"Carving a hundred and eight holes into Beast King's Cliff? Now that's an interesting challenge!" The middle-aged man in the wheelchair chuckled as he heard the boy describe his task.
"Why? Beast King, was your task different from mine back then?" the boy asked, biting into a piece of meat.
The man nodded. "Back then, my only task was to climb Beast King's Cliff. It took me a whole year. Honestly, I'm still embarrassed about that," he said, shaking his head with a self-deprecating smile.
"Don't say that, senior. I'm sure you must have had a lot on your plate back then, which is why it took so long," the boy reassured him. Then his eyes sparkled with curiosity. "By the way, could you tell me more about the three great warriors? No one in my family ever talks about them much."
The man raised an eyebrow. "You're not working on your task today?"
"It's fine. I'm taking a rest day," the boy said with a grin. "Besides, I'd really like to hear about the three of you. It's something I've always been curious about."
After a moment of contemplation, the man nodded. "Alright then," he said, his voice turning pensive. "Let me tell you about the past."
"I—Xie Lun—along with Anjie and Long Huan, were known as the top-tier warriors of these four realms, collectively called the Three Powers. That title was given to us after the grand Saint Martial Tournament two generations ago, where the three of us fought to a draw. That was the most exhilarating battle of my life. The heavens darkened, and the earth trembled as we fought for three days and nights without a clear victor."
"Three days and nights? Weren't you exhausted?" the boy asked, his eyes wide with amazement.
"Exhausted? No," Xie Lun said, his voice rising with passion. "How many true rivals does one encounter in a lifetime? To fight alongside two such formidable opponents was an honor beyond words!"
"Did you use your ultimate techniques during that battle?" the boy asked eagerly.
Xie Lun's lips curled into a smirk. "Of course. Each of us had our own unique skills. My strength lies in close combat. When the three of us clashed at close range, even Anjie and Huan combined couldn't gain the upper hand against me."
"Incredible!" The boy's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe this middle-aged man before him had once held his ground in close combat against two such legendary figures.
"But they quickly changed tactics," Xie Lun continued. "They gave up on close-range fighting and switched to long-range attacks, especially Anjie."
"Anjie? You mean the High Priest of the Sacrificial Order?" the boy asked, leaning forward.
"That's the one," Xie Lun said with a nod. "Don't be fooled by his mild-mannered appearance. His strength is nothing short of terrifying. His Six Paths of Heavenly Ritual technique manipulates the powers of wind, fire, lightning, water, wood, and earth. His attacks were relentless, constantly shifting, and nearly impossible to defend against."
"That sounds unbeatable! How did the battle end in a draw?" the boy asked, puzzled.
Xie Lun chuckled. "If things had continued that way, we might've lost. But ordinary rituals weren't enough to harm me or Huan. To break through our defenses, Anjie had to use advanced techniques, which drained his energy rapidly. Even with his mastery, his stamina couldn't hold out forever. Huan and I took advantage of that, disrupting his formation and neutralizing his Six Paths."
"And what about Long Huan? What did he use?" The boy's interest deepened as he mentioned the mysterious figure, said to be the mentor of both Situ Juekong and Dongfang Yifeng.
Xie Lun's expression turned serious. "Huan… how do I put it? During that battle, he never revealed his ultimate skills. But Anjie and I both believed that if the fight had continued, he would've been the one to emerge victorious." His eyes sparkled with a trace of battle lust as he spoke.
"What?" the boy exclaimed in disbelief.
"Huan stayed in a defensive stance throughout the fight. He didn't use his Phantom Swordsmanship or his Phantom Divine Arts even once. If he had gone all out, neither Anjie nor I would've been able to stop him. And…" Xie Lun's voice faltered as a hint of regret crept into his tone. "And there might've been fatal consequences."
"Fatal consequences? But weren't you all evenly matched?" the boy asked, confused.
Xie Lun's eyes darkened. "Huan had a title back then—Phantom Blade. Whenever he unleashed his killing intent, the fight ended in a single strike. His Phantom Swordsmanship and Phantom Divine Arts, combined with his blade, *Luminous Crystal*, were unstoppable."
The boy's eyes widened. He had heard legends of the Ten Divine Swords, which were divided into three tiers: superior, intermediate, and beginner. At the last Saint Martial Tournament, Situ Juekong had wielded the Blood Demon Sword, while Dongfang Yifeng had used the Holy Light Sword—two of the three superior-tier swords. The four intermediate-tier swords were held by powerful families, while the three beginner-tier swords belonged to the Sacrificial Order. Each sword was a coveted treasure. But to hear that Long Huan wielded a blade even mightier than the Ten Divine Swords left the boy stunned.
"Long Huan had a sword more powerful than the Ten Divine Swords? What happened to him? Where is he now?" the boy asked eagerly.
Xie Lun sighed. "Now? I don't know."
"You don't know?" the boy echoed, surprised.
"About twelve years ago, Huan visited me briefly. He said a few words before leaving. I haven't heard from him since," Xie Lun said, his voice tinged with regret. "If I could see him again, I'd love nothing more than to challenge him to another battle… but…" He glanced down at his crippled limbs, his emotions a storm of longing and resignation.
"You'll recover, Beast King! We'll find Anjie. With his power and the miracles of the Sacrificial Order, I'm sure you'll regain your strength—and maybe even surpass your limits!" The boy's eyes shone with unwavering determination.
Xie Lun threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Good! Meeting a boy like you in my lifetime is a blessing. Xiaodian, don't call me 'senior' anymore. We've been through so much together—let's swear brotherhood!"
"Brotherhood?!" The boy was taken aback. "No, no, no! You're one of the Three Powers, a legendary figure! I'm just a nobody. How could I possibly be worthy of swearing brotherhood with you?"
"Legendary? Ha! That's nothing but an empty title. Look at me—I'm a cripple now. Or… are you afraid that being sworn brothers with a disabled man like me will tarnish your reputation as the young master of the Demon Realm?" Xie Lun teased with a smirk.
"Of course not! It's my honor to be sworn brothers with a hero like you!" the boy said earnestly.
"Good! From now on, I'm your elder brother," Xie Lun declared.
"Big brother!" The boy knelt and bowed deeply three times. "Please accept this bow from your younger brother!"
"Get up, get up!" Xie Lun exclaimed, his mechanical arm lifting the boy to his feet. "Since we're brothers now, it's my duty to teach you. Do you know what the Xie Clan's strongest skill is?"
"Of course! The Xie Clan's close combat techniques. Even the Xie King's soldiers are unmatched in hand-to-hand combat. They're stronger than the Demon Realm's Xuanli soldiers!"
"Exactly," Xie Lun said with pride. "Our clan has honed these techniques since ancient times, surviving in the perilous Magical Beast Forest by fighting the most ferocious beasts. That's how we developed the Xie King Combat Arts."
"The Xie King Combat Arts!" the boy exclaimed.
"And today, I'll teach you. Your next task involves carving holes into this cliff, so let's start with the Mountain-Piercing Punch. Come, let's go to the cliff!"
Under Xie Lun's guidance, the boy focused his energy, channeling it into his fist. With a mighty strike, he shattered the rock face, leaving behind a cavernous hole.
"Amazing," Xie Lun muttered, impressed. "Your talent is monstrous!"