Chapter 1002 - Wager

During his journey, Liu Wuxie learned that the Renowned Sword Manor was a prominent power in Northern City.

However, the Renowned Sword Manor had been losing its prestige year by year after the old manor lord had passed away. Many disciples had left on their own.

Everyone once called the old manor lord the Sword Deity in his time. He stood at the peak of this region's cultivation, just one step away from reaching the Heaven Profound Realm.

Liu Wuxie raised his hand, preparing to knock on the gates.

Right then, footsteps echoed from behind, accompanied by a piercing sword aura.

When he turned back, he saw over a hundred cultivators, all wielding swords as they approached the Renowned Sword Manor.

Their murderous intent made their hostile intentions obvious to everyone.

They charged toward the gates, forcing Liu Wuxie to step aside, narrowly avoiding being trampled.

With a slight frown, Liu Wuxie looked at the group. He suspected they were enemies of the Renowned Sword Manor.

Seeing his youth and ordinary cultivation, the newcomers dismissed Liu Wuxie as just another Renowned Sword Manor disciple.

A man stepped forward from the crowd and pounded on the Renowned Sword Manor's gates with such force that it stirred the surrounding residents. The commotion attracted a crowd, though everyone kept their distance.

"It's the First Sword Manor! Looks like they're going to destroy the Renowned Sword Manor today," someone whispered among the crowd.

Those in the First Sword Manor were men who arrogantly boasted of themselves as the best in the world. Even those at the Heaven Profound Realm wouldn't make such claims lightly, as there were plenty of experts in the world.

"They're probably here for the Heavenly Xun Sword," someone muttered from the crowd behind Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie quietly gathered information from their conversation. The Renowned Sword Manor had earned its name by spending countless years collecting renowned swords from across the world. The Heavenly Xun Sword held the most fame, rumored to be close to reaching the level of a heaven-spirit artifact corresponding to the Heaven Profound Realm.

Naturally, many coveted such a weapon.

Aside from the Heavenly Xun Sword, the Renowned Sword Manor also had an impressive collection of swords. While the old manor lord lived, none dared covet their swords. But after his death, times changed. The Renowned Sword Manor, leaderless and vulnerable, drew the greedy eyes of Northern City's factions.

The First Sword Manor had always rivaled the Renowned Sword Manor. The two manors specialized in the art of swords, and the Renowned Sword Manor had suppressed the First Sword Manor when their old manor lord was alive.

The First Sword Manor always trailed the Renowned Sword Manor in collecting famous swords. In particular, the Heavenly Xun Sword alone had overshadowed all the swords collected by the First Sword Manor.

The gates soon opened, and the Renowned Sword Manor's disciples poured out, glaring at the disciples of the First Sword Manor.

"You people have gone too far! How dare you cause a scene at our doorstep!" shouted a young man emerging from the manor.

With sword-shaped brows and eyes like stars, he looked no older than twenty-eight. His gaze alone shimmered with sword intent, proof enough that he lived by the blade.

"It's the grandson of the old manor lord! I've heard he has been managing all the Renowned Sword Manor's affairs since his grandfather passed away," murmured people among the crowd.

The youth's ability to manage the entire Renowned Sword Manor at a young age was extraordinary. He also possessed the demeanor and bearing of a true leader.

A man, roughly in his thirties, stepped out and sneered. "Miao Jianying, you know why we're here today. If you're willing to hand the Heavenly Xun Sword, we won't make things difficult for your Renowned Sword Manor."

Miao Jianying sneered at how overbearing and unreasonable the First Sword Manor was.

He retorted, "What a joke! The Heavenly Xun Sword remains the greatest treasure of my Renowned Sword Manor. How could we possibly hand it over? Don't blame us for what will happen next if you refuse to leave now!"

"You're wasting the Heavenly Xun Sword at the Renowned Sword Manor. Your manor doesn't deserve it anymore. Hand it over to us instead," demanded the man from the First Sword Manor.

The Heavenly Xun Sword had earned legendary status in Northern City. A mysterious swordsman once wielded it to defeat all enemies; none could withstand even a single strike. That mysterious swordsman had exhibited extraordinary swordsmanship, but he had vanished suddenly.

Years later, the Renowned Sword Manor's founder had relied on it to rise to prominence.

People discovered only later that the swordsman who once wielded the Heavenly Xun Sword had reached a realm where he no longer needed a physical blade. He had met the Renowned Sword Manor's founder by a lake, and the two had sparred for ten days and ten nights. The manor's founder had gained immense insight into the art of swordsmanship.

Since then, the mysterious swordsman had vanished and entrusted the Heavenly Xun Sword to the Renowned Sword Manor's founder.

In other words, the Heavenly Xun Sword formed the soul and foundation of the Renowned Sword Manor. Losing it would be dishonorable to their ancestors and a disgrace to the mysterious swordsman who had gifted it to them.

