Chapter 4: Like-Minded Companions

Dozens of meters underground, the subterranean world was brightly lit. No one could have imagined that the sole heir to a legendary sword sect on the continent would be the young proprietress of an ordinary inn. Yet it was this seemingly frail and delicate woman who now stood calmly before Mels, issuing a direct challenge to the continent's youngest rising star.

Mels advanced steadily, taking several steps forward. Although his sword remained sheathed, he knew he had already entered the battle—an invisible contest of presence. Perhaps only by standing where he did now could one understand the immense pressure Mels felt.

At this moment, Sha Luo was like a giant, or more precisely, like a sharpened sword standing before Mels, as if ready at any moment to pierce his chest with its cold blade.

Advance! He could only advance! Mels knew he absolutely could not retreat; otherwise, he would lose his only chance to defeat his opponent. Yet, for some reason, under this immense pressure, Mels felt not fear. Instead, he felt a kind of excitement, much like when he had faced Xiu Lante years ago—that same nervous excitement that had once repeatedly urged him to draw his sword.

"Brother Mels, you truly live up to Sir Xiulan's expectations. My master once told me that if anyone could take seven steps within the intent of our Celestial Sword Sect, they would be a formidable enemy! Although my skill is not even one percent of my master's, just by your fearless steps earlier, I know you are worthy to face me in battle!" Sha Luo's tone now lacked the restraint of a young lady, instead resembling the admiration of a grandmaster before a decisive battle.

"You honor me, miss. I am deeply honored to face the continent's strongest sword sect," Mels replied sincerely.

"Brother Mels, I do not wish to fight to the death with you, so let us agree to a three-sword pact. If I am fortunate enough to gain a slight advantage, you must promise to let me accompany you on your voyage. If I cannot defeat you, then I will abide by your decision regarding my fate!" Sha Luo said earnestly to Mels.

To Sha Luo's proposal, Mels offered no verbal reply. Instead, he slowly drew his sword and gave a slight nod.

Seeing Mels' action, Sha Luo naturally understood his answer.

With no discernible movement, Mels felt a blur before his eyes, and suddenly Sha Luo held a sword in her hand—thin as a cicada's wing, transparent, and gleaming silver-white.

When the two stood five meters apart, swords in hand, the atmosphere in the training ground had completely changed. A palpable aura of combat enveloped the entire space, even making Sol, who was watching from the side, feel somewhat suffocated.

Almost simultaneously, the powerful Qi contained within both of them burst forth, as if engaging in an invisible struggle in the air.

The very air seemed to cleave in two. From the solidified aura, it was clear that Mels' Qi was deeper than Sha Luo's, occupying a larger space.

However, Mels' advantage ended there. No matter how hard he tried, his Qi could not advance further into the territory Sha Luo occupied. It was like two armies facing off, with Qi gathering increasingly in their respective spaces, awaiting the final clash.

"Take this! Profound Heaven Sword Art, Cloud-Splitting Sun-Severing!" As if warning Mels or encouraging herself, Sha Luo let out a sharp cry, her body moving with her sword. With a stable, straight-forward thrusting stance, she aimed for the center of Mels' chest and abdomen.

Logically, faced with such a lightning-fast attack, Mels should have immediately changed his stance to counter it. Yet Mels did not even blink, as if the attack was not directed at him.

A distance of five meters was lethal range in the eyes of sword masters, and now Sha Luo's sword had advanced to within three meters of Mels. If Mels did not take any action, even if Sha Luo had no other options, she could pierce Mels with her high-speed sword technique in an instant.

Yet Mels remained unmoved, as if petrified...

The sword, merciless, advanced swiftly with its wielder's arm. Just as Mels' chest was about to be wounded, Sha Luo's sword stopped about thirty centimeters away from him, refusing to advance further.

Seeing Mels' lack of evasion and not a trace of fear, Sha Luo asked in confusion, "Why didn't you dodge? Was my sword not fast enough?"

"I didn't need to dodge because you had no killing intent!" Mels replied calmly, his expression unchanged.

"Killing intent? I don't want to kill you, only to defeat you. How could there be killing intent?" Sha Luo asked, unable to understand.

