Chapter 1985 - Branch

Three-Mile Villa stood in Mulberry Sea City's western district, its low wooden buildings strikingly different from those in the south.

Here, the Azure Jade Palace operated its branch. Anyone returning to the sect, including Liu Wuxie, would have to pass through the branch's teleportation array.

Most superpowers maintained such branches in major cities. They served both as centers for overseeing business and as convenient links between the cities and the sects themselves.

Liu Wuxie crossed most of Mulberry Sea City before reaching the entrance. The hour was still early, and only a few disciples had arrived.

The gates had barely opened for the day. Two disciples guarded them, denying unauthorized visitors access to the Azure Jade Palace's grounds.

Wearing his sect robes, Liu Wuxie walked toward them.

"I'd like to speak with the elder who oversees this branch, Senior Brothers," he said, politely cupping his hands.

Both guards looked up at him and frowned.

"You dare pose as one of our disciples?" the man on the left roared, striking at Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie had not anticipated an attack. The two guards stood at the pinnacle of the Divine Immortal Realm, which presumably made them outer disciples.

He stepped aside, evading the strike, and withdrew ten steps. Murderous intent flickered through his gaze.

"Why are you attacking me, Senior Brother?" he demanded. Although furious, he had other pressing matters to attend to. ℴℴ𝗺

"Impersonating an Azure Jade Palace disciple is punishable by death!" The guard gave him no opportunity to explain. A second, stronger strike swept forth, blotting out the sky and closing every route of escape.

"You have a death wish!" Liu Wuxie roared. This time, he held his ground. Raising his hand, he struck downward, dispersing the attack and astonishing the guard.

The man reacted at once. He punched toward Liu Wuxie's face. That swift adjustment spoke to the battle experience one would expect from a superpower's disciple.

The six peak Divine Immortals Liu Wuxie had killed belonged to third-tier clans. Their fighting ability fell well short of disciples trained by the Azure Jade Palace. Yet against Liu Wuxie, that distinction meant nothing. His palm descended despite the fist hurtling toward him.

A thunderous collision broke the air. The fist stopped fifteen centimeters from Liu Wuxie's face as his palm crashed into the guard's shoulder. The man flew back like a kite cut loose from its string, but experience served him even then. He twisted swiftly through a midair somersault and landed securely on his feet.

At the last instant, Liu Wuxie had pulled back part of his power. He had no wish to kill the guard. Without that restraint, the man would already have been a corpse.

"Help me take him down, Senior Brother Huang," the guard urged.

The two men converged on him from opposite sides. "You'll die here for impersonating an Azure Jade Palace disciple, brat!"

"Look at my Azure Jade Palace identity token. On what grounds do you still call me an impostor?" Liu Wuxie asked, bringing out his outer disciple token.

The guards halted. They knew the sect's insignia, and no one could counterfeit it. Whatever else they suspected, the token was real.

"Don't believe him, Junior Brother Wei. He must have murdered one of our disciples and taken the token. He's using it to get into the sect," Senior Brother Huang said. He still believed Liu Wuxie had stolen it. As far as he knew, no Profound Immortal ranked among the Azure Jade Palace's disciples.

To them, his scheme was obvious. He intended to enter the branch under a false identity and use its teleportation array to infiltrate the sect. If they allowed him through, they would be held accountable for their negligence.

"I'm Liu Wuxie. I entered the sect through this year's recruitment. Check the records if you doubt me," Liu Wuxie said, putting the token away. Why insist on making trouble when a simple inquiry would settle everything?

The men looked at each other in bewilderment. Since when had the Azure Jade Palace accepted Profound Immortals?

"Keep an eye on him, Senior Brother Huang. Don't let him get away. I'll verify his story inside," said the guard struck by Liu Wuxie. After casting Liu Wuxie a venomous look, he hurried into the branch.

The blow hadn't particularly injured him, but humiliation hurt all the same. If others learned that a mere Profound Immortal had sent him flying with a single palm strike, his reputation as a peak Divine Immortal would be ruined.

Senior Brother Huang unsheathed his longsword and blocked Liu Wuxie's way.

Roughly fifteen minutes passed before the other guard returned. He leaned in to whisper to Huang, whose eyes immediately brightened. Greed showed on their faces.

