Chapter 1983 - Is This A Joke?

Hostility lay bare on all six of their faces. To accompany them would be to surrender himself entirely into their hands.

Liu Wuxie had already guessed who had sent them. For the moment, he kept that knowledge to himself.

"You should have accepted our goodwill, brat. If you won't come peacefully, don't complain when we use force," one man said, giving his companions the signal.

The six men charged him at once. Their patriarchs had ordered them to bring Liu Wuxie back, using force if he refused to cooperate.

A murderous light flashed through Liu Wuxie's eyes. The Bloodthirst Blade appeared in his hand, and he brought it down in an almost offhand stroke. Blade aura surged outward, driving all six peak Divine Immortals back before they could get close.

At his present cultivation and combat strength, opponents like these no longer required Blackie's intervention.

"You're actually fighting back?!" the six roared, sending their murderous intent crashing toward him.

"The Yan, Liang, and Wen Clans sent you, didn't they?" Liu Wuxie asked coldly. He had misjudged how far the three clans would go. Chai Qian's warning had been justified. Desperation had already taken hold of them.

"Now that you know who we are, you won't be leaving alive," they said. They glanced at one another and nodded. Liu Wuxie needed to be silenced.

Their patriarchs had prepared for this possibility before dispatching them. If he uncovered their identities, they were to kill him and leave no evidence.

They came at him again, unleashing their full strength.

Divine Immortals could cause only relatively minor disturbances within the Celestial Weave Domain. Dust rose around their feet as six curtains of sword energy closed upon Liu Wuxie, each directed at his vital points.

"If you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish!" Liu Wuxie roared. They had chosen to throw their lives away and could blame only themselves for the fate that awaited them.

Since entering the Celestial Weave Domain, he had not fought a battle worthy of the name. Anticipation rose within him. Repeated combat alone could accelerate his growth.

"Instant Flash!" Liu Wuxie sent his blade ripping through the curtains of sword energy, its force unstoppable. The Divine Ninefold Steps carried him forward, and he descended upon his enemies like a god of slaughter.

"We're in trouble!" the six exclaimed. Only now did they understand the gravity of their mistake.

Their scouts had identified Liu Wuxie as a fifth-level Profound Immortal. A few Origin Immortals should have sufficed to kill him. To remove any risk of failure, the three clans had sent Divine Immortals instead. Yet even the pressure of all six together could not hold him down.

"Now die!" Liu Wuxie unleashed streaks of blade light that left the six gasping for breath. None had ever confronted a blade technique so terrifying. With the very first strike, even their souls seemed to freeze.

Absorbing the Asura Blade's fragment had imbued the Bloodthirst Blade with a trace of an Immortal Emperor's will. That remnant gave it the power to suppress the soul seas of ordinary cultivators.

Four heads flew free, and blood splashed across the stone walls on both sides. The other two escaped by the narrowest margin, each carrying a wound. One had lost an ear. The blade had sheared a slice from the crown of the other's head.

Liu Wuxie called forth the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron and refined the four corpses before turning his attention to the living.

"Who gave you the order? Speak," he demanded. The answer already seemed clear, but he wanted confirmation. Simply helping the Chai Clan had been enough for those three vicious clans to order his murder.

"Our patriarchs will make you pay for this, brat!" the two shouted, turning to run. Neither dared to remain another moment.

"Devour them both!" Two black holes formed from the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron. Countless Demonic Purgatory Chains lashed out, wound around the fleeing men's ankles, and hauled them inside.

Once he had secured them, Liu Wuxie drove his powerful divine sense into their soul seas. Their memories opened before him under his soul search.

"The three clans, just as I thought," Liu Wuxie said. After killing the two survivors, he erased the traces of the battle and departed the alley.

They had crossed a boundary he would not forgive. Back on the main street, he found a teahouse where he could inquire about the Mountain Guardian Sect.

Meanwhile, an unanticipated guest arrived at the Chai Clan's estate.

"What an honor to welcome you, Elder Kong! Please, come in!" Chai Qian said excitedly, ushering him toward the main hall.

For a clan of their modest standing, the arrival of an Immortal Venerable was an exceptional distinction.

"I've come for Liu Wuxie, Patriarch Chai. Where can I find him?" Elder Kong asked.

That morning, both deputy palace masters had summoned him with instructions to take a Law Enforcement Token to Mulberry Sea City. The order had astonished him.

They had learned that he shared a close relationship with Liu Wuxie and selected him to deliver it.

"He went out this morning, but I expect him back soon," Chai Qian answered truthfully.

Several disciples had witnessed Liu Wuxie leaving the estate earlier that day.

"I'll wait for him, then," Elder Kong said, beginning a conversation with Chai Qian.

The patriarch withheld nothing. He gave a full account of the previous day's events in the spiritual fields.

Learning that a few words from Liu Wuxie had prevented a catastrophe left Elder Kong amazed.

About an hour passed before Liu Wuxie returned.