"Killing intent isn't something that only appears when you intend to kill," Mels said, looking at Sha Luo before sighing softly. "Miss Sha Luo, perhaps you possess unparalleled sword skills across the continent, but you lack experience in real combat. Even if you were ten thousand times stronger than me now, you would never be my opponent. Give this up. Stay here and be the proprietress of your inn. Don't risk your life on a pointless adventure." With that, Mels turned to leave.

"Stop!" Sha Luo shouted sharply as Mels turned away.

Yet Mels continued walking, completely ignoring Sha Luo's attempt to stop him.

"Even without killing intent, I can still defeat you!" Sha Luo bit her lip, gripped her sword, and thrust toward Mels once more.

The moment Sha Luo's sword shot out, Mels leaped back like a startled rabbit. Although he was still over five meters away from Sha Luo, for some reason, Mels suddenly felt an unprecedented threat.

Turning in mid-air, Mels was shocked to see Sha Luo flying toward him with her eyes closed. Her expression at that moment seemed determined to keep Mels there at all costs. Thus, an invisible killing intent began to permeate the air around her.

Flowing Frost Sword Dance—the ultimate technique of the Cloud-reaching Sword God, held in reserve, suddenly flowed from Mels' hands. This sword art embodied the Cloud-reaching Sword God's lifelong efforts, and almost no one on the continent could withstand all seven of its forms. Today, Mels unleashed the fifth form, "Clouds Soaring Ten Thousand Miles," as if intending to defeat Sha Luo in a single move.

Unfortunately, Mels had underestimated Sha Luo's martial prowess this time. As if drawn by the overwhelming momentum of "Clouds Soaring Ten Thousand Miles," Sha Luo reflexively bent her entire body backward at a ninety-degree angle, dodging the first seven strikes. Then, adjusting her posture, she swept her sword upward from below.

A seemingly ordinary sword technique that should not have even touched Mels' body instead sealed off his retreat while he was still in mid-air. As long as Mels could not maintain his aerial position for long, his descending body would inevitably be wounded by Sha Luo's sword.

Seeing the sudden danger, Mels was astonished by Sha Luo's sword skill. Fortunately, years of life-and-death battles had given Mels rich combat experience. Realizing his sword technique posed no threat to Sha Luo, he unleashed another move before his body could descend, attempting to force Sha Luo to abandon her blockade and defend herself.

This time, Mels held nothing back. Surging Qi instantly enveloped his sword as he roared, "Frost Fills the World!" Mels, suspended in mid-air, seemed to multiply into a thousand figures, attacking Sha Luo from all angles.

Perhaps due to never having engaged in such intense combat, or perhaps because Sha Luo truly could not withstand Mels' sword technique, she was forced to abandon her attempt to cut off Mels' retreat. Her body rolled backward in six consecutive flips, barely dodging Mels' strikes.

Even with such quick reflexes, Sha Luo's clothing was pierced by Mels' sword energy in four places. If Mels had not still been in the exploratory stage of using sword energy, that move alone would have been enough to defeat her.

"Boss, that was brilliant! Keep it up!" Sol, seeing the exciting moment, couldn't help but shout enthusiastically.

Unfortunately, Sol was a total layman when it came to martial arts. Seeing Mels gain the upper hand, he assumed victory was assured, unaware that Mels had expended too much Qi, launching powerful moves in quick succession to pursue Sha Luo.

Although Sha Luo's clothing had been pierced in several places, she suffered no actual harm. Seeing Mels not immediately follow up with another attack, she thought he was intentionally "going easy" on her, feeling both ashamed and angry. She turned and glared at Mels, shouting furiously, "You go too far! Celestial Sword Sect, Startling Rainbow Strike!"

Sha Luo bent her entire body backward like a tightly drawn bow, then thrust her sword forward with all her might, propelled by the force of her body springing forward. For Mels, the greatest threat was not Sha Luo's lightning-fast speed but the sword energy she unleashed.

Seeing a dazzling red sword energy shoot from the thin, cicada-wing-like blade, Mels had to admit that Sha Luo's sword cultivation surpassed his own.

Unfortunately, now was not the time to marvel at his opponent's skill. Mels knew that if this continued and he could not mount an effective counterattack or defense, Sha Luo could defeat him with this single move!

The sword energy was like a rainbow, swift as lightning. Sha Luo, striking in anger, left herself little room to pull back. Mels, acutely aware of the threat, hurriedly suppressed the chaotic Qi within him and leaped into the air, attempting to evade Sha Luo's attack.

