The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 136 Wuji Sect Covets the Divine Sword and Infiltrates the Tang Clan

"Tang Xiao, pull up your sleeve and let him see clearly," Song Han said, turning his head and giving the Tang Clan swordsman a determined look. However, what happened next was completely unexpected. Tang Xiao did not follow Song Han's order. Instead, he gripped his longsword tightly, the tip pointing directly at Chu Ji, seemingly ready to strike at any moment.

"What do you mean by this!" Chu Ji frowned, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he did not back down. Instead, he glared at Tang Xiao, while his other hand was already on the hilt of the sword at his waist, ready to draw his sword at any moment.

"I...I really don't know what you're talking about." Tang Xiao's voice trembled slightly, but his eyes were unusually firm. He took a deep breath and continued, "I...I swear, I have never done anything to betray the Tang Clan."

"Whether you did it or not isn't up to you to decide." Chu Ji sneered, his figure flashing as he closed in on Tang Xiao. The longsword in his hand was instantly drawn, its tip pointing directly at Tang Xiao's throat, as if it would pierce him at any moment.

"Stop!" Upon seeing this, Song Han shouted immediately, and in a flash, he stood in front of Tang Xiao. He reached out and gripped Chu Ji's sword tip tightly, stopping him from making any further moves, and then said in a deep voice, "Chu Ji, you cannot act rashly before you have figured out the truth of the matter."

"The truth?" Chu Ji sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. "The truth is right in front of us. Do we still need to figure it out? Look at the scars on his hands. That's evidence of his betrayal of the Tang Sect!"

"Chu Ji, calm down." Song Han stepped forward, trying to ease the tension between the two. "We Tang Clan swordsmen roam the world, upholding justice, but we cannot wrong any innocent person. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding here."

"Misunderstanding?" Chu Ji scoffed, pointing to the scar on Tang Xiao's hand. "Have you ever seen a good person with such a noticeable scar on their hand? This scar is evidence of his betrayal!"

However, just as Chu Ji was speaking, Song Han suddenly walked up to Tang Xiao and gently pulled open his sleeve. His eyes were filled with doubt and inquiry, as if he were searching for something. Everyone else watched quietly, waiting for Song Han to discover something.

Luo Yifei and Shen Lixi's gazes simultaneously focused on Tang Xiao's conspicuous wrist, and both of them couldn't help but feel a surge of shock.

Four years ago, when they first set foot on the Floating Life Continent, they encountered a sudden crisis at the foot of Mount Emei. A group of unidentified men in black, their intentions unclear, posed a significant threat to the two. Just as they were about to be driven to despair, it was the timely appearance of Shadow and Li Hongbo that allowed them to escape. And now, the familiar scar on Tang Xiao's wrist is identical to that of one of the men in black from back then, only now, weathered by time, it appears even more weathered.

Chu Ji stared intently at Tang Xiao, his gaze like two sharp swords piercing straight to the heart. He asked coldly, "This scar... how do you explain it?" His voice was devoid of warmth, as if it could freeze one's heart.

A tense atmosphere filled the air. Several of the Tang Clan swordsmen had already quietly gripped their sword hilts, ready to deal with any possible changes.

Shen Lixi took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said with a firm voice, "More than a year ago, Luo Yifei and I encountered a group of men in black near Mount Emei on the Floating Life Continent. At that time, it was Shadow and Li Hongbo who saved us. I remember very clearly that one of the men in black had a scar on his wrist. It's exactly the same as your scar now."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xiao's face turned deathly pale. He gripped his longsword tightly, his fingers trembling slightly from the force. Faced with Chu Ji and Shen Lixi's questioning, he knew he had nowhere to run.

"I...I..." Tang Xiao's voice trembled so much that it was almost inaudible. He raised his head, his eyes filled with despair and resentment. "I admit that I was one of those men in black. But...but I never intended to hurt anyone from the Tang Clan."

These words instantly created a tense atmosphere. Some of the Tang Clan swordsmen, who had close ties with Tang Xiao, drew their swords and stood protectively in front of him. They knew what fate awaited him once his identity was revealed.

"We come from the Wuji Sect of the Xuantian Continent." A swordsman named Tang Feng stepped forward and said firmly, "We have been ordered by our sect leader to infiltrate the Tang Sect of the Fusheng Continent."

"Wuji Sect?" Luo Yifei and Shen Lixi exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled. A few days ago, they had just learned the names of some sects on the Xuan Tian Continent, but they knew nothing about these sects, let alone why Wuji Sect would send people to infiltrate Tang Sect.

