Look at this young man named Liam Carter, around twenty years old. His movements lack any sense of lightness or ease, clearly showing he has not cultivated true qi—how could he possibly be that master whose sword energy pierces the sky?

Chapter Three: The Invitation

The Carter Family Dining Hall.

The head of the The Carter Family, Charles Carter, together with Mrs. Carter, their third son Liam Carter, and their fourth and fifth daughters, Grace Carter and Julia Carter, were dining together.

The atmosphere at the table was rather heavy.

The authority of the family head was such that even the usually lively and restless Julia Carter kept her head down, eating quietly and as silently as possible.

“I’m finished. Father, Mother, please enjoy your meal.”

After finishing his meal, Liam Carter intended, as always, to get up and leave on his own.

“Wait a moment.”

At this point, Charles Carter spoke up: “Sit down.”

“What instructions do you have, Father?”

Liam Carter looked calmly at the somewhat world-weary man before him.

Charles Carter also carefully regarded this third son of his, whom he had paid little attention to ever since they quarreled over martial arts.

After a long moment, he finally spoke again: “Our Wang Trading Company is about to become the Yunshen City branch of Shenlong Commerce. At that time, the The Carter Family’s influence will reach a new level. Even the county magistrate, the city lord, and even the provincial governor, if they wish to develop the people’s livelihood or recruit soldiers, will need to rely on our The Carter Family’s wealth. Martial artists seeking divine weapons or rare treasures will also have to go through us. I’ll ask you once more: are you willing to manage the affairs of the trading company for me?”

“I want to learn the sword.”

Liam Carter’s answer was simple and direct.

“Lian’er…”

Mrs. Carter, seeing her son contradict the master’s wishes, wanted to persuade him.

But Charles Carter shook his head and fell silent.

For a moment, the atmosphere at the table was as silent as a grave. Both Grace Carter and Julia Carter slowed their chewing.

“I can give you an opportunity to enter the Kunlun Sect.”

“Kunlun Sect?”

Liam Carter looked up, a bit surprised.

The Kunlun Sect was a renowned top sect within the Yun Kingdom. Its sect-treasured Kunlun Divine Sword was one of the world’s greatest weapons. The sect’s spells and swordsmanship were famous throughout the land. Although years ago, Edward Hayes of the Baiqing Sword Sect had once destroyed the Kunlun Sect, and later rumors spread that the young sect master Julia had become a demon, no one could deny the deep foundation of this sect. In the peaceful years since, under the new leader William Harris, the Kunlun Sect had flourished, regaining its former glory. Among the new generation of eight prodigies, the Kunlun Sect held a place.

To enter Kunlun was every martial artist’s dream.

However, Liam Carter was not so dazzled by this surprise. He keenly caught the latter part of Charles Carter’s words.

“An opportunity… What do I need to do?”

Charles Carter did not reply, but turned his gaze to the butler standing by. The butler stepped forward and handed an invitation to Liam Carter.

“This is an invitation sent by Emily Clark, daughter of the Yunshen City Lord, to attend a ceremony. Logan Reed, a top expert from the famous Hongmen sect, and his son Owen Reed, will be establishing a new sect outside the recently rebuilt Bamboo Grove Village, called the Green Bamboo Sect. First, to teach the local villagers martial arts for health and strength; second, so that if there is ever another incident like the Chonjiao Fleet attack, they will have the strength to fight back against invaders and not let the village be destroyed by fire again.”

“Logan Reed!”

Liam Carter had certainly heard of this top expert.

He was the senior disciple of the current Hongmen leader.

And the Hongmen leader was even more remarkable—a genius of his generation. When Hongmen faced annihilation, he rose to prominence, and with unprecedented talent, surpassed his master, the former world-renowned Henry Ford, to become a Saint-level expert in a very short time. He defeated Edward Hayes, disrupted the Destiny Ritual, thwarted the Demon Emperor’s descent, and saved the imperial capital Jiangliu City from disaster. Later, he destroyed the Black Dragon Cult, suppressing the demonic forces across the land.

It could be said that the current peace in the world owed much to the Hongmen leader’s achievements.

“Yunshen City Lord Samuel Clark has a good relationship with Logan Reed, and the Hongmen headquarters, Wurifeng, is located within Liyu Prefecture. When Emily Clark was young, she studied under Logan Reed and followed him in cultivation, making her half his disciple. Now that Logan Reed’s son Owen Reed is founding a sect in Bamboo Grove Village under Yunshen City’s jurisdiction, she naturally wants to oversee the event, display her cultivation, and deter any troublemakers. There are two invitations: one for the The Carter Family, and the other… is addressed to you alone.”

As Charles Carter spoke, he fixed his gaze on Liam Carter, as if trying to discern every trace of emotion.

But…

He was disappointed.

This was the first time Liam Carter had heard of this person.

“The daughter of the Yunshen City Lord… specifically inviting me to the ceremony?”

“I won’t comment on Owen Reed, but Emily Clark is the beloved daughter of the Yunshen City Lord. In City Lord Clark’s heart, his affection for this youngest daughter surpasses even that for his two sons. As for Yunshen City’s City Lord Clark, I need not say much—he is a dragon among men. With three thousand Qilin Guards commanding awe across the land, and eight thousand armored troops capable of conquering the world, even the Liyu Prefecture governor treats him with respect and as an equal. He is the person most likely to govern an entire province in the future.”