Chapter Seventy: Gathering from All Directions

High above, the Sword Immortal, robed in white, seemed untouched by mortal dust. With a single stroke, he carved open the gates of heaven, summoning a celestial phenomenon that shook the entire wasteland as if it had exploded.

“My god, this is unbelievable! Is he the protagonist...?”

Staring at the spectacle above, Ye Qiu was utterly stunned. Such terrifying effects—who else but the protagonist could possess them?

Damn, I almost let him fool me. Is he really the protagonist?

Could it be that this fellow isn’t the sort of protagonist classified as the Crooked-Mouth Dragon King, but rather one from the Absurdist Section?

No wonder—I wondered how I could be so off in my guess. So that’s the truth.

“My heavens, Shopkeeper, did this guy take the wrong medicine? How could he cause such a reaction?”

Cao He, panic-stricken, stared at the sword shadows darting through the sky, his face pale with fright.

“I have no idea! Just what did he comprehend? All I did was boast a little—how could that incite such upheaval?”

Ye Qiu felt resigned; it seemed that no matter what he said, everyone took it as profound wisdom and sought enlightenment from it.

It’s too much—everyone’s showing off their talents, and I, Ye Qiu, am left bewildered.

“Shopkeeper, your mouth must be blessed! You bragged so much, you’re turning cattle into immortals…”

Cao He wiped the sweat from his brow, deeply admiring Ye Qiu’s skill at talking big; he could conjure something from nothing.

Just then, the Sky-Swallowing Sparrow shot him a resentful glance, fuming, “Didn’t you say writing couldn’t substitute for sword practice?”

Infuriating! I believed you so wholeheartedly, convinced that the silly boy was at fault.

Turns out, the clown was me after all?

Ah… Heaven and earth, I, the Sky-Swallowing Sparrow, have missed my chance to ascend—I could slap myself.

The sparrow was nearly suicidal; at first, it believed Ye Qiu couldn’t be wrong, convinced that Liu Jianchen was mistaken. After all, how could writing be considered sword training?

But the result? That guy soared straight up and stepped into the realm of a terrestrial sword immortal!

Damn, I was careless!

The sparrow’s faith in Ye Qiu wavered, but now… it really wanted to say, “The trust between us is gone! I’ll never believe your lies again…”

Hearing the sparrow’s plaintive and indignant cry, Ye Qiu gave an awkward laugh, “Ha… I didn’t lie to you—how could writing be sword training? I swear by Cao He’s dignity and honor, I, Ye Qiu, have never uttered a single falsehood…”

“What the hell, what’s it got to do with me…”

Cao He was about to retort when he received a flick to the forehead and fell silent.

Bullied!

The Sky-Swallowing Sparrow refused to believe Ye Qiu’s words, protesting, “Then how do you explain him?”

Ye Qiu shrugged helplessly, “How should I know? He’s just exceptionally gifted. If you don’t believe it, you could try writing yourself…”

Ye Qiu, too, was curious why Liu Jianchen could grasp the supreme sword way while he could not.

Who could answer that? He’d written for over twenty years with no progress, but that guy wrote for half a month and became immortal?

Damn, where’s the justice? We’re both human—how can there be such a gulf between people?

Is it that only protagonists can do this? Are their hacks public?

Hiss… He’s definitely the protagonist. It’s almost certain.

The Sky-Swallowing Sparrow didn’t believe Ye Qiu, feeling dejected and resolved, “I don’t care. From today on, I’ll practice writing and become a disciplined man!”

“Pfft…”

The moment they heard ‘disciplined,’ Ye Qiu and Cao He scoffed in unison, looking at it with disdain.

Someone who can’t even get up early wants to talk discipline? Ye Qiu and Cao He had said this a thousand times, and not once had it come true.

Discipline, my foot! Isn’t sleeping in more appealing?

“By the way, can you even hold a pen with your chicken claws? Writing? I’d say you’re more suited to scribbling in the dirt…”

Ye Qiu wasn’t looking down on it—it truly didn’t have the talent.

The sparrow was furious, retorting, “I’m not a chicken, I’m a Sky-Swallowing Sparrow!”

“You are a chicken—a fire chicken!”

“I’ve said I’m not a chicken, how many times must I say it…”

“I don’t believe you—how can you prove it?”

After a few exchanges, the Sky-Swallowing Sparrow fell silent, no longer willing to argue with Ye Qiu. It didn’t matter; chicken or not, they were kin.

At this moment, Liu Jianchen had entered the immortal realm, crossed the heavenly gate, and was bathed in holy light. Under its radiance, his aura was overwhelming…

With a wave of his brush, sword energy erupted, flattening the entire mountain.

“Heaven did not give birth to me, Liu Jianchen; the sword way would be an eternal night. Sword, come!”

Who knows where he stole such a domineering phrase, but upon shouting it, swords within hundreds of miles flew toward him.

“Hiss… This fellow really has entered the realm of the terrestrial sword immortal!”

By now, all the influential figures had gathered, watching from the sidelines, visibly shaken.

Though they tried their utmost to restrain themselves, they still couldn’t control their swords, which were drawn irresistibly to Liu Jianchen.

“No wonder he’s a sword immortal—he truly entered the immortal realm with the sword. Of those who once ventured into the forbidden zone, two have already reached this realm. I wonder who will be next…”

“Liu Jianchen is a legendary figure. To reach this level at such a young age is truly remarkable.

Among the current generation, the only one who can surpass him is the Lord of the Heavenly Palace, Fairy Yuechan. Aside from her… he’s unrivaled among his peers.”

“I’m not so sure. Fairy Yuechan may have defeated him back then, but now Liu Jianchen has stepped into the terrestrial sword immortal realm. No matter how strong she is, she can’t match him…”

The crowd was abuzz, secretly comparing the two.

Some claimed Yuechan entered the immortal realm thanks to two immortal lotuses—not as pure as Liu Jianchen. Others argued that Yuechan possessed a green lotus physique; those two lotuses merely compensated for her body’s shortcomings, achieving a perfect immortal form and opening the path of the green lotus incarnation, traversing eternity. How could Liu Jianchen be her match?

One entered the path through the sword, the other through the body—two entirely different roads, impossible to say which was superior…

“Enough!”

As the debate grew heated, a voice abruptly cut through the commotion.

An elder, disdainful, declared, “Don’t forget, though these two are strong, there is someone even stronger below.

With him around, no matter how dazzling the genius, they pale in comparison. He is the true peerless powerhouse!”

“Hiss…”

“What?”

“There’s an immortal below?”

His words detonated among the crowd, sparking fierce discussion.

The elder explained, “I don’t know if he’s an immortal, but I do know this: the two you mentioned are both disciples he taught. So you can imagine just how strong he truly is…”

At these words, the entire gathering was stunned.