Chapter 216: The No.1 Sword Sect in Tian3

But in the official records of the empire, along with Situ Hai, there were only three sword saints. So where did this masked man come from?

“The Aurora technique of the Light Saber Style is profound and vast; it’s not something you can casually imitate,” the masked man spoke softly, his voice almost sticky. “I am Xie Fengting.”

“Xie Fengting?” Yang Hao repeated the name. He vaguely recalled that the intelligence collected by the Dan Ding Group didn’t mention such a person. Currently, the Light Saber Style was quite weak, with no successors even appearing in an entire generation. Yet this Xie Fengting clearly used techniques from the Light Saber Style.

“I’m not part of the Light Saber Style anymore—at least not now,” Xie Fengting answered Yang Hao’s unspoken question. “I’m just a bodyguard.”

“Another bodyguard!” Yang Hao winced at the word. Situ Hai often worked as a bodyguard, and on several occasions nearly cost Yang Hao his life. Why was it that nowadays, top martial artists all seemed to prefer being bodyguards? “Is being a bodyguard that profitable? Maybe I should become one too,” Yang Hao muttered.

“Even without being a bodyguard, Boss Yang has no shortage of ways to make money,” Xie Fengting remained motionless, his lips barely moving as his soft voice floated out. “I’m here today to deliver a gift from my master. That earlier attack was just a joke.”

Yang Hao inwardly sneered. If he hadn’t been able to withstand those earlier moves, this “gift” would probably only be suitable for the dead.

The men Xie Fengting brought placed three large iron chests in front of Yang Hao. Each chest was about half a meter high and a meter long. The men carrying them didn’t seem particularly strained, so the chests probably weren’t very heavy. Even if they were filled with imperial currency, the three chests probably only amounted to a few million at most.

Yet Xie Fengting spoke as if he had brought an incredibly generous gift: “My master carefully selected these gifts, and Boss Yang will surely like them.”

He kept calling Yang Hao “Boss,” which was somewhat strange. In the empire, people usually addressed others as Sir, Lord, or even more respectfully as Sovereign Lord. Yang Hao’s status as the boss of the Dan Ding Elixir Group didn’t exactly command respect on the grand stage.

The few nobles who followed Yang Hao to learn swordsmanship were all rich heirs. They were greatly displeased by Xie Fengting’s condescending manner of presenting gifts: “What’s this all about? Does our Boss Yang need your measly money?”

Indeed, Yang Hao wasn’t short on money. Not only had he already become a billionaire from selling aphrodisiacs, but recently he had also earned billions more in tuition fees.

“I won’t boast about anything else, but Boss Yang will definitely want these three chests,” Xie Fengting’s lips curved into a calm smile. “My master said that if Boss Yang accepts these three chests, he doesn’t need to do anything else—just meet my master once.”

“I’d like to see what rare treasures you’ve brought!” An arrogant young noble, unable to contain his resentment, rushed forward and kicked open one of the iron chests. He had assumed the chests contained gold or diamonds—items he was already well-acquainted with—and was eager to mock Xie Fengting.

But to his great surprise, the chest was filled not with gold or jewels, not even a single coin, but with pale blue ice blocks emitting a chill. These ice blocks resembled frozen horse dung, round and plump, and no one could tell what they were for.

“Just this junk?” The noble raised his foot, ready to kick the chest over and expose Xie Fengting’s arrogance.

Before his foot could land, Yang Hao had already thrown him far away with a flash of movement.

“This is…” Yang Hao’s eyes widened. He walked forward tremblingly, gently caressing the ice blocks as if they were priceless treasures.

“Crystal Core, Flameborn Finch, and Silver Flow Sand—one chest of each,” Xie Fengting slightly nodded and performed the salute of a martial expert. “These are the gifts from my master to Boss Yang.”

Yang Hao was shocked beyond words. The only person who could understand his shock was Hun Yuanzi, for these three items were precisely the core materials needed for the new sword pills he had recently been trying to refine—materials he had been unable to find through any means.

In the Galactic Empire, the most precious plant and animal materials were monopolized by the Senate. No matter where in the universe these rare resources originated, they would all be sent to the Senate. Others couldn’t even hope to obtain them, let alone see them.

Thus, Yang Hao’s attempts to refine new sword pills had stalled indefinitely. But with these three chests, he could easily produce three new types of sword pills, allowing him to learn three new and even more powerful sword techniques.

“How could they know!” Hun Yuanzi angrily asked from inside Yang Hao’s body. “How could anyone know you needed these three things?”

