Chapter 165 - Lu Kangnian Meets Long Qu

After forcing out his last words through gritted teeth, Han Tiange led the remaining members of the Purple Sun Pavilion away, vanishing from sight before the crowd.

Only when the Pavilion’s cloud boats had disappeared into the sky did the crowd begin to grasp what had happened.

“The Daxia Sword Sect won!”

A hush fell over them all. No one had expected such an outcome when the battle began. Their surprise only grew when the blind swordsman, Li Guanqi, began to kill many people.

If any other sect had been in their shoes today, they would have chosen to swallow their anger. At most, their senior leaders would meet with the Purple Sun Pavilion and offer some compensation. They might even bend under the pressure and hand over their disciple. No one would start a war over a mere Qi Refining Realm girl.

However, Li Guanqi had killed eight Purple Sun Pavilion disciples in a row. With his terrifying sword skills, he had an absolute advantage over anyone in the same realm. Even Zhao Beichen, the famous prodigy of the Purple Sun Pavilion, had no choice but to force a breakthrough to face him.

The crowd had grown even more excited when Sect Master Lu Kangnian appeared and unsheathed his sword, declaring war. It wasn’t a mere empty threat—after unsheathing his sword, he voluntarily triggered a heavenly tribulation, battling the tribulation lightning right at the center of the battlefield.

Although the heavenly tribulation was a perilous process that nearly cost him his life, they all agreed that he was terrifyingly powerful. Other people would have needed years or decades of preparation for such a heavenly tribulation, yet he survived it so casually. He had even shattered the lightning bolt with his sword.

The Daxia Sword Sect had finally bared its fangs for all to see. For how long had this ancient sect lurked quietly in the Northern Territory? No one knew. But today, its hidden strength was laid bare.

One elder, Ling Daoyan, stood at the peak of the mid Divine Transformation Realm. The Daxia Sword Sect, once believed to have only a Nascent Soul Realm master, now boasted two Divine Transformation Realm cultivators, a dramatic overnight surge in power.

But more than their strength, what shook the onlookers was their courage and unity. A single command from Lu Kangnian had summoned every disciple at or above the Foundation Building Realm to the battlefield.

Two Divine Transformation Realm cultivators from the Purple Sun Pavilion had been forced to retreat. News of the Daxia Sword Sect’s valiant stand swiftly spread throughout the entire Daxia Territory.

The onlooking sect elders and their disciples hurried away from the battlefield, eager to report the events back to their respective sects. The balance of power in the entire Northern Territory was about to change.

The courage the Daxia Sword Sect had displayed—from its sect master to its disciples—left the senior leaders of many other sects lost in thought. They tried to imagine themselves in Lu Kangnian’s place. What would they have done when faced with the wrath of the Purple Sun Pavilion?

Yet after three seconds of thought, they all shook their heads in resignation.

Perhaps... If they had been in the Daxia Sword Sect’s shoes, they would have handed over their disciples to the Purple Sun Pavilion to avoid conflict.

Opinions were divided.

Some admired the Daxia Sword Sect’s resolve—their willingness to shield their disciples at all costs, even against a powerful faction. Others thought Lu Kangnian was a fool, throwing his impoverished sect into conflict with a powerful faction and courting destruction.

However, it didn’t matter what others thought. Lu Kangnian had made his decision.

“Elders of Heavenly Water Peak, tend to the gravely wounded disciples!” Lu Kangnian said, his brows tightly furrowed. “Everyone else, gather the fallen and bury them in the sect graveyard. We will begin the funeral tomorrow. Peak Elders, proceed with the headcount.”

The disciples scattered at once, rushing to fulfill their duties. They used their jade slips to locate fellow sect members. Li Guanqi, too, moved tirelessly through the battlefield, carrying unconscious disciples and searching for more survivors.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Ling Daoyan glanced at the empty sky and said to Lu Kangnian, “The Northern Heavenly King will likely want to talk to you.”

Still radiating a powerful aura, Lu Kangnian gave an almost imperceptible nod. His vital force was fluctuating, but there was no time for him to stabilize it.

As expected, Ge Qing appeared in front of them. With a hint of respect in his eyes, he bowed politely and said, “Sect Master Lu, the Northern Heavenly King summons you to his palace.”

Buzz!

There was a ripple of light in the sky, and an opulent palace hundreds of zhang wide appeared. Clouds of mist swirled around the palace, but it was no ordinary mist. This was mist formed from the Spirit Qi of Heaven and Earth, appearing only when it reached a certain level of concentration.

Palace of the Northern King,

read a plaque at the base of the palace.

Rumble!

The two five-zhang-tall palace doors opened slowly, then came Long Qu’s voice. “Sect Master Lu, please enter the palace.”

Lu Kangnian’s eyes brightened. He had expected a private meeting. He hadn’t imagined that Long Qu would summon him to his palace in front of everyone else.

This sent a clear message to the Purple Sun Pavilion not to overstep their boundaries. He took the Daxia Sword Sect seriously.

Lu Kangnian straightened his clothing and sheathed his sword, then turned around and said to Ling Daoyan, “Chief Elder, I’ll leave the rest to you. Once the battlefield is cleared, arrange for the disciples to return to the sect by cloud boat.”

Ling Daoyan smiled and nodded. He untied the wine gourd from his waist and said, “Don’t worry, go on ahead. Don’t keep the Northern Heavenly King waiting. I took this as a chance to stretch my muscles, so don’t think that you’re troubling me.”

Lu Kangnian nodded slightly, then walked into the palace with a solemn expression.

He passed beneath the plaque, cleansing himself of grime with a surge of vital force.

He stood at the entrance and bowed. “Greetings, Your Majesty! I, Lu Kangnian, sect master of the Daxia Sword Sect, have come upon your request.”

Long Qu’s booming voice sounded. “There is no need to be so uptight. Just come in.”

Inside the main hall, Long Qu sat preparing tea with his head down. There was a layer of light green qi swirling around the teapot, so it was clearly no ordinary tea.

As the doors closed behind him, Lu Kangnian took a seat with measured care. At last, Long Qu spoke. Passing him a cup, he said, “Have a taste. It’s top-tier mind-calming tea.”

When Lu Kangnian heard him, his pupils dilated in shock.

This is tier-five spirit tea!

He accepted the teacup carefully, gazing at the clear, light-green liquid. Then he took a sip.