Legend of Swordsman

“An outsider, are you sure?”

“I can’t be completely sure, but I would say, at least 90% confident,” Emperor Golden Snake replied solemnly.

Temple Master Iceberg pondered for a while before shaking his head as usual, “Even if he’s an outsider, a life-death duel with him won’t be easy for you.”

“I know, and that’s why I came to find you, my senior.” Emperor Golden Snake turned his eyes toward Temple Master Iceberg.

Folding his eyebrows, the latter became silent and did not offer a swift reply.

“Senior, I was lucky enough to obtain a Jade Slip during an opportunity once.” Emperor Golden Snake inhaled a deep breath before he slowly explained, “There was a message in that Jade Slip. It mentioned the… Ancient World Token.”

“What did you just say?” Temple Master Iceberg, who had been sitting upright on his throne all along, suddenly stood up. A strange expression flickered faintly in his eyes.

Emperor Golden Snake was not at all surprised by Temple Master Iceberg’s sudden change of attitude. He was fully aware of the attraction which the Ancient World Token had for the latter.

“Senior, you didn’t hear wrongly. The message in the Jade Slip indeed mentioned the Ancient World Token,” Emperor Golden Snake affirmed.

“Quick, let me have a look at the Jade Slip,” Temple Master Iceberg implored.

With no hesitation, Emperor Golden Snake waved his hands and took out a Jade Slip which he passed to Temple Master Iceberg.

After receiving the Jade Slip, Temple Master Iceberg transmitted his consciousness into it and immediately received a message.

Emperor Golden Snake simply stood where he was and waited in silence. There was, however, a confident smile on his face, which grew into an unconcealable large grin by the time Temple Master Iceberg came to his senses a short while later.

“Golden Snake.” Temple Master Iceberg looked down once more. “I’m keeping this Jade Slip. As for the life-death duel… I’ll immediately send word to the other temple masters to do me a favor. They can’t refuse when I’m asking in my personal capacity.”

“Thank you so much, senior!” Emperor Golden Snake became overjoyed at once.

“Alright then. You should head back and prepare.” Temple Master Iceberg waved a hand.

“Yes,” Emperor Golden Snake acknowledged before he turned and departed.

Left alone in the palace, Temple Master Iceberg was ecstatic.

“Ancient World Token!”

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. At present, it had already been ten days since the massacre of the demonic beasts.

Within these ten days, the East Camp was completely stabilized, and most of the sergeants who were lost in the battle had been replaced.

At this moment, two figures swept forth from a void near to the campsite of the Seventh Army.

One of them was Emperor Fengxiao, who had previously bestowed the token of the Fourth Level of the Earth Core Palace to Jian Wushuang. The other was Emperor Xiying, who had used his hands to hold back Emperor Golden Snake.

“Sigh, I’d personally prevented Emperor Golden Snake from killing Jian Wushuang in the past. Little did I expect that I would be in charge of announcing this matter now.” Emperor Xiying heaved softly with an unpleasant look on his face.

“I never imagined that Golden Snake could actually find a way to make the 17 temple masters approve of the life-death duel.” Emperor Fengxiao frowned as well.

“He certainly wouldn’t have had the capability to do so on his own. My guess is that Temple Master Iceberg supported him and asked on his behalf,” said Emperor Xiying. “Temple Master Iceberg is one of the top three experts among the temple masters of my Monster-exterminating League. The other temple masters would usually agree to any request he makes. And most importantly, Jian Wushuang is an outsider.”

“That’s right. If he wasn’t an outsider, it wouldn’t be possible even if Temple Master Iceberg intervened.” Emperor Fengxiao sighed.

“Alright, enough talk. We’re here.” Emperor Xiying looked down toward the campsite of the Seventh Army.

“Jian Wushuang.” Emperor Xiying and Emperor Fengxiao were still standing abreast on the Void when the former’s voice could be heard below.

Jian Wushuang, who had been studiously meditating the Six-story Pagoda Restriction in a tent, immediately stepped out and appeared on the Void upon hearing the voice.

“Emperor Fengxiao, Emperor Xiying.” He respectfully bowed to the two men he saw.

He was grateful for the help they had given him in the past.

However, they looked back at him with rather complicated looks in their eyes.

“Jian Wushuang.”

Emperor Xiying opened his mouth slightly but held back just as he was about to speak. After a long while, he sighed and said, “Temple Master Pure Moon ordered me to send word that Emperor Golden Snake’s proposal for a life-death duel with you has been approved by 17 temple masters.”

“What? It has been approved?” Jian Wushuang could not help feeling surprised.

He had believed that it was practically impossible for Emperor Golden Snake to gain the approval of 17 temple masters, but alas…

“It seems that I’ve underestimated Emperor Golden Snake. One has to be quite capable to make 17 temple masters approve of the life-death duel.” Jian Wushuang muttered.

Emperor Xiying continued, “According to the League’s rules, the life-death duel must go through now that it has the approval of 17 temple masters. However, considering that you’re only a Saint Realm expert, the disparity with Emperor Golden Snake’s level is too huge, and so you’ll be given a month to prepare. When a month’s up, the showdown between you two shall take place in the Bloodshed Valley!”

“A month?” Jian Wushuang nodded to himself.

To give him a month to prepare showed that the Monster-exterminating League was not too unreasonable.

“Now that I’ve conveyed what I was ordered to, I shall leave.” Emperor Xiying turned and departed as soon as he finished speaking. However, Emperor Fengxiao was not in the same hurry, and instead came up beside Jian Wushuang.

“Jian Wushuang.” Emperor Fengxiao looked at the latter with a slight smile.

“Emperor Fengxiao.” Jian Wushuang humbly acknowledged.

“You amazed me during the Divine General assessment in Heaven Wing City. But now, you have amazed me even more.” Emperor Fengxiao laughed. “Hmm, already feeling the pressure of the life-death duel with Emperor Golden Snake that takes place in a month’s time?”

“Yes, a little.” Jian Wushuang nodded his head indicatively.

A life-death duel was different from a typical fight.

In a typical fight, he would be able to escape even if he could not defeat Emperor Golden Snake, and so he would not be the least bit worried about the latter.

But in a life-death duel, someone had to die, and that would be him if he was weaker than his opponent.

“There’s no way out. None of the temple masters sided with you after the League found out you’re an outsider,” Emperor Fengxiao said.

Jian Wushuang could not help laughing bitterly upon hearing this.

He finally understood that his background affected the temple masters’ feeling toward him, and thus explained why they gave their approval.

“You can’t change the fact that the life-death duel has been set. It’s too late even if you think of escaping now. Unless you flee to a territory occupied by demonic beasts and never return to human territory, that is.”

“Emperor Golden Snake alone won’t scare me away.” Jian Wushuang laughed easily.

What a joke of a suggestion. While in the Divine Land, he had safely emerged from an encounter with an entire bunch of super experts and above from the Cloud Realm, who were equivalent in level to the temple masters of the Monster-exterminating League.

Emperor Golden Snake was merely a normal Emperor and thus was not going to scare him away.