Chapter 1154: The Sword That Startles All
“You owe Hu Baiwan a favor; in the end, you’ll definitely help him. I won’t fight meaningless battles, nor do I want to trouble myself… Everyone, back off!”
As soon as the man in white spoke, everyone was shocked. Not only could none of the men believe that someone would dare scold a beauty like Osaaya, but they also couldn’t believe that the nobleman, regarded as a coward, would scold even Hu Baiwan as well.
“Back off!”
These words were directed at both Osaaya and Hu Baiwan’s men…
“Hmph!”
“Bold!”
The Hu man who spoke Chinese snarled, “Only our master can give orders! What are you waiting for? Seize them quickly!!”
The red-robed lamas responded at the same time. Their bright red robes stirred up strong winds, tearing the tables and chairs nearby and sending them flying in all directions. Others stepped back to avoid getting caught in the chaos.
“Dare you!”
The moves of the red-robed lamas weren’t aimed at the man in white, but at the old man in the later stage of the Mythical Realm standing behind him, who exerted immense pressure. With a wave of his hands, he sent two lamas stumbling back several steps. The difference in strength between the two was obvious at a glance.
Whoosh!!
A flash of cold light.
The old man in the later stage of the Mythical Realm drew his long sword. A single glint of cold light instantly transformed into layers of sword energy that spread in all directions, forming a barrier to protect the man in white.
The red-robed lamas moved up and down, unleashing fierce palm strikes against the sword energy, only to have them deflected. The sound of clashing blows filled the air.
In an instant, the inn’s hall turned into a chaotic battlefield!
Except for the table and chair where the man in white sat, which remained intact, all the others were shattered beyond repair—even the most skilled craftsmen would find it difficult to fix them.
…
Snap! Snap!!
Shards of tables, chairs, and benches flew everywhere in the inn. Jin Xiayu and a few staff members hid aside, terrified: “I knew these barbarians would cause trouble… Xiao Wu! Go prepare something. Once they finish fighting, we must kill them as an appetizer…”
“Oh, boss, I won’t eat them,” Xiao Wu said, looking troubled.
Jin Xiayu glared at him:
“Idiot!”
“I won’t eat them even for free.”
Xiao Wu shook his head firmly.
“I’m not asking you to eat them, you idiot!” Jin Xiayu snapped, hitting him hard on the back of the head. “Hurry up and get the tools ready. More guests will arrive soon. We can’t have no tables to serve them…”
The strength of experts in the later stage of the Mythical Realm was one level higher than that of those in the early stage, allowing them to take on three or even four opponents without difficulty. However, as more red-robed lamas joined the fight, the old man gradually struggled to hold on, and his formidable sword energy defense began to show cracks.
“Hah!!”
One of the red-robed lamas seized the opportunity as the old man turned, let out a long howl, and sent a palm strike powerful enough to shatter stones toward the old man’s back.
But just as the palm strike reached the old man’s back, a massive force suddenly struck his chest. He collapsed as if hit by a huge boulder, falling even faster toward the onlooking martial artists.
Pfft!
Blood splattered on the ground.
The red-robed lama managed to lift half of his body, pointing upward toward the young man in white. “You… you…” He couldn’t finish speaking, ran out of breath, fell to the ground, and died instantly.
Yet the old man in the later stage of the Mythical Realm was still in trouble!
He suddenly heard a gust of wind behind him, which caused him to panic and reveal a flaw, allowing him to be struck in the chest twice.
Swish!
Although the old man countered with a sword strike, blood seeped from the corner of his mouth as he retreated, his face paling slightly as his chest heaved violently.
“Kill him!”
Though the group of red-robed lamas was forced back, they had just witnessed one of their comrades killed. Their ferocious expressions turned even colder as they roared in unison, unleashing a massive wave of palm strikes…
The old man’s expression changed instantly!
Eleven red-robed lamas attacked with all their might, their strength even surpassing that of two peak experts in the Mythical Realm. He had no way to withstand this attack, especially with hidden injuries already present.
Just then…
Silver Fox and Phantom noticed a strange sword appearing on the table in front of the young man in white!
Whoosh!
He and the sword disappeared as quickly as a gust of wind.
So fast!
Before anyone in the inn could react in surprise, a brilliant sword energy appeared and struck the eleven red-robed lamas before the palm strikes could reach them!
Bang! Bang! Bang…
A series of tearing sounds echoed.
The group of red-robed lamas screamed as they flew back, crashing into several tables and chairs in a mess.
No one knew what had happened.
In the air, the overwhelming palm strikes seemed to burst like fragile bubbles…
The group of red-robed lamas were swept aside by the polite young man in white, each of them suffering a gaping wound in the chest, bleeding profusely.
As for the young man in white!
The moment Jian Gang appeared, he returned to his seat as if he had never moved. His long sword rested on the table, and he raised his cup, sipping slowly with calm demeanor.
“Hiss…”
Someone took the lead, and a wave of gasps filled the inn.
Even Yin Hu and Mei Ying felt an unprecedented sense of shock and turmoil!
Hu Baiwan’s expression turned grim!
