After leaving the City Lord's residence, SikongChangfeng hurried toward the Ascension Pavilion. When he arrived, he was relieved to find that, although the pavilion was still standing, the fifteenthfloor had been completely destroyed.
He had feared that the entire structure might have been demolished, which would have been a catastrophe for him. However, even the destruction of just one floor was not something he could take lightly.
Furious, Sikong Changfeng didn't bother with the stairs. With a few quick leaps, he landed on the fifteenth floor.
There, he finally saw the situation clearly.
FairyLuoxia sat cross-legged in meditation, regulating her breathing. After a quick glance, Sikong Changfeng relaxed slightly. She wasn't seriously injured, though her internal energy was clearly unstable.
It was obvious—she had lost the duel.
Sikong Changfeng's gaze then shifted to the young man standing not far away, and his pupils contracted in surprise.
The aura radiating from JiangChe carried a palpable pressure—it was at least equal to his own!
Ninth-stage Great Grandmaster… or even approaching Half-Step Heavenly Realm?
"Who are you?" he asked sharply. "Why are you stirring up trouble in Snow Moon City?"
Sikong Changfeng narrowed his eyes, alert and wary. This young man looked no older than eighteen, yet his strength was terrifying.
He immediately assumed Jiang Che must be a prodigy nurtured by some powerful faction. His mind raced, trying to remember whether he had ever offended someone of this level.
Could he be the disciple of one of my senior brothers, come here seeking revenge?
"You must be Sikong Changfeng, the City Lord, right?" Jiang Che replied calmly.
"There's been a misunderstanding. My name is JiangChe, from the SongDynasty. I don't belong to any sect or have a master—I'm just a wandering swordsman. I came today to challenge the Sword Immortal of Snow Moon City.
"Earlier, I may have overdone it and accidentally destroyed the fifteenth floor of the Ascension Pavilion. I hope you won't hold it against me."
Jiang Che spoke with a calm smile, clearly not intending to provoke further conflict. He acknowledged the damage he had caused, but his tone was respectful.
Seeing Sikong Changfeng's skeptical expression, Jiang Che quickly clarified his intent.
"A wandering swordsman from the Song Dynasty?" Sikong Changfeng echoed, clearly surprised.
In recent years, the Song Dynasty had been in decline. Aside from the Five Greats of Song, the National Scholar Huangshang, and the famed SouthernMurong and NorthernQiaoFeng, there hadn't been any rising stars. And those figures were nearly thirty—hardly "new" talents.
Since when did a prodigy like this emerge in the Song Dynasty?
Jiang Che simply smiled without elaborating.
Within the Song Dynasty, his looks had already overshadowed his martial reputation, earning him the title "The Most Handsome Man in the Song Dynasty."
"Since you're here to challenge my second disciple, then wait a moment—I'll summon her."
Sikong Changfeng still wasn't sure whether Jiang Che's story was true, but he planned to have someone look into it later.
Very few people knew that the Snow Moon SwordImmortal, one of the Five Sword Immortals of Beili, was actually a beautiful woman. Li Hanyi almost always wore a ghost mask in public, concealing her true identity.
"Please, City Lord, wait a moment…" Jiang Che called out just as Sikong Changfeng turned to leave.
Seeing the wariness in his eyes, Jiang Che added, "Before that, I'd like to exchange a few moves with you, if you don't mind."
"…Very well."
Sikong Changfeng's eyes narrowed, but he didn't refuse. The boy had destroyed his fifteenth floor—he was already simmering with anger.
"It's not suitable to fight here. Let's go to Erhai Lake."
With that, his figure flickered and vanished.
Jiang Che followed close behind.
By the time BaiLiDongjun, LiHanyi, and SikongQianluo arrived at the top of the Ascension Pavilion, Jiang Che and Sikong Changfeng were already gone.
They found only Yin Luoxia, still meditating in place.
Looking around in confusion, Sikong Qianluo asked, "Sister Luoxia, where are my father and that troublemaker?"
"They went to Erhai Lake to fight," Yin Luoxia replied lazily, casting a glance at LiHanyi.
"That young man's name is Jiang Che. He's from the Song Dynasty, doesn't belong to any sect, and came to challenge Li Hanyi today."
She had overheard their conversation and found herself equally intrigued.
When did the Song Dynasty produce such an exceptional young martial artist?
So young, and yet already this powerful?
"In that case, let's go take a look," Bai Li Dongjun said, his curiosity piqued. With a flash, he dashed toward Erhai Lake, and Li Hanyi silently followed.
Yin Luoxia was about to go as well, but SikongQianluo quickly grabbed her sleeve.
"Sister Luoxia, wait for me!"
"Take me with you, please!" she pleaded, tugging at Yin Luoxia's arm with a playful pout.
Even though she thought Jiang Che was a bit of a troublemaker, he was incredibly handsome—and she didn't want her father to beat him up too badly.
While she wasn't sure just how strong Jiang Che really was, she was confident he couldn't win against her father.
After all, SikongChangfeng was the renowned SpearImmortalofBeili. There was no way a mere teenager like Jiang Che could match him.
Besides, the difference between martial realms was enormous. At her current level—third-stageGrandmaster—Sikong Qianluo knew she'd be left in the dust. By the time she arrived, the fight would probably already be over.
"All right," Yin Luoxia said with a smile, patting her on the head.
She was clearly amused by Qianluo's "cute little sister" act and didn't refuse.
"Hehe, Sister Luoxia is the best!"
P.S. Martial Realm Breakdown:
Innate Realm = Vajra Realm
Master Realm = Carefree Earth Realm
Great Grandmaster Realm = Carefree Heaven Realm
Heavenly Realm = Divine Wanderer Realm