As Lin Mu's voice faded, he himself had already ridden the Dragon Tamer away.

The crowd was momentarily lost in a daze.

But not a single person wanted to leave.

Nor did anyone pay any mind to Zhang Yan, who lay on the stage, his status unknown.

For at that moment, they saw the clear cry of a crane piercing the sky in the distance.

"KREEE!"

An immortal came riding a crane from beyond the horizon.

Dressed in white, with a three-inch beard and a horsetail whisk in his hand, he floated ethereally, resembling a celestial being.

"Liu Xianhe!"

The crane was enormous and incredibly fast, reaching the skies above Wufeng Town in the blink of an eye where it was clearly seen by all.

Guan Chengye gritted his teeth and uttered the name, a complex look in his eyes filled with anger, regret, and a hint of apprehension.

Liu Xianhe was the very enemy with whom Guan Chengye had a ten-year feud.

But ten years had passed. Guan Chengye's journey on the Martial Way had stalled at the Inner Strength level, whereas Liu Xianhe had surged ahead, advancing even further to become a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

"Martial Arts Grandmaster Liu Xianhe?!"

Someone suddenly yelled at the top of their lungs, pointing excitedly to the sky. "That's the Martial Arts Grandmaster, Liu Xianhe!"

THWIP!

However, as soon as the words left his mouth, a feather whistled through the air, instantly piercing his chest and embedding itself deep in the ground.

It was a feather from the Vermilion Crane, with not a single trace of blood on it.

Could a single feather slay a Martial Artist at the Internal Energy Early Stage?

Recognizing the identity of the slain man, the crowd took a thunderous step back. They showed no animosity toward Liu Xianhe; on the contrary, their respect for him grew even deeper.

In the Martial Arts World, the strong are always revered.

"Is my master's name something the likes of you can utter so casually?"

It was only then that everyone noticed another person standing on the back of the Vermilion Crane.

He was a boy of about twelve or thirteen, with a cherubic, chubby-cheeked face that was incredibly cute.

But the crowd was deeply shaken.

For it was this boy who had flicked that feather.

And so, the way they looked at him changed completely.

The boy swept his cold gaze across the crowd and said, "Who is Guan Chengye? Show yourself and face your death!"

His tone was thick with murderous intent, and his expression was one of utter disdain.

Guan Chengye's face paled. He had not expected that a mere disciple of Liu Xianhe would be so powerful.

Then...could Lin Mu possibly be a match for him?

At that thought, Guan Chengye looked up. The sky was clear, but Lin Mu's figure was nowhere to be seen.

Guan Chengye sighed heavily, his face a mask of despair.

He couldn't believe Lin Mu had actually fled. It seemed his opponent must have sensed Liu Xianhe's arrival and had spoken those words to placate him, buying time to make his own escape.

If even Lin Mu, a Grandmaster himself, knew he was no match, what hope did he have?

It seemed Guan Chengye was not going to escape death today.

With that thought, Guan Chengye gritted his teeth and stepped forward.

"Liu Xianhe, it has been ten years since we last met." Given his status, Guan Chengye naturally ignored Liu Xianhe's disciple and addressed the master directly.

"Audacious!"

The boy's eyes widened as he prepared to act, but a hand stopped him.

Liu Xianhe sat cross-legged on the crane's back with a whisk resting on his lap. Hearing the words, he opened his eyes slightly, and a sharp glint shot forth.

Below, Guan Chengye's expression changed drastically as he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

He was severely injured by a single glance from the Grandmaster. If it came to a fight, he was doomed to fall in the first move.

"Grandfather!" Guan Jiaojiao hurriedly supported Guan Chengye, her small face completely white.

"I have lived rather well these ten years," Liu Xianhe's voice was low and hoarse. Descending from the sky, it sounded immensely grand and mysterious. "But whenever I think of you, I am overcome with the desire to kill you with my own hands."

Liu Xianhe's gaze lingered on Guan Jiaojiao for a moment before he cracked a smile. "The only reason I waited ten years was to let the Guan Family's heirs grow up, so I could then exterminate your entire line!"

His tone was overflowing with killing intent.

The people standing near Guan Chengye quickly distanced themselves, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

Guan Chengye's body trembled. "Liu Xianhe, our grudge is between us. Why must you involve the younger generation?"

"Heh."

Liu Xianhe let out a cold laugh. "My disciple, Zhang Feng, was merely delivering a letter of challenge, yet you killed him. Do you truly believe I would let your family go?"

Guan Chengye roared, "But you must remember, I am a member of the Military Department!"

Liu Xianhe did not speak.

The boy beside him flicked his wrist, and a piece of paper fluttered down, landing before Guan Chengye.

A Martial Alliance life-and-death pact.

Five large, blood-red characters glared up at him.

"Do you see it clearly? A challenge signed by the Martial Alliance. The grudge between our families will be settled by our own abilities. Life and death will not be questioned!"

Liu Xianhe smiled cruelly. "That year, you killed my father and stole my beloved. Today, I will make you pay in blood!"

Everyone stared in shock but dared not make a sound. They never imagined the hatred between Guan Chengye and Grandmaster Liu Xianhe ran so deep.

Guan Chengye closed his eyes in pain, then snapped them open. "Do you not know what your father did?" he said in a low voice.

A corner of Liu Xianhe's mouth twitched. "He was my father, after all. And you took the woman I loved. That is a debt I must also collect!"

"Go. Kill that girl first." Liu Xianhe pointed at Guan Jiaojiao and muttered, "It's her own bad luck she looks so much like Xiaocao."

Guan Jiaojiao's face drained of color. Guan Chengye threw himself in front of his granddaughter, while Da Jun and the others formed a human wall before them, their expressions grim.

"Unrelated parties, scram. Otherwise..." Liu Xianhe's disciple swept his gaze over them, his cold tone echoing in everyone's ears, "none of you will leave!"

The rest of the crowd retreated further, with only Da Jun and his companions holding their ground.

"Very good. I like those who aren't afraid to die." The boy smiled cruelly. "As for the rest of you... submit, or die!"

"We submit!"

"Greetings to Master Liu!"

"Greetings to Master Liu!"

The crowd fell to their knees and kowtowed, acknowledging Liu Xianhe as their superior.

Only then did the boy smile with satisfaction. With a wave of his small hand, two feathers appeared and were gently tossed down.

The feathers were as light as could be, but the moment they started fluttering, they transformed into two sharp swords that shot through the air.

Da Jun knew that the few of them stood no chance of blocking the attack.

But even so, they would use their own flesh and blood to try and stop it.

Guan Jiaojiao's face was deathly pale as she cried out in her heart, Lin Mu, where on earth are you?

CRACK!

Just as the two feathers were about to pierce the bodies of Da Jun and the others, a crisp sound suddenly descended from the sky.

A bolt of lightning struck the two feathers precisely, reducing them to ash.

"I have been waiting for a long time. You have finally arrived."

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