Myriad Daos of the Heaven

But how could the black-clothed elder know that Jiang Jichen possessed the Divine Soul of a reincarnator? It was immeasurably powerful and mysterious, not something that could be so easily ripped out by a Soul Claw.

As for Little Skeleton, although its Soul Fire was gray, it had devoured the soul of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator and countless Innate Realm souls. It too was incredibly mysterious and not so easily extinguished.

However, the black-clothed elder was a Minor Grandmaster at the Innate Eighth Layer. If he were to further increase the power of his Soul Claw, Jiang Jichen and Little Skeleton would still face the grim fate of having their souls ripped out and their Soul Fires extinguished.

Jiang Jichen struggled to stabilize his Divine Soul. His hands trembled, on the verge of unleashing the One Corner of the Azure Heaven Killing Array.

With Jiang Jichen’s current strength, he could only activate it once a day at most. Any more, and he himself would be annihilated by the Azure Heaven Killing Array.

’I can’t wait any longer!’

The Spiritual Power in Jiang Jichen’s body roiled as he prepared to channel it into the One Corner of the Azure Heaven Killing Array.

SWOOSH!

Just as Jiang Jichen was about to unleash the One Corner of the Azure Heaven Killing Array, a flash of Sword Light suddenly appeared.

Wherever the Sword Light passed, the Soul Claw shattered and the Restriction crumbled to dust!

The Sword Light then vanished, but a terrifying Sword Intent locked onto the black-clothed elder and the Old Emperor. Their faces instantly turned pale, and they were drenched in cold sweat.

Before that single wisp of Sword Intent, they felt as insignificant and weak as ants.

The surrounding experts were so oppressed by the Sword Intent that their legs trembled, and they nearly fell to their knees.

Seeing the Sword Light, however, Jiang Jichen breathed a sigh of relief. Qingxu, the Grey-clothed Swordsman from the Heavenly Sword Alliance, had finally made his move.

He had been gambling all along. ’With a fight happening right in front of the Heavenly Sword Alliance’s gates, there’s no way he wouldn’t intervene, right?’

And now, it seemed his gamble had paid off.

"Who is causing a disturbance here? And who dares to destroy the gate of my Heavenly Sword Alliance?"

Qingxu’s voice drifted over, faint yet filled with a natural authority.

He did not reveal himself, but everyone present was trembling in fear.

To them, a Foundation Establishment Realm expert was like a god-like figure, to say nothing of the fact that this person was also a terrifying Sword Cultivator.

The black-clothed elder and the Old Emperor, having the highest realms, felt it most profoundly.

"Lord Qingxu, we were merely pursuing a criminal. We deeply apologize for the disturbance and beg your forgiveness. As for the damage to the gate, my Feng Family will take full responsibility! Please, my lord, allow us to apprehend this person!"

Although the black-clothed elder was terrified, he was, after all, from an Upper-level Spiritual Cultivation Family with extraordinary experience. He was extremely respectful and polite as he bowed deeply toward the recesses beyond the gate.

It just so happened that Jiang Jichen was in the same direction as his bow, making it look as though he were bowing to Jiang Jichen himself.

Jiang Jichen despised the old man, so he decided to mess with him. Before Qingxu could speak, Jiang Jichen flicked his sleeve and said, "Old man, no need to bow to me. I won’t forgive you. Now, scram!"

"You..."

The black-clothed elder’s face turned livid, and he was about to erupt on the spot when Qingxu’s voice sounded from deep within the gates. "Speak, little one. You intentionally lured me out. What is it you want? If you’re hoping I’ll save you, then forget it. A prominent figure from the Feng Family has already spoken to me and asked me not to interfere in this matter. So, if you want to live, you’ll have to rely on yourself. I can’t help you!"

Hearing this, the distant black-clothed elder felt a surge of joy and calmed down, his gaze fixed on Jiang Jichen with sinister intent.

Jiang Jichen sent a voice transmission to Qingxu, "These clowns aren’t enough to stop me. Don’t worry, I won’t put you in a difficult position, Senior. I lured you out only to ask if you would protect my Jiang Family. After all, they have nothing to do with this."

