Kindred Spirits
Chen Wentian left Glacier Palace behind. It was fun to tease Su Xue and Su Yue but he never intended to stay long. He was disguised as a strange immortal after all, one they didn't recognize. They would find out the truth about Lin Huzhong soon enough and he looked forward to seeing their expressions at that time.
He never intended to keep such a thing secret from his disciples but it worked out in his favor. For now, the twins' ignorance was his benefit. Chen Mo, disguised as himself, was already on his way to Glacier Palace to answer the call of so many emergency talismans. If that water demon had any method of spying on this province, it would see one immortal leave the province and another one arrive. It would prove that the source of the demon slayer art was unrelated to Ten Thousand Flower Valley. That demon's attention would remain on Lin Huzhong alone and his sect would be safe.
The endless white mountains flashed past below as Chen Wentian zoomed off towards the next province. The whirlwind tour of the provinces continued unabated. Mortal sects, lesser kingdoms, vast empires, he visited them all and dropped off the fruits of Zhou Ziyun's hard work and intellect.
He even visited Divine Blazing Mountain although he did not repeat his performance in front of Glacier Palace. Since Divine Blazing Mountain was full of men, there was no point pretending like he wanted to gain entry. The other three members of the ice sisters were currently within the mountain but he did not call on them. He dropped off a hundred copies of the Six Meridians Demon Blight sword style and left promptly.
Immortal sects were an important part of the plan to lure out the unseen demon enemy. They were the premier powers of the land and had thousands, tens of thousands, of powerful disciples. Even without their immortal masters, Glacier Palace and Divine Blazing were still unparalleled compared to mortal sects and factions. They would be able to utilize his demon slayer art and cause havoc on a level far beyond the capability of ordinary sects.
If his unseen demon enemy had any backbone, it would not be able to stand by and do nothing, not for long.
Since Chen Wentian visited Glacier Palace and Divine Blazing Mountain, he visited other immortal sects as well. The most prominent among them was the Tower of Swords, once a rival of the two elemental sects who now stood at the pinnacle in this region of the subcontinent.
The province where the Tower of Swords was located was called Sword King Province. It used to have a much less arrogant name but that had long been forgotten. There was no sword king here but the name reflected the ambition of the lord of the land. It wanted to become the home of a Spirit King Realm sword cultivator.
Sword King Province was a rich, fertile land. Nestled in the heartland of the Eastern Sanmu Subcontinent, close to the Eastern Sanmu Metropolis, it was brimming with cultivation resources. From mountains and valleys to rivers and lakes, it was a land filled with spiritual energy. It was no wonder an immortal sect could take root here and thrive. It was difficult for an outsider like Chen Wentian to not feel envious of the sights around him.
Chen Wentian soon arrived at the Tower of Swords. He descended below the clouds and approached the verdant mountaintop that contained numerous towers of grey stone. These towers were smaller around the edges and grew in size and stature towards the center where there was a massive, solitary tower that loomed over the rest. From a distance, there was no doubt that this place belonged to an immortal sect. The sheer majesty and spiritual aura that surrounded the mountain was something to behold. It was a product of countless generations of sword cultivators seeking the way of the sword here.
No emergency talismans fired off as he drifted closer. This meant that the sect master was home. Sure enough, a grey-robed figure emerged from the upper levels of the main tower and zoomed towards him.
It was Immortal Desolate Sword Peng Yuefeng. A thin and spry middle-aged man, he carried an enormous black sword on his back that was as big as himself. It was the Desolate Sword, the Spirit Lord Realm spiritual weapon that was his namesake.
When the two got close enough, an array of sword energy erupted around Peng Yuefeng and formed a wall in the sky, preventing any further progress. His sword energy was tinged with a grey-metallic color, cold and domineering. It was the Lonely Sword Wanderer, a solidary sword designed to slay all enemies alone.
Chen Wentian didn't flinch and responded with his own sword energy. It was a royal blue hue and did not come from Dugu's Tenth Sword. Since his disciples practiced Dugu's Tenth Sword, it was something closely tied to Ten Thousand Flower Valley and the identity of Chen Wentian. He couldn't utilize it as Lin Huzhong unless in a dire situation. Instead, his sword energy came from the only other immortal sword art that he knew of, the Descent of Ascalon. It was something that he had never shown to anyone, including his disciples.
The two sword energies collided with flashes of light and ear-splitting noise. One side was filled with grey swords, each radiating a lonely death. The other side was filled with blue swords of divine destruction of the dragon race.
They were evenly matched though neither was trying very hard. Peng Yuefeng's aura contained no killing intent, merely curiosity, while Chen Wentian was doing just enough to maintain his cover.
After a brief standoff, the sect master of the Tower of Swords let out a bellowing laugh. His sword aura retracted and his sullen face turned into a smile.
"I have heard of you, Immortal Sword Bandit Lin Huzhong. Your feats in the past year have shaken this subcontinent to its roots. Nobody knows where you can from but there is no one that does not know your infamous name. Welcome to the Tower of Swords. I've been expecting you."
His tone was cordial, filled with a strange amusement. It was the polar opposite of how this wily sword master treated Chen Wentian's actual self, which was with blatant animosity.
Peng Yuefeng and Chen Wentian would never see eye to eye. They were direct competitors. One was a sect master upholding the legacy of his immortal sect. The other was an upstart immortal with limitless potential seeking to carve his own domain off the backs of the established sects.
Lin Huzhong, on the other hand, was a rogue who had no home. Since he had no intentions of starting his own sect, he was far removed from the politics and power struggles between immortal sects. There were countless individuals throughout history who were able to break the shackles of mortality. Yet they all faded away into obscurity because they had no one to leave their inheritance. Only those that established a sect could have their legacy live on after death.
Thus, in Peng Yuefeng's eyes, Lin Huzhong was not a competitor.
Chen Wentian returned the greeting respectfully. "Immortal Desolate Sword Peng Yuefeng, I have also heard of your great name. It brings me joy for us to finally meet. I am honored and pleased that you have paid attention to my recent actions. Since I am here, I will get to the point. The subcontinent is suffering from a plague of demons and my Six Meridians Demon Bane sword style is the perfect cure. I wonder if Senior Peng would be interested in this little sword style that I have developed?"
Peng Yuefeng laughed merrily, as if the stranger in front of him was a long-lost friend. Indeed, they were kindred spirits, both sword masters walking the immortal path of the sword.
With just a quick exchange, the experienced sword master of the Tower of Sword could tell that the fat and ugly man in front of him was no pushover. That horrible blue sword energy had given him the sensation that the entire sky was falling down. He had never experienced a sword style like that and desperately wanted to learn more about it.
"Of course, no question about it! I am a fanatic of the way of the sword." Peng Yuefeng said, "It doesn't matter if it is a light sword, a heavy sword, or a demon banishing sword, I am interested in all of them. Come, Lin Huzhong. Today, you are an honored guest of my Tower of Swords! Please, this way."
"Please, lead the way."
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