Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

Sword Intent surged and howled around Li Jianyin like a tidal wave.

He held the ancient, unadorned sheath with his bare hands, pinching it lightly between two fingers.

An invisible beam of Sword Qi seemed to extend from the sheath, like the primordial light that first split heaven and earth, illuminating the whole of Lingtian Pavilion.

For a moment, the nearby spatial Forbidden Array groaned as if under an immense strain. The void roiled, sending out ripples.

An intense pressure, like a towering Divine Mountain, weighed on everyone's heart.

Even the white-robed man was no exception.

His eyes widened, fixed on the sheath in Li Jianyin's hand. His expression turned savage, and his robes whipped about violently in the gale formed by the Sword Intent.

"You're planning on getting serious?" he ground out, clenching his jaw.

"If we're going to fight, then naturally, I must give it my all."

"To do otherwise would be disrespectful."

Li Jianyin spoke with a calm, indifferent expression.

Pinching the air with two fingers, he drew the Sword Qi from the sheath and flung it violently at the white-robed man.

"WHOOSH!"

The world shook, and the void shattered!

The Sword Qi transformed into a roaring dragon that swept across the land, its jaws gaping wide as it lunged to devour the white-robed man.

Everyone stood rooted to the spot as if suffocating, unable to believe their eyes.

The strength of this young man, one of their own generation, was simply beyond imagination!

Just watching from a distance made their skin tingle with pain, and their footing became unsteady, unable to bear the pressure.

'Is this the might of Dongxuan's number one prodigy?'

Even Chiming felt his heart pound in terror, a glint of shocked disbelief flashing through his brilliant, ruby-like eyes.

He couldn't help but wonder, 'If Master were to face Li Jianyin, what would his chances of victory be?'

In the distance, Ye Chen simply watched, his expression completely unruffled.

It had to be said that even he was startled by Li Jianyin's attack.

But deep down, he felt not a shred of fear, only a fierce battle intent surging within him.

"Damn it... DAMN IT!!!"

The white-robed man was like a madman, all traces of his former calm and indifference gone.

His hair whipped about wildly and his sleeves fluttered as a terrifying power began to brew within him.

Although no one knew what trump card the man intended to use against this attack, everyone was almost certain that if the terrifying power brewing within him were to be fully unleashed, the entire Lingtian Pavilion would be destroyed in an instant.

At that point, perhaps even the Dongxuan Inn itself would be affected!

A heart-stopping aura filled Lingtian Pavilion.

"You forced my hand!" the white-robed man roared, his voice hoarse with rage.

But just as he was about to act, a helpless sigh suddenly reached everyone's ears.

"You little rascals are truly lawless."

"If I let you two actually fight, never mind my Lingtian Pavilion being destroyed—I'm afraid the Forbidden Array on the entire eleventh floor would shatter, and it might even affect the entire inn!"

"It's good to be hot-blooded, but you could at least pay attention to your surroundings!"

It was the voice of an old man.

Besides deep helplessness, the voice also carried a hint of complaint.

The next moment, everyone felt an invisible, profound aura fill Lingtian Pavilion as a plainly dressed old man appeared in their midst.

He stood between Li Jianyin and the white-robed man like an insurmountable chasm. With a raise of his hand, he drew upon the Power of the Forbidden Array from the entire Dongxuan Inn, completely suppressing both of their auras.

The sharp beam of light that Li Jianyin had flung at the white-robed man also exploded harmlessly in front of the old man.

As the old man drew upon a massive amount of the Power of the Forbidden Array, the entire Lingtian Pavilion began to shake. The crowd stumbled, swaying and falling over one another in a pathetic display.

After a long moment, the commotion gradually subsided.

Lingtian Pavilion was unharmed. The crisis had been successfully defused by the old man's sudden appearance.

However, the memory of that suffocating scene remained, seared into everyone's minds.

"You lot... each of you with a more formidable background than the last. You nearly destroyed my Dongxuan Inn, yet I can neither strike you nor scold you. This old man has never felt so aggrieved."

The old man glanced at Li Jianyin and the white-robed man, then shook his head in utter helplessness.

"My apologies for the disturbance, Steward Xiao."

Li Jianyin gave the old man a slight nod.

Although the white-robed man's aura had calmed, his expression was still grim. His eyes flickered, his thoughts unreadable.

'So it was Steward Xiao who intervened?'

The others now came to their senses, their gazes all turning to the slender figure of the old man with reverence.

At the Dongxuan Inn, aside from its mysterious owner, this old man held the highest authority.

They only knew that he was the steward of the Dongxuan Inn, named Xiao Yunpo, and that he was responsible for managing the entire establishment on behalf of its mysterious owner.

He would occasionally make an appearance, but always seemed to be in a hurry, as if he were incredibly busy.

No one had expected that the conflict within Lingtian Pavilion would actually draw him out.

Xiao Yunpo looked at Li Jianyin with a complex expression. "Fellow Daoist Li, your cultivation truly deepens by the day. Every time we meet, you manage to surprise this old man."

"If I hadn't drawn upon the Power of the Forbidden Array from the entire Dongxuan Inn this time, I'm afraid no one here could have stopped that attack of yours."

"Had I not appeared in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable!"

"How could I possibly have explained that to my master? The mere thought is terrifying."

Listening to Xiao Yunpo's words, the crowd read between the lines.

As the steward of the Dongxuan Inn, Xiao Yunpo was the highest authority under its mysterious owner. His cultivation was profound, certainly enough to rank him among the top-tier experts in the eastern part of the dynasty.

And yet, he had just frankly admitted that without the aid of the Forbidden Array, he would not have been able to block a single one of Li Jianyin's attacks!

What's more, he had addressed Li Jianyin as "Fellow Daoist"!

This was a title that ignored the difference in their seniority.

Clearly, in his eyes, Li Jianyin was no insignificant junior, but a powerful Sword Cultivator worthy of his full and serious attention.

"I was indeed reckless this time. I will bear the full consequences. Even if I had truly destroyed Lingtian Pavilion, I would have rebuilt it."

Li Jianyin cupped his fists, his face full of apology. "However, there is one thing you said, Steward Xiao, that I don't quite agree with."

"Oh? Do tell," Xiao Yunpo said, raising an eyebrow.

"You said before, Steward Xiao, that no one could have blocked my attack."

"In fact, there is a Fellow Daoist present who would have had no fear of that attack."