Qingxu’s voice replied, "Protect your family? That would mean offending a lot of people. Although I don’t particularly care, it’s still troublesome, and I don’t like trouble!"

Jiang Jichen’s voice was firm. "Senior, don’t be so quick to refuse. If you can protect my family, I naturally won’t ask you to help for free!"

Hearing Jiang Jichen’s words, the people around him nearly burst into mocking laughter.

A mere Innate Third Layer youth telling a Foundation Establishment expert that he wouldn’t let him help for free? This was truly the biggest joke they had ever heard!

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator would have countless treasures, wouldn’t they? What could Jiang Jichen possibly have to entice a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to help? Besides, the Grey-clothed Swordsman’s status was extraordinary. What kind of treasures hadn’t he seen? Could Jiang Jichen possibly possess anything that he would deign to look at?

How ignorant. How naive and foolish!

Jiang Jichen ignored the crowd’s mocking gazes and looked toward the depths of the gate. "Senior, don’t you want to hear what I’m offering as thanks?"

Seeing Jiang Jichen’s confident demeanor, the Grey-clothed Swordsman couldn’t help but feel a flicker of interest. He spoke, "Fine. If you can produce something that can truly move me, I can promise to protect your family for two years!"

’Two years? That’s more than enough!’ Jiang Jichen thought to himself upon hearing the Grey-clothed Swordsman’s words.

Then, under the mocking gazes of the crowd, he took out half a leaf and said, "I wonder if half a leaf from a White Turtle Longevity Grass is enough to persuade you to act, Senior?"

Jiang Jichen’s voice wasn’t loud, but to everyone’s ears, it boomed like rolling thunder, shocking them to their very core.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the half an Immortal Leaf in Jiang Jichen’s hand, their expressions frozen in shock. Someone cried out involuntarily, "It really is half an Immortal Leaf! I can smell the aura of eternal life! Heavens, how does Jiang Jichen have an Immortal Grass?"

All mockery vanished, replaced by nothing but fervor and shock in their eyes. In that moment, they felt like they were the real jokes.

’Jiang Jichen actually has an Immortal Grass! If he can take out half a leaf, it means he must have more. Maybe he has the other half, or even a whole leaf, or a whole plant! Heavens, the thought alone is enough to drive a person mad!’

As the crowd awoke from their shock, almost everyone had the same thought. Even the gazes of the Old Emperor and the black-clothed elder were now filled with avarice as they stared at Jiang Jichen.

If not for the Grey-clothed Swordsman’s Sword Intent enveloping the area, they probably would have been unable to resist rushing forward to seize it.

From the depths of the Heavenly Sword Alliance, Qingxu’s voice fell silent for a moment before suddenly ringing out, "Deal. I can protect them for you for five years. After those five years, what happens to them will have nothing more to do with me!"

Jiang Jichen knew Qingxu wouldn’t refuse. Half an Immortal Leaf could allow Qingxu to step into the realm above Foundation Establishment, and even lay a trace of a foundation to become a Sword Immortal. The benefits for him were unimaginable.

The value of this half an Immortal Leaf was immense, far exceeding five years of the man’s protection.

But to Jiang Jichen, the people of the Five Mansions were more important. Besides, Qingxu had saved his life, in a way, so giving up half an Immortal Leaf was no loss.

As for why Qingxu offered five years of protection, it was because that was his limit.

In five years, once his Sword Dao was perfected, he would inevitably ride the winds on his sword to roam the world, to travel to farther lands, see a wider world, and pursue a higher realm in the Sword Dao.

Jiang Jichen nodded slightly. The greatest burden on his heart had been lifted, and he could now move forward without any lingering attachments.

With a light flick of two fingers, he sent the half an Immortal Leaf floating into the depths of the Heavenly Sword Alliance, never to be seen again.

Then, he suddenly turned, his voice shaking the heavens. "And so, with no more attachments, I can finally fight without holding back! HAHA..."

"Little Gray, do you dare carve a bloody path out of here with me?"

Jiang Jichen shouted to the heavens.

Little Skeleton tilted its small head, clenched its little bone hand, and pumped it forcefully. Its gray Soul Fire burned brighter than ever, like an eternal star in the night sky!