"Why is your Wuji Sect infiltrating the Tang Sect?" Song Han asked coldly. Although his voice was calm, its authority was undeniable.

Another group of Tang Clan swordsmen drew their swords, aiming them at Tang Feng and his companions who had just drawn theirs. Instantly, the entire arena was tense and the atmosphere became extremely tense. Some martial artists began to quietly retreat, fearing they would be drawn into this pointless conflict.

……

As these people drew their swords, the atmosphere so tense it seemed as if every speck of dust in the air could ignite, the distant sound of horses' hooves rolled in like thunder, gradually becoming clearer and more powerful.

The Xuan Tian Sect and Wuji Sect from the Xuan Tian Continent, along with countless other sects and independent cultivators, marched in a mighty procession towards the central region of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, some on foot, some on horseback, and some in flying armor. Their sole objective was to find and enter the legendary Heavenly Gate, a path to immortality long circulated among the people.

Among this group, Song Han stared coldly at Tang Xiao, his eyes flashing with a sharp, icy light that seemed to pierce through the other's soul. He spoke slowly, his voice cold and firm: "Why is the Wuji Sect infiltrating the Tang Sect? What exactly is your purpose?"

Tang Xiao's face was as pale as paper. He knew there was nowhere to escape now, so he could only bite the bullet and answer, "We...we are looking for a treasure."

"A treasure?" Luo Yifei frowned and pressed, "What kind of treasure?"

Tang Xiao took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind: "It's a sword, a legendary divine sword."

"A divine sword?" Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished. In the martial world, divine swords were legendary beings, possessing boundless power that could greatly enhance one's cultivation, even potentially allowing one to break through the limits of martial arts and reach the legendary realm of immortals. Such a treasure naturally attracted the covetous eyes of countless people.

“That’s right, it’s the Divine Sword.” Tang Xiao nodded and continued, “This Divine Sword is said to possess incredible power, capable of changing a person’s destiny. The leader of the Wuji Sect spared no expense to obtain this Divine Sword, even going so far as to send people to infiltrate the Tang Sect.”

"How did you know the Divine Sword was with the Tang Clan?" Shen Lixi asked, puzzled.

Tang Xiao gave a wry smile: "We learned about this by chance. It is said that this divine sword was once the treasure of the Tang Clan, but it was lost for some reason. After learning about this, the Wuji Sect sent us to search for it. We infiltrated the Tang Clan to find the whereabouts of the divine sword."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged bewildered glances. They had never imagined that such a huge secret was hidden behind this.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves grew closer and closer, like a sudden storm, until it echoed clearly in everyone's ears. The forces of the Xuantian Sect and the Wuji Sect surged in like a tide, eventually converging before them. All they could see were the Tang Sect swordsmen and Chu Ji and his group locked in a standoff, their swords flashing, tense and strained, the air itself seeming to freeze.

"What's going on?" The sect leader of Xuantian Sect, a dignified middle-aged man, frowned, his voice filled with doubt and confusion.

Chu Ji glanced at him coldly, as if he hadn't heard his question, maintaining his indifferent expression. Luo Yifei stepped forward and, facing the crowd, briefly recounted the whole story.

After listening to Luo Yifei's account, the Xuantian Sect leader's face grew even more gloomy, his brows furrowed: "The Wuji Sect actually dared to infiltrate the Tang Sect and even attempted to seize the Divine Sword? This behavior is simply outrageous, completely disregarding the rules of the martial world!"

The leader of Wuji Sect snorted coldly and retorted, "Hmph, the divine sword is originally an unclaimed object, and it belongs to the capable. What's wrong with Wuji Sect wanting to obtain it? Besides, the actions of Tang Sect over the years have already aroused dissatisfaction in the martial arts world. We are merely following the will of the people and eliminating a scourge for them."

Both sides stuck to their own stories, tensions were running high, and the atmosphere was extremely tense. The air seemed thick with the smell of gunpowder; the slightest spark could ignite a fierce battle.

Just then, a thunderous voice suddenly rang out from the sky, like the roar of a god, causing everyone to involuntarily look up: "Stop!"

An elderly man with white hair, dressed in the robes of a Supreme Elder of the Xianxia Sect, descended from the clouds. His eyes were piercing as he surveyed the crowd, his voice carrying an undeniable authority: "Everyone, calm down. We recently fell into the demon race's trap and suffered heavy losses. Now, let's not fall into their trap again and kill each other."