An old man walked through the territory of the Five Elements Sword Sect, his expression as tranquil and his poise graceful. He had a genial smile on his face, dressed in copper-coloured robes that seemed to be formed out of a single sheet of metal, that seemed to alternate between a solid and liquid state. A sword encased in a plain black sheath rested at his waist, but this sword came with a rather unusual attachment. Two spherical copper bells were attached to the edge of its handle, causing a melodious ringing sound to echo out with the man’s every step.

If Wen Jie were to take a glance at this man, he would be shocked. For this man was none other than the shopkeeper who sold him mortal sap, belonging to the Copper Caravan Trading House. The Trading House was a power that could only have said to entered this region in recent times, at least by cultivator standards. Nobody truly understood this power or the reason behind its actions- It never seemed too interested in pedaling its wares, with its lacklustre outward appearance and apparent lack of respect for the local powers and other customers.

If the Patriarch of the Five Elements Sword Sect were to see this man’s true power, he would bow in deference.

If the Ancestor of the Five Elements Sword Sect were to witness his true power, he too would bow with the temperament of a junior.

The Copper Caravan Trading House was not a power that belonged to this region. They had only come to this region for one goal, and they were not the only power to do so.

Eight Cursed Families. Jia Family.

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One moment, the old man stood at the border of the Five Elements Sword Sect’s territory. The next, he stared down at a seemingly empty patch of land.

However, if one were to look closely, they would see small patches of dried blood staining the land and the grass. Perhaps if it were a mortal’s blood, the signs would be harder to detect. However, a cultivator’s blood was enforced with Qi, and it was not so easy to dispel.

This was not to say that Jia Tao was careless when dispatching Wen Jie. No, he followed his master’s orders to the letter. It had to look like a rogue cultivator’s attack, and a rogue cultivator would not bother to erase traces. For when dealing with a sect’s disciple, when they dared to attack, they would strike swiftly and then retreat immediately- lest they face reinforcements.

One has to understand, that were it not within the immediate vicinity of the old man from the Trading House, it was impossible to detect the Jia family’s Qi Signature. The distance from his Copper Caravan Trading Pavilion and the mortal world outside the Five Element Sword Sect’s Territory is barely within this range. Even then, this was far from the only territory that was looking for signs of the Jia family. The net had been widening without rest for decades, but finally, there was some hope. If one were to call it luck, they would be ignorant. For, this was fate.

The old man’s expression was grim, and he stared at the ground with unprecedented seriousness on his face. The next moment, he pointed at it, and a drop of blood congealed and floated towards him.

The Jia family’s matters could not be divined. However, the drop of blood represented endless possibilities, as the Qi contained within the blood was very insignificant. The higher the cultivator's level, the harder it is to divine. If he could divine the Qi Refinement Cultivator’s previous actions, he could ascertain where the Jia family was hiding. Of course, since the target was an insignificant Qi Refinement cultivator, they could not be far from here. However, he did not dare to expose even a hint of his true strength, for the Jia Family Cultivators would instantly detect it, and no one could compete with them when it came to escape techniques.

Of course, he had already informed the parties hunting the Jia Family, and true powerhouses would soon converge on this location. They had to be extremely cautious, otherwise the Jia Family would vanish with the wind.

The old man took out the tattered book that Wen Jie saw him reading the first time they met, and started chanting in an extremely complex language that seemed to resonate with the world around it.

The next instant, the old man waved his right hand and a plain brush materialized out of seemingly thin air. Rapid hand movements carved out a series of ancient characters that radiated a powerful golden light, and the next moment they shrunk in size and enveloped the drop of blood- forming a perfect circle around it.

The old man looked on in anticipation, wondering if his actions today would be recorded in the ancient records.

The next moment, the drop of blood exploded. The remaining dried blood on the ground, exploded as well. The piece of torn cloth that belonged to Wen Jie was reduced to nothingness.

The old man watched on, completely stupefied.

The next moment, thunder clouds gathered instantly, and a thick bolt of azure lightning smashed down directly at the old man’s forehead.

=========================

The old man was unharmed, but the shock in his heart was greater than anything a physical attack could ever cause.

The old man looked up at the now clear sky, his bald head singed, a trail of white smoke extending out of the impact site. In that moment, the mighty cultivator was starting to doubt his own life.

Even unbeknownst to himself, cold sweat ran down his forehead, and his Dao Heart was almost shaken.

The heavens were unbiased, the heavens were above all life, the heavens hated all cultivators equally.

Yet….

…..

Did the heavens just protect a cultivator from divination? A mere Qi refinement cultivator!? The old man had heard of the term ‘heaven’s chosen son’ many times… but this, this, this!?

The old man sunk into deep contemplation, and did not move for an entire minute. He knew that the heavenly dao would not strike again.

The next moment, the old man smiled brightly, as bright as the sun. Then, he picked a random direction and started walking, in hopes that he would find the Jia Family’s hideout.

The heavens had clearly warned him, and he did not pursue this matter. He would try and pass this matter on to the ancestor, but he did not know if it was possible to do so without incurring heaven’s wrath.

However, the burden upon his heart that had rested for countless years, lessened.

After all, the Jia Family had finally kicked a rock wall. They dared to even assassinate a junior valued by the heavens, though he did not understand how such a thing was possible.

Defying the heavens, was one thing. He too was a cultivator, and he would dare to defy the heavens to attain power. But to assassinate, possibly, the only cultivator in history that the heavens valued?

The Jia Family, the Eight Cursed Families…... he hoped they enjoyed what little time they had left.

Truly, the old man was at the pinnacle of his life. After all, why should he defy the heaven's mandate if it would help him strike down his enemies? It was such a refreshing feeling.

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A month later, Xander arrives at the entrance of the Five Element’s Sword Sect.