“Brother Xiao, are you alright? Bai Ling is a straightforward and outspoken man. It is not strange for someone under the Saber Sovereign to be somewhat arrogant,” Feng Xingsheng explained somewhat nervously.
Since Xiao Chen remained quiet, it appeared that this was indeed his first time hearing of this. Feng Xingsheng feared that Xiao Chen would get angry and cause a big commotion at the tea party.
Xiao Chen brandished the invitation and smiled. “This is indeed my first time hearing of this. However, I already have an invitation. Brother Feng, if you don’t mind, let’s go together.”
When Feng Xingsheng saw the invitation, he heaved a sigh of relief. “Naturally, I don’t mind. It is a good thing to participate in this tea party together with Brother Xiao.”
The street was filled with people, all of them cultivators dressed in the attire of bladesmen as they headed to the Heavenly Cauldron Plaza in the city center. At this moment, everyone in the entire Heavenly Cauldron City had the same destination.
The influence of the tea party was clear to see with one glance.
Masses of beautiful flowers decorated the vast Heavenly Cauldron Plaza. The place was filled with people whom the cultivators of the City Lord’s Residence personally ushered in. The entire process was highly organized, without any chaos at all.
Pavilions dotted the plaza. There were fake mountains and fountains. Occasionally, two or three people could be seen together, either just sitting on the ground or enjoying tea in the pavilions, chatting happily with their prized sabers beside them.
Merchants had also set up stalls in the plaza. They sold things related to the saber—saber-type Spirit Weapons, Saber Techniques, ores, and many others.
The entire place was extraordinarily bustling, filled with joy and laughter.
Xiao Chen’s heart could not help but respect this Bai Lang, who had managed to put together such a large event in a very organized manner. This was not simple to achieve.
“Brother Xiao, this is the outer area of the Heavenly Cauldron Plaza. It may look very lively, but there are not many experts. The true tea party is supposed to be at the center of the plaza. Those without an invitation may not enter,” Feng Xingsheng said as he waved over a maidservant and handed over his invitation.
Xiao Chen imitated Feng Xingsheng, handing over his own invitation to the maidservant as well.
After checking the invitations, the pretty maidservant smiled and said, “Honored guests, please follow me.”
The group took many turns in the outer area, passing through several heavily guarded checkpoints. After the two’s invitations were scrutinized a few times, they successfully entered the center of the plaza.
This section was a vast and open area. Eighteen stone pillars with ancient bladesmen carved on them stood on a tall platform. They towered high into the clouds, arranged in a crescent formation and separated from the adjacent pillars by a hundred meters.
Rumor had it that these eighteen stone pillars were not manmade. Instead, when each of the eighteen Saber Sovereigns advanced to Martial Emperor, their advancement produced a resonance that created this natural phenomenon, similar to the Thunder Emperor Valley of the Sky Dome Realm.
Many elegant wooden tables stood on the tall platform. The guests that arrived earlier sat around them.
There were not many present, merely thirty to forty people. However, without exception, all of them were outstanding bladesmen of the younger generation. Their saber intents had all reached very high levels.
When their gazes clashed, they unleashed very solid saber intents. The crisp clangor of sabers could be heard in the air.
At the foot of the middle stone pillar of the eighteen stone pillars was a long wooden table with only one person seated at it. This person wore embroidered clothes and a jade belt, adorned with pearls, jade, and many precious gems. His handsome face exuded an air of nobility.
This person had to be the Young City Lord of the Heavenly Cauldron City, Bai Lang. The stools beside Bai Lang were empty. Clearly, that mysterious bladesman had yet to make an appearance.
After climbing a hundred steps, Xiao Chen and Feng Xingsheng arrived at the tall platform at the same time.
“Respectfully welcoming the Full Moon Pavilion’s Feng Xingsheng and the Supreme Sky Sect’s Xiao Chen to the tea party.”
A servant below the tall platform announced Xiao Chen and Feng Xingsheng’s arrival according to the invitations.
This announcement caused a commotion everywhere. Bai Lang raised his eyebrows as he sized up Xiao Chen. However, he immediately shifted his gaze away.
A pretty maidservant stepped forward and ushered Xiao Chen and Feng Xingsheng to a wooden table. Then, she served Spirit Fruits of certain ages, exquisite snacks, and high-quality tea to them.
Xiao Chen picked up the teacup and gently took a sip, then revealed a satisfied expression on his face.
Although he did not know much about appreciating tea, he could tell that the tea leaves used were high quality based on the lingering fragrance in his mouth and the cooling energy spreading through his body.
Then, Xiao Chen looked at the Spirit Fruits on the table. These were something that he was more familiar with. With one glance, he could tell that they were at least three thousand years old and quite valuable.
“Strange, how strange. Young City Lord, didn’t you say that a certain person may be called a bladesman but does not use a saber? How come that person is so openly participating in this once-a-decade event for bladesmen?”
Xiao Chen had just sat down, and someone very bold promptly started questioning his presence.
This person’s complexion was pallid like he was severely ill. There was also coldness in his tone, dull and dead. With one look, it was clear that he was a Ghost Race cultivator.
Feng Xingsheng frowned and explained, “This person is called Jiang Chengzi. He is a rare bladesman of the Ghost Race. He specializes in the Death saber Dao. He is extraordinary and has already condensed a vague form of a saber soul. His saber intent is very exquisite.”
Xiao Chen quickly swept his gaze across the platform. The saber intents of the bladesmen seated here had reached Great Perfection, at the very least. Many even boasted a ninety-percent-comprehended saber intent. However, only a few had attained a vague form of a saber soul.