To the Renowned Sword Manor, the Heavenly Xun Sword was more than a weapon; it was their symbol and totem.

"The Heavenly Xun Sword belongs to us. If you want it, you'll have to flatten the Renowned Sword Manor first!" Miao Jianying said with firm resolve.

Anyone who wanted the Heavenly Xun Sword had to go through the Renowned Sword Manor first. They wouldn't hand it over to anyone as long as the Renowned Sword Manor continued to exist.

"Miao Jianying, the treasure belongs to those who are worthy. Since we're here today, we have no intentions of leaving empty-handed." The man from the First Sword Manor's party pressed on.

He argued, "When that mysterious swordsman gifted the Heavenly Xun Sword, it was because of your founder's unmatched swordsmanship. But the Renowned Sword Manor's skills have long declined. You no longer deserve it, and I believe that mysterious swordsman would be heartbroken if he saw what you've become. You should know what's best for you and hand the Heavenly Xun Sword over, lest you people tarnish its legacy."

Surprisingly, the crowd supported his words.

The mysterious swordsman had gifted the Heavenly Xun Sword to the Renowned Sword Manor after being impressed by its founder's swordsmanship. However, the Renowned Sword Manor's skills had declined, and the First Sword Manor had already surpassed them.

The death of the old manor lord only added fuel to their audacity.

"Yin Xue, that's complete nonsense! Since when has our Renowned Sword Manor declined? Our young master's swordsmanship has surpassed that of the older generation! You people should get lost!" roared the disciples of the Renowned Sword Manor.

But Miao Jianying furrowed his brows upon hearing those words.

"Since they claim that your swordsmanship is the best, why don't we settle this with a contest? Five matches, the best out of three, among our younger generation. We'll drop the matter if we lose, but if the Renowned Sword Manor loses, you'll have to surrender the Heavenly Xun Sword to us," said Yin Xue, issuing a challenge that was nothing more than robbery in disguise.

"That's right! Convince us that you're worthy with a fight!" echoed the other First Sword Manor's disciples, riling up the crowd.

"Fight! Fight!" echoed the crowd.

The First Sword Manor had bribed many among the crowd to create pressure on the Renowned Sword Manor.

The Renowned Sword Manor was caught in a dilemma. They would fall for the First Sword Manor's trap whether they accepted or refused the challenge. The First Sword Manor had come prepared since they dared to issue a challenge.

The two manors matched each other in swordsmanship, but the Renowned Sword Manor's younger generation fell short. The First Sword Manor deliberately proposed five battles, knowing the Renowned Sword Manor had few prominent disciples.

The Renowned Sword Manor had little chance of winning, but refusal would only further tarnish their reputation; this was the First Sword Manor's plan, pushing the Renowned Sword Manor into a corner.

"That's nonsense! The Heavenly Xun Sword belongs to us, and why should we fight with you over it?"

Miao Jianying maintained his composure and didn't fall for Yin Xue's trap.

"I know the terms might be unfair to the Renowned Sword Manor," Yin Xue said with a sly smile curling at the corners of his lips. "How about this? We, the First Sword Manor, are willing to offer the Supreme Harmony Sword as the wager. But if we win, the Heavenly Xun Sword will belong to us."

The two manors were renowned for their swordsmithing and had forged countless formidable swords.

The First Sword Manor had spent countless years forging a sword not inferior to the Heavenly Xun Sword. It had been tempered under numerous lightning tribulations until it was finally complete, known as the Supreme Harmony Sword.

However, in prestige, it still lagged behind the Heavenly Xun Sword, which carried the fame of that mysterious swordsman.

Though the Supreme Harmony Sword's reputation lagged behind the Heavenly Xun Sword, its quality was comparable.

The Renowned Sword Manor had forged countless swords, but none could compare to the Supreme Harmony Sword.

The main reason was the rarity of the materials; even after centuries of searching, cultivators often failed to find them.

Now, the First Sword Manor had offered to wager the Supreme Harmony Sword for the Heavenly Xun Sword. If the Renowned Sword Manor continued to hesitate, it would seem like they were afraid.

Then again, the fact that the First Sword Manor dared to wager with their ultimate treasure showed how confident and prepared they were.

Miao Jianying furrowed his brows, caught in an internal struggle. He knew the Renowned Sword Manor's reputation would plummet if they didn't respond today, and the First Sword Manor would only grow more arrogant and aggressive.

"Young Master, what's there to be afraid of? Let's accept their bet!" shouted a disciple behind him, unable to endure the provocation any longer. How could they cower when their enemies had marched straight to their doorstep?

"Bet!"

"Bet!"

"Bet!"

The crowd chanted.

The two manors' foundations lay in their skills in forging swords. Losing their reputation would plunge them into ruin.

The Renowned Sword Manor's reputation had declined, and its swordsmithing had stagnated. As a result, their business had fallen behind that of the First Sword Manor.