'As expected, they're really good.'
Even though the formation was gone, the shock Happy felt just became greater.
He originally thought that with his strength, he could challenge a large sect, but by the looks of it now, he still underestimated the large sects with a great foundation of strength. He had also underestimated the heroes of the world.
Happy immediately calmed the tumbling qi and blood in his heart while he stared at the woman who flew over in the distance. His expression was cold, but his gaze gradually turned gentle.
She was formerly the master of Purple Bamboo Forest, and now, she was the faction master of Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction. Things remained the same, just like the other world.
She was graceful, gorgeous, and as charming as ever.
*****
Thud!
Under everyone's gazes, the faction of Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction landed on Heavenly Lake, which was surrounded by Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction disciples. She stood across Happy.
Her expression was calm as she nodded slightly.
"I am Qing Xue, faction master of Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction. I have not learned of your name yet."
"I am Happy, secular disciple of Shaolin Temple. My master is Master Xuan Zhi."
"I see, so you are the successor of Eminent Monk Xuan Zhi, who is kind and merciful. I have to thank you for sparing my faction members' lives all along the way here." As expected of a faction master, Qing Xue's movements were befitting of her status, making it hard for anyone to harbor any malicious thoughts toward her.
"...I am regretful of my actions." Happy wrapped his fist in his palm and pushed his hands forward a little. "I was forced to come and bother you at your faction. I hope that you will not blame me for this."
"Young swordsman, you should know that Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction does not readily become involved in the affairs in the world of martial artists. But as long as it does not go against my principles, I am willing to help you."
"I have come here this time to ask of the whereabouts of an item."
"..."
When she heard this, Qing Xue frowned a little.
"I have already heard about the matter of Sword Sect's master dying in your hands. Are you here to obtain the whereabouts of Heaven Crystal?
"I knew that Sword Sect's master would not be able to hide what was happening at Heavenly Lake from you. Besides, he has been here for three years. There is no way you would not send spies to be around the area." Happy stared into Qing Xue's eyes. "You've had my hopes dashed by stealing Heaven Crystal away from Sword Sect's master right under his nose. Your faction has been isolated for many years, and you would even know how many ants are there in here. That is why I can only ask for your help. I hope that you will hand over the person who stole Heaven Crystal."
"Do you believe that my faction members were the ones who took the sword?"
"I just want to retrieve Heaven Crystal."
Happy was not swayed by Qing Xue's words. "If this matter has nothing to do with your faction, please tell me, who is the one who took Heaven Crystal away." Happy stared into Qing Xue's eyes when he asked the question. His words were clear, and he was very serious.
If he asked this question to any other sect, perhaps he would be sent away without an answer. His question would not bring about any effect. But Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction was an isolated faction. Each of the important passages that led to Heavenly Lake was guarded closely by the faction's disciples. Anyone who entered it and stayed there for a long time would definitely catch the faction's attention.
Either the person who stole Heaven Crystal was the faction master… or Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction would have to provide a name.
Happy's words were targeted at Qing Xue's weakness.
She frowned and hesitated for a moment.
"Please tell me, faction master."
Happy took a step forward. The vital foundation in his body which had been injured because of Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction's formation had already recovered. His qi reached its peak, and it made Qing Xue narrow her eyes a little.
"Do you know whose thieving skills are the greatest in the world of martial artists?" Qing Xue remained silent for a moment before she finally spoke.
When Happy heard this, he was slightly stunned. Then, as if he came to an understanding, he said, "Thievery has always been an unorthodox skill in the world of martial arts. But Divine Thieves is a sect that became famous in the world of wanderers with their skills in theft. Marvelous-handed Sect, Empty Sect, and even Beggar's Sect have a hand in this…"
"Indeed. These three thieving sects possess thieving skills that cause the most trouble to people. Even the seven great sects in the world of martial artists have suffered losses in their hands before. That is why they do not have a fixed sect location. When their disciples wander about the land, they never do so with their real faces. They are very elusive." When she said this, Qing Xue sighed softly. "In truth, when Heaven Crystal was stolen, I noticed that a disciple of my faction went missing. But I didn't expect that the person had been lying in wait in my faction for years and possesses extraordinary thieving skills. His lightness skill is also so good that it's like he has stolen blessings from the heavens itself. Even I couldn't catch up to him."
"..."
Happy was stunned. Qing Xue's body movements were incredibly profound and amazing when she flew over just now. She should not be weaker than those at the peak of Myth Realm. Happy's expression instantly became much more solemn. His tone became graver. "Who is he?"
"When he was in our faction, he was known as Chu Xiang. I remember his lightness skill, I believe it is Divine Dragon's Hundred Steps, which is a lightness skill lost in the world of martial artists." Qing Xue hesitated for a moment before she said, "When he left my faction, he also took an important treasure of our faction. If you are going to search for him, you can search for Lu Xiaofeng, the greatest divine constable in the world of martial artists. Have him help you search for the thief's whereabouts."
"You want me to help you search the treasure of your faction?" Happy reacted very quickly.
