Chapter 1856: When Enemies Meet
He, Hawk Chapman Mountain, had only met Wyatt Barnes once, and that was today!
So, in terms of shock, he naturally couldn’t match Diffy Fenning.
Seeing that their House Master no longer argued with the Mansion of Azure Clouds people over the better wooden house location in the small valley, both Diffy Fenning and Hawk Chapman Mountain naturally settled down, moving into two unoccupied wooden houses consecutively.
For a moment, the small valley returned to tranquility.
"House Master, the Dragonsmith Clan deliberately put the people from Shadow Mountain Black Market and us together. We should go demand an explanation! Such actions are too bullying!"
With a flash of cold light in his eyes, Withered spoke gravely.
"There’s no need for that."
Lanni Barnes shook his head, "We’ve come to fulfill the ’Five-Year Agreement,’ not to conflict with the Dragonsmith Clan... As the time for the Five-Year Agreement approaches, it’s better to avoid trouble. Furthermore, we haven’t started a conflict with the Shadow Mountain Black Market people as they’d wished."
Although that’s what he said.
There was still a trace of cold light in the depth of Lanni Barnes’s gaze.
"The Dragonsmith Clan... indeed went too far."
Augustine Landon agreed.
"Dragonsmith Clan!"
A fierce glint flashed in Wyatt Barnes’s eyes as he murmured softly.
If before, he only had issues with Emperor End, and his discontent with him hadn’t extended to the entire Dragonsmith Clan.
Now, he had no goodwill towards the entire Dragonsmith Clan.
"Three days later, at the Five-Year Agreement, I will seize the opportunity to enter the Dragonsmith Clan’s Holy Land ’Dragon Washing Pool’ from Emperor End... At that time, I will see what expressions the other Dragonsmith Clan members have."
Wyatt Barnes vowed silently, determined to seize the opportunity to enter the Dragon Washing Pool.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye for Wyatt Barnes and others.
In no time, the day arrived.
When Wyatt Barnes walked out of the wooden house, he found his father, and elders Withered and Augustine had already come out before him, all waiting for him.
On the other side, the three from Shadow Mountain Black Market, led by Leader Singleton, took off in mid-air, heading to the place for the spectacle.
When Wyatt Barnes came out, Leader Singleton noticed him and deliberately gave him a deep glance before leading his two Vice Leaders from Shadow Mountain Black Market away, vanishing into the sky above the small valley in an instant.
Their direction of departure was east.
And that was also the place Dragonsmith Clan set for fulfilling the ’Five-Year Agreement.’
"Let’s go!"
Seeing Leader Singleton set off first to join the spectacle, Wyatt Barnes naturally wasn’t willing to lag behind, beckoning Lanni Barnes and the others to leave the small valley together and head east.
The Dragonsmith Clan’s place for fulfilling the ’Five-Year Agreement,’ located east of the Dragonsmith Clan’s residence, was a massive valley.
The valley was entirely barren, without a touch of green inside; all around were overturned lands, as if it had just been through a monumental battle.
This was also where Dragonsmith Clan members typically spar.
Although it’s sparring, given the strength of Dragonsmith Clan members, even a slight display of power can stir a considerable wave, destroying the valley without issue.
That’s also the reason for the absence of green in the valley, as it’s regularly damaged, expecting it to grow vegetation would be strange.
"So many people?"
When Wyatt Barnes and his group, trailing behind Leader Singleton’s trio from a distance, arrived at the vast valley, they found quite a few people already present in the sky above it.
Most of these people were members of the Dragonsmith Clan.
The rest were people from prospective third-rate powers who came to join the spectacle upon hearing the ’Five-Year Agreement’ news.
Unlike the Mansion of Azure Clouds and Shadow Mountain Black Market, those who came from the prospective third-rate powers weren’t led by leader-level figures.
"Greetings to House Master Barnes!"
Because of this, when they saw Lanni Barnes, they came up, respectfully saluting.
Simultaneously, their gazes started darting behind Lanni Barnes, finally focusing on Wyatt Barnes...
Just a glance was enough for them to recognize the young man resembling Lanni Barnes must be his son, Wyatt Barnes, and the Junior House Master of the Mansion of Azure Clouds!
"It’s him!"
At the same time, many recalled the portrait they’d seen years ago, their pupils shrinking.
The person on that portrait looked exactly like the Mansion of Azure Clouds Junior House Master Wyatt Barnes before them.
And the person on that portrait was also named ’Wyatt Barnes’!
He was a fortunate fellow, weak in strength, yet he obtained one of the top ten super holy artifacts listed on the ’Top Ten Sacred Artifact Super List,’ the ’Demon Sealing Monument.’
When people from the Martial Dao Sacred Land’s Lower Domain were searching for his whereabouts everywhere, craving to seize the Demon Sealing Monument for themselves, he had completely disappeared.
Years of disappearance had blurred their memories of this affair.
If they hadn’t seen the ’real person’ today, perhaps a few more years would have completely erased their image of that young man from the portrait.
"Previously, when I heard the name of the Junior House Master from the Mansion of Azure Clouds, I thought it was a coincidence because his name was identical to the person who got the Demon Sealing Monument years ago... Now it seems, it’s not just a namesake; they are the same person!"
"Heavens are truly unfair... It’s bad enough he obtained the Demon Sealing Monument, but he is also the Junior House Master of the Mansion of Azure Clouds! How can anyone stand this?"