"The patriarch has asked to see you, Young Master Liu," a Chai Clan disciple said the moment he entered the estate.

"Take me to him," Liu Wuxie replied. The three clans' ambush had soured his mood, and what he had learned of the Mountain Guardian Sect promised greater difficulties than he had anticipated. Yet when he walked into the main hall and found Elder Kong there, he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I'll give you some privacy," Chai Qian said, withdrawing tactfully and shutting the doors. He instructed everyone else to stay away from the hall unless he granted permission.

"What has brought you all this way, Elder Kong?" Liu Wuxie asked, sitting across from him.

"You," Elder Kong answered plainly. He had come specifically to discuss certain matters with Liu Wuxie.

"Is something wrong?" Liu Wuxie asked, puzzled.

"Our investigation has uncovered numerous clans in Mulberry Sea City that have secretly joined the Heavenly Alliance. The consequences for the Azure Jade Palace are serious," Elder Kong said, anger briefly showing on his face.

One small clan meant little to the Azure Jade Palace. Gather enough of them, however, and they became a substantial force. Should the Heavenly Alliance take Mulberry Sea City, the Azure Jade Palace would lose the last territory shielding it and face the Heavenly Alliance directly.

The Heavenly Alliance's attacks on those traveling to the recruitment assessment had already become common knowledge. Its experts had openly provoked and repeatedly clashed with the Azure Jade Palace’s elders throughout the assessment.

Control of Mulberry Sea City would close the final gap in the encirclement. The Azure Jade Palace would have nowhere left to turn.

No one could mistake the Heavenly Alliance's ambitions. It destroyed forces that obstructed it, and that method had fueled its expansion over the years.

Membership meant obedience. Those who joined had to surrender their authority and accept the Heavenly Alliance's commands. Many forces had submitted for no reason beyond survival, with every other choice closed to them.

"How does any of that concern me?" Liu Wuxie asked, frowning. He was not prepared to take on the Heavenly Alliance.

Its strength continued to grow, and a third of the Celestial Realm already was under its control. Challenging it now would amount to seeking his own death. He had to survive beyond the limits of its influence and build enough strength to exact his revenge.

"The sect's upper echelons have considered the matter carefully and placed the investigation in your hands. Your task is to defeat the Heavenly Alliance's plans and remove its influence from Mulberry Sea City," Elder Kong said. Even he could not understand why they had made that decision.

Compulsory missions had arrived the day after Liu Wuxie had joined the sect. Now an even heavier responsibility followed. No lone disciple could accomplish what they were asking of him. Even an Immortal Venerable would have difficulty driving the Heavenly Alliance out of Mulberry Sea City.

The Heavenly Alliance had worked covertly to penetrate the Azure Jade Palace's sphere of influence, leaving its leaders little opportunity to act openly. They could hardly call upon every clan and appeal for its continued loyalty. Against an enemy concealed in the shadows, the Azure Jade Palace faced a severe disadvantage.

"Surely you're joking, Elder Kong?" Liu Wuxie asked. What other explanation was there? Assigning a mere Profound Immortal to investigate and oppose the Heavenly Alliance bordered on absurdity.

"I know what troubles you. Your cultivation won't allow you to accomplish this on your own. For that reason, the sect is giving you a Law Enforcement Token. With it, you can mobilize our forces in Mulberry Sea City," Elder Kong said, producing the token and placing it carefully before him.

Liu Wuxie's eyes narrowed. He had read about the Law Enforcement Token and knew the authority it carried. Its bearer could call upon the Azure Jade Palace's experts and pass freely throughout the sect.

The crease in his brow deepened. Ever since Elder Gui had delivered those three missions, he had felt someone's hand directing events from behind the scenes. At first, he had suspected Ji Pei. This required far greater power. Authorizing a Law Enforcement Token demanded the standing of at least a Deputy Palace Master.

Placed in hostile hands, the token could turn the Azure Jade Palace's own strength against it.

That danger was precisely why granting one normally required lengthy deliberation among the sect's leaders. A prospective bearer needed an unquestionable record of loyalty and countless contributions.

Liu Wuxie had been a disciple for only days. The prospect of receiving a Law Enforcement Token scarcely seemed credible. Elder Kong's expression suggested that the customary deliberations had not taken place at all.

The other leaders would surely have protested had they known. His present standing came nowhere near the qualifications for such authority.

"Who asked you to give me this, Elder Kong? Can you tell me?" Liu Wuxie asked, drawing a deep breath. Immortal Emperor Shui Yao had crossed his mind, but he had dismissed the possibility. Why would someone so exalted concern herself with an outer disciple?

"I can't disclose that. What I can promise is a month of cultivation in the Heavenly Lake if you complete the mission," Elder Kong replied helplessly. Both deputy palace masters had repeatedly stressed the need for absolute secrecy.

At the promise of a month in the Heavenly Lake, Liu Wuxie’s eyes lit up.