The Extreme Alchemist of the Mighty Cauldron

Chapter 1561: Chapter 1659: The Famed Sword Supreme Abyss

A powerful voice emanated from outside the Sky Swallowing Palace, seemingly some distance away, yet it carried a piercing intensity, as though it meant to intimidate everyone within the Sky Swallowing Palace.

Several masked figures showed anger in their eyes, and Dugu Nian even cracked a sneer.

“Sealing Sword Pavilion really has some tricks up its sleeves. They have only just emerged and are already hitting us at the Sky Swallowing Palace,” Dugu Nian said with a laugh.

Standing behind him, Nangong Shoujian muttered the name Meng Jun Lai, then he suddenly remembered and said to Dugu Nian and Fang Lin, “This old man knows of Meng Jun Lai. On the last Sword Head List that the Sealing Sword Pavilion announced before they disappeared, this man resided at the very top, recognized as the preeminent swordsman of the world at the time!”

Upon hearing this, everyone, apart from Dugu Nian and Fang Lin, exhibited a look of surprise, evidently not expecting Meng Jun Lai to have such an illustrious reputation and having once been the top swordsman of the world, a title indeed extraordinary.

“Sword Head List leader? The top swordsman in the world? Is that very impressive? Weren’t you also once a Sword Head?” Dugu Nian asked nonchalantly.

Nangong Shoujian let out a wry smile, “How could I claim the title of Sword Head? At that time, I merely received the name of the top young swordsman of my generation, and even then, the Sealing Sword Pavilion had vanished, making that title of little significance.”

“So how formidable is this Meng Jun Lai in your knowledge?” Fang Lin inquired.

Nangong Shoujian pondered for a moment before replying, “This man and I do not hail from the same era, and I have never seen him in action. However, in the eyes of us sword practitioners, Meng Jun Lai was indeed regarded as the top swordsman in the world, surpassing all other Sword Tao experts of the time, dominating the top spot on the Sword Head List for an extended period.”

“After all this discussion, you still haven’t explained how formidable Meng Jun Lai is. From what I see, this title of the top swordsman in the world is nothing special,” Silver Fox said with a laugh from the side.

Nangong Shoujian appeared somewhat embarrassed, yet it was true that his understanding of Meng Jun Lai was indeed limited to hearsay and not much else.

“Regardless of how strong Meng Jun Lai is, since he has come knocking, let’s make sure he cannot return,” Dugu Nian stated, putting on the Kylin mask. Dressed in a fluttering red robe, he flew out of the Sky Swallowing Palace.

Fang Lin and several masked figures also exited the Sky Swallowing Palace, but they did not take to the sky, choosing instead to observe the battle from outside the Palace.

In the distance high in the sky stood a middle-aged man with a kind face and a resolute demeanor, exuding an aura of integrity. He cradled a sword in his arms, gazing intently at Dugu Nian from afar.

“It really is Meng Jun Lai!” Nangong Shoujian exclaimed in surprise. He had seen portraits of Meng Jun Lai, and the man’s appearance indeed matched that of the top figure on the historical Sword Head List.

“So you are the Hall Master of the Sky Swallowing Palace?” Meng Jun Lai’s eyes were fixed on Dugu Nian as he spoke.

“I am,” Dugu Nian responded coldly, taking the measure of Meng Jun Lai as well.

A serious expression slowly emerged on Meng Jun Lai’s firm and stern face. From this Hall Master of the Sky Swallowing Palace, he felt an immensely heavy pressure.

Having been the top swordsman in the world, Meng Jun Lai had not felt such intense pressure for a very long time, so much so that it was slightly suffocating him.

However, the stronger the opponent, the greater the excitement in Meng Jun Lai’s heart. For a swordsman, the joy lies in challenging a more formidable opponent; without an adversary, true boredom sets in.

