Chapter 14: One Year
"Xun'er!"
Cao Zheng's face changed dramatically, and he couldn't help but let out a mournful cry.
Although he had more than one son—even a few illegitimate children outside his family—Cao Xun was undoubtedly the closest to him and the one he valued the most.
But now, he had died right before his eyes!
"Brother Zhou, if you help me kill this brat today, I'll give you half of the Cao Gang's base!"
Cao Zheng stared at Li Changsheng's figure and said coldly, "As for the rest of you, anyone who helps me kill him will receive fifty thousand taels of silver!"
In the banquet hall, many of the martial artists who had come to assist had initially been hesitant. But upon hearing the offer of fifty thousand taels of silver, their eyes gleamed with greed as they looked at Li Changsheng.
Fifty thousand taels of silver was a sum they could never earn in a lifetime. Even if everyone present took part, after killing this young man, each of them would still receive several hundred taels of silver!
Men die for wealth, and birds die for food!
Many were tempted!
They silently drew their weapons and began to close in on Li Changsheng!
However, nearly twenty Houtian-level martial artists still retained their rationality and quietly backed away. While fifty thousand taels of silver was enticing, besieging a Xiantian-level martial artist would inevitably result in casualties.
"Brother Cao, can I take your word for it?" Zhou Yunqing looked at Cao Zheng and asked in a serious tone. "If I help you kill him, half of the Cao Gang's base will be mine?"
"Of course!"
Cao Zheng replied coldly.
Although he didn't want to give away the foundation his ancestors had built, the martial prowess the young man had just displayed had shaken him. With just him and these Houtian-level martial artists, they might not be able to take down this youth.
Only by joining forces with Zhou Yunqing could they have a real chance of victory!
As for the Houtian-level martial artists, even if they died, it didn't matter. As long as he was alive, the Cao Gang could always recruit more Houtian-level fighters!
Zhou Yunqing and Cao Zheng exchanged a glance, then both leaped down, landing not far from Li Changsheng. They coldly watched him, waiting for the slightest opening to strike and kill him in one move!
However, Li Changsheng just stood there casually, observing them with interest.
Sweat began to drip from the foreheads of Cao Zheng and Zhou Yunqing. They had thought that by pressuring the young man together, he would inevitably reveal a weakness. But to their surprise, despite appearing full of openings, they had no confidence they could kill him with a single strike!
"Kill!"
Someone, unable to bear the tense silence, shouted.
Over twenty Houtian-level martial artists moved at once, unleashing deadly attacks! The combined force of so many Houtian-level fighters was truly terrifying!
Seeing the Houtian-level martial artists move, Zhou Yunqing and Cao Zheng exchanged a glance and then charged at Li Changsheng.
"This young man is still too impulsive!"
"Indeed, with his talent, in ten years, no one in Wushan City would be his match. What a pity!"
The onlookers shook their heads. This young man was the most talentedly terrifying person they had ever seen. Even among the top experts in the martial world, none had reached the Xiantian level at such a young age.
In the future, this young man might have even had a chance to contend for the position of Martial Alliance Leader.
But sadly, he would meet his end today in the Cao Gang!
No one present believed that this young man could survive the combined assault of two Xiantian-level experts and dozens of Houtian-level martial artists!
"Seeking death!"
Facing the onslaught of so many attackers, Li Changsheng merely spat out two cold words. The sword he had taken from the Song family members suddenly left its sheath, and he swung it down!
"I have one sword, and with it, I shall make my name known in the martial world!"
An invisible sword Qi shot out from his hand, starting from him and slicing through the air toward the martial artists charging at him, leaving a long scar on the ground!
Boom!
What happened next was a scene that the onlookers would never forget for the rest of their lives!
They saw the martial artists charging at the young man explode into pieces in mid-air. The invisible sword Qi sliced through over a dozen people in an instant, splattering blood across the banquet hall.