Yang Hao’s heart was in turmoil, unable to speak for a moment. The impact of these three chests was even greater than mastering three new sword techniques. For the first time, Yang Hao clearly felt that during this period of suffocating silence, everyone had been watching him, as if preparing to dissect him from the inside out with a scalpel.

“Who is your master?” Yang Hao almost gritted his teeth while asking. Whoever could understand Yang Hao’s most urgent needs, obtain these items from the Senate, and command a top-tier expert like Xie Fengting must possess astonishing power.

“It’s not a person, but an organization.”

Xie Fengting stood straight, still smiling: “The Merchant Guild is my master. When Boss Yang has time, please visit the Merchant Guild. The nine council members are waiting for you.”

The Merchant Guild—these four words were like lightning, instantly dispelling Yang Hao’s doubts.

It was a name worthy of greatness. Across the universe, tens of thousands of merchant ships traveled between space stations and ports, whose throughput was an astronomical number. Countless people relied on the merchants’ trade to survive, and many planets depended entirely on the support of merchants to exist.

The Merchant Guild was the united organization of all space merchants. It had countless merchant members and hundreds of times more merchant ships than imperial warships. It even had its own armed forces to defend against space pirates, and its political influence rivaled that of any high-ranking imperial official.

In the empire, people recognized the Emperor, the Senate, and the Privy Council as the three major powers, but they often overlooked the Merchant Guild behind them—an invisible force, yet equally the most vital lifeline of the empire.

Now, this Merchant Guild had reached out to Yang Hao with an invitation.

What did it mean?

To ordinary people, this day meant nothing. But on Earth, intelligence agencies of major powers were urgently mobilizing like wound-up clockwork.

Within hours, analysis reports flooded into the hands of the leaders.

To these powers, Yang Hao was no longer invisible. He had stirred up the murky waters of the empire even further.

“Ahhh, what a blissful moment,” Yang Hao lay on a zero-gravity reclining chair, his entire body supported by a soft, mellow substance. His bones and blood felt weightless, and he was extremely comfortable.

Before him stretched the vastest sea on Earth. The blue ocean had turned green, with hues shifting from deep green to light green as it approached the shore. The red and white coral reefs beneath the sea shimmered with enchanting colors.

The fine, soft sand and the beautiful women massaging him and feeding him rare fruits made this an ultimate earthly pleasure.

Yang Hao hadn’t enjoyed himself like this in a long time. Ever since the Merchant Guild delivered the three chests of materials, he had been in seclusion, cultivating. He had first refined his new sword pills. Having broken through the Void Meditation Stage, he could now use the second move of the three sword techniques. Now that he had the sword pills, his progress was significant. However, his other cultivation hadn’t gone as smoothly. Yang Hao had always wanted to help his disciples in the Hao Sword Group break through the Spirit Void Stage. He had gathered all the other materials, but obtaining hundreds of monster cores was proving extremely difficult.

Zhuge Jian noticed Yang Hao had been exhausted for days and insisted on inviting him to the new beach resort recently purchased by the Dan Ding Group.

“I mean, Xiao Ji Jian, you sell aphrodisiacs, fine—but why buy a beach too?” Yang Hao squinted at the beach outside, where his noble disciples were playing beach volleyball with a group of beautiful women.

All the oceans on Earth belonged to the Senate, but beaches weren’t included. Therefore, every beach with tourism potential became a hot commodity. Zhuge Jian must have spent a fortune to buy this piece of land.

“Boss, we have too much money now. If we don’t spend some of it, are we going to let it grow worms?” Zhuge Jian still never left without his fan and was always surrounded by beauties.

Suddenly, Yang Hao noticed Maya joining the volleyball game on the beach. This woman could switch between her spiritual form and physical body at will, so she would flicker in and out of view while playing, leaving everyone else stunned.

“I smell a conspiracy, Xiao Ji Jian,” Yang Hao said with a grin.

Zhuge Jian looked slightly embarrassed: “Boss, could you please stop calling me Xiao Ji Jian? After all, I’m old enough to be your grandfather.”

“Alright, alright,” Yang Hao readily agreed. “Then how about Xiao Zhu Zhu? Quickly, tell me what your scheme is.”

Xiao Zhu Zhu was a bit better than Xiao Ji Jian.

Zhuge Jian stroked his beard, shaking his head as he spoke: “Boss, you’ve only just arrived on Earth and already made a bunch of enemies. They haven’t acted against you yet because they don’t understand your strength. Once they realize you’re just a rootless weed, pressure from around the world will descend upon you.”

“And I’m supposed to be scared of them?”

