Chapter 61 Provocation

Watching the two of them converse, He Jiaojiao smiled faintly and spoke up.

"Lu Changfeng, our Senior Sister Yunxue is a weapon-refining genius of the Daoyan Sect!"

"Perhaps you will be asking her to forge weapons for you in the future!"

"Oh?"

Lu Changfeng raised an eyebrow slightly.

He had assumed that the young woman before him merely possessed decent array-formation skills, but he never expected her to be skilled in weapon-refining as well.

Right at that moment.

"So you are Lu Changfeng?"

"Tch... You don't look like much, do you?!"

"Do you dare to wager whether I can defeat you in a single move?!"

A young man dressed in the disciple robes of the Heavenly Sword Peak slowly approached.

He looked at Lu Changfeng with a gaze full of undisguised disdain.

Surrounded by a group of disciples from the Myriad Swords Peak, he appeared to be vaguely acknowledged as their leader.

Hearing the thoroughly provocative words, the three of them—who had been conversing—turned their gazes toward him.

With a cold face, He Jiaojiao softly explained to Lu Changfeng beside her.

"This fellow is He Guangyao, the second senior brother of the Myriad Swords Peak!"

"He must have been in seclusion recently. His cultivation is around the fifth level of the Yuan Dan realm!"

"He is an absolute nuisance!"

Zheng Yunxue nodded slightly, adding from the side, "He is considered a genius within the Myriad Swords Peak, second in aptitude only to Shen Jianxin."

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly, understanding the situation in his heart.

At this moment.

The Heavenly Sword Peak disciples following behind He Guangyao furrowed their brows and rebuked sternly, "Are you mute?!"

"Senior Brother He is speaking to you! How dare you not answer?"

His imposing aura was fierce, as if deigning to speak to Lu Changfeng was already a supreme benevolence.

Right then, He Guangyao stepped up right in front of Lu Changfeng, his face icy and his voice frigid.

"Lu Changfeng! Do you dare to fight me within the mystic realm?"

"If you lose, hand the Dao-Origin Sword over to me!"

"Heh..."

Hearing this, Lu Changfeng looked calmly at He Guangyao before him.

"What? The Dao-Origin Sword was bestowed upon me with the approval of both the Sect Master and the Peak Master of the Heavenly Sword Peak!"

"Has your seclusion melted your brain?"

"Even if I dared to give it, would you dare to accept it?!"

Lu Changfeng replied with utter indifference.

"You—!"

He Guangyao's expression sank instantly, leaving him momentarily speechless!

The fact that Lu Changfeng had taken the Dao-Origin Sword was known to both the Sect Master and the Peak Master of the Heavenly Sword Peak, neither of whom had raised any objections.

If He Guangyao were to forcibly seize it from Lu Changfeng now, it would be tantamount to directly slapping the Sect Master across the face.

"Lu Changfeng!"

He Guangyao gritted his teeth, his voice chillingly cold. "Are you courting death?!"

His words were heavy with threat.

In an instant, the surrounding air seemed to grow biting cold.

"If you wish to kill me, simply make your move within the mystic realm!"

Lu Changfeng said calmly, "I would love to see if you actually have the ability!"

He did not take He Guangyao's threats to heart at all.

Although dealing with a cultivator at the fifth level of the Yuan Dan realm would indeed be slightly troublesome, for Lu Changfeng, it was hardly anything worth mentioning!

"Very well, very well, very well!"

He Guangyao's expression was gloomy as he stared fixedly at Lu Changfeng.

If glares could kill, Lu Changfeng would have died countless times over.

He Jiaojiao reached out and patted Lu Changfeng on the shoulder.

Looking at him with evident excitement, she said, "Not bad, not bad!"

"I've found this fellow an eyesore for the longest time!"

"You handled that brilliantly!"

"He Jiaojiao!"

Hearing her words, He Guangyao's expression darkened further as he growled, "What are you trying to do?!"

He Jiaojiao was naturally unfazed. She turned her head and retorted coldly, "What are you shouting for?"

