Soon after, Ye Yunfei returned to Mao City.
Mao City appeared calm and peaceful on the surface, with nothing seemingly amiss for the moment. However, one could clearly see a large number of Mao Clan patrols both inside and outside the city walls; the defenses were much tighter than usual.
"There's a lingering scent of blood here. A battle took place. It seems there really is trouble," Ye Yunfei soon noticed the residual smell of blood within the city, evidence of a past conflict, causing him to frown slightly.
Entering the city, the Mao Clan Patriarch and the five tribe elders emerged from the Phantom Tower and immediately summoned all the other clan elders.
"Patriarch, it's people from the Thousand Sword Sect! People from the Thousand Sword Sect have returned to take revenge on our Mao Clan! All our core disciples and inner disciples have been captured, every single one!" the Mao Clan elders reported frantically as soon as they saw the Patriarch.
"What? All our clan's core and inner disciples have been captured?" Hearing this, the Patriarch and the five elders all turned pale with fright.
"Thousand Sword Sect? Wasn't the Thousand Sword Sect destroyed by us back then? What exactly is going on?" The Patriarch forced himself to calm down and asked with a frown.
"Yesterday, over a dozen swordsmen suddenly appeared in Mao City and started killing everyone in sight. Our Mao Clan lost at least several hundred people to them! We went out to question them, demanding why they were killing people at our Mao Clan. One of them declared himself to be a core disciple of the Thousand Sword Sect. He claimed he had escaped when our Mao Clan besieged the Thousand Sword Sect back then, and had now returned to exact revenge. He told our Mao Clan to prepare ourselves. In two days' time, he will bring our captured core and inner disciples back to Mao City and slaughter them one by one in public. Then he will wipe out our Mao Clan," a high-ranking Mao Clan member relayed the incident.
"Over a dozen swordsmen? They only have a little over ten people. Couldn't you handle them?" one of the tribe elders asked, furrowing his brow.
"Fourth Elder, you didn't see them. Although there were only over ten of them, every single one of them wielded terrifyingly powerful swordsmanship. Moreover, their cultivation levels were all at the Heavenly Longevity Realm perfection. Unless the Patriarch and you five elders were here, our Mao Clan had no one who was their match," another high-ranking member sighed.
"I see! Hmph! Fine. I'd like to see if they really can destroy our Mao Family!" one of the tribe elders snorted coldly.
"Patriarch, they said they would come back in two days—that means tomorrow!" another high-ranking member said.
"Spread the order. Have all clan members prepare themselves for a powerful enemy," the Patriarch said grimly.
"There's no need to be too tense. Mere Heavenly Longevity Realms are not worth mentioning. If you cannot handle it, I will intervene," Ye Yunfei, who was standing nearby, spoke up.
"Young Master, please rest assured. Dealing with over a dozen Heavenly Longevity Realms will be simple for our Mao Clan," one of the tribe elders said.
The Mao Clan Patriarch and the five tribe elders were all at the Initial World Creation Realm. Above the Star-Gazing Realm was the Heavenly Longevity Realm, and above the Heavenly Longevity Realm was the World Creation Realm!
"Good." Ye Yunfei nodded and then entered a training cave-dwelling within the city to rest and meditate.
Time swiftly passed, and the next day arrived.
"All members of the Mao Clan! Come out and die!" A voice suddenly rang out from high in the sky, like a thunderclap on a clear day, shaking the entire Mao City.
"The enemy is here!" Hearing this shout, every member of the Mao Clan rushed out, ascending into the air and forming up in battle formations.
They saw a large host surrounding Mao City. All these people held longswords in their hands, clearly all sword cultivators.
"Surround them! Today we will slaughter the city! Not a single member of the Mao Family is allowed to escape!" A tall, slender man in a blue gown stood mid-air, his body swirling with billowing sword energy as he shouted loudly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!...
Swords gleaming with cold light pointed towards the Mao Clan members. The very space between heaven and earth was filled with sharp, rolling sword lights.
"Patriarch, could they... could they be from the Sword Emperor Pavilion?" Suddenly, one of the tribe elders exclaimed, his face paling as he turned to the Patriarch.
"What? Sword Emperor Pavilion?" Hearing this, the faces of all the other Mao Clan high-ranking members turned ashen white, each one revealing expressions of alarm.
