As Ouyang Zhi's voice fell, several voices echoed in the main hall.

"Heh... so it's the Demon Blade Chen Yuan, whose fame has been rising recently." Someone sneered.

"Who among us hasn't heard of the Demon Blade's name?" Another chimed in.

Of course, there were also those who were dissatisfied. A burly man with a fierce aura snorted coldly:

"Doesn't Hidden Weapon Valley's Divine Weapon Gathering invite only Jianghu martial artists? How... are even court officials joining in the fun?"

As mentioned before, the relationship between the court and the Jianghu was basically adversarial. Moreover, Chen Yuan's recent rise to prominence in Shu Prefecture by stepping on Bai Changqing's reputation

had already made some people unhappy.

The Jianghu also had regional divisions. Although Shu Prefecture and Qing Prefecture were close, they were not one and the same. How could Chen Yuan, a man from Qing Prefecture, have such a great reputation in Shu Prefecture without arousing jealousy?

Furthermore, Chen Yuan had killed Zhao Hao in Guangling Prefecture and even uttered wild words, saying that anyone who wanted to die could come and find him, which made many Shu Prefecture martial artists feel that Chen Yuan was looking down on them.

Therefore, Chen Yuan's appearance had elicited such reactions from many people.

Of course, they didn't dare to turn hostile directly. Chen Yuan had earned his current reputation, and his strength was beyond doubt. None of those present dared to confidently claim that they could defeat him.

They only dared to make a few sarcastic remarks...

Ouyang Zhi's eyes flashed, and a barely perceptible cold smile appeared on the corner of his lips, but his expression feigned unease, as if he were speaking up for Chen Yuan. He then said:

"Lord Chen is also a martial artist. What's wrong with him coming to my Hidden Weapon Valley?"

"What does uncle think?"

Ouyang Zhi changed the subject, directly passing the problem to the gloomy old man with triangular eyes in the seat of honor.

The man was named Ouyang Tuo, his uncle, and also the most powerful existence within Hidden Weapon Valley today. Although rumors circulated that his mother, Madam Xu, held the power in Hidden Weapon Valley,

Ouyang Tuo also wielded considerable power, and he had been trying to usurp it in recent years, replacing the main branch with a side branch to seize their authority.

This time, hosting the Divine Weapon Gathering was actually his mother's way of building momentum for him, but Ouyang Tuo wasn't a fool either and was also befriending the distinguished guests who had entered the valley.

Originally, these guests would be resting in the upper courtyard, but now they had been invited here by Ouyang Tuo, and anyone who didn't know better might think that Ouyang Tuo was the master of Hidden Weapon Valley.

That was why Madam Xu had told him to come quickly and accompany them.

Now that the situation in the hall was unfavorable to Chen Yuan, he wanted to see what his uncle would do. Would he side with these guests who were being rude to Chen Yuan?

Or would he pretend not to hear them?

He had heard that this Lord Chen had a rather unpleasant temper.

Ouyang Tuo frowned, glanced at Ouyang Zhi, and his eyes flickered. Just as he was about to say something, Chen Yuan didn't give them a chance and stepped forward directly,

staring at the fierce-looking burly man who had spoken earlier and said:

"What, you have a problem with this envoy attending the gathering?"

Being stared at by Chen Yuan, the fierce-looking burly man's heart suddenly trembled as he felt an extreme killing intent. But with fellow martial artists all around him, if he yielded at this moment, wouldn't he be known as a softie in the future?

Moreover, Chen Yuan probably wouldn't dare to make a move inside this hall. He then took a deep breath, stood up without flinching, and looked directly at Chen Yuan, saying:

"So what if I do? Although your fierce reputation is widespread, what do I, Dong Shi, have to fear? In broad daylight, under the bright sun and moon, is it possible that Dong can't even say a word?"

"Brother Dong is right. Does Lord Chen think that we can't even say a word?"

"The Divine Weapon Gathering is advertised to the outside world as being for Jianghu martial artists. Isn't Brother Dong's statement reasonable?"

After Dong Shi took the lead, several voices echoed in agreement.

The white-robed man who had made eye contact with Chen Yuan earlier couldn't help but reveal a faint smile at this scene. He had no feud with Chen Yuan, but...

he was somewhat at odds with Shangguan Yu.

Furthermore, as a man from Shu Prefecture, he was somewhat displeased with Chen Yuan, this outsider. However, the cultivation he had received from his family prevented him from saying anything strange at this moment.

A martial artist should prioritize martial arts, and he disdained such tactics.

Upon seeing this, Ouyang Tuo said softly:

"Lord Chen, please don't..."

"Swish!"

Without any warning, without any further words, Chen Yuan made his move directly. He was never one to tolerate others' sarcasm, especially from someone much weaker than him.