Qing Xue nodded slowly. "That's right. I am willing to teach you one of our sword formations as a reward."
"Oh?"
"You have witnessed the sword formation, Young Swordsman Happy. I am willing to give you the Four Matchless Sword Formation, which is executed by the four elders of Heavenly Lake just now. I believe you have already experienced the amazing aspects of the sword formation."
"It's a deal."
When he heard that the faction master was offering the Four Matchless Sword Formation the four elders of Heavenly Lake used just now as a reward, Happy did not even wait for the system notification. He immediately agreed to the faction master's request.
The system notification arrived.
"Ding!
"Obtained clue for Heaven Crystal.
"You've received the request from the Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction's master. Now, search for the greatest divine constable in the world of martial artists, Lu Xiaofeng. Then, retrieve Heaven Crystal and the treasure that is stolen from Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction."
*****
When he left Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction, Happy handed the task of searching for Lu Xiaofeng to Wandering Know-it-all. However, before the man made a reading of this, he gave Happy a very bad piece of news.
[Happy, we're in great trouble this time after you killed Sword Sect's master.]
[Oh?]
Happy was stunned.
Wandering Know-it-all quickly answered, [Sword Sect isn't a small sect. Even though they're not considered as one of the seven great sects in the world of martial artists, Sword Sect's foundation isn't much weaker than Shaolin Temple. Once Sword Sect's master dies, not only did you cause all of Sword Sect to regard you as an enemy, you even lured out the grand elders of Sword Elder. Do you know just what qi realm the former sect master of Sword Sect possesses?]
[C
ould it be that he's already in the dao of heaven?]
Happy sounded completely nonchalant when he replied. But based on Wandering Know-it-all's words, he could already guess certain things vaguely.
[You're right. The new Sword Sect master is an old monster who is already One with the World. Right now, he's already on his way to kill you.]
Wandering Know-it-all's answer verified Happy's guess. However, he was a little surprised by the fact that Sword Sect's master had taken the initiative to come out of the sect and go after his life.
[Right now, rumors are going around madly in the world. They said that since you killed Sword Sect's master, you must have obtained a lot of good stuff from him. Besides, the news about Heaven Crystal has spread, and many people have their attention fixed on the sect masters of the major sects right now. If the system doesn't set up harsh punishments, the game is going to descend into chaos. You must be careful. Sword Sect's master will find you within three days.]
"Three days? Three days…" Even though he had long since guessed that only an elite who had reached the dao of heaven would make Wandering Know-it-all shocked, Happy remained calm. He did not show a hint of nervousness or worry.
While an elite at the dao of heaven was powerful, it also meant that he would be bringing along a lot of fortuitous events with him!
At the very least, if he fought against an elite who was already walking down the dao of heaven, he could largely increase his training speed and increase the realm of his Sun Finger.
[You don't have to pay attention to the whereabouts of Sword Sect's master. Right now, I need to know where Lu Xiaofeng is.]
Chapter 1137 - Lu Xiaofeng, Ximen Chuixue
"Hall master, we've got the attributes for Heaven Crystal!"
"What is it?!"
As Dream Clouds stared at the Class One Hall member who rushed over, she finally removed her attention from the multiple letters pertaining to various information. Her fierce gaze landed on the person's face.
*****
At that moment, Class One Hall, which had nearly overturned the Chinese world of martial artists and ruled over it in the past, had forgone all its lavish life and shifted its office to a simple private room in a restaurant. Its members had also been reduced to fewer than one hundred thousand members.
Dream Clouds originally thought that she would have to live through a period of extreme boredom. But after the two major branches in Vietnam and Thailand were destroyed, she was pushed into an unprecedentedly anxious and grave situation. She did not dare to slack off even in the slightest every single day. She had to use her full strength to gather Happy and One Emperor's information, along with all the development trends for Lovely Land. One Emperor personally led thousands of elites from Lovely Land and Wind Assault Tower to ambush Vietnam and Thailand. Not only did he manage to destroy Class One Hall's branches, he once again managed to chase them away from their temporary station, and they had to flee in a pathetic fashion. In fact, he had even managed to destroy Wild Wolves' foundations in those two places and supported the local forces to regain their positions in their own lands.
Those two battles had not only severely damaged Class One Hall's core, they had also delivered a loud, resounding slap across Wild Wolves' face. It caused Dream Clouds, Evil Emperor, and all the people in the world to once again regard the Chinese plains' combat strength outside their borders with importance, and they also had to face Happy's long-term vision with importance.
Dream Clouds knew very well that it was precisely because of her repeated mistakes and her act of underestimating Happy that led to the current situation. Naturally, she began to increase her efforts in gathering information about Happy's actions, and she did so attentively.
Over the past few days, Happy showed off his might at Song House, forced Evil King, who became One with the World, and obtained Heavenly Saber Song Que's legacy.
Now, the world was notified that he killed Sword Sect's master.
The ancient divine weapon, Heaven Crystal, had also reappeared in the world of martial artists because of Happy.
The series of major events that shocked the world caused Dream Clouds to understand that Happy did not stop progressing forward because of Class One Hall and Wild Wolves' failures.
