On the Mortal Arena, millions of bursts of sword qi beamed upwards, piercing the vast clouds at innumerable points, causing the entire sky to sparkle.
This was a spectacle only Shushan was capable of, the spiritual will of the Shushan sword cultivators!
The proliferation of sword qi emitted screeching whistling sounds. Combined with the cries of the sword cultivators, the entire glacial expanse of Shushan was lit up with the fire of their passion.
All of this was to welcome Beishan Mo's descent.
At this moment, Beishan Mo landed on the Mortal Arena amidst the welcoming bursts of sword qi. He was a young star, an absolute lord in his domain, and right now he was still cool and fearless at the center of this heated limelight. He maintained the manner of a king, gazing out on the crowd.
All around, countless frenzied Shushan sword cultivators yelled his name!
Beishan Mo, the absolute peak of all the geniuses in Shushan. A majority of the sword cultivators in the Common Sword Domain had just passed the hurdle of becoming disciples and were miles away from him.
After he arrived, he did not say a word. His gaze was fixed towards the east. That was where Yan Huang Imperial City was. Everyone knew who he was waiting for.
His gaze was overflowing with killing intent! But he looked much more at ease than could be expected.
Because he knew that he was here today only to keep his promise. There had been no news of Wu Yu up till now, and not even word that he had departed Yan Huang Imperial City. Evidently, he could not keep his promise, and, given Wu Yu's stubbornness, there was only one reason why he had not kept it - and that was death.
Although he was unable to ease his hatred by his own hand, the result was the same.
"After today passes, I can be certain Wu Yu is dead. Big Sister Nangong will also lay her heart to rest. As time passes, there will come a day when she is moved by me. It is as Sixth Master says - in this world, only I am fit to pair with Big Sister Nangong."
That was why, besides keeping his side of the promise, the most important thing was to confirm Wu Yu's death.
Besides Beishan Mo, many of the movers and shakers of Shushan had descended as well, including the Galaxy Sword Sage, the Grand Architect Sword Sage, the Lunar Flower Sword Sage, the Distant Fire Sword Sage, the Crimson Shadow Sword Sage, the East Mountain Sword Sage, and many others. More than 10 Sword Sages had appeared in the sky, and they basked in the reverent and admiring gazes of the Shushan disciples.
The last time so many people had gathered had been the day of Wu Yu's judgment.
In the blink of an eye, three or four years had passed.
The events of that day were still fresh in the sword cultivators' minds' eyes. This paltry bit of time to them was simply the span of one seclusion.
In these three or four years, they might not have had a single whit of improvement. But Wu Yu and Beishan Mo had no doubt bettered themselves by leaps and bounds.
Actually, many sword cultivators were completely sure that Wu Yu would not appear, but they had still gathered here to see these important people! These dozens of Heaven sword rank disciples, dozen Shushan Sword Sages, as well as the geniuses of the divine continent - the likes of Beishan Mo! And if Wu Yu actually turned up, then perhaps most of the Seven Immortals of Shushan would also appear.
After all, the rumor was that the Imperial General had promised to come with Wu Yu.
Although it was early morning, the Sword Sages came to Beishan Mo's side, and everyone's expressions were at ease. Even a rising star like Beishan Mo showed respect to his seniors and paid many courtesies to these Sword Sages. Perhaps because Shen Xingyao had been on good terms with Wu Yu, he passed by him directly, not bothering with a greeting.
The sword cultivators fought their way forward in a clamor. Seeing a dozen Sword Sages appear all at once was enough to excite them. And therefore, everyone was a little hesitant to speak.
It was the Crimson Shadow Sword Sage who smiled first. "Little Mo, you're really early today. You must be a little anxious, no? But everyone knows what the outcome will be. A pity that Little Mo prepared so long for this day, but that Wu Yu was a short-lived devil. He couldn't even make it to the promised day."
The East Mountain Sword Sage said, "The most important thing about geniuses is to live. Only those who survive can be considered geniuses. Only then can they continue to elevate their potential. For example, that Wu Yu threw away his pitiful life. That means he is not even qualified to be in the same conversation as you."
The Lunar Flower Sword Sage said, "Wu Yu deserved to die. As long as he is dead, the day will come when Wei Er will forget about him. And when that time comes, the golden boy and jade girl of our Shushan will finally be able to get together. A pity that our daughter...." Thinking of Mu Lingche, the Lunar Flower Sword Sage still felt like her hatred still haunted her.
Beishan Mo hurried to add, "Lunar Flower Sword Sage, please rest easy. I definitely remember the matter of Mu Lingche. When the time is ripe, I and Big Sister Nangong will definitely hunt that Blood Dragon of Mount Wu down and make that demon pay. Blood will be paid in blood."
The husband and wife, the Lunar Flower Sword Sage and the Distant Fire Sword Sage, hurried to shower him with thanks.
They were completely at ease, completely sure that Wu Yu was dead. Hearing them chat, the sword cultivators were also feeling good. Actually, many sword cultivators had considered not showing up after they heard that Wu Yu was dead. It was going to be a walkover, but Shushan had brought out the finest of their sect to signify that they had waited for Wu Yu.
Although today was not spectacular, the result was nonetheless cathartic!
Seeing Beishan Mo, they were all in high spirits, and the sword cultivators began their own heated discussions.