This was the Quickdraw Technique that Chen Yuan hadn't used in a long time.

As his cultivation gradually deepened, this sword technique had become somewhat dispensable to him, but at times like this, it was still quite useful. As the sword light flashed,

the burly man named Dong Shi was instantly decapitated. He didn't even have time to react.

He didn't even have a chance to defend himself, so of course he couldn't withstand this sudden strike.

In fact, not only him, but everyone in the hall hadn't expected Chen Yuan to be so ruthless. The other party had merely said a few words, and he had directly separated his head from his body.

It was only after Dong Shi's head rolled to the ground and blood spurted out that everyone reacted.

But immediately afterward, there was silence.

Chen Yuan raised a leg and stepped on Dong Shi's fallen head, saying in a low voice:

"You're not very 'sensible' either."

Then, he scanned the few people who had echoed his words one by one, saying indifferently:

"This envoy has come to attend the Divine Weapon Gathering. Now, who agrees, and who opposes?"

Wherever Chen Yuan's gaze fell, the few people who had been clamoring earlier, although indignant in their hearts, dared not speak out, fearing that Chen Yuan would also give them a slash.

That fierce and terrifying sword technique was simply horrifying.

Ouyang Tuo, sitting in the seat of honor, wore an displeased expression. Chen Yuan's sudden attack, without so much as a word, was simply a sign of contempt for Hidden Weapon Valley, contempt for him, Ouyang Tuo!

But...

For some reason, being swept by Chen Yuan's calm gaze, he also felt a subtle sense of fear growing in his heart.

The other party was too calm, so calm that it was almost terrifying, as if he had killed not a person, but crushed an insignificant ant.

Ouyang Zhi's eyes gleamed. Chen Yuan in this moment was the person he wanted to become!

Overbearing and awe-inspiring!

"Heh..."

The white-robed man's faint laugh broke the silence in the hall. Chen Yuan's gaze shifted and locked onto him: "You have a problem too?"

Ouyang was shocked. He didn't want these two to fight, so he quickly said:

"Brother Chen, this is Young Master Yun Han, from... the Yun of the Five Great Clans."

"Oh."

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes, not surprised.

From the moment he entered the hall, he had basically determined the identity of this person. Apart from Yun Han, whom even Shangguan Yu had to treat with caution,

probably no one else could give him a sense of danger.

"Envoy Chen is truly mighty, settling matters with a single word, so that the martial artists in the hall dare not move rashly. It truly has some of the meaning of the legendary One-Sword-Town-Tangshan."

Yun Han stared at Chen Yuan.

"You have a problem?" Chen Yuan repeated the question once more.

His tone became heavier.

"Yun only wants to tell Envoy Chen that Shu Prefecture is not Qing Prefecture, and this place is not Tangshan. Don't think that just because you've dealt with some trash, you can look down on everyone.

Know that there is always someone better than you."

"If there's someone better than me, I'll kill that person. In my eyes, you're just a bunch of trash." Chen Yuan retorted sharply.

Yes, he was preparing to harvest destiny.

So he wanted to provoke this person. What if it was the Yun family? If they blocked his path, he would kill them without hesitation.

"Arrogant! You only fought Bai Changqing to a draw, and you already dare to despise my Shu Prefecture Jianghu. Don't think that Yun dares not kill a court official?"

Yun Han frowned, his tone slightly cold.

If Chen Yuan hadn't been so confrontational, he wouldn't have said these words, but since the other party had already been rude, he couldn't sit idly by.

Walking in the Jianghu, he represented not only himself but also the reputation of the Yun family.

He wouldn't think about his own reasons, but would only attribute it to others.

The main reason was also due to preconceived notions. He was at odds with Shangguan Yu, but it was rumored that the other party and Shangguan Yu hit it off and had a close relationship. Furthermore, the other party made a move without saying a word,

as if he didn't even put him in his eyes.

This was unacceptable to someone who harbored lofty ambitions and wanted to compete with the heroes of the world.

"Enough nonsense. If you have the guts, let's have a battle outside, with no holds barred." Chen Yuan took a step forward, his aura building up.

"Hmph, what does Yun have to fear?"

Yun Han stood up instantly, looking directly at Chen Yuan.

The atmosphere in the hall became tense again. Ouyang Zhi wanted to speak, but he held back. With his strength, getting involved would be courting death.

Moreover, both parties had great backgrounds and were not to be provoked by Hidden Weapon Valley.

Just as the two were about to fight, a gentle and soft voice entered the ears of everyone in the hall.

"Both of you are contemporary geniuses, rare and outstanding young talents. No matter who wins or loses, it would be a great loss to the Jianghu. Why not turn hostility into friendship?"

The voice came from outside the hall. Several people who heard this voice suddenly brightened their eyes.