"Such a brainless fool! What status does Lu Changfeng hold now, and yet you still dare to threaten him here?"

"Do you believe that if your Peak Master learns of this, he will personally strip the skin right off your back?!"

"Can you seriously not read the situation at all?"

With that, she turned her head away, completely ignoring He Guangyao.

Lu Changfeng had completely stolen the spotlight at this banquet of the Sacred Origin Sect!

It was safe to say that members of all the other sects now believed the Daoyan Sect was beginning to wholeheartedly nurture Lu Changfeng.

After all, the Dao-Origin Sword was the very heirloom treasure of the Daoyan Sect.

Even Cang Wufeng had been forced to admit that the current Lu Changfeng was no longer someone he could casually manipulate or dispose of!

And yet, here stood a blind and ignorant disciple, brazenly coming forward to provoke him?

Truly courting his own doom!

"Humph!"

He Guangyao let out a cold snort, knowing he could never best He Jiaojiao in a war of words.

He turned his gaze back to Lu Changfeng and snapped, "Lu Changfeng, you listen to me well!"

"If I encounter you inside, I will crippled your cultivation!"

"Even if I cannot kill you, I will ensure you can never advance another step in your martial path!"

"When that time comes, I will force you to kneel at the Heavenly Sword Peak to wash away the humiliation you have brought upon us!"

Having said his piece, he glared viciously at Lu Changfeng once more before turning on his heel and stalking off.

Lu Changfeng raised an eyebrow slightly, then withdrew his gaze.

He Jiaojiao let out a soft huff, turned back to Lu Changfeng, and reassured him, "Don't worry, Lu Changfeng! Although this jerk is at the fifth level of the Yuan Dan realm, Senior Sister Zheng and I will be traveling with you this time, so he won't dare pull anything!"

He Jiaojiao's own cultivation had already reached the eighth level of the Zhou Tian realm.

Against a Yuan Dan cultivator, she naturally stood no chance in a direct fight.

However, Zheng Yunxue was at the fourth level of the Yuan Dan realm, which meant there would be no problem at all.

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly and said calmly, "I recall that disciples are separated upon entering the mystic realm."

"If we happen to cross paths later, we can discuss this matter then."

"Naturally!"

Zheng Yunxue smiled and replied, "In that case, I look forward to meeting up with you both."

With the matter settled, they parted ways and returned to their respective peak's designated area.

Aside from the disciples of the Daoyan Sect, the vast plaza was also populated by numerous disciples from various other sects.

Though some sects only had a handful of representatives present, their individual cultivation bases were quite impressive.

The vast majority of disciples permitted to attend and enter the mystic realm this time were the absolute cream of the crop within their respective sects.

Many sects had only a single Yuan Dan cultivator among them, and only three or four sects had managed to nurture two.

Right at that moment.

"The Senior Brother of the Heavenly Sword Peak has arrived!"

"Senior Brother Shen's cultivation has broken through once more! I can feel how immensely powerful he is!"

"To think Senior Brother Shen's cultivation has grown at such a terrifying speed within just a single year?"

"You didn't know? Senior Brother Shen cultivates every single day inside the Sword-Culp Valley!"

A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd of disciples, their eyes filled with deep envy.

Being able to cultivate within the Sword-Culp Valley was a dream come true for any ordinary disciple.

Shen Jianxin walked forward slowly, nodding occasionally to those on either side. The terrifying aura emanating from his body hummed with such intensity that it caused the long swords at the waists of nearby cultivators to involuntarily vibrate.

Yet, he remained completely unfazed by the commotion, walking onward with an expression of utter detachment.

However, as he passed by Lu Changfeng, he paused in his steps and looked toward him.

At the same time, Lu Changfeng turned his gaze to meet Shen Jianxin's.

Their eyes locked.

An inexplicable pressure erupted and clashed between the two of them.

A moment later, without pausing further, Shen Jianxin continued on his way forward.

Lu Changfeng likewise withdrew his gaze, his expression remaining serene.