Chapter 471 444: Subduing the Enemy Without a Fight, Ye Sheng's Challenge

Song Ciwan had successfully revealed a Celestial Secret last time, telling the Beichen Sword Immortal about it. But now, over a month had passed, and the Beichen Sword Immortal didn't seem to have made any obvious moves in response.

On the bustling outskirts of Thunder Strike Ridge, Song Ciwan walked slowly through a temporary Spirit Materials Street.

When she first arrived, not many people noticed her. After all, everyone was busy with their own affairs.

But as she walked deeper into the crowd, the cold, murderous aura about her gradually began to prick the keen senses of the surrounding Cultivators.

Before long, more and more gazes were cast in her direction.

The Cultivators coming and going suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of tension.

The first was the Hemp Robe Cultivator hawking his wares. He had been enthusiastically introducing the Spirit Talismans on his stall to a customer, especially the Thunder Protection Talismans, which he was hyping up to an absurd degree. "Fellow Daoist, this is a Three-star Level Upper Grade Talisman, personally drawn by my senior brother. You know my senior brother, right..."

He was in the middle of his passionate speech when his words suddenly stopped. His gaze was fixed, unblinking, in one direction.

The few Cultivators standing before his stall, listening to his pitch, couldn't help but prompt him, "Your senior brother is... Hey, what's wrong with you?"

The Hemp Robe Cultivator's face had suddenly turned deathly pale!

The Cultivators in front of his stall hurriedly followed his gaze, looking toward the edge of the street.

The crowd there was bustling, but amidst the liveliness was a youth in black, a long saber on his back, walking slowly toward them.

At first glance, the youth looked ordinary, but a closer look revealed an intimidating aura that mortals could not describe.

If one had to explain it, perhaps it could be called the bearing of a master.

It was like a lion wandering into a flock of sheep. Even if some were blissfully unaware, the more perceptive ones would inevitably feel their hair stand on end, a primal fear like encountering a natural predator.

The Hemp Robe Cultivator, who had been selling talismans, froze on the spot. Cold sweat suddenly beaded on his entire body, and in just a moment, his clothes were soaked through.

His exaggerated reaction couldn't help but make those around him nervous. A Cultivator at his stall quickly asked in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, you're... you're... And that person... who is..."

The question was a jumbled, incoherent mess.

But the Hemp Robe Cultivator seemed to understand him perfectly. He opened his mouth, his voice still laced with shock, "That person's appearance, take a look, doesn't it closely resemble the Lu Celestial Pride from the rumors a while back?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the Hemp Robe Cultivator's face grew even paler, as white as a sheet of paper.

He remembered his senior brother's warning!

The Cultivators at the stall were still hesitant. "Lu Celestial Pride? That can't be... There are plenty of young Blade Masters who like to wear black. It doesn't have to be Lu Celestial Pride."

But the Hemp Robe Cultivator retorted quickly, "But what if it is?"

The Cultivators at the stall looked at each other. "This..."

It wasn't that they were desperate to cling to a sliver of hope. It was that anyone who came to this roadside stall to carefully select Thunder Protection Talismans was, by definition, someone who had already made up their mind and held great hopes for the Spirit Realm Secret Realm.

By this point, people like them had unknowingly developed a gambler's mentality.

And with a gambler's mentality, how could they accept the legendary Lu Bell suddenly appearing before them?

After all, this Lu Celestial Pride had once threatened to stand guard at the entrance to the Spirit Realm Secret Realm with his saber, ready to kill everyone who intended to enter!

In reality, Song Ciwan had only said she would stand guard with her saber at the Secret Realm's entrance. She had never said anything like "killing everyone." But any piece of news, once passed through three or more people, is often distorted beyond recognition.

A version like this, which only added an exaggerated interpretation to Song Ciwan's original words, could almost be considered highly faithful and respectful of the truth.

The Cultivators were both flustered and clinging to wishful thinking, so they stubbornly insisted, "So what if it's him? Can he really stop all of us? He..."

Before the words were out, the slowly approaching youth in black seemed to sense something and suddenly cast his gaze over.

