Suddenly, a deep voice thundered, "Take one of my palms as well!" The speaker struck the instant the words left his mouth. After only two or three exchanges, the balance of power shifted dramatically. He seized the initiative and forced the White Tiger Holy King, Dong Sheng, onto the defensive. In the next instant, he spun like a whirlwind and charged forward. Unable to sidestep or evade, Dong Sheng had no choice but to meet the attack head-on. Their palms collided with a deafening crash. Dong Sheng was blasted backward seven or eight paces, a clear testament to the terrifying force behind the strike.
Wu Mo burst into laughter and declared loudly, "The four of you may come at me together! The Ageless Heavenly Demon fears no one!"
At that moment, the Purple Celestial Cult Leader strode forward and said in a resonant voice, "Wu Mo, has my sect offended you in any way? Why have you come here to disrupt our gathering?"
Wu Mo replied, "The Alliance of Justice commands the hearts of the martial world! Cult Leader, why not join my Alliance of Justice?"
The Purple Celestial Cult Leader answered firmly, "You walk your broad highway, and I shall walk my narrow bridge."
Wu Mo sneered.
"The Western Sacred Church has already submitted to the Alliance of Justice. Any sect in the martial world that refuses to join us should not be surprised when the Alliance comes knocking on its door."
Wu Mo's ambition to dominate the martial world was known to everyone. Yet the Purple Celestial Cult Leader was no ordinary opponent.
Just then, a voice as loud as a great bell echoed across the mountain.
"The Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance has arrived!"
The gathered heroes exchanged astonished glances.
"Another group has come?" they thought.
Someone by the arena shouted,
"The Divine Sovereign of the True God Palace!"
Others quickly followed.
"Elder Qin Wei of the Dragon Hall!"
"Elder Wang Tao of the Tiger Hall!"
Surrounded by the two great Dragon and Tiger Elders—Qin Wei and Wang Tao—the Four Envoys (Li Qi, Bai Mu, Wang Ben, and Zhao Li), the Three Talents (Heaven, Earth, and Human), and the Three Luminaries (Sun, Moon, and Star), the Palace Master of the True God Palace, Tuoba Xinge, entered the assembly with imposing dignity.
In a deep voice he declared,
"Wu Mo, your dream of monopolizing the martial world is nothing but wishful thinking."
Wu Mo glanced at him coldly.
"And what brings you here?"
Tuoba Xinge stepped forward and saluted the Purple Celestial Cult Leader.
"Cult Leader, our intelligence reported that the Alliance of Justice was marching here to interfere with your Heroes' Assembly. Therefore, I have personally led the forces of the True God Palace to reinforce your sect and prevent any harm from befalling it."
As the leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, Tuoba Xinge was himself one of the most influential figures in the jianghu. His timely arrival was far from an act of pure generosity; he had no intention of allowing Wu Mo to become the sole overlord of the martial world.
The Purple Celestial Cult Leader was overjoyed at the arrival of reinforcements. Returning the salute, he said,
"Today our sect has gathered heroes from across the realm to uphold righteousness and defend justice. Never did I expect the self-proclaimed Alliance of Justice to be the very ones to disrupt this gathering! Fortunately, Alliance Leader Tuoba has come to our aid in the name of justice. Our sect is deeply grateful. As the ancients said: 'He who possesses the Way finds many supporters; he who has lost the Way finds few. When one enjoys the support of all under Heaven, victory is assured.'"
Wu Mo laughed scornfully.
"You've invited heroes from every corner of the martial world to defend justice—but what good does that do? Not one of you is truly capable! The Alliance of Justice is filled with mighty warriors. Cult Leader, you should seriously consider joining us. I am generous by nature. If your sect becomes part of our alliance, the rewards will be plentiful."
The Purple Celestial Cult Leader replied,
"Wu Mo, over the past month you have plunged the jianghu into bloodshed and chaos. Do not imagine that you alone can cover the heavens with one hand. For today's Heroes' Assembly, we have invited both the Beggars' Sect Chief and the Hall Master of the Hall of Loyalty to bear witness on behalf of the martial world. We will not permit you to run wild here."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward the banquet seats, where the Beggars' Sect Chief and the Hall Master of the Hall of Loyalty were seated.
Wu Mo raised an eyebrow.
"The Beggars' Sect Chief? The Hall Master of the Hall of Loyalty? Cult Leader, you certainly have remarkable influence."
His tone revealed genuine surprise. Even in his dreams he had never imagined that those two legendary figures would attend this gathering.
At that moment, the Beggars' Sect Chief burst into hearty laughter. Rising from his banquet seat, he walked into the center of the assembly.
"Wu Mo, the Purple Celestial Cult has gone to great lengths to host such a grand Heroes' Assembly. Couldn't you at least congratulate them instead of coming here looking for a fight? This old beggar has barely taken his seat and hasn't even had a single bite to eat before you started shouting about battle. That's hardly proper etiquette."
Wu Mo cast him a cold glance and chuckled.
"Chief Fei, this is no ordinary banquet. Better not eat it at all."
The Beggars' Sect Chief grinned.
"This shameless old beggar never refuses a free meal, so naturally I came. I had no idea you'd show up as well. Tell you what—next time, you can treat me instead. Today I'd like to ask you for a favor. Will you grant this old beggar a little face and let me enjoy my meal in peace?"
Wu Mo silently assessed the situation. With so many renowned masters gathered here, there was little chance of gaining any advantage today.
Finally he nodded.
"Chief Fei, you jest. In my opinion, there are very few true heroes at this gathering—but you are undoubtedly one of them. For your sake, the Alliance of Justice will refrain from causing any further disturbance today."
Everyone present understood those words for what they were—mere diplomatic courtesy. The jianghu was filled with tangled interests, and Wu Mo knew better than to push matters to the point of no return. One should always leave room for future maneuvering.
He waved his hand and shouted,
"We're leaving!"
Turning sharply, he strode away, followed by the elite warriors of the Alliance of Justice.
As the heroes watched Wu Mo and his followers depart, they could not help admiring the Beggars' Sect Chief's remarkable ability to resolve conflicts within the martial world. In the end, it was he who had peacefully defused the crisis.
The Purple Celestial Cult Leader approached him with cupped fists.
"Chief Fei, Wu Mo's outrageous behavior today was beyond my ability to stop. Thanks to your intervention, this matter has been settled peacefully."
The Beggars' Sect Chief returned the salute and laughed carefreely.
"It's nothing worth mentioning! This old beggar is simply starving. So tell me—when does the Heroes' Banquet finally begin?"
The Purple Celestial Cult Leader smiled warmly.
"Please wait just a little longer, honored hero. The Heroes' Banquet will begin at once."
If the Beggars' Sect Chief was not a true hero, then no true heroes remained under Heaven. Yet for all his legendary reputation, one problem troubled him above all others at that moment—his empty stomach. Quietly he muttered to himself, wondering just how much longer he would have to wait before the long-awaited Heroes' Banquet finally began.