Feng Xingsheng, who was beside Xiao Chen, was one. This Jiang Chengzi was another. Bai Lang was probably the same as Xiao Chen, hiding himself so deeply that others simply could not detect their saber intent.
Bai Lang replied indifferently, “I gave him an invitation merely as a favor to a friend. My view has not changed. No matter how famous a bladesman without a saber is, it is just the appearance, and he is not a true bladesman.”
Xiao Chen’s lips curled up in a playful smile. These words were quite direct, replete with grandeur and aloofness.
He held back Feng Xingsheng, who wanted to say something on his behalf. Then, he merely smiled and did not dispute anything. He was here just to see what kind of opponents he would have four months from now at the Saber School Ranking. Since his opponent looked down on him and ignored him, there was no need for him to waste his efforts in argument.
When Jiang Chengzi heard that, he understood and did not say anything more. However, his gaze towards Xiao Chen remained hostile, although Xiao Chen could not tell what about himself was offensive to this Ghost Race bladesman.
Bai Lang raised his cup to Feng Xingsheng and said, “Brother Feng became very famous at such a young age. Previously, you even held the title of the top bladesman in the Tianwu Domain’s southern provinces. In place of wine, I toast you with tea for giving me face and coming today.”
“Brother Bai, you are too polite,” Feng Xingsheng replied quickly.
Bai Lang continued, “Earlier, Brother Jiang told us about some of his comprehensions in the Death saber Dao he practices. Since Brother Feng is here and all here are bladesmen, tell us more about the saber Dao you practice.”
The first part of the tea party was to discuss the Dao over tea, exchanging experiences and improving together. Naturally, Feng Xingsheng would not reject. He placed down his teacup and started to speak about Wind saber Dao he cultivated.
“Wind can be categorized into berserk wind, gentle wind, warm wind, cold wind, and many others. Each different kind of wind has several aspects. If one can practice just one aspect to the peak, one can be proud everywhere, standing out from the crowd with strong talent. One can also fuse the ever-changing wind into one’s own Saber Technique.”
Feng Xingsheng spoke freely of the Wind saber Dao that he practiced, sharing some of his experiences. He even related his doubts and questions, seeking an answer from everyone.
During the discussion about the saber, the atmosphere was very good. Occasionally, someone would ask a question. Sometimes, there might be a stroke of inspiration, and one would offer up a new understanding. Bai Lang listened extremely seriously. He also expressed some of his opinions about the doubts that Feng Xingsheng raised.
With such an atmosphere, Xiao Chen could not help but sink deep into the discussion, listening very carefully with a thoughtful expression.
“Great!”
After Feng Xingsheng finished, Bai Lang, who was seated in the middle, took the lead in clapping, and the crowd erupted into applause.
Feng Xingsheng’s Wind saber Dao was very exquisite. It enlightened many people and provided them with many new comprehensions.
Following that, a few more people spoke about the Saber Techniques they practiced as they drank their tea. While not as excellent as Feng Xingsheng’s discourse, they were enlightening as well.
No mockery came from the bladesmen seated here. Instead, they offered up their own understandings to help supplement the other party’s saber Dao.
As the group chatted, the melodious hum of sabers resounded everywhere. Saber wind flew in all directions, brushing by each other. Sharp saber intent spread throughout the entire tall platform.
These people were all outstanding young talents. As they spoke, they could not hold back their pride, letting their saber intent spread out—which created the wonderful scene here.
The clangor of sabers resounded endlessly as if people were exchanging moves in the air, materializing the saber Dao that the bladesmen spoke of.
The ancient bladesmen in the eighteen towering stone pillars seemed to be listening carefully as well. There were glints in their eyes as if the carvings had come to life.
Later on, several other bladesmen arrived, including two incredible people who already managed to condense a vague form of a saber soul.
These two were Lin Yan and Dugu Jue, the disciples of the Inferno Saber Sovereign and the Lightning Saber Sovereign, respectively, both very famous bladesmen.
The Inferno Saber Sovereign and the Lightning Saber Sovereign were both Sovereign Martial Emperors. Their titles also contained the words “Saber Sovereign.” However, because of Wu Xiaotian, they did not style themselves as Saber Sovereign.
The only person in the world who dared to call himself as such was Wu Xiaotian and no other—the strongest expert of the saber Dao.
At Bai Lang’s invitation, these two spoke of their sabers, chatting about the Saber Techniques they practiced.
It was clear that these two’s comprehension of their respective saber Dao was even higher than Feng Xingsheng’s. When they spoke of their sabers, there was even the accompaniment of flames and lightning. A vast saber intent spread out, suppressing the saber intents of all the other outstanding youths.
This bred a sense of respect in everyone’s hearts.
After the two finished speaking, their audience applauded. The applause caused the scattered saber intent in the air to form a moving melody, reverberating continuously and lingering for a long time.
This sound drifted to the outer area of Heavenly Cauldron Plaza. The bladesmen there, who came from various places, could not help but look up in anticipation.
“Young City Lord, most of the people present already spoke. How about you go next? You study under the Saber Sovereign and have a great reputation. Widen our horizons,” someone suggested with a smile.
Bai Lang smiled faintly and put down his teacup. His movements were elegant as he said softly, “I don’t dare to say that what I speak of will widen your horizons. Like everyone, this Bai will speak of some of my comprehensions.”
Hearing that Bai Lang was about to speak, everyone immediately focused, prepared to listen carefully. The Saber Sovereign was extremely famous. For Bai Lang to study under the Saber Sovereign, he was definitely extraordinary.