"I never expected that the young man who once acquired the Demon Sealing Monument and then vanished would actually turn out to be the Junior House Master of the Mansion of Azure Clouds!"
...
Many people whispered among themselves, shocked that the Junior House Master of the Mansion of Azure Clouds was in fact the Wyatt Barnes who had acquired the Demon Sealing Monument years ago.
With his dual identity exposed, Wyatt Barnes was mentally prepared, so he was not surprised.
"It’s said that today’s fulfillment of the ’Five-Year Agreement’ was made by House Master Barnes of the Mansion of Azure Clouds and the Clan Chief of the Dragonsmith Clan... wherein the Junior House Master of the Mansion of Azure Clouds, Wyatt Barnes, would duel with the next-generation clan chief heir, Emperor End!"
"I remember it was said back when the Demon Sealing Monument appeared, it was obtained by a young man who hadn’t even broken through to the ’Little Saint Realm’... and now it seems, that young man is indeed the Junior House Master of the Mansion of Azure Clouds, Wyatt Barnes!"
"So, a few years ago, this Junior House Master of the Mansion of Azure Clouds was just an Entering the Saint Realm martial artist?"
"A few years ago, the Junior House Master of the Mansion of Azure Clouds was a Human Saint Realm martial artist who hadn’t even entered the ’Saint Realm’... whereas Emperor End was already at the peak of the Human Saint Realm, just a step away from the Earth Saint Realm."
"These two individuals, with such a vast disparity, are going to duel today? Is this some kind of joke?"
"Why did House Master Barnes of the Mansion of Azure Clouds make such a ’Five-Year Agreement’? Is he setting his son up for failure?"
...
The discussions around were incessant, with almost no one betting on Wyatt Barnes.
In the face of these doubts, Wyatt Barnes remained unfazed from start to finish.
He’s always been like this.
People can say whatever they want! Let them talk!
Until the end, no one will know what the real outcome will be!
Now, even if he were to boast eloquently about his ability to defeat Emperor End, it would be useless; only facts can silence these people!
The arrival of the people from the Shadow Mountain black market and the Mansion of Azure Clouds, led by their two leaders, naturally drew a lot of attention.
"I can understand House Master Barnes of the Mansion of Azure Clouds coming, after all, today’s ’Five-Year Agreement’ was made by him... but why is Leader Singleton from the Shadow Mountain black market here? Is there something special about today’s Five-Year Agreement?"
"If we had known Leader Singleton would come, our Pavilion Master would definitely have come too."
"Before seeing Leader Singleton, who would have thought he would come to join the fun?"
...
The emergence of Leader Singleton from the Shadow Mountain black market naturally caused a certain stir, as no one expected he would personally come to join the excitement.
"It’s definitely because today’s ’Five-Year Agreement’ was made between House Master Barnes of the Mansion of Azure Clouds and the Dragonsmith Clan, and as House Master Barnes’ rival, he’s here to watch the spectacle himself... if House Master’s son loses, maybe he could even mock House Master Barnes a couple of times."
Many astute observers made this deduction.
"The Dragonsmith Clan members have arrived!"
Someone shouted, and although the voice wasn’t loud, it was heard by many around.
Word spread quickly...
Before long, all eyes, including those from the Mansion of Azure Clouds and the Shadow Mountain black market, were focused on the distance.
There, five figures approached through the sky.
Leading them was a tall, sturdy old man in a golden robe, akin to a towering iron pagoda.
Upon his appearance, the members of the Dragonsmith Clan present all bowed respectfully and saluted, "Clan Chief!"
Thus, the old man’s identity became apparent; he was none other than the current Clan Chief of the Dragonsmith Clan, Emperor Mountain.
Emperor Mountain marched at the forefront, with four others walking side-by-side behind him.
Two elderly men, one elderly woman, and a middle-aged man.
Including Emperor Mountain, all five individuals were Five-Clawed Divine Dragons with no exceptions!
Emperor Mountain, as the Clan Chief of the Dragonsmith Clan, was a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon!
Among those behind him, the elderly man clad in a blood-red robe was the Five-Clawed Blood Dragon ’Zen Blood’, who was also the Law Enforcement Elder of the Dragonsmith Clan.
The other elderly man was Lewis, who had entertained Wyatt Barnes and his group three days earlier and was a Five-Clawed Azure Dragon.
As for the elderly woman, she had greeted the Shadow Mountain black market group three days prior, and she was Jelly Tyler, a Five-Clawed Purple Dragon.
The last middle-aged man was none other than one of today’s ’main characters’:
Emperor End!
Like Emperor Mountain, Emperor End belonged to the royalty of the Dragonsmith Clan, a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon!
With the arrival of Emperor Mountain’s group, the members of the Dragonsmith Clan present not only bowed to Emperor Mountain but also saluted the two elders and elderly woman behind him.
Conversely, Emperor End, today’s ’main character’, seemed to lack presence, receiving praise from very few people.
Of course, this means little, other than Emperor End being quite young still.
"Emperor End!"
Wyatt Barnes locked his gaze on Emperor End from afar, his calm face darkening in an instant as fierce determination gleamed in his eyes.
On Emperor End’s side, he too noticed Wyatt Barnes’ gaze.
Facing Wyatt Barnes’ fierce eyes, Emperor End raised his hand unhurriedly, gave a thumbs up, then shook it towards the ground, making a provocative gesture.