The remaining attackers were struck with terror and quickly retreated.
But it was already too late!
Li Changsheng lightly stepped forward, appearing close to them, and swung his sword diagonally.
Boom!
Three more heads flew into the air.
In less than three breaths, only Cao Zheng and Zhou Yunqing remained standing among those who had attacked Li Changsheng.
But the horror in their eyes was impossible to conceal. This young man was absurdly strong. Even though both of them were renowned Xiantian-level martial artists, they couldn't even hope to block his advanced sword techniques.
"Who are you?"
"When did my Cao Gang ever offend someone like you?"
Cao Zheng shouted in despair.
By now, he was at his limit and couldn't even fight back.
Zhou Yunqing was in slightly better shape, but he was still in a sorry state, with his right arm severed at the shoulder, his face pale.
"Spare me... spare me!"
"Young master, I'm willing to submit to you. Just let me live!"
As Li Changsheng approached, Zhou Yunqing fell to his knees and begged for mercy.
"Die!"
But the moment Li Changsheng got close, Zhou Yunqing's left hand revealed a delicate cylindrical device. With a press of a mechanism, a golden streak shot out toward Li Changsheng's chest.
Boom!
It hit!
Zhou Yunqing's eyes lit up with joy. This hidden weapon had been crafted for him by a master of such devices at great cost. Not only was it powerful enough to kill a Xiantian-level expert, but it had also been coated with poison. Even a Xiantian-level martial artist would die if struck!
Clang!
The sound of metal hitting the floor rang out.
Li Changsheng touched his chest and shook his head slightly.
He had been careless!
If the hidden weapon's power had been twenty times greater, it could have breached his physical defenses, and he would have been in trouble!
"I can't afford to be this careless in the future."
After saying this, Li Changsheng swung his sword, and two heads soared into the air.
...
One year later.
Li Changsheng sat by the pond in the former Cao Gang's rear garden, holding a fishing rod and casting his line.
A black-robed elderly man stood respectfully behind him, bowing as he spoke. "Gang Leader, our people have found an ancient tomb in Heishui County, suspected to belong to a cultivator. However, there was a mishap on the way back—our intelligence was stolen by the infamous thief Ling He. Now the entire martial world knows about the tomb of a cultivator in Longhe County."
"The Qiushui Palace, the Tiesha Sect, the imperial family, and experts from other forces have all rushed there."
"When... do you plan to go?"
Li Changsheng lifted his eyes slightly and said indifferently,
"Do we have any news from Qing'er?"
The old man hurriedly replied, "Miss Qing has taken the gang's elite to Nanshan County. The Zheng family of Nanshan County has already surrendered. It won't be long before the entire martial world of Nanshan County submits!"
Li Changsheng put down his fishing rod and said,
"Tell Qing'er not to rush the expansion. Slow it down for now."
"Also, prepare a carriage. I'll go to Heishui County myself."
"Yes!" The black-robed elder bowed and retreated.
"Ah!"
After the elder left, Li Changsheng let out a long sigh.
Over the past year, he had ventured into Misty Valley several times but had always failed to find a way inside. He had even nearly perished in the jaws of a demonic beast. If not for his current cultivation level at the second layer of Qi Refinement and his physical strength surpassing that of ordinary Qi Refinement-level beasts, he might not have made it out of the outer regions of Misty Valley alive.
After leaving Misty Valley, he returned to Wushan City and established the Tianxia Guild.
A year had passed, and one-fifth of Qiguo's martial world had submitted to him. Under his orders, the Tianxia Guild focused on steady development, but it still provoked the imperial family's wariness, leading to numerous conflicts between them.
When the Tianxia Guild's strength solidified,
At his command, the entire guild began searching for relics left behind by cultivators.
Unfortunately, the results were meager.
Out of all the items they found, ninety-nine percent were dismissed. Among the confirmed items left by cultivators, there were only an Eight Trigrams Plate and a broken sword.