“I think, while we’re still rich, we should quickly expand into other businesses. Plus, with all the noble disciples you’ve gathered, we should start cultivating our own power. If war breaks out in the future, it will be a force to reckon with.” Zhuge Jian, a descendant of Zhuge Liang, truly had a sharp mind for strategy.

Yang Hao fell silent for a moment. The forces he had angered were far beyond Zhuge Jian’s imagination. Yang Hao gazed at the ocean, its clear waters rolling onto the beach, as if some unfathomable energy lay hidden deep within the sea.

Everyone thought Yang Hao’s greatest enemy was the Ten Sword Styles or even the Senate. But no one knew that his true enemy was the leader of the Senate—the real immortal, the one who even subdued the divine race.

“Xiao Zhu Zhu, keep running the business well and cultivate some successors. Use those noble disciples if you can; after all, they’re idle anyway.” Yang Hao curled up comfortably. “Who knows, maybe one day I’ll get into trouble, and the Hao Sword Group and Dan Ding Sect will have to rely on these businesses to survive.”

“Boss won’t get into trouble,” Zhuge Jian’s expression slightly changed. “Just give me another year, and I’ll get a foothold in the empire’s commercial lifeline.”

“Another year…” Yang Hao gave a bitter smile. He doubted he would have such a long peaceful period. Now that he was living in the dragon’s den and tiger’s lair, who knew when an enemy might suddenly strike.

As he was thinking this, the sky darkened slightly, and a rumbling sound came from above Yang Hao.

“They’re here,” Hun Yuanzi muttered.

Since coming to Earth, Hun Yuanzi had spoken little and moved little, seemingly also focusing on cultivation. After all, he was getting closer to his enemy, and the ultimate battle might begin at any moment.

Indeed, two people arrived, directly transported via instantaneous teleportation. These two were imperial officers, wearing uniforms adorned with golden dragon patterns—members of the Imperial Guard system.

“Sir Yang Hao,” they said, though their eyes didn’t look at him. “His Highness the Crown Prince invites you to the arena for some fun.”

“The Crown Prince?” Yang Hao hadn’t yet grasped the imperial system. “What kind of thing is that?”

Zhuge Jian turned pale with fright: “The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, the son of His Majesty the Emperor, and the future Emperor of the Empire!!”

Yang Hao was momentarily stunned. Although his Dan Ding Group was a business enterprise, it also had intelligence-gathering personnel. When analyzing the Earth’s powers previously, there had been no mention of a Crown Prince faction.

It seemed that someone from the Ten Sword Styles couldn’t wait any longer.

Yang Hao actually looked quite happy.

Instantaneous teleportation tracks were great for many things, but not knowing the destination was a big drawback.

Following the two officers, Yang Hao began the teleportation. Sure enough, in an instant, they arrived at the location. However, the two officers knew exactly where they were going and immediately activated their anti-gravity belts upon appearing in midair, floating above.

Yang Hao had no idea his destination was in the air. He stumbled and fell, fortunately not very high, landing with a thud on a lawn.

Still dizzy, he heard thunderous cheers all around, as if hundreds of thousands of people were shouting together. Thinking everyone was welcoming his arrival, Yang Hao proudly stood up and looked around, only to be stunned.

Good heavens, what kind of place was this!

It was said that in ancient times, Earth had nine great wonders, each built with the strength of an entire nation and the power of countless gods. Yet what lay before Yang Hao was even more magnificent than those nine wonders.

The lawn where Yang Hao stood was at least dozens of square kilometers in size, equivalent to a small city. Yet this lawn was merely the bottom of a valley surrounded by mountains. Atop the peaks floated ring-shaped buildings made of alloy. Whether through immense anti-gravity devices or other means, these structures remained steadily suspended in the air. On these ringed buildings were countless seats, where over a million people sat, waving white handkerchiefs and cheering wildly toward Yang Hao.

That kind of atmosphere was simply blood-pumping; it felt as though the entire world’s gaze was concentrated on one spot, and as long as flesh and blood splattered there, muscles flexing wildly, it could bring infinite pleasure to the millions watching.

Yang Hao glanced around and indeed spotted a circle of shirtless men standing at the edge of the grassy area. These men wore only black belts around their waists, their muscular bodies clearly defined. All were bald, with thick, rough facial features, and their eyes gleamed with the savage hunger of bloodthirsty beasts.

A colosseum—it really was a colosseum.

Yang Hao had just fallen right into the massive combat arena of this colosseum, and the millions of spectators surrounding him were naturally the biggest fans of watching blood spill.

Beast fighting was a revival sport. It was said that in ancient times on Earth, such brutal entertainment had once flourished. Back then, slaves were forced to fight against wild beasts, and if a slave survived, he could earn his freedom.

