Chapter 2436: Chapter 81: Crimson Talisman

When it comes to cultivators who come to challenge, there are ways that respect rules and ways that don’t.

The latter could be seen in how Sikong Jingxiao treated Xiang Qian and Bai Yuxia.

A few months ago, Xiang Qian came to the Sword Pavilion, challenging Inner Mansion cultivators of the same realm, and encountered no opponents. This was nothing unusual, and Xiang Qian himself promised that the outcome of the fight would not be publicized.

However, Sikong Jingxiao was very dissatisfied with the defeated junior brother, believing that he had disgraced the name of the Sword Pavilion. He stated, "Your skills are not refined, to let a knave surpass you, losing to minor skills with extraordinary techniques, tarnishing the Sword Pavilion’s millennia-old reputation."

The ancient Three Swords Summit of the Flying Sword, historically speaking, doesn’t amount to much compared to the three thousand-year history of the Sword Pavilion.

The whole Flying Sword Era appeared in recent history and couldn’t be traced back to near ancient times.

The Flying Sword Era was brilliant yet short-lived, it lasted just one hundred and seven years before disappearing, from Dao Calendar Year 733 to Dao Calendar Year 840.

It can be said that the Sword Pavilion, which stands atop Tianmu Peak, witnessed the birth and end of the Flying Sword Era, a clear case of "Its rise was prosperous, its fall abrupt."

They look down on the art of the Flying Sword, which is understandable. The ancient look down on their juniors, the enduring look down on the extinct.

But Xiang Qian, of course, was not satisfied.

As a person, he doesn’t care at all if people call him something like a useless scoundrel. However, calling the Myriad Sword Dao a minor skill touches his inverse scales.

The art of the Flying Sword could announce an era in just one hundred and seven years. The Myriad Sword Dao stood at the peak of the era, listed as one of the Three Swords Summit of Feijian, how could it be a minor skill?

Most importantly, this was the Dao passed on to him by his master, Xiang Fengzhi!

Hence, the usually indolent Xiang Qian fiercely retorted Sikong Jingxiao and angrily declared that after reaching the state of Godly Cultivation, he would return to the south and defeat him under his sword. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Consequently, he was hung up...

The charge was "childish disrespect towards a major sect."

Bai Yuxia, who accompanied Xiang Qian, couldn’t stand it and stood up to "speak a fair word," and was hung up along with Xiang Qian.

Xiang Qian, this person, has no foundation to speak of. The Flying Sword Era has ended, Xiang Fengzhi has been dead for an unknown number of years, what background does he have?

As for Bai Yuxia, although the name of the Bai Family in Yue Country is notable, to the Sword Pavilion, it also doesn’t account for much.

Sikong Jingxiao wouldn’t actually kill Bai Yuxia, just hang him for a few months to temper his temper, betting that even the Bai Family of Yue Country wouldn’t say anything, maybe thanking him for helping teach their juniors.

However, the Sword Pavilion stands on a peak as a sword, calling itself the Sword Leader of the world, even establishing the Great Limitless Heavenly Gate, claiming "none are refused," what kind of grandeur is this? Actions like Sikong Jingxiao’s are indeed a bit petty and could damage the prestige of the Sword Pavilion if spread.

But he also has his reasons.

Years ago, when Xiang Fengzhi came south, he defeated five major Sword Masters of the Sword Pavilion in succession. Among them, the Heartless Sword Master Tu Anli, who lost his left arm, is Sikong Jingxiao’s master.

Tu Anli saw this defeat as an immense shame, saying that if he did not defeat Xiang Fengzhi, his left arm would never recover. Later, when Xiang Fengzhi had his sword destroyed by Jiang Mengxiong’s fist, he forever lost the chance to turn the tables, and remains a one-armed man to this day.

An art of the Flying Sword that perished in history is still struggling forth and back. The new era has already arrived, and the souls of the bygone era still wail. The master at Dongzhen Level comes to challenge the Sword Pavilion, the disciple at Inner Mansion Level also comes to challenge the Sword Pavilion, what do they take the Sword Pavilion for?

Sikong Jingxiao was indeed deliberately targeting Xiang Qian, and in order not to seem too targeted, he conveniently hung Bai Yuxia as well.

Using Godly Cultivation level to suppress the Inner Mansion is certainly not the approach of following rules. The Sword Pavilion has enough bravado to do so.

But Jiang Wang is different.

For Jiang Wang, he cannot disregard the rules.

If the Sword Pavilion doesn’t want to follow rules, Qi Country might be the happier party.

Therefore, he both had to give the people of Qi Kingdom some setbacks and keep it within the rules.

Among people around Jiang Wang’s age, Ning Shuangrong was already the most outstanding in the Sword Pavilion and had already lost at the Sword Inquiry Gorge.

Typically, sparring among the younger generations of major powers is done among people of the same age.

Since Jiang Wang is twenty-one this year, how could he face Sikong Jingxiao, who is thirty-six, after all, an age difference of a whole round plus more.

How could Sikong Jingxiao act justifiably?

As long as Jiang Wang himself didn’t mind, no one else would have a word to say.

Hence, he intentionally provoked Jiang Wang into anger.

And Jiang Wang... also deliberately let himself be angry.

Sikong Jingxiao thought he came to inquire for the sword with cultivators of the same age in the Sword Pavilion. Little did he know, Jiang Wang was planning to challenge all God-like cultivators of the Sword Pavilion!

Ruan Qin told him to be a bit arrogant in this journey.

He didn’t present an arrogant manner, nor did he care about the crabs and shrimp, he came specifically to capture the king.

To be arrogant is to do the most arrogant thing.

Entering the Sword Pavilion through the Limitless Heavenly Gate, his challenge this time has no limits.

Today he came wielding his sword, his challenge target is everyone under the five major Sword Masters of the Sword Pavilion. No matter how many years of rigorous cultivation, no matter how deep the accumulation, as long as one is of Godly Cultivation level, he would challenge. Today he is the "visitor" and he also does not refuse any challenge!

Except challenges like those of Xiang Qian, just to polish the sword, with doors closed and results not spread. Or like Jiang Wang now, blocking the entrance of the Sword Pavilion and calling out names, in a high-profile manner.

The former is merely sparring and seeking Dao, the latter is almost like raiding a sect!

Initially, just for Ning Shuangrong’s sake alone, Jiang Wang wouldn’t have done this.