Liu Wuxie's brow furrowed. A message to the sect was all the verification they needed, but clearly, the man had discovered something more than his identity.

"We checked, brat. The Azure Jade Palace has no disciple named Liu Wuxie. You'll be executed here for impersonating one," Senior Brother Huang declared, his voice taking on a sinister edge. His companion said nothing. His expression revealed enough.

"So it's my immortal roots you want?" Liu Wuxie asked. Their sudden transformation was obvious.

"Stop talking and surrender!" Both attacked together, intent on ending the matter before anything could complicate it. Their swords darted like vipers toward his vital points. 𝖋𝙧ⅇ

Cold light flashed in Liu Wuxie's eyes. They had confirmed his standing in the Azure Jade Palace and still meant to murder him, hide the crime, and take what they wanted.

He did not trouble himself to draw the Bloodthirst Blade. He evaded their attacks using the Divine Ninefold Steps. Forcing his way into the branch would have been easy, but it would also give them a reason to punish him.

He had far more pressing matters to squander time here.

"Arrogant fools. Show me how you plan to kill me," Liu Wuxie said. Slipping between their attacks, he thrust both palms along angles that left them almost no room for defense.

Who would have guessed that this unremarkable-looking Profound Immortal possessed combat strength rivaling the Golden Immortal Realm?

The exchange lasted only for an instant. Immortal energy burst from Liu Wuxie's outthrust hands and struck the guards' chests with the force of two massive hammers.

Two dull impacts sounded. Blood spilled from both men's mouths. Without holding back, Liu Wuxie had used half his strength this time.

They hit the ground and clutched their chests. Their organs felt as though they were dislodged, and fire seemed to burn within their bodies. Only after hastily swallowing pills did a little color return to their faces.

"How dare you resist and injure disciples of Azure Jade Palace? Don't expect mercy now, brat!" they roared. Once they had brought their injuries under control, their expressions turned more vicious still.

Each guard brought out an Imprisonment Talisman. The two talismans enlarged in midair and descended toward Liu Wuxie, seeking to hold him motionless for a brief interval.

"So you won't take me inside until I've made you suffer enough," Liu Wuxie said. He executed the Seven Dipper Steps and appeared directly in front of them. Before either could react, he slapped each across the face. The Imprisonment Talismans accomplished nothing.

Both flew backward once more, clear palm prints visible out on their faces. Within moments, they looked like pigs due to their swollen cheeks.

"You're dead, brat! I'll kill you!" Senior Brother Huang screamed. The cry reached into the branch and alerted the disciples and elders within.

"You two worthless fools think you can take my life?" Liu Wuxie asked with a mocking smile. The Bloodthirst Blade appeared in his hand, and a blade ray flashed toward them.

Cold swept over their necks. Both men froze, their right hands rising instinctively to their throats. Blood stained their fingertips. Terror seized them as they thought their throats were cut open, though the blade ray had barely pierced the skin. Had he used even a fraction more force, their heads would have been torn from their shoulders.

"Enough! What is the meaning of this fight?" An Immortal Venerable strode out of the branch. Three commanding steps carried him over dozens of meters.

Liu Wuxie watched the space contract beneath the elder's feet and felt a jolt of surprise. This was no ordinary expert.

"Elder Ren, thank goodness you're here! This brat is pretending to be a disciple of the Azure Jade Palace. When we stopped him, he attacked us. Execute him here, please!" the guards cried, speaking before Liu Wuxie could answer. They meant to make Elder Ren the instrument of his death.

"Are their accusations true?" Elder Ren asked, fixing Liu Wuxie with his gaze. The pressure of an Immortal Venerable settled upon the young man's shoulders like a mountain. If they were speaking the truth, he would kill him without a moment's hesitation. Impersonating an Azure Jade Palace disciple was no minor offense.

Other sects enforced the same rule, especially the major powers, which guarded their reputations above all else. Rogue cultivators had once used their robes to defraud others and tarnish their names. Since then, the great sects had strictly forbidden such impersonation and shown no mercy to anyone caught committing it.

"My name is Liu Wuxie, Elder. Here is my disciple token. I showed it to these Senior Brothers, and they verified my identity. Even afterward, they insisted I was an impostor," Liu Wuxie said, offering his outer disciple token.

Elder Ren took it, a frown gathering between his brows.