Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

[Hehe, 10,000 characters, I made it! That said, Xiaodao is still super dizzy right now! Off to sleep... ^_^]

The words sounded like a complaint, yet they also seemed directed specifically at Ling Xiao and Song Mingyue. After all, most of the hidden families and sects heading to the island for the exchange gathering would send large delegations, both to show how seriously they took the event and to allow their members to broaden their horizons.

The Sea Domain Song Family, however, had not had much contact with the other hidden families and sects for many years. Although they all knew of each other’s existence, the Sea Domain Song Family was synonymous with mystery in most people’s eyes. Furthermore, the Song Family Patriarch, Song Mingyue’s grandfather Song Qi, didn’t much care for this "exchange gathering." The only thing on his mind was when his son would be able to recover his strength!

Compared to the family gaining a Sword Emperor Powerhouse, nothing else mattered!

So, although she was supposedly the sole representative, it was really just an opportunity for Song Mingyue. It was as if they had said, ’Go out, see the world, and feel free to trade for anything you like.’ To that end, they had even given her a vast amount of supplies.

Ling Xiao, for his part, didn’t think much of this exchange gathering either. ’Besides,’ he thought, ’I don’t have many presentable High-tier Martial Artists at my disposal right now, and they all have their own missions.’ He didn’t see what use bringing a few Demon Sword Masters would be. The members of the Ice Sea Secret Race would have been strong enough, but Ling Xiao had no desire to expose that force to the hidden families so soon.

Although such an immense power couldn’t be completely hidden from those who were looking, that was precisely the effect Ling Xiao wanted. He was going to make Penzes City a forbidden land in the minds of the masses!

Only then, when the new city was built and the Shushan plaque was hung, would the number of people harboring ulterior motives be greatly reduced.

The expressions on both Song Mingyue and Ling Xiao’s faces changed, and they turned to look at the person who had spoken.

The speaker was dressed simply, but both of them felt their expressions tighten. The fluctuations of Inner Strength emanating from him were surprisingly powerful, and his imposing aura washed over them!

It appeared this young man, who looked to be under thirty, actually possessed the cultivation of a Demon Sword Master!

Seeing the looks on their faces, the man couldn’t help but feel a surge of smug satisfaction. He said, "Friends, if you know what’s good for you, give this room to us. It’s the only one we need!"

Behind him stood five or six others, subtly forming an encirclement. Ling Xiao was instantly furious. ’It’s just an inn,’ he thought, ’and they’re already posturing as if they’re about to attack.’

He could see that every one of them had the cultivation of a Demon Sword Master. To be honest, in the Mortal World, such cultivation was by no means weak. After all, even Ling Xiao’s father, General Ling Tianxiao, had only just broken through from a Sword Master to a First Rank Demon Sword Master, and that was after being plied with countless Spirit Medicines by Ling Xiao.

Yet every single person before him possessed the cultivation of at least a Mid-level Demon Sword Master. It was hard not to be a little surprised.

In the eyes of someone from a major hidden family or sect, however, this level of cultivation was nothing special. Song Mingyue even found it a little amusing. ’Which family do these idiots belong to?’ she wondered.

’Do they really think that just because someone is younger than them, or because they can’t sense any Inner Strength fluctuations, they must be weaker?’

"What are you spacing out for? Give us that premium room!" the young man in the blue martial attire barked, snorting derisively when he saw the attendant’s hesitation. "Are you deaf?"

Just then, a voice suddenly called out from behind them. "Little Sister Ming Yue, is that you? Little Sister Ming Yue! It’s me, Qin Feng!" As he spoke, a handsome young man in a pristine white robe emerged from the back of the group. He held a folding fan, and his neatly combed hair draped over his shoulders. His skin was fair, his two sword-like eyebrows angled up toward his temples, and his tiger-like eyes shone with a brilliant light. With a high-bridged nose and a slightly long, chiseled face, he was as handsome as a sculpture.

Anyone who saw him couldn’t help but sigh in admiration, "What a peerless, noble young master!"

The young man’s eyes were fixed on Song Mingyue, his voice trembling slightly. "It’s me, Qin Feng. Don’t you remember me? We..."

Before he could finish, Song Mingyue furrowed her elegant brows. "I’m sorry, Young Master. You have the wrong person. I don’t know you." Her voice was as crisp and lovely as an oriole’s song, but her words were utterly merciless.

Ling Xiao, however, immediately understood most of the situation. ’What a coincidence,’ he thought, ’to actually run into someone from the Qin Family here!’ Under the sweep of his vast Spiritual Power, he discovered that this young man’s strength was no less than Song Mingyue’s current power. He was secretly shocked. ’No wonder Song Mingyue held their family in such high regard. They truly possess extraordinary strength!’

’I’ve been practicing Dual Cultivation with Song Mingyue, allowing her to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. The power gained through Dual Cultivation is far faster than normal practice, yet she’s still only about on par with this young man... It seems the Martial Artists of this world aren’t completely ignorant of the art of Alchemy, either.’

’It seems these hidden families are also practicing a form of Cultivation,’ he concluded. ’It’s just that the ’Dao’ they cultivate is different from my own!’

While Shushan was said to achieve the Dao through the sword, it had, after all, developed a viable method through the accumulated knowledge of countless generations of Cultivators. Everything followed a strict path of advancement.