The Sword Emperor Pavilion was a prestigious force within the Tianxiong Domain, its overall strength roughly equal to the Tianliang Sacred Land! Moreover, what was even more terrifying was that the Tianxiong Domain branch was merely a local branch. The true, overall headquarters of the Sword Emperor Pavilion was located in Tiankui Domain! It was said that the Sword Emperor Pavilion was an imperial tradition founded by an ancient Heavenly Emperor who specialized in swordsmanship. Currently, the top powerhouse within the Sword Emperor Pavilion headquarters possessed cultivation at the Half-Emperor level! And more than one Half-Emperor! It could be said that the Sword Emperor Pavilion was a superpower that shook the entire Feixian Continent, operating on the same level as the Heavenly God Palace! Compared to the Sword Emperor Pavilion, the Mao Clan was simply insignificant. The Mao Clan was merely a second-tier faction within the Tianxiong Domain!
"If they truly are from the Sword Emperor Pavilion, then our Mao Clan is in grave trouble," the Patriarch couldn't help but sigh.
"Listen up, you old fart Mao Weibo! Back then, your Mao Clan acted brutally and unjustly, annihilating our Thousand Sword Sect. Today, I have come specifically to avenge the over ten thousand lives of our Thousand Sword Sect!" The blue-gowned man at the forefront pointed his sword at the Mao Clan Patriarch and shouted harshly.
"Who are you?" the Patriarch asked, looking at the blue-gowned man.
"I am Feng Zhe! Back then, I was the first-ranked core disciple and the last disciple personally accepted by the Sect Master of the Thousand Sword Sect! Your Mao Clan killed my master and destroyed my Thousand Sword Sect! This is an enmity that can never coexist under the same sky! Today, every single one of you in the Mao Clan will die!" The blue-gowned man gnashed his teeth as he spoke.
"So it's Feng Zhe. You're actually still alive!" The Patriarch's gaze sharpened as he recalled that the Thousand Sword Sect Master indeed had an exceptionally talented last disciple.
"Exactly! I am Feng Zhe! Heaven pitied me; I did not die by your Mao Clan's hands back then. It was fate's design that I would return to exact vengeance on your Mao Clan for the bloody extermination of my Thousand Sword Sect!" Feng Zhe sneered coldly.
"Hmph! Back then, our Mao Clan held no grudges against your Thousand Sword Sect. Yet your Thousand Sword Sect threw its weight around, forced itself into the dispute between our Mao Clan and the Tan Family, and teamed up with the Tan Family to destroy us! I'll tell you what, it was your Thousand Sword Sect that first came to bully our Mao Clan, and that's why it was later destroyed by us. How dare you accuse our Mao Clan of being brutal and unjust now!" One of the Mao Clan's tribe elders took a step forward and retorted angrily.
"Hahaha... Old fool! Back then, our Thousand Sword Sect was stronger than your Mao Clan. So what if we bullied you? Enough chatter. Now, I will begin by executing the core disciples and inner disciples of your Mao Clan, one by one, right in front of all your Mao Clan members! Then, I will exterminate your entire clan!" Feng Zhe laughed wildly.
"You dare!" The Patriarch and the five tribe elders roared in rage simultaneously, stepping forward and releasing surging waves of energy pressure.
Boom! Rumble!
The combined energy pressure unleashed by the six Initial World Creation Realm experts immediately changed the atmosphere, making heaven and earth tremble.
"Hmph! You six old fogies have nothing to boast about," Feng Zhe sneered.
The next moment, three old men rose from behind Feng Zhe.
Boom! Boom!
The three old men erupted simultaneously, releasing terrifying auras like three divine mountains, causing the surrounding space to shake violently. These three old men were all World Creation Realm mid-stage experts! Next, another thirty or so men with Heavenly Longevity Realm perfection strength stepped forward as one, releasing rolling waves of energy pressure.
"Just you six old fellows? I could fight you myself!" Feng Zhe laughed maniacally. Boom!... A violent surge of energy erupted from his body.
Initial World Creation Realm!
This sight made every member of the Mao Clan turn ashen. The enemy's overall strength was far too fearsome. The Mao Clan simply had no way to cope!