The next moment, the Hemp Robe Cultivator selling talismans was the first to shout, "Fellow Daoists, my senior brother has summoned me back to the city immediately! This little brother won't be coming to Thunder Strike Ridge again! Take care, everyone, farewell!"

As he yelled, he swept his sleeve, moving with lightning speed to put everything on the stall in front of him, including the table it was set on, back into his Storage Pouch.

He truly was swift as the gale, quick as a fleeing rabbit.

In less than the blink of an eye, the Hemp Robe Cultivator stomped his foot. A shuttle-shaped Magical Artifact appeared beneath him, and he shot into the sky on it, instantly flying far away in the direction opposite Thunder Strike Ridge.

The few Cultivators who had been standing at the stall didn't even have time to react.

There were men and women among the Cultivators. One of the young men was still being stubborn. "Th-that guy is as timid as a mouse, absolutely ridiculous! It's just someone who looks similar, why go this far? Besides, even if it really is that person..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a middle-aged Cultivator traveling with him suddenly grabbed the young woman beside him and uttered two words in a low voice: "Ru'Er, go!"

Likewise, before his voice had faded, the middle-aged Cultivator and the young woman joined hands to cast the Wind Manipulation Technique. A gust of wind rose, and in an instant, the two of them flew into the sky, wrapped in the wind as they sped away.

The middle-aged Cultivator's voice drifted back on the wind, "Fellow Daoists, my daughter and I have urgent business at home, so we'll be heading back first! Farewell, everyone!"

The remaining Cultivators: ...

Some were dumbfounded, some cursed under their breath, and some who reacted faster quickly suppressed their greed. They too shot into the sky in a panic, using all sorts of flight techniques to get away quickly.

Of course, not every Cultivator present knew how to fly!

For a Cultivator to fly, they had to be at least in the Qi Cultivation Stage. For a Martial Artist to fly, they needed to be at least at the Innate Second Transformation.

But among those who had come to Thunder Strike Ridge seeking opportunities were clearly not just those at the Qi Cultivation Stage or Innate Second Transformation. There was also a large number of people at the Qi Transformation Stage and the Innate First Transformation!

The departure of the Hemp Robe Cultivator and the middle-aged Cultivator with his daughter was like flipping a strange switch. The next moment, all eyes in the area suddenly focused on Song Ciwan.

The commotion spread in an instant, like the most terrifying plague in the world.

"Is that... Is that Lu Celestial Pride?"

"No way. Isn't he wanted? How could he dare to show up so openly?"

"Why not? If he dares to show up even while he's wanted, doesn't that make him even more terrifying?"

"I... I don't believe it!"

But the truth was, the person who kept saying "I don't believe it" was actually running the fastest!

No, perhaps not the absolute fastest, since others had already fled.

But in the second wave of escapees, the one who kept saying "I don't believe it" was, in fact, among the quickest to bolt.

In an instant, the little Spirit Materials Street on the outskirts of Thunder Strike Ridge dissolved into chaos, scattering in all directions like sand in the wind.

Some fled by flying through the sky, while others sped away on the ground.

Some scrambled to pack up their stalls, only to have a handful of Spiritual Materials snatched away by someone with ulterior motives standing in front of their stall.

The one who snatched the Spiritual Materials turned and ran. The owner, having lost their goods, was too slow to react at first and could only finish packing up before giving chase in a frenzy.

Someone's gaze might have met Song Ciwan's for a fleeting moment as she stood in the middle of the chaos, only for them to hurriedly look away before using every means at their disposal to flee as fast as they could.

Since arriving in this area, Song Ciwan hadn't said a single word, made any untoward moves, or even truly revealed her identity. Yet all the Cultivators here treated her like a terrifying monster, scattering like birds and beasts in an instant.

Such power, such a reputation—if she weren't experiencing it firsthand, Song Ciwan herself would find it hard to believe.

But as she stood there, genuinely and truly, silently appreciating the scene before her, she had to admit that she actually found it quite satisfying.

A peculiar feeling, like that of being a great villain, brought a faint smile to the silent, black-clad youth's otherwise stern face.