Although linearly attacking sword energy covered a large area, its inability to change direction was its greatest weakness. Mels exploited this principle by choosing to dodge from the air, but he had not anticipated...

"Startling Rainbow Strike, Second Chain Form!" As if proudly displaying her superior martial skill, Sha Luo shifted her posture again, gracefully unleashing three linked bursts of sword energy toward the air. This time, Mels' advance and retreat routes were both covered by Sha Luo's sword energy, making injury and defeat seem unavoidable!

Mels was clearly unprepared for Sha Luo's ability to chain sword energy attacks. Since leaving Blue Whirlwind, aside from Xiu Lante, Mels had never seen anyone capable of consecutively using sword energy. He understood well the level of martial cultivation this required. That this seemingly delicate young girl had achieved such a level was truly astonishing.

No, if I retreat, I'll definitely be wounded by the sword energy! Mels thought in alarm. There's no other way—I have to risk it!

Perhaps driven to a desperate situation, Mels resolved to use an unmastered technique to counter Sha Luo's sword energy attack.

Seeing Mels about to be wounded by her own sword energy, Sha Luo cried out in shock. Clearly, she had never intended to force Mels into a corner. It was only the heat of battle that had momentarily caused her to lose control, leading her to unleash the Celestial Sword Sect's extraordinary supreme technique.

Yet even if Sha Luo wanted to stop now, the released sword energy could not be recalled. She could only watch helplessly as Mels was struck.

Though surrounded by sword energy in mid-air, Mels had not lost his will to fight. Once resolved to defeat Sha Luo's sword energy with his own skill, he suddenly spread his arms and began spinning rapidly in the air like a top. Apart from the swirling vortex of air around him, his form was no longer visible.

If Sha Luo had fired arrows instead of sword energy, Mels' stance would have been enough to make them miss their mark. But sword energy could pierce through these wall-like air vortices and strike Mels directly. At this critical moment, Mels stopped spinning and shouted, "True Nameless Divine Style, Scattered Clouds Shatter!"

Suddenly, the rapidly flowing air, like soldiers hearing a charge, surged from around Mels in a scattered yet dense formation, directly colliding with the three linked bursts of sword energy Sha Luo had unleashed.

A single air wave alone could not stop the advance of sword energy, but millions of air waves were more than three bursts of sword energy could withstand. After a series of crackling sounds like firecrackers, Mels floated in the air like a Heavenly God, completely unharmed, while Sha Luo's sword energy had vanished without a trace.

This time, Mels would not let go of any chance to defeat Sha Luo. Seizing the moment of Sha Luo's stunned surprise, Mels surged forward, becoming one with his sword like an arrow loosed from its string, directly aiming at the dazed Sha Luo on the ground.

"Brother Mels, I've lost," Sha Luo said, her voice choked, looking at the sword now resting against her throat. "Your martial skill is higher than mine. It is only that you lack real combat experience; otherwise, I would never have been able to defeat you," Mels said sincerely, gently lowering his sword and looking at Sha Luo.

At this moment, Mels' eyes were filled with admiration, devoid of any victor's pride or arrogance. Seeing his expression, Sha Luo remained silent for a long while before suddenly turning and walking toward the inner part of the training ground.

As if triggering some mechanism, a rumbling sound echoed as the character for 'Sect' at the bottom of the Celestial Sword Sect inscription on the inner wall slowly rose. Sha Luo entered the opening and returned moments later with a small brocade box, which she presented to Mels.

Sha Luo extended her hand, placing the small brocade box into Mels' palm. She said, "Brother Mels, if you wish to leave the continent, you must break through the Divine Barrier. What lies inside this box is the only key capable of destroying it."

"Divine Barrier? What is that?" Sol, having watched the battle from the sidelines, approached the two and asked.

Before Sha Luo or Mels could explain to Sol, Kaslo's voice echoed from the distance: "The Divine Barrier has existed since ancient times in legends. In mythological tales, after Creator God Mafa rescued us humans from the demons' grasp, he brought us here. However, the continent was filled with dangers at that time. Mafa, fearing humans could not withstand these perils, split the land into three separate continents. To prevent those dangers from threatening humanity again, Mafa erected several barriers in the oceans connecting the three continents, isolating them from one another. These barriers are what we call the Divine Barrier!"

