“Big…” Fang Lizhe was just about to say something when Zhou Kai ruthlessly cut him off.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Zhou Kai gave him no chance to speak, his fists and feet raining down like a storm.

Of course, he controlled his strength, aiming his blows at the parts of Fang Lizhe’s body that were most resilient to impact yet would also make him feel the most excruciating pain.

After a while, Zhou Kai finally stopped. Fang Lizhe, bruised and swollen, lay paralyzed on the ground.

Zhou Kai squatted down and asked, “Now, do you still want to practice the sword?”

Fang Lizhe shuddered, recalling the recent “loving education,” and quickly shook his head, his voice tinged with sobs. “No… no more… Big Brother, I was wrong!”

“Good. Why not practice anymore?” Zhou Kai guided patiently.

Fang Lizhe clutched his still-throbbing buttocks, on the verge of tears. “The sword… the sword is too thin, easy to break! And… and sword cultivators are all skinny and bony, clearly not built to take a hit! To live long, we need to be thick-skinned and tough!”

“Hmm, that makes some sense.” Zhou Kai nodded in satisfaction and continued asking, “Now tell me, what do you want to practice?”

Fang Lizhe looked at Zhou Kai’s fist, as big as a sand pot, and thought of the iron sword that had been shattered by the vibration. A flash of inspiration struck him. “Practice… practice the saber! Big Brother, I want to practice the saber!”

“Why the saber?”

“The saber… the saber is heavy enough, fierce enough, direct enough! And holding a saber feels safer than holding a sword!” The more Fang Lizhe spoke, the more convinced he became.

“Good. Then do you still want to be a Sword Immortal?”

“No… no more! Absolutely not!” Fang Lizhe shook his head like a rattle-drum.

“Then what do you want to be?”

Fang Lizhe racked his brains, suddenly slapped his thigh as inspiration struck again, and blurted out, “I… I want to become a Saber God! Yes! Saber God! With a saber in hand, I own the world!”

Zhou Kai looked at his earnest expression and chuckled inwardly.

This kid, though a bit simple-minded, had good tenacity and aptitude. With some polishing, he might very well become a useful “saber” in the future.

In the following days, the atmosphere in Broken Wood Bay grew increasingly lively. More and more cultivators gathered, and tensions rose.

Besides cultivating and exchanging pointers with Chen Ziyi, Zhou Kai occasionally went out to stroll around and gather information.

And every evening without fail, an extremely penetrating shout would ring out on time:

“East Gate Courtyard! Rich Spirit Qi! High-grade formations! Don’t miss it if you pass by! Calamity Abyss Valley provides full protection throughout your stay! Safe, comfortable, guaranteed! Only one Spirit Stone per day ensures your satisfaction and peace of mind!”

“Only renting for five days! Limited availability! First come, first served! Latecomers—just stare enviously!”

The voice was full of vigor and carried a uniquely flashy flair. Without asking, it had to be that Gao Feiyang from Calamity Abyss Valley.

As the shouts changed from “only renting for four days” to “only renting for three days,” the number of cultivators gathering in Broken Wood Bay visibly increased.

Occasionally, brief bursts of Spirit Qi fluctuations erupted due to verbal disputes or friction but were quickly suppressed by an invisible set of rules.

The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountains. Everyone knew a grand event was about to begin.

Early this morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Gao Feiyang’s signature loud voice once again resounded throughout Broken Wood Bay. This time, however, the content had changed:

“Fellow Daoists! Immortal Maidens! Comrades in cultivation! The auspicious hour has arrived today! The long-awaited Dragon Gate Assembly officially commences at the plaza by the western cliff wall! We invite everyone to proceed there and partake in this grand event together!”

As his voice faded, all of Broken Wood Bay stirred into activity.

Zhou Kai opened his eyes; a flash of sharp light vanished from their depths.

He had used all his Vitality exchange points to reach the fourth layer of Meridian Opening. His body had rejuvenated; he now looked only about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Last night’s sparring with Chen Ziyi had also ended in a draw.

Chen Ziyi wore an extremely large black cloak that covered her from head to toe. A thick veil covered her face as well, revealing only a pair of clear, bright eyes.

Fang Lizhe also stood nearby, full of energy, his face showing both nervousness and excitement.

He had already replaced his waist weapon with a long saber, polished until it gleamed. He often cradled it in his arms, muttering things like, “With one saber strike splitting chaos, separating heaven and earth; its edge sweeping away vastness, determining life and death,” or, “Dancing makes clouds across the nine heavens change color; saber chill makes ghosts blow out lamps in ten courts.” His eyes were filled with longing for the path of the “Saber God.”

Seeing him like this, Zhou Kai felt somewhat speechless. He thought perhaps Fang Lizhe hadn’t originally wanted to be a Sword Immortal; at fifteen, he might just be… simply experiencing chuunibyou—adolescent delusions of grandeur.