This tradition had been well preserved, and modern beast fighting had become the most popular pastime among Earth’s nobility. These aristocrats lived lives of luxury, never having set foot on a battlefield, and had no idea of the terror of fighting to the death. Thus, watching life-or-death battles between humans and beasts gave them an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

However, the fighters in modern beast battles were all highly skilled warriors, and many noble families even treated it as a rite of passage for their young heirs.

But Yang Hao had absolutely no interest in any of this. Stripping down to fight beasts on a grass field just to show off muscles? He’d rather display his physique to pretty girls.

He was just about to sneak away unnoticed when he turned around and saw, to his surprise, that there was someone else standing beside him. It wasn’t that Yang Hao had deliberately ignored him—it was simply because the kid was just too weak.

He was clearly a frail young scholar, probably not even sixteen yet, with delicate skin and youthful features still carrying traces of innocence. Yet despite his appearance, he was holding two heavy long spears, wearing full armor that looked so heavy it was almost crushing him under its weight.

Yang Hao blinked in confusion: “Kid, you’re not one of the beast fighters, are you?”

The boy nodded miserably, then waved his spear feebly. Surprisingly, the audience erupted into cheers.

“This is child abuse! I should report this to the animal cruelty committee!” Yang Hao looked at him sympathetically. “Kid, remember not to come to a place like this again—Earth is really dangerous.”

“I… what should I do?” the boy almost burst into tears.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely fight for justice for you.” As Yang Hao said this, he heard a strange, terrifying roar from behind him. He turned cautiously to look.

The atmosphere was absolutely electrifying, as if the eyes of the entire world were focused on one spot—where flesh and blood would splatter, muscles would bulge, and millions would revel in the spectacle.

Yang Hao glanced around and saw a ring of bare-chested, muscular men standing at the edge of the grassland, their powerful physiques accentuated by black leather straps. Each of them was bald, their faces rugged, their eyes gleaming with the ferocity of bloodthirsty beasts.

An arena. This was indeed an arena.

By sheer chance, Yang Hao had fallen right into the massive combat zone of this gladiatorial pit, surrounded by millions of spectators who thrived on the sight of bloodshed.

Gladiatorial combat was a revival of an ancient tradition. Legend had it that in prehistoric times, Earth had once hosted such spectacles, where slaves fought beasts for their freedom.

This tradition had been meticulously preserved, and in modern times, gladiatorial games had become the favorite pastime of Earth’s aristocracy. These nobles, coddled in luxury and untouched by the horrors of war, found unparalleled satisfaction in watching life-and-death struggles between men and beasts.

The difference now was that modern gladiators were highly skilled warriors, and many aristocratic youths even treated it as a rite of passage into adulthood.

But Yang Hao had no interest in such theatrics. Stripping down to flex muscles and slaughter beasts on the grass? He’d rather show off for the ladies.

He planned to slip away unnoticed while the musclemen were distracted. But as he turned, he realized there was someone else beside him—not that Yang Hao had intentionally overlooked him, but… but this kid was just too weak.

He was a frail, bookish boy, probably no older than sixteen, with delicate features and a lingering air of childish innocence. Yet here he was, clad in heavy armor that seemed to crush him under its weight, clutching two massive spears in his thin arms.

Yang Hao blinked. “Kid… you’re not a gladiator, are you?”

The boy nodded miserably, waving his spindly limbs in a way that somehow sent the surrounding crowd into a frenzy of cheers.

“This is child abuse! I ought to report them to the Animal Cruelty Committee!” Yang Hao said sympathetically. “Kid, remember—never come to places like this for fun. Earth is a dangerous place.”

“W-what do I do?” The boy looked on the verge of tears.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure justice is served for you,” Yang Hao reassured him, only to hear a strange, guttural growl behind him. He turned cautiously to look.

Damn it all—a colossal, five-meter-tall demon beast was slowly lumbering toward them.

Yang Hao had killed a demon beast before, but that had been an immature Black Demon. This one, however, was fully grown, its crimson hide marking it as a Fire Demon in its prime.

Behind him, the boy’s teeth chattered uncontrollably. Yang Hao sighed. “Run. Just run. Better to escape now than to lose your life here!”

Yang Hao had once killed a magic beast before, but that had been a weak, immature black magic beast. The one before him now was fully grown, with red skin clearly indicating it was a fire magic beast in its prime.

Hearing the boy behind him clattering his teeth in fear, Yang Hao gave a bitter smile and said, “Run fast now—escaping is better than losing your life!”