"But all that is just legend. Last time I went to sea, I encountered those Divine Barriers. It was just a place completely shrouded in thick fog, with no sea breeze and no life. Since the ship I was on wouldn't enter that sea, I had to turn back. So, I believe the Divine Barrier is nothing but a tall tale."

"No, the Divine Barrier truly exists! My Master once told me that the thing in this brocade box is a key more important to him than his own life. Without it, no one can possibly cross the Divine Barrier!" Sha Luo clearly disagreed with Kaslo's statement.

"Regardless of what the Divine Barrier actually is, let's open the brocade box and take a look first." Sol's overpowering curiosity drove him to reach for the box in Mels's hands.

However, Mels stopped Sol, turning to face Sha Luo. "Since this is a treasure of the Celestial Sword Sect—something more important than your master's own life—I absolutely can't accept it. Moreover, I don't know how to use it, so I should return it to you. I think you should hold onto it until we need it." Watching Mels hand the box back, Sha Luo was on the verge of tears. She truly hadn't expected Mels to refuse even her final gift.

Just as Sha Luo was about to cry, Sol happily said, "My lady, what are you crying about? Didn't the boss say *you* should keep it until it's used? Don't you understand his meaning?"

After hearing Sol's words, Sha Luo seemed to suddenly understand. With tears in her eyes, she looked at Mels with an expression of disbelief.

Mels seemed ill at ease in such a situation. He could only smile awkwardly at Sha Luo while rubbing his nose, at a loss for words.

"Brother Mels, even though I lost to you, are you still willing to take me to sea?" Sha Luo confirmed again.

"Taking you to sea is fine by me, but I don't know who will manage this shop after you leave." Mels diverted the conversation.

"Thank you, thank you, Brother Mels!" Upon hearing Mels's answer, Sha Luo couldn't help but excitedly hug him.

"Boss, let me experience how warm a beauty's embrace is too," Sol said, drooling as he watched the scene.

However, his words were immediately met with a flurry of punches from Mels and booming laughter from Kaslo.

As everyone was leaving the underground training ground, Mels pulled Kaslo and Sha Luo aside and cautiously inquired, "Actually, I don't have a problem with you coming to sea with us, but there's one thing I must clarify first. This voyage isn't for seeking some Immortal Island or for sightseeing. We have a more important mission, and we will undoubtedly encounter unimaginable dangers. So, I must ask: why exactly do you want to go to sea?"

As he spoke, Mels specifically turned his gaze toward Sha Luo. After all, as the successor of the Celestial Sword Sect, she had no real reason to leave the mainland.

"Brother Mels, you might not believe it, but actually..." Sha Luo hesitated, glancing at Kaslo. Clearly, she didn't trust him much and didn't want him to hear certain things.

"I'll go see what the kitchen is preparing for dinner tonight." Kaslo, of course, picked up on Sha Luo's meaning and used this as an excuse to leave.

But Mels grabbed Kaslo's arm, turning to Sha Luo. "We are about to set sail together. There shouldn't be any more secrets between us. Miss Sha Luo, just tell us your purpose directly. Similarly, Kaslo, you must also tell me the real reason!"

After hearing Mels's words, Sha Luo didn't react much, but Kaslo was shocked. He had originally thought Mels was merely a highly skilled but straightforward fighter. He had firmly believed his original story would convince Mels, never imagining that Mels had already seen through his so-called "sailing for an ideal" as just an excuse.

At this moment, Kaslo couldn't help but view Mels in a new light and began considering whether to reveal his true purpose.

Looking into Mels's eyes, Sha Luo hesitated slightly before finally sighing. "Brother Mels, you're truly sharp. Since you've said so, I'll tell you.

Ever since my master's health began deteriorating three years ago, he told me that the Celestial Sword Sect has a legend passed down for over a hundred years. We residents of this continent are merely creatures created by gods... no, by another race! Although they don't possess our innate strong vitality and combat instincts, they possess technology that we could never catch up to in thousands of years. They can create metal birds that fly in the sky, metal fish that swim in the sea, and even giant metal war machines.

My master said these people haven't invaded us, not out of kindness, but because they have greater ambitions and purposes. For over a hundred years, our Celestial Sword Sect has wanted to unravel this mystery and understand the true ambitions of those mysterious people.