“Let’s go.” Zhou Kai took the lead.

The three arrived at the entrance below the western cliff wall. A long queue had already formed there; cultivators whispered among themselves with varied expressions.

Zhou Kai paid three hundred Spirit Stones for entry, and his view suddenly opened up.

In front of the cliff wall, a high platform had been erected. Gao Feiyang stood atop it with over ten Calamity Abyss Valley disciples, looking triumphant. His cloak, embroidered with large golden characters, fluttered conspicuously in the morning breeze.

Zhou Kai’s trio found a spot relatively close but not too conspicuous to stand.

He surveyed his surroundings. The vast area was packed densely; there were at least three to four hundred cultivators, with Spirit Qi fluctuations rising and falling intermittently.

“Quite a crowd indeed,” Zhou Kai estimated inwardly.

Most of these cultivators seemed to be around the first or second layer of the First Realm.

There were roughly seventy at the mid-First Realm stage. As for late-First Realm cultivators, Zhou Kai’s Divine Sense swept over them—only about a dozen or so, but most had unstable or declining vital energies.

As his gaze shifted, he also spotted several “old acquaintances.” Hu Yongyu’s old chrysanthemum-like face stood smiling in an inconspicuous corner, but his eyes kept roving through the crowd.

On another side, Fu Sheng, along with Wu Yong and Xiong Gang, were also conspicuously present. Fu Sheng still wore his usual smiling expression; Wu Yong’s crow perched on his shoulder, restlessly preening its feathers; Xiong Gang looked around with an honest, simple expression.

Zhou Kai inwardly sneered once before withdrawing his gaze.

He mused that probably far more cultivators than this were lingering around the market town; it seemed only about half could grit their teeth and pay the Spirit Stones for entry.

He looked up again at those dozen-plus Calamity Abyss Valley disciples on the high platform. Apart from Gao Feiyang, they were only at the late stage of Qi Condensation. He couldn’t help feeling puzzled: With just these few people, can they really keep several hundred Loose Cultivators with varied intentions in check?

Better not end up fighting like mad dogs before gaining any benefits.

Just then, Gao Feiyang stepped forward, mustered all his energy, and shouted loudly:

“Fellow Daoists! Please calm down! The auspicious hour has arrived! The Dragon Gate Assembly now officially begins!”

He paused dramatically, flicking the cloak embroidered with large characters behind him as his voice suddenly rose higher in pitch and cadence:

“We respectfully welcome… Young Miss! Your arrival!”

Before his words fully faded, a figure like an ethereal ghost broke through space soundlessly, descending from high above before landing steadily right at center stage atop the platform!

That woman was tall; black clothes and a skirt outlined her curves; her waist was tied with a blood-red silk ribbon; her dark hair was held up by a bone hairpin; a few strands fell beside her cheeks, adding a touch of untamed wildness. Unfortunately, her face was covered by a black veil, revealing only sharp eyes.

Although he couldn’t see her full appearance, based solely on her figure, aura, and those eyes, Zhou Kai could conclude that beneath the veil must lie a breathtaking beauty capable of toppling cities!

As soon as this “Young Miss” stood firm, Gao Feiyang seemed injected with chicken blood! He suddenly pointed a single hand towards the sky, looking frenzied as if summoning some world-destroying existence.

On the originally smooth, mirror-like giant cliff wall, without warning, a whoosh sounded as two enormous banners, dozens of zhang long, unfurled!

The banner material was unknown yet shimmered with a strange luster under the morning light. Characters written upon them using unknown demon beast blood flowed like dragons and snakes, radiantly brilliant. Even from afar, one could feel an overwhelming sense of flamboyance, domineering arrogance, and… a thick, sycophantic flavor slapping everyone in the face.

The left banner read: Immortal Bones Naturally Formed! Nine Yin Netherfire Wraps Skirt Hem, Hardening Against Heavenly Tribulation Eight Hundred Rounds!

The right banner read: Jade Beauty Earthly Crafted! Three Realms Vinegar Jars Shattered Everywhere, Souring Demon Lords Three Thousand!

Zhou Kai watched, his eyelids twitching—this flattery… was too fierce! And damn the rhymes!

Even more brilliantly absurd was that between these two astonishingly boastful vertical banners—enough to blow cows into the sky—there actually existed an even more eye-catching horizontal scroll! Four characters were written flamboyantly, exuding arrogance, looking down on the world ready to fight whoever disagreed:

“Specializing In Curing Disobedience”!

“Pfft—”

Even though Zhou Kai considered himself widely experienced, this sudden spectacle nearly made him burst out laughing on the spot. Calamity Abyss Valley’s style was indeed so uniquely bizarre it was breathtaking!

He keenly noticed the moment the banners unfurled, the corner of that powerful-aura “Young Miss’s” mouth beneath the veil clearly twitched violently several times. Those sharp phoenix eyes also seemed to narrow slightly, flashing a trace of helplessness and… killing intent?