The vast, somber main hall was ringed by stone walls etched with the sword techniques left by generations of Sword Tower powerhouses.
At this moment, the Sword Tower Master, ‘Huangfu Yujiang,’ and his master, Tianhong, stood poised with the elite masters of the Tower, their advance halted by a terrifying enemy ahead.
“Yujiang,” Tianhong turned to his disciple.
Huangfu Yujiang exchanged a glance with his master, both instantly understanding the other’s thought process.
“This Teng Qingshan—after that battle by the sea. I failed to capture him, and now he dares intrude upon the Sword Tower’s forbidden ground!” Huangfu Yujiang was furious internally, his gaze turning icy. He roared, “Teng Qingshan, back at the coast, I deliberately held back my troops from surrounding you, allowing you to depart unharmed. It’s one thing not to be grateful, but to then murder an elder of my Sword Tower and trespass into our sanctum! What do you have to say for yourself!”
Huangfu Yujiang gripped his divine sword, cold light gleaming in his eyes.
“Grateful?” Teng Qingshan looked slightly taken aback. How could those soldiers possibly descend into the sea to surround and kill him? In a true fight, even Huangfu Yujiang, despite his power, would exhaust his true essence and still not be his match. What gratitude was there to speak of?
“Huangfu Yujiang, for me to be grateful?”
Teng Qingshan studied Huangfu Yujiang closely and suddenly understood something… As the Sword Tower Master, Huangfu Yujiang was essentially the ‘Emperor’ of Bright Moon Island, positioned high above all, accustomed to the final word and absolute authority. Perhaps Huangfu Yujiang genuinely believed that choosing not to order the mass encirclement was an act of immense grace.
Teng Qingshan sneered, “I see that being the Sword Tower Master has addled your mind!”
“Insolence!” Several high-ranking Sword Tower officials roared from behind Huangfu Yujiang.
Teng Qingshan swept his gaze over the group, letting out a faint, detached smile. “The Sword Tower holds itself aloft on Bright Moon Island. You are long accustomed to being overbearing! It’s one thing to bully your own subjects, but you might do well to mind your manners in front of me!”
“You—” Many elders bristled with anger.
Huangfu Yujiang raised a hand to stop them, his face grim as he stared at Teng Qingshan, though a hidden killing intent flickered in his eyes.
“Huangfu Yujiang, I did not intend to cause trouble when I came to your Bright Moon Island,” Teng Qingshan stated coldly. “But your island soldiers forcibly seized my sea vessel, and when you came, even knowing your soldiers were in the wrong, you still insisted on dragging me back to your Sword Tower for punishment. How domineering. Truly domineering!”
“It’s a pity your strength was insufficient to capture me!”
Teng Qingshan knew perfectly well that had he been weaker, he would have been encircled and killed by the soldiers at the seaside, or slain by Huangfu Yujiang himself. Huangfu Yujiang’s attacks by the ocean had been intended to take his life with every blow.
“It seems you are courting death,” Huangfu Yujiang stated gravely. Beside him, his master, ‘Tianhong,’ stood ready, also clutching a black divine sword.
“Hmph!” Teng Qingshan let out a sudden, low snort.
The angry sound shook the entire hall. Sword Tower masters who hadn't reached the Innate realm instinctively covered their ears, faces contorted in pain. Dust and stone powder rained down throughout the great hall.
“Huangfu Yujiang!” Teng Qingshan pointed a finger directly at him. “I don't have time for pleasantries. Listen closely… Never mind you—even if every person in the Sword Tower, including every soldier from the Eighteen General’s Mansion, came at me, I could slaughter you all clean!”
Many present from the Sword Tower felt a chill run through them.
All the experts of the Sword Tower? All the armies of the Eighteen General’s Mansion?
“If you don’t want to die, then clear out,” Teng Qingshan said coldly.
“Arrogant trash!” Huangfu Yujiang snapped.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Huangfu Yujiang, clad in white robes, and Tianhong, in grey robes, pierced the distance of over fifteen feet between them almost simultaneously, moving at incredible speed. Two violent gusts of wind materialized out of thin air, kicking up substantial clouds of stone dust and debris in the hall. Those watching behind them widened their eyes.
Teng Qingshan watched the scene calmly; two beams of sword light rapidly expanded in his pupils.
Suddenly, he moved!
Whoosh~~~ The silver Reincarnation Spear traced a bizarre and profound trajectory, subtly accompanied by a faint yellowish light swirling around its path. The crimson tassel at its tip also blurred into a misty red glow.
Clang! Clang!
The two divine swords were simultaneously parried away, one from the front and one from the rear! Tianhong’s face was aghast, and even Huangfu Yujiang’s usually stern expression cracked with a trace of shock. “Even when Master and I join forces, he can block us so easily. His defensive spear arts are actually stronger than my sword arts!” Though they had clashed before,
Huangfu Yujiang had only known he couldn't break Teng Qingshan’s defense with his offense; he hadn't grasped the true depth of its power.
“Overreaching yourself!”
That cold shout echoed in the hall. Two rapidly spinning spear shadows—one following the other—stabbed out almost simultaneously toward Huangfu Yujiang and Tianhong. “Ah~~~” Huangfu Yujiang let out a roar, seemingly trying desperately to fend off the spear shadows.
But it was useless!
Thrust! Thrust!
Two sounds of spear tips piercing flesh and blood were perfectly audible.
Form-Intention Five Elements Spear—Poison Dragon Drill!
“Agh~~” A muffled cry of pain sounded. Both Huangfu Yujiang and his master, ‘Tianhong,’ staggered back several paces, their faces masks of terror as they stared at Teng Qingshan. The white robe of Huangfu Yujiang was now streaked with blood, especially his right shoulder, where a gruesome hole pierced clean through the joint.
