Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Tiankui Peak was the main peak and the heart of the Divine Sword sect. Yan Liqiang had never ascended Tiankui Peak before this. As an external disciple of the sect, he didn’t even have the rights to come here.

However, Yan Liqiang finally ascended Tiankui Peak today under Steward Xue’s lead after a few rounds of inspections.

Tiankui Peak was lofty and majestic with all sorts of pavilions, buildings, and cave dwellings hidden within. While ascending Tiankui Peak, sword gleams from the disciples who were cultivating on the mountain could be seen flashing above the trees and precipices among the snowy scenery. Along the way, elite disciples wearing purple robes were the most commonly spotted. Although not many inner disciples wearing black clothes were here, direct disciples wearing blue robes were everywhere. However, there was not even one external disciple like Yan Liqiang who was still in an ordinary gray robe anywhere in sight here.

Therefore, as Steward Xue and Yan Liqiang made their way up from the foot of Tiankui Peak, any disciples of the sect who came across them couldn’t help but stare at the latter. Apart from Yan Liqiang’s identity in the sect, his flawlessly handsome face also amazed everyone who laid eyes on him for the very first time.

When they were halfway up Tiankui Peak, Yan Liqiang spotted many disciples from the sect gathered in a garden at the side of the mountain road. Inside the circle they formed, there was a Dharmic projection of a ferocious winged-tiger with a red light. Bursts of green sword gleams appeared, causing snowflakes in the surrounding to swirl violently. The disciples who had gathered around were cheering loudly.

“Brother Peng’s Flying Tiger Sword technique is marvelous indeed…!”

“He’s probably attained the Ninth Layer…!”

“Impressive, impressive…!”

The sect disciples in the audience all sighed in amazement.

When Steward Xue and Yan Liqiang passed by, another burst of sword gleams was unleashed. Amidst the loud cheers, the Dharmic projection of a flying tiger immediately vanished. A good-looking youth with an unusual aura stood proudly with his sword.

The youth spotted Steward Xue and Yan Liqiang too. He swept his gaze over Yan Liqiang before his face broke into a smile as he greeted the steward. “Long time no see, Steward Xue!”

Steward Xue couldn’t help but stop when he heard the youth’s greeting. A smile appeared on his serious face. His expression made him look like an entirely different person from Yan Liqiang’s impression. “Greetings, Senior Martial Brother Peng!”

“Greetings, Senior Martial Brother!” Yan Liqiang acted accordingly to the rules in the Divine Sword Sect and bowed to him too.

“Oh, who is this external junior martial brother? Why have you brought him to Tiankui Peak, Steward Xue?”

“This is Yan Liqiang. The Sect Lord and elders have requested for his presence in the Sword Shrine!”

Upon hearing that Steward Xue was not only bringing Yan Liqiang to the Sword Shrine, but to also meet with the Sect Lord and elders, Senior Martial Brother Peng and the other disciples around him started giving Yan Liqiang curious glances.

“Ah, I wonder what is it about…”

“Well…” Steward Xue looked as though he was in a difficult position.

“Ha, that was only a casual question. I am very well aware of the sect’s rules. Forget about it if it’s not convenient for Steward Xue to disclose!” Senior Martial Peng chuckled. “Hurry along now, Steward Xue. Don’t keep the Sect Lord and elders waiting…”

“Thank you for your understanding, Senior Martial Brother Peng!” Steward Xue cupped his fist to his senior martial brother, then continued leading Yan Liqiang up the mountain.

Although they had gone quite far, Yan Liqiang could still feel burning gazes on his back. “Steward Xue, who exactly is Senior Martial Brother Peng?”

“One of the Divine Sword Sect’s Seven Heroes — Flying Tiger Sword!”

“Oh, no wonder!”

“Let’s us hurry, we shouldn’t keep the Sect Lord and elders waiting too long…” Steward Xue suddenly increased his pace. Naturally, Yan Liqiang followed suit to keep up with him.

In just a flash, they arrived at the summit of Tiankui Peak. The summit was a huge area about the size of a soccer field. They were surrounded by towering buildings. Facing the square was a magnificent shrine. From the square, one would still need to climb a set of ninety-nine stairs before reaching the shrine’s entrance. On top of the flight of stairs, two rows of swordsmen stood unmoving like boulders.

