Chapter 104: Protector
The disciples of the Silent Sword Sect became noticeably uneasy after mentioning that their Protector was currently in seclusion.
What they expected was caution.
What they hoped for was hesitation.
What they wanted was enough uncertainty to make the visitors reconsider their actions.
Unfortunately, the reaction they received was the exact opposite.
The cultivators from the distant continent stared at one another for several moments before loud laughter suddenly erupted throughout the sky.
The sound spread across the floating islands like rolling thunder.
Several cultivators openly shook their heads.
Others covered their mouths while smiling.
A few looked genuinely entertained.
The laughter continued for such a long time that many of the Silent Sword disciples gradually lowered their heads in embarrassment.
One cultivator seated atop a massive white spirit eagle laughed so hard that tears nearly formed in his eyes.
After calming himself slightly, he looked toward the disciples and spoke in a tone filled with amusement.
"You are honestly trying to convince us that there exists a hidden expert powerful enough to make all of us cautious, and that this mysterious individual just happens to be in seclusion at the exact moment we arrive here. If someone told me this story a few days ago, I would have thought it was a joke invented by wandering storytellers to entertain children."
The people around him laughed once again.
Another cultivator folded his arms and looked around the floating islands.
His eyes swept over the mountains, the waterfalls, the pavilions, and the disciples standing defensively before finally settling upon Zi Yue.
"The spiritual energy in this place is undeniably extraordinary. The environment is excellent. The mountains possess remarkable spiritual veins. The rivers contain astonishing purity. Even the floating islands themselves would be considered valuable resources in many regions. However, after observing all of you for this long, I still fail to understand where your confidence comes from. Every disciple present before us possesses cultivation that would barely qualify them as ordinary members within our sect."
The surrounding cultivators nodded.
Several smiled.
One younger cultivator stepped forward with obvious pride.
His robes fluttered despite the absence of wind.
The aura surrounding him immediately caused many Silent Sword disciples to become nervous.
He slowly raised his chin before speaking.
"Perhaps the reason you remain so confident is because you simply do not know who stands before you. Since that appears to be the case, allow us to introduce ourselves properly so that you can understand the difference between our worlds."
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Several powerful cultivators moved forward.
Five individuals stepped away from the crowd.
The moment they did, the pressure throughout the floating islands increased dramatically.
Even the clouds beneath the islands seemed to become heavier.
The disciples instinctively tightened their grips on their swords.
The first cultivator stepped forward.
A golden cloud appeared beneath his feet.
The spiritual energy around him surged outward like a tidal wave.
His voice echoed throughout the region.
"My name is Liang Feng. I am a direct disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, and my cultivation has already reached the Pinnacle Soul Transformation Realm. Within the younger generation of my continent, I am ranked among the strongest cultivators beneath the Ascendant Realm."
The declaration caused many disciples to pale.
Before they could recover, another stepped forward.
This time it was a woman dressed in robes embroidered with silver moons.
The temperature of the surroundings immediately dropped.
Frost appeared within the clouds.
Even distant waterfalls partially froze.
"My name is Yue Lin. My cultivation has reached the Late Soul Transformation Realm. During my travels, I have already slain three ancient beasts whose cultivation exceeded ordinary Soul Transformation experts."
The disciples swallowed nervously.
A third cultivator moved forward.
Unlike the others, his body radiated terrifying physical strength.
The space around him distorted slightly whenever he moved.
"My name is Han Mo. I cultivate the Heavenly Titan Body Art. My cultivation is at the Peak Soul Transformation Realm, and my body refinement alone allows me to shatter mountains with my bare hands."
A fourth stepped forward.
Then a fifth.
One possessed a spiritual sword whose aura caused nearby space to tremble.
Another carried a jade flute capable of controlling thousands of spirit beasts simultaneously.
Each introduction became more shocking than the last.
Each revelation made the Silent Sword disciples increasingly aware of how vast the outside world truly was.
By the time the introductions ended, even the atmosphere itself seemed dominated by the Azure Cloud Sect’s confidence.
The leader smiled calmly.
Then he looked directly toward Zi Yue.
His expression carried neither hostility nor anger.
Only amusement.
The kind of amusement one might display when speaking to an innocent child.
"You have now witnessed only a small fraction of our strength. These five individuals are not even the strongest members of our generation. They are merely representatives sent ahead of our true experts. Therefore, I would like to ask once again whether you genuinely believe that your so-called Protector remains stronger than all of us combined."
The question hung heavily in the air.
Many Silent Sword disciples exchanged uncertain glances.
Even some of them felt nervous.
The pressure displayed by these visitors was indeed overwhelming.
Yet whenever doubt attempted to form inside their hearts, another memory immediately surfaced.
A giant hand descending from the heavens.
A faceless deity towering beyond imagination.
The destruction of countless cultivators with a single movement.
The impossible treasures.
