Overlord Sword City had existed for a very long time.
Its ancient city walls stood silently on the land, and the iron-blue city gate seemed to wordlessly tell the story of a lifetime.
The dusk sunlight, accompanied by the crimson glow of the evening clouds, spread over the city, casting it in a hazy light.
As the sun set in the west, the hearts of the wandering were heavy.
Xu Zimo walked into Overlord Sword City. The city's prosperity and size were comparable to the Primordial Ancient City he had visited before.
People crowded the streets, and almost everyone carried a sword.
The place where the Jiang Clan used to live had now become a market district.
It was the largest market in Overlord Sword City.
Local residents usually bought and sold goods here, and some even traded items directly.
…………
After asking around about the market’s location, Xu Zimo made his way there.
Walking along the main street for a few hundred meters, a tall gate appeared ahead.
The gate stood over three meters tall and was bright red.
Xu Zimo passed through it and entered the market, discovering it was even more bustling than he had imagined.
Shops of all kinds lined both sides. Most sold goods, rarely did you see restaurants or inns.
Along the sides of the wide road, many people had laid out small stalls on the ground.
"Sir, come take a look, don’t miss it! A personal sword of a direct disciple from Heavenly Sword Gate, now selling cheap!"
As Xu Zimo walked along, hawkers on both sides of the road shouted out their sales pitches.
The streets were lively with people shopping and chatting, full of vitality.
He wandered through the market until dusk approached, then left and found a restaurant.
Despite walking around, he found nothing. It felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.
After eating, Xu Zimo left the restaurant around midnight.
…………
Old Xu was a beggar and had been begging in Overlord Sword City for nearly ten years.
He survived by picking up others’ leftovers.
He was already quite old, and a few years back, he had taken in a young beggar.
He treated the boy like his own son. Perhaps as he got older, he simply wanted companionship in his later years.
The summer heat was intense, and recently the boy had fallen seriously ill.
He was on the verge of death.
Old Xu had no money to treat the boy, so he could only watch helplessly as he grew weaker by the day.
At dusk, the summer heat had eased a little, and a breeze began to blow.
He leaned against the innermost wall of an alley in the slums of Overlord Sword City, carefully feeding water from a broken bowl into the boy’s mouth.
He hoped that fate would be kind and let the child survive.
Just then, footsteps echoed from nearby.
The old beggar quickly looked toward the alley entrance. This alley was where beggars rested.
Filthy and foul-smelling, most people avoided it completely.
He saw a young man in a purple robe slowly approaching.
The youth carried a curved blade on his back, his eyes were both dominating and deep, and his aura was indescribable.
Perhaps none of the nobles Old Xu had seen in his life were as memorable as this young man.
"Do you need something?" the old beggar asked cautiously.
"Help me spread a message in the city, and this spirit crystal is yours," the purple-robed youth said calmly.
As he spoke, a transparent spirit crystal was tossed over.
Old Xu stared blankly at the crystal in his hand, then quickly reacted.
He knelt and begged, "Sir, I’ll spread whatever message you want. I don’t want the spirit crystal, I just beg you to save him."
He pointed at the dying young beggar beside him, pleading with the youth.
Xu Zimo glanced at the boy.
He summoned the vitality of the Tree of Life in his hand, and with a wave, the green energy flowed into the boy’s body.
"Old Xu, am I dying?" the boy slowly opened his eyes and asked weakly.
"Don’t say such unlucky things, kid! You’re not dying, we met a great benefactor, a big one!" the old beggar laughed joyfully, clearly in good spirits.
That night, Xu Zimo visited every area in Overlord Sword City where beggars gathered.
By the time the sky began to brighten, he returned to the restaurant and shut himself inside.
…………
The sleeping Overlord Sword City resembled a silent beast, roaring in stillness.
As the sun rose, purple light filled the east, and the bright sun shone high.
The streets were already crowded, and people from all walks of life resumed their usual routines.
It seemed nothing had changed, but on that day, something new was quietly being said in Overlord Sword City.
"Old Zhang, do you remember the Jiang Clan from back in the day?"
"Of course. When the Jiang Clan ruled the Sword Domain, it was peaceful and prosperous. Now that they’re gone, the three great powers keep fighting. I really miss those days!"
"Well, did you hear? A descendant of the Jiang Clan has supposedly shown up in Overlord Sword City. They say he inherited the Sword Immortal’s legacy."
"No way, really?"
"I’m not sure myself. But the whole city is talking about it. You’re the only one who doesn’t know. They say he’s staying at the Fortune-Arrival Inn and returned to honor his ancestors."
…………
Though many were skeptical, the rumor spread quickly throughout the entire city.
It escalated further, even reaching other cities in the Sword Domain.
The impression the Jiang Clan left was too strong.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Sword Domain only existed because of the Jiang Clan.
And their sudden disappearance had long been a mystery in people’s hearts.
The Sword God Realm was located in the north of Overlord Sword City, with its main base built on the nearby Sword God Mountain.
The branch in Overlord Sword City was just one division.
At that moment, in the main hall of the Sword God Realm, an old man in a gray-white robe sat in a chair, frowning in deep thought.
Just then, a disciple walked in and respectfully said,
"Elder Jian, the Sound Transmission Wall has responded."
"I see," the elder called Elder Jian quickly stood and walked toward the wall.
He was the head of the Sword God Realm's branch in Overlord Sword City. The Sound Transmission Wall was their link to the main sect.
When the rumor about the Jiang Clan descendants first appeared, he immediately reported it to the main sect.
Now, as he stood before the wall, the aura of spiritforce shifted, and only three words appeared:
"Kill without mercy!"
He slowly raised his head, looked out the window at the sky, then gathered his spiritforce and walked out of the room.