Following Wu Yue’s departure, the other experts that had come also left. Some of these experts were just present to gather information for the various large sects.
Only a portion had come to challenge the Dragonblood Legion. But with three awakened Empyreans present, there was no longer a place for them to fight.
Most of the challengers had left since the Dragonblood Legion hadn’t come out. The ones who had stayed a.s.sumed that the Dragonblood Legion would sooner or later come out, and today they managed to witness their power. Gu Yang and Wu Yue’s battle had been enough for them to have a whole new level of respect for the Dragonblood Legion. After all, someone who could fight evenly against an awakened Empyrean without also being one was amazing. It meant that Gu Yang’s potential was extremely great.
However, when Yue Zifeng had fought, they had been scared stiff. He had killed an awakened Empyrean in just a few moves. That was a figure who had been sealed in the ancient era, someone who might be even stronger than Wu Yue.
They had gained some useful information and could report back that their mission had been completed. They had no further reason to stay here.
With everyone outside leaving, the Dragonblood Legion returned to their abodes. They were ashamed of themselves for having been lost in the glory of their previous victory in Heavenly Fate Island.
Originally, Long Chen had been planning on giving a blow to the Dragonblood warriors with Gu Yang’s defeat, but Gu Yang’s toughness had exceeded his expectations. If Gu Yang could awaken his manifestation, he would definitely be a powerful warrior.
Long Chen had once asked Gu Yang about his family, and Gu Yang had said that his family had gone through some kind of tribulation in the past, resulting in their inheritance being lost. As for how powerful they had once been, no one knew.
However, in any case, Long Chen could sense that Gu Yang’s bloodline energy was currently reviving. The Scarlet Blood Spirit Fish were stimulating his potential.
On the other hand, Yue Zifeng’s power had been within Long Chen’s expectations. In the previous battle, Yue Zifeng had wanted to use this move, but Long Chen had stopped him by sending others to support him. Once Yue Zifeng started going all-out without regard for his own life, he was absolutely terrifying, to the point that even Long Chen got chills.
Sword cultivators were famed for being the strongest offensively. There was no need to doubt this fact.
Sword cultivators focused entirely on offense, thinking that as long as their attacks were strong enough, there was no need to defend. If their offense wasn’t strong enough and they switched to defense, then that would just be a dying struggle that might win them a few more seconds of life before death.
So true sword cultivators did not exchange pointers. Every battle was a battle to the death.
As for that sword cultivator Empyrean that had come, after saying that he wanted to exchange pointers, Yue Zifeng had directly said that he wasn"t a sword cultivator. That wasn’t an insult, but it was telling him that true sword cultivators did not need to fight others to prove to themselves that they were powerful.
A sword cultivator only had one opponent, and it was themselves. Other than themselves, no one else was qualified to be their opponent. They needed to have this kind of belief to never slack off and break through one shackle after another until they reached the peak of the Sword Dao.
Perhaps others didn’t understand Yue Zifeng, but Long Chen understood him very well. He understood his pride. What Yue Zifeng was pursuing was something that others might not be able to imagine. What he wanted was to constantly challenge himself, to use his sword to corroborate his Dao, to open a brand new Sword Dao for himself.
“Boss, what should we do now?” Upon returning, Gu Yang turned to Long Chen. He felt a profound feeling of helplessness in front of awakened Empyreans.
Wu Yue had fought openly and hadn’t cheated him, but that wouldn’t always be the case in the future. If Gu Yang fought against an awakened Empyrean, there was no way that he could beat them.
A sensation of crisis welled up within him. That Corrupt expert had said that he had been one of the one hundred and eight experts that followed Tian Xiezi. In other words, excluding whoever Tian Xiezi was, there were one hundred and seven other experts on that level.
Just how could the Dragonblood Legion survive in the face of over a hundred such experts? All the Dragonblood warriors felt cold.
“There’s nothing special. Just do what you should do. I called you out today so that you could see the change in the outside world. You don’t need to feel ashamed. It’s true that they are very powerful, but we are not weak either. The only thing we lack compared to them is a powerful foundation, but when have we ever relied on such a thing before? We just constantly risk our lives to get stronger, and that got us our current achievements. All you need to do is maintain that att.i.tude of constantly climbing higher. Properly cultivate! Don’t think that the loneliness of being unrivaled is so great,” said Long Chen.