“I am Meng Jun Lai. I hope that the Hall Master of the Sky Swallowing Palace will accept my challenge with a single sword strike. If you can withstand it, I will leave this very moment. If not, I implore you and your subordinates to retreat and vanish from the lands of the Nine Countries immediately. Otherwise, my Sealing Sword Pavilion will begin a siege on the Sky Swallowing Palace,” Meng Jun Lai stated gravely, his words exuding pride despite the immense pressure he felt from Dugu Nian.

Dugu Nian let out a disdainful chuckle after hearing these words.

“How audacious of Sealing Sword Pavilion, even Hidden Kill Hall doesn’t dare to say they’ll besiege my Sky Swallowing Palace. Where does Sealing Sword Pavilion find the courage?” Dugu Nian sneered.

Meng Jun Lai’s expression remained usual as he held the sword that he had been carrying, and said, “Those vile vermin of Hidden Kill Hall, how can they compare to my Sealing Sword Pavilion? If Hidden Kill Hall can’t extinguish your Sky Swallowing Palace, it doesn’t mean Sealing Sword Pavilion can’t.”

Dugu Nian laughed heartily and stretched out his hand, beckoning Meng Jun Lai with a flick of his finger: “Make your move. You have only one chance with your sword. If you can’t injure me with that one strike, then you and your sword will both be left behind for me.”

Meng Jun Lai’s brows furrowed slightly. As the once premier swordsman of an era, he naturally felt somewhat uncomfortable with Dugu Nian’s contempt.

“This sword is called Supreme Abyss, be wary, Sky Swallowing Palace Master,” declared Meng Jun Lai as he solemnly drew the sword from its sheath.

Standing outside the Sky Swallowing Palace, Nangong Shoujian’s expression changed upon hearing the words ‘Supreme Abyss’ and said to the crowd, “It’s actually the Supreme Abyss that ranked seventh on the ancient sword rankings in the past. This sword is indeed formidable.”

“Supreme Abyss? I seem to have heard of it too,” Silver Fox said thoughtfully.

“Yes, the ancient sword rankings once published by Sealing Sword Pavilion saw many changes in the rankings of many famous swords, but the top ten famous swords rarely fluctuated, and Supreme Abyss was one of them,” Zhong Wuwei nodded in agreement.

“Sword Head List? Do we have someone in Sky Swallowing Palace who owns a sword from the Sword Head List?” Fang Lin turned around and asked.

Nangong Shoujian chuckled, “I’m quite fortunate to have a sword that once ranked thirteenth on the Sword Head List called Bamboo Shadow.”

“Only the thirteenth?” Fang Lin expressed his disdain.

Nangong Shoujian became anxious: “A ranking of thirteen is already very advanced. Because those swords ranked in the top ten are mostly in the Sealing Sword Pavilion, and they disappeared along with Sealing Sword Pavilion in the past. If Sealing Sword Pavilion had not reemerged, our Bamboo Shadow would also be considered a rare famous sword.”

Speaking of that so-called Bamboo Shadow, the former Sword Head Nangong showed a face full of pride and satisfaction, evidently very fond of Bamboo Shadow.

“What about the sword ranked first? What is it called?” Fang Lin asked curiously.

Nangong Shoujian’s expression changed, and he said in a low voice, “It’s said that Sealing Sword Pavilion once named an ancient sword called Clear Rainbow as the first, but it seems that even Sealing Sword Pavilion failed to find it, and later excluded it from the list. The real sword that tops the Sword Head List is a sword known as Firefly.”

“Firefly? Why is the name so odd?” Fang Lin laughed.

“It’s not only the name that’s odd but also the reason why this sword is ranked first on the Sword Head List is somewhat unclear, because hardly anyone has seen Firefly. It’s just that Sealing Sword Pavilion insisted on ranking this sword first,” explained Nangong Shoujian.

At this moment, under the sky, the once number one swordsman in the world, Meng Jun Lai, was concentrating intently on Dugu Nian, with the famous sword Supreme Abyss already unsheathed.

“What a famous sword!” Dugu Nian squinted his eyes, feeling an extremely formidable Sword Qi, as though he was not facing a single man with a sword, but a sea of swords.

ps: The fourth update is here, will continue tomorrow, everyone remember to vote!