"The cost of living in Royal City is really shocking." In a room of a not-so-high-end restaurant, Chen Zong couldn't help but smile bitterly.
It had been a long time since he had to worry about money. This time, if he hadn't found some gold from the Mountain-splitter, even food and lodging in Royal City would have been a problem.
Even the cost of a normal room in a restaurant was not low.
With all the gold he had, he estimated that it could only last for seven or eight days, and that was for the most basic expenses. If it was for better expenses, it would be gone in two or three days.
How could he get some money?
Performing?
Chen Zong couldn't do it, and he wouldn't do it.
Become a noble or a family's consecrator?
That wasn't what Chen Zong wanted.
Then he would go to the casino.
Royal City's casinos were very popular and brazen. It was rumored that they had a powerful backer.
Chen Zong had never learned gambling, but his strong abilities in all aspects gave Chen Zong amazing learning ability and insight. Therefore, after losing a few rounds at the beginning, he started winning.
In four hours, Chen Zong won hundreds of gold. It was enough for him to live a good life for a while, so he stopped and left.
The casino was huge. Thousands of gold went in and out every day. A few hundred gold was nothing, and it wouldn't attract the attention of the casino's higher-ups. Therefore, there were no unnecessary troubles.
With the gold, Chen Zong started to buy information. This information was naturally related to Royal City.
For example, the various forces and martial arts experts in Royal City weren't a secret, so it wasn't expensive. Ten gold was enough.
Royal City was where the royal family resided. It was the center of the country and an important place. Many great forces had always been entrenched here for generations.
The royal family was the most powerful, followed by the four marquises and the Defender-general's residence. Then there were the martial artists' club and the eight noble families.
Of course, Chen Zong was more concerned about the experts.
There were a total of 88 Titled Martial Artists listed in the information. Of course, this was not all of them. If one wanted to know about some of them in secret, they would have to fork out even more gold.
However, Chen Zong felt that 88 Titled Warriors should be enough.
Other than that, there were the three Martial Saints.
The 88 Titled Warriors and the three Martial Saints were Chen Zong's targets.
Using experts to sharpen the blade!
Chen Zong looked through them one by one.
Among the 88 Titled Martial Warriors, there were naturally some who were strong and some who were weak. Two of them had slightly more unique identities.
One of them was the Defender-general of the State. Not only did he hold a high position, but he was also a powerful Titled Martial Warrior.
The second was the Martial Marquis. He was one of the Four Marquis and also one of the Four Marquis who possessed outstanding martial strength. Although the Martial Warriors had declined, possessing outstanding martial strength was undeniably not a bad thing.
It was only because martial artists needed to devote themselves wholeheartedly and work very hard. They also needed to consume large amounts of food and supplements, which led to fewer and fewer people practicing martial arts.
Marquis Wu had a high position and power. He also had the powerful strength of a Titled Martial Warrior. Together with the Great General of the State, they were known as the Twin Dragons of Long Xuan Country.
However, Chen Zong did not intend to challenge these two people. His goal was only to understand the profoundness of Titled Martial Artists. If he were to challenge these two people and win, there would be endless trouble.
Raising his brush, Chen Zong marked down the names of the Titled Warriors he was about to challenge.
Red Sun Saber!
Wild Wind Warrior!
Long River Sword King!
…
There were a total of nine people. Other than the Martial Marquis and the Defender-general of the State, they were the strongest nine of the 88 Titled Martial Warriors.
Among them, four of them belonged to the royal family. It would not be easy to challenge them. Then, he would start with the other four.
Among them, the easiest to challenge would be the Long River Sword King of the Martial Warriors Hall.
The Martial Warriors Hall was the main camp of the Martial Warriors. It was built by the Martial Saint of the Sunset Martial Saint in the new era. The Martial Saint of the Sunset Martial Saint felt the decline of the Martial Warriors in this era and wanted to leave the last bit of dignity for the Martial Warriors.
The headquarters of the Martial Warriors Hall was located within the Imperial City.
The Martial Saint of the Sunset Martial Saint was one of the three Martial Saints of the Long Xuan Country. He had the terrifying strength to fight against a thousand elite soldiers. If he wanted to assassinate someone, unless the other party was a Martial Saint or had the protection of a Martial Saint, the others would definitely die.
Such a terrifying expert, even if the Martial Warriors had declined, others would not dare to underestimate him.
When an ordinary man was angry, blood would splatter five steps away.
Of course, if he was not a Martial Saint and was only a Martial Warrior, even if he was a Titled Martial Warrior, the Martial Warriors Hall would not be able to be built successfully. Even if it was built by luck, it would not be able to be maintained.
Everything still depended on the deterrence of martial strength.
Although the Martial Warriors Hall was successfully built and operated for more than twenty years, the decline of the Martial Warriors was inevitable. Therefore, the Martial Warriors Hall was not strong.
It was completely on account of the Martial Saint of the Sunset Martial Saint that it was placed on the same level as the Eight Great Aristocratic Families.
As a Martial Saint, he naturally would not deal with the matters of the Martial Warriors Hall. The representative was the Long River Sword King, a top-notch Titled Martial Warrior.
The Long River Sword King had just finished dealing with some matters of the Martial Warriors Hall when someone handed him an invitation. He looked at it and his eyes immediately focused. How long had it been since he had received such an invitation?