Chen Yuan frowned slightly, somewhat displeased. The woman who came out to interfere was simply ruining his plans.

But from the perspective of Hidden Weapon Valley, a fight had broken out before the Divine Weapon Gathering had even begun, which was also disrespectful to them.

The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer, and everyone's eyes were now focused on the outside of the hall.

A palace-dressed woman with a black veil on her face slowly walked into the hall. The woman wore a black dress, her waist was slender, and her graceful swan neck and clearly visible collarbones were faintly revealed.

The skirt folds were like smooth light spilling to the ground, her gait was graceful and beautiful, and her black hair was coiled up in a married woman's hairstyle. Although her face was covered by a black veil,

this kind of veiled feeling was even more captivating.

"Child greets Mother."

Ouyang Zhi quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully, his posture respectful and polite.

And his address also revealed the identity of the visitor, who was Madam Xu, once known as the most beautiful woman in Shu Prefecture. Although she was called Mother by Ouyang Zhi,

she didn't look old at all. The hint of her forehead and a pair of bright eyes made her look like a young woman in the prime of her life.

At the same time, she also had the demeanor of a married woman, which intertwined and mixed the two temperaments together, causing the martial artists in the hall to involuntarily breathe more heavily.

Yun Han turned to look and lowered his eyelids, cupping his fist and said:

"So it's Madam Xu in person, I'm sorry for the discourtesy."

"Young Master Yun doesn't need to be so polite."

Although Chen Yuan also had a hint of surprise in his eyes, he could control himself well. He didn't know many women, but they were all top-notch.

Like Su Ziyue of the Dao God Palace, in terms of figure and appearance, she was even better than this woman, only lacking some of the charm of a married woman.

With a higher vision, he would naturally not be easily shocked, but calmly stared at the other party and said:

"This is a private matter between Chen and Young Master Yun. Madam, please don't interfere."

Yun Han's eyes turned cold, and he said:

"Envoy Chen is right, Hidden Weapon Valley should not interfere. Yun has just entered the Jianghu and would like to see just how capable the widely rumored Demon Blade Chen Yuan is,

that he dares to despise the martial artists of my Shu Prefecture."

Madam Xu's gaze lingered on Chen Yuan's resolute face as if carved by a knife, and her expression paused. For some reason, his appearance gave her a feeling of familiarity.

Perhaps she had spent too much time looking at Chen Yuan, Chen Yuan frowned and looked at her squarely.

Madam Xu quickly reacted and said with a faint smile:

"Envoy Chen is truly a talented and imposing man. Although I live alone in Hidden Weapon Valley, I have long heard of Envoy Chen. Today, Envoy Chen's arrival

is a fortunate event for my Hidden Weapon Valley."

"Madam is too kind."

Chen Yuan replied.

"Is the feud between the two of you really irreconcilable?"

"What does Madam think?"

Chen Yuan looked at her with a smile that was not a smile.

"Fighting is a common occurrence among martial artists. What is there to reconcile?" Yun Han said.

"Mother..." Ouyang Zhi opened his mouth.

"Since both of you are eager to fight, then it is not appropriate for me to stop you. However, it is also not appropriate for Envoy Chen to start a fight upon arriving at Hidden Weapon Valley. Why not... fight again when the Divine Weapon Gathering begins in three days? At that time, I will not interfere. What do you two think?"

Madam Xu said with a smile.

"Since Madam has spoken, Yun naturally agrees." Yun Han pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement.

"What about Envoy Chen?"

Madam Xu looked at Chen Yuan intently, inadvertently exuding a touch of charm.

Chen Yuan remained unmoved, his eyes calm:

"What if Chen doesn't agree?"

"Then I naturally have no way to help, but I still have something to say."

"Speak."

Chen Yuan wanted to see what kind of nonsense this woman could come up with.

"Young Master Yun Han is, after all, the direct descendant of the Yun family. If Envoy Chen has murderous intentions, you must be careful." Madam Xu's jade lips under the black veil parted slightly, her voice entering his ears.

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes, pondering.

That's right, Yun Han was different from Zhao Hao after all. His background was extraordinary. The Yun family's power in the Shu Prefecture area was very strong. If he took his destiny, he had to guard against their revenge.

He had to be cautious.

He definitely had to kill, but he couldn't be hasty. Otherwise, if the Yun family's experts pursued him, and he had no strong allies by his side, the remaining sword talisman would not be enough to protect him.

It was best... to inform Jiang He in advance.

Anyway, there was still one sound transmission talisman unused. He could ask Jiang He for help again. It would be safer with him as a safety net.

Hmm... and Shangguan Yu.

He was standing up for Brother Shangguan...

As one of the Five Great Clans, the Shangguan family could probably share a lot of the pressure for him.