The Dragonblood warriors sighed, swearing to find that sense of urgency they had once possessed. However, Long Chen didn’t have them immediately go to cultivate. Instead, they first gathered for a good drink.
Long Chen told them about what had happened outside, including how he had barged into Pill Valley all alone. They couldn’t help clapping when they heard that.
Then when he mentioned the gathering of past and present heroes, Guo Ran, whose tongue had already grown loose from the alcohol, said, “Boss, that gathering will definitely have the top geniuses of past eras. They’ll either be a world-shaking hero or a nation-toppling beauty. It doesn’t matter when it comes to the world-shaking heroes, but make sure to bring back a few nation-toppling beauties, hehe…”
Long Chen looked at Guo Ran and shook his head. “I see a dark omen on your face. Be careful of a calamity of the flesh.”
“Aiya!” Guo Ran suddenly let out a miserable cry as he was kicked away by Tang Wan-er.
“Guo Ran, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, don’t egg Long Chen on,” shouted Tang Wan-er.
It could only be said that Guo Ran deserved it for speaking without thinking. If Long Chen hadn’t responded properly, perhaps he also would have been implicated.
As expected, as soon as Tang Wan-er was done berating Guo Ran, she turned to Long Chen, who immediately said righteously, “Don’t listen to his nonsense. I’m a righteous person.”
“Righteous? Only a ghost would believe you. I’ll say it directly: don’t go bothering a bunch of pretty girls. But if they’re an upright and n.o.ble person, don’t abandon them for nothing. Although women might be jealous, we aren’t unreasonable. To sum it up, don’t be unfaithful. You have to be steady with your womanizing, understood?” said Tang Wan-er solemnly.
Just what had possessed this girl? How could she actually say such a thing? Long Chen didn’t believe it.
He looked suspiciously at Meng Qi and Chu Yao, only to see them silently smiling.
“What are you looking at? These are my pure thoughts. Although… although it’s a bit hard to accept… I support you,” said Tang Wan-er, blus.h.i.+ng.
Long Chen smiled. He knew that such words were definitely against Tang Wan-er’s heart, but she didn’t want to harm Long Chen with her jealousy.
The current state of the Martial Heaven Continent was tense and complicated. There were powerful undercurrents in it. To protect yourself, you needed powerful connections.
Long Chen had a special charisma to him that could be a powerful weapon against women. Although Tang Wan-er didn’t want Long Chen to end up with any more women, especially not foreign women, he needed to make connections if he wanted to stabilize himself in this new world. If he could find a good girl with a powerful background, perhaps that might give them a solid backer.
So, despite being unwilling inside, she subtly encouraged Long Chen for everyone.
Long Chen got up and held Tang Wan-er’s hand, softly saying, “Thank you. Don’t worry, I won’t be unfaithful and start sowing wild oats. I’m very happy with you by my side. Only when I’m together with you am I home…”
Tang Wan-er hugged Long Chen. She couldn’t change who she was. “Long Chen, I…”
“You don’t need to say anything. I understand. You don’t need to change anything about yourself. If you changed, then you wouldn’t be Tang Wan-er. In my heart, you are irreplaceable.”
Only then did Tang Wan-er silently cry with a smile, a burst of warmth appearing in her heart. She was particularly afraid of Long Chen one day finding that he no longer liked her. She felt that she was lacking the most amongst Long Chen’s women.
After their drinking celebration, Long Chen went to find Yue Zifeng. Yue Zifeng was still in the process of healing his Yuan Spirit.
Upon seeing Long Chen, Yue Zifeng said, “Boss, I want to go to the Heavenly Sword Gate and find my master. I have a few things puzzling me that are clouding my Dao-heart. I need to discuss things with him.”
“That’s a good idea. The Heavenly Sword Gate is a holy land for sword cultivators. Go. It should be of great aid to your comprehension,” said Long Chen.
“But I’m just worried…”
“Don’t worry about it. All the large powers on the continent are currently afraid of each other. There won’t be any sudden battles. Since the Dragonblood Legion doesn’t have to worry about fighting for now, you can go without worrying about us.”
The next day, Yue Zifeng set off on his own.
As for Long Chen, he spent a few peaceful days with Meng Qi, Chu Yao, and Tang Wan-er. After a few days of rest, it was time for him to set off as well.
The gathering of past and present heroes was about to start. He needed to finish up some preparations first. This gathering might end up being the gathering of the most monsters in all of history.