My master told me that although those mysterious people often come to our continent and mix among us, their world is on the other side of the Divine Barrier. To truly understand them, one must go to their world. Unraveling this mystery is the duty of every generation's successor in the Celestial Sword Sect. Therefore, after my master passed away, this task fell to me.

The reason I frequently interact with military generals is in the hope that one day I can obtain a large military vessel to go to sea. So, when I heard that Brother Mels and you were planning to set sail, I made up my mind to go with you."

After hearing Sha Luo's explanation, Mels was greatly astonished. He had originally thought that only a few of them knew about the existence of the mysterious people. He never expected that the long-renowned Celestial Sword Sect had also long been aware of them.

Before Mels could react, Kaslo blurted out to Sha Luo, "So our goals are the same! Ah, I thought I was the only one who could obtain the scientific power of the mysterious people! Mels, actually, my real name is Kaslo Badixus. I think you should know the Badixus family."

Even if Mels didn't know the Relkes Empire, he would certainly know the Badixus family!

The Badixus family is a syndicate that dominates the southern continent. Legend has it that there are thousands of bandit groups under the Badixus family's command, with members numbering in the millions.

If the Magic Family is the continent's largest commercial organization, then the Badixus family is the continent's strongest outlaw organization. This was common knowledge for Mels, who grew up in the Blue Whirlwind.

Seeing Mels's shocked expression, Kaslo said with a hint of pride, "My family has known about the existence of those overseas people since a very long time ago. I'm not sure exactly which era, but my family once fought a great battle with them, resulting in the casualties of over ten thousand elite family members.

That time, the elders of the family deeply understood the power of technological strength and demanded that future generations obtain that power by any means necessary. In my generation, there are only three boys. My eldest and second brothers constantly fight each other, trying to seize control of the family. I am the youngest, and no one in the family is willing to support me, so I could only become a drifter.

By chance, I heard the elders speak of past events and obtained a nautical chart of the overseas people's homeland. Since then, I've been determined to reach their continent and learn from them the technological power that could dominate the continent. What I told you earlier about having been to sea three times is also true, except I couldn't cross the Divine Barrier that Sha Luo mentioned.

That day, when I learned you were members of the Dragon Knights Regiment and heard you were also planning to go to sea, I thought I could rely on your strength to reach the continent of the overseas people. So, I fabricated a reason to mix in with you, but... well, that's how things are."

After hearing both of their stories, Mels gradually recovered from his shock. After a moment's thought, he sighed. "The world is truly marvelous. I originally thought everyone's goals were different, so I just wanted to understand your true intentions. I never imagined that in this world, there would be people with the same goal as me."

"What! You also want to go to sea to find the mysterious people?" Kaslo and Sha Luo exclaimed simultaneously.

Nodding calmly to both of them, Mels slowly said, "I've only been in contact with the mysterious people for a few years. The first time was on Frank Island, where they destroyed the entire island. We've had several more encounters since then. I'll tell you all about it slowly in the future.

Sha Luo, I think I should tell you that Uncle Xiulan is dead. He died at the hands of the mysterious people. The reason I want to go to sea is also to avenge Uncle Xiulan!"

"What! What did you say? Lord Xiu Lante... he... he's dead?" Sha Luo stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

"Yes, I know this is a great blow to you, but Uncle Xiulan is truly dead. He died in my arms." Mels said sorrowfully, "At that time, I was no match for that mysterious person at all, but I don't know why he didn't kill me. Instead, he gave me a nautical chart to the Federation.

This happened half a year ago. For the past six months, I've been searching for a ship to the Federation. Now I've finally found one and preparations are complete. The reason I came here these past few days was to meet up with my companions, but I never expected to meet you...

Sha Luo, don't be too sad. I believe we can definitely avenge Uncle Xiulan! Alright, let's go out now. Sha Luo, in the next few days, you should properly arrange matters for managing the tavern. Akafir might need a few more days to rest, so take this opportunity to arrange for a temporary manager."

Perhaps not wanting to see Sha Luo's grief-stricken expression, Mels lowered his head and left her sight. Kaslo originally wanted to comfort her but didn't know what to say. In the end, he could only leave silently as well.

Only Sha Luo remained in the tunnel, her eyes blurred with tears. Perhaps for her, Xiu Lante was a kind of unfamiliar family.