Invitation to battle!
This invitation looked very simple. It was silver-gray in color and had a picture of swords clashing on it. It was the standard invitation to battle for a Martial Warrior.
In the past, the Long River Sword King had sent and received invitations to battle, but ever since his strength reached the peak of the Titled Martial Warrior realm, he had never received another invitation.
Putting aside his feelings, the Long River Sword King's calloused fingers flipped open the invitation. His eyes shone with a cold light, sharp as a sword.
That word!
That word …
That word … actually gave him an indescribable feeling. The moment he opened the invitation, he felt as if he had seen a sharp sword unsheathing. Every word, every stroke, revealed an astonishing sharpness. This sharpness was like a divine sword unsheathed.
And this sharpness could only be felt by those who had a certain level of attainment in swordsmanship.
"So strong!" The Long River Sword King's silent heart was suddenly stirred, and traces of battle intent sprouted.
Not to mention who it was, just the sharpness revealed in these words was enough for him to fight. Then, he looked at the signature.
Sword God!
These two words caused the Long River Sword King's pupils to shrink to the size of needles. A trace of indescribable anger grew in the depths of his heart.
"Arrogant, arrogant!" The Long River Sword King could not help but slap the back of his chair, as if wanting to shatter it.
Sword God!
Who dared call themselves Sword God?
Not even the Golden Dragon Sword Saint of the Three Great Martial Saints dared to call himself that.
Sword God!
The God of Swords!
Not only was this arrogant, but also extremely ignorant.
"Three days from now? Very well, I will let you know the consequences of your arrogance." The Long River Sword King was furious.
He was angry because of the other party's arrogance and ignorance. To call oneself a god was an insult to the sword.
As someone who had practiced the sword for decades and regarded it as his closest companion, he would not allow it.
Three days!
The appointed time for the battle was three days from now, and the location was in the Martial Arts Gallery.
Time flew by.
In these three days, Chen Zong had been tempering his swordsmanship and comprehending at the same time.
On the third day, the Long River Sword King bathed, burned incense, and wiped his sword. His fingers were gentle, as if caressing the delicate cheeks of his lover. His eyes were gentle like the flowing waters of a long river.
Soon after, he put down the soft white silk cloth and clasped the sword hilt with his right hand. A sword flower bloomed in the air.
With a clang, the sword returned to its scabbard and the brilliance dissipated. The Long River Sword King stood up, a trace of sharpness quietly condensing. The gentle light in his eyes also turned sharp.
He turned and strode out the door. He knew that the self-proclaimed Sword God had arrived.
The battle was about to begin.
Chen Zong stood in the wide front yard of the Martial Arts Gallery. Despite the scorching sun, he did not move an inch, nor was there a drop of sweat seeping out.
He had come to challenge the Long River Sword King, and the Long River Sword King was the acting Gallery Master. The people of the Martial Arts Gallery naturally would not give Chen Zong any face, nor would they invite him inside. Instead, they allowed Chen Zong to stand under the scorching sun.
Chen Zong's expression was calm and steady, without the slightest anger. His heart was as clear as ice, so it was difficult to be affected by the heat. Moreover, Chen Zong's control over his body had reached an astonishing level. Standing under this heat for two to four hours was not a big deal.
Of course, if he was exposed to the sun for too long, he would also feel uncomfortable.
The reason he had challenged the Long River Sword King first was because of his status and so on. It was relatively easy to challenge him. Secondly, the Long River Sword King also used a sword. Thirdly, Chen Zong needed to have enough reputation to better challenge others.
And the invitation was signed with the words' Sword God ', which was very shocking. Naturally, it was to prevent the Long River Sword King from rejecting his challenge.
Chen Zong waited. It was said that the Long River Sword King had a habit of bathing and polishing his sword before fighting. This would take at least two hours.
Soon after, a figure appeared at the open door of the front yard. It was a slender figure, walking over with neither slow nor fast, neither light nor heavy steps. Each step seemed to have been carefully measured, just right.
This footwork immediately caused Chen Zong's eyes to brighten slightly. He immediately determined that this person was incomparably rich in battle experience and extremely talented in battle. This was because this footwork might seem simple, but it allowed one to advance and retreat in an instant.
This person would be a good opponent.
Following the steps, Chen Zong saw his opponent's figure. He was tall and slender, with a back like a sword.
His five fingers were slender, and the outline of calluses could be vaguely seen. This was a hand that wielded a sword.
That face seemed to be around forty years old. His eyebrows were as sharp as swords, but his eyes were deep. There was a trace of sharpness quietly condensing in the depth, as if a sharp sword was about to be unsheathed, revealing a shocking sharpness.
His ordinary face seemed to have experienced the vicissitudes of life. His eyes were like the finishing touch, making his face extraordinary and unforgettable.
Long River Sword King!
Long River Sword King took a step forward. His gaze fell on Chen Zong's face from dozens of meters away, and he was suddenly stunned.
Young!
This was Long River Sword King's first impression. Then he found it hard to believe.
Although calling himself 'Sword God' was very arrogant, there was no denying that the words on the invitation had a unique edge. In his view, it wasn't something a young man in his twenties could write.
If it had been a swordsman in his thirties, Long River Sword King could barely believe it. If it had been a swordsman in his forties, he wouldn't have doubted it.
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