CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74: YOUDU’S CHALLENGE LETTER

"Not good." Zhu Yuxian’s cold voice rang out, as the Black Fiend Soul-Stealing Qi wrapped around the enemy’s body like a venomous python, and her pale hand gripped the short sword, delivering a fatal blow to the throat.

Decisive, swift like flowing water, the enemy was killed in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Shouren paused for a moment, but merely sighed, saying nothing more.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

All three Sect Leaders were killed on the spot; the remaining Su Elders were powerless to reverse the situation, and within a dozen breaths, aside from Li Qian, everyone else was slain.

Du Hongyue tilted Li Qian to the ground with her spear, "Just killing him like this is too easy. I suggest we choose an auspicious day and flay him alive to commemorate the fallen Elders and disciples."

Profound Sun Taoist nodded in agreement with a sigh; this battle had cost the Yuncang Sword Sect greatly, nearly half of the members were dead or injured, and it was uncertain how many years it would take to recover.

Rumble!

Just then, a deafening roar suddenly echoed from outside the Broken Dragon Grand Canyon.

"Hahaha!" A figure cloaked in black laughed, soaring into the sky, skimming over the cliffs and dodging the sword qi ahead.

At the entrance to the Broken Dragon Grand Canyon, a large group of Elders and True Inheritance, who had gone out, finally returned, led by the First Seats of Chixiao Peak and White Rainbow Peak.

The two First Seats joined forces, ice and fire intertwining, sword qi rampaged, stirring up a terrifying wave.

"These guys are too slow to return at this time." Seeing these people, Du Hongyue couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief but muttered complaints.

Xiao Shouren frowned at the black-clad figure being forced to retreat by the two First Seats and Elders, "There was another expert ambushed outside the canyon all the time, and we were unaware."

"From Youdu." Zhu Yuxian said just this one sentence and remained silent.

"Stop!" The figure cloaked in black shouted, "Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude." As he spoke, an incredibly terrifying aura surged over him, manifesting a Ghost God image out of black and cyan qi.

"Youdu? Half-Step Celestial Human?" The White Rainbow and Chixiao Peak First Seats paused, frowning at the figure.

The person from Youdu looked back at the group from Profound Sun’s side, his voice echoing throughout the canyon, "Hahaha, I come under the orders of the City Lord to present a challenge letter to your Sect Leader, but unexpectedly encountered your sect in turmoil."

"To avoid misunderstandings, I withdrew outside the canyon, but surprisingly, upon meeting, you took action, quite against hospitality."

"Challenge letter?" The few First Seats and Elders heard this and felt their hearts sink suddenly, their expressions becoming somewhat unpleasant.

Du Hongyue raised her long spear and coldly rebuked, "Stop spouting nonsense; the root of today’s matter is clear to both you and me."

"What trick is Youdu trying to pull now?"

"Trick?" The man cloaked entirely in black, his appearance obscured, but the contempt in his words clearly reached everyone’s ears.

"If Youdu wanted to deal with you, why would we need any tricks?"

"The City Lord has reached the Celestial Human Realm, like an immortal, like a god, long beyond the ordinary, destroying you would be effortless."

"The City Lord heard that your Yun Cang Sect Leader is meditating on the Life and Death Barrier, seeking to understand the Tongyou Path, which remarkably resembles our Youdu Divine Skill, and he was intrigued, wishing to engage in a battle of ideas, so he sent me with the challenge letter."

The various First Seats and Elders looked at each other, understanding how dire the situation was; the Sect Leader was in seclusion precisely to take that final step to deal with the pressure from Youdu.

He hadn’t emerged for years, and everyone knew the hope was scarce. For the Lord of Youdu to issue a challenge now was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.

Profound Sun Taoist quelled the heaviness in his heart, stepped forward, and said, "The Sect Leader is in seclusion, where is the challenge letter? I’ll accept it on his behalf."

"You?" The Youdu representative sneered, "I doubt you can take it."

Profound Sun Taoist was not angered by the man’s contempt, calmly replied, "No need for concern, just hand over the challenge letter."

"Perhaps unwisely, then I’ll oblige you." The Youdu man took out a scroll from his sleeve, its body like ink, engraved with golden silk patterns, looking obscure.

"You better accept it properly."

Profound Sun Taoist stepped forward, reaching to take the scroll.

But as soon as his hand touched the scroll, it suddenly moved on its own, soaring into the air with a rustling sound, revealing a palm drawn on it.

Indeed, the scroll depicted a palm.

That palm was crystal clear like jade, seemingly composed of countless tiny characters, each character exuding Black Fiend Qi.

Rumble!

As the scroll unfurled, dark clouds covered the skies above, snowflakes grew larger and were whipped into a terrifying tornado.

A black hand reached out from the scroll, growing larger in the wind, soon obscuring the sky, then pressed down heavily.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Everyone from Yuncang Sword Sect turned pale, their swords vibrating fiercely, but faced with the giant hand descending from the sky, they felt genuine fear and powerlessness within.

"Is... this the power of a Celestial Human?" Lu Chengfeng could hardly believe his eyes; even a Half-Step Celestial Human strong as they were, remained mortal, only their True Qi being more formidable.

Yet what they witnessed seemed nothing short of mythical, was this truly achievable by human strength?

Even the four present First Seats turned visibly ashen.

As the giant hand pressed down on them, Profound Sun Taoist took out a bronze token from his robe, his tone heavy as he called out, "Cyan Cloud."

Withered Bamboo Elder somehow also had a token, his aged voice echoing, "Yellow Dragon."

The other two First Rooms’ voices followed in succession.

"White Rainbow."

"Chixiao."

As soon as the words fell, sword qi burst from the tokens, reaching the sky, sword light like colossal pillars instantly shattered the endless winds and snow.

Deep within Trapped Dragon Abyss, a sword light equally surged, the five sword lights transformed into towering beams, colliding head-on with the giant hand.

Rumble!

The Nine Heavens seemed to explode thunderously; Lu Chengfeng’s vision blackened, his eardrums aching fiercely, quickly circulating inner strength to protect himself. When he regained his senses, the giant hand and the five-colored sword light had vanished.

Only the challenge letter drifted slowly down from the sky, eventually landing in the hands of Profound Sun Taoist.

It was only then that Lu Chengfeng realized what the five ascending sword lights were that night when Trapped Dragon Abyss shook and terrifying beast roars resounded.

"Hahaha, the Yuncang Sword Sect that supposedly dominates Liangzhou can’t even take our Youdu challenge letter, relying on ancestral treasures to barely persist, truly laughable."

"Next year, on the fifteenth of July, the City Lord will personally visit Yuncang, then we’ll see what you have to say."

"Hahaha, I shall depart!"

The Youdu representative laughed wildly, rising into the air, flitting over the cliffs like a specter, quickly disappearing.

The White Rainbow and Chixiao First Seats gripped their sword handles tightly, but after exchanging a glance, ultimately did not act.

By now, all celestial phenomena in the sky had dissipated, snow falling heavier, the large snowflakes mingling with the dead bodies and blood on the ground.

Bitter cold, bleak!