Lovely Land was still developing at an astonishing pace, and the Imperial Army, which was widely known in the game right now, might become a powerful force Lovely Land would use outside the Chinese borders. All signs and Class One Hall's current situation caused the hall master to forcefully remove herself from her dispirited state.
To Dream Clouds, if she did not actively try to handle the situation, perhaps Class One Hall's temporary loss of power might turn into permanent exile! She would never be able to enter the Chinese plains and take over it anymore!
*****
"Heaven Crystal is made from the Five-colored Stone left behind in the world when Nüwa repaired the pillar of heaven. Its might is great. Of course, this is just a legend. Heaven Crystal has been in the Nangong Clan's possession all this while, and it was once the sword of the clan masters. Because of Heaven Crystal, the Nangong Clan reached the peak of its glory."
In the private room, the Class One Hall member told Dream Clouds all the information that he obtained from the diviner through much difficulty.
"However, later on, the Nangong Clan fought against an evil force which was at the height of its power. The clan master died in the battle, and Heavenly Crystal was broken. Ever since then, the Nangong Clan fell into decline.
"The broken Heaven Crystal fell into Sword Sect's hands. The Nangong Clan and the mighty northern clan worked together to recreate it in the furnace. No one knows what method Sword Sect's master used, but he obtained the complete Heaven Crystal. However, based on the information from the mighty northern clan, Heaven Crystal contains a violent and ruthless demonic presence, and it is no longer the strongest ancient divine weapon in the world. The demonic presence in the sword is violent and brutal, and when it injures others, it will also injure the user. It seems that even Sword Sect's master is unable to master it, which is why he brought the sword to Heavenly Lake. He used three years to nourish Heaven Crystal and seal off the demonic presence in it."
"..."
Dream Clouds slowly put on a surprised expression. "Even an elite like Sword Sect's master is unable to master it?"
"That's right, but after being sealed, the current Heaven Crystal seems to now be infinitesimally close to its former strength. But the Sword Sect elites who fled from Heavenly Lake said that there seems to be a peerless classic called Heaven Lake Art contained in Heaven Crystal. If it's used with Heaven Crystal, all those with Heaven Crystal would be invincible—"
Before he finished speaking, the Class One Hall looked up in shock, and he was just in time to see a dark face.
By the looks, Dream Clouds was incredibly agitated and angry.
"Happy, what a rascal. He brought peace to the Chinese plains and had One Emperor go out of the Chinese plains to chase down the remaining forces of Class One Hall, but even so, he's still so lucky… Being invincible? Is he so eager to kill us as soon as possible so that Class One Hall will not have the chance to make a comeback?"
To her, right now, Lovely Land stood at the top of the Chinese plains, and with Wandering know-it-all helping him, there was no one who could stop Happy from obtaining Heaven Crystal as well as Heaven Crystal Art.
If the table made of solid pear wood in the private room had not been incredibly sturdy, perhaps Class One Hall would have another thing added to their debt.
The Class One Hall member had a thought appear in his mind, and he reminded her, "Hall master, I heard that someone stole Heaven Crystal. The clues point to Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction. Happy might not have obtained Heaven Crystal!"
"Sword Sect's master has died in Happy's hands. Do you think a nameless and small faction like Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction will be able to stop Happy from getting Heaven Crystal?"
"Swor
d Sect's master led to the egression of someone who is walking down the dao of heaven. This means that the masters of the sects are not to be easily provoked. It won't be easy for Happy to commit murder in Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction."
"So what…? Even a true elite who is walking down the dao of heaven will not be able to stop Happy. He is the strongest person in the Chinese plains, and he has great ambition to boot! No one can compare to him in terms of strategizing and skills. He won't give up on Heaven Crystal just because of one elite walking down the dao of heaven. The ancient divine weapon is going to eventually end up in his hands." Dream Clouds no longer dared to underestimate Happy now. While she shook her head, she sighed.
"There is only one person who has the ability to stop Happy in this world, and that is Evil Emperor."
But Dream Clouds knew that unless Evil Emperor found a suitable chance after he suffered his defeat at the Chinese plains, he would definitely not make a comeback and continue to fight tooth and nail at the Chinese plains.
The elites in the Chinese plains were led by Happy, and Wandering Know-it-all could also fend against the wild wolves tactic used by Wild Wolves. The Chinese plains could not be conquered like other countries. In the end, Class One Hall's future would just become even more bleak, and their chances of launching a counterattack in the Chinese plains was getting smaller.
*****
With Wandering Know-it-all's help, Happy practically did not need to use his brain to search for anyone in the Chinese plains.
Happy saw the person of the second segment of the series of quests related to Heaven Crystal in a normal mansion in Beijing. This person would provide him with the clues, and he was Lu Xiaofeng.
This person was known as practically a legend by the people in the world of martial artists when it came to solving cases. His fame as a constable in the game was practically greater than his Perception Finger.
However, as a famous person in World of Martial Arts and a person who had a position in the Chinese court as well as the court of the world of wanderers, it was very difficult to find him when it was not office hours.
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