"That Wu Yu still had his dog-shit luck till the end and was fortunate to die early. Otherwise, if he had made it here, he would not only be shamed, he would be in for an even worse death."
"Perhaps he committed suicide, or is squirreled away somewhere? I think that he's afraid of our Shushan and afraid of Beishan Mo."
"Back when he was cast out of Shushan, Beishan Mo had already been ready to cut him down."
"Forget hiding - once his time passes, I don't believe that he will dare to show his face anywhere."
"In truth, if he is really hiding, and too scared to accept the fight, then his reputation will definitely plummet like a rock. And Nangong Wei of our Shushan will also be disappointed in him and lose respect for him."
"If you had to talk about a match made in heaven, it would have to be Beishan Mo and Nangong Wei. It's really such a shame that things have turned out this way. If Wu Yu had not stuck his interfering nose in, how wonderful that would be!"
On the Mortal Arena, fire filled the skies and smiles filled faces. It was as if they were waiting for the arrival of the next day. Beishan Mo and Nangong Wei brought brand new hope to Shushan.
"Why isn't Wei Er here yet?" Lunar Flower Sword Sage asked of Beishan Mo.
Beishan Mo started, then sheepishly said, "I went to find her. She is not willing to come. Perhaps because she knows that Wu Yu is dead, she does not wish to take part in the hubbub."
Shen Xingyao still did not say anything.
From the side, the Crimson Shadow Sword Sage recalled Wu Yu's exceptional performance at Yan Huang Imperial City. He mumbled, "And if Wu Yu appears, will she come? I wager that Wu Yu dared to speak of returning to Shushan mostly for her sake. Wei Er must have given up hope towards him."
Speaking of Wu Yu, a glint of hatred sparked in Beishan Mo's eyes. He said, "He's dead. She has no choice but to give it up. Big Sister Nangong values emotions too highly. Wu Yu indeed treated her well in the past, and it was during a tender age for her. That is why she remembers it so deeply. But time passes, and Wu Yu is but a temporary guest, a speck in her life. He will not stir any waves."
"Rightly spoken. Wei Er is indeed ruled by her heart. Only our Shushan can raise someone who values emotions so deeply. Not like that Wu Yu, who forgot his roots and strayed away from the path. He never stopped thinking about demons, and even hurt Wei Er. After being cast out from Shushan, he immediately joined Yan Huang Imperial City and assumed an esteemed position, shaming the name of our Shushan. This kid deserves to die on the Mortal Arena, to finally lay the worries of Shushan to rest."
Time ticked on slowly.
It was already noon, and the sun was hanging high in the air. Not a single bit of news from the direction of Wu Yu and Yan Huang Imperial City. Shen Xingyao's gaze seemed a little panicky, but there was indeed no sign of Wu Yu. At this moment, it was basically confirmed.
The Grand Architect Sword Sage said, "It's about time we dispersed. We've waited half a day, that's charitable enough. If Wu Yu was coming, even if he hadn't reached Shushan, any word of departure from Yan Huang Imperial City would have raised a stir immediately."
Evidently, Wu Yu had yet to even set off from Yan Huang Imperial City. That meant that he was not planning to come. Besides, the word was that he was dead.
Beishan Mo looked around him. Perhaps 300,000 sword cultivators had left. As time ticked on, they felt that today had been a waste of time. That was why some sword cultivators had left already. Those that lingered were probably only doing so for the sake of catching a glimpse of the experts that remained.
Beishan Mo thought it over. "Better wait the full day."
Although he did not feel like Wu Yu would show up, he had made so many preparations for this day. Now that the time had finally come, he wanted to savor it a little longer.
After all, this meant that his greatest rival had vanished like a puff of smoke!
The sword cultivators continued to dwindle, but Beishan Mo had set his heart on remaining. He longed for this battle.
Everyone laughed and chatted easily, and soon enough, the sky turned dim. Wu Yu still had not shown, and by this time, there would definitely be no surprises. Everyone was completely relaxed, and the light, humored atmosphere swelled.
Beishan Mo was all smiles as well, talking very happily with the Sword Sages. At this time, his heart was unburdened as well. Once the promised day was over, he would have an even brighter future!
Only a minority felt regret. For example, Shen Xingyao. After waiting for so long, he was just preparing to leave after seeing nothing of Wu Yu.
"Let's disperse. From today onwards, Wu Yu does not exist in this world," Beishan Mo said to the crowd with a casual flick of his hand.
Cheers of congratulations.
They left in a chorus of laughter and chatter, while Beishan Mo bid his farewells to the Sword Sages.
Besides Shen Xingyao.
He did not like Shen Xingyao.
Just as Shen Xingyao turned to leave, a tail talisman suddenly reached his side. He caught hold of it and gently opened it. At this time, not many people had noticed him.
He opened the talisman and scrutinized it. Suspicion first, then surprise. And finally he laughed. At this time, even Beishan Mo was preparing to leave, a big smile on his face. Suddenly, he declared in a ringing voice, "Everyone, please do not hurry to leave. I have some breaking news."
Shen Xingyao's words caught the attention of many.
"What the hell?" the Crimson Shadow Sword Sage grumbled, displeased.
Shen Xingyao enunciated every word clearly. He mildly stated, "Perhaps you might not believe me, but I have just received a tail talisman. This core-tail talisman is from Wu Yu."