The rivers from the sky.
The miracles.
The overwhelming presence that none of them could forget.
Zi Yue inhaled slowly.
Then she raised her head.
Her voice trembled slightly.
Not because she doubted the answer.
Because she knew exactly how absurd it would sound.
"Yes."
The single word stunned the visitors momentarily.
Then the entire sky erupted with laughter.
The cultivators laughed even harder than before.
Several bent forward.
One nearly fell from his flying sword.
The leader himself needed several moments before regaining composure.
When he finally spoke again, his expression had become gentler.
Almost sympathetic.
"I understand now. All of you survived a calamity. A powerful expert appeared and saved your lives. Since that day, you have viewed him as an invincible existence. Such things happen frequently. Mortals rescued from drowning often believe their saviors possess divine abilities. Weak cultivators who encounter stronger cultivators frequently mistake them for gods."
He slowly shook his head.
"There is no shame in feeling gratitude toward someone who saved your lives. However, gratitude and reality are two completely different matters."
Another cultivator nodded.
"To someone who has never seen the ocean, a lake appears endless. To someone who has never seen the heavens, a mountain appears infinite. The same principle applies here. Your Protector may be powerful by your standards, but your standards are far too small."
The leader smiled again.
Then he spread his arms.
"Let us settle this very simply."
The atmosphere immediately quieted.
Every cultivator listened.
Every disciple became tense.
The leader’s eyes locked onto Zi Yue.
"If your Protector truly possesses the strength you claim, then call him."
The disciples froze.
The leader continued speaking.
"Summon him. Invite him here. Let him stand before us."
His voice remained calm.
"If he can place even the smallest scratch upon these robes, I shall immediately abandon my position within the Azure Cloud Sect. I shall sever my ties with my teachers. I shall leave behind my cultivation resources. I shall become a disciple of the Silent Sword Sect and willingly serve beneath every single person standing before me."
The surrounding Azure Cloud cultivators widened their eyes.
Yet none interrupted him.
The leader remained confident.
Because he genuinely believed the outcome impossible.
Zi Yue opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Call him?
How?
They had never summoned the Deity.
The Deity appeared whenever he wished.
The Deity left whenever he wished.
No one controlled his actions.
No one dared attempt such a thing.
The leader noticed her hesitation.
A victorious smile appeared on his face.
"You see? Even you understand—"
Before he could finish speaking, something changed.
The wind disappeared.
The clouds became motionless.
The spiritual energy throughout the region froze.
An indescribable pressure descended upon the world.
The laughter vanished.
The smiles vanished.
The confidence vanished.
Every disciple of the Silent Sword Sect immediately recognized the feeling.
Their hearts began pounding.
Their eyes widened.
The familiar presence had returned.
Without hesitation, one disciple dropped to his knees.
Then another.
Then another.
Soon every disciple of the Silent Sword Sect knelt simultaneously.
Their foreheads lowered.
Their expressions filled with reverence.
Their voices echoed throughout the floating islands.
"Greetings, Senior Deity. This disciple welcomes your return."
"Greetings, Senior Deity. This disciple welcomes your return."
"Greetings, Senior Deity. This disciple welcomes your return."
The sound rolled across the heavens.
Meanwhile, the Azure Cloud cultivators felt something they had not experienced for a very long time.
Fear.
Not ordinary fear.
Instinctive fear.
The kind of fear prey experiences when standing before something beyond comprehension.
The leader’s smile disappeared.
His face gradually paled.
He looked around.
No one had appeared.
No cultivator stood nearby.
No expert revealed himself.
Yet the pressure continued increasing.
His instincts screamed.
Every fiber of his being warned him.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
The kind of danger that could not be escaped.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
The cultivators looked upward.
The moment they did, every thought inside their minds vanished.
Above the floating islands.
Above the clouds.
Above the heavens themselves.
A colossal faceless figure towered over the entire world.
Its body seemed formed from darkness, stars, galaxies, and endless cosmic storms.
Nebulas drifted beneath translucent skin.
Entire constellations rotated within its limbs.
Its existence appeared less like a living being and more like the embodiment of the heavens themselves.
No comparison entered their minds.
No ancient beast resembled it.
No sect ancestor resembled it.
No divine scripture had ever described such a thing.
The pressure descending from that existence made their souls tremble.
Several Azure Cloud cultivators nearly collapsed.
Others forgot how to breathe.
The leader felt his entire body becoming cold.
The confidence he possessed moments earlier had completely disappeared.
His voice emerged with tremendous difficulty.
Every word felt heavier than a mountain.
"May... may this junior ask who Your Excellency is and what relationship you possess with this sect?"
The giant looked down.
Its faceless head tilted slightly.
Then a voice descended from the heavens.
The voice was neither loud nor soft.
Yet every mountain heard it.
Every river heard it.
Every cultivator heard it.
And every soul trembled.
"I am their Protector."