, but they could not break through Fang Ding’s sword light. In desperation, they gathered the remaining monsters and fled. Some cultivators wanted to pursue, but Tian Feng stopped them: "Friends, do not chase a desperate foe. Take this chance to recover and tend to your wounds. There are many more beasts ahead—there's no need to rush."

His words brought the crowd to their senses, and many felt grateful to Tian Feng. At this moment, Tian Feng led the Mount Shu disciples to Fang Ding, clasped his hands, and saluted, "Greetings, Third Senior Brother."

The crowd was astonished to learn that this mysterious master was Mount Shu’s Third Senior Brother, raising their estimation of the sect considerably. Fang Ding slung his bronze sword across his back and replied with a hearty smile, "There’s no need for such formality, brothers. You flatter me."

Despite his righteous words, the pride in his eyes was plain to see. Tian Feng cursed Fang Ding's posturing inwardly but kept a pleasant smile as he struck up conversation.