Steward Xue led Yan Liqiang through the square, then flashed his token. They climbed the stairs and arrived at the shrine’s entrance. Steward Xue faced the shrine, bowed before the doorstep, then made a loud announcement. “Xue Tao has brought the external disciple, Yan Liqiang, here as ordered!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the shrine’s door immediately opened. A deep and dignified voice rang out from inside.

“Let Yan Liqiang in!”

“Understood!” Xue Tao bowed to the shrine, then cast a glance at Yan Liqiang. “Go in!”

“Thank you, Steward Xue!” Yan Liqiang took a deep breath, lifted his leg, and stepped into the grand shrine all by himself.

The interior of the grand shrine was brightly lit. The moment Yan Liqiang entered, he saw an old man sitting upright in the Sect Lord’s seat. He had an imposing aura akin to that of a lofty mountain, a head full of silver hair, and a beard. When the old man’s gaze fell on him, Yan Liqiang felt as though he had walked into the public baths naked. The feeling of being scrutinized made his heart tremble.

There were two rows of seats on both sides of the old man. The seats were fully occupied and the occupants’ gazes were currently focused on Yan Liqiang.

The old man sitting in the middle gently lifted his hand at Yan Liqiang, who only felt two gusts of violent wind that brushed by him. The moment the old man lifted his hand, the open doors about twenty or thirty meters behind Yan Liqiang were promptly shut with a soft bang.

Holy f*ck…

Yan Liqiang was screaming internally. That brilliant move really stunned him…

Telekinesis was the cultivation of a Grade One Martial King. An ordinary person would be easily disposed of over a distance of several dozen meters without any chance of winning. Goddamn, that was really freaky…

Without a doubt, the old man seated in the main seat of this grand shrine was none other than the Sect Lord, the doyen of the Great Han Empire’s Senate nicknamed the Sword King, Luqiu Mingyue who had advanced into a Martial King thirty years ago.

The ones sitting at the sides were all elders of the Divine Sword Sect. Yan Liqiang recognized two faces among them. One was Elder Jiang, whom he met once when he had just joined the sect. The other was the most secretive master he was apprenticed to in the Divine Sword Sect, Liu Guiyuan.

Yan Liqiang was slightly agitated when he saw Liu Guiyuan. He didn’t expect to meet his own master so openly at this kind of time. Liu Guiyuan’s expression wasn’t that much different than the other elders’. His shiny eyes were also looking at Yan Liqiang with great interest. Feeling the attention on him, Yan Liqiang calmed himself down and looked away from Liu Guiyuan as he pretended to not know him. He walked toward the front and bowed deeply to the old man seated in the main seat and everyone else in the surroundings when he reached the middle of the grand shrine. “Greetings to the Sect Lord and all elders from Yan Liqiang, the external disciple of the Divine Sword Sect!”

The seventeen elders of Divine Sword Sect were all gathered here at this moment. Five of the seventeen elders were women. Two of them were stern-looking elderlies with gray hair but youthful faces. The other three were extremely graceful and beautiful middle-aged women whose appearances didn’t give their age away.

“No need for formalities, you may get up.” Luqiu Mingyue spoke indifferently from his seat.

“Thank you, Sect Lord!”

Luqiu Mingyue took a look at Yan Liqiang from head to toe, then nodded with a smile on his face. “Not bad, not bad. A handsome man like a fine jade made in heaven. It has been a few decades since we have had such a handsome disciple in the Divine Sword Sect!” After Luqiu Mingyue was done complimenting Yan Liqiang’s looks, he turned his gaze to someone else. “Elder Jiang, was the key that Yan Liqiang brought here to join the sect the Key of Requital from Elder Shi?”

Elder Jiang, who had a long face and a pair of keen eyes, nodded when he heard Luqiu Mingyue’s question. “Yes. I was the one who permitted him to join the Divine Sword Sect that day. I have verified that it was the Key of Requital from Elder Shi. Yan Liqiang had never learned internal cultivation and didn’t carry any sort of poison on his body. We have also sent people to verify his background. There is no mistake about it!”