Two of Hu’s men cautiously stood up, drawing their weapons, and positioned themselves flanking Hu Baiwan, their gazes fixed intently on the young man in white.
Whoosh!!
Dozens of red-robed lamas entered dramatically from outside, parting the crowd. Some helped their fallen comrades up, some returned to stand guard beside Hu Baiwan, while others kept a wary eye on the young man in white. The atmosphere in the inn became tense once again, with an even stronger sense of hostility.
“Is Hu Baiwan planning to bring so many experts at the Mythical Realm to search for the Desert Palace?”
The group from Xi Feng Lou also stood up from their seats, watching the events in the hall with serious expressions.
They had heard the system announcement about the major events unfolding here—someone had activated the ruins of the New Longmen Inn, which was linked to the treasures of the Desert Palace—and came to see what was going on.
But the situation before them far exceeded their imagination!
Hu Baiwan—a wealthy merchant who owned vast riches!—had brought over a hundred experts at the Mythical Realm to Longmen Inn…
Plus various martial artists encountered along the way;
All the factions gathered at the ruins of the New Longmen Inn;
The army dispatched by the Jinyiwei system;
And a mysterious young swordsman who had wounded a group of Mythical Realm experts with a single strike…
Mei Ying suddenly felt that her own strength was rather weak. With just dozens of elite brothers at her side, it seemed they couldn’t even deal with Hu Baiwan, who seemed determined to seize the Desert Palace!
“…”
Wu Kuo noticed Mei Ying’s gaze.
Silently, another letter pigeon took off into the air.
…
Due to the astonishing sword strike by the young man in white, the atmosphere in the inn became complicated.
Hu Baiwan also seemed to sense an inexplicable sense of crisis from the other party’s skills. Despite being protected by a group of experts, he remained vigilant, staring intently at the young man in white, who had displayed extraordinary strength, and did not dare order his men to act.
The only one who didn’t show much surprise at the outcome of this confrontation was the culprit herself—“Osaaya”!
This mysterious woman from the Western Regions seemed to have realized early on that the young man in white was extraordinary, showing admiration throughout the whole time. It wasn’t until the situation became stale that she spoke up to break the deadlock.
“The swordsmanship of this young master from Gusu has reached the realm of unity between man and sword; he is fully qualified to enter the Desert Palace and claim his share of its treasures.” Osaaya’s words shifted everyone’s attention from the tense situation just moments ago to the treasures of the Desert Palace. Most of the martial artists present showed greedy expressions.
……
Osaaya spoke again, “I have an idea. The young master could cooperate with Hu Baiwan to help him obtain one of the items inside, while all the other treasures would belong to the young master. What do you think?”
“No need,” an old man in the later stages of the Mythical Realm interjected from behind, cutting off Osaaya’s proposal. “The Desert Palace will only remain visible for a short time, and it’s full of traps. It’s impossible to carry away the gold and jewels inside. Those treasures aren’t very useful to us. What my master desires is the same thing Hu Baiwan wants.”
“……”
Osaaya’s expression changed, turning resentful. “Young master…”
“……”
The young man in white silently raised his cup and drank. After a while, he opened his eyes and said, “A message for your benefactor: A man obsessed with wealth should just keep his riches. To seek power over the world? He… doesn’t deserve it!”
Huh!
Hearing this, in the side room to the right, Hu Baiwan finally couldn’t hold back anymore. Standing tall, he glared down at the young man in white. “Young master, you must be misunderstanding. I, Hu Baiwan, have been nothing but a merchant driven by fame and profit my whole life—without such grand ambitions… But I am determined to get the treasures from the Desert Palace! Osaaya, I promise you—from now on, you’ll be by my side, along with the master of poisons I’ve brought, to deal with those who dare to compete for those treasures… Once we succeed, we’ll be even, with no debts left between us!”
“Is that a deal?”
“A deal!”
Hu Baiwan raised his chin firmly, his tone resolute.
The silver fox keenly noticed that the moment Osaaya agreed to Hu Baiwan’s proposal, the young man in white gave a very slight frown.
“Hahaha…”
Suddenly, loud laughter came from outside. “The whole world belongs to the king! The treasures of the Desert Palace are ancient relics, belonging to my former dynasty… Even if they should go to the virtuous, you, Hu Baiwan, are just a merchant obsessed with wealth—certainly not a wise ruler!” The mockery in his words toward Hu Baiwan was obvious.
“Who!!”
“Stop!!” “Those who insult our master! Die!!”
A series of angry shouts, chaotic footsteps, and the sound of weapons clashing erupted outside the inn. Everyone inside the inn was shocked.
This trip is really lively, with waves of people arriving one after another.
Bang!
The gate was quickly forced open!
Countless eyes turned in that direction.
Many people were stunned.
A group of people clearly dressed in Central Plains attire strode in boldly! Behind them, many martial arts masters known to the players there were fighting fiercely with Hu Baiwan’s men, locked in a confrontation.
“Which faction is this?”
Many people guessed in their hearts;
only the young man in white trembled slightly upon hearing the mention of the former dynasty, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.