And his master ‘Tianhong’ also bore a bloody puncture wound through his right shoulder.
“How is this possible?”
“In a single exchange, he defeated the Tower Master and the Old Tower Master?”
“Impossible!”
The Sword Tower high-ranking officials watching could only shake their heads neurotically, eyes wide open, muttering incoherently about the scene. They simply could not process what they saw! They knew that if a supreme expert could defeat both the Tower Master and the Old Tower Master so effortlessly in one move...
Then—
This person was truly invincible on Bright Moon Island! He could likely destroy the entire Sword Tower and establish unified rule over the island.
While the Sword Tower executives were gripped by fear and outrage, the Old Tower Master ‘Tianhong’ remained silent. Huangfu Yujiang, beside him, reacted much more dramatically.
“How… only one day ago, yesterday, he still…” Huangfu Yujiang refused to accept that just yesterday he could still withstand Teng Qingshan’s offensive spear techniques.
But today, Teng Qingshan’s spear arts, both in power and speed, had increased by a massive margin!
“Huangfu Yujiang!” A cold voice cut through the air.
Huangfu Yujiang reluctantly looked up, and indeed, every Sword Tower executive in the hall was staring at the speaker—that demon-like presence! They all noticed the silver spear, its tip shining darkly, blood running down it and being completely absorbed by the crimson tassel.
“If you are unconvinced, you are welcome to summon everyone from the Sword Tower, or even dispatch the armies,” Teng Qingshan addressed him.
Unconvinced?
He was certainly unconvinced, but did he dare voice it?
At this moment, Huangfu Yujiang understood that the single spear technique displayed moments ago was capable of slaughtering everyone in the hall in an instant. The fact that the opponent had only pierced his shoulder and not killed him was already a great show of mercy.
“What are you here to do?” Huangfu Yujiang asked gravely.
“I will be cultivating here in the cavern where the Immortal Jade Stele resides,” Teng Qingshan said with a faint smile. “While I am here, I permit no interruptions.”
“Agreed. I only hope you do not damage the Immortal Jade Stele,” Huangfu Yujiang replied.
Teng Qingshan smiled and nodded. “Of course not! You may all retreat now.”
“You cultivate here, and I guarantee no one from Bright Moon Island will disturb you. I only ask that you uphold your promise and do not damage the Immortal Jade Stele.” Huangfu Yujiang bowed slightly, then turned and left. “Let’s go!” Without another word, Huangfu Yujiang immediately led everyone away.
On the mountain path outside the forbidden sanctuary cavern, a large crowd had gathered.
“Master, what do we do now?” The Sword Tower executives were utterly distraught.
“What can we do?” Huangfu Yujiang frowned. “From today onward, enforce what we agreed: no one is to disturb this Teng Qingshan. Starting today, I will reside near this forbidden ground.”
Huangfu Yujiang turned to look at the entrance to the sanctuary cavern, thinking silently, I just hope this Teng Qingshan leaves Bright Moon Island soon!
If he didn't leave, Teng Qingshan would become the highest authority on Bright Moon Island, eclipsing them. They would live in constant fear.
Inside the cavern.
Teng Qingshan entered the natural cave, holding the Reincarnation Spear.
“Brother Teng, those people won't come back, will they?” Li Jun asked worriedly.
“Rest assured,” Teng Qingshan smiled faintly. “People like Huangfu Yujiang are accustomed to absolute authority, like emperors! That’s why they were so high-handed before, wanting to kill anyone they pleased. But once he realizes I am overwhelmingly stronger and that he has no defense, he becomes quite docile. I didn’t even try to kill him, so why would he dare provoke me again!”
Having trained as an assassin since childhood, tempered by hellish experiences at seven, Teng Qingshan held no compassion in this life either, shaped by the turmoil of this new era.
In his eyes, some people were destined for death, like sworn enemies. Others deserved to die, like those who tried to kill him—he would show no mercy, such as the hundred thousand troops of Beizhen. And then there were those who could be killed or spared, like the members of the Sword Tower. When first entering the forbidden ground, Teng Qingshan had tried to prevent news from spreading. Since the four guarding elders had also been ruthless—clearly having killed many—Teng Qingshan had eliminated them as well.
Later, upon discovering the Immortal Jade Stele and realizing he would need to stay for a period, Teng Qingshan made his confrontation with the Sword Tower experts public. However, he spared their lives… to avoid unnecessary commotion.
Once his stable seclusion ended, he could leave.
“Just one day of secluded contemplation has allowed me to grasp the second move of my ‘Water Element Fist’! It also greatly amplified the power of the ‘Poison Dragon Drill,’ allowing me to dispatch my opponent with ease.” Teng Qingshan gazed at the Immortal Jade Stele. His defense was strong, but his offense was comparatively weaker. A slight improvement in the ‘Water Element Fist’ immediately boosted the potency of the ‘Poison Dragon Drill.’
“From today on, I will focus entirely on cultivation.”
Teng Qingshan settled in for a long period of closed-door training in this natural cavern. For twelve hours a day, six hours were dedicated to sensing the intent of the Way of the Sword. During this time, Li Jun would stand guard beside him. The other six hours were spent in focused meditation, integrating the Water Element intent gleaned from the sword concepts into his ‘Water Element Fist.’
Time passed…
The masters within the Sword Tower waited anxiously, hoping this demon god would depart soon.
One day, two days, three days…
One month, two months, three months…
Teng Qingshan was completely immersed in his training, so much so that he barely had time to speak with Li Jun each day, only chatting briefly during meals every ten days or so. Yet, Li Jun remained steadfastly watchful, harboring no complaints. Through this long period of seclusion, Teng Qingshan’s comprehension of the ‘Water Element